Whether dining out for a romantic date or showing your love by preparing someone a special meal, there is no question that eating is a sensual act. But some foods have earned special distinction as...
Fresh & Fierce
Five Ways to Say I Love You… To Yourself.
It’s February, so that can only mean one thing: there’s a lot of romantic love stuff in your face. Romantic love can be great, but let’s get real — no one else can actually look inside...
Your Workout is Not a War Zone: Rethinking the Language of...
“Fight through the pain.” “Target your problem zones.” “Learn her secret weapon!” Phrases like this are ubiquitous in fitness magazines, television shows, and social media channels, and...
Brokeback Lifter: How a Back Injury Helped Me Make Peace with My...
“The heaviest squat I did before my surgery will be my heaviest squat, ever,” I told my wife as we watched snippets of the CrossFit Games, our laptop perched on her right knee and my left...
My Secret Fitness Life
Here’s my big secret: I work out five days a week. Not that shocking, right? Are you waiting for me to get to the scandalous part, like where I steal priceless works of art so I can bench-press...
Asking, Telling, Accepting, Being: Why You Should Read Amanda...
Trying to describe Amanda Palmer in one sentence is like trying to stuff all of your possessions into a sock. Musician, impresario, performance artist, and writer, Palmer was adored for her...
Almost There: Trusting My Body Again, One Lifeboat at a Time
At my first triathlon, in 2012, squads of wetsuit-clad swimmers, 100 or so at a time, lined up for their turn at the starting line for four hours straight. Sorted by gender and age group – each...
Empowerment Self-Defense is Kicking Ass – and Much More
The first time I drove my fist through a pine board I learned something about physical power that is almost indescribable. It stood stark against two decades of socialization telling me that, as a...
I Am Okay: Living in the Aftermath of Assault
I was office-bound the Friday, August morning that I locked eyes with a passerby on the opposite side of the street. Already the encounter was strange; it was rare for me to come across anyone on my...
First Response: Showing Compassion and Care to Assault Victims
One in five women will experience a completed rape in her lifetime; over three quarters of these assaults occur when the victim/survivor is 25 or younger. One in two women will experience a non-rape...
I Did It: I Connected with a Community of Survivors and Hiked...
By Vanessa Spiller, as told to Rachel Friedman It was a Tuesday. I was shaving in the shower when I felt a lump under my arm; it was hard and small, no bigger than a pea. After the doctor told me I...
Cancer is Bullshit
Talking to Allison Gruber about Not Surviving Cancer and Her New Book, You’re Not Edith Two months after moving to Milwaukee for a job with benefits, and three days after her new health insurance...
Bad Romance: Getting Over Your Messy Break Up with Exercise
I travel around the country giving talks about body positivity, size acceptance, and Health at Every Size. In many of my talks, either in my introduction or during the talk, the fact that I am and...
Book Review: The Sober Truth
Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and The Rehab Industry By: Lance Dodes, MD, and Zachary Dodes Publisher: Beacon Press Alcoholics Anonymous is an all-American staple, so closely...
My Greater Self Rose Up
Overcoming Denial and Facing My Alcoholism I didn’t like her. I didn’t think anyone would. Who would like a woman with a self-destructive drinking problem and special talent for hurting people...
Flying High: How Circus Classes Helped Me Manage Anxiety
The first time I had an anxiety attack I was at a talk being given by humorist Roy Blount, Jr. I was sitting in the front row of the auditorium, listening and laughing as Roy talked about his latest...
An Exercise in Rest: Learning to Manage Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
I come from a family of busy women. My mother always has a to-do list and almost never sits down. I wanted to be just like her. Life had other plans.
Survivors on the Yoga Mat: Recovering Ourselves, Our...
As an academic interested in feminist fitness and a yoga teacher, I anticipated the publication of Becky Thompson’s book for almost a year after meeting her at a conference. Survivors on the...