Claire Xu

It’s 2020, and I’m tired of hearing and seeing people talk about all the foods I don’t normally eat food like this, so I deserve to indulge in this sinful dessert”, you can say “ It’s your choice and none of my business, but why talk about it (especially in a way that demonizes it) when you never know how it may affect the people who are listening? – good/bad – addictive – earned – sinful – junk – fattening – clean Words to START using when describing food: – nourishing – satisfying – balanced – filling – tasty – fresh – appealing – satiating – comforting – rich – nutritious – enjoyable

I made a copycat version of my favorite store-bought bar at home, and my life is changed. These taste pretty freakin’ close to actual Perfect Bars – chewy, dense, just sweet enough, and oh so nut buttery- but much cheaper and made with only 4 ingredients! * 1 1/3 cup natural nut butter of your choice (I like to do a mixture of types) * 1/2 cup of protein powder of your choice (I would recommend an unflavored or vanilla one)

If you are scared of gaining weight, it is not your fault- the majority of us have been had diet culture messages instilled in us from a young age, and we are constantly surrounded by these messages in our households, in the workplace, and all over social media. But, the fact that 20+ THOUSAND people have died in the US and many MILLIONS of Americans have lost their source of income, and there are STILL diet culture messages specifically geared towards this time breaks my heart. Messages saying that this is the ‘perfect time’ to set a weight loss routine, joking about gaining the ‘quarantine 15’, and guilting people for not utilizing this time to ‘get fit’ is NOT okay and definitely not health-promoting. For anyone who listens to and believes diet culture, these messages spread the idea that amidst a pandemic, the thing to really be afraid of is weight gain.

I always knew that I should workout from a place of love, but it honestly didn’t fully click in my head until pretty recently. For my entire life, being active was solely a way to “be better” whether that was through competing in sports, to look a certain way, or to just be “fitter”, which PSA: do not make you better. It wasn’t until a few months ago, after I had gone through many phases of complete exercise burnout, that I decided to let go of ALL expectations I set for myself in the gym and on how my body looked that my mindset changed. EVERY week, I listen to and honor how much and what kind of movement my body wants and always give myself grace because at the end of the day, working out is a celebration, a privilege, and something to be incredibly grateful for.