anxiousgiraffe7

recovery, support, and me being me

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Hi!

A bit about me and this blog:

-I've been in the process of recovering from an eating disorder for over two years

-I recently started seeing a nutritionist (again) and am trying harder then ever to make my recovery happen

-I am passionate about nutrition, health, and helping others

-My goal is to gain 15 lbs before I leave for college in August, I want this blog to help me stay accountable for reaching my goals

-This is going to be a place for positivity, supporting one another, and just a collection of things that make me happy!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Get yourself a foodie bff!

Even though I’m still recovering from an eating disorder and certain situations involving food can be extra challenging, there are so many amazing opportunities that involve eating and it’s important to try and focus on the other aspects of these things!

This week I had two awesome nights out with friends and both of them were enhanced by delicious food! In my personal experience it’s easier for me to let go of my constant stress over eating when I’m enjoying myself and with people who make me feel comfortable!

It’s important to surround yourself with people who care about you and don’t add pressure to your recovery! My friends are supportive of me without having to make mentions of food or what/how much either of us is eating.

Thanks to my incredible besties I was able to have some super awesome meals this week! I had cornbread croutons for the first time (a definite must try!) and introduced my friend to falafel (my personal favorite)!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Waste Not Want Not

Excess food that will go bad before it can be eaten or goes unused can be a trigger for those with food anxiety. Recipes that utilize food that would otherwise be tossed are a great way to reduce food waste and combat food-related anxiety. This week I used this recipe and turned stale bread into delicious croutons!

The Best Homemade Croutons – Elevate Your Salads, Soups and More

Laced with garlic and Italian seasoning, these crunchy Homemade Croutons are easy to make with any bread. They're a tasty salad topper, stuf

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Support!

Eating at different events can be really challenging and stressful for some people especially when you don’t have any prior knowledge of what food will be served. I’ve had a few end of school year events lately that have been a bit challenging for me to eat at so I wanted to share my experience and some tips that might be helpful if you’re ever in a similar situation!

If you are focusing on trying to eat healthy and avoid processed foods it can be difficult to find options that work for you when the menu is planned by someone else and accommodations can’t be made. In these situations, your best option is to eat something that will at least give you some nutritional value rather than avoid eating all together.

I recently attended an event where my only food options were macaroni and cheese or chicken tenders. While I usually avoid eating fried/breaded foods I ate some of the chicken tenders because they at least provided a good source of protein which even when fried still has some of its benefits.

Situations like these can be very stressful to navigate and it’s important to remember that not every food choice you make has to be perfect and that you should choose to eat foods that you enjoy and that satisfy your needs! Some other tips for navigating similar events….

Eat beforehand

Bring your own food/snacks (if appropriate)

Eat something small at the event and then have a more satiating meal afterwards

Try to find at least one food that you feel comfortable eating, don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to form a complete meal

Lean on others for support and try to focus on your main purpose for being where you are

Take a deep breath and remember that things will get easier 💗

[angleofmusings]

happy AP season everyone! please remember to hydrate and take care of yourself and if you’re taking any AP exams, it’s okay to not get a perfect score, standardized tests are incredibly stressful and not a great measure of success in the first place, and i’m so proud of you no matter what score you get or how many questions you answer correctly.

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Meal Prep Salad!

I’ve been searching for an easy, healthy lunch that I can meal prep at the beginning of the week, and this one is perfect! Not only is it super easy to make but it’s also easy to substitute out or add additional ingredients of your choice to make it exactly the way you like it! I’ve been eating it without the dressing and used turkey instead of chicken! My only word of advice would be to add the chopped nuts separately before each serving so they don’t get soggy!

Thai Zoodle Salad | The Modern Proper | Recipe | Zoodle recipes, Healthy, Salad recipes

Jan 3, 2022 - Tossed in a creamy, Thai-inspired peanut dressing, this crunchy, colorful cold Thai zoodle salad is quick, healthy and satisfy

[joytri]

the urge to roam around europe reading books and trying to find myself

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Book Recommendation!

Ok so I know at this point it’s pretty cliche to say that reading “Eat, Pray, Love” changed your life….but it honestly did! This book really shifted my perspective on spirituality and taking the journey to find yourself! It also seriously gave me the travel bug! I recommend 10/10 🤩

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Springtime Pasta!

As we’re moving into spring I’m getting excited for all the fresh produce that’s becoming available! This week for dinner I made a super simple pasta dish with peas, cheese, and a touch of lemon zest! I substituted bowtie pasta because I couldn’t find orecchiette at my grocery store!

Orecchiette and peas >>> #pastaandpeas #easyrecipe #quickrecipes #orecchiette #yessidothecookingg #pasta #cheesepull #lunchideas #dinneride

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Let’s Celebrate! 🎉

To celebrate us all committing to colleges for next year my friends and I decided to have a little celebration! We had a movie night and each brought a dessert that represented the school’s we are going to in some way! It was so fun and an awesome way to celebrate!

In the past attending, let alone hosting, an event like this would have been impossible for me. The progress I’ve made has allowed me to look forward to events that involve food, even if they still cause me anxiety. I find that it can be easier to relax and enjoy certain foods when there’s an intention behind them! In this instance when I felt overwhelmed by the amount or nutritional value of the snacks I reminded myself that this is something I’ve earned and deserve to help celebrate my, and my friends, college acceptances!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Try Something New!

For a long time trying new foods has been a source of anxiety for me and as I’ve continued on my journey to recovering from an eating disorder I’ve been trying to open myself up to more new food experiences! This week one of my lovely friends took me to try sushi for the first time! Although it was a challenge for me to let someone else decide what I was going to order it was a really great experience and I really enjoyed the food! I tried the salmon roll! Not only was this my first time trying sushi but my first time eating raw fish! I am a lover of a lot of different types of Asian food so sushi has been on my bucket list to try for a while now! ✅

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Quick Trip!

This past weekend I went on a quick trip to Atlanta and South Carolina! I had a great time but eating can definitely become even more stressful when I’m away from home and my usual routine. There tends to be an assumption that it’s difficult to eat healthy while traveling, which can sometimes be true, but I wanted to share some of the best tips I have learned for eating healthier while traveling!

You don’t have to be perfect! Not every thing you eat has to be 100% healthy! Try to incorporate at least one nutritious component in each meal!

Take advantage of less processed snacks! At gas stations or airport shops these are a few of my go to healthier snack options! Skinny pop, dried fruit, unsalted/lightly salted nuts, veggie straws, low sugar protein bars!

Try to avoid drinks and snacks that are high in sodium and sugar. This will help you avoid feeling bloated and sluggish! Instead of sodas try low sugar vitamin water, sparkling ice drinks, or Gatorade zero!

Don’t forget to treat yourself! You’re on vacation! Don’t forget to take care of your mental wellbeing too!

Here are some of the really delicious meals I was able to enjoy on my trip!

[coziwellnesscollective]

[anxiousgiraffe7]

I’m obsessed with fresh fruits and vegetables! So excited we’re finally getting to the part of the year when they are at their prime!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Easy Dinner!

This week I made a super simple (and delicious) meatball chow mein! It took less than a half hour to make and all ingredients could be used fresh or frozen depending on your preference!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

Treat Yourself #2

I celebrated a birthday this month! A big part of birthday celebrations is food, and as someone recovering from an eating disorder this can be a challenging time. I wanted to share some of the treats I enjoyed this month!

Remember, doing this isn’t easy and it takes time to work up to the point where you can enjoy food without having to feel like you need to allow yourself permission to eat certain things…you deserve food no matter who, what, where, when, or why!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

March Update

This month I challenged myself to incorporate one challenge/fear food into my meals for the week! This month I tackled tortillas, red meat, drinks with calories, and dairy. By far, the most successful of these challenges was the tortillas! I’ve found myself to be craving them and eating them several days a week! I stick to the whole wheat tortillas, but I’ve been able to make a bunch of different delicious recipes using them!

[anxiousgiraffe7]

March Goals

This month I have two main goals! My first is to be up 4 pounds from where I was at the beginning of January. This will hopefully help me make up the difference of not reaching my weight goal in February. My other goal is to incorporate at least one fear/challenge food each week for the month! I’m hoping this will encourage to enjoy some of my old favorites that I haven’t been allowing myself to eat over the last few years.