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It only takes one moment, one second, one phrase to shatter a girl’s self-image, and take away her innocence forever. And, that defining moment can never ever be taken back as the damage has already been done. For me, that one moment was when I was told I needed to be more fit in order to perform at a higher level in my sport. I believed the only way to be more fit and faster was to lose weight. Before that moment, I never counted calories, looked at the nutrition facts panel, or “dieted.” In fact, none of those things ever even crossed my mind.Read More →

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While I have the utmost respect when someone creates their own stardom and successes, I can’t help but cringe when it can so negatively impact thousands and thousands of people.  1.1 million followers are lured to Arielle Charnas’s Instagram account. There is no question that her style blog, Something Navy, offers helpful information, direction, and advice when it comes to clothing and fashion. But, in a time where young girls are struggling emotionally and physically by constantly comparing themselves to others on social media, Charnas does no favors. In our world of social media, we validate our worth based on how many people follow us,Read More →

Erin Konheim Mandras Blog

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After developing, battling, and overcoming an eating disorder as a collegiate athlete, I learned an incredible amount not only about myself, but of the prevalent issue that so many of us struggle. I believed my success in recovering was possible because of the incredible support system I had within the Michigan State athletic department; stemming from the administration, to the medical staff, to strength and conditioning personnel, and then to my very own coaches. After such a tumultuous event in my life, my dreams became clear, and I knew there was only one career I desired to pursue: and that was coaching. My coaches setRead More →

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Originally Posted to Kveller   I grew up in a community where summer overnight camp was just standard, even beginning at the wee ages of 7. I watched as our local camp store would be jam-packed with families holding lists and preparing for and buying the necessary camp items to survive the summer away. I saw as my cousins counted down not only to the day the bus picked them up, but to the years they would be old enough to be eligible to go for four weeks, then six weeks, then the entire summer totaling eight weeks. There were several options for overnight campRead More →

How To Be A Friend To Someone Battling An Eating Disorder

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She lives in Detroit. I live in Baltimore. She is a physician. I am home with my kids. She has two girls. I have two boys. Her kids are mild-mannered. Mine are not so much. She is Catholic. I am Jewish. She is calm and laid back. I am hyper and impulsive. The saying holds true… Opposites do attract. There has not been a time I have come to Detroit to visit my family that I have not seen her. She has made the trip to Baltimore to spend time with us, and to see my new life there. She was a matron of honorRead More →

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We all have a hero. Someone we look up to, place on a pedestal, and see as invincible. Heroes depict true success; lacking imperfections, and attaining triumph and prosperity. We may have an array of role models.  Heroes usually transpire based on our personal interests. Specifically, a young soccer player may idolize Mia Hamm; a little singer may worship Mariah Carey; while, an emerging actor may see Julianne Moore as the end all be all. But, these heroes all represent the intangible star, one of who we see on televisions, magazine covers, or on the Internet. Other heroes we inherently admire, appreciate, and respect areRead More →

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Immediately following my blog post, Destined for Food to be the Focal Point, I was contacted by a friend on Facebook, who I had been connected to by a mutual friend. She expressed an uneasy concern about how my description of Austin’s symptoms and issues matched that of her, at the time, six-month-old son. We spoke in detail over the phone and through text messaging, and we both concurred that all signs pointed toward food allergies. However, pediatricians do not advise testing until babies reach the one year old mark. She, a Rutgers University graduate with a psychology degree, and I, a Michigan State University graduate withRead More →

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Originally published at Kveller.com It was an unusual couple of months for me. I had committed to taking a group fitness class for several weeks straight. It involved spinning combined with insanity. As we adjusted the settings on our individual bikes, my friend shouted out something that stuck with me. After just delivering her second baby only weeks before, and being on maternity leave during this particular class, she yelled, “I told my husband last night that if he lets me quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom, I promise to lose all my weight and look like a gorgeous, skinny model.” When itRead More →

Kids and Food Allergies

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Originally published at Kveller.com At the time my first son was born, I was confronted with the most challenging decision of my entire life: continuing to pursue my career, or becoming a stay-at-home mom. It suddenly seemed like for my entire life, I was on autopilot. I went from preschool, to elementary school, to middle school, to high school, to college, and then onto my first job. I had an identity in each of these phases. In middle school, I was a soccer player, on the track and field team, and an honor student. In high school, I was recognized as a star athlete, honorRead More →