Women's Support Network

In conjunction with Brandlady.com The Woolly Mother is helping to spread the word about the online Women's Wellbeing magazine.

Brandlady.com is a well-respected publication for supporting and empowering all women around the world. It is creating a network of women from all walks of life to help and support those in need or not so fortunate. There are many thousands of women who desperately need extra support to help give them courage to either move on, face another day, work through an illness or constant pain, remove themselves (and/or their children) from abuse, recover from depression. These are just a few areas where words and thoughts can give much needed support.

In light of this, the magazine is currently seeking writers in a number areas, including the art and crafts section - Knitting, Spinning and other handcrafts have a place on the mag. Knitting is one craft that is gradually becoming renowned as a Therapy, (see Stitchlinks.com)and here at The Woolly Mother it is whole-heartedly encouraged. Spinning, Needlework, or any of the handcrafts that supplies are relatively easy and cheap to get hold of could save a life.

With this in mind, anyone who would like to contribute either by telling their story, or adding to the craft or any of the other topics to help fellow women improve or change their life, please email brandlady@gmail.com to register your interest.

I am positive someone, somewhere, will thank you for your words!

To be Obese - or Not

With 1.6billion obese people in the world, its little wonder health is deteriorating at an astronomical rate. It’s a 'wake-up' call for civilization—and it had better take notice. This is one issue needing to be addressed immediately, before people loose sight of what they are becoming and take it as ‘normal’ to be obese.

What is Obesity?
Obesity is not just being fat and over-weight, it’s much more than that. It’s also how YOU perceive yourself. If you think ‘fat’ that is what you will become. If you do not think about what you are putting into your body, you can also become obese.
According to the World Health Organisation, there are 1.6billion adults overweight in the world. That figure is projected to increase by about 40% over the next 10 years. Not a good future. A person with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese, and a BMI equal to, or more than, 25 is considered overweight.

Admittedly, some people have no control over weight gain, especially those on steroid treatments or anyone with body malfunction. But, the rest of us CAN help what we are and what we look like.

Obesity is most likely a result of the ‘modern western diet’ way of eating and living, and lack of exercise. That can be changed. A high carbohydrate diet and lack of exercise leads only to one thing – becoming overweight or even obese. By the time one has taken on board all the ads on television for bread, biscuits, chocolate, pizza, fried chicken, other fast-food commercials, rushing around grabbing the first thing that comes to hand, it’s not surprising there are so many obese people in the world today.

In the end, it all comes down to ‘diet’ – the way we eat and live. Until there is change in the way people ‘think about’ what they put into their bodies, the number of obese people will not reduce.

‘Diet’ – as in a way of eating and not a way of reducing weight, IS the be-all and end-all of common sense. The saying ‘You are what you eat’ is very true. You eat rubbish, and rubbish will cling to you – literally, in the form of fat. The high carb and ‘added’ fat diet only serves to ‘hand around’. Some of course are more susceptible than others, as is the case with everything. Anyone with a slow metabolism and/or sedentary lifestyle the high carb eating is not the way to go as the ‘deposits’ will not burn off, and hence attach themselves to the fat cells in the body.

Being obese not only affects the size of the body, it also affects the whole lifestyle. Fashion clothes are out of the question, getting around becomes very difficult creating a tendency to stay home, except for having to go to work, which in turn raises the question of social activities and making friends. This in turn affects ones self-confidence levels, thus creating a ‘comfort eating’ pattern – and the cycle continues.

What can be done about it? That depends on how you would like to be, think and feel…
The first step is to make the decision that you want to be smaller and loose the weight to become a size that is comfortable to you, be it 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 or whatever. Then look at what you have been eating. A good idea is to write down everything you eat for two weeks – and no cheating. You might get quite a surprise.

To burn off the fat, one does not continue to eat the same as that which put it on in the first place – most likely being a diet high in carbohydrates, fried foods, takeaways, sweets, and alcohol. The science of nutrition is another subject and too complex to go into here but it can be simplified. And to simplify it, cut out all of those foods, increase your protein and eat more vegetables, salads (and not just lettuce, tomato, cucumber but a variety of foods to make it fun to eat, some fruit (many fruits have a higher carb level too), and plenty of water. Another fun way to drink water is using Fruit herbal tea; they can be drunk hot or cold and iced. Both ways are delicious. Fresh vegetable juices are excellent and also health-giving at the same time.

The above is not a ‘diet’ just to loose weight, but a way of living. It’s about making changes, even small ones, to your lifestyle. The weight will come off naturally, without even thinking about it.

It pays to know what you are eating, and if you wish to learn more there are numerous books to assist and courses that can be undertaken, depending on the level of knowledge you wish to acquire.

But above all, it’s about being able to live a long, healthy life – and enjoying the way you are.

It’s about being happy with yourself.

To be Obese – Or not

With 1.6billion obese people in the world, its little wonder health is deteriorating at an astronomical rate. It’s a 'wake-up' call for civilization—and it had better take notice. This is one issue needing to be addressed immediately, before people loose sight of  what they are becoming and take it as ‘normal’ to be obese.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is not just being fat and over-weight, it’s much more than that. It’s also how YOU perceive yourself. If you think ‘fat’ that is what you will become. If you do not think about what you are putting into your body, you can also become obese.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 1.6billion adults overweight in the world. That figure is projected to increase by about 40% over the next 10 years. Not a good future. A person with a BMI of  30 or more is considered obese, and a BMI equal to, or more than, 25 is considered overweight.

Admittedly, some people have no control over weight gain, especially those on steroid treatments or anyone with body malfunction. But, the rest of us CAN help what we are and what we look like.

Obesity is most likely a result of the ‘modern western diet’ way of eating and living, and lack of exercise. That can be changed.

A high carbohydrate diet and lack of exercise leads only to one thing – becoming overweight or even obese. By the time one has taken on board all the ads on television for bread, biscuits, chocolate, pizza, fried chicken, other fast-food commercials, rushing around grabbing the first thing that comes to hand, it’s not surprising there are so many obese people in the world today.

In the end, it all comes down to ‘diet’ – the way we eat and live. Until there is change in the way people ‘think about’ what they put into their bodies, the number of obese people will not reduce.

‘Diet’ – as in a way of eating and not a way of reducing weight, IS the be-all and end-all of common sense.  The saying ‘You are what you eat’ is very true. You eat rubbish, and rubbish will cling to you – literally, in the form of fat. The high carb and ‘added’ fat diet only serves to ‘hand around’. Some of course are more susceptible than others, as is the case with everything. Anyone with a slow metabolism and/or sedentary lifestyle the high carb eating is not the way to go as the ‘deposits’ will not burn off, and hence attach themselves to the fat cells in the body.

Being obese not only affects the size of the body, it also affects the whole lifestyle. Fashion clothes are out of the question, getting around becomes very difficult creating a tendency to stay home, except for having to go to work, which in turn raises the question of social activities and making friends. This in turn affects ones self-confidence levels, thus creating a ‘comfort eating’ pattern – and the cycle continues.

What can be done about it? That depends on how you would like to be, think and feel…

The first step is to make the decision that you want to be smaller and loose the weight to become a size that is comfortable to you, be it 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 or whatever. Then look at what you have been eating. A good idea is to write down everything you eat for two weeks – and no cheating. You might get quite a surprise.

To burn off the fat, one does not continue to eat the same as that which put it on in the first place – most likely being a diet high in carbohydrates, fried foods, takeaways, sweets, and alcohol. The science of nutrition is another subject and too complex to go into here but it can be simplified. And to simplify it, cut out all of those foods, increase your protein and eat more vegetables, salads (and not just lettuce, tomato, cucumber but a variety of foods to make it fun to eat, some fruit (many fruits have a higher carb level too),  and plenty of water. Another fun way to drink water is using Fruit herbal tea; they can be drunk hot or cold and iced. Both ways are delicious. Fresh vegetable juices are excellent and also health-giving at the same time.

The above is not a ‘diet’ just to loose weight, but a way of living. It’s about making changes, even small ones, to your lifestyle. The weight will come off naturally, without even thinking about it.

It pays to know what you are eating, and if you wish to learn more there are numerous books to assist and courses that can be undertaken, depending on the level of knowledge you wish to acquire.

But above all, it’s about being able to live a long, healthy life – and enjoying the way you are.

It’s about being happy with yourself.

Afghanistan – Where Men Rule and Women Are Legally Raped

With the latest advent of the law advocating ’legal’ rape against married women, is there such a thing as democracy and women’s rights in Afghanistan. Apparently not, judging by the law that was passed on 27 July 2009 giving men ‘legal’ right to refuse maintenance to their wives if they refuse to be raped. This law is a further demoralisation for women in Afghan society.

If women refuse to be raped, and are harmed or starved in the process, who will feed these mens’ children? Will they pull out the pots and start cooking? I don’t think so, they are far to chauvinistic for that! They deem themselves God. They are in for a big surprise.

Afghanistan, instead of moving forward, is returning to the dark ages with this law. It seems the end of the Taliban reign in 2001 is worth nothing, they are still ruling the country by violence and infiltrating the government. Karazi cannot hope to satisfy them or the clerics until the whole country is back to where it was when the Taliban were in power.

What really is to be achieved by creating an even more abusive society? Are men THAT afraid of women that they have to force them into rape and slavery? Again, it would seem so.

Where in the Afghan constitution does it give men permission to rape their wives? Nowhere. Where in their religion does it give permission to make women slaves? Nowhere. The Afghan constitution states that "the citizens of Afghanistan - whether man or woman- have equal rights and duties before the law". Where are the equal rights with this new ‘law’ that has recently been passed?

• Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies during childbirth
• 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate
• 30 percent of girls have access to education in Afghanistan
• 1 in every 3 Afghan women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence
• 44 years is the average life expectancy rate for women in Afghanistan
• 70 to 80 percent of women face forced marriages in Afghanistan

(Statistics: Afghanistan online)

Forthcoming election or not, someone has to speak out on this archaic situation. It is about time the donor countries found their guts and stood together to help these women – they deserve it.