It’s 8pm and I have yet to make my planned salad. However, I did make it over to Whole Foods today! (I will try to add pictures to this post a bit later tonight). I got some organic veggies as planned:

• Orange bell pepper
• Herb baby romaine lettuce (organic girl brand)
• A head of romaine lettuce
• English cucumber (non-organic)
• Assorted heirloom tomatoes
• celery

I also picked up some organic gala apples. I have been eating more gala apples lately because they are a bit mushier than the other apples I love (pink lady, fuji, granny smith, etc) which means I don’t have to cut them up to eat them. (I have had some expensive cosmetic dental work done on my front teeth and usually just cut up hard fruit and veggies in order not to break or crack anything!)

Today has been a really positive and productive day. I’ve been receiving a lot of new ideas and insight for various websites and blogs. One idea that I’ve been turning over in my mind for quite a few weeks now has to do with creating a positive place for people to gather who suffer from negative body image. One of my other sites, theskinnywebsite.com has obviously attracted a number of people like this over the past 5 years. Unfortunately that site fed (and continues to feed) that kind of thinking and behavior. So I feel it is my duty, in a way, to create a new place for people to go that can actually help people develop a positive body image as well as positive thinking and uplifting lifestyle changes. The details are not quite worked out yet, but today I received some more information and ideas.

Here’s a secret: I’ve been an anonymous (and mostly silent) member of several eating disorder websites over the past couple of years – including pro-ED ones – and can see there is a need for a place that people can go to be uplifted and given hope. A lot of the forums and sites feed the negative thought behavior and beliefs, and not only that, there are groups of ‘mean girls’ on the sites bashing anyone and everyone who they feel is a faker or ‘wannabe’. It’s a really sad state of affairs with all the bashing, name-calling, anger and insults that go on. Not to mention hundreds (if not thousands) of girls – many young – who call themselves fat, repulsive and many other terrible names and go to those sites asking for advice on how to starve themselves. So, on that note, I have some ideas I’m working on for a couple of new websites. More to come on that later.

Well, I’m off to do some homework, then head to my usual nightly 12-step meeting. I hope everyone has enjoyed their Monday!