“Detox Teas” Are Basically Laxatives, and They Fueled My Eating DisorderIn this

“Detox Teas” Are Basically Laxatives, and They Fueled My Eating DisorderIn this essay, Iman Hariri-Kia opens up about how laxative teas fueled her eating disorder when she was younger.On a Saturday night, I sat out on a balcony overlooking New York City with three of my high school friends. Now in our 20s, we sat cross-legged as we did when we were schoolgirls, divulging secrets, and discussing the ills that stayed with us as we grew up. That night, we all admitted to having struggled with different types of disordered eating by the time we left for college. As I chronicled my own journey, I watched one of my close friends as she listened intently, mouth agape. “I had no idea,” said, wide-eyed. How could she? As a teenager, I was a master in the art of gaslighting everyone about my illness, including myself.As a preteen, I lived what can only be described as a sedentary lifestyle. I lacked the hand-eye coordination to excel in any kind of organized team sport, and I dreaded disappointing my peers. So I just refused to participate. When others ran, I walked. During P.E., I exercised my right to visit the nurse’s office. I never considered the long-term effects this lack of exercise might have on my physical health, because, on a surface level, I appeared to be a healthy kid, growing at a rapid rate. But that all came to a startling halt when I turned 13 and quickly began gaining weight. I felt blindsided and betrayed by my own body. Furthermore, my understanding of the word “healthy” had no doubt been extremely skewed by experiences at home.Continue reading -- source link

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