Signs of Eating Disorder

About 30 million Americans live with an eating disorder. 【小题1】 Yet many others are often hidden in plain sight. It’s important to know the symptoms in those who might be at risk for an eating disorder.

They’re constantly talking about dieting.

The discussion around changing eating habits is incredibly common. Look at any lifestyle magazine or website and you’ll likely find dieting tips and advice. 【小题2】 If someone you love is constantly talking about food or their dieting habits, it might be a sign of concern.

【小题3】

Changes in mood or behaviors surrounding food or exercise can be signs of concern. This could mean a switch in activity level like overexercising, too often counting calories, frequently visiting the bathroom after eating, fasting or eating too much. 【小题4】

They’re constantly turning down food-centric social gatherings.

Avoiding social interactions such as birthday parties or going out to dinner with friends is a significant danger signal. People living with the condition have an intense focus on food or body image. They will keep away from situations likely ones that once brought them joy—where that determination might be tested.

The best way to support someone who may be experiencing an eating disorder is by talking with them, but when and how you do it matters. 【小题5】 Approach them with love and compassion, let them know that you care about them and that you notice that there is something they may be struggling with.

Try Making Them into Treats

It’s fine to shop at farmers’ markets and grocery stores for recipe ingredients（原料）. But what if you could gather some of them by yourselves, and at the same time, help rid your region of non-native plant species that are harming the ecosystems?

According to the National Wildlife Federation, about 42 percent of today’s threatened or endangered species are at risk because of invasive（有侵略性的）species. Here are four invasive plants and ideas for serving them up.

KUDZU

Brought to the US from Japan, the kudau vine can grow a foot a day, robbing other plants of sunlight. Its beautiful flowers bloom from July to September, but its leaves, roots, and vine tips are more readily available. Pick flowers to use in making drinks.

HIMALAYAN BLACKBERRY

Native to Armenia, the plant has threatened other species. It blocks access through woods and affects livestock. Its fruit starts to ripen in midsummer and the berries can be added to hake goods such as muffins.

SOW THISTLE

Its roots crowd out useful crops and suck water and nitrogen from the soil. Native to Europe and western Asia, it grows all over North America in spring and summer. Try coking the leaves in olive oil and adding them to a cake.

WATERCRESS

European settlers brought this leafy green to the Colonies. It spreads along waterways, crowding out native plants.

Harvest it from the edge of a running stream in spring and fall to make sandwiches.

Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn't long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East-the ancient custom of “tonic (滋补品) food”.

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one's well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil (芝麻油) hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as being "hot", while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radish, are seen as being "cold". One should be careful not to eat too much of either "hot" or "cold" food. However, how much "hot" or "cold" food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared, what it is prepared with, and the individual's health.

The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry (枸杞子), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a tonic addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.

So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of pig's brain soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic food you were looking for.