New Year, new you!

It’s coming to that time of year where the turkey has been gobble gobbled and the last of the mince pies has been scoffed. Delicious as they were, we’re all starting to loosen our belts a bit and lose the odd button.

So as New Year approaches, many of us will be detoxing and – horror of horrors – debating a return to the gym. And what’s wrong so with that?

Well, nothing really. Sensible dieting and exercise are good for us all, whether we’re in shape or not. But what happens when losing weight becomes an unhealthy obsession? With many people already suffering from eating disorders in the UK, the pressure to lose weight can prove too heavy a burden for some.

Thinking along these lines, Women and Equalities minister Jo Swinson has written an open letter to magazine editors asking them not to promote post-Christmas ‘miracle’ diets. Pre-empting the avalanche of fad diets that surface at this time of year, she encouraged publications – including women’s magazines – to "celebrate the beauty of diversity in body shape, skin colour, size and age" instead.

Co-founder of the Campaign for Body Confidence, Ms Swinson suggests “fad diets and fitness myths” can promote unhealthy body image and be harmful to dieters’ physical and mental health.

"I am sure that you want to promote a healthy lifestyle for your readers but at this time of year in particular far too much of magazine coverage tends to focus on irresponsible, short-term solutions and encourages readers to jump on fad diet bandwagons,” she writes in the letter.

"As editors you owe more to your readers than the reckless promotion of unhealthy solutions to losing weight.

"If your aim is to give practical, sensible advice about losing weight – and not how to drop a stone in five days – you should encourage reasonable expectations, instead of dangerous ones, along with exercise and healthy eating."

The editorial team at Liberti magazine takes this very seriously. Every issue contains nutritional and fitness advice because this is something our readers have asked for. However, our experts always focus on the positives – which foods you should eat to achieve a more balanced diet, and the types of exercise that would work best for you, for example. If you’re looking for motivation to shift a few pounds, I’d definitely advise you to check it out (and that’s not just because I work for the mag!).

But more than that, Liberti encourages women to enjoy a lifestyle that is positive all round, not just looking at the physical, but fully embracing life and all that it has to offer. Our team of writers discuss ways to develop emotionally and spiritually, as well as looking at tons of ways to reach out to people in our communities and across the globe.

If you’re looking to make some changes this New Year, forget the fad diets and the punishing exercise regimes and get Liberated! January needn’t be a time of bleakness and giving things up; it’s about establishing what our purpose in life is and pursuing this purpose with great gusto.

Wishing you a very happy New Year from all of us at Liberti xxx 

Fantasy versus reality

Working from home certainly has its perks. One of the greatest, in my opinion, is the option to watch cheesy Christmas films as I tap away on my laptop. Needless to say, Christmas 24 has been on every day for the last month or so in the Tibbs household; I just can’t get enough of it.

Having watched most of the films now (some of them twice), I’m beginning to notice a certain pattern. At the start, a child is let down by his or her parents and/or Santa and grows up to be a grumpy, workaholic scrooge. He or she has no time for love or adventure and very often neglects his/her own kids as a result.

But just when you’re starting to give up all hope, some magical intervention occurs, Santa is proven to be real (as if we ever doubted it) and, more often than not, a happy-ever-after love story ensues.

I’m not knocking this formula; it works a treat. In fact, I can almost predict to the minute when I will be reduced to tears, the moments where I will have to watch through my fingers because the cringe factor is so high, and the moment when I will need to clear my throat for the final carol-singing scene.

But in many ways, this repeated narrative reflects real life. Many children are scarred by the actions of a parent or someone in authority who has hurt them or let them down. They carry this pain through their lives and into new relationships, eventually passing it onto their children.

Others embrace the idea of God during childhood, seeing Him as a magical, Santa-like being who gives us all the things we want and meets all of our needs. But by the time we reach double figures we have rejected Him because – like Santa – we feel we have outgrown Him… and that He isn’t all He’s cracked up to be anyway.

As we approach Christmas, I hope we’re all excited about the parties, presents and delicious food. But I also hope it’s a time where we can rebuild relationships that have broken down and spend quality time with the people we love.

My greatest hope, though, is that we can focus on the relationship we have with God. At this time of year we remember that He sent His only Son to earth to live among us, and ultimately to die in order to bring us back into relationship with Him. 

Unlike Santa, who only pops up once a year, God will walk with us every day of our lives if we are just prepared to take the first step. And, unlike Santa, if you ask Him to prove that He’s real, He’ll actually do it. 

He is the very epitome of happily ever after love without the Hollywood cheese factor.

Anyway, it’s almost time for Annie Claus is Coming to Town, so I’ll bid you adieu. Or perhaps Merry Christmas would be more appropriate!

Read more from Joy in the next issue of Liberti magazine - out soon!