Combating Negative Social Media Feeds

I firmly believe in the power of sharing our stories — it creates trust, openness, and genuine connection in a community of people who, more often than not, feel isolated and alone. When we see something with which we can relate to in another, we are more likely to connect with and learn from that person. I also believe that change cannot happen when we are completely comfortable, which is why I encourage leaning into that uncomfortability — both in their recovery and in life. I constantly strive to challenge and teach my followers by connecting them with Fat Acceptance activists, talking about body acceptance, body-based oppression, diet culture, and other topics that they may never have heard of before. Because if we want to take forward steps in our own journeys, and if we want to change the way mental illness is perceived in society, we need to be ready to share, be open, and get a little uncomfortable.

Gina is a body acceptance + body positivity advocate and eating disorder survivor. She is the founder of instagram account @nourishandeat and creator of the hashtag #embracethesquish, a movement aimed at normalizing body rolls and encouraging the acceptance and love of our so-called ‘imperfections.’ Talking about anxiety, depression, self love, and recovery, she posts uplifting quotes, only un-retouched photos, and debunks the myths of social media with “unflattering” real life body angles and side-by-side photoshop fails. Gina is a firm believer in the power of body positivity as it relates to ED recovery, and strives to be the influence she wishes she’d had when she was younger.