My Response to German Plane Crash in the French Alps.

When tragedy strikes, a lot of confusion follows. The shock of it leaves people asking 'how', 'why' and 'could we have stopped it?'. My heart goes out to all those affected by the recent plane crash, and I pray that you would know comfort in your grief.

But there is something I need to say. This was not simply a suicide. It was not the story of a man who wanted to end his life, but of a man who tragically ended the lives of 150 people. The co-pilot was not the only person who died that day. He may have been a victim of depression, but 150 innocent people were victim to his actions. We must not forget that. By treating his case as simply a suicide, we add to the stigmatisation of depression. It's not uncommonly known that 1 in 4 people have a mental health concern, and of that the majority have mixed anxiety and depression. Out of the many people affected by depression, you would find it extremely difficult to find one who would even consider taking the lives of so many people whilst ending their own.

But more importantly, as a result of this, we must learn. Learn to talk more openly about mental health and attempt to understand that it is not a cookie cutter diagnosis. Depression affects people in different ways and to different levels. The more open about mental health we are, the better we can help those who are struggling with it. By keeping it taboo, we only make it worse for both those with depression and also their loved ones to reach out and receive support and help.

I want to encourage you that if you are struggling, you are not alone in this. There are people   who will be there for you and care for you. And also in the words of Christopher Robin, "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

If you or someone you love is struggling, please either tell people you trust or contact the Samaritans day or night on 08457 90 90 90. 

How Running changed my Life... My Couch to 5k Experience

Okay so bear with the overly dramatic title here, it probably didn't actually change my life. But it did change a lot of my outlook on life, more than I ever expected it would. To take you back just a little bit, I started the Couch to 5k (C25k) programme at the start of last summer. I knew a few people who had done it and loved it so I thought I might as well give it a stab. I've never thought I could run, in fact I would use any excuse to get out of PE at school and the prospect of Sports Day would loom over me like a terrifying monster each summer. But this programme changed that.

Its combination of walking and running to a podcast of admittedly rather strange music helped me get over my feeling of 'I can't do this' by making me feel like I'd achieved something great, and I barely noticed it building my stamina and endurance. Now when someone says let's go for a run, it doesn't fill me with dread. In fact, I rather enjoy the chance to get some fresh air and clear my head!

I'll be the first to admit that since returning to uni I haven't run nearly half as much as I would have liked to, but I still enjoy the occasional Park Run on a Saturday morning. Doing C25k gave me the confidence to start playing netball too, something that I would never have dreamed of doing just a year ago.

It's also crazy how it's changed the way I view my body. Especially when I'm running regularly, my mind is changed from thinking of what my body looks like, to what it can do. It makes me feel happier and more confident in my own skin when I know that my body is fit and healthy, the sort of confidence you could never get from viewing your body as a shell!

Long story short, I think everyone should do C25k. It's about more than just running!

Underweight models could go to prison under French proposals

A few hours ago, the BBC announced that BMI regulations for models in France have been proposed. Models now with a BMI under 18 (the upper limit of the underweight range) could be fined up to 75,000 euros or even given prison sentences for their weight. This is all part of the ongoing crackdown on anorexia in the fashion industry.

But I'm not hugely sure what I think of this new regulation. Should it be solely down to the model and their agency? Or maybe should the fashion industry itself be changing it's view of beauty? After all, fashion labels are the ones who chose which models are in and which are out. Models may not be given much choice except be that weight if they want a job.

Like I'm sure I've mentioned before, I am a firm believer that we need to be focusing on health instead of idealised beauty standards. And I believe it is the industry itself that has the power to change, not models. There's simply no point in penalising models for simply trying to better there chances of getting work in a unstable industry, whilst companies and brands themselves are choosing the slimmest of the slim.

Instead of focusing on the models, maybe we should be campaigning for a change in beauty ideals. I've been noticing recently, especially with the growth of blogging, youtube and pinterest; that strong and healthy has become the new skinny. I love that. Now all we need is for designers and magazine editors to think the same way. I want to see healthy, happy models walking the runways this season, not ones who have scraped through with a borderline unhealthy BMI to get a job. These rules are an attempt, but a misguided one that doesn't really get to the root of the problem. How can we change this? I'm not really sure, but these regulations are not the solution.

What do you think?

5 Free iPhone Apps that if you don't have, you probably should get.

Phones. Love them, hate them, we can't live without them. One of my favourite things is finding a new app that I love, so here are a few of my recommendations...

She Reads Truth

Recommended to me by my lovely friend Lizzie, this is possibly the best Bible reading app ever. Not only does it have your usual bible, but it also has a bunch of different Bible reading plans with well-written, encouraging and challenging commentary. For each days of study notes there is also a live chat feed where you can read other peoples responses to the study, and add your own as course. As if that wasn't enough, it is beautifully styled and formatted, and also offers lots of lock screen bible verse images to remind you of God's love every time you look at your phone!

Bloglovin'

To be honest if you don't have bloglovin' but read lots of blogs, then you may be living under a rock. Bloglovin' compiles all your favourite blogs into one easy feed so you never miss a post again. It also has a 'popular' feed which is a great way to discover your new favourite blogger!

Quizlet

This is such a great app if you, like me, have loads of vocab or terminology to learn. It's basically an electronic flashcard app, but it not only allows you to read them, but gives you a couple of games to test your knowledge. I love doing this if I have a spare five minutes, just to keep the words ticking over in my head. One of my favourite aspects of Quizlet is that you can add words on your laptop as well on your phone, just log into your account online and all your vocab is there!

Period Diary

Oh yes Ladies, I'm about to get a bit personal. Period Tracker is great, you just tap in when your period starts and then when it ends, and then from your average cycle it predicts your next period. The more you use it, the more accurate it gets. So useful, especially if you're going on holiday or something! Also in case you were wondering, no the logo isn't anything obvious or awkward, no one has to know!

Blackboard Mobile Learn

If you're a student at university then this app will change your life for the better. It gives you quick easy access to MOLE so that you can access all the content your tutors and lecturers put up with just a couple of pushes of the button. So handy for finding information out in a rush.

I hope you love these just as much as I do!

On Wearing Makeup...

I feel sort of stupid even contemplating writing this post, because wearing makeup has never been a thing I've felt the need to explain before. And in some ways I still don't have to, at the end of the day, it's my face and I can do what I want with it. But at the same time, I feel like makeup has been stigmatised by people and I want to clear the air/my head a bit.

Makeup has been labelled by western society as perfectly normal and superficial at the same time. Every day I and many others like me are bombarded by messages from the media saying "wear makeup if you ever want to be attractive" and simultaneously "don't wear too much slap, no one likes a fake". But regardless of whatever the media tells me, I honestly don't get the hype. I love makeup, as is probably pretty obvious to anyone who knows me. But wearing makeup does not make me fake, or shallow, or any more insecure than anyone else? No, of course not! Maybe if it was a priority, it could become that way, but for me if simply a hobby.

To me, makeup is a creative outlet, like fashion or art, it's a form of self-expression. I don't wear it because I have to, I wear it because I want to. Putting makeup on is a really relaxing process. Some days I wear a lot and somedays I wear a little, it simply depends on my mood. I love to wear makeup that shows how I feel, like bright colours when I'm feeling excitable and fun or red lipstick when I feel powerful and confident.

Yesterday I didn't wear any makeup. It didn't dramatically affect my life, I just didn't wear it. It didn't make me any better, or any worse. Makeup doesn't define who I am, it's just a hobby.

Five Things I Learnt as a Fresher

In just under 2 weeks, hoards of unwitting freshers are about to descend on uni's around the country. Some scared, some excited, some a mixture, but either way, they're about to embark on the awesome experience that is university, and with that comes of course, freshers week. A crazy manic week, where you spend the majority of time frantically trying to learn names, avoid getting lost, and not do anything too stupid. With that comes of course drinking and nights out (because what's better than hundreds of nervous teenagers combined with alcohol and no parents, right?!). Freshers week is a great week, but you sure do learn a lot! Here are a few things that I learnt...

1) 9am lectures after 3 hours of sleep are definitely possible. You'll hate it, but you can make it!

2) All things can be solved with coffee, or a nap. But mostly coffee, I luuurrrve coffee!

3) When it comes to nights out, very few people have a clue what they're doing, even if they pretend they're pretty much professional party animals!

4) It's actually possible to write a good essay by pulling an all-nighter. Not that I'd recommend it... It's not exactly fun.

5) You can definitely have fun on a night out whilst being sober. It's all about the catchy tunes and awesome dance moves!

Uni is amazing and I can't wait to go back! If you're about to go, good luck!

Am I A Real Woman?

Since I don't think anyone ever really reads my little corner of the internet, I thought I'd blog today about something that's on my mind. Body Issues.

To give you a bit of background... I'm 5ft7, generally a size 10 but sometimes an 8 on top, and I'm pear shaped. I'm not tall or skinny enough to be a supermodel in a magazine, nor am I big enough to be called a "real woman" by the media either. But I am healthy.

I go running, I do pilates, I balance my love of cupcakes and carbs with lots of veggies. My BMI is in the healthy zone. But somehow, I've been made to feel awkward about it by society. The pressure to look a certain way is crazy. Sometimes I feel like the media looks down on me for not having perfectly chiseled abs like Cameron Diaz and at the same time says I'm not a real woman because I don't have "curves". I feel awkwardly in between.

I'm all for body confidence. I love it that the media mentality of "skinnier the better" is being broken by plus-size women. But please don't forget me, the girl who's somewhere in the middle. Please don't tell me I'm not real because my curves aren't as big as yours, because I am. We are all real, and we all come in different sizes.

My dream is to be celebrated for being healthy. I want ALL women to be celebrated for that. Regardless of size or shape, I want to be able to say that healthy is beautiful, because it is. What's more, healthy is universally achievable, women aren't all the same and we will never all fit the same mould. But we can all be healthy. I can be healthy, supermodels can be healthy, plus-sized ladies can be healthy.

Until the media stops selling size as important and starts selling health as important, there will always be someone left out. But that's just my thoughts... What do you think?