Long-time readers of this blog may remember the nutrition and lifestyle posts by Serena Hodge, who was studying health and nutrition here at Flinders.
She wrote about creating a healthy mind and body with a focus on self-acceptance and making sensible changes to one’s lifestyle.
I was hugely grateful for the contributions Serena made to the blog. Her posts provided the blog with variety and a much needed different voice and focus on issues that I wasn’t really capable of writing about meaningfully. I encouraged her to keep writing after she left Flinders and I remember having a great chat with her about the direction she might take.
She contacted me the other day and I was stoked to learn that she has developed and maintained a nutrition and lifestyle blog called Coconut Mason.
Serena has evolved her writing on the topic of creating a healthy body and a healthy body image. I see this as an incredibly important space for professionals to be talking openly about. The food and social media environment we live in can have toxic effects on our psychology around food and Serena is tackling this head-on in her posts, drawing on her own experiences in the process. This lends a sense of relatability and authenticity to her writing.
Topics such as eating disorders, food vocabulary, body image, mental health stigma, body talk, body weight, and body acceptance are interspersed amongst practical posts on meal planning, nutritional information, and healthy exercise.
Pride is an awkward word at times, but I am proud and impressed at watching Serena develop her written voice and to see her develop her writing as a key part of her life and profession.
I really look forward to seeing where she takes it from here.
To support Serena and her writing efforts, visit her blog – Coconut Mason and leave a comment. As a writer, there is nothing better than someone dropping by, having a look and leaving a quick note of support.
And if you can, take the time to dig into a few of her posts and see if you find a little bit of yourself in some of them. Many of us struggle with issues relating to weight and shape and how we look. I think you’ll find Serena’s take on these topics refreshing and a bit freeing 🙂
