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"Feeling good about our bodies is something almost all of us have struggled with at one time or another--and, very likely, still struggle with. (Just this morning, I was stomping around because I was irritated with my feet, which I have abused for years with ill-fitting--but cute!--shoes. My feet!No one even sees them during the winter!) In fact, women&amp;#x27;s brains may even be wired to see our bodies as parts instead of wholes. So finding little ways to appreciate our bodies every day is always helpful. And now new research may have found a way to do just that. According to a new study in the journal PLOS ONE, women who are able to listen to their heartbeats are less likely to see themselves as objects that can be evaluated by their looks. The researchers asked 50 women between the ages of 19 and 26 to listen to and count their own heartbeats during short time periods. The women then answered questionnaires about what aspects of their bodies they most valued: strength, health, or attractiveness. The women who had been more accurate in their heartbeat counts were more likely to choose strength. Says study co-author, Dr. Manos Tsakiris: &amp;quot;People have the remarkable ability to perceive themselves from the perspective of an outside observer. However, there is a danger that some women can develop an excessive tendency to regard their bodies as &amp;#x27;objects,&amp;#x27; while neglecting to value them from within, for their physical competence and health. Women who &amp;#x27;self-objectify&amp;#x27; in this way, are vulnerable to eating disorders and a range of other clinical conditions such as depression and sexual dysfunction.&amp;quot; So it would make sense that listening to your own heartbeat and being aware of it can help you refocus; it can help you be aware of what&amp;#x27;s happening inside your body. And I kind of love this. It&amp;#x27;s really easy to forget all of the amazing things our bodies do for us, every single day--even when we&amp;#x27;re not being very nice back. Our hearts are pumping, our lungs are filling us with oxygen, our skin is protecting all of those important organs inside of us. It makes me (SAP ALERT!) kind of weepy to think about, actually. Is that weird? What do you think about this study? Does it make sense to you--and do you you agree? More on body image! Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2013/02/this-new-and-inspiring-trick-c>