Derval O'Rourke: Getting to grips with body acceptance - plus my fiery spaghetti special

Derval had a chat with Anna Geary about body acceptance - and making the best of your physical situation

Derval O'Rourke's fiery spaghetti

There is a great quote from Jim Rohn that says ‘Take care of your body, it is the only place you have to live’. 

When we think about taking care of our bodies we quickly jump to the obvious points like eating well and exercise but what about how we feel about our bodies and the impact that has on our bodies. 

This week I’ll chat about body acceptance and points I took from a recent chat with a friend. Recipe-wise I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite dinner recipes, fiery spaghetti.

Anna Geary is a well-known face in Ireland, she is an All-Ireland-winning camogie player and has since moved into the world of media and wellbeing. 

Anna and I met about 10 years ago when she was covering my maternity leave on the TV show Ireland's Fittest Family. Our first meeting was a tale of two women in two very different phases of their lives. 

We arranged to meet for coffee to chat about the show before Anna started to film it. She arrived for the coffee with a beaming smile looking fit and ready to take on the world. On the other hand, I was 39 weeks pregnant and moving at a snail's pace.

In the years since that first coffee we have worked together loads and life has taken lots of different twists and turns for us. 

We recently caught up and a topic that we started to pour ourselves into was body acceptance.  The concept alone can feel a bit overwhelming, in its simplest definition body acceptance means accepting your body, regardless of whether or not you are completely satisfied with it. 

In recent years the concept of body positivity has gained a lot of attention. 

So is there a difference between body acceptance and body positivity? Body positivity is a framework that puts the emphasis on being positive and happy with your body whereas body acceptance can be more of a neutral approach with the emphasis on what your body can do and less on what it looks like.

Pic: iStock

During our chat, I jotted down some points that really resonated with me around the idea of body acceptance:

1. Be compassionate with yourself about your body 

This is connected to the relationship you have with your body. We can be our own biggest critics in how we think about ourselves and speak about ourselves. 

Let's face it, if we talked to our friends the way we sometimes talk to ourselves we would have very few friends left.

2. What does being fit look like?  

This is an area that we have both struggled with at times. Going from being performance-driven for sport to having our bodies work in totally different ways has been a struggle. Having to adjust what we see as fitness is really important.  

3. Relinquishing control 

A topic we chatted about was how pregnancy affects us both and what felt like a lack of control. Being able to relinquish control and be present is so empowering. I found this much easier to do the second time I was pregnant.

4. Do you need to redefine what exercise is?

At different times of your life your body will need a different approach. Often even the simple act of showing up for yourself is a big win. Even if exercise is less than before, it's better to do what you can now, today in the present moment, than worry about what you did before.

5. Don’t let someone else decide what is acceptable for your body 

We live in a society that finds different ways to tell us what it deems acceptable and I think this can be particularly prevalent for women. Understanding how you accept your body as an instrument and not an ornament is really powerful.

Anna has just released her first book, Anna’s Game Plan.It’s such a great guide to finding tactics to be your best self and well worth a read. If you experience invasive, persistent negative thoughts about your body that are interfering with your health and wellbeing, speak to your doctor or see a qualified therapist for help.

Fiery spaghetti 

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This is one of my absolute favorite dinner recipes.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 12 mins

Cooking Time

 55 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 7 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 red chili, finely chopped

• 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• 300ml chicken stock

• 125ml white wine wine

• 500g lean minced beef 

• 300g wholewheat or spelt spaghetti 

• salt and pepper

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan,

• to garnish: a handful of basil leaves

Method

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan over a medium heat.

2. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened.

3. Add the garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock and wine. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mince and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the mince is cooked through, transfer it to the pot with the tomato sauce and stir well.

6. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, prepare the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.

8. Divide the cooked spaghetti between warmed serving bowls.

9. Season the spicy mince and ladle it over the spaghetti.

10. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and basil and serve.