The Healthy Hunger Games

In a recent interview with Seventeen, Jennifer Lawrence had this to say about being healthy in mind and body:

Seventeen: You've said girls should embrace their curves. Why did you think it important to make that statement?

Jennifer Lawrence: When I was playing Mystique in X-Men, I remember thinking, If I'm going to be naked in paint in front of the entire world, I'm going to look like a woman. I'm going to have curves and have boobs and have a butt. Because girls are going to look at that, and if I look like a scarecrow, they are going to think, Oh, that's normal. It's not normal. I'm just so sick of these young girls with diets. I remember when I was 13 and it was cool to pretend to have an eating disorder because there were rumors that Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie were anorexic. I thought it was crazy. I went home and told my mom, "Nobody's eating bread--I just had to finish everyone's burgers." I think it's really important for girls to have people to look up to and feel good about themselves.

I agree with Jennifer: It is very important for kids and teens to have good role models, and to have healthy eating habits. Encourage your friends and family members to eat right, and lead by example. Try to eat fresh food in every color of the rainbow, every day. It's easy and fun to do. Hint: Incorporate fruits and veggies into your meals and snacks!

I'm typing this as I eat my dinner -- farfalle (bowtie) pasta and brown rice mixed with tomato sauce and green peas. Yum!

Emotional Abuse: "Hurt by the One You Love" by Martha Brockenbrough

Our own Martha Brockenbrough wrote an enlightening story for Women's Health on the subject of Emotional Abuse. It's called "Hurt by the One You Love," and here's a quick excerpt:

Emotional abuse can be subtle. In Morrison's case, her live-in boyfriend would give her a wide berth in their Stanford, Connecticut, apartment. "There would be times when he'd have to walk past me, but he would purposely move his body in such a way that he'd avoid any chance of making contact," says the now 39-year-old. "It made me feel awful." Sometimes when they were walking together on the sidewalk, he'd abruptly cross the street without her—and then call her crazy, needy, and too sensitive when she mentioned it.

Click here to read the rest, readergirlz. Do you think that sometimes, emotional abuse can be even worse than physical abuse? How can you recognize when it's happening?

PS-For a great teen relationship resource, check out Love is Respect. (Thanks, Little Willow!)

Bumpaholics and Martha Brockenbrough

Did you all hear the buzz our media specialist Martha Brockenbrough is getting about her bumpology? She's talking about bumpaholics over at Women's Health:

"The Belly-Rubbing High

Thanks to the influx of feel-good hormones and fawning from friends, family, and perfect strangers, having a baby can make you feel like a superstar. The problem: for some women, wanting to recapture that adoration pushes them to procreate again...and again."

Read the whole article by clicking here. How often do you think teen girls are lured into pregnancy hoping for an idealized baby experience only to discover the reality of motherhood? What a perfect discussion for our book Kendra! So what do you think?

And way to go, Martha!

~the divas and postergirlz