... then comes the baby and the baby carriage?

I cannot believe this subject did not hit me in the face sooner so I could address it.  I mean, pregnancy (teen especially), seems to be all around me these days.  In the past week, I have learned of at least 5 new buns in the oven, not to mention the countless expectant women that come in to my work, or are just out and about on a regular day. 

It's almost as if pregnancy has become a trend or fad.  And the media has not been much help to control this issue.  Pregnancy is prevalent in almost every TV show I watch (maybe I subconsciously stray toward those shows out of fascination?), including: The Secret Life of the American Teenager, 90210, Glee, 16 & Pregnant, Degrassi, etc.  All of these shows, with the exception of Degrassi, have either kept their babies or given them up for adoption, which I feel is a great message to send to teens, if anything.  Teen pregnancy is definetely one of the most difficult experiences a young girl will ever have to go through if she finds herself in said situation, and being able to have the courage to give an unwanted child life and the life it deserves is the most loving thing a young mother could do.

original ad for the series when it started about 2 years ago

On 90210, Adrianna found herself pregnant with a guy she had a one-night stand with, while dating the guy of her dreams.

Maci from the First Season of "16 & Pregnant"

I must admit being pregnant can look glamourous at times, I mean, Amy Juergens (Secret Life) had an amazing figure before she had her son, and she looked the same, if not better afterwards.  And let's not forget famous young starlets who met motherhood early in life: Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin anyone?  16 & Pregnant is probably the closest one can get to reality when delving into the teenage perspective of motherhood, because the girls on that show are going through pregnancy without a predetermined storyline; they do not know what the future holds for them, their relationships, and most importantly, their unborn children, which can be absolutely terrifying. 

Bristol Palin, teen daughter of state senator Sarah Palin, and son Tripp

Jamie Lynn and daughter Maddie

Pregnancy is a complex and controversial topic when analyzed from a general point of view, but the best way to keep an unwanted pregnancy at bay for you teens out there is to USE PROTECTION, or better yet, PRACTICE ABSTINANCE!  You can have a loving relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend without having to feel like you have to go all the way.

xoxoxo, melissa

Fresh Start

Hey everyone.  So it's the first day of March, a brand new month.  The olympics are over, it seemed like just yesterday everyone was watching the opening ceremonies, and what a way to end it.  This blog is almost a month old now too, and we really appreciate you guys taking the time to read what we have to say (and feel free to leave comments through the facebook event)!  Anyway, in honour of a new month, I just wanted to give a few tips to help brighten up your lives, inspired by my own day-to-day life.

1. Try going to bed even 10 minutes earlier than you usually do if you tend to stay up late (you know you will be a cranky pants in the morning even more so).

2. Instead of a depressing and annoying beeping sound for your alarm, use your iPod (if you can use it with your clock) or set your alarm to your favourite radio station.

3. EAT BREAKFAST!  Even if you are not hungry (which has been me lately), it is not hard to have a bowl of cereal with a banana and some yogurt, and don't forget the orange juice!

4. Take water or juice to classes with you to keep you awake and hydrated.  And hey, it doesn't hurt to actually pay attention in class (I should take my own advice).

5. When you are sitting in front of the box for hours on end, or even on your laptop, try getting up for 5 minutes and stretching, or doing jumping jacks to get your heart going.

6. Don't go on the computer for like 6 hours straight anyway!! Take breaks and I don't know, do your homework or eat dinner WITH your family??

7. If you have trouble sleeping at night, try listening to your iPod with your eyes closed or reading a good book to make your eyes get heavy (works for me all the time).

8. Try to make a point to walk as much as possible instead of getting a drive (this may be easier in the summer months).

9. RECYCLE your bottles, pop cans, etc.  And if your city has a composting program, actually participate in it!

10. If you are stressed out, invest in a stress ball, or just set aside time to have fun with your friends!!

xo, melissa

Love It or Hate It?

This looks healthy, doesn't it?

But is it really?
NOPE! not at all.
Most of you know that I have a love/hate relationship with instant noodles, I eat these many times weekly, its a wonder that I'm not fat yet! But I've recently given them up for lent, well today actually, but who's counting.

Instant noodles aren't healthy because the noodles are deep-fried to preserve the noodles, that's why the packages feel oily (no, it wasn't your fingers, don't worry, your beau will not be disgusted by your sweaty, oily hands). Not to mention this lovely little compound they put in the soup base powder, MSG mono sodium something (GLUTAMATE).... it makes your hair fall out! wooo, fun! (no, I'm not wearing a wig, I'm not bald). But MSG also makes you smarter, so is it really worth it? I guess we all know now why there are such smart asians who are bald, or balding.

So love it or hate it? leave us a comment :)
♫ Charz

food for thought... and your stomach.

Okay, so as promised, here is the first of hopefully many tips to help you get that perfect body for prom night.  So what is the deal with food that is considered "healthy" or not? Courtesy of my brimming knowledge (and food and nutrition class), I can give you some basic facts.  Avoid an overdose of saturated fat, absolutely NO TRANS FATS (if you happen to stumble upon some), and load up on those fruits and veggies.  Oh, and for those of you who have been blindly mislead into thinking no carb diets are the best thing ever, please think again.  THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE WORST DIETS YOU CAN THINK OF.  Besides starvation of course.  We, as growing teens, need complex carbs more specifically, because they take way longer to digest which = happy, full people for longer periods of time.  Also, complex carbs mean more fibre that helps clean out your intestinal tract, so you won't feel like all that food is bloating your stomach. 

As for meats and alternatives, go with extra lean as much as possible, or try turkey breast and chicken breast in place of ground beef.  You could even make this a fun event with the fam - try planning a menu for one week, with at least one rest day where you can order in, and see what fun meals you guys can come up with.

Speaking of which, take-out does not have to be unhealthy!!! Ever heard of Pizza Pizza?  Well they have this thing called multigrain crust, and hey, they kinda have a billion veggies to choose from, plus cheese that gives you protein (you don't need excesses of it) and yummy tomato sauce.  So guess what?? That pizza that I just described is all the food groups you need (add some meat or something if you want), and their dough has NO TRANS FATS, so no worries.

Basically, just remember to eat complex carbs, including whole grains, and veggies that are bright colours, like dark green and bright orange.  The same goes for fruits.  Pick things that remind you of a colourful rainbow.  And you don't need to cut out all saturated fat, because you kind of need some to keep your body happy.  Also, eat frequent small meals instead of huge prolonged meals.  Or else you might just find yourself gorging and fitting as much food as you can in your mouth in five minutes.  Your body needs at least 20 minutes to half an hour to know it is full, so just calm down with the munchies.  And there is this wonderful thing called metabolism.  It tends to work faster when you eat smaller meals at frequent intervals.  Just keep things in moderation and you should have a rockin' bod in no time.

mmm, so much food.

xo, melissa

operation: PROM NIGHT

promHere comes the br- wait, no, wrong occasion.  Okay, Char, Fatima and I (mostly Fatima), had another random (maybe not so much) idea to go on a diet/health kick/lent sacrifice/etc. in honour of our prom which is almost 3 months away now.  It kinda started today? and so far it had been good, mostly me mooching off Fatima for her healthy food and running around the school calling it exercise.  I am trying though, so that's a start at least?

So in honour of all you girls out there who want to look drop dead gorgeous for all those handsome dates of yours, remember that you should want to look good for yourself first and foremost.  When you look and feel good on the inside and out, then that's a sign of real happiness.

Good luck to us, and feel free to stay updated with our tips and tricks for staying healthy in the up and coming weeks.

Stay tuned!

xo, melissa