Blog Posts by Intent.com

webBy Rakhi Kumar

Dear Michelle Obama,

I'm addressing this to you because I admire you. Because you're smart and a mum to two young girls. And you're the First Lady of the USA. And because you were recently quoted as saying that Beyonce is a great 'role model' to your two daughters, and because you recently tweeted, after the Superbowl, that you were 'so proud' of her. I'm writing because everything you do is admired and emulated by so many; but when you endorse a recording artist like Beyonce, I see the most misogynistic aspects of the music industry (that prefers girls to be no more complex than dolls) interpret your comments as a seal of approval for the thoughtless cultural currency that they flood the youth market with. I'm writing because I think it's time to stop suggesting to very young girls that ultimate feminine success - in the music industry or anywhere else - comes with the need, or the expectation for them to undress.

When Beyonce kicked off her Mrs. Carter

By Chelsea Roff

Do women see themselves less accurately than strangers do?

According to a study commissioned by Dove, only 4% of women around the world would describe themselves as beautiful. 72% of young girls included in the survey say they feel "tremendous pressure to be beautiful," and more than half (54%) agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic.* Another study found that 97% of women have negative body thoughts on a daily basis -- on average every 15 minutes.

That's a lot of time to spend castigating yourself.

These are no doubt alarming statistics, but it's difficult to completely understand the emotional impact of these beliefs from cold numbers alone. Perhaps that's why the team at Dove decided to perform a social experiment to test whether women's perceptions of their bodies differ from those of a stranger's. And they went about it in a way that might surprise you: by enlisting the help of a forensic sketch

This week's episode of "Perfectly Imperfect Parents" on The Chopra Well focuses on how parents can teach and model healthy living habits to kids. Dr. Cara Natterson from the show shares her own tips for a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Watch the "Healthy Living" episode here!

By Dr. Cara Natterson

Frankly, that phrase is pretty intimidating: "Healthy Living." If you aren't abiding by it perfectly when you read it, it actually even feels judgy. It's not meant to be, though. Healthy living is a goal, and so maybe the better term would be "healthier living."

What is healthier living? It is taking whatever you are doing a step in the right direction. You know when you are really, really craving that chocolate chip cookie after lunch and you fight the urge and choose a juicy tangerine instead? And then you are completely floored that you sweet craving is gone because you have actually consumed something sweet? Yeah, that's healthier living. It doesn't mean you will never

cwBy The Chopra Well

This week's episode of "Perfectly Imperfect Parents" on The Chopra Well is all about lying and how parents handle it with their kids. Deepak Chopra makes a guest appearance to discuss the grey areas, but one voice remains adamant that lying is never okay: Dr. Cara Natterson is a pediatrician and author of The Care and Keeping of You. We interviewed her on her firm stance against lying and how parents can model the merits of honesty to their kids.

The Chopra Well: What's your view on kids lying - sometimes okay, never okay?

Dr. Cara Natterson: The best advice I ever got, ever in my whole life I think, was this:

Never tell a lie and then you won't have to remember what you said.

As a pediatrician and as a mom, my rule is that lying is never okay. This is a boundary - and an important one at that - because it keeps kids safe. I don't really care what my kids might be lying about. For me, there are no gradations here. A lie is a lie, and teaching the

By Dani Klein Modisett

How timely that "body image," is the topic for "Perfectly Imperfect Parents" this week because a new story of mine, " The White Food Disorder," is part of a book launching next week called THE CASSOULET SAVED OUR MARRIAGE: True Tales of Food, Family, and How We Learn to Eat.

Playing with lightIn it I reveal how happy I was when I found out I was having a boy during each of my pregnancies. Not because I don't love little girls, I do, although the Princess thing scares me, but because what frightened me more was passing down my body obsession and eating disordered history to daughters who might have sprung from my loins. Wait, men have the loins; I have a womb - that, in fact, my children lived in for nine plus months during which I spent not an insignificant amount of time wondering A) if I was gaining too much weight, B) if I would ever have arms again that weren't the circumference of small dogs, and C) if eating two boxes of Pepperidge Farm anything was too much

By Mallika Chopra

Before we began "Perfectly Imperfect Parents", I emailed my mommy friends and posted a question on Facebook, Twitter and Intentblog:

What parenting topics are most important to you today? What should we be talking about on this show?

By far, the number one response that I got back was friends asking us to discuss how parents should deal with social media. And most of the responses expressed fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about how to control their kids.

Screen Shot 2013-02-27 at 12.11.25 PMI'm sure parents of every generation feel they are dealing with trends that are ahead of what they understand or even know about, and they are overwhelmed with uncertainty. And with each generation perhaps we feel we live in more difficult times than those before us.

Social media seems to be the big theme amongst my fellow parents. Questions like: When should they get a phone? Are they on Instagram? What about Snap Chat? What are the other apps and sites out there?

Here is what's going on in

By The Chopra Well

Harshitha...my angel..i love you...Pain, bloating, and nausea aside, birth can be a truly spiritual experience. For those who have witnessed the phenomenon, or been present in the precious moments after, the experience may rank in the holiest, most magical moments of their lives. Sure, for some it may include fear, anxiety, pain and adrenaline, but the cry of new life can usually dispel even the sharpest of concerns.

In this week's episode of "Holy Facts" on The Chopra Well, Gotham Chopra explores the spiritual sides to birthing, from fertility rituals, to belly dancing, to placenta burial. With fertility rites and deities dating back to ancient times, reproduction has likely played a prominent role in religious traditions throughout human history.

Before the wisdom of midwives and modern science became the mainstream, pregnancy and birth were nothing short of miracles, explained only by the mystery of the universe. This same mystery made the sun rise, the rain fall, and the earth bear food

Screen Shot 2013-02-19 at 3.04.30 PMBy The Chopra Well

In this week's episode of "Perfectly Imperfect Parents" on The Chopra Well, hosts Mallika Chopra, Dr. Cara Natterson and Dani Modisett discuss balance. Many parents, no matter how organized, find themselves constantly stretched, juggling kids, jobs, housework and more. We interviewed Mallika on her personal approach to achieving balance and the things that get in the way.

The Chopra Well: Describe your daily struggle for balance - between family and work and personal projects. Any specific practices that help you get through the day?

Mallika Chopra: I do struggle for balance between my kids and work. (No time right now really for personal projects!) I'm pretty clear my #1 priority is my girls, so I think people who work with me understand and appreciate that. Hmm. As for practices, truly even 10 minutes of meditation halfway through the day helps anchor me. I try to set an intent for each day, too. That helps me stayed focused.

CW: Is there