Shine Latina got the chance to sit down with actress Jada Pinkett-Smith to discuss the secrets for maintaining her famed figure (french fries are involved!), her 15 year marriage to Will Smith and her most recent, musical endeavor with Salma Hayek.

While promoting the third installment of her animated films, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted", Shine Latina couldn't help but ask Jada Pinkett-Smith about the irony of playing an animated hippo while maintaining a svelte figure in real life.

"Eat for health," suggests Pinkett-Smith as her top fitness tip. "I don't eat for pleasure. I eat foods that help me function." It's not all strict for the petite actress, though, who admitted to having to sneak french fries once in a while to keep happy.

PHOTOS: Plus-size and Latina

Besides balancing a busy schedule as a wife, mother and film star, Pinkett-Smith has added Spanish singer to her credits after a collaboration with Salma Hayek. We asked her about the experience of

Using vanilla in its natural form will transform the way you bake. Find out how it all started for this cherished Mexican spice and how you can remake some of your favorite desserts.

Adapted from Chef Mariana Coria for Otro Stylo

Vanilla bean and orchid (iStockphoto)It's a black, thin, aromatic pod containing small flavorful beans that has given its name to one of the most popular ingredients in the world, vanilla, one of the most expensive spices in the world.
La vainilla is a gift from Mexico to the world. Already cultivated when the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in Mexico, pre-Columbian cultures used it to scent chocolate. It was first taken to Spain, and from there it became popular throughout Europe and the world. However, Mexico is no longer the only producer of vanilla. But, while it has lost some of its worldwide market share to other vanilla-producing countries like Indonesia, China and Madagascar, Mexican vanilla continues to be the favorite of chefs and foodies alike.

Healthy Mexican Recipe: Fish Mixiote with

Celebrations of the Latina bride (iStockphoto)From Mexico to Argentina, Latina brides incorporate age-old rituals into their wedding celebrations that have been handed down through generations. And while many of them share American customs such as of wearing a veil or holding a bouquet, there are some that are uniquely Latin. Just in time for wedding season, get to know some of our favorite wedding day tradiciones.

MEXICO
• Bride and groom (or la novia y el novio) enter the church by walking down the aisle with their corresponding parents, rather than only the bride walking down with her father.
• Instead of bridesmaids, the Mexican bride has a number of madrinas each with a specific job during the ceremony. For example, the madrina de lazo helps place the marriage knot around the couple, while the madrina de ramo is in charge of the bride's bouquet.
• The bride sews three ribbons to her underwear: yellow for luck, blue for prosperity and red for passion. So much for just something blue!
• In southern Mexico, the bride doesn't

By Charleen Gonzalez for Shine Latina

Summer Makeup Essentials (iStockphoto)Eye Liner and Mascara: Staying Waterproof
Dealing with the summer heat can spell disaster for your beauty routine, but there are products that can withstand the humidity and last you throughout the day. Waterproof products tend to last the longest without melting off, so you want to invest in eyeliner and mascara that will last whether you go for a swim or lay out in the sun. My favorite pencil eye liner is Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On Pencil. This is the best pencil eye liner on the market, and it lasts the longest without smudging. To ensure that the pencil you use stays within the area you're trying to line, tap a bit of a similarly colored eye shadow with an angler liner brush on top of your pencil. This simple step will set your liner and will keep it from smudging. Liquid liners tend to stay on best, especially waterproof formulas. A great option is MAKE UP FOR EVER's Aqua Liner.

Waterproof mascara is a must in the summer. The heat can make

One of the best parts of the summer season is the abundance of fresh fruit available to prepare some of our favorite foods, like crisp salads, grilled veggies and fruity drinks. How about a great summer salsa? Salsa recipes that call for fresh fruit are usually focused on mangoes or peaches, but we've got one to use up all those ripe strawberries. Forget the traditional dip with tomatoes or avocados, this is a fresh (and healthy!) take on a classic idea. Just get your chips ready!

Strawberry Salsa (Courtesy California Strawberry Commission)Ingredients
1 cup diced fresh California strawberries
1/2 cup diced mango
1/4 cup diced papaya
1/4 cups diced pineapple
2 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Cayenne pepper

Check out this scrumptious, classic salsa recipe

Preparation
In a medium bowl, gently mix together all ingredients; season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, if desired.



Nutrition Information Per

Wilmer Valderrama (WireImage)For Venezuelan actor Wilmer Valderrama, known for getting laughs as foreign exchange student Fez on "That 70's Show", his adolescent years weren't always a laughing matter.

Like many Hispanics, US-born Valderrama struggled to assimilate as a teenager in this country balancing both Latin and American cultures. The actor considers his struggle similar to that of today's children facing bullying. "When I came to this country I didn't speak English. Fourteen is a really hard age not to be able to communicate smoothly…I was looked at as inferior and dumb, as someone who didn't really count, and that really hurt," says Valderrama. Understanding what life is like when you're made fun of and badgered just for being different, Valderrama has joined forces with candy-maker WONKA to promote the "NERDS® Unite!" anti-bullying campaign.

QUIZ: Not sure if you're a bully?

In a new video announcement for the campaign, Valderrama, along with fellow Latina actress Francia Raisa Almendarez,

Caperucita Roja"Abuelita, tell me a story." This used to be a common request from the kids in my house; we loved to have our Abuela Rigo tell us fairy tales, because she had the gift of making them come to life. Her bag of cuentos seemed endless: we shrieked at the tale of Caperucita Roja (Red Riding Hood), swooned as Prince Charming kissed Blanca Nieves (Snow White) and cried when the Patito Feo (The Ugly Duckling) was rejected by his family for looking different from the rest. Our favorite stories, though, were those Latin American fables, whose characters seemed like they really lived in the mountains of a nearby country or right under abuela's house in Puerto Rico.

The lucky fool, the "tooth fairy" mouse and the conceited cockroach

La Cucarachita Martina (Ana López Escrivá)We loved the story of a very clean and conceited little cockroach named La Cucarachita Martina, a folktale from Cuba. It's the tale of how Martina finds a coin as she sweeps her house and uses it to make herself beautiful. She sits on her front

Adapted from Chef Geraldine Romero for Otro Stylo Para Cocinar

This tasty recipe pairs squash blossoms (flores de calabaza) with guajillo pepper sauce, a common combination in Mexican cooking. If you can't find fresh squash blossoms in your local Hispanic market, try an Italian market instead. Squash blossoms are not only delicious, they make for a gorgeous plating presentation. ¡Buen provecho!

Healthy Mexican Recipe: Fish Mixiote with Parsley

Yield: Serves 4
Total time: 2 hours
Level: Easy
Chicken rolls with squash blossoms in guajillo pepper sauce (Luis G. Hernandez)
Ingredients:
-4 chicken breasts, halved
-Salt and pepper to taste
-8 slices of goat cheese
-2 handfuls of squash blossoms
-4 tbsp butter

For the guajillo chile sauce:
-3 guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined
-¼ onion
-1 clove of garlic, peeled
-4 tomatoes
-2 tsp bouillon powder
-2 tbsp cooking oil
-Aluminum foil cut into four squares

Recipe: Quick Vegan Posole with Beans

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400º F.

Wash chicken breasts; pat them dry and season with salt and pepper on both