NEW BEAUTY TRUE BEAUTY

W d the Internet, the standard of beauty is changing.

WRITER: P PROVIDED With Photoshop and W KATIE LEWIS PHOTOS:

Everyone needs a self-esteem boost every now and again, even the pictureperfect celebrities who dazzle us from the red carpet.

That’s why Jennifer Lopez recently launched the #BeTheGirl Challenge, a national campaign to promote women’s health.

While Jennifer recognizes physical fitness and health are important, she also places much value on inner beauty.

Jennifer attests to that with her involvement with the Lopez Family Foundation, her nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women and children.

She also demonstrates the value she places on inner beauty through her participation as a Boys & Girls Clubs of America alumnus. Growing up, she was a member of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in New York and credits the Club for of her success.

And, the “Be the Girl” campaign continues to place emphasis on inner beauty by challenging women to be the girl of their own dreams.

Healthy Living recently spoke with Dr. Amy Heaton, director of scientific affairs for BodyLab, to find out more about what the challenge can do for women’s selfesteem and overall health.

Healthy Living: What exactly is BodyLab? How do you join the challenge?

Dr. Amy Heaton: BodyLab consists of two synergistic parts: 1) our innovative, research-based, body-reshaping formulas designed specifically for a woman’s body, and 2) all of the free lifestyle support components we offer at BodyLab.com, like free meal plans, a calorie tracker, some of Jennifer’s favorite workouts and meals, content from the BodyLab community and more.

The #BeTheGirl Challenge is our way of motivating women everywhere to make healthy changes and it’s easy to join. Just visit BodyLab.com and click on the “Get Started” tab right at the top of our home page. It will walk you through the three simple steps you follow to sign up.

HL: How are you involved with BodyLab?

AH: I’m the Director of Scientific Affairs for BodyLab. I helped formulate the BodyLab product line based on the latest cutting-edge science in women’s health and supplementation.

HL: Why did JLo become involved with BodyLab? Why is her role important to the company?

AH: Empowering women and improving their well-being has always been extremely important to Jennifer. You can see that in everything she does — especially in her work with the Lopez Family Foundation. So, when she recognized the growing epidemic of obesity and overweight as a top health issue for women, she decided to do something about it.

Jennifer’s role in BodyLab is essential. She’s put a face to the women’s health movement, and since her voice is already out there in front of so many women, she’s able to really elevate this conversation and drive the belief that women deserve to be healthy, happy, and to really love themselves.

HL: What sparked the idea for the company?

AH: Jennifer feels very lucky to be surrounded by some of the best scientists, trainers and nutritionists in the business. One day she was talking to her manager about the overweight epidemic and she had an epiphany: If every woman had access to the same resources she did, there could be a huge shift in women’s health. She has enough determination to decide she wanted to be the one to bring those tools to women on an affordable scale, and that started this whole project.

HL: How do the products help increase women’s self-esteem?

AH: At BodyLab, we believe all women are beautiful. Our goal is simply to help them make healthy lifestyle changes and be the girl of their dreams, whatever that means to them. Our products can help by making it easier for them to achieve their goals: improved fitness, stamina and endurance, reduced joint stiffness and improved flexibility, enhanced weight loss and increased calorie burn, more lean muscle tissue. Whatever their goal, our formulas can help make it happen.

HL: How are BodyLab products different from other weight loss products?

AH: The BodyLab line is different because our formulas were developed by women, specifically for women, to address the unique needs of the female body. We offer much more than just weight loss, and we don’t believe in leaving our customers alone at the checkout counter. In addition to our products, we have an entire website dedicated to helping women make longterm lifestyle improvements, and all of the trainer advice, diet plans, calorie tracker, insider tips from fitness experts and more are completely FREE, whether or not you buy the products.

HL: How do you hope the #BeTheGirl Challenge will help women? What message do you hope to convey to women with the challenge?

AH: We hope the #BeTheGirl Challenge will not only give women a reason to take that first step toward better health, but will give them the support they need to actually achieve it. And, we want women everywhere to know that this challenge isn’t about fitting one mold or ideal of what women should look like. It’s about being their best selves, being healthy, and — above all — loving themselves.

HL: How important to society are healthy campaigns like this one?

AH: These kinds of healthy campaigns are vital! Obesity is a growing problem throughout the United States, and it’s definitely not just about the way you look. Carrying too much weight is tied to certain forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and many other health issues. We can’t just keep telling people how dangerous it is. We need to start helping them make positive changes.

HL: What sort of advice would you give to someone who wants to get in shape but can’t afford dietary supplements?

AH: Supplements can definitely make it easier, but you can still use all of the information on BodyLab.com! It’s free, and it can give you advice, ideas and support to help you achieve your goals.

HL: Why do you think empowering women is important?

AH: It may be 2015, but women are still dealing with gender equality issues, body image issues, and the exhaustion that comes from our seemingly inherent desire to do so much for those around us that we wear ourselves out. We need to bolster one another and help each other be our very best, and we need to realize that we all deserve to be happy.

HL: What does “Be The Girl” mean?

AH: When we say, “Be The Girl,” we mean, “Be the girl of your dreams,” whatever that means to you. As I said before, it’s not about fitting one ideal for women. It’s about being your best self, being your healthiest self, and — above all — loving yourself.