This story proves that the power of creating our body image revolution lies in social media! Case in point: I met this wonderful, vibrant , fully alive gynecologist named Dr. Lissa Rankin on Twitter. Dr. Lissa is a gem, and one of those women who has mastered using both the left and right sides of her brain. She is amazing… did I tell you just how great I think she is? :)

Lissa has created a community called Owning Pink. (You may also know Lissa from her work with Betty Confidential.com and College Candy.com. )

She contacted me because she felt we were sisters of PINKY POWER - both dedicated to helping women learn to love and own their bodies. We simply fell in love and a lifelong friendship has begun - from one single Twitter post! Yes, Twitter!

Lissa is a huge OnePinky fan, and she and I will be holding a workshop in September in Northern CA (you cannot miss it) called “Owning Your Body” and we want all of our Owning Pink and OnePinky sisters to join us!

Listen to what Owning Pink and OnePinky gals have to say about these programs:

“The past year has been a journey of discovery for me. I learned more about who I am and how I want to live my life than I ever imagined was possible. Never had I dreamt that there was so much depth to the universe and so much simplicity all the same. I go through each day with the philosophy that ‘thoughts become things.’ Therefore I simply have to imagine what it is that I want for myself and my life, visualize it, feel it, put an action in place that corresponds with my desires and anything I want is truly possible.”
–Megan of Owning Pink

“The big mental shift I have had since the joining OnePinky.com is the glorious realization that my body is a temple. It is loving, efficient vessel that holds all that is me. After that, health is pretty much a given. Prior to OnePinky.com or attending one of free Laura’s teleclasses on the phone, I took everything about my body for granted. Now it is simply a priority and feel today that it always will be, even though I am still young. I am back to working out regularly because regular exercise and conscious eating are important to and for my temple. Emotionally, there has been an awakening of the knowing that I am beautiful just as I am. NOW. Period. All the time. This prompts me to continually affirm this in my mind and heart. As a result, I AM more Free, Open, Peaceful and happy about my body. There is less judgment, pressure and comparing myself to other women. Whatever path my body is currently on is the right one for me. The time for my heart and body is NOW. Thank you Laura. You are a love.”
–Jennifer of OnePinky

Body Love, Pinky Power… Body Image Revolution… a Love Fest… I am blessed… to live in a time when we can connect at such rapid rates… and blend and support and hold one another’s work and movements.

If you’d like to help get the word out about OnePinky on Twitter, please feel free to do so here! Or tweet @LissaRankin …

Pinky Power! Pinky Promise! Owning Pink! YES!

I like to say that I’m straight, but not narrow. I’m married to a man, but I can appreciate the curves of a woman just as much as I can the broad torso of a man. I might have a crush on Will Smith—but I’ve also had a little thing going for Rosario Dawson for a while (yes, Seven Pounds just made my entire year). And while I’m all for getting married if you want to—or not if you don’t!—for straight couples, I’m completely the same for gay and lesbian couples, too.

In other words, I’m straight but not narrow-minded.

My husband and I think we’re pretty warped people. We are completely in love with President Obama (whom our three-year-old is also smitten with; she even has his trading cards). We believe in science over organized religion—but believe that personal faith, as long as it’s separate from the government, is A-OK. We think it’s cool for boys to kiss boys, boys to kiss girls, girls to kiss girls, and kids to kiss dogs. (But kids shouldn’t kiss turtles. I hear there’s a salmonella risk.)

Why does this have to be “warped,” though? (Besides the fact that it’s a cool word.)

Why do we have to feel so out of place smack in the middle of the Bible belt, attending family reunions filled with country-music crooning and hillbilly hollering and glares and jeers at our bumper stickers and offhand remarks about anyone who isn’t white, straight and a follower of Jesus?

Instead of warped, shouldn’t our views be the norm? More and more states are ratifying gay marriage (what the heck is up with you, California?), and we finally have a President who believes in stem cell research and does not want to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

Yet the only places I can feel really at home with how I feel are online—including www.OnePinky.com.

At OnePinky, my “sisters” all accept everyone no matter their creed, sexuality, color or any other factor. Some of us are Christians; some are rather pagan; some prefer to remain nondenominational. And it’s all okay, because if there’s anything we learn at OnePinky, it’s to love ourselves no matter who we are, just as we are, warts, fat, bi polar, astigmatism and all.

“Live and let live” is what we learn, and that doesn’t apply to just ourselves—it applies to the world at large.

OnePinky.com reinforces the idea of tolerance—and most importantly to ourselves! Acceptance is what we should always strive for, here and now and always.

And we are responsible for owning the loveliness that we are. So it is time that we cease letting anyone make us feel that we are wrong with being who we are.

OnePinky, the community opens the door to talk about religion, politics, and all of the issues that people typically shy away from because of the divisiveness. Why should we fear each other so much? Should we not learn from one another instead, and embrace diversity in all of its beautiful forms?

Let’s celebrate being different. And like we’re learning to love ourselves “one pinky at a time,” perhaps the global community can learn to love each other, one person at a time, one difference at a time, until we reach a climate of peace and acceptance.

How has OnePinky.com impacted your view on tolerance and acceptance? Share your thoughts in the comments.

You know those tearjerker commercials that try to get you to send money to starving children in Africa? Whether they give the money to the children or not, this does prove that “30 cents a day” really CAN make a difference, doesn’t it?

After all, with this family’s food budget, each person only gets about twenty cents a week.

Think about it… When we fork over our “pocket change” for an 89-cent burrito, we could actually be feeding most of this family for a whole week.

Would this be enough to feed your family? Do you think it’s enough to feed their whole family, truly? How much nutrition do you think this family gets—or do you think that they are malnourished at all?

As with every family, we’d like for you to answer this question: Have they spent too much—too little—or just enough, and why?

Comparing this family with all of the others we’ve looked at—as well as your own—do you think that as Americans, we really eat what we need, or a whole lot more? We already know that our serving sizes are blown out of proportion; what about our whole diets?

We’d love to hear your comments on the American diet, and to get your vote on which of the families we’ve profiled YOU think has the right amount of food. Cast your vote in the comments! Your feedback means alot to us. Your feedback counts…

This is unimaginable for most of us. What on earth could you buy with thirty cents—which is how much this family spends per person for a full week? You can’t even get a taco for that much money.

Look at how much food the Namgays have for the week. Would this be enough to feed your family? Do you think it’s enough to feed their whole family of thirteen?

Imagine your family with this much food. How much would you have to ration? Would you have to share an orange for breakfast? Could you do that?

All of their food is from fresh sources, and there is no “fast food” in sight—how does this compare with your own family, or the previous families we’ve looked at?

As with every family, we’d like for you to answer this question: Have they spent too much—too little—or just enough, and why?

Do you even think this is enough food to survive on?

Let us know what you think in the blog comments, and be prepared for the most shocking numbers of all on Monday.

That’s as much as some Americans spend on one nice meal a week—and it averages out to less than $4 a week per person! That’s like one prescription drug at Wal-Mart for most of us.

How much food would you be able to buy for $4? Maybe some ramen noodles and tea bags?

Look at how much food the Aymes have for the week. Would this be enough to feed your family? Do you think it’s enough to feed their whole family of nine?

All of their food is from fresh sources, and there is no “fast food” in sight—how does this compare with your own family, or the previous families we’ve looked at?

As with every family, we’d like for you to answer this question: Have they spent too much—too little—or just enough, and why?

Let us know what you think in the blog comments, and be prepared for some shocking numbers for the rest of the week.

I don’t know about you, but I doubt that even Jon and Kate Plus 8 could live on that much.

Look at how much food the Ahmeds have for the week. Would this be enough to feed your family? Do you think it’s enough to feed theirs?

Nearly all of their food is from vegetables or other fresh sources… how does this compare with the previous families? With your own family?

As with every family, we’d like for you to answer this question: Have they spent too much—too little—or just enough, and why?

Let us know what you think in the blog comments. And you’re in for a surprise if you think that this is the least amount of money people spend on food. Next week, the amounts will keep getting lower, and we’ll have to return to the question—how much is too much, or in this case, too little?

The Sobczynscy family seems to have bought a lot of fresh foods and vegetables. How does this compare with the rest of the families we have featured? Are your family’s shopping habits similar or different?

As with every family, we’d like for you to answer this question: Have they spent too much—too little—or just enough, and why?

Let us know what you think in the blog comments. The amount of food is going to keep getting less and less over this week and next. Our next family spends less than $100 a week on food!

So far the Casales family has spent the least amount of money during our food study. The two big questions are:

Have they spent this money wisely? (Is it on junk or healthy food—and how does it compare with the families from last week?)

And, have they spent too much—too little—or just enough, and why?

Let us know what you think in the blog comments, and be prepared for the amount spent on food—and the amount of food that people buy for their families—to get less and less over the week. You won’t believe your eyes by Friday!

While the Manzo family of yesterday has five members, they spend almost half of what the Melanders (a family of four) spend. Note what the Melanders spend their money on.

Which one has more healthy food? Which has more junk food?

Compare both of these families to the Revis family of Monday; is there a general pattern developing with European families versus the American one?

Of all three of these families, who do you think buys the right amount of food? Who has too much, or too little?

Please answer any of these questions and share your thoughts in the blog comments. Stay tuned for some shocking photos next week!

While the Manzos have a family of five, they spend less than the Revis family from Monday’s blog (a family of four) spend. Note what the families spend their money on.

Which one has more fresh, green food? Which has more packaged food and sweets?

Which one spends the most? Who buys fast food?

Of both of these families, who do you think buys the right amount of food? Who has too much? Does anyone have too little?

Please answer any of these questions and share your thoughts in the blog comments. Stay tuned for Friday’s country!