• Home
  • Start Here!
    • Subscribe
    • Topics
    • Top Tips!
  • About
    • Services
    • Contact Us!
    • Media
    • Disclaimer
  • Blog
    • Popular Posts
    • Recipe Index
  • Books
    • RD Book Coaching Services
  • Podcast
  • Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed

Maryann Jacobsen

Independent Author & Family Nutrition Expert

  • Home
  • Start Here!
    • Subscribe
    • Topics
    • Top Tips!
  • About
    • Services
    • Contact Us!
    • Media
    • Disclaimer
  • Blog
    • Popular Posts
    • Recipe Index
  • Books
    • RD Book Coaching Services
  • Podcast
  • Privacy Policy

My Body’s Superpower is Here

June 13, 2019

My Body's Superpower book cover
Tweet
Pin1
Share531
Yum
Email
Share
532 Shares

This is the second to last post in my Puberty and Growth Series

After two years of researching, interviewing and writing, I’m happy to announce that My Body’s Superpower is finally here and available in print or eBook. Just a quick note. On Amazon, the print version is in black and white and the hardcover is in color.

This summer I’ll also be releasing a journal to go along with the book so girls can practice their superpowers. So stay tuned on that.

Now more about the book…

Jump Ahead

  • Simple can be better
  • The Superpower Formula
  • Physical Powers
  • Emotional Powers
  • Outside Powers
  • Girls Need More Than Information

Simple can be better

The biggest challenge in writing this book was keeping it simple while still providing important information. Let’s face it, I love details and don’t want to leave anything out. But now I can see that simple is effective. I believe that adults can get much out of this book too, as one of my reviewers wrote:

I think there is a lot for adults to take away too. We get so caught up in frenetic lives we forget some of the basics sometimes. This book is a great reminder of how straightforward it can be to build healthy habits focusing on the inside, not the outside.

The Superpower Formula

superpower formula

Every chapter begins with Super Knowledge, detailing growth, nutrition, and important development changes that occur during puberty. I firmly believe that giving girls’ minds all the information, helps them make good decisions. It also helps them understand what to expect, what’s normal, and what’s not.

Body Talk is about listening and being aware of how the body and mind communicate with us. This is much better than just being told what to do which can go against body talk. By decoding body signals, girls can respond to help the body function well. Even when they get it wrong they gather important information for the next time.

Time Travel is imagining yourself at some future date when making decisions. Adolescents naturally focus on how they feel now but they need to start developing a broader perspective. When we help girls time travel to the future, even when it’s just an hour or two, we help them see how their decisions affect their future selves often bringing an even bigger and better reward/outcomes. This enhances self-control.

Super Decisions are highlighted at the end of each chapter. This part focuses on taking control of things girls can actually change, which makes them feel more in control (referred to as “locus of control”). When girls take control of things they can’t change —  like when puberty starts or stops — they feel helpless (because they can’t change it!). I call this using a superpower you don’t have. Here’s an example from the book:

Like any first-rate superhero, you’ll want to stick with the superpowers you have. I mean The Flash would probably love to fly like Supergirl, but that’s not his superpower. He could work day and night trying to fly and make no progress–and end up feeling awful about himself. He’d be better off mastering his own superpowers–like moving at lightning speed!

My Body’s Superpower

Physical Powers

A very special girl, Lily Rhymes, came up with the title My Body’s Superpower. She’s right, the human body has amazing superpowers that come to life during puberty. Sadly, girls and women can spend a lifetime not utilizing their powers. What’s even sadder, is the advice often goes against these superpowers, keeping them in hiding!

For instance, without the right information about puberty, weight gain, and growth, girls and parents may think something’s wrong and try to fight these natural changes. This can lead girls to go against their Appetite Signals of fullness, hunger, satisfaction, and cravings causing eating regulation to get off track.

Nagging about nutrition without explaining why it’s important can turn girls away from how food makes their body feel and function. And because activity and sleep decline as girls age, highlighting how activity and sleep help their minds stay focused is crucial!

Yes. It definitely helped me. After I read the physical part. I made a rough schedule for my day and made sure I got enough exercise and sleep and tried not to eat when I’m not hungry. -12-year-old girl

I liked how it talked about how to eat a nutritious diet and how to eat to be satisfied. -12-year-old girl

Emotional Powers

Girls get overwhelmed with their erratic emotional states and are more sensitive to stress. But once they learn about their emotional powers everything changes. Instead of running from feelings and stress, they can use them as a compass to direct them in life. Supportive friendships also matter and there is lots of social learning going on. Instead of making choices to get that stamp of approval, girls learn how to forge their own path by learning about themselves, the person they want to be, and what excites them.

I liked how you talked more about emotions, and how to help girls go through puberty, not just physical changes. I think it will help girls a lot. It was very useful for me! -10-year-old girl

Outside Powers

A girl’s outside powers are vital because the world isn’t always supportive. This is being able to critically think about the constant stream of messages telling girls how they should look, act, and be. They also feel a lot of pressure and want to please others at the expense of developing their true selves. They can learn to combat this by tapping into their values, appreciating their body, and finding what works for them.

I liked the Social Media parts the most and I think that it will help girls understand that no one can look perfectly beautiful. -13-year-old girl

9 superpowers

Girls Need More Than Information

The book is also written to increase motivation based on the latest science of internal motivation, focusing on values, and decreasing resistance. All of the body image research is included as well as research on media literacy and growth mindset. And I can’t forget the books and interviews from leading experts.

Basically, this is the ultimate health book for girls going through puberty. What can make it more effective is parents talking with their girls about each of the superpower topics. Discussing how girls bodies are changing, listening to the body and giving it what it needs, decoding what emotions are trying to convey, navigating social situations, and getting into the habit of questioning media messages.

My hope is to build a solid foundation of health during this critical time, so girls can continue to make thoughtful health decisions for a lifetime. You can purchase the book here. Perfect summer reading!

Next up will be a book for boys so stay tuned.

My Body’s Superpower is available in print, hardback and as an e-book

Posts Included in the Series:
Intro: 6 Things About Puberty and Growth Every Parent Should Know
1. The Stages of Puberty: What Families Can Expect
2. How to Get Your Child Through Puberty Without Hating Their Growing Body
3. How to Normalize Sexual Development with Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo [Podcast]
4. Why Puberty is the Ideal Time to Invest in Bone Health
5. 15 Simple and Delicious Calcium-Rich Recipes for the Whole Family
6. Preventing Eating and Weight-Related Problems in Your Child. Project EAT’s Principal Investigator Dianne Neumark Sztainer [Podcast]
7. Seven Things “Always Hungry” Adolescents Wish Their Parents Knew
8. Nutrition from Head to Toe During Puberty (Part 1)
9. Nutrition from Health to Toe During Puberty (Part 2)
10. 8 Ways to Talk to Kids About Nutrition so They Actually Listen
11. 7 Shifts in Tweens’ Behavior Every Parent Should Know About
12. How to Keep “Cultural Faves” From Ruining Your Tween’s Health and Well Being

Tweet
Pin1
Share531
Yum
Email
Share
532 Shares

Categories: Feeding School-Age Kids, Puberty & Growth Series Comment

« 13 Things Girls with a Healthy Body Image Don’t Do (And How Parents Help Them)
6 Things A Girl Who Grew Up Heavy Wants Parents to Know »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, I’m Maryann…

Hi, I’m a registered dietitian who focuses on developmental stages. Here, you won’t get one-size-fits-all advice. Instead, you’ll get information based on your (and your family’s) age and stage. Make your choice between family and midlife-focused newsletters below and subscribe. Find out more!

Recent Posts

  • Yes, Every Midlife Women Should Take a Multivitamin (And Here’s Why)
  • 10 Signs Intermittent Fasting Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype
  • What do the Latest Vitamin D Studies Really Tell Us?
  • 3 Breathing Exercises That Will Change Your Life with Nick Heath [Podcast]
  • 6 Dietary Supplements Most Teenagers Need

Random Posts

  • 5 Popular Pieces of Nutrition Advice that Fall Short5 Popular Pieces of Nutrition Advice that Fall Short
  • Gardening with Your Growing KidsGardening with Your Growing Kids

Categories

Get the books!

The Alliance of Independent Authors - Author Member

Join the Newsletter

Sign up for Maryann’s E-mail Newsletter and get her ebook The Landmines of a Healthy Relationship with Food for FREE. Subscribe now!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. You're not done. Check your email to confirm your address. After you do that, you'll receive a link for the free e-book.

.

Copyright © 2023 — Maryann Jacobsen • All rights reserved • Powered by Femme Flora. Designed & Developed by BinaryTurf Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.OK Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT