Body Beat | Anja Rubik By Mario Testino 'Towel Series' | Pope Francis & Breastfeeding | Meryl Streep's Beauty Then & Now

Anja Rubik by Mario Testino for Towel Series

Top model Anja Rubik, who joined the Forbes list of the world’s highest paid models is a late bloomer as #60 in Mario Testino’s ongoing towel series. It’s not for fear of taking her clothes off. Rubik is a defender of tasteful nudity, exposing the female body in her 25 Magazine and saying in a recent interview for The Edit:

“I’m not saying in a spread -eagle position, but if someone feels very comfortable with their body, why not show it in a beautiful way? I think a woman’s body is beautiful, so why is a topless image so terrible?”

Meryl Streep 1979 and Now

This image is a huge hit on my Facebook page. Actress Meryl Streep models the same dress at age 64 that she wore in 1979, about 36 years ago. Indeed, she was a beauty then and now.

Pope Francis Invites Breastfeeding at Vatican

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has no policy on breast-feeding, but encourages the practice. Most churches and religious institutions offer nursing mothers a private place to breastfeed. While no one wants to criticize openly, large numbers of parishioners are uncomfortable with a woman nursing discretely during the service. Better that she should miss the liturgy than taking one of the most natural, fundamental actions on earth — that of feeding her child.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics implore new mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for a minimum of six months for reduced rates of leukemia and obesity in children, coupled with lower risks of ovarian cancer and diabetes in mothers, writes the Wall Street Journal.

Only 16.4% of American mothers exclusively breastfeed babies as advised by these health organizations. WSJ cites five key reasons:

Read More