Real Women Eat Cake

I wish more female "celebrities" would say something positive and empowering rather than just discussing her skeleton-like body, or her newest diet. We've all been bombarded by the scary skinny actresses on TV and in films, and it has seeped into our social mentality becoming an acceptable norm.

Ally McBeal and her crew were criticized back in the day, along with numerous other female stars for their unhealthy bodies...but things haven't changed.

It makes me sad and angry at the same time. Let's get realistic ladies, seriously.

The recent film Eat, Pray, Love touched on a very important part of life that so many women ignore...food is not the enemy, it is a pleasurable necessity. While not a fan of chick flicks in general...this one had a positive message. A message I wish more women would listen to.

How often do we women choose a rice cake over a piece of chocolate cake? How often do we choose grilled chicken rather than a luscious chicken parmigiana? We sacrifice and count calories stressing about every thing we eat and drink. We miss out on the joys of life starving for an ideal that most will never attain.

That thin woman on the TV screen isn't healthy. She's working out six days a week and living off of water and a gumdrop. She's been forced into an ideal that is unnatural and unrealistic. It's sad.

What is really pathetic is that we eat it up. Like the proverbial lemmings, we jump off of the cliff and try to force our bodies to do something that is mentally and physically unhealthy...stressing about our dress size and judging ourselves by standards so few women can meet.

And what is worse is that our daughters are watching. They learn to see themselves by how we see ourselves. They emulate us, and our body issues become their body issues and the cycle continues. We're creating a horrible and unhealthy legacy. Pretty dang pathetic, no?

In no way am I suggesting we abandon all sensibility and eat cake and lasagna seven days a week. Having had health issues in the past, I fully believe in being careful with what I eat. Informed eating habits and regular exercise are important to a healthy life. However, making good decisions about what we eat means we can occasionally have the pleasure of sharing an ice cream sundae, or savoring a beautiful dish of pasta.

I applaud women like Christina Hendricks of of Mad Men fame. She has embraced her curves and celebrated her femininity while succeeding in the world of Hollywood. She has accepted herself and that is no small matter.

The key is to accept yourself. Your genetics have a lot to say about your body and what is a natural shape and size. Some of us are super thin, others are curvy, and others are somewhere in the middle. All shapes are normal...and healthy. The media's idea of super-thin is unrealistic and pretty silly when all is said and done.

So, learn to accept yourself and your natural shape, realize that food is not the enemy, and take a moment to savor life.

If you forgot what it's like to enjoy food, give me a call. We'll do lunch...share a beautiful meal and then have a delightful piece of chocolate cake. Or maybe we'll just go right to the cake. Either way, I'm cool with it.