Actress and now brand new author, Cameron Diaz, made an appearance at Wentz Concert Hall to talk to more than 600 people about her new book, “ The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body” on Thursday, January 9. Diaz said she had was inspired to write her book about two years ago at age 39.
“I would listen to conversations with women who were my age and still don’t know today about how their body works,” said Diaz. “We’re not taught this [how our body works]at a scientific level and because of this, women continue to put anger and hatred on themselves and how they look.”
Known for being a “health freak” in Hollywood with constant pictures in the tabloids of her exercising and taking long runs whether in California or New York, Diaz’s two main residences, fans would not expect to imagine her as a teenager who surrounded herself in the world of greasy, artery-clogging, fast food.
“If you are what you eat, then I was two burritos, extra cheese, extra sauce, no onions, and an extra-large Coke,” Diaz joked.
In her book, she talks of her own struggles with eating calorie-piling junk food that caused her to have a terrible skin condition until her mid-twenties, when she started her modeling career. She explains about how she managed to realize that her diet was the mastermind behind her condition and started to cook for herself and decrease the amount of fast food she put into her. After seeing her skin clear up and feeling more active, Diaz completely turned her lifestyle around and became the healthy woman we see her as today.
Now she is eager to share with women of all ages today, the scientific secrets behind the human body that she came to find out and how the body itself actually works when you intake certain foods.
“I had to research a ton for this book and I learned so much,” Diaz said. “One of the most surprising things I learned throughout putting this book together is that everything about your body is a chain reaction. Whatever you put in it affects every part of you. If you do something good for your body, it will do something good for you. It will do everything to survive no matter how poorly you treat it.”
Diaz calls her book a “science” and “instructional” type of book that is separated into three parts: nutrition, fitness, and mind. Each part discusses the right way to embrace the knowledge of embracing your body’s role to survive and the many parts that help it live one more day longer as opposed to a “how-to” book to only lose pounds and stay thin.
“I believe that mind is the most important,” said Diaz. “If you feel hungry, think about the last time you ate, what you ate, and if you gave your body any nutrients from what you ate. This section also helps you think about how your mind works around sugar and why we want more of it.”
Diaz offered a few last pieces of advice before she left the stage to start signing books by fans and book lovers who purchased tickets and books prior to the event.
“What I want the most is for everyone to take this information [from my book]and hold onto it so that we can pass it on to the younger generations so that they are able to learn about how the body works faster than we were able to,” Diaz said. “Be patient with yourself to change the bad habits and be consistent. I just want you guys to be happy.”
