I taped the Oprah Winfrey Show last weekend. My segment will air the first week of February, and I’ll be part of a group of guests discussing what it means to grow older. I think it’s going to be an exciting and inspiring show. Hitting my 40s was a big deal for me—after all I work in Hollywood, where woman over 35 are viewed as ‘older.’ Now my daughters and their friends are in their late teens, and it’s upsetting to see that they are dealing with the same body and image issues that my generation did. As women our sense of worth is often wrapped up in our looks and our desirability, and it can be hard to embrace ourselves for our intellect and spirit instead.

With Living Healthy I’ve really tried to devise a program that is primarily about keeping your mind, body and spirit balanced and healthy. The fact that your will also look better is an added bonus. I hope that as you read and follow the book you will become more loving and accepting towards yourself. When you have a few minutes to close your eyes and calm your mind, accept any mean voices that pop into your head to say “You’re ugly,” or “You’re stupid.” Listen to them, then calmly dismiss them, by saying “I’m beautiful, I’m worthy, I deserve to be loved.” It’s corny, but you can say it to yourself quietly, and no one needs to know!

They say that real beauty comes from loving yourself, and it’s true, because if you don’t love yourself you will be too full of anger, frustration and pain to love anyone else. It can take years and years to learn this, but it’s a great relief to finally realize it. Tune into Oprah, and I’d love to hear your own thoughts about your wellness journey in the comments section!

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