This Is What Happened To A Woman Who Was Living Like Gwyneth Paltrow For A Week
At 43 years old, Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is a beacon for many young women. Her dedication to and success in living a healthy lifestyle through fitness training and strict dieting has inspired many young women today. However, the most inspired must be Zoe Sessums, who rose to fame when she decided to take on Paltrow’s lifestyle for a week.
Diet
First it is important to understand what exactly the iconic actress’ lifestyle entails. Gwyn, for starters, does not eat dessert. She satisfies all cravings for sweet treats with a piece of fruit. According to an article by Goop titled Overcoming Sugar Addiction, sugar is a mood-altering drug which, when consumed in excess, gets us anxious, moody and exhausted.
Therefore, Zoe tried this out, avoiding all items listed under the Wikipedia definition of “dessert”. According to her, meals are simply meant to fill the time and space between treats. However, her experience was much different from Gwyn’s.
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Zoe admits this was especially difficult for her given that sugar is her weakness. Withdrawal from sugary foods and desserts pushed her towards eating more savory junk food. This withdrawal from desserts created a void inside her body. The body being a system working on internal equilibrium worked to fill up this void with a severe craving for junk food. She ended up munching on garlic butter and chips. Clearly, this was not working.
Meditation
Another important part of Gwyn’s healthy lifestyle and daily routine is a session of meditation that allows her to relieve stress and clear her mind. This daily ritual, as Gwyn puts it, improves her sleep and alleviates any anxiety she may be experiencing. It also helps her exercise self-restraint that is necessary for her diet and general focus.
Determined to achieve the same serenity, Zoe decided to download some meditation apps and even placed a Buddhist handbook on her nightstand. However, she struggled with having to allocate time just to sit still. After all, is that not what sleep was for?
She also admits that the technique of thinking about her breath as a way of calming down when her thoughts started to wander did not work at all. She experienced no calm from concentrating on her breathing. Instead, she felt her breathing was uncharacteristically calculated. Taking a nap seemed like a great escape from the meditation. In her experience, this was not exactly an effective exercise.
Yoga
Gwyn is a champion of the benefits of yoga to the mind and body. It is a key part of her daily 2-hour long exercise routine. Zoe agrees with Gwyn on the benefits of yoga, saying its practice yields patience of the mind and love. She was excited to experience the beauty of yoga, given that she enjoys exercising.
However, her experience was not a pleasant one. She had trouble with clearing her mind and the stillness that comes with yoga. She was also frustrated by her lack of grace during the entire exercise.
At the end of the week, Zoe did not embrace any of Gwyn’s practices. Instead, she recognized and applauded Gwyn’s healthy lifestyle and how well it works for her. However, she resigned to do what works best for her.
At the end of the day, you determine your happiness and the choice on what makes you feel healthy is relative.
