Movie Release Countdown: Life Lessons From 'Eat Pray Love'
Like millions of women, I enjoyed "Eat Pray Love" -- and the movie trailer got me psyched to see the Julia Roberts film. (And, no, not just because Javier Bardem and James Franco are in it!)
In honor of the movie's upcoming August release, I gathered some great advice from the book in its three categories: Eat, Pray, and Love.
EAT: In the trailer, there is one scene where Julia is a sitting in front of a giant dish of perfectly plated spaghetti -- drooool. It's enough to make anyone want to dive in, face-first. And even though Gilbert gains weight in the book after eating so much pasta, it can be diet-friendly. Three cardinal rules of carbs:
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1. Keep portions in check. Dish out 1 cup (220 calories) of cooked pasta (about the size of your fist).
2. Go whole grain. It's got more fiber, protein, and iron than white pasta. Some whole wheat pastas taste like cardboard, but good ones such as Hodgson Mill's are hearty and delicious. My husband, a long-time whole wheat pasta HATER, can't even tell the difference.
3. Pair it with a protein and veggies. When in doubt, go with 3 ounces of skinless chicken, lots of veggies and tomato sauce. Or, to go even healthier, try this veggie spaghetti.
PRAY: To me, "Pray" doesn't just indicate faith in a strict God sense. It's about finding something to believe in and be passionate about -- and that includes your own life. A little inspirational advice from the pages of "Eat Pray Love": "Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."
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When I'm feeling decidedly un-Zen after, say, a long day, I get my happiness fix from yoga (as Gilbert did in "Eat Pray Love"). A great sun salutation sequence recommended by Kristen Dollard, SELF's digital director and author of The Yoga Body Diet: Mountain pose, Forward fold, Plank, Low pushup, Upward-facing dog, Downward-facing dog, Mountain pose (again).
Hold each pose for the same amount of time. Start by spending one breath (one inhale and one exhale in each pose). If that feels rushed, spend 3 to 5 breaths (one inhale and one exhale) 3 to 5 times in each pose. If you need some visual guidance for the poses, click here.
LOVE: "People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life," Gilbert writes. Our interpretation? Look for a partner who makes you your best you.
What's your best advice in these three categories?
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Photo Credit: IMDb
