She may have posted aglamorous nude photoin celebration of her 48th birthday in 2020, butGwyneth Paltrowsays she still struggles with her body image.
“Unfortunately, we’re always looking at ourselves with a critical eye,” the Goop founder, 49, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I would love to get to a place where I don’t do that anymore. I want to show up for myself in a more loving way, because it’s all going south from here! There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Sebastian Kim/August
For Paltrow, who is mom toApple, 17 andMoses, 15 with her exChris Martin, changes in her body became most apparent after she had her first child.
“I was just coming out of my 20s when you’re in that sexy, young girl phase,” the actress says, “And then you’re like, ‘Well, how do I reconcile who I am now with that?’ For me, it was really about giving myself time to be a mother, and letting my body dictate where it was going.”
Part of Paltrow’s journey to “accept” her changing body came from managing unrealistic expectations, a topic that isexplored on her new Netflix series,Sex, Love & goop(premiering Oct. 21), which features five couples navigating everything from sexual intimacy to past traumas.
Gwyneth Paltrow with kids Apple and Moses.gwyneth paltrow/instagram
“We have all these expectations,” says Paltrow, who wed producerBrad Falchukin 2018. “Some women feel when they have kids that they don’t feel sexual because their body isn’t back yet. But it’s like, ‘Who said our bodies have to look a certain way?’ It’s hard as you age and change. But it’s about bringing a wider spectrum of acceptance.”
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Paltrow’s own acceptance journey is shifting these days. “For me, as I go through the aging process and really start it, I realize it’s less about, ‘Oh, I have this wrinkle, am I going to fix it or not?’ and more, ‘Do I feel vibrant?'”
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Continues the Oscar winner: “I am focusing more on the fundamentals of wellness, like meditation, hydration, nutrient-dense foods and not having tons of alcohol, which I had way too much of during the pandemic!”
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk.ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty
And ultimately, “I would never want to go back to my 20s, or even my 30s for that matter,” says Paltrow. “I know myself, I like myself and I am so grateful for the wisdom that comes with age.”
Sex, Love & goopfollows the story of real-life couples who explore different ways to enhance their sex lives. Along with Paltrow (who is an executive producer of the series), health experts guide the five couples through unique techniques that help make the most of their sexual relationships.
Sex, Love & gooppremieres on Netflix Oct. 21.
source: people.com
