Ashley L Peterson

Eat the Damn Muffin: Confidence for Every Body by Jenni Dunlap is all about loving yourself and your body.  She writes: “All bodies are good, and all bodies are beautiful. This is a fuck those beauty standards type of book, because beauty is a state of mind not state of body.”  Okay, I’m definitely in!

The book isn’t about changing your body; it’s about changing how your mind feels about your body, and bringing out the best in yourself.  Jenni is very clear that learning to love yourself is not about letting go of your own identity; she writes “Be your best self, not someone else.”

She’s super encouraging, saying that even if you don’t see it yourself, “Believe me when I say you’re stunning.”

She advocates wearing what you want and not using your clothing to hide yourself, and if other people don’t like it, well then “society can shove it.”  There is also a list of body positive affirmations to try out.

Jenni encourages readers to keep taking small sips of positivity until suddenly you’ve got yourself a nice big glass of happy.  This includes being kind to yourself, trying new things that make you smile, and pursuing the things that make you the happiest.

One of my favourite pieces of advice was to “diddle your skittle.”  I may not have heard that particular phrasing before, but yes, I agree!  Plus I love the fact that she mentions it, because we don’t talk enough about masturbation as a female pleasure, not just a male pleasure.

The book talks about the relationship between being physically healthy and having a healthy body image and relationship with one’s body.  She writes: “Once I defined what made me happy, I used it to live healthier. Combining health and happiness was a lot easier than I realized, and I am still able to eat my damn muffins.”

As women (and also as men) we are constantly bombarded by societal messages about what our bodies are supposed to be, and how we’re supposed to feel about them.  This book things that kind of thinking that limits us to the curb and embraces a much more positive concept of how to live within the amazing bodies that we’ve been given.

If you’re struggling with how to have a more accepting, loving relationship with your body, this book is for you.