Happiful_May_2019

True LIFE

May 2019 • happiful • 83

Julia’s story is one of self discovery and determination.

It’s great to go out and follow our dreams, but we need to

ensure that the real-life situation meets our needs, and we

aren’t carrying on at the expense of our own self-worth.

Fortunately for Julia, she saw that there was

another way. Through a combination of inner

strength and professional help she found a

way to care for herself, help others, and truly

fulfil her dreams!

Our Expert Says

While it’s been a gradual

process, the freedom I’ve been

able to exercise with this has

been pivotal in my healing.

While I gained my first piece of

editorial in a major newspaper

within a month of launching,

the day it came out, I was

awash with stress because

I’d booked a show that day,

and was praying the bullies

hadn’t seen it. They had. I left

Mumbai shortly after that, at

the end of 2014. I was done.

Over the years, This

Model Eats A Lot has been

acknowledged by people

in the modelling industry

• those who have stood up
  to the harsh standards and
  unhealthy practices imposed
  on models. I am grateful
  that diversity and inclusivity

has become more and more

prominent, and agencies

are finally accepting more

racially-diverse models who

don’t conform to high fashion

measurements.

In hindsight, I realised that

when I stopped being fraught

with anxiety about being a

perfect runway model, and

focused on eating intuitively –

eating with no judgement and

treating food as a friend, not

the enemy – everything fell

into place.

Having a career where

your looks are judged, and

your self-worth is tied to

whether or not you get the

job, is extremely mentally

destructive, and there have to

be healthy boundaries. Over

the last couple of years I’ve

made it a priority to nourish

my mental health. This has

included everything from

chatting regularly to a trusted

professional, to journaling,

and definitely what I consider

to be most important,

changing the way I think

about myself.

I realised that when I stopped

being fraught with anxiety about

being a perfect runway model,

and focused on eating intuitively,

everything fell into place

Never forget, there is light at

the end of the tunnel, and mental

health should be a priority for

every single one of us.

Here’s to nourishing yourself

in every spectrum – body, mind,

environment!

Follow Julia on Instagram

@thismodeleatsalot

Julia’s campaign has inspired

others in the industry to stand up

to unhealthy beauty standards

Photography | JP photography

Rachel Coffey | BA MA NLP Mstr

Life coach looking to encourage confidence and motivation