Gwyneth Paltrow may be starring in Iron Man 3 this spring, but she is in the news these days for reasons beyond her acting career.
In an interview Sunday, the Oscar winner opened up about a miscarriage that nearly took her life; while Paltrow is also under some fire for a gluten-free recipes cook book coming out next month.
But in a new Q&A with Self, the 40-year old stands by her diet and her beliefs, explaining how this change has affected her life.
“You feel lighter and your emotions get smoother,” Paltrow tells the magazine of axing gluten. “[Before the diet, I] had a lot of unexpressed anger. I made everyone else’s feelings more important than my own. I’d suck it up and then be alone in my car yelling at traffic or fighting with hangers in my closet when they got stuck together.”
Among other topics touched on by the beautiful star:
Dealing with problems: “You’re not learning anything unless you’re having the difficult conversations. Dealing with things directly changed my relationships. Sometimes when you get clear about who you are, others get less comfortable because they liked who you were.”
Why she had to change: “I had to sing at awards shows, which was fun but stressful. I’d have a Guinness and a beta-blocker every time. I also was constantly getting on airplanes, trying to knock myself out with sleeping pills and wine, waking up, trying to sweat it out with exercise and a steam, and then working really hard all day. Eventually, I had a panic attack. My body was like, ‘What is happening?’”
Changes in her life: “I watch Homeland or New Girl. I also like to have martinis with my girlfriends. I feel a sisterhood emerging around me. I’m less threatening now that I’m 40 and not 26-with-an-Oscar. There’s a sense of love and support. I feel really lucky.”