Leigh Blickley, blogging on HuffPost US interviewed Diaz, who explained: "What I would tell women is that your body is your responsibility. It's your body, nobody else can take care of it and you really, truly do not know what body you have and what your body is capable of until you been consistent with meeting its needs on the level of nutrition and physical activity."
We're not fans of slagging off fellow women, famous or not, so how did the book stand up as a health guide, regardless of its celebrity author? The answer isn't as straightforward as we thought.
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First impressions
Whatever your feelings are about Cameron Diaz, there is no denying she's got an amazing body that looks the picture of health. But I feel that reviews saying this will make other women feel bad (because Diaz is a celebrity and normal women are, well, normal) aren't really justified. The emphasis on the book is around healthy living, nutrition and explaining how certain foods and lifestyles impact on the body's function, such as the great section that blends Diaz's personal account of breakfast and how delaying it affects your energy levels.
In short, she's not saying "If you do this you'll look like me", rather she's promoting a more sustainable way of living and eating.
This isn't Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, which means that it is a lot more accessible for women and men who want to learn about healthy eating, but get turned off by the words gluten-free.
The strongest parts are when Diaz frames a healthy point with an anecdote, for instance when talking about food groups high in vitamins, she writes:
When I was cooking with my nieces recently, one of them asked me: "Aunty, how do you know how to make this food taste so good?"
And I said, "Because I just tried. I thought about what I wanted to eat, I looked up a recipe on the internet and found out how to make it and I just kept cooking it until I finally got it to taste like what I wanted it to taste like."
Most importantly, you don't get the feeling you're being preached at. It's written in a style that says 'this worked for me', and while some of the criticism has been around Diaz having accessing to the world's top nutritionists, we fail to see how this is a bad thing. She's not holding up an impossible standard for healthy eating.
And some of it is written in a genuinely likeable style, eg: "Just because you can put something in your mouth, chew it, swallow it and then poop it out doesn't mean it's food. It just means you can chew it, swallow it and poop it out."
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The low points
Despite that positive start, there are a few points that made me wonder if this was edited properly. At certain points the book reads like it is an excerpt from Diaz's own diary (there are caps, exclamation points and italics galore) and this can get a bit wearing.
However, criticising this is slightly like kicking a puppy, as when she slips into this kind of punctuation and style, it's because she's really passionate about hitting home her point. For instance, when she writes: "YOU ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU HAVE EVER IMAGINED."
There is also a slightly inconsistent flow in style between Diaz's personal anecdotes and the quite straightforward science-based stuff. The book is also not easy to reference. It's divided into nutrition, fitness and mind, but the bullet points are not so easy to pick out.
The passages that are great are the ones that start with her personal stories, and this really feels like it meets the expectation of the book. Diaz shares her tips, what worked for her and how to carry it out yourself. But the passages I'm not such a fan of are the straight science sections that quite honestly, could have been taken from any health website or article.
Sections on what a healthy poo should resemble, how we're a sedentary society and how the body uses sugar is ground that seems to have been covered before and (no offence, Cameron) by scientists, not celebrities.
Overall verdict: Immensely likeable for a celebrity book - it's clear Cameron Diaz is really passionate about health, and it's a great start for people who don't know much about nutrition or how the body works. If you do know your stuff around this topic, it's not quite worth the £16.99.
Take a look at the top takeaways from the book, courtesy of HuffPost Canada:
Cameron Diaz's Health Tips
Eat Breakfast(01 of15)
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You've heard it's the most important meal of the day a million times, but Diaz points to two very specific things she needs it for: being able to think straight in the morning, and brightening her skin enough to add makeup to (that last tip is from her makeup artist). (credit:Shutterstock)
Put Ponzu In your Oatmeal(02 of15)
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As an addendum to the last point, savoury lovers will adore this brilliant recipe Diaz gave for her favourite breakfast: oatmeal, sauteed zucchini with collard greens, caramelized shallots, egg whites and ponzu sauce. A little more interesting than berries, don't you think? (credit:Shutterstock)
Fill A Giant Bottle Of Water Before Bed(03 of15)
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Diaz emphasizes over and over throughout the book the importance of getting enough water, and gives her trick for ensuring she at least starts the day right. "Every night before I go to sleep, I fill up a big glass bottle with water and put it on my bathroom counter. First thing in the morning, right after I brush my teeth, I drink it." Benefits include everything from replenishing your organs to helping you poop. (credit:Shutterstock)
Check Your Pee(04 of15)
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Diaz doesn't mince words about bodily functions, or about her attention to them. Point in fact? Her emphasis on checking the colour of her pee to make sure it's pale yellow (good hydration) and not dark yellow (which indicates dehydration). (credit:Shutterstock)
And While You're At It ...(05 of15)
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Don't be afraid of looking at your poo, either. While Diaz doesn't go into as many specifics, as, say the Bristol Stool Chart, she does advise watching for significant changes in your bowel movements every time you flush. (credit:Shutterstock)
Processed Foods Are Killing Healthy Bacteria(06 of15)
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We already knew processed foods contained little in the way of nutrition, but we were shocked to read the additives contained in them to keep them on the shelves longer actually kill the healthy bacteria in our gut. So try to stop with the boxed goods, people. (credit:Shutterstock)
Exercise By Helping Others(07 of15)
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A small one, but a good one: get exercise at the office by volunteering to go pick up other people's lunches. Love this. (credit:Shutterstock)
Move Before Responding(08 of15)
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You've often heard you should count to 10 if your knee-jerk response is anger when in the midst of negotiations, but Diaz goes one better and advises people to get moving. If possible, stop the conversation that's prompting angst and go for a walk or jog for 10 minutes. You'll find you're better prepared and less stressed about whatever it is you need to decide upon. (credit:Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
You're Not Hungry, You're Stagnant(09 of15)
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Instead of snacking when you're feeling hungry after sitting around a bunch, work out. That might sound like a recipe for a crazed fitness lady, but as Diaz points out, what you're usually feeling is your body's need to gain oxygen — and you can only get it by making it work. (credit:Shutterstock)
"Pain Is Weakness Leaving Your Body"(10 of15)
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As far as exercise mantras go, this one is pretty great. Diaz details the transformation she went through at age 26 on the set of "Charlie's Angels" and the martial arts master who taught her to appreciate her body and work it harder than she ever expected. But we mere mortals can apply it to the burn we feel in our abs, backs and quads after a new, tough workout. (credit:Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
You're Going To Regret Lasering Your Pubes(11 of15)
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While Diaz does recommend a bit of maintenance, she points out that pubic hair has some biological imperative (even if we're not sure what it is). And from an aesthetic perspective, "like every other part of your body, your labia majora is not immune to gravity. Do you really want a hairless vagina for the rest of your life?" (credit:Shutterstock)
Make Like A Baby At Bedtime(12 of15)
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Parents are all too familiar with the concept of creating a bedtime ritual to get their little ones in the mindset for bed, but we tend to lose those routines as we get older. For Diaz, who says she sleeps in hotel rooms more than her own bedroom, in varying time zones, a bedtime ritual is the only thing that helps wind her down. (credit:Shutterstock)
"Aging Healthfully Is Aging Happily"(13 of15)
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Diaz very sweetly discusses her respect for her grandparents' strength and the obsession in our society with looking young, but nails it with one single sentence: "Our bodies age every single day that we are lucky enough to be alive." You might be able to change how your body ages, but there's no stopping it from happening, and no point in stressing about doing so. (credit:Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)
Bad Habits Can Be Fixed With Slightly Better Habits(14 of15)
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There's a lot in this book about forming healthy habits that stay with you for life, like building exercise into each day. But we like this specific take on breaking the bad habits, which is: figure out your personal routine as it applies to the habit, and find something at least a little more healthy to replace it with. In Diaz's case, it was a venti latte, which she replaced with a smaller decaf soy latte. (credit:Shutterstock)
A 15-Minute Playlist Can Make Your Day(15 of15)
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If you have difficulty finding time to move for the (minimally) recommend 15 minutes a day, create a 15-minute playlist you love and have yourself a little dance party. You know, kind of like this. (credit:Jason Kempin/Getty Images)