Can I just say: Gina Rodriguez is goals. Not only is she super down-to-earth, but she's also doing her part to make change in Hollywood—as the star of Jane the Virgin, Rodriquez has broken stereotype after stereotype, offering women a new, refreshing type of role model to look up to in popular media. Recently, I had a chance to talk to the actress at an event for her Clinique Difference Makers campaign, which encourages women to make a difference in the world. And when I asked Gina all about her now-famous TV role, she gave me hope that Hollywood is finally starting to accept the fact that beauty comes in so many different sizes and shapes. Because of course it does (and really, what took them so long?)!

We've all heard the horror stories of actresses fighting to maintain the perfect body and weight standards to work in Hollywood, or being told by producers or directors that they need to lose weight to get or keep a job. But Rodriguez says she actually had the opposite reception on Jane the Virgin. “After Jane shot the pilot and we got picked up, I got the hardcore flu," she told me. "I lost 15 pounds—and I'm Puerto Rican, you don't lose 15 pounds. I was emaciated.” The show's higher-ups had a lot to say about the weight-loss—and not what you might expect. As Rodriguez tells it: “The head of my network and the show creator sit me down, and they were like, ‘Why have you lost weight? You know we love you the way you are. The way you were was perfect.’”

Rodriguez was amazed at that reaction, and inspired that it represented a step in the right direction, culturally. “What a beautiful world to live in where they loved me for who I was,” she explained. “And you do your best art when you are [in that environment].” She says that as soon as she recovered from her flu, she was back to eating the foods she loves—like pancakes and chilaquiles. In her words: “They say I can eat, so I’m eating!”

That being said, there are some things Rodriguez avoids in her diet to stay healthy, especially since she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. Hashimoto's is a autoimmune thyroid disorder that can cause fatigue and weight gain. So she stays away from things like gluten, fluoride, and soy in an effort to keep herself feeling balanced, and she tries to work out every day, doing activities like boxing. "Beauty should not be chased but individually embraced," she wrote on Instagram. "Health belongs to you and looks different for everyone. Your journey won't look like mine and that's OK because discovering your personal health goals is a lifelong commitment. In a society where we are bombarded by limited images of what defines beauty and strength, I am so grateful for those redefining and expanding those images." Gina Rodriguez is one of those women reaffirming that truth.

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Photo Credit: Courtesy of Clinique