Redefining sexy
HEALTH GURU to the stars, Nadine Tengco, whips up healthy yet delicious recipes alongside stories of journeys to being sexy in her self-help book called Sexy
at Any Age. Sexy, to her, is relative and a state of mind.
“I encourage readers to define sexy their way. But for me, at 50, sexy is about being fearless, independent, badass, intelligent, and sensual for the benefit of no one but myself,” Ms. Tengco told Business
World at the sidelines of her book launch on March 21 at C3 Events Place in Greenhills, San Juan City.
But the road to her current state of mind was never easy. “When I was younger, I was trying to prove something to everybody,” she said. “I was nonconformist. I was a bohemian. So I was always out there to prove something to the other people. It was about proving something to others. But now, in this stage of my life when I found comfort in who I am — I am not conservative, I’ve been slut shamed and this shamed, all of that — I just am. I think sexy therefore I am.”
Her 142-page book walks the reader through the three stages of a woman’s life and what they can do about their body at each phase. Between ages 25 to 35, which Ms. Tengco calls the “beast mode,” she said a woman inflicts pain on her own body. For example, a young woman parties all night and goes straight to the office a few hours later without any sleep. This is also the phase when young women feel “the pain of trying to fit in and in a hurry to make a mark in the world,” she said.
Between the ages 36 to 45 is the “mother mode” — which is the most difficult period said Ms. Tengco. “It’s the rudest awakening of your life, the sudden shift of your body happens here when you are in the middle of the work- life balance and the challenges of motherhood.”
Finally, a woman enters “Queen mode” when she hits 46.
The women on the cover of her book are actresses Jessy Mendiola and Agot Isidro and dance instructor Georcelle Dapat- Sy of Gforce, all of whom embody the different body phases of a woman. Ms. Tengco chose them because their stories are relatable, universal, and parallel hers.
“For instance, Jessy Mendiola was body shamed. You know, the feeling that you’ve tried everything but nothing works? As I told you, I was a bohemian and misunderstood. It’s so parallel what Jessy and I went through,” she said.
Ms. Tengco was referring to a time when Ms. Mendiola, who had been named
FHM’s Sexiest Woman in 2016, was derided by online critics as “fat.”
As a nutritionist with many celebrity clients, Ms. Tengco understands the struggles that TV personalities like Ms. Mendiola have keeping up with the demands of the limelight and the pressure of the audience. “Having to look glam given your hectic schedule while being bashed is not easy. Losing weight is easy — just don’t eat. But to look glam and glowing is different,” she said. So a portion of her book is dedicated to quick fix solutions for anyone, just in case they have a wedding (or other events) to attend to.
But what it all boils down to is proper nutrition, because, as she says in her book: “abs are made in the kitchen.”
She comes from a family of obese cooks whose average weight is 200 pounds. This prompted her to study fitness nutrition. She learned about the South Beach Diet in the early 2000s when she was living in the Bahamas. “I checked it out. By that time, there was a book about it so I bought it, and I said to myself, I want someone to do this.”
As a food nutritionist, Ms. Tengco has worked with celebrities like Anne Curtis, Aiko Melendez, Isabelle Daza, Sam YG, Sarah Geronimo, Ai- Ai Delas Alas, and Cristalle Belo. She said she wrote the book because she wants to share the stars’ secrets with everyone.
She also had another reason: “I wrote the book because I was ready to retire coaching [ celebrities],” she said. “I am moving on to other things, but I’ll be around,” she said.
The book is available at leading bookstores for P295.