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Swedish-born actress, model, and health entrepreneur Eddie Mitsou wants you to know that she is your friend. At least, this is the sort of convivial intimacy which permeates all of the essays in Mitsou’s new wellness handbook, Peaches. At once a prose collection, a 21-day health and wellness program, and a vegan cookbook, Peaches slices through the gauzy veil of brand-sponsored influencer suggestions to reveal that true self-optimization starts with marginal change; with community; with love; with respect for oneself.

When embarking on the project in 2018, Mitsou intended to write a series of personal essays addressed to her past self, the 17-year-old who moved from Sweden to America without knowing or caring about the integral connection between her growing mind and body. As she wrote, the project swelled: debuting at around 400 pages this April, Peaches details a holistic sort of wellbeing that not only incorporates the landscape of the body through plant-based eating, but treads through the minutiae of the anxious modern mind. Throughout Peaches are words from over thirty of Mitsou’s closest female friends and collaborators, the advice of whom Mitsou hopes will encourage readers as they navigate the ever-puzzling terrains of mind-body coordination, self-acceptance, and clean living. 

On the first page of Peaches, Mitsou details the meaning behind the work’s title: “Soft on the outside, sweet on the inside, and tough at the core.” Such is the type of person we might all aspire to become. Vulnerable, open, yet invincible.

What brought you to start writing Peaches?

I was looking for a book like Peaches when I was in my early 20s - and there was none! There was no  manual that was educative about a plant-based diet, but in the shape of a coffee table book focusing on personal growth. Something you’d want to be excited to keep reading. I decided to write the handbook I wanted for myself - an inspiring, personal page-turner, full of interviews and inspiration, and life lessons from people I look up to speaking honestly about their upbringing, personal stories, and their view on important subjects like mental health and sustainability. 

How did you curate the industry tastemakers that participated? Do you have a favorite interview in the book? 

All the women in Peaches are my friends or people with whom I have crossed paths and who made an impact on my own life. The process was very organic in that way. I felt like it was important to have a book where social media creators, actresses, models, and artists open up and speak about subjects they wouldn’t necessarily otherwise. Everything today is so polished for social media, and so I wanted a new and raw format for these individuals’ voices. The message I want to give is that we’re all the same. The reader should feel connected to us – we are your friends. 

What do you hope people take home with them after reading? 

As a prominent plant promoter, I obviously hope you feel more inspired to eat more plant-based foods – for your own health and the planet. I also want to inspire people to dare to take charge of their own life and see that most things are possible if you just believe in yourself and actually put in the effort. The women in this book didn’t have their careers and life given to them – they did the hard work.  

What have you learned about yourself after finishing this project? 

That I should believe in myself the same way I’m pushing others to. Certainly, that’s one of the major points of this book, but even I must reread certain chapters from time to time. Another thing I’ve learned is that I haven’t changed much since my early 20s in some way – I have always been loyal to my own fundamental core and not let other people’s opinions have too big of an influence on me.  

Mind, body, soul: How are you caring for each? 

Mind: Rest! Getting enough sleep, listening to my body’s signals, and disconnecting from social media as much as I can. 

Body: I try to work out (pilates, hikes, yoga, dancing) at least once a day. If I go a day without proper movement, I feel lethargic and more exhausted. And obviously, I’m nourishing myself with whole, locally grown, plant-based foods. 

Soul: Surrounding myself with people I love. Connecting with new people and always learning will feed your soul. 

How do you keep your heart open? 

By not holding onto painful past experiences and having an optimistic outlook on life. Although I will say, I don’t keep my heart open for everyone. I have a pretty good gut feeling about who I can let into my life, and when to be vulnerable. Whether this is in romantic relationships, friendships, or work situations. The bottom line is - there’s no point in being scared; life is too short to live in fear and keep your heart locked. 

Photographer/Stylist/Makeup: Kristin Gallegos

Model: Eddie Mitsou and her book page is @eddiespeaches

Retoucher: Cheryl Dunn

Clothing: Rudi Gernreich and vintage

Shoes: Carel ‍

Sunglasses: Prada