5 Ways Oprah Inspired Women to Be Healthier

Conde Nast Digital Studio

Amy Paturel, SELF magazine

For a quarter of a century, Oprah Winfrey has been teaching us to live our best lives. And while she has almost nothing in common with most of her viewers (she's a billionaire with a private jet and mansions all over the country where she hangs with Hollywood's A-list), she makes all of us feel like we're her best gal pal ... next to Gayle, that is.

In spite of the fame and fortune, Oprah's an Everywoman who struggles to control her weight and balance her work and personal life -- just like us!

Her goal hasn't been to entertain us -- although she does every time she welcomes guests in that quintessential Tarzan-esque shout) -- it has been to share her own "a-ha moment" discoveries like we're catching up over coffee.

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She has empowered us to drop unwanted pounds, look and feel younger, get our hormones under control and achieve spiritual peace. Now, as her final season comes to a close, we reflect on our five favorite ways Oprah inspired women to be healthier -- physically, emotionally and spiritually.

1.    She got us reading. With approximately 2 million online members since June 2003, Oprah's Book Club has quickly become the largest book club in the world. Free enrollment provides members with access to specialized reading guides for each book selection and Q&A sessions with literary experts like Maya Angelou.

"Books open windows to the world for all of us," says Oprah. And her endorsement opens doors for selected authors. If she even mentions the title of a book, it instantly skyrockets to No. 1 on the bestseller lists. What's more, Oprah's "Angel Network" has made books available to under-resourced children all over the world.

2.    She got us writing. In addition to writing about our blessings -- what Oprah dubs a "gratitude journal" -- Oprah reminded us that our thoughts create our realities. She encouraged us to dream big, and put those dreams down on paper. She taught us to journal about our hardships and how to overcome them, and in the process, reveal our own best selves. At the top of her gratitude list: her friendship with Gayle King. Her many shows focused on their hilarious adventures reminded all of us about the importance of our own friendships.

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3.    She got us talking about previously taboo issues. Oprah doesn't shy away from difficult or uncomfortable topics. She devoted full-hour shows to sexual abuse (affecting both men and women), menopause and ill-fitting bras (Be honest! How many of us discovered we were supporting our girls with the wrong bra thanks to that show?). And with her resident health expert, Dr. Oz, dishing about everything from how to prevent a stroke to what makes a good poop (S-shaped with a dramatic entry into the water like a diver from Acapulco), Oprah encouraged all of us to take charge of our own health -- and not to feel guilty about peeking in the toilet.

4.    She showed us -- repeatedly -- that losing weight demands a lifestyle change, not a fad diet or a quick fix. With the help of trainer and fitness expert, Bob Greene, she has helped viewers understand that the only surefire way to achieve weight-loss success is to eat fewer calories than you burn. That means loading up on nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods and hitting the gym (or the track) regularly.

5.    She taught us what forgiveness really means. Through shows with people like William Petit Jr. (the prominent East Coast physician who lost his wife, two daughters and his house in a home invasion/robbery) and Jacqui Subarido, who helped us shift our thinking about what it means to be beautiful, Oprah taught us that forgiveness isn't about condoning or ignoring bad behavior. No! It's about "letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different." What's more, forgiveness is not something we do to make amends with the person who wronged us. It's something we do for ourselves.

While Oprah is leaving daytime TV, many of our favorite Oprah-isms will continue to play over and over in our minds:

-    "When you know better you do better."
-    "When a man shows you who he is, believe him."
-    "Turn your wounds into wisdom."
-    "Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher."
-    "When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are"