SI Swimsuit Models Get Honest About Women’s Health Issues

Together, they’re hoping to dispel misinformation around women’s bodies.

While SI Swimsuit models are known as some of the most beautiful people in the world, they’re also some of the most prominent voices in promoting body positivity. And so much of that promotion is also tackling misinformation around women’s health and bodies. We chatted with a few SI vets to find out what they wish they had known about their health and bodies. Here’s what they had to say.

Camille Kostek’s Perception on Healthy Food

“I wish I had known that everyone’s body responds to foods and diets differently. What works for someone does not mean it will work for you the exact same way. Plus, when I was younger, I thought my menstrual cycle fell on the same date every month.”

Haley Kalil Wishes She Got a Second Opinion Earlier

“I wish I had known more about the female reproductive system. After I was married, I started having severe pain in my abdomen and urethra. Over 14 doctors and five years later, I was finally diagnosed with urethritis, ovarian cysts and endometriosis. Unfortunately, every doctor brushed off my pain as ‘honeymoon cystitis’ or ‘normal UTIs.’ It wasn’t until I met my female urologist gynecologist that my true journey to health began. I wish someone had told me that I deserved to be heard by a doctor and understood the pain I was experiencing. I wish someone had told me not to be ashamed to talk about these issues because so many women struggle with them as well. Medicine has come a long way, but I pray the next generation of female doctors focuses on women’s reproductive health because so much is still unknown. My condition wasn’t even considered a ‘condition’ until two years ago. It’s quite sad how little the medical community has researched the female body, and the pain women experience due to these conditions.”

Jasmine Sanders’ Food Sensitivity Knowledge

“I wish I had known that my body couldn’t digest dairy and that it was really bad for me. It makes me really bloated, and a lot of my stress from my teenage years came from not knowing. Now I’m more in tune with my body, so I try to watch what I eat at certain times like staying away from salty foods while traveling. Also, when it comes to my menstrual cycle, I wish I had known that as I got older, the pain would be more bearable, but as I got older, the more necessary it was for me to get Midol before it starts.”

Kate Bock Didn’t Have to Restrict Eating

“I wish I had known that I didn’t need to restrict my eating—I just needed to eat the right stuff. It’s not about starving; it’s about eating pure, clean foods that fuel you. Also, that PMS happens during your period? PREEEEmenstrual Syndrome!”

Myla Dalbesio Resisted Fad Diets and the Scale

“I wish I had known that no fad diet is ever going to work or make a lasting change for you. Not everyone can or should be a size 2. Understand what size you are really meant to be and embrace it. Exercise can be fun and empowering when you’re doing it to get stronger and more powerful, not because you are trying to burn as many calories as possible. Achieving things with exercise like improving your running pace, finishing a race, increasing the weight you’re lifting, or learning a new yoga pose is a much better reward than changing a number on a scale. And speaking of, do not weigh yourself. Judge your body on the way you feel instead.”