Actress Salma Hayek has described her heavily pregnant body as “completely disfigured”.

Salma Hayek, now 46, gained 50 lbs before giving birth to her daughter Valentina in 2007 and tells Glamour magazine’s Glam Belleza Latina it changed the way she views herself.

The Mexican actress, who moved to the US in 1991, told the publication: “I gained so much weight, I got an opportunity to see myself completely disfigured in many different ways – for a very good reason – and I don’t regret it for a second.

“That’s when I started appreciating my body. The things that I used to criticize, they were not that bad after all.”

Salma Hayek gained 50 lbs before giving birth to her daughter Valentina in 2007

Of regaining her pre-pregnancy body, she said with a laugh: “I did get it back, shockingly.”

Salma Hayek said that like many women, she’s struggled with her self-image: “We’ve got to fight for our confidence every day in modern life because we live in a society that is very harsh to women.

“You have to be smart and successful and a good mother and beautiful and young and skinny forever.”

The actress, who is married French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, now stays in shape with the help of juices and even has her own detox drink programe, Cooler Cleanse.

“My favorite is the green one,” Salma Hayek says, referring a spinach, kale, and celery blend.

“If I had to eat all those vegetables, it would be a drag. But in the juice, they taste really good.”

Salma Hayek is currently promoting the July 12 release of Grown Ups 2, which also stars Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.