Zoe Hardman shares how she looks after her body
- Describe your typical daily diet including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks?
- For breakfast I’ll eat either scrambled eggs with ham, fruit and yoghurt or wheat free musili with rice milk and nuts.
- Lunch is usually sushi, or a salad or soup.
Dinner is chicken and veg, Salmon fillet, or toasted Ryvita with various toppings if I can’t be bothered to cook.
Snacks are lots of nuts, fruit (I love bananas), dark chocolate, pretzels, yoghurts and the occasional sweets…I do love a Haribo!
What’s your general attitude to what you eat and have you ever dieted / calorie counted?
I do try and be as healthy as I can because a healthy intake of the right foods and right amount of water etc means I can be on form when I’m working. I notice the difference so much if my diet isn’t right. I never eat fast food and stay off most wheat and red meat. I am by no means strict and allow myself treats when I feel like them but for me its super important to live as well as I can. Everything in moderation, if you feel like some chocolate, have some just don’t eat the whole bar! As for dieting I just don’t believe in it…eat clean, away from processed foods, keep it simple and don’t restrain yourself from foods that you love because that will only drive you to crave them more.
Is there anything you would refuse to eat or that you have an allergy / intolerance to?
Wheat, I don’t eat pasta or bread as it gives me the worst stomach. All my family are intolerant to it, me to a lesser degree but it just does nothing for me. I feel lethargic and tired when I eat wheat. I also don’t eat red meat as I find it really hard to digest.
What are your top 3 food vices e.g. alcohol, fast food, and how often would you say you indulge them?
Chocolate – I’m a big chocolate fan…I have a bit of it every day…
Sweets – On studio days I do eat quite a lot of them…that’s terrible isn’t it.
Chips – thin, crispy fries. Delicious. I virtually never have them but when I do I really enjoy them.
If you could take three foods to a desert island, what would they be and why?
Sushi – I eat it nearly every day as I’m totally addicted to it. Its so tasty, healthy and I really enjoy eating little bits at a time. The worst thing for me is if I’m presented with a big meal…my tummy just closes up!
Sea Bass Fillets – I eat so much fish and these done with a little bit of butter and spinach is one of my favourite meals.
Mango – The apple mangos we eat in Kenya (that’s where my family live) are the sweetest, most delicious things you’ve ever tasted right from the tree.
Do you cook/are you a good cook and what would you cook to impress a man in your life?
I can cook but as I’m single I rarely do it. Its not that fun cooking for one! For a man I’d probably do my spicy salmon broth which is super tasty, healthy and hasn’t failed to disappoint yet.
What are your top five tips for a healthy diet?
- Eat clean – only eat foods that have one ingredient in them.
- Eat fruit – someone people I know never eat any fruit. I’m a firm believer in the health benefits for your skin, hair and nails.
- Manuka Honey – is amazing for your immune system and has incredible healing powers. Drink it in tea, put it on your toast or drizzle it over your yoghurt. Seriously you’ll love it!
- Lifestyle – don’t see eating well as a chore, it’s a total life change that you’ll end up becoming addicted to.
- Water – drink as much of it as you can. I do three litres every day without fail. You’ll be amazed at how less you’ll eat if you drink more water.
Where does your love of exercise stem from?
I come from a really sporty family and ever since I can remember exercise has been a huge part of my life. I played in virtually every sport at school and was skiing pretty much before I could walk! All of my memories as a kid are of me playing outside, running around in the fields or playing tennis on the forecourt. I just totally love being active. Exercise keeps me sane and keeps my head clear. It’s a form of escape from my job, which I need sometimes, and it gives me a little bit of peace. I don’t know what I’d do without it.
How often do you exercise and what do you do?
I train between 4 and 5 times a week, doing everything from circuits to running to yoga to spinning! You name it I do it! I work with my training Vinnie Freeman twice a week and we’ll do a varity of things including weights, a circuit session or an upper body conditioning day…one hour is never the same with him.
- What’s your top fitness tips both for looking great and feeling great?
Mix it up. It’s really hard to keep motivated when it’s cold and dark outside but if you keep switching things up you’ll never get bored and you’ll see results. If you go to the gym and do the same thing your fitness won’t improve and you’ll probably throw in the towel. Train with a friend in the park, do a spin class or do interval training…also have a look online if you need some inspiration, there are tons of great training programmes to follow.
How do you keep your energy up during your busy filming schedule? Do you have any health products you supplement with regularly?
Yes I love using suppliments to help with my energy levels, I’ll take 1000mgs of Vitamin C, Comvita Omega 3 Fish Oil (£2.40, www.comvita.co.uk) , Zinc, Vitamin B, Ginsing and Comvita Olive Leaf Complex (£22.99, www.comvita.co.uk) every day. I really do believe in helping your body out where you can and I get so tired that I definitely need a boost sometimes.
What do you do to stop you getting ill and if you are struck down what do you take to help you recover?
Manuka Honey is a good tip. I make a hot lemon drink and whack a tea spoon of manuka honey in it to help my immune system out. Also again I think Vitamin C is amazing at combating colds.
- What are your top 5 health or medicine products and why do you use them / need them?
Omega Fish Oil – helps with my brain function…on set I think my brain is going to explode sometimes with all the info I have to take in!
Zinc – Great to fight agasint colds and keep my immune system strong
Oriental Wormwood – I take this every day, it helps my digestion, liver and stomach. I swear by this stuff. I also take it as a malaria preventative when I go to Kenya.
Olive leaf – full of antioxidents, it has amazing health benefits
Vitamin B – great slow release for energy, essential on long shoot days.
Tagged in Health Diet fitness tips Zoe Hardman