Well-known Bollywood actress and former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen visited Thumbay Hospital in Ajman and revealed her secret to optimal wellness.
Chilled-out or Workaholic
“I have phases; when I’m working, I can be pretty obsessive about it and extremely committed. However, when I am committed to being chilled out, you will have never met someone as chilled out as me. So I think I strive for a balance. It helps that I have two kids who force me to do both. But prior to them at age 24, I was a workaholic.”
Detox Philosophy
“I’ve been a great believer in detoxes because of the kind of lifestyles we lead. For me, what works is coconut water but never for more than two to three days to detox and cleanse beautifully. Then when I need to do something more specialized like a colonic, I will head to Germany usually just once a year.”
Food Habits
“I basically avoid carbohydrates after 7 pm. I’m not too strict with anything really and I think sometimes you just need to make your body happy. I do avoid sugar completely unless I feel like there is a need for a quick burst of energy and then
I do indulge.”
Exercise
“This to me is far more important than even the strictest of diets. Because it is not really about having a particular type of body, it’s about having a disciplined body that tells you what you typically refer to in a session as ‘core strength.’ You have the ability to control your emotions, discipline them and to me, working out is very important because of that. So yoga is very important to me. It’s good to have good habits to balance out any bad habits.”
Motivators
“Ever since I was younger, I have always been a huge admirer of Madonna, not so much her music but the woman she is. A big factor has been her level of fitness and her ability, over a period time, to constantly reinvent herself physically. Even though as a girl growing up in India, having a muscular body wasn’t something to aspire to, I feel she represents someone whose core strength is very strong.”
The Private Side
“I can’t cook; I can’t even boil water. But funnily enough, I am an excellent critic of food. Secondly, I live a life which is very guilt-free. This is quite hard as we are all part of a profession and lifestyle where this is somewhat hard to practice. Third, I still do want to get married someday. I think everyone should know I have not yet given up on that idea.”
Health Advice
“For starters, don’t absorb stress; if you subliminally carry stress inside you, it will affect your health always. Next, love yourself enough to want to do things such as eat right and sleep well. Drink plenty of liquids as we are made up of mostly liquid. And at the end of it, we are a reflection of what we are inside; so be more of it! Lastly, do take your vitamins. I recommend fish oils and vitamins, depending on your age.”