Cameron Diaz, a celebrated actress, producer, model, and author, stepped away from acting back in 2014, but now, she's officially back - well, Back in Action. The Netflix film stars the actress alongside Jamie Foxx, as parents who used to be secret agents. Beyond her on-screen achievements, Cameron Diaz embraces a personal philosophy centered on living a simple, healthy life, cherishing her beauty, and embracing the aging process. This philosophy profoundly influences her diet and workout routines.
Cameron's Philosophy: Movement, Rest, and Fuel
Cameron believes in moving her body, resting her body, and fueling her body well. She views aging as a journey and an opportunity to grow into her beauty. To ensure her body feels and looks good, she prioritizes adequate rest and proper nutrition.
Diet: From Junk Food to Conscious Eating
Cameron didn't always prioritize healthy eating. As a teenager, she indulged in fast food, like two bean burritos from Taco Bell every day, and loved snacking on junk food. It wasn't until her mid-30s that she began to understand the importance of nutrition and its impact on aging. Since then, she has consciously focused on what she eats and drinks, emphasizing home-cooked meals prepared with simple ingredients like lemon, garlic, olive oil, and salt.
Hydration and Breakfast Habits
Cameron starts her day with a big glass of water to rehydrate after sleeping. She jokingly eats two breakfast meals - one before her workout and one right afterward.
- First Breakfast: Something light to energize her before her workout, such as scrambled eggs, toast, an avocado, an apple with almond butter, overnight oats, or a piece of chicken.
- Second Breakfast: A more substantial meal resembling dinner, typically consisting of chicken, grains (like brown rice), and sautéed or roasted vegetables. Sometimes, she’ll treat herself to breakfast tacos with eggs, avocado, greens, cilantro, and lots of salsa.
Lunch and Dinner Staples
Cameron typically aims for lean protein, carbs, healthy fat, and vegetables in every meal. For lunch, she enjoys combinations like chicken with avocado or "whatever-you-got-ramen," using instant ramen noodles combined with vegetables from her refrigerator. Her signature dinner dish is lamb chops marinated in garlic, lemon, oil, salt, and oregano, grilled to perfection, and served with a side salad or vegetables.
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A Nod to Her Cuban Heritage
Cameron's Cuban heritage influences her diet. She enjoys making dishes her dad would make, such as Bistec de palomilla, a pan-fried steak marinated in garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper, served with an avocado salad. Recalling her childhood, she remembers always having white rice available and continues to enjoy it as a snack, preferring grains over processed snacks like chips or cookies. She cooks her rice in chicken stock with vegetables, lemon, and garlic.
The 80/20 Rule
Maintaining a healthy diet geared towards longevity is a priority in this star’s life and books. Diaz sticks to the Mediterranean diet, consuming protein, whole grains, fresh produce, and healthy fats (via FoodsForBetterHealth). One of her favorite staples is brown rice couscous. She stays away from processed foods, late-night eating, and sweets. It’s all about an 80/20 rule when it comes to eating, which shows us that Cameron Diaz is totally human like the rest of us. Her concept is that 80% of her diet consists of the healthy stuff. The other 20% is sheer fun and guilty pleasures, like a cheeseburger or bean burrito.
Snacking Habits
Instead of snacking on chips, she always goes for her grains. She throws them into a pan with chicken stock, and drop in vegetables, lemon, and garlic. That's her main snack.
Exercise: Staying Active Inside and Outside the Gym
Cameron is dedicated to her workout routine, recognizing the importance of staying active for healthy aging, and wants to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Even outside the gym, she incorporates short walks and avoids prolonged sitting.
From Skinny Frame to Strong Body
Cameron didn't prioritize fitness until adulthood. Training for Charlie's Angels at 27 helped her realize her body's strength potential. She transformed from a "skinny frame" to a "strong powerful body" through intense training, which included up to 2,000 kicks a day. While she doesn't recommend such an intense approach, it made her aware of her body's capabilities.
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Daily Workouts and Variety
Cameron goes to the gym most mornings, even if it's just for 10 minutes. She emphasizes listening to her body and incorporating variety into her workouts, including cardio and strength training. She cares a lot about listening to her body and what it needs at the time. Because of this, she likes to have variety when exercising, and she is willing to try different types of workouts. In general, her workouts include cardio and strength training.
Training with Teddy Bass
Cameron trains with celebrity trainer Teddy Bass, who encourages her to use heavy weights with lower repetitions to build muscle. He recommends weight training every other day, focusing on the upper body, core, and lower body. She typically uses 10- to 15-pound weights for muscle gain and 5-to-8-pound weights for maintenance. At times, Cameron will even do workouts that are similar to those in CrossFit. For example, she does workouts that include tossing tires and rope exercises.
Core Workout
Cameron’s core workout is full of planks. It’s only about 10 minutes long, but it still looks challenging. Do each move for about 1 minute.
Cardio is Key
Cardio is the most important part of Cameron’s workout routine. She says that her heart is her most important muscle, and she wants to keep it healthy. She loves cardio - but the 'right' kind of cardio, she told OWN back in 2016. For the actress, that means interval training. She prefers to get her cardio done in just five minutes. 'I just get on my elliptical and I do intervals,' she said. 'You sprint… for a minute. A whole minute. Then, you stop for a minute; you just kind of [jog to] bring your heart rate down. Let it come down, then a minute later… [sprint] for another minute.. Do that five times. You are bursting with sweat.'
Although she enjoys walking, running, and other types of cardio too, Cameron typically does HIIT, because she likes the way HIIT workouts engage her entire body. Teddy encourages Cameron, and other women, to do cardio workouts in ways that make the most sense for them. Dancing, running, walking, and cycling are just a few examples. He thinks that consistency is the most important thing when it comes to cardio workouts.
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Interval Training Example
She runs at 30 seconds at 10 to 12 mph or 17 to 20 mph, and then she takes a 15-second break. She repeats this for 5 minutes. This routine takes about 20 minutes.
Embracing the Outdoors
Cameron loves being active in the sunshine. She likes to make sure that she gets sunshine when she can because it helps her feel energized and happy. Paddleboarding (which requires a lot of core strength), running, hiking, and swimming are some of her favorite ways to mix having fun and exercise. She has also golfed for years, and it is one of her favorite activities to keep her body moving.
Adapting to Motherhood
Cameron had a baby daughter in 2020, which changed her workout routine. With less time for herself, she plans her workouts around her daughter. She jokes that lifting her daughter should count as weight lifting, acknowledging that holding her baby has made her arms and legs stronger.
The Importance of Consistency
It's important for Cameron to show up for workouts. 'Some days I go to the gym for literally 10 minutes. But the fact that I got up and got there matters to me,' she told Self in 2014. 'Because at the end of all of this, I want to be able to say, "I did the best I could." It’s not about having a ripped stomach. It’s about taking care of myself.'
Diaz's Beauty and Wellness Secrets
Alexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Cameron Diaz quite literally wrote the book on celebrity health and wellbeing. It’s great news for anyone who wants to find out how the Californian beauty has cracked the key to eternal youth.
Minimalist Skincare
“I literally do nothing,” she told Michelle Visage on the Drag Race star’s Rule Breakers podcast. “I, like, never wash my face. Twice a month, if I’m lucky, I’ll be like ‘Oh, I better put this on.
Organic Wine
As if Cameron Diaz couldn’t get any cooler, she’s the co-founder/creator of organic wine brand, Avaline Wines, which she heavily promotes on her IG. Avaline makes organic wine, including the canned variety, which the founder loves when she wants a small tipple. She told Harper’s Bazaar: “It’s just so easy at the end of the day to pour myself a glass of wine and not open a whole bottle.
Key Takeaways from Cameron Diaz's Approach
- Listen to Your Body: Cameron emphasizes the importance of listening to your body and adjusting your diet and exercise routine accordingly.
- Balance Discipline and Flexibility: She balances disciplined habits with the flexibility to indulge occasionally and prioritize rest when needed.
- Focus on Overall Well-being: Cameron's approach extends beyond physical appearance, focusing on overall well-being, including mental and emotional health.
- Embrace Aging: She views aging as a privilege and encourages others to focus on feeling strong and healthy rather than chasing youthfulness.
- Consistency is Key: Consistency is the most important thing when it comes to cardio workouts.
- Keep Moving: We need constant movement, periodically, throughout the day.
- Release Stress: Then we need to learn how to release stress.
- Community Connection: We also need to find a connection or purpose with the community around us.