Denise Richards, the actress known for her roles in "Starship Troopers," "Wild Things," and "The World Is Not Enough," has captivated audiences for years with her talent and beauty. Now in her 50s, she continues to impress with her radiant health and enviable physique. Richards has shared insights into her diet and workout routines, emphasizing the importance of finding what works best for one's individual body.
A Balanced Diet: The Key to Denise Richards' Health
Richards emphasizes a balanced approach to eating, focusing on whole foods and mindful choices. Her diet is about 80% vegetarian, incorporating lots of fruit, veggies, egg whites, oatmeal, a little chicken, eggs, and rice.
Small, Frequent Meals
One of Richards' key diet tricks is eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. This approach helps her avoid feeling overly full and tired, especially after lunch. UCLA Health supports this method, explaining that eating smaller, more frequent meals helps control blood sugar levels. When blood glucose levels drop, hunger and cravings spike. By eating six small meals per day, the thinking goes, you’re ensuring that blood glucose is available at all times.
Embracing Protein
Richards revealed to Women's Health she had recently quit her years-long vegetarian diet. Now, Richards likes to pack in the protein, explaining that the switch from vegetarianism happened after she tried some meat with a meal and liked the healthy kind of full she felt.
Healthy Snacking
Between meals, Richards enjoys snacking on fresh-cut vegetables like cucumber, tomato, carrots, and celery with sea salt. She also loves fresh cheese and nuts, and sometimes makes homemade guacamole with lemon, salt, fresh tomato, and fresh avocado.
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The Importance of Moderation and "Cheat" Meals
While Richards prioritizes healthy eating, she also believes in moderation. She allows herself "cheat" foods, like ice cream. Research suggests that occasional cheat meals can increase metabolism by raising levels of leptin, a hormone that helps maintain energy balance in the body. She told Self, “My cheat food is ice cream, but I found these tiny snack-size cones that Haagen-Dazs came out with.”
Gluten-Free Choices
According to Women's Health, Richards says that 90 percent of her diet is gluten-free and she definitely does notice the difference. Richards' Favorite Gluten Free Foods - Signature Select Gluten Free Spaghetti, Milton's Craft Bakers Milton's Gluten Free Crispy Sea Salt Baked Crackers, BFree Bagels Plain, Let's Do Organic Let's Do…Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones, Annie's Deluxe Rich & Creamy Gluten Free Shells & Cheddar, Tinkyada Pasta Joy Brown Rice Shells.
Family Dinners
Richards values family time and makes an effort to gather everyone for dinner. A typical family meal might include chicken noodle soup as an appetizer, followed by slow-roasted chicken with mashed potatoes (both vegan and non-vegan options), sautéed green beans in a balsamic reduction, and a salad with heirloom tomato, avocado, and cucumber.
Denise Richards' Workout Routine: Pilates, Dance, and an Active Lifestyle
Beyond her diet, Denise Richards maintains an active lifestyle that includes Pilates, dance, walking, and hiking. She emphasizes the importance of finding activities that you enjoy to make exercise a sustainable part of your routine.
Pilates: Sculpting a Strong Core
Richards credits Pilates, particularly the Pilates reformer, with helping her achieve her toned abs. She had two C-sections and it was the only thing I found that got my tummy flat. The National Library of Medicine states that Pilates training programs are effective in improving abdominal strength and upper spine posture, as well as in stabilizing core posture when shoulder flexion movements are performed.
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Dance: A Fun and Effective Workout
Richards loves dance as a way to stay active and maintain a long, lean physique. She incorporates dance classes into her routine and even enjoys dance-themed spa programs. She told New Beauty in a 2013 interview, “I don’t like gyms or running. I love dance and Pilates. It gives my body a long, lean look,"
Walking and Hiking: Enjoying the Outdoors
Richards enjoys walking, especially in scenic California, and hiking in locations like the Montana mountains. Walking is a simple yet effective form of exercise, burning approximately 100 calories per mile. Being around pets boosts your mood and is healthy for you in several ways, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There are many health benefits of owning a pet. They can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship.
Mindset and Overall Well-being
Listening to Your Body
In April, Denise posted this photo after undergoing surgery to treat not one, but four hernias. The Wild Things actress said this taught her an important lesson. "It was a real wake up call for me, reminding me to listen to my body & it’s ok to take care of myself. Because when the Captain goes down the ship goes down," she wrote on Instagram.
Turning 40 in Hollywood
Richards feels more confident with her body than she did in her 20s.
Recovering from Heartbreak
Richards famously went through a bad public divorce with ex-husband Charlie Sheen, which she wrote about in her memoir. She told Self, “I share a lot in my memoir from when I was a child until now. As far as my marriage, I do share the good memories but also get into my divorce. Not the details, more the feelings. Many women experience divorce and it is heartbreaking to go through. I’m hoping anyone who has gone through what I did will have hope that it does get better.” The National Library of Medicine states, “The experience of separation or divorce confers risk for poor health outcomes, including a 23% higher mortality rate. However, most people cope well and are resilient after their marriage or long-term relationship ends. Despite the fact that resilience is the most common response, a small percentage of people (approximately 10-15%) struggle quite substantially, and it appears that the overall elevated adverse health risks are driven by the poor functioning of this group.
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