Janelle Monáe, a multifaceted artist known for her music, acting, and business acumen as the CEO of Wondaland Arts Society, also champions a holistic approach to wellness that encompasses mind, body, and soul. Monáe's philosophy extends beyond conventional self-care, aiming for comprehensive vitality enhancement.
A Typical Day
On a typical day, Monáe wakes up at 9.30am, and the first thing she does is avoid her phone and take 10 deep breaths to calm herself down and prepare for the day. After that, she works out for 30 minutes - “I do Shaun T’s Pure Cardio: Insanity,” she told Fast Company.
Physical Wellness: Exercise and Diet
Physical wellness involves healthy habits like exercise, proper nutrition, and avoiding harmful substances. She is acing it with physical fitness; she knows it and isn’t afraid to show. According to Health Yogi, yoga is a big part of Janelle's routine, helping her relax and stretch her muscles, paired with dance and pure cardio. When on tour, fitness and health are her focus to ensure she gets through the shows.
Monáe also emphasizes a balanced diet, especially while traveling. “I try to keep a healthy, balanced diet on the road, though it can sometimes be hard,” she told BlackDoctor. “I try to eat a lot of salads while I’m traveling, but when I need a light, fluffy snack, I reach for my pita chips and hummus.”
Janelle Monáe's Diet Preferences
Monáe was once a pescatarian. However, she revealed to The Cut in 2020 that she ended up with mercury poisoning from eating too much fish. Growing up, she didn't eat well, consuming a lot of ramen noodles and heated-up pizzas. She is also picky, disliking onions and only recently appreciating tomatoes.
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Mental Health: Prioritizing Self-Care
Janelle Monáe has never shied away from a mental health conversation. Earlier on, the singer self-diagnosed herself with obsessive-compulsive disorder because of her desire to achieve perfection in everything. She told the podcast Translash that her OCD stems from struggling with abandonment and rejection from her father during his addiction, but they are now closer than ever.
Other than advocacy, Janelle Monáe is big on her mental health, just as she is with physical fitness. She has revealed several times how important self-care is to her as part of enhancing mental health. While doing an interview for Shape, the singer-actor talked about how she was taking care of herself during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Monáe emphasizes the importance of self-care, which evolves with personal growth. "I think self-care is important, and it shifts with your growth. It used to be making sure that I take a vacation because I had been working 11 months out of the year,” Janelle explained. “I needed time to play, to let my hair down, and run around naked. All of that is still important. And if I also want to drink, I’m drinking. You know what I’m saying?”
Spiritual Wellness: Embracing Positivity
A healthy soul enables one to experience positive emotions like kindness, gratitude, and joy, all of which Janelle seems to be radiating. She is an active advocate for representation of the LGBTQA+ community, continually questioning conventional interpretations of spirituality and urging individuals to choose freely without succumbing to societal norms. Her latest musical masterpiece, “The Age of Pleasure,” sparks constructive dialogue among religious people about pleasure reinterpretation, as stated in an article by US Catholic.
Janelle maintains that “in terms of staying fit and healthy, a lot comes from within. The happier you are, the more your beauty comes out. When you have a good heart and positive energy, you and the people around you are better.
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Janelle Monáe's Approach to Health and Wellness
Dancing and Performing
The primary way Janelle burns calories is by dancing. “I do a lot of heavy sweating up on stage,” she told Black Doctor. “We do 90-minute shows - I’m moving around and it’s very high-energy. That often becomes my workout, just performing and being onstage.
Hydration
Janelle understands that hydration is crucial for a variety of reasons. “I also drink a lot of water to stay healthy and preserve my voice on the road. I sip a lot, especially when I’m flying, since airplane travel can dry out your voice like crazy,” she told Black Doctor.
Navigating a Pescatarian Diet Safely
It is possible, though, to have too much of a good thing. Here's how to ensure you're reaping the benefits of this plant-based diet without putting yourself in jeopardy.
Mercury poisoning occurs when the toxic metal mercury accumulates in the body. Most human exposure to mercury occurs when inhaling mercury vapors released during industrial processes or eating contaminated fish, according to the World Health Organization. Some fish are riskier than others. Here's why: mercury from things like coal burning and mining settles into the water, where it's ingested by smaller fish, which are eventually eaten by larger fish. This means the largest fish in the food chain - like tuna, swordfish, and shark - can absorb a considerable amount of mercury from the smaller fish they eat during their lifetime.
For humans, ingesting too much mercury can cause a number of symptoms, many of which involve the brain and nervous system:
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- Muscle weakness
- Skin rashes
- Mood swings
- Memory loss
- Difficulty seeing, hearing, or speaking
- Difficulty walking or writing
- Numbness in the hands, feet, or mouth
Mercury poisoning is particularly risky for women who are pregnant, as exposure to mercury in utero can be harmful to the fetus. (Notably, Monáe explained that she feels ready for motherhood but wants to ensure she's healthy before starting a family.)
The overwhelming consensus in the medical community is that it's unnecessary and even ill-advised to deprive yourself of fish and seafood - the health benefits of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids simply outweigh the risks associated with mercury, even for pregnant women. That said, you should follow the Food and Drug Administration's advice by limiting your consumption to two to three four-ounce servings of low-mercury fish or seafood each week or one serving of a protein from the moderate category. (You can bookmark or print the FDA's chart here.) Importantly, women who are pregnant should eat only fish and seafood that are low in mercury. The agency notes that some freshly caught fish, such as larger carp, catfish, trout, and perch, are more likely to have fish advisories due to mercury or other contaminants. Check with your state to find out how often you can safely eat those fish.
"Just make better choices," Will Haas, MD, MBA, an instructor at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, told POPSUGAR, adding that seafood is an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet, and these foods - especially fish that are rich in omega-3s - can offer unique benefits over other sources of protein. At the same time, it's important to remember that a pescatarian diet isn't a free pass to eat seafood at every meal or even daily. You should still stick to two to three servings a week (or one, if you're opting for a protein with moderate amounts of mercury), supplementing your diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and other healthy foods that fuel your body. Like any diet, this one is all about balance.
Keep the FDA's list of mercury rankings handy, or do as Dr. Haas suggests and download a reliable app like Seafood Watch to help you determine the amount of mercury in your seafood of choice.
Inspiration from Janelle Monáe
From posting pictures of herself doing yoga to actively speaking about the importance of mental health, the singer-actor inspires her fans to approach life differently to achieve balance. The singer has had her fair share of struggles being a nonbinary Black artist, prompting her to raise awareness on mental health and self-care. Janelle Monáe hit the red carpet of The Met Gala in her swimsuit. The singer showed off her incredible body at the annual soiree on Monday night, wearing a Karl Lagerfeld look, which included a black bathing suit. “Once upon a time,” she captioned an Instagram post of images from the evening.
Other Celebrities and Their Fitness Regimens
Many other celebrities also prioritize their health and fitness. Here's a glimpse into their routines:
- Jesseca Harris-Dupart: The owner of Kaleidoscope Hair Products, recently celebrated losing 30 pounds and aims to lose a total of 60 pounds.
- Lenny Kravitz: Lenny has been vocal about his raw vegan diet, it's really the way to go because his six-pack abs have us speechless!
- LeBron James: The NBA champion shared a video to Instagram of his entire family working out at their at-home gym.
- Michael B. Jordan: He underwent an intense “Navy SEAL Workout” in preparation for his latest film, Without Remorse.
- Big Sean: The rapper showed off his fitness gains on Instagram, highlighting his transformation with a chiseled chest and toned arms.
- Lizzo: The Juice singer recently posted this photo on her Instagram Stories showing the results of her 10-day commitment to smoothies and healthy juices.
- Method Man: Method Man gave us a glimpse of his exercise routine on the ropes, and he is putting in work.
- Omarion: Recently, the Post To Be singer posted this mini clip on Instagram showing off his swollen chest and rock-solid abs.
- Busta Rhymes: Busta Rhymes via Instagram, “My dedication is different!! I would never put out an album and not be in the best shape of my life!! I respect myself too much and i respect y’all too much!!! I’m only here to inspire!!”
- Chance The Rapper: Chance The Rapper’s latest workout video has fans renaming him, “Chance The Boxer!”
- Jazmine Sullivan: Highlighting her successful fitness journey, the singer-songwriter proudly showed off her tiny waistline and sexy curves in the now-viral image.
- Yo Gotti: Showing off his muscular physique, the rapper recently posted this photo flexing his ripped summer body. “40lbs down,” he captioned the Instagram photo showing fans his temporary outdoor gym.