Shailene Woodley, known for her roles in "The Fault in Our Stars" and the "Divergent" series, has garnered attention not only for her acting but also for her commitment to health, wellness, and environmental consciousness. This article explores Woodley's diverse approaches to diet and exercise, ranging from extreme calorie restriction for film roles to her everyday focus on natural, organic foods and sustainable practices.
Extreme Diets for Film Roles: A Look at "Adrift"
For her role in the movie "Adrift," Shailene Woodley undertook an extreme diet to realistically portray Tami Oldham, a sailor stranded at sea for 41 days. Woodley's diet consisted of a mere 350 calories per day. For the last two weeks of filming, she consumed "a can of salmon, some steamed broccoli and two egg yolks every day." She described the experience as "fing miserable," admitting to drinking "a glass of wine to basically pass the f out" to cope with the hunger.
Her co-star, Sam Claflin, also underwent a crash diet, consuming multiple coffees without food, which led to him throwing up on the boat.
This drastic approach highlights the dedication some actors have to their craft, but it also raises concerns about the potential health risks associated with such extreme measures. It's crucial to emphasize that this type of diet should not be attempted without strict medical supervision.
Other Actors, Other Extreme Diets
Woodley and Claflin aren't the only actors who have resorted to crash diets for roles. Here are a few more examples:
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- Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler: Lost 30 pounds by eating as few calories as possible, sometimes going without food at night.
- Christian Bale for The Machinist: Dropped to 121 pounds by consuming only an apple and a can of tuna each day.
- Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club: Lost 30 pounds by "basically" not eating to play a transsexual with AIDS.
- Michelle Pfeiffer for Scarface: Lived on tomato soup and Marlboros to play a cocaine addict.
- Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables: Followed a "definitely a little nuts" diet.
These examples underscore the pressures actors face to conform to specific physical ideals for their roles.
Woodley's Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness
Beyond extreme diets for specific roles, Shailene Woodley generally embraces a holistic approach to health and wellness, focusing on natural, organic foods, environmental consciousness, and mindful practices. She avoids processed and junk foods, prioritizing clean eating for her health and the planet's well-being.
Connection to Nature and Food
Woodley deeply values the connection between food and the environment. She enjoys growing her own food, appreciating the process of planting and nurturing it. She frequents farmer's markets to buy fresh, local produce. She avoids buying anything packaged and makes most of her meals and snacks herself.
Listening to Her Body
Woodley doesn't believe in strict diets as a long-term lifestyle. Instead, she advocates listening to her body and eating what it craves. Losing weight has never been a goal for Shailene.
Unique Dietary Habits
Woodley incorporates some unique elements into her diet:
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- Bulletproof Coffee: She adds coconut oil and butter to her coffee.
- Seaweed Snacks: She prefers seaweed over processed snacks like granola bars.
- Clay Consumption: Woodley has openly discussed eating clay for its purported health benefits.
The Importance of Fermented Foods
Woodley is a strong proponent of fermented foods, incorporating them into every meal. She believes fermentation creates beneficial probiotics for the body. Examples of fermented foods she enjoys include unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi. A typical meal for her might consist of fresh eggs with unpasteurized sauerkraut and fresh vegetables.
Organic and Sustainable Choices
Woodley prioritizes organic foods, aiming to eat what is best for her body. She is constantly active, which also contributes to her health.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Shailene Woodley complements her mindful eating habits with regular exercise and physical activity.
Yoga
Yoga is a significant part of Woodley's life, practicing it daily.
Walking and Hiking
She enjoys walking and often walks to obtain her food and water. She even hikes into the mountains to collect spring water, combining exercise with access to fresh water.
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Stunt Training
During the filming of "The Divergent Series," Woodley performed her own stunts, engaging in workouts like squats, pushups, lunges, chin-ups, dips, and plyometrics for about 30 minutes a day.
Mindful Movement
For Woodley, exercise is about listening to her body and releasing negative energy or toxins. She often walks barefoot to connect with the earth.
Gisele Bündchen's Approach to Nutrition
Gisele Bündchen is passionate about natural, organic foods and supplements. In March, the Brazilian debuted her cookbook Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body and Feed Your Soul, which features 100 nutrient-rich recipes for families like hers. She says the recipes include a gluten-free vegetable pizza, pesto chicken lettuce wraps, and a nut and seed bread.
In her teens and early twenties, Gisele says she didn't take care of her body as much. She'd start each day with two cigarettes and a Mocha Frappuccino and end it with red wine. The frenetic lifestyle eventually led to a health condition, and she says her adrenal glands shut down. She got her health back on track by changing her diet, quitting her bad habits (like smoking), and taking herbal supplements. As of September, she hasn’t had a sip of alcohol in more than two years.
Gisele's Daily Routine
- Herbal Supplements: Gisele grew up with a grandmother who loved using herbs to bolster her health. So, in her early twenties, when her doc suggested she take adrenal herbal supplements to help heal her body, it was a familiar concept. She loves taking her Gaia Herbs supplements, which include ashwagandha and turmeric, each morning.
- Lukewarm Water with Lemon and Celtic Salt: She drinks lukewarm water with lemon and Celtic salt to kickstart the day.
- Workout: “The most important thing for me is to have enough time to move my body every day to meditate,” she says.
- Breakfast: She picks her meal based on the type of exercise she did that day. “If I did more weight training, then I'll definitely have scrambled eggs or hardboiled eggs because I want to have that protein,” Gisele says. Other times, she might opt for a fruit smoothie, which Gisele says give her lots of energy. She'll even add in some almonds for a little protein boost.
- Lunch and Dinner: Her meals consist of plants, fruit, and “small amounts” of animal protein. In fact, her lunch and dinner plates are about 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent animal protein. She focuses on "simple foods" like roasted vegetables. Sweet potatoes are one of her favorites.
Restrictions
She won't eat refined sugars. "To me, white sugar means poison," she says, per WSJ. "There’s so many other ways you can sweeten your things that are delicious. Honey, maple syrup, dates." She also will not eat McDonald’s or shelf-stable cupcakes or candy.
Indulgences
When she does want to indulge, Gisele will snack on truffle fries, gelato, or a baguette with French butter, she says in the book.
Meal Frequency
She's focused on three square meals-and no snacks.
Alcohol
Gisele hasn't had a drink in about two years, citing the hungover headaches and brain fog as the main reasons why she quit, according to her book.
Listening to Her Body
Sometimes, Gisele's body wants soup or a smoothie, and other times it’s a bigger meal, like fish and vegetables. She adapts to how her body feels.
Cooking for Her Children
Gisele really enjoys “simple food, because all the sauces and stuff actually make it really hard for your body to digest.” Her goal while writing Nourish was to put together simple meals for moms to cook at home. The menu for Gisele and her kids includes everything from salmon, spring rolls, and fish tacos, to chicken, soup, and veggies. Sometimes she also makes chicken and veggie lettuce wraps, marinating the chicken breast in a pesto sauce.
Meal Prepping
Gisele usually plans ahead each week, creating a general menu and buying the necessary ingredients for her family's meals. She'll even keep raw veggies in her fridge as snacks for the kids.