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I’m not talking about the crazy diet stories we’ve heard that they only drink protein shakes for 9 days pre-show and then nothing for 12 hours before the Victoria secret fashion show. I’m talking about what it is that they eat all the other “regular” days of the year. Because they’re obviously not pigging’ out on chips, pizza and hamburgers from the local chipper! So what is it that they eat to keep those pins in tiptop condition?? I know this is eat like an “actress” but doesn’t every girl wish they could be a Victoria’s secret model even just for a day?
From doing my research I’ve found across the board they all have a diet that includes mainly fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Heidi Klum includes them with every meal. And is quoted as saying “Eating as few foods that come from a bag or a box as possible is key in a healthy diet.”
Drinking lots of water seems to be another main key. Water helps with flushing toxins out of the body and keeps your skin looking fresher. How much water you drink depends on your weight, the amount of exercise you do daily and your environmental conditions. For an easy way to calculate it go here http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html
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When it comes to meat they all seem to like something different. Candace Swanepoel is quoted as liking to “eat a lot of steak” in order to build muscle and keep her curves. In the other hand Miranda Kerr “eats very little meat. “ Erin Heatherton prefers “fish and chicken and bacon” while Gisele only eats meat every 15 days. I guessing when it comes to meat it’s really about preference and what works for you. The only thing I would recommend is that all meat is organic and the beef or steak is grass-fed. When it comes to eating meat it is really about quality.
A lot of them seem to follow a no sugar, no alcohol, and no carbs diet. Some indulge in the odd square of dark chocolate and some have a cheat meal once a week, I’d say in order to keep the sanity! Body for Life creator Bill Philips on his 12 week program to physical transformation recommends 6 days out of the 7 to be really strict with your diet then on the 7th day, usually the Sunday, let all hell break loose. I like this idea as it gives one, a focus and almost a reward. Plus it makes you want to start fresh again on the Monday.
*Quick note on why the model’s choose dark chocolate as their indulgent. Dark chocolate is actually good for you. Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant that helps gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments. It also is known to lower high blood pressure. The reason only dark chocolate works is that milk is said to prevent the absorption of the antioxidants. So no big glasses of milk with your bar of dark chocolate please! Dark chocolate is definitely an acquired taste if you are like me a true milk and white chocolate lover. But I like to know when I binge I’m still being healthy!;) Plus it tastes something like a fruit&nut bar if you team it with some raisins and a handful of almonds!
Another thing to mention is Erin Heatherton follows a gluten-free diet. I think gluten free diets will become more prominent in the future when people start to realize just how many of us really have gluten sensitivities. A recent study suggests that over ¼th of the population in the United States is gluten sensitive based on immunologic assays, while approximately 1% may have progressed to a serious symptomatic disease state. Here in Ireland we have started to see restaurants with gluten free options on the menu because of the 1 in every 250 incident rate. It’s definitely something to think about.
As one top class trainer in New York told me, the secret to looking good is 80% diet and 15% working out and 5% genes! Even Cindy Crawford is quoted as saying, “it’s really not always about working out; the most important thing is about what you eat.” Miranda Kerr says on what you eat it should be “80% healthy and organic, 20% indulgent.” Miranda likes to start her day with, “fresh pressed green juice with kale, cucumber, spinach, parsley and lemon. Half an hour later I like to make a smoothie I will then have organic eggs or oatmeal for breakfast.
Read more at http://theberry.com/2012/03/05/miranda-kerr-has-8020-diet-20-photos/#T1dBISuCbXFdilSf.99 The models believe in having a good breakfast as this sets them up properly for the day. I believe that with a good breakfast you’re less likely to indulge in donuts or whatever else that may be going around that half way mark to lunch.
By daisybush [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Breakfast- a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal*, egg whites, vegetables, cottage cheese and fruit, yoghurt and muesli.
*Note ; Choose Gluten-free oats if possible as Oats, although they don’t contain Gluten, they are often processed in the same factory as gluten products and can become contaminated.
Lunch- a salad with Chicken or fish
Dinner- some sashimi with brown rice, chicken, fish, turkey and vegetables.
Healthy snacks- fruits like strawberries, boysenberries, blueberries, raspberries and pomegranate. The VS dietician doesn’t mind them eating fruit, which is high in sugar because they are high in antioxidants.
She also recommends that twice a week they have dark chocolate or ice cream so that they don’t splurge on the bad stuff!
Having all that said I need my potatoes! Sweet potatoes are a good alternative to the white potatoes as they have a lower GI. But I think if you’re doing so good as to eat all your veg and fruit and stay away from the bad things you’re allowed a bit of mash now and again!
Of course last but not least, fruit and veg aside the other important factor to the models looking great is fat! Miranda Kerr has admitted to taking up to 4 tbsp of raw virgin coconut oil a day. Coconut oil is saturated fat. We are recommended to limit our consumption of saturated fats such as coconut oil. Yet throughout the tropical world it has been the primary source of fat in the diet of millions of people for generations. Some experts are now disputing this limiting of saturated fats saying we must eat fat, especially coconut oil, to achieve weight loss and good health. If you’d like to learn more go here http://www.eatfatlosefat.com/
So there you have it fresh fruit and veg, lots of water, some good quality meat, coconut oil, low carbs and the rare splurge on dark choclate and you should be runway ready in no time! Just for fun I put together what a VS model’s food pyramid might look like! Happy eating!:)
