Amy the Shortland Street actress
Amy is a 27-year-old actress who plays Emma on Shortland Street. She starts her day at 6 or 7am in order to be in studio for makeup and rehearsal on time. If she’s organised she’ll bring a packed lunch, if not it’s lunch from the cafe. She eats healthily most of time, which she believes is typical of many actors. She works out at the gym about five days a week, doing cardio 2-3 times a week, and yoga or Pilates on other days. Due to the long, crazy hours it pays to remain healthy and energised.
6.30am Shower and drive into studio. Spend an hour in hair and makeup.
8.45am ½ cup of muesli with trim milk and a long black coffee with trim milk. Didn't have time to eat before my first rehearsal so had to wait until after.
10am 1 sliced apple, handful of grapes and half of one of Sally Martin's delicious home-baked biscuits. Maree the unit manager at Shortland Street makes us yummy morning and afternoon teas with lots of fruit.
1.30pm Chicken salad with greens, beetroot and feta; a coffee frappe from Starbucks with trim milk and no cream.
4.30pm Half a banana, several grapes, rice crackers and capsicum dip. Thanks again, Maree.
8.30pm Steamed broccoli and carrots with a piece of chicken breast.
9.30pm A mandarin, a few strawberries, berries and low fat natural yoghurt.
Nadia Lim’s quick nutritional fix
You certainly do keep your diet in check. It’s excellent you are eating such a wide variety of different fruits every day which will be providing you with an abundance of vitamin C and various antioxidants (different fruits have different antioxidants). I’m pleased to see that you are also having a couple of serves of low-fat dairy products most days to keep up your calcium intake. There is a perception that chicken breast is the “healthiest” protein option which I don’t agree with — other meats and vegetarian alternatives can be just as lean and healthy; lean red meat has double the amount of iron of chicken breast. Eggs, legumes and tofu are also nutritious protein alternatives. Increasing variety in your diet will ensure you get a wide range of nutrients to cover all your nutritional bases.
