Namita Nayyar:
Being an actress, one needs stay fit and possess a healthy physique. What does your workout routine look like? Please share any fitness tips and/or supplements you take.
JUSTINA ADORNO:
Fitness was never a part of my life growing up. My family liked to eat and have family time. So, I didn’t have that habit to stay active and I have always struggled with that. And when auditioning for sports teams i would make the team but would have to stop because I was also working on a play/musical. Fitness didn’t come into my life until my junior year of college when I felt unhealthy and so uncomfortable with myself that I knew I needed to make a shift. I also felt that I wasn’t going to be casted into the roles I wanted to play because of the industry and what I looked like. I started working out and I lost a little bit of weight, I got healthier and happier by making better choices.
I also booked a weight loss commercial and it helped me transition into my fitness journey. Eventually, I ended up creating an unhealthy relationship with food and fitness. Now, I am trying to work on a fitness routine that is attainable for my lifestyle. I like hiking as much as possible when I am in California and living in New York, I walk everywhere so it keeps moving.
One of my tips is to have equipment like free weights, a yoga mat, or a medicine ball at home, even if you rarely use them because it will still change your habits. I actually have a punching bag! Another tip is to start off small, walking on the treadmill at an incline at a decent speed to make your heart pump and get those endorphins to keep you going; that’s a great place to start! Just make sure you sweat!
Namita Nayyar:
Leading a purely vegan life and being a fantastic chef, name top 5 favorite dishes you love to try?
JUSTINA ADORNO:
I fell in love with cooking, more so when I became vegan. When you’re vegan, you get to be creative with spices and different vegetables by making interesting combinations. I looked up the recipes I enjoyed eating before I was vegan and used those to find vegan variations of the same meals. It’s so much easier than we think it is. I love making smoothies! Like an apple berry pie or a green avocado smoothie! A good slice of pizza always makes me happy and I’ve had some of the best pizza that is vegan! I make a fantastic 5 beans chili … I’m always so proud of it!
One of my favorite recipes is a raw cucumber pasta. I use a spiralizer with cucumber and then I make a sauce with overnight soaked pine nuts, basil, olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and avocado. You blend it up and put cherry tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms on top and it’s my absolute favorite. I also love making raw tacos. All you do is rinse and chop; that’s it. Use a spread with mashed avocado and add all your favorite veggies in a collard wrap! I am trying to eat as raw as possible lately because being vegan isn’t necessarily healthy. You can still eat donuts, pizza, pasta, etc. Being raw is taking that extra mile even more so than veganism by cleansing your body. My favorite days are when I’m only eating fruit; it makes me so happy. You have to change habits for that lifestyle by buying fruit and mushrooms instead of chips and a vegan burger patty.
Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about foods that constitute an essential part of your diet? What about foods you keep to the minimum?
JUSTINA ADORNO:
I have been trying to minimize processed foods because they don’t make me feel good. We don’t get taught to listen to our bodies but once I started listening, I couldn’t ignore it. Before I went plant based, I had a steak salad and within 20 minutes I was in so much pain. I didn’t realize I hadn’t eaten red meat, so my body was able to ring the alarm when it was given it again. It made me feel sick and that was the true start into my commitment in my plant-based transition. Now, the foods that are essential for me are a range of fresh fruits ready to eat; mangos, kiwi, blueberries, avocado, jackfruit, cucumbers, dates etc. and veggies/roots/greens like arugula, radishes, olives, mushrooms. The foods I try to stay away from are all processed foods!
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