Eat Like A Model

Don't Feed The Models were the words on a shirt my old roommate used to wear. I get it. There's a common misconception that glamazons starve themselves for fashion. That we only eat celery and drink water to prepare for a photo shoot or a fashion show. We never indulge in anything sweet. And that we all have eating disorders. Ha! On the contrary, we do enjoy food. Some of us even like to cook. In this edition of Blank Like A Model, we'll explore the eating habits of those wild creatures on the catwalk.

Writing this as I stuff my face with chicken and asparagus

Food is an essential part of life. It nourishes us, gives us energy, and tastes good. There's this myth that models don't eat. Sometimes you'll see a photo of a model gnawing on carrots and chugging water backstage at a fashion, and you think "Is that all she eats?!" The truth is, we like food. It's just difficult to grab a healthy bite to eat when you're running around from shoot to shoot. We'd rather put things into our bodies that are going to give us the vitamins we need to sparkle than greasy fast food.

With all that said, we do still have our guilty pleasures. British supermodel Jourdan Dunn loves McDonald's. Sessilee Lopez tweets about her brownies ganache. And I throughly enjoy overdosing on Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream. Eating these things isn't something we can do everyday. We've learned to enjoy the finer foods in reasonable amounts. Maybe once a week, I'll order pizza. But you can guarantee that the very next day I'll be exercising off all that cheese and pepperoni.

So here are my model food rules to live by:

1. Start your day with something in your belly - You need fuel for your fire, so eat a little something for breakfast.

2. Eat your greens - I'm not talking about just a boring salad. Pack your daily diet full of kale, spinach, and other leafy greens. They pack plenty of vitamins like A and C, and can also help protect you from heart disease and diabetes. Some leafy greens even have calcium to build strong bones.

3. Get your protein - According to WebMD, the right amount of lean protein can help manage your weight while also keeping your tummy full. Go for meats without a lot of fat, egg whites, and even soybeans.

4. Say yes to fresh - Put things into your body that are still living or organic. Go for foods that are free of chemicals, aren't canned, overcooked, or frozen. I know these things are convenient, but are they really giving you the nourishment you need? Probably not.

5. Scale back on foods that are going to make you bloated - That means certain beans, dairy, and anything that's already bubbly. Cheeseburgers, bean and cheese burritos, Frappucinos with extra caramel and whipped cream are all on that list. Steer clear of salty foods because these help your body retain water weight.

6. Everything in moderation - You can't avoid everything, but you shouldn't have too much of anything. Go light on sauces, dairy, sweets, and processed food. Don't pile too much food on your plate either. Keep your portions reasonable.

These are just my personal guidelines, and by no means am I a nutritionist. This along with regular exercise is what's worked for me. You have to find what works for you. Be realistic and make the extra effort to treat yourself to the good,healthy food. Remember, if you are what you eat then make sure you're a plate of grilled veggies and brown rice and not the #1 with special sauce add a Coke.