The Food Rule Zoe Saldana Never Breaks

It's no secret that being a movie star involves rigorous hours and high levels of energy. Pair that with being a mother to twins and Zoe Saldana might have to tell us how she manages it all! While a solid sleep routine is probably part of her regimen, healthy nutrition is definitely at the core of her routine. For some people, this might entail a strict diet with plenty of do's and don'ts. However, the actress has figured out that sticking to a rigid diet plan isn't the way she finds joy and balance from eating.

In 2015 the star shared on her Facebook page that she was eliminating the word "diet" from her vocabulary (via Women's Health). This came shortly after Saldana gave birth to twins and was facing her body in new terms. In the post, she explained that losing weight wasn't everything and that feeling healthy in the long run was most important. She acknowledged it as a reminder to herself, but it is also an important reminder to anyone stuck in a diet loop. It can be easy to fall into the trap of following external rules and ignoring what actually feels good inside. In another Facebook post, the actress noted that she had realized the necessity of making better choices about food to maintain the energy required to get back into shape and be present for her kids.

In an interview with Shape magazine, Zoe Saldana opened up about a diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis she received in 2012. The Mayo Clinic explains that among the many symptoms, chronic inflammation is often present with this disease. Due to this, the actress says that she and her family avoid inflammation-inducing foods such as gluten and dairy. When choosing spices to flavor their cooking (which they love to do!), Saldana and her husband are influenced by Asian ingredients such as ginger and turmeric, which are both known to have strong anti-inflammatory effects according to Healthline.

Besides choosing to eat fresh foods for balance, the Avengers star told Shape that she is also motivated to share her clean eating habits to help guide her Latino community through the current obesity crisis in children. The celeb grew up in the Dominican Republic and she recalls the joy of eating freshly caught seafood and garden vegetables. It's this idea of clean eating that guides Saldana and simplifies her choices. In an interview with Bon Appétit, the actress recognizes that since she mostly picks healthy options, "you can really just close your eyes and enjoy the pizza or dim sum or fish and chips." Something of an 80-20 approach to eating and life helps her find balance without resorting to diet fads and quick fixes. If it works for her we're ready to give it a try too!