Brooke Burke's Healthy Lifestyle Tip #1: Fad Diets are Not Fab Diets
"I've tried just about every crazy diet you can imagine," says Brooke, a former swimsuit model. "But now I've learned what really works for my body." Brooke and her family follow a Mediterranean diet, which includes lean grilled beef, chicken, fish (she loves salmon—try this celeb's favorite salmon recipe), salads, vegetables, and, of course, olive oil. "I also eat five small meals a day," she says. "And I never skip breakfast, even if it's just a protein shake. I can honestly say that I've never been healthier or fitter in my life."
“I have a Mediterranean-type of diet,” she explains. “I drink a lot of water, I don’t waste calories on sugar, juices, sodas and that sort of thing. [I eat] fish, meat, beef, grilled fish; I eat a lot of sushi, vegetables, soups, salad, a lot of clear soups, drink a lot of lemon water. As a rule, I don’t eat white flour, starches, sugar and bad fats, but I’ll do olive oil, avocado and almonds. It’s really easy, actually. Healthy, fresh, clean, but flavorful herbs, oil.”
She also believes in the importance of wine. “I drink it in moderation, so it's not really an issue. Bloody Mary in the morning, white wine for lunch, red wine for dinner. I’m joking! Everything in moderation! I do drink a glass of red wine at night.”
Brooke Burke's Healthy Lifestyle Tip #2: No Excuses: Exercise
Brooke Burke has always been a dedicated workout girl, but with four kids, it takes some creative scheduling to fit exercise in. "I keep a large weekly calendar in my kitchen where I write down every event that's happening in our lives," she says. "I always pencil in my workouts there so I'll really do them." In a perfect world, she exercises five days a week. When she's doing DWTS, she drops the kids off at school and heads to the gym for a cardio workout. “I try to get to a Pilates Plus class, which is an intense, fast-paced workout that's done on a special reformer machine, at least three times a week. I also go to the gym a couple of times. I do 15 minutes on the treadmill, walking at a 3.5-mile-per-hour speed and a 15-grade incline, and then I do the 45-minute head-to-toe workout I designed with trainer Gregory Joujon-Roche for one of my new DVDs. I don't think you need more than an hour to do cardio and full-body toning. I don't have three hours a day to devote to my body, but I do have an hour five days a week. I spend as little time as I possibly can to get the best results—5 days a week if I'm lucky, or a minimum of 3,"
Brooke Burke's Healthy Lifestyle Tip #3: Confidence Trumps DNA
Of all the benefits of exercise, the one Brooke values most is the self-confidence it gives her. "There's something magical about a woman who feels comfortable in her own skin," she says. "Power and beauty come from a very deep place. You can look at a supermodel and, yes, she's beautiful, but then you meet a woman who just has something special about her, who becomes more attractive as you get to know her. The older a woman gets, the more she can tap into that—at least that's what I've experienced personally. It's about owning who you are."
Brooke Burke's Healthy Lifestyle Tip # 4: A Bucket List is Motivating
A year ago, Brooke was inspired to come up with a bucket list. "Every woman should give herself an hour to dream and write down her desires," she says. "Once I started focusing on the things I wanted, they all started coming true." Proof positive it works: Number 20 on her list was to be on the cover of SHAPE. "I never wanted to be on magazines like Vogue or Allure; I wanted to be on SHAPE," says Brooke. "There's something very special to me about being relatable to other women, being healthy, and representing confidence at any age."
Brooke Burke's Healthy Lifestyle Tip #5: You're as Important as Your Children
"As mothers, we're always pulled in a thousand directions with obligations to our families, but not necessarily to ourselves," says Brooke. "I'm really good at taking care of everyone else in my life, but now I'm finding what fulfills me." One trick is to schedule a day to do absolutely nothing. "I'll write down my 'me' time in the calendar. Sometimes I'll go work out or just sleep in, whatever it takes to manage my stress. It's really about being in touch with your body and knowing when it needs to just rest."
Brooke Burke's Healthy Lifestyle Tip #6: Nice Girls Kick Ass Too!
On her blog for modernmom.com, Brooke broached the subject of women—especially mothers—standing up for themselves. "For much of my life, I've felt like I've compromised myself in many ways that benefited other people," says Brooke. "I needed to change that." For her, it was a matter of listening to her inner voice, being strong, and then speaking her mind. "Making decisions and committing to them is better than being wishy-washy," she says. "You have to trust your instincts, then have the confidence to act upon them."
Stress relieve!
1. drink a big glass of water
2. do at least 20min exercise
3. listen to good music
4. take a long shower, bubble bath
5. relax on the spike mat
6. have some couples time
7. have a glass of wine
