Lily Collins is a movie star on the rise, co-starring on a very serious and chilling Ted Bundy biopic featuring Zac Efron titled: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evile and Vile (available for streaming on Netflix). She’s also an advocate for self-love after overcoming an eating disorder she developed as a teenager.
Now, the 27-year-old actress wants to share the eating and exercise regime she's established to keep her physical and mental state healthy! And it's focused around one thing in particular: balance.
“I’m a clean eater. I love chicken, fish, and vegetables and grains like quinoa, but I don’t eat red meat. I steer clear of processed foods. I’m very farm-to-table; growing up in the English countryside, it was a way of life, not a trend,” she told Shape.
However, even if she does like to eat clean regularly, she hasn't stopped herself to indulge once in a while. “When I splurge, it’s usually on things that I’ve baked, because it’s satisfying physically and emotionally,” she explained.
“I’m not gluten-free or vegan, but I love baking things because of the sense of accomplishment I get from creating something that’s yummy and healthy. I make everything from doughnuts to birthday cakes and banana-walnut bread. There was a time when I wouldn’t let myself taste those kinds of foods, let alone make them. I bake from the heart. I put love out there, and it goes right back in.”
“I also treat myself to the occasional dessert when I’m out with friends. But on the daily, I want to give my body what it needs to be the best version of myself.”
The actress likes to be on top of her game. To achieve that, she maintains a very active lifestyle.
“To be honest, I try to be active in some way every day: It's my time to disappear and be in my own world,”
"I'm a Pisces, so I love swimming whenever I can,” she told Sugar. “I was on the track team in high school and hated it, but now I like to run by myself and listen to my music. But what I love most is Body by Simone. It's a method that incorporates strengthening and toning. I've been training privately with a trainer there, and we do isometrics and ballet moves. It's not CrossFit, but it keeps me on my toes.”
She’s a big believer of exercising to promote a better mental state--without missing out on life experiences.
“I can also push myself past what I thought I was capable of. Of course, if I'm travelling or tired, I give my body a rest. I used to feel guilty if I skipped a workout in the past, but now it just means life is offering up things that I want to do instead. Those ellipticals will always be there but experiences won't."
We can certainly learn a lot from this Golden Globe-nominated actress!