Marcia Cross’s Diet And Workout Plan To Stay Healthy
Desperate Housewives’ star Marcia Cross is a lively person and appears to be a typical Hollywood glamor gal. However, did you know she’s suffered from migraines for years?
Still, she continues to smile and the smile has a good reason behind it. The 44-year-old Marlborough, MA, has a ton of things to be grateful for.
While her Desperate Housewives character, Bree Van De Kamp, may have had a difficult year, Marcia’s life has improved. One of her biggest happiness would undoubtedly be the birth of twin daughters.
In February 2007, with her husband Tom Mahoney, whom she married in 2006, she welcomed her two angels. This surely brought a huge amount of joy to her life. However, we all would agree that it must have increased her need to make efforts for a healthy lifestyle.
Moreover, did you know that during a break from acting, she acquired a master’s degree in clinical psychology? She did, after all. At this point, she seems to be all set, isn’t it?
So, what inspired her to get on a proper diet and workout?
Life is not as smooth as it seems. Marcia has struggled to control her stress and prevent terrible headaches since she was a teenager. She was only 14 when she first experienced her first migraine.
She used to experience blurry vision and terrible pain. According to her, it used to make her cripple. As a result, she often used to go to the school nurse or went home as she needed to take a rest. Marcia and her parents had no idea what was causing her excruciating suffering at the time.
Her headaches got increasingly frequent and more painful in the years that followed. Then she finally went to a doctor in college, and he diagnosed her with migraine symptoms.
The beginning of her journey to a healthy lifestyle
After she discovered her condition, Marcia started maintaining a food diary. It was an attempt to identify the dietary causes for her painful headaches. So far, she has learned a lot about them. She knows what is triggering her migraine and thus tries her best not to eat those things.
What does she include and avoid in her diet?
Although she doesn’t maintain a diary anymore, she has a clear determination of following a migraine-preventive diet. Marcia doesn’t consume food that causes pain, even if it’s one of her favorites. Chocolates are one of those things she loves, but it was troubling as well. She even claims there is nothing else that can replace chocolates for her.
Instead, she eats jelly beans and carrot cake. Additionally, cheddar cheese, oranges, and red wine are off-limits. She also claims to have always eaten healthy, opting for “a decent balance of protein, veggies, and fruits.”
What’s her sleeping pattern?
With lengthy days on set, Marcia understands the need of conserving energy. She knows that not getting enough sleep might trigger a migraine, so she aims to sleep nine hours per day. That essentially helps her to stay active and work properly.
“Earlier seven or eight hours of sleep used to be enough.” But, now she knows that sleep deprivation can take a heavy toll on her overall health.
As a result, she considers taking on-set catnaps mostly. “Taking a 20 to 30-minute snooze over my lunch break is fantastic. When I get up, I feel so much better,” she explains.
How does meditation help her?
When she can’t have a nap, Marcia may engage in some meditation. “Meditation is one of the methods that calms down your internal system,” she explains.
Marcia relies on soothing aromas from scented candles, aromatherapy essences, and bath oils to help her avoid migraines. She used to place lavender-scented candles strategically throughout her home for relaxing purposes.
She is, however, avoiding fragrance for the time being: “My nose has turned into a detective, and I genuinely prefer no odors at all. The sense of smell is not one of my favorites right now.”
Marcia’s quest for a fit body: after-pregnancy workout routine
No doubt carrying twins would have been exhausting. However, Marcia Cross tried her best to stay in shape both during and after pregnancy. She worked along with Eva Longoria’s trainer and made sure not to overdo it. She mentioned, “I’m doing some light trekking in the area with friends and have started Pilates.”
However, she still used to hit the gym, but not that frequently. Before she was pregnant, she had never done Pilates. That’s something I included because it’s an excellent exercise to undertake right now. It requires a lot of concentration while doing it, so it’s a fantastic focus.”
Her workout is completed with yoga. She started taking yoga programs near her house. She believes it is important to stay physically active and maintain a healthy mind. And thus, she just can’t even imagine lazing out.
