“Mens sana in corpore sano” Latin phrase taken from the Satires of Juvenal, which contains a sacrosanct truth: to have a healthy mind you need to have a healthy body. It’s the motto of Serena Autieri, tireless actress, voice actress, TV presenter, mother and wife. But what is the secret to her dazzling shape?
“I care a lot about eating healthy seasonal things: I do the shopping at home and prefer fresh products. I pay attention to flours (stone-ground ones are better) and breads made in a certain oven. In short, care is needed in choosing the raw material. Another rule: do not overcook food, but respect the nature of the food. Every now and then at the table you can go astray: I don’t demonize fried foods, but I don’t eat them often and, when it happens, I allow myself a glass of wine”, says the actress.
However, there is one rule that always follows. “No to skipping meals during the day, because it is not good for the tissues and our stomach. Better, then, to eat early in the evening to have the right time to digest before going to bed.”
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The prohibitions
Then there are things to which Autieri always says: “No”. “In everyday life I don’t make concoctions and I don’t change my diet: I eat lots of vegetables… However, you can’t live on deprivation. I love pizza, but not every day because of the yeast. I have always avoided sugary fruit juices. Better centrifuges and juices, this is the rule for my daughter too. No dry drinks with added sugar.”
The detox
Especially in times like this, after the holidays, it’s time to pay more attention. And for this reason Autieri chooses a light diet. “A bit of detox is always good: herbal teas based on burdock and fennel, decoctions. I often eat a cooked apple in the evening after a light meal: it helps the intestine. I use to put a lot of lemon in the water during the day: useful for detoxify. I also often eat a fennel puree with water and a clove of garlic which I then remove. I recommend it: the next day you feel like a lion!”.
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The nutritionist’s opinion
These are the choices of an actress with a very active life, but are they the right ones? “Serena Autieri demonstrates that she has an excellent lifestyle, with physical activity, care for sleep, without overdoing it. She is, and it shows, a very positive and aware person. Regarding food choices, I say that bread with stone-ground flour it is excellent, but not everyone can use it, because it must be consumed shortly due to the fatty acids which can degrade. If necessary, it should be placed in the freezer. On vegetables: it is important that they are in season due to the mineral salts, vitamins and of the fibers they contain”, explains the professor Manon Kharzai, former member of the regional board of directors of the Italian Dietetics and Nutrition association.
However, it should be remembered that the choice of cooked apple is not the best. “With heat, fruit loses water-soluble vitamins and, by removing water, it increases sugar and therefore reaches a high glycemic index. For children it is an excellent snack, but not always. For mothers it is fine, but only during periods of constipation In fact it is often given to the elderly…”.
While the nutritionist promotes herbal teas. “In addition to being a way to take care of yourself, herbal tea is extremely recommended for those who drink little. Without sugar, please!”, adds Kharzai.
Finally, the question of intermittent fasting which still has contraindications. Skipping meals is not good in a healthy diet. But intermittent fasting every now and then isn’t bad. However, if I skip meals to lose weight I risk eating too much at the next meal. So…better not!”, concludes the expert.
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Physical exercise
Health on the plate but also movement for those who, like her, are also used to dancing on stage. But what type of physical exercise does Autieri do to stay fit? “I do a lot of physical activity: during theater tours I use my body a lot and I train a lot and I also eat more and at certain times. To have energy, sing and dance together, I prefer carbohydrates which keep me up. And after the show I do a light snack. I basically train every day when I’m busy at the theater: gyrotonic, dance, jogging… because on stage you need breath and muscle strengthening to avoid getting hurt. But when I’m not busy at the theater I just do daily stretches and I train twice a week.”
The mind and the body
The psychological aspect also plays its part and Autieri dedicates ample space to moments of reflection. “I believe that in such a fast-paced world where so much importance is given to tiring things, it is a priority to take care of oneself, always leaving the inner light on. How can I always smile? I take it from within the smile, because I want to smile to life. I take care of myself and my ego. And I look for positivity. There are tiring periods, more than others. But if you give importance to taking care of the mind and also look for moments of solitude, reading, meditation. .. everything is easier and easier to deal with“.