How Maggie Q Learned To Hack Her Diet

Lethargic and bloated are two words you’d never associate with Maggie Q, the butt-kicking star (seriously, she does her own stunts) of such action-packed projects as Nikita, Divergent, and the new film The Protégé, in theaters now. But in her 20s, the actress experienced regular bouts of low energy and abdominal pain.

“I instinctually felt it was because of food,” Maggie says of her symptoms. “What else am I doing three to five times a day?” She began keeping a journal and realized something wasn’t jibing with her system. Already a vegetarian for animal rights reasons, Maggie eliminated dairy, too, and noticed a huge difference. (Also nixed: refined sugar.)

Now, Maggie is very attuned to her body and intentional about the foods she uses to fuel—even reading up on the latest studies. “The best thing you can do is educate yourself,” she says.

Here’s what else Maggie does to stay on her A-game:

Learn to zen out wherever you are.

“In stressful situations, like in line at the DMV, I create a world within a world. I just pick a focal point, block it all out, and breathe. Find those moments that you can give yourself—you might not see them at first because you’re too charged.”

Enlist furry friends.

“I hike in the mountains for about two hours every morning with my dogs, Romeo, Nevaeh, and Don Julio. It’s our bonding time. I need to be in nature to feel good and feel balanced, and they always pull me out.” Maggie has made connecting with nature part of her entrepreneurial mission too—her sustainable clothing line, Qeep Up, has recycled 25 billion plastic bottles.

Build a community you can be real with.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion—but comments from people who know my heart are most important to me.”

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