To say it’s been a busy couple of years for Mayim Bialik is an understatement. Perhaps still best-known for her starring role on the perky '90s sitcom “Blossom,” Bialik, 37, has not only resurrected her acting career by playing Amy on the CBS hit show “The Big Bang Theory,” but is raising two boys, ages 7 and 4, and writing books (Beyond the Sling, about her method of attachment parenting, came out in 2012; a vegan cookbook comes out this fall). She also blogs about the intersection of love, life, and Jewish parenting for the web site Kveller.
She’s become known for her strong Jewish faith and adherence to certain traditional practices. She keeps kosher and prefers a very un-Hollywood form of modest dressing, covering her arms and legs, for instance. She also eats a strictly vegan diet. Whether she’s scouring her kitchen with vinegar or extolling the virtues of a meatless diet, somehow Bialik makes everything she does look fresh and easy.
1. Desert-Island Foods
“Avocados, bananas, almonds, some sort of nut butter (almond, sunflower), and dark green leafy veggies, such as kale, mustard greens, or spinach.”
2. Guilty Pleasures
“I so indulge, though! I eat fries, chocolate, maybe even a Coke … once a week my boys and I have a day where we have something that we normally don’t. If I really feel like I need to drop a pound or two, I’ll maybe just nix that weekly Coke. That’ll do it.”
3. Hitting Reset
“Every so often I will do a 'flush' -- where I cut out all processed foods for a few days, and so that my digestive system and my taste buds sort of “reset” themselves. It’s not fancy. I simply eat only fruits and veggies and avoid all things processed, white foods, and sugars. Slowly I’ll add things back in, starting with unprocessed soy, then raw nuts, and then simple dishes with just two or three ingredients.”
4. Skin Secrets
“I wear so little makeup when I’m not working, but I do stick to vegan products that have no parabens and no fragrance. Aveda makes some of my favorites -- I love this one balancing oil they make.”
5. Fit Tricks
“I recently took up jogging, and while I am not quite a marathoner yet -- I generally do about 2 miles these days -- I do find it relaxing. I also lift weights, which helps me maintain muscle.”
6. Stress (and Dust) Busting
“I don’t watch much TV (except for WWII documentaries, lately), but I do find cleaning relaxing. Give me a few hours to myself with a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap, some plain vinegar, and my microfiber cloth, and I will clean my whole house -- totally healthfully and naturally. I don’t clean with any chemicals I wouldn’t want my kids around.”
7. Trailer Stash
“I really love essential oils, and I have this diffuser from Young Living that I keep with me on set. I love the lavender one as well as the combo oils, which are blends that have certain specifications, such as one called Peace & Calming.”
8. One Fine Day
“My perfect 'me time' is rather mellow stuff. I go for a run. I’d make a big green smoothie. I’d head to the craft store, the one that I’ve been going to since I was a kid. I’d also take a nap.”
9. Beauty Basics
“Three things I always have in my purse. A gloss or lipstick on hand, usually one from Hourglass, which makes cruelty-free, vegan products. A tube of hand lotion: I love the Duette Luxe Lip & Hand Creme from the French brand Votre Vu; it smells like cake. Finally, a vial of food-grade lavender oil.”
10. Wanderlust
“I’d love to go to Japan; I haven’t been there and I’m fascinated with the art, culture, and history, in particular Samurai history.”
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