HEALTH WARRIOR
“Going through something like [cancer] completely strips you of who you are, not only physically but mentally. Working your way back from something like that takes time. [My last chemotherapy session] was a huge thing, but it didn’t end there. I was down in the negative with my immune system and I really wasn’t well, so it was a big celebration to get past that point, but it took me a good year or two of working on myself to get better. I really used food and exercise as a way to improve, and that’s what I continue to do with my life. I always try to make good choices with food, because I know it nourishes and fuels my body. I focus on those things because I can control them."
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CLEAN EATER
“Since I’ve had my son, I’ve started doing intermittent fasting. I don’t eat until about 10:30am, 11 o’clock, but I have a good-size meal then, and another snack or meal, then dinner. I don’t snack a whole lot, but, if I do, it’ll be almonds or dark chocolate. I do have a lot of coffee. I don’t like to wear heaps of make-up or use a lot of products, but I use food to fuel me and fix my skin. It all comes from the gut. I haven’t had dairy for four or five years, and I think that’s helped my skin a lot and just works for my body. I don’t really eat any meat. I eat a lot of fish and fresh vegetables and high-fat foods, because I enjoy them and they sit well with my body. That’s at the moment – but it could change!”
FITNESS WARRIOR
Fitness-wise, I don’t live far from Barry’s Bootcamp. That’s one of my favourite [workouts]. It’s treadmill and weights, which I find is a good combination. It’s pretty unforgiving, but you feel really good afterwards! Since I’ve had my son and we have moved to LA, I’ve changed up my workouts a lot. I used to run pretty consistently, but now I do a lot of weights and running and yoga. I guess in a typical week, I’d usually do Barry’s three or four times, and then I would run long distance the other days – I like to average about eight or 10km. If I can, I’ll squeeze a yoga session in, but we just take it day by day.
Read our full, exclusive chat with Tessa – including her experience of becoming a mum and kicking career goals – in this month's Women's Health magazine, on sale Monday September 3.
