Bollywood bombshell Ileana D’Cruz is thanking fans for the many birthday wishes they sent her way on her special day. The actress posted a photo of herself wearing a white swimsuit at the beach, kneeling in the sand. “I got so much love on my birthday and got to spend it with my family and some amazing new people whom I now call my friends ♥️. I’ll get around to putting up some more pictures but for now just happy, thankful, and fortunate to be feeling this way 🥰,” she captioned the post. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways D’Cruz stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don’t miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!
D’Cruz’s favorite way to start the day is with protein-rich eggs and coffee. “Having protein with breakfast can optimize your brain’s ability to send messages to the rest of your body, helping you wake up,” says NASM-certified personal trainer Maia Appleby. “If you combine protein with carbohydrates, your body will gradually digest your breakfast, staving off hunger and keeping you energized until lunch.”
D’Cruz tends to have the same sort of lunch and dinner—usually a healthy protein and lots of vegetables. “Leafy greens including kale, spinach, arugula, and chard are the undeniable superstars in the world of nutrition,” says Amy Myers, MD. “Low in calories, yet high in fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients, the benefits of leafy greens are incredible for your health in more ways than you would even suspect.”
D’Cruz says she makes sure to get a solid eight hours of sleep every night. “Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk,” says Erica Jansen, PhD. “Sleep is truly interdisciplinary because it touches every aspect of health.”
D’Cruz avoids sugar and ultra processed carbohydrates. “Research suggests that daily added-sugar intake for 90 percent of Americans regularly exceeds the Dietary Guidelines’ recommendation of no more than 10 percent of the total calorie intake (The American Heart Association suggests we limit added sugar to 24gms/day for women and 36gms/day for men),” says Linda Folken, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CDN. “When we consume high amounts of sugar, we become more prone to developing diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression and even some types of cancer. Reducing or cutting out sugar can increase our quality of life no matter what our age or health status.”
D’Cruz enjoys cooking, and regularly turns to seafood when she wants something quick and healthy. She especially loves salmon, which has many incredible health benefits. “Salmon is a good source of protein, which is important for maintaining bone health, preventing muscle loss and helping the body heal and repair,” says registered nutritionist Jo Lewin. “Its rich astaxanthin content may help maintain skin elasticity, reduce the signs of aging and protect the skin against UV damage.”