Thalia Heffernan - a real life 'Vegan' Supermodel.

Thalia Heffernan – a real life ‘Vegan’ Supermodel.

In such a busy ‘technocratic’ era, and the constant juggling of being in two places at the same time not withstanding the need to multi-task a dozen personal and business needs – how does she do it?

Thalia Heffernan, Supermodel, ex-Dancing with the Stars and proactive Vegan and Animal lover recently did a Q&A with the Happy Pear…

Do you have a morning routine?

My morning routine would be relatively loose, as my job tends to have irregular hours. Most mornings, I get up at 8am and have a big squeeze of my dog, Leonard, before I make myself a coffee and have a quick shower to wake myself up. Then, I bring him across to the park at 9am, after rustling up a quick breakfast that usually consists of whatever I can find, unless I’m being really good and prepared.

What is your favourite meal of the day?

Every meal is my favourite meal! Food, for me, is so much more than fuel, and I’ve always adored trying new flavours and experimenting with new ingredients to enhance my meals. Breakfast is usually the most exciting for me because I always wake up hungry and what’s better than literally breaking the fast of the previous night’s sleep!

What exercise do you do to keep fit?

I love boxing, as it’s a great mix of stretching and cardio and it keeps my mind active, as well as my body. My attention span is relatively short and I can get easily bored or preoccupied when I’m training, so I found boxing great for that! I also bring my dog for walks two or three times daily, and even just getting out and about with him is a great way of keeping myself fit.

Do you get the chance to cook much? What is your favourite meal to cook?

I cook at the very least, twice a day. It’s one of my favourite pastimes. I find it not only therapeutic but, also, the end result is a happy, full belly and I know exactly what’s been put into the food I’m consuming. In terms of meals, dinner is my favourite to prepare, usually because it’s a great time of the evening to relax and unwind, and what better way to do that than over a home cooked dinner.

Most of my meals would consist of roasted, steamed or stir-fried vegetables, with either rice, pasta or potato and then usually chickpeas, tofu or some form of lentils or beans. I’m also guilty of a generous side portion of fresh sourdough with balsamic vinegar and delicious olive oil. I change up my ingredients quite regularly and absolutely adore spices, so that’s how I keep my dinners interesting.

How do you look after your mental health?

Meditation has always been a great method of escapism for me. I practice meditation every night before I go to sleep. In particular, if I’ve had a hard day or I feel myself slipping at all and need some extra help, small yoga stretches, along to some soft music for a few minutes, followed by a guided meditation, really helps me because you can allow it to lead you.

Time away from social media is also a great thing to do to pull you back to reality and allow yourself to show appreciation for the world around you that exists outside of a screen. Even simply leaving your phone at home and going for a walk, sitting in a park or by the sea, is wonderfully therapeutic.

How important is sleep to you? How many hours a night do you aim for?

Sleep is so incredibly important for every animal to allow full restoration from the day previous and to prepare you for the day ahead. Sadly, sleep and I haven’t the best relationship! But meditation has really helped me to achieve 7 or so hours a night. Before I discovered meditation I would get 2-3 hours a night, sometimes up to 5, but that would be a good night. Finding inner peace through meditation has really shown me the benefits it can have on you physically as well as mentally! I definitely feel much more rejuvenated and ready for the day ahead when I have slept well.

Do you have any beauty tips?

Water. It’s the tale that’s as old as time, I know, but I guess that tale has been around for so long for a reason! Plenty of water daily, and then also getting it through fruit and veg, is really the best way of allowing your skin to shine from the inside out.

Is eating healthily important to you and why?

Healthy eating is important for everyone, I think, but like everything, people go in and out of phases, and it can be hard to adopt a healthy lifestyle all of the time. Being realistic, my diet varies as much as the weather! But I always try to include a healthy element in every meal I consume. A good way of introducing yourself to a more healthy diet and finding a good balance is by varying ingredients to suit your taste. Healthy eating is a lot easier than most people think!

I study advanced animal psychology and behaviour, so, for me, vegetarianism was a natural progression from that into my lifestyle. I felt hypocritical, studying how to conserve every kind of animal, but contributing to the meat industry at the same time. That really started my journey into healthy eating because I had to get creative with my meals and replace meat with new ingredients I’d never cooked with before. I found balance through substitution. Where I would have made a chicken curry before, I use all the same ingredients but substitute the meat for lentils or chickpeas. From there, it just became a habit!

You can read the complete article by the Happy Pear here

Original article by the Happy Pear. Edited by Wasted.ie

Thalia Heffernan – a real life ‘Vegan’ Supermodel.