Natural Calm’s newest spokesperson Sitara Hewitt talks about why magnesium supplements are the key to keeping her stress in check, and how simple rituals, healthy eating and a little exercise make her busy life manageable.
By Bonnie Siegler
After a kiss and cuddle with her four-year-old son, Sitara Hewitt starts her day by saying positive affirmations. “Miracles will happen.” “It’s going to be a great day.” Then she heads downstairs for a green smoothie. The Canadian actor, who has homes in both Toronto and Los Angeles, needs a regular morning ritual to level out her hectic days. She’s found that it’s the little things that can make the difference between chaos and calm.
Besides acting in TV shows including the cult classic Little Mosque on the Prairie, Hewitt is a public wellness speaker, blogger and the newest spokesperson for Natural Calm, the best-selling magnesium supplement on the market. In addition to sharing news about the Natural Calm brand, Hewitt is an integral part of the company’s Organics 4 Orphans charity, a non-profit organization that empowers the poorest communities through organic gardening and nutritional and natural medicine education and income generation. “I’m so happy to be a part of Organics 4 Orphans,” says Hewitt, who is planning a trip to Kenya to visit one of the projects next February.
Whereas some people would melt under the pressure of working on four simultaneous careers, plus charity work, all while raising a young child, Hewitt’s healthy rituals help keep her stress in check.
“For me, balanced living is all about nurturing and taking care of yourself first; rebalancing your own health,” says Hewitt. “Once you’re in a good place, you can take the best care of others around you, channel the most creativity, and inspire people more to make a difference in the world.” This positive mindset was not always the case though.
Eight years ago the struggling actor was working many jobs to supplement her income. “I was sick all the time,” she recalls. “If I got a cold, it would turn into a bronchitis infection. If I got a bladder infection, it would turn into a kidney infection. I was sick and tired so much that I decided I was done with it and that it was time to get healthy. I did everything I could from a mind, body and soul perspective to change my thoughts and overhaul my eating patterns.”
You are what you Eat
Walk into Hewitt’s kitchen and you’re immediately greeted by a bountiful bowl of colourful fresh fruit – bananas, apples, pears, lemons and limes. “We snack on fruit all day,” she says. Other nutritional staples include: raw almond butter, brown rice, gluten-free bread, organic sausages, hummus and avocado.
Due to regular sinus infections, Hewitt has omitted most dairy from her diet. “The infections were fairly debilitating and now maybe I have one every two years.” Dairy substitutes include: coconut milk, hemp milk or homemade almond milk. “I will have butter now and then because it doesn’t affect me adversely.”
Although Hewitt stays away from white sugar she still has a sweet tooth. “I do love dark chocolate,” she laughs. “Also, I’ll reach for Coconut Manna straight out of the jar – it’s coconut meat and coconut oil blended together into this spread. It’s delicious.”
Hewitt also experimented with supplements and the most significant one she discovered was Natural Calm – highly absorbable, water-soluble magnesium in ionic form that is easy for your body to use right away. Most people are deficient in magnesium, especially in relation to the calcium in their body. When your balance of the two is off, and you don’t have enough magnesium, it places stress on the body, which makes it difficult to relax, and disturbs sleep.
“It’s a product that helped me a lot with my stress and anxiety levels,” says Hewitt who has since introduced it to her entire family. “Once I began my living well brand, I decided to let Natural Calm know how much I loved their products.” The owners were so taken with Hewitt’s personality and her passion for Natural Calm that they decided to make her their spokesperson.
Putting Fitness and Family First
Of course eating well is just one part of the healthy living equation. A former dancer, Hewitt has maintained body strength and stamina by engaging in outdoor activities as well as a regular gym routine. She has trekked through the Himalayas, trained as a pro-wrestler with the WWE and continues to keep her 5-foot-6 physique in top shape with regular running, cycling, yoga and hiking. “Exercise really helps me drop out of my head and into my body; then I’m in a better place in life. Looking great is just a bonus,” she says.
Hewiit is also married to top fitness expert Jessie Pavelka, which helps when it comes to incorporating fitness into the family routine. It also helps to have a supportive spouse when it comes to keeping up with healthy rituals.
From morning affirmations and exercise to healthy eating and the right supplements, these little rituals help keep everything together throughout the day. It only makes sense then that Hewitt ends each day with another ritual.
Both Hewitt and Pavelka travel frequently for work so when they are together, her nighttime ritual always includes special bonding time together. “We don’t have phones in our bedroom – it’s a new rule. So we either have a book night where we lie in bed and read, or we talk, or write in journals or even sit back and watch a movie and cuddle,” Also, before Hewitt goes to sleep, she always makes a conscious effort for some meditation. Ending the day in a peaceful way recharges your body and gets you ready to do it all again.
Photo caption: Hewitt chats with Linda Bolton, owner of Natural Calm Canada, about the company’s Organics4Orphans program and her upcoming trip to Kenya.
