ACTOR ANDIE MACDOWELL SHARES HER SECRETS FOR LOOKING AND FEELING GREAT AT ANY AGE.
It’s been almost 20 years since Andie MacDowell enthralled audiences – and Hugh Grant – in Four Weddings and a Funeral, but the five-foot-eight actor and model still manages to turn heads wherever she goes. Here’s how MacDowell manages the stress in her life and why she still looks drop dead gorgeous at 55.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
MacDowell’s latest project, a Hallmark Channel series Cedar Cove, has relocated the actor to Vancouver – which suites her just fine. British Columbia provides the perfect backdrop for a healthy lifestyle and allows MacDowell to indulge in one of her favourite pastimes – hiking.
“Exercise is the best thing for me in terms of reducing any stress in my life,” says MacDowell. “I’m fortunate because I actually enjoy it and have never been one for sitting.” Hiking may be one of her first loves, but her schedule doesn’t always allow for it. MacDowell also enjoys walking, bike rides, and yoga. “Getting your endorphins going and blood flowing is such a good stress reducer,” says MacDowell. “It keeps your body and mind healthy; as well as your heart.”
If you want to get the true stress-reducing benefits, MacDowell says you need to be conscious of what’s going on in your head when you’re moving. “Ever been on a walk and continue to think about stressful things?” she asks. It’s counter productive. “We all have to be conscious of what we’re thinking and not bring negative thoughts in,” says MacDowell.
When MacDowell feels negative thoughts creeping in she focuses on her breathing. MacDowell slowly breathes in for a count of 10 and then releases for a count of 10. “It sounds so simple but it’s not,” she says. Focusing on your breath quiets the mind and can bring a mini meditation to your workouts. If that doesn’t work, she sings a song. “It can be a totally silly song that helps your mind stop worrying and wandering – even Twinkle Twinkle Little Star will work.”
MacDowell also sees the importance of retreats. “I used to go to this place in North Carolina for a week and spend a lot of quiet time. You go days without speaking,” says MacDowell. “Without saying one word!” The actor swears that it’s an amazing experience to be quiet for a day. “It helps you get to know yourself a little bit bitter; it can help you be more attuned with yourself. People should try [quiet] for an hour or even a day,” she says.
BEAUTY SECRETS
MacDowell is honest in acknowledging that her looks are a still a big part of her job. In addition to exercise, MacDowell maintains a svelte figure by doing a variety of cleanses and getting at least eight hours of sleep a night.
Cortisol and serotonin levels are important for lowering anxiety and achieving a sound sleep. To help keep her hormones in check, MacDowell regularly eats red or purple potatoes. “I read that eating potatoes (with the skin on) at night helps build serotonin so you sleep better,” says MacDowell.
For dinner, MacDowell cuts up a variety of fresh vegetables, with potatoes, and steams them all together. “I sprinkle on a spice called Ghost Salt or add salsa, and top with a salad dressing made with jalapenos and that’s a very filling and satisfying dinner for me,” says MacDowell.
She does sometimes add a little chocolate at the end of a meal. A staple around her beachside home is dark chocolate. “And you can’t make me feel guilty about that either,” she giggles. “Again, I’ve read many studies that say chocolate is good for you. It helps boost your mood and it effects your body so that you feel love – to have that feeling of being in love. So how can it be bad for you?”
CHANGING BEAUTY
“I think beauty is timeless. When you turn 50 though, beauty changes,” says MacDowell. “It has to do more with the people around me, caring for them, having them care for me. If you only text and email, you’re in big trouble. You need to have meaningful contact with people.
Being happy is a key to looking good and leading a long and happy life. I have an intense need inside of me to finding the answer of what makes me happy. It’s up to me to choose to be happy and it’s a choice I have to make every day. How I live my life, how I relate to my family – that’s an internal perspective of what beauty is on a bigger scale. If I want to still wear red lipstick at my age with a pink sweater – colors that make me feel vibrant and happy – that’s what I’m going to do.”
