Until her diagnosis at 36, Lakshmi did her best to work around her endo-induced constipation by eating well off-set, prioritizing foods that wouldn’t back her up, taking probiotics, magnesium citrate and fiber powder and eventually getting medical help. Several surgeries later, she’s finally living pain free—although she jokes that her latest adventure, being “in the throes of menopause for the past six years,” is no fun. As the co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, Lakshmi spends her spare time advocating for funding and research. She’s also gearing up for the holidays with daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell, 11, and a new season of Taste the Nation, which premiered a special holiday edition on Hulu on Nov. 4. We caught up with the renowned foodie to talk healthy eating, her filming routine and what to do with all those turkey leftovers. What do your eating habits look like while filming? On Top Chef, I’m eating 7,000 calories a day! It’s easy to see how when you do the math. At the start of the season, I have to try 16 dishes a day. Even if I’m only having one or two bites, it adds up. And then I’m doing it again the next day for the main challenge. I usually gain 10 to 15 pounds a season on Top Chef in the six weeks of filming. And it takes me 10 to 12 weeks to lose it, because I want to do it in a healthy way. It’s not good to be on crash diets. And frankly I don’t have the willpower to do that. I like to eat—it’s why I do what I do. How does fitness fit into your wellness routine? I do work out more than most people because in order to do my job well on both shows, I need to really experience all the food that’s being put in front of me. I go to the gym an hour or two six days a week; sometimes even seven. But I have to remind myself that recovery is important too. I jump rope. I just started doing P.volve [a low-impact workout based on functional movement]. And I lift old-school weights three times a week. In the past, I’ve boxed, but lately, that’s been hard on my joints, so I’ve taken a break from it. What are some other ways you’re getting movement into your daily life? I have one flight of stairs that are pretty steep in my apartment, and I keep a sticky note and a pen at the top. Every time I go up and down the stairs, I make a little tick mark and I try to best myself every day. So even if I can’t do a formal workout at the gym, during the course of the day, I’m at least keeping active. Post-filming, how are you focusing on a healthy, well-balanced diet?When I’m finished filming Top Chef, I eat a mostly plant-based diet. I’ll eat chicken or fish a couple times a week, some eggs, but it’s a lot of lentils, beans and tofu. I was raised a vegetarian and didn’t start eating meat until high school, so my body has a hard time digesting meat. And I don’t often eat fried foods, drink alcohol or eat sweets. I may not have French fries but I’m having quinoa or brown or white rice. I also drink a protein shake to help me get at least 50 grams of protein a day. What does your morning wellness routine look like?I try to get up half an hour before I need to. Nothing jangles my nerves more than rushing everywhere. So I get up, make a cup of tea, check my phone really quick. Once I get that tea in my hand, I’m either sitting on the couch, getting back in bed or somewhere quiet and still. I’m just letting myself daydream, it’s my form of meditation. It’s very useful to me to have that quiet time. Do you have any healthy eating tips you suggest to others? The healthiest thing you can do for yourself and your family is to eat and cook at home more. It’s going to be healthier than a restaurant because you know what you put into [your meal]. Their goal is to make something so delicious you’ll want to order it again. There’s nothing wrong with cream and butter in moderation, but it’s not feasible for a lot of people to eat like that. What are your go-to holiday hacks for keeping your health in check? If you’re going to someone else’s house for a holiday party, drink a protein shake before you get there. You’ll have something in your tummy so when you’re handed a glass of wine, you’re not drinking on an empty stomach or reaching for fried appetizers. I love fried food. It’s a big vice of mine, but I find if I just have a little something that’s healthy, it makes a big difference. Similarly, at the end of my workday, I’ll quickly have a cup of cottage cheese just so I’m filled with something. I’ll cut up a tomato, sprinkle it with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and add that on top. Your holiday menu: what does it look like? Holiday eating does not have to be a heavy, greasy, fat-laden experience. You can make it quite healthy. On our Thanksgiving table, most of the dishes are vegetable-forward. I’m doing a medley of roasted vegetables, green beans and all kinds of salads. Roasting vegetables in the oven really develops their flavor, and you don’t need too much on them except for salt, pepper, a little bit of thyme and olive oil. I also do a pomegranate mixed salad and an apple serrano chile and kale salad. I make mashed potatoes, but I use milk and a little bit of butter instead of cream. You can also make olive oil mashed potatoes, which are delicious, or sweet potatoes, which have a lower glycemic index. These meals don’t have to be big or unhealthy just because it’s the holidays. I do a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, but I cook it the night before. I do the same thing on Christmas. And I make homemade gravy. But what I really look forward to is making turkey potpies the day after Christmas. I use leftover roasted vegetables, cold turkey breast and gravy as the sauce. You’ve said that endometriosis is one of the most painful experiences you’ve ever dealt with. What can you tell us about that journey? When you have severe endometriosis, it can really feel like your body is turning on you. It is one of the most painful experiences ever. And what happened to me shouldn’t have happened to me. I got my period when I was 13 and had cramps right away. It just got progressively worse and worse. I would spend a week of every month in bed. I went to regular gynecological appointments and everyone just said, “Oh, some people get cramps; some people don’t. You’re one of the unlucky ones.” Because the disease develops part and parcel with your womanhood and puberty, it’s very difficult not to have a skewed body image or have it affect your mental wellbeing. By the time I got diagnosed, I was 36. I got the help that I needed, which was laparoscopic excision surgery. I didn’t know what it was like to live pain-free until after that third surgery. I was so much more productive. I was so much more calm. I could think clearly. And it made me mad because I realized that this treatment I got at 36 should have happened in my early 20s. As women, you just want to have an equal opportunity at achievement that your male counterparts do, but if you’re saddled with such a severe reproductive issue, you’re starting from way back behind the starting line. Next, Padma Lakshmi Opens Up About the Struggles of Her Early Years in America
