Let's talk beauty. Do you have a special skin-care routine?
I was having skin issues and getting lots of acne and was going to this fancy dermatologist who just loved to pile on the product. Now my routine is very simple and clean: I wash my face every day—I'm a big fan of the Dermalogica skin-care line. Doing a laser was a big deal for me. I looked like a monster! I had nightmares, like, "Oh my God, did I ruin my face?!" You never know if it will heal. When it comes to my face, I don't want to mess around.
Have any health secrets that were passed down from your Greek heritage?
Garlic! It kills everything. Whenever I feel like I'm getting sick, the first thing I do is go to my favorite Italian joint, and they make me pizza with, like, 3 cups of cooked garlic. I stink for days. But I eat it and I never get sick. And my dad used to make me put garlic on my zits.
Really? Did it work?
Yeah! I would tape it to my face or I'd cut it in half and rub it on there. But it would really irritate the skin.
Ever try any weird or extreme fitness trends?
I don't do cleanses, because they don't give you sustainable results. I always think of Jessica Simpson in The Dukes of Hazzard: You get yourself into this insane shape that you just can't maintain! I was actually scared to do Dancing with the Stars because I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to maintain what it was going to do to my body on the positive end. I definitely don't have the body I had at that time. I was rock solid—my butt was like the wall. So I always tell people, "If you want a good body, go dancing!"
What are your all-time favorite healthy meals?
Breakfast is generally egg whites, or a white smoothie from Harley Pasternak's book [5 raw almonds, 1 red apple, 1 frozen banana, 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup fat-free milk and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon]. For lunch I'll have a salad with chicken, a bean-and-cheese burrito or a Greek salad. When I'm really tired or stressed, that's usually when I go to Chili's and have nachos and potato skins.
Is there a way you turn off cravings like that?
I get a high from saying no. That's what I did when I was losing the weight. I'd be out and I'd be like, "No, thank you." People are always so impressed when you're the one who's really strong and disciplined.
What do you do if you have to lose a quick 5 pounds?
I got on the treadmill and ran almost three miles yesterday. That and just eating really clean.
Have any health regrets?
When I first lost the weight, I was always running from place to place and the only thing I had time for was drive-through. Even though I was skinny, I was eating so poorly that I landed in the hospital for dehydration and nutrient issues. Exhaustion and not eating properly caught up with me, and I got so sick in France when I was 22 or 23 years old that I was in the hospital for a week with a rare intestinal infection. They thought I had SARS. They kept saying the word terminal in French. They didn't think I was going to make it! I wrote on a piece of paper, I will not compromise my health for anyone or anything ever again. I still have that note. Skinny doesn't always mean healthy.
You've made a few big leaps in your life. What motivates you to reinvent yourself?
I created a quote wall in my office to inspire me in low moments. One of them is "Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear." Whether it was wrestling or doing Dancing with the Stars, I was terrified—and I'm terrified of the reality show still! I still think, Oh my God, what if people hate me? But I think that when you go for it wholeheartedly, it's really hard to fail. I've done a lot of ballsy things in my career, and I look back and I'm like, "How did I even have the courage to do that?" But if you really put everything you have behind it, even if you fail you're going to learn something from it.
What is your advice for other women considering a change?
Just do it. I mean, be smart about it, but just do it. I ask, What's my worst-case scenario? Keven taught me that. Even if everything went away tomorrow, we'd open up a little pizza place and be so happy together. So what's your worst-case scenario? If you think about things from that angle, it's easier to take the leap.
It definitely helps take away that fear of failure.
Yeah. When you fully embrace what you're doing, no one can touch you. When you're only half committed? That's when they can get you. But if you're like, "I know where I'm going and what I'm doing," watch out.
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