Reese Witherspoon is one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, with an illustrious career spanning just over 30 years.
Speaking candidly to the audience at the Australian Real Estate Conference on Sunday, via satellite from the U.S., the Nashville-raised star admitted that she had to completely overhaul her health when she first came to Hollywood as a teenager.
“I didn’t always have good eating habits, coming from a little town in Nashville, Tennessee,” she said.
“I didn’t understand health or nutrition, I went completely off the rails,” the Legally Blonde star added with a laugh.
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Reese, who booked her first movie with MGM Studios at age 14, said she was fortunate enough to have a great support system.
“I was lucky enough to have people come in my life and say, ‘look you’re not going to be able to sustain energy for 12, 14, 15-hour days if you don’t start eating right and exercising’.”
Reese, who still enjoys “pastries and pasta” on occasion as well as “tequila” to deal with “bad days”, said exercise and nutrition has become “a big part” of her life.
“I exercise every day and eat right every day, no matter what is going on. If I’m working way into the night, I eat with frequency and I take care of my mind and spirit.”
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The Academy Award-winner, who counts Nicole Kidman as a “close friend” and Jennifer Aniston as someone who she can “lean on”, ensures she takes time out for herself.
“I check in with my friends, I have downtime, and I have boundaries which is something I didn’t have when I was young.”
Reese said it’s important to be very upfront and direct about your capabilities, without feeling any shame or guilt.
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“I think there’s a real healthy balance in saying that you can’t work this Saturday, but could work the Sunday.
“When you’re willing to do anything at any time, there actually is a diminished amount of respect for someone who is literally willing to do anything at any moment, right?
“So if you have healthy boundaries it’s also a form of self-respect.”
Alongside her successful career as an actor and producer, Reese founded Hello Sunshine, a media brand and content company dedicated to female authorship and storytelling, in 2016.
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