Kristen Bell is starring in like, 700 movies in the next year, but you probably know her best as the babe from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She\u2019s starring in a new Showtime drama about boardroom intrigue, House of Lies, this month\u2019s feel-good release Big Miracle, and later this year, Outrun, a film directed by her longtime partner, Dax Shepard. SELF magazine sat down with this busy lady to chat about her healthy lifestyle, favorite workouts, special indulgences and yes … what she says she does to maintain her fabulous “butt cheeks”. So funny. Enjoy some of the highlights here and if you’d like to read the whole darn feature, grab a copy of February’s SELF magazine!.<\/p>\n
“I love to cook.<\/strong> I have a tiny Italian grandmother inside me. If someone walks in, I\u2019m like, \u201cLet me make you a sandwich!\u201d We all have a giving-love language and a receiving-love language. I show love by cooking. When people have patience with me, I feel so loved. Dax is extremely patient with me.”<\/p>\n “I\u2019ve been a vegetarian<\/strong> since I was 11, because I couldn\u2019t under- stand why if we didn\u2019t eat the dog I should eat a burger. I love animals, and I stand by my values. So in the morning, I have an apple and, if we have leftover pizza, I scrape the toppings into egg whites. Pizza eggs are better than you can imagine! For lunch, I\u2019ll have a big salad and a veggie burger. I\u2019m a fan of multi-course dinners. Last night, I made Brussels sprouts baked with balsamic vinegar, grapes and walnuts; butternut squash ravioli; and a \u201cgarbage disposal\u201d salad, which is everything in the veggie and fruit drawers: lentils, spinach, romaine, blueberries, cucumbers, raspberries, almonds, carrots and avocado. Literally anything. You don\u2019t even need a dressing because there are so many tastes.”<\/p>\n “I\u2019m proud of my patience.<\/strong> I\u2019ve worked really hard to curb my natural impatience by realizing that everyone is doing the best they can. I\u2019m least proud of my ability to be lazy and procrastinate by spending time on my computer or in front of the TV, watching America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos, the greatest show on television. To anybody who pooh-poohs it, I say, \u201cJust give it 30 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n “I mostly go for hour-long hikes with friends,<\/strong> but sometimes, I\u2019ll do pilates or 20 minutes of calisthenics, like push-ups<\/strong> and sit- ups.<\/strong> I go through spurts. Working out for me has nothing to do with body image\u2014I refuse to look in the mirror and hate myself. My goal isn\u2019t to change my body; it\u2019s to make my body happy.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the one that packs the most punch.<\/strong> I call it The Bowler: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and bend slightly at the waist, holding a 5-pound weight in your right hand. Squat, then swing your right hand up and left, across your body, and sweep your right foot to the left behind you, as if you\u2019re bowling. Do about eight on each side. It\u2019s amazing for the butt cheeks!<\/strong><\/p>\n Her boyfriend, actor Dax Sheppard (Idiocracy, Parenthood), is a better biker.<\/strong> “There\u2019s no comparison! I can barely walk in a straight line, let alone move in one when I\u2019m on a vehicle that has wheels. Dax grew up as a dirt biker. He\u2019s always doing tricks that terrify me. Even so, we ride to brunch or dinner or ice cream all the time.”<\/p>\n “Salted chocolate drives me wild.<\/strong> I\u2019m not a big spender, but I do like buying kitchen tools. I\u2019ve ordered all the ways you can cut a strawberry and that ring to cook an egg in a heart shape.”<\/p>\n “I love my therapist.<\/strong> When I have an issue that I need to work through, going to therapy gives me a bigger toolbox to do so. Talking with friends helps, too. I can say crazy things to my friends, things I\u2019m embarrassed to admit, like \u201cI feel so ugly or worthless today.\u201d They say, \u201cWhat? You\u2019re nuts!\u201d Having good, real friends builds your self-esteem exponentially.”
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