Actress, entrepreneur, and mom of two young girls, Jessica Alba believes that beauty isn’t about expensive cosmetics, pricey gems, or designer couture. The 33-year-old credits a low-carb Paleo diet and CrossFit workouts for her slender body. And when it comes to providing advice to her daughters , Alba emphasizes the importance of inner beauty in the form of being kind and helping others, reports E! News .
When Jessica talks with 6-year-old Honor and 3-year-old Haven, she uses a different approach than her mother’s lectures, she revealed.
“Growing up, whenever I was bullied, my mom would say, ‘You’re a beautiful girl. They’re just jealous.’ It never helped. I want my girls to know that beauty is being kind…beauty is helping people…beauty is humility.”
Alba takes pride in co-founding The Honest Company. She hopes that her daughters will not just cherish that legacy, but work there as well.
“I really am building The Honest Company for them,” revealed Jessica. “I’m really hoping that…The Honest Company is some place that they would like to work later, when they’re older.”
And even if they don’t take over the company, Jessica seeks to inspire her children to think outside the box and look for ways to change the world.
“I hope they’re inspired to be entrepreneurs. And to really push the envelope on you know what they can do with their life and how they can make an impact.”
Jessica isn’t giving up acting, however. She carves out time to do both.
“Acting is a priority, but when you’re building a company like this, you can’t just check out,” Alba said firmly. “This is life-changing stuff. This is legacy.”
To keep her energy level high and stay healthy, Jessica also prioritizes eating right and exercising. She relies on a combination of a Paleo-style low-carb diet and CrossFit , reported the Examiner .
Alba’s trainer, Jennifer Johnson, emphasizes the importance of diet when it comes to staying slim.
“That’s Jessica’s strong point: She’s motivated nutritionally, and she eats a balanced diet of salads and proteins. If you’re eating right, that’s more than half the battle.”
And Johnson isn’t the only celebrity trainer to believe that diet trumps exercise, as the Inquisitr reported. A former vegan, Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper advocates following a Paleo-style low-carb diet as well.
Harper urges dieters to cut starchy carbohydrates. He admits that when he was trying to hide the fact that he had ended his vegan diet, he felt guilty. But Bob believes that it’s difficult to sustain the level of energy required for high intensity exercise without animal protein.
“I found my performance was really lacking in the gym. I just felt better and I felt stronger. In the beginning, I was quietly eating my egg whites in the morning. Oh my God, I felt so bad. I just couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t hide it any more. It works for me. Of course, I am a huge proponent of eating as many green vegetables as you can and going meatless once in a while.”
[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]