Health Talk with Solenn
Published Aug 14, 2018 01:15 am
By Dom Galeon
I’m not really a morning person anymore, so waking up early to catch a marathon—and on a Sunday, no less!—was a little difficult for me. But not for the hundreds of participants who went to the 42nd Milo National Marathon a couple of weeks back. Leading the charge of eager morning runners was Filipina-French TV icon Solenn Heussaff, or Sos as her friends call her, who ran 10-kilometers that day. Despite it being a cold and rainy morning, Solenn managed to finish at 55 minutes, making her the eighth fastest female 10-K finisher that day.
There was no way I could’ve caught up with her, obviously. So I decided to just have a little catchup after the run, chatting with her over a drink of cold Milo. Here’s how our conversation went.
It’s a Sunday and it’s early, plus we haven’t had breakfast yet. What do you usually eat for breakfast?
I do intermittent fasting (IF) right now, so I don’t really eat. I usually get my first meal at 2 p.m., and my last at 6 p.m. That’s how it works. You only have a small eating time window. I feel more energized. My brain works better. As opposed to what a lot of people say about eating like a king for breakfast—I believed in that, also, because you need to have that energy throughout the day—but when I started IF, I had a clearer mind. You know how after eating, you always feel like you want to sleep? Now I don’t get that. For me, it’s working right now, but you always have to change it up, every now and then.
I’ve been doing it for a few months now. I don’t even notice lunch, and I wake up at 6 a.m. every day but I don’t feel hungry. I usually just take drinks before the scheduled time to eat. I drink juices, water, Milo, coffee, or fresh turmeric.
Usually IF will work better if you don’t take too much carbs. Better if you just stick to protein and vegetables. Of course, even if they say you’re eating between a window of six hours, don’t also binge. Just eat normally. Some people think that IF allows you to eat whatever you want between those two hours, but no. You still have to be careful.
So what’s your favorite meal now?
Well, my favorite meal is still breakfast, technically, but I only have it during lunch because of IF. My favorite food, as a matter of fact, is breakfast food, and even during the night it’s what I want to have. It’s really my favorite meal. I love avocados, scrambled eggs, oatmeal—I love bacon!
I’m sure you know how to cook.
I cook, yes. I even do my own groceries, so my helpers at home are like, ‘Ma’am, anong gagawin namin? (What are we going to do?).’ And I tell them, mag-jogging muna kayo (go out and jog)! Because when I’m just home, I’d rather cook my own food.
I love quinoa. We eat a lot of steaks. We import Argentine beef. I have this amazing grill at home, so I just cut vegetables, whatever is in my fridge—kamote, sayote, whatever. I cut them in small pieces, I put my grill on top, with my steak, with a bit of salt and pepper, put them in the oven, bake for an hour, then that’s it. The vegetables get cooked with the fat of the meat.
I love eating. I love meeting friends, cocktail hour at an old bar. I’m not much for shopping. I love jogging around town, for five-kilometers, and then get fresh produce on the way.
What’s your favorite drink? I drink seven cups of coffee in a day, and black, super dark espresso, no sugar, no milk. It works for me, it keeps me awake. And I can still sleep even if I drink coffee beforehand. With all the things that you do now, what keeps you going? Every year I have a different passion project. That’s what keeps me going whenever I feel like uninspired, or when boredom strikes. There’s always something new to think of, there are always things you can do. So just get out there. I love to paint, so I am still painting. I’m working on my third exhibit now, which is for the end of next year. My last exhibit was last October. My first exhibit was really more just out of passion, and I wasn’t after putting up an exhibit, in the first place. I featured different photos from different tribes of the world. There was no solid theme then, some of the images were soft, some were abstract. My last one had a stronger theme. And more than showing my paintings, I wanted the exhibit to be an experience.
FINISHER Solenn poses with her medal, with close friend Rodjun Cruz, after running 10-K at the Milo Marathon
That’s right, you paint. Who do you consider as your influence as an artist?
I wouldn’t call them my influence, but right now I love this South African painter named Lionel Smit, Dali, the classics. But there are so many good artists now, like those I see at the Manila Art Fair. It’s very important to keep your mind and creativity flowing by attending gatherings and exhibits like that.
What are you most thankful for?
Right now, I’m most thankful for my health. When you’re younger, you tend to be more thankful for material things. But the older you get, the more you realize how important health is. I’m thankful for being healthy.
It’s a Sunday and it’s early, plus we haven’t had breakfast yet. What do you usually eat for breakfast?
I do intermittent fasting (IF) right now, so I don’t really eat. I usually get my first meal at 2 p.m., and my last at 6 p.m. That’s how it works. You only have a small eating time window. I feel more energized. My brain works better. As opposed to what a lot of people say about eating like a king for breakfast—I believed in that, also, because you need to have that energy throughout the day—but when I started IF, I had a clearer mind. You know how after eating, you always feel like you want to sleep? Now I don’t get that. For me, it’s working right now, but you always have to change it up, every now and then.
I’ve been doing it for a few months now. I don’t even notice lunch, and I wake up at 6 a.m. every day but I don’t feel hungry. I usually just take drinks before the scheduled time to eat. I drink juices, water, Milo, coffee, or fresh turmeric.
Usually IF will work better if you don’t take too much carbs. Better if you just stick to protein and vegetables. Of course, even if they say you’re eating between a window of six hours, don’t also binge. Just eat normally. Some people think that IF allows you to eat whatever you want between those two hours, but no. You still have to be careful.
So what’s your favorite meal now?
Well, my favorite meal is still breakfast, technically, but I only have it during lunch because of IF. My favorite food, as a matter of fact, is breakfast food, and even during the night it’s what I want to have. It’s really my favorite meal. I love avocados, scrambled eggs, oatmeal—I love bacon!
I’m sure you know how to cook.
I cook, yes. I even do my own groceries, so my helpers at home are like, ‘Ma’am, anong gagawin namin? (What are we going to do?).’ And I tell them, mag-jogging muna kayo (go out and jog)! Because when I’m just home, I’d rather cook my own food.
I love quinoa. We eat a lot of steaks. We import Argentine beef. I have this amazing grill at home, so I just cut vegetables, whatever is in my fridge—kamote, sayote, whatever. I cut them in small pieces, I put my grill on top, with my steak, with a bit of salt and pepper, put them in the oven, bake for an hour, then that’s it. The vegetables get cooked with the fat of the meat.
I love eating. I love meeting friends, cocktail hour at an old bar. I’m not much for shopping. I love jogging around town, for five-kilometers, and then get fresh produce on the way.
Right now, I’m most thankful for my health. When you’re younger, you tend to be more thankful for material things. But the older you get, the more you realize how important health is. I’m thankful for being healthy.
What’s your favorite drink? I drink seven cups of coffee in a day, and black, super dark espresso, no sugar, no milk. It works for me, it keeps me awake. And I can still sleep even if I drink coffee beforehand. With all the things that you do now, what keeps you going? Every year I have a different passion project. That’s what keeps me going whenever I feel like uninspired, or when boredom strikes. There’s always something new to think of, there are always things you can do. So just get out there. I love to paint, so I am still painting. I’m working on my third exhibit now, which is for the end of next year. My last exhibit was last October. My first exhibit was really more just out of passion, and I wasn’t after putting up an exhibit, in the first place. I featured different photos from different tribes of the world. There was no solid theme then, some of the images were soft, some were abstract. My last one had a stronger theme. And more than showing my paintings, I wanted the exhibit to be an experience.
FINISHER Solenn poses with her medal, with close friend Rodjun Cruz, after running 10-K at the Milo Marathon
That’s right, you paint. Who do you consider as your influence as an artist?
I wouldn’t call them my influence, but right now I love this South African painter named Lionel Smit, Dali, the classics. But there are so many good artists now, like those I see at the Manila Art Fair. It’s very important to keep your mind and creativity flowing by attending gatherings and exhibits like that.
What are you most thankful for?
Right now, I’m most thankful for my health. When you’re younger, you tend to be more thankful for material things. But the older you get, the more you realize how important health is. I’m thankful for being healthy.