Whether she’s lifting weights at home or sweating it out at the gym, Gabrielle Union never shies away from an intense workout. She’s also a foodie who doesn’t miss a thing.
Wondering how the 51-year-old star balances her love of food with her fitness goals? Here are some of her most relatable tips and tricks:
She eats much more than you think
Union loves food and she’s not afraid to give her fans a glimpse into her daily diet. In 2023, she shared a sample of what she eats on an average day on Instagram.
In the morning, she eats seasonal fruits (such as mango, kiwis, blueberries and strawberries) and then enjoys gluten-free pancakes with fruit and maple syrup.
A typical lunch includes a salad of collard greens, shaved fennel, arugula, avocado and champagne vinaigrette. For dinner, Union’s favorite dish is Three by Wade Cabernet Sauvignon braised short ribs with garlic cauliflower puree, broccoletti, carrots and sweet potatoes with a demi-glace.
She drinks a lot of water
In 2014, Union told Elle magazine that she started drinking 1 gallon of water a day when she was in her mid-thirties.
“It’s something that everyone has access to, and it not only helps your beauty, but also your fitness and digestion,” she said.
Union revealed that she spreads out her water intake and avoids drinking too much water in the evening.
“The best tip I’ve gotten is to try to drink half by noon and then drink the other half really leisurely until 6 p.m., after that it gets a little tricky. I’m about to go to work out (it’s 11:30 a.m.), so I know I’ll drink a good 32 ounces just from working out. Just try to drink as much as you can early,” she said.
She is honest about the diets that didn’t work for her
In 2017, Union told Women’s Health that the Master Cleanse diet was “the craziest diet I’ve ever tried.”
“I lasted about a day and a half and then the anger came… You can’t do the Master Cleanse and live a normal life at the same time. I curse everyone…’ because I’m hungry,“, she said.
“I have to eat every couple of hours. I can’t eat much after 8 p.m., but not eating from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.? I can’t do that. I’m on (another) cleansing diet to stay on track while filming ‘Being Mary Jane.’ I eat vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low sodium, low sugar and low carb. When I eat like that, I feel very focused and it keeps me slim,” she said.
She has a healthy attitude towards food surpluses
Life is short and Union allows himself a reward every now and then.
“What’s the point of being skinny if your stomach is constantly growling?” she told Us Weekly in 2015. “It sucks. Eat a burger!”
After all, sometimes it can be much more productive to indulge in your favorite food than to eat the low-calorie version.
“If I don’t feel like it, I don’t feel like it,” she added. “I’ll have a margarita — I don’t take the skinny margarita, I’ll take the one with all the damn calories. I’ll have a cheeseburger, I’ll eat a pound of bacon and then, maybe, the next day, I’ll try to get it together. But I try not to overdo it.”
In 2017, the star also told Women’s Health that she learned to be kind to herself when she indulges.
“I’m not obsessive about food, like, ‘Oh no, I ate badly so I have to stay at the gym for two hours!’ Did I enjoy the food at the end of the day? Absolutely! Am I going to stress about it? Absolutely not! And magically the world isn’t going to end because of what I ate,” she said.
She is often afraid of training, but knows that it is worth it
Union has said that she doesn’t always love exercise, even describing some workouts as “torture on varying degrees” in a 2014 interview with Elle.
“But I like kickboxing because I can let out my aggression without being judged for it. Because you can’t just go around hitting people, you’ll get arrested for that apparently. A good boxing workout is the best stress, anxiety and anger release there is, so I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said.
She is always ready to try a new workout
“As phases of training come and go, I try everything,” Union told Women’s Health in 2020. “Nothing, nothing, has stuck. I’ve tried kickboxing and cardio barre, I’ve tried a SoulCycle class… I’m not a class person.”
She prefers strength training to cardio
In 2020, Union told Women’s Health that she typically works out three days a week for 50 minutes, with only six minutes of each workout devoted to cardio.
“I like variety so I don’t get nervous staring at the treadmill,” she said. “Cardio can be jumping jacks, running in the driveway, sideways shuffling like in basketball, elliptical, treadmill or pushing a sled.”
The star swears by classic moves like squats and lunges to tone her butt, especially with a resistance band.
“The nice thing about my workouts is that they change every session and every day. It really depends on my mood as to what my scenes look like plot-wise,” she said. “Basically, I try to stay as flexible as possible.”
She likes to train outdoors
Exercising outdoors can make your sweaty workout a little more bearable.
“I need vitamin D for my face. Give me a hiking trail, a park, a walk with the dogs down the street, a breeze, rain. I go hiking,” Union told Women’s Health in 2019.
She believes that fitness at home is “the new normal”
Over the past few years, Union has partnered with FitOn, a free fitness app, to share some of her favorite workouts that anyone can do from the comfort of their own home.
“For me, fitness at home is the new normal,” she told Woman’s Day in 2021.
Pilates works for her
Union doesn’t like getting up early, but when she does exercise in the morning, she often does Pilates.
“I’m not a morning person, but I have to work out early because of my schedule. The great thing about Pilates is that I can take out my frustration about getting up early on the equipment instead of on people. It’s for the greater good. My body responds to it and I’m also more clear-headed,” she told Women’s Health in 2017.
Husband Dwyane Wade motivates her
Working out with a partner is always more fun. In 2022, Union shared a video of her morning workout with her husband Dwyane Wade.
“How I stay motivated 😵💫🫠🖤 My favorite workout partner @dwyanewade 💪🏾😜 I promise you get to choose the music next time I workout 🥰😂🤣 PS: This is us at 6:30am,” she captioned the post.
In 2019, Union told Women’s Health that she also enjoys working out with her children.
“Training together, fighting, failing, trying to get better – it’s a cool thing where you don’t feel like, ‘Let’s talk about our feelings.’ It’s like I’m a cool mom!” she said.
She adjusted her diet when she entered perimenopause
When it comes to perimenopause, Union isn’t afraid to talk openly about the symptoms she’s experienced, including sudden weight gain.
“I once gained 27 pounds (seemingly) overnight,” she told Allure in 2023.
After speaking with a hormone specialist, the star began an anti-inflammatory diet that limited her intake of gluten, dairy, alcohol and caffeine.
“It really changed everything,” she told People in 2023. “I didn’t want it to be true because I love everything. I love cinnamon rolls and real butter, lard, so much. So it’s been a journey. And there are days when I relapse, and when I relapse, especially on vacation, (my symptoms) come right back.”
She strives for balance in her diet and fitness routine
Union tries to give herself a break when she deviates from her diet and fitness goals.
“If I inhale some of my favorite foods one night, the next day I drink more water than usual and try to move around. If I can’t exercise, I walk instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator and stay active,” she told Women’s Health in 2017.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com.
