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How the star of SCI-FI Channel's Stargate SG-1 stays
fit for her body and mind.
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Originally Published June 22, 2005 -- Your Wellness
Guide
Sci-Fi Star Amanda Tapping -- Devoted to a Healthy
Lifestyle
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Other celebrity
wellness interviews:
HGTV's "Queen of Crafts"
Balances Her Life - Carol Duvall
Simple Heart Healthy Eating Tips
- Food Network's Kathleen Daelemans
Overcome Childhood Hurt To Thrive
- NBC's "Starting Over"
Use Music To De-stress and
Heal - Laurie Z.
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Season
nine of Stargate SG-1 premieres Friday, July 15, on the Sci
Fi Channel. I sat down to talk with one of the series’ stars,
Amanda Tapping -- Lt. Col. Samantha Carter, Ph.D. -- about how she
balances her life as a new mom and what she has done to create a
wellness lifestyle for herself in an industry that can be highly
stressful. |
“I’m back at
work and bring the baby with me,” says Tapping, who describes her new
bundle of joy as a Gerber baby look-a-like with light brown curly hair.
“I’m up at 5 a.m., get showered and ready, feed the baby, then stay at
work until 7 or 7:30 at night.” But don’t get her wrong, Tapping is
thrilled to have her first baby and comfortable about being back on the
set. After a couple of miscarriages and longing to have a family, the
successful actress is determined to make it work as both a dedicated mom
and a TV lieutenant. She is also thankful that she can bring the baby to
work, with the help of a full-time nanny.
The discipline of
Tapping’s on-screen character crosses over into real life as she talks about how
she prepared for the pregnancy and her overall commitment to a healthy
lifestyle. Prior to and during her pregnancy she was devoted to a daily
regimen of eating right, exercising, and getting enough rest.
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“Diet and
exercise are a given. I eat fish and salad everyday at work and drink a
ton of water. I use common sense and am smart about it,” she says. Also,
the last ten years, and especially since becoming pregnant, she has been
more conscious of organic food options. “The more I read about modified
foods, farmed fish, hormones, pesticides -- it’s scary.”
Prior to
having the baby she also was routine about getting to bed early. For the
short term, the sleep has come under fire, which only proves to her that
getting enough rest is critical. “Without the sleep, because of the baby,
it can get a little loopy and rocky.” But she says that even if she doesn’t
get the shut-eye, she can revive if she gets some quiet time (not in
front of a TV or computer, she reminds me).
While
pregnant, the SG-1 star found time to exercise with a personal
trainer, working out three times a week. She was still keeping fit with
this trainer eight days past her due date and attributes her fitness
and a doula (labor assistant) to her ability to give birth without
drugs -- the result being a faster recovery, she contends. Plus the doula
also “helped the husband through it,” she laughs.
As a
performer, she has learned how important it is to focus and leave time for
introspection. While many turn to yoga to gain that internal depth, for
Tapping it has been through playing guitar and painting -- acrylic on
canvas. “It’s important to be good to yourself psychologically,” she says.
“I paint. I write. And I found that through my pregnancy this would keep me
centered and calm.” She has hung some of her paintings in her baby
daughter’s room and her friends’ children’s rooms.
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Photo
Courtesy Charles Bush
Photo Courtesy
Shane Harvey/SCI FI Channel
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For having had
parents who wanted her to go into a science field in real life, Tapping has
actually done quite well -- playing a character who is a specialist in Stargate
technology, has a doctorate in astrophysics, and additional scientific
knowledge. But the entertainment business is known for changing like the wind,
requiring a backbone strong enough to support a ton of rejection and
disappointment. When asked how she maintains a positive attitude and control of
her success in spite of the industry’s ups and downs, she replies “You can’t
take it too personally especially as a woman, otherwise you’ll be heartbroken.
You have to have a good sense of humor. Everyone knows I’m a bit of a goof
around here. I can laugh at myself.”
She also feels
that Stargate SG-1 hasn’t taken itself as seriously as some other sci-fi
shows, adding in a few comedic elements here and there, which she thinks has
contributed to the longevity of the show.
In the past few
years, Tapping has been able to give back to the community through association
with various charities and organizations. One program she has given her time to
is called Fast Forward, a Women in Film mentoring program for young
actors. Initially, she didn’t think she had that much to share but then
realized she could help more than she thought. She has also discovered
unexpected personal growth. “I’m more willing to share my mistakes than I
thought I would be. And I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m not
perfect. That’s okay, and it helps me to feel better about myself. It’s all
about being willing to laugh about myself.”
Terra
Wellington
is a
national authority on creating a wellness lifestyle.
www.terrawellington.com
© Copyright Terra
Wellington
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