Examining Vera-Ellen's Strict Diet and Workout Regimen
Vera-Ellen was an American dancer and actress known for her lithe figure and energetic dance numbers in films throughout the 1940s and 1950s. However, behind the scenes, Vera-Ellen adhered to an increasingly strict diet and exercise regimen that likely took a toll on her health.
Vera-Ellen's Background
Born Vera-Ellen Westmeier Rohe in 1921, she began dancing at a young age and made her Broadway debut at just 18. Known for her vivacious personality and slender, muscular frame, she quickly found fame as a Hollywood musical star.
Some of Vera-Ellen's most well-known films include On the Town (1949), Three Little Words (1950), and White Christmas (1954). Despite a successful career, she struggled with anorexia and unhealthy dieting habits behind closed doors.
The Rigors of Hollywood
In the Golden Age of Hollywood, extreme dieting and exercise routines were commonplace among actresses. With the entertainment industry focused heavily on appearance, Vera-Ellen adhered to severely restricted eating habits to maintain her ultra-slim figure.
Details of Vera-Ellen's Diet
At the height of her fame, Vera-Ellen reportedly ate little more than a plain salad and consumed only 300 calories per day. Her customized diet was fanatically regimented and friends recalled she weighed every morsel of food on a small jewelers scale.
She eliminated fats, dairy, and sugar entirely and stuck to just fruits, vegetables, egg whites, and 100 calorie brown rice cakes. This highly restrictive diet provided insufficient nutrition for normal bodily functions.
Rigorous Dance Exercise Routine
Alongside perpetual dieting, Vera-Ellen spent hours a day dancing intensely. She utilized barre exercises, ballet workouts, and high energy tap dance routines to constantly burn extra calories.
Former co-stars noted her boundless energy reserves on set. However, when not engaged in dance or filming, her emaciated and fatigued appearance reflected the immense physical strain.
Effects of Extreme Dieting on Health
Vera-Ellen's severe calorie restriction took an immense toll despite enabling her to stay rail-thin for studios. Friends reported her body appeared frail and energy depleted off-screen.
She suffered broken bones and strained muscles frequently yet persisted with exercising obsessively. Vera-Ellen eventually adopted wigs and caps to hide her thinning hair resulting from nutritional deficiencies.
By her mid-30s, the extreme diet caused early onset osteoarthritis forcing an end to her dance career. Vera-Ellen's declining health serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of overly restrictive diets common among Hollywood starlets of past eras.
Vera-Ellens Diet Compared to Modern Celebrity Diets
While Vera-Ellen took dieting extremes to perilous levels in the 1950s, eating disorders and extreme weight watching still remain issues in Hollywood today. However, a number of contemporary celebrities demonstrate far healthier dieting approaches by modern standards.
Jennifer Anistons Diet
Known for her age-defying physique at 53, Jennifer Aniston sticks to a balanced low-glycemic diet full of healthy fats, protein, fruits and vegetables. She minimizes gluten, heavily processed foods and added sugars.
Jennifer focuses on moderation and nutrition over calorie counting. She allows occasional treats like pizza or Mexican food to avoid feeling deprived. Her sustainable diet and yoga workout routine showcase a model of long-term health.
Jessica Albas Diet
Actress and businesswoman Jessica Alba maintains her fit figure not through obsessive dieting but embracing nutritious whole foods. Her diet avoids processed ingredients and emphasizes plant-based protein sources.
Jessicas healthy meal staples include quinoa bowls loaded with vegetables, greens supplements, bean tacos, and protein smoothies. Her lifestyle balance proves weight can be managed without extreme measures.
Kate Hudsons Diet
Swearing off deprivation diets that inevitably fail long-term, Kate Hudson commits to a nutritious plant-focused diet with room for moderation. Her approach focuses on adding beneficial elements like fresh juices and salads rather than restricting food groups.
Though Kate sticks to nutrient dense whole foods much of the time, she allows herself bread or wine in moderation. Her 80/20 balance of healthy and treat foods offers a sustainable path.
Healthy Dieting Alternatives to Extreme Restriction
Vera-Ellens severely limited 300 calorie diet reflects outdated extremes encouraged in old Hollywood. Luckily, nutrition science has evolved substantially since the 1950s providing healthier approaches for weight management.
Intuitive and Mindful Eating
Intuitive eating done mindfully by listening to internal hunger and fullness cues has proven an effective strategy for losing or maintaining weight for many people without intense food restrictions and calorie tracking.
Disconnecting weight goals from self-worth and appreciating food variety help reduce tendencies towards disorderd eating patterns.
Balancing Nutrition Goals
Focusing on enhancing nutrition first before counting calories can satisfy bodily needs and still enable moderate weight loss. Filling up on fiber, protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients ensures no malnutrition side effects.
Embracing all foods in moderation gentle nutrition shifts can better support metabolic and mental health compared to demonizing entire food groups.
Consistent Lifestyle Changes
Small consistent additions of physical activity rather than extreme exercise regimens provide sustainable outcomes. Simple changes like more steps daily, taking walks, trying new active hobbies, and reducing sedentary time add up.
Permanent lifestyle changes enable gradual improvements in health and weight over temporary extreme diets prone to rebound weight gain.
The Takeaway: Balance Over Restriction
Vera-Ellens severely restrictive 300 calorie daily diet to maintain a slim dancers figure resulted in permanent damage to her health from malnutrition and lost bone density.
Modern celebrities showcase far more balanced lifestyles integrating nutritious foods, enjoyable treats in moderation, consistent exercise without overtraining, and focus on self-care rather than unrealistic aesthetic ideals.
Avoiding extremes and harsh restriction enables diet sustainability and lifelong health. With balanced nutrition and lifestyle choices, healthy weight management need not require deprivation nor perfection.
FAQs
How many calories did Vera-Ellen eat per day?
At her dieting extreme, Vera-Ellen reportedly consumed just 300 calories daily from foods like plain salads, egg whites, fruits, vegetables, and brown rice cakes.
Why did Vera-Ellen starve herself through extreme dieting?
Vera-Ellen intensely dieted to maintain an extremely slim dancer's figure that Hollywood demanded of actresses at the time. She became obsessed with restrictive eating despite severe health consequences.
What health problems arose from Vera-Ellen's diet?
The starvation diet led Vera-Ellen to develop various nutritional deficiencies over time including hair loss and broken bones. She also suffered from early onset arthritis, damaged muscles and fatigue from over-exercise.
How did old Hollywood starlets' diets compare to modern celebrities'?
Mid-century film actresses often adopted very restrictive diets and exercise regimens to stay thin based on entertainment industry pressures. Today's celebrities tend to promote more balanced eating with moderation and sustainable lifestyle habits.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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