CELEB HEALTH

Saheefa Jabbar Khattak entered the world of fashion in 2015; however she came into the limelight after she said no to conventional beauty standards and went for a pixie-cut. Though the model and actress faced severe criticism for her short hair, she refuted the idea of conventional beauty. With time she proved that her eccentric beauty choices have nothing to do with her craft. Saheefa ventured into acting last year with Teri Meri Kahani alongside Azfar Rehman. Currently she is appearing in drama serial Bhool and is doing a commendable job essaying the role of Saboor Aly’s mother.

Being a model and actor is not an easy job. With hectic routines, juggling between travel and on-the-go lifestyles, our celebs make extra efforts to stay fit and healthy. When it comes to health and fitness, Saheefa Jabbar believes that the key to staying fit is eating right and working towards staying happy mentally. Instep spoke to the actress to find out how she manages to stay in shape…

Eating habits

Saheefa follows a weird pattern as far as her fitness routine is concerned. "For five good days, I resort to clean eating and incorporate fruits and raw vegetables especially lots of greens in my diet. Moreover, I drink lots of water to keep myself hydrated," she shared.

The artist admits that she is not a health freak and in fact she is a big time foodie who at times indulges in junk food and even orders fast food in the middle of the night. "But when I am trying to watch my weight, I either take just one meal a day or go completely green," she said, adding that if it is summer she prefers seasonal fruits especially watermelon; she also loves fresh juices. "I am a big time fan of homemade lemonade as well as berry smoothies made particularly with Greek yoghurt, citrus fruits and ‘NO’ bananas."

Workout routine

As for her workout routine, the actress revealed that the last time she hit the gym was almost eight years ago i.e. in 2011. "Last month I started swimming and I think it really helps you stay in shape. Also I have joined AimFit fitness studio and am really looking forward to their Grid Fit programme. I will join the fitness centre on October 1, which is also my birthday, so fingers crossed."

Mental health vs. physical health

"It goes without saying that mental health is of utmost importance if you want to maintain your physical health," stressed Saheefa. "You can have all the money in the world and the best of everything but if you are not healthy mentally then you can’t achieve anything. Seeking professional help is really important but over the years I have come to realize that everybody needs to give themselves some time to heal and cope up with mental health problem such as depression and anxiety. I am someone who fears failure and if I am upset or depressed I remind myself of the certain goals that I have to achieve and that’s what keeps me going. When we talk about stress management I strongly believe that staying away from social media - as it is toxic most of the times - for sometime can be quite beneficial."

Piece of advice

For Saheefa, a healthy lifestyle means creating a positive space for herself,  giving herself some time to reflect on her life and meeting positive people. According to the artist, when one is happy mentally everything tends to fall in place.

"As I said earlier it is essential to focus on your mental health first. As far as a healthy lifestyle is concerned, I think we tend to ignore what we consume on a daily basis. Eating right can make all the difference. When I am eating clean and taking lots of fluids, I genuinely feel happy both mentally and physically. So my simple advice would be to eat right and see the magic," concluded Saheefa.