Having started her acting career with drama serial Diyar e Dil, Mariyam Nafees portrayed the character of Khajista in Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Ali starrer Yakeen Ka Safar that turned out to be one of the most popular TV plays of that year. Apart from that, she has a number of drama serials to her credit including Dil Kiya Karey, Kamzarf, Jhooti, Bhook, Munafiq, Fitrat and many others.

Currently Mariyam can be seen in Geo Entertainment’s ongoing Ramazan special play, titled Ishq Jalebi, which is directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain and features Madiha Imam, Wahaj Ali, veteran actor Qavi Khan and Hina Bayat in key roles.

We caught up with the rising star to get an insight on her health regime and how she maintains a healthy lifestyle, especially when on-the-go.

Lifestyle choices

Mariyam shares that she tries to watch what she eats and enjoy her veggies as well. “I try to occasionally burn it off a little too, however I am not exactly a fitness freak,” she tells Instep.

She further went on to say, “Though my work is such that I have to stay in shape because we know the camera already adds a few pounds. However, I’m also blessed with a petite body so I don’t stress about it much.”

The actress also feels that six to seven hours of sleep is necessary to stay healthy.

When asked about her fitness goals, she responds, “My fitness goal is to have amazing stamina, which is required for all the crazy adventures that I do and to be able to do all those yoga postures.”

Eating habits

As far as her eating preferences are concerned, the actress says that she takes multiple meals per day. “Basically I never eat a full stomach, but I have to admit that I’ve not done dieting for a single day in my life. In fact, I have legit no control on my food cravings,” she admits.

Talking of nutrients that dominate her diet, Mariyam shares, “I hardly have breakfast (which is NOT recommended), but for brunch, lunch and dinner I eat whatever I feel like having. There is no set menu but I eat everything and of course my meals consist of healthy ingredients.”

Mariyam also shares that she loves orange and carrot juice. “Also, I absolutely love a nice desi lemonade with mint and some black salt; it keeps you hydrated throughout the day.”

Workout routine

On how often does she workout, Mariyam reveals, “I try to do yoga at least thrice a week. Besides that I make sure to go cycling on the weekends. And I really enjoy walking my dog.” She furthers that jumping rope and jogging also help her maintain her weight, keep her in shape and most importantly build stamina.

Importance of mental health

We know for a fact that mental health is more important than physical health and that if your mind is healthy then your body will also be healthy. “Mental health is and should be most important for everybody and I can’t emphasise on this enough,” stresses Mariyam.

Speaking of her stress management strategy, the Meray Dost Meray Yaar 2 actress informs, “Yoga, meditation and good food is my stress management strategy.”

Piece of advice

On a parting note, Mariyam Nafees shares a health tip that she swears by; she avoids sugary desserts as much as she can and indulges in fruits.

She also advises all her fans that if they want to attain a healthy lifestyle, the best tip is to eat whatever they feel like eating but it is important to burn it off as well. A little physical activity can go a long way.