Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are an actress, journalist, television host, author and an occasional professional wrestler. Introduce us to a typical day in your remarkable multi-dimensional life.
Ms. Maria Menounos:
I wake up around 6. In the past I would immediately check my phone and start responding to emails and messages but, through my Mom’s recent bout with cancer (stage 4 glioblastoma- we are confident we will survive!) and through my extensive work with Tony Robbins, I’ve learned how stressful it is to do so. Now I wake up and either do some “priming”, a technique I learned from Tony (a breathing exercise that gives you the most positive burst and outlook for the day) or I do some transcendental meditation or mindful meditation. The latter is a recording I listen to, created by an amazing female therapist, Ida Kendall, that I met through my girlfriend, Emmanuelle Chriqui. Ida has been very helpful to me and other females in easing stress and lending better coping tools to deal with life. By waking up this way, I’m in such a better mindset and mood for the rest of the day. On my best day, which isn’t often enough, I’ll go for a walk with my Mom, Dad or Kev. It’s a great form of exercise and often so rewarding. You get to bond and exchange with a loved one in such an amazing, healthy and relaxed way. BTW! one of my favorite tips in my book “The EveryGirl’s Guide to Diet and Fitness” is to take walking meetings! Next time you have a meeting or even need to open up to someone about something bothering you, a walk is the most open least combative way to do so.
I shower/get dressed, review emails and prep to host E! News and my SiriusXM Radio, Stars 109 show, Conversations with Maria Menounos. At 9am I have a morning meeting with E!, where we go over stories of the day. At 10am, I’m live in studio for SiriusXM with my show, “Conversations with Maria Menounos.” The show lasts an hour but it’s such an amazing opportunity to connect directly with other women. We cover everything from health, wellness, beauty, relationships, career and pop culture. Between the guests I have, celebrities, and world experts, and the fans who call in, we always learn something. Sharing information and helping people are such an ongoing passion of mine. SiriusXM and the talk radio format really helps deliver that. As soon as I wrap Conversations, I’m off to E! where I’m shooting until late afternoon. Jason, Catt, and our other hosts and crew, and I have a ton of fun doing it, always making one another laugh. As you can probably tell, I’m very blessed to do the work that I do. When I wrap, I hit my desk to respond to emails and take calls as we have our production company with many shows in development and our digital network AfterBuzz TV. At AfterBuzz we produce ‘after-shows’ for your favorite TV shows because, like most, I’m obsessed with television.
We are amongst the biggest content providers if not THE biggest in the world. But what I love most about AfterBuzz is the opportunities we give new hosts and how we help build and shape their brands and careers. I take that part of AfterBuzz very serious. We hold multiple seminars and classes, do our best to set hosts up for success, AND establish a New Hollywood where women, especially, support one another rather than tearing one another down. Once a week I head over to our AfterBuzz studios. There, I shoot my cinema pre-show, NCM’s First Look, seen daily in 70% of America’s theaters. The shoot lasts less than 15 minutes but it gives me a chance to see and engage Hollywood’s next generation of hosts. After that I head home. I’ll make some more calls in the car either for work or to catch up with family. At home, we try to have dinner out or at home whichever is more convenient. I’d like to be able to work out after, once to three times a week, but it’s not easy. Lately I have been getting one workout a week. I mainly follow the principles I laid out in “The EveryGirl’s Guide to Diet and Fitness” being active throughout my day. When I can I like to binge watch TV with Kev, Mom and Dad and the babies – the term we use for our four dogs. Mondays and Thursdays Kev and a crew of millennials dress in Star Trek uniforms to host ‘The Tomorrow Show.’ I’m not on the show but they have many of my celeb friends in as guests so it’s nice to use the show to catch up with them. Plus, Mom and Dad cook all these super healthy high protein soups for the staff that I always indulge in. Once Kev comes to bed, we settle in and watch South Park or whatever is current. The lighter the tone of the show, the better. Watching ‘Waking Dead’ before bed leads to nightmares. I may be old fashioned but once Kev turns off the TV, I approach the fireplace mantle in my room. There I have my religious icons and such from childhood. I stand in front of it, fold my hands and pray for those in my life who need it from fans to friends to family including my mom. I fall asleep to Ida’s meditation recording.
My days change often as there are events and dinners but that’s a pretty solid account. I try my best to use weekends to catch up on errands, quality time with family and sleep!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?
Ms. Maria Menounos:
I’ve tried everything from boxing to weights but recently, I’ve been thinking about learning Pilates. It would be less impact on my joints and increase my strength and core. In the meantime, a good walk with a loved one or friend is amazing. When I wrote The EveryGirl’s Guide to Diet and Fitness, I learned that the cultures that lived the longest all had something in common – they walked a lot! I’ll do a few minutes on the treadmill, too, and I love Soul Cycle. It’s just hard for me to find time for the latter but I love it.
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