5 Wellness Tips Maria Menounos Learned After a Terrifying Diagnosis
In April 2017, Maria Menounos' life changed forever after the unthinkable happened - an MRI revealed a benign brain tumor diagnosed as meningioma. At the time, the E! co-anchor was living life in the fast lane, pushing her mind and body to its limits. "I was in fight-or-flight mode every single day," Maria tells RedbookMag.com, but says she's since slowed down and is "much happier and at peace."
However, she's remained in the public eye, balancing her podcast, Conversations With Maria, and her SirusXM daily radio show with her most recent role as Rally Health's newest Ambassador, advocating for health and health care across the country. While her career may still seem fast-paced to many, to Maria it's much more manageable than before her diagnosis - and she's taking steps to keep it that way.
"I now focus on the mindful perspective that I gained during this experience, because it's very easy to go back into old habits," she says. We sat down with Maria during her most recent "Rally on the Road" summer tour to find out how to live a slow, mindful, and balanced life.
1. Listen to your body.
It may sound like common sense, but with the overabundance of screens at our fingertips, it's all too easy to forget to mentally "check-in" with yourself throughout the day. "When your body is making a noise, we have to respect it," Maria stresses. "If my body needs a nap, I give it a nap. If I'm tired in the morning, I'll sleep longer. I choose to listen to what my body needs and what it's saying." She also enjoys self-care practices like meditation and adventuring out into nature.
2. Work smarter, not harder.
Today, society seems to glorify being busy - a downfall Maria fell victim to before her diagnosis. "I was in the tornado," she admitted. "I thought being a workaholic was something to be proud of, but work isn't everything." Maria now strives for efficiency so she can be fully present and enjoy her time off with her friends and family.
3. Be proactive, not reactive.
"I don't want to get a [tragic] call about a friend, loved one, or myself and then want to start spending time with them," Maria says. Life is about embracing the present moment - both the people and experiences in front of you. Maria not only emphasized her gratitude for her support system, but also touched on how this tip relates to advocating for your own personal health. "People are afraid to go to the doctor or push it off, and now I know that taking care of yourself and your wellness first is so important," she says. Moral of the story: stop delaying your doctor appointments!
4. Get to know the 80/20 rule.
Calorie-counting and crash dieting are a thing of the past. Maria is a big advocate of the 80/20 rule - in other words, you spend 80% of your time eating clean, healthy, and nourishing foods that optimize your health and 20% eating things that you may enjoy more, but aren't as healthy for you. "I still want to have fun, but eat as healthy as I can to counter the effects of the 20%," Maria says.
5. Work out with friends.
"I love blending workouts with social activity and doing things that don't feel like a workout," Maria says. That's why she gathers her friends regularly to play pickleball in the park so they can have fun and laugh a little while breaking a sweat - after all, laughter is the best form of medicine, right? "It's amazing for mental and emotional health," Maria reaffirms.
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