The Healthy Project: Starring Mindy Kaling
The actress and writer reports back after surviving Q’s live-better challenges.
By: Amy Gallo Ryan, Q by Equinox
Finally The Mindy Project (9:30pm ET/PT on FOX) is back. In salute, Q presented Mindy Kaling with three healthy ways to push herself. The actress, who is also a writer, producer and director—clearly not one to shy away from a challenge—was more than happy to step up to the plate.
Related: Why You Don’t Know the Best Thing About Cameron Diaz’s Body
1. Movement Challenge: Do our 16-minute hotel room workout.
When and where she took the challenge:
"I did this is in my hotel room at the Trump Soho when I was visiting New York for Christmas."
The high and low points:
"High point was wearing my yoga pants and only my sports bra because I was doing this in private and no one could see me! Low point was knocking over a shopping bag when I was doing the squat jump 180s."
How she felt afterward:
"Tired! Awesome. The plus side of this workout (that you can do it in 16 minutes) is also what makes it challenging, because there are no breaks. I couldn’t take breaks to wander around leafing through the room service menu."
2. Nutrition Challenge: Go 24 hours without eating any processed food.
How challenging she expected it to be:
"I thought this would be pretty easy as long as I didn’t go to the movies, where all I want to do is eat processed garbage. I luckily avoided going to the movies, and it wasn’t hard. Also, I live in Los Angeles, the easiest city in the world to avoid processed food because everyone here is insanely picky and has food issues."
What she ate:
"I was too lazy to try to figure out the deal with meat and whether it was processed food, so I just went vegan and raw for the day. I loved eating almond butter on apples.”
How she felt:
"After a day of no processed foods I felt picky—in a good way. Completely superior to everyone because of it."
What she missed:
"I missed diet soda and also sour patch kids."
Related: 5 Questions with Jessica Alba
3. Regeneration Challenge: Power down your phone and all other devices an hour before bed and sleep 8 full hours.
Her typical night’s sleep:
"It is easy for me to get to sleep because I usually wake up very early. I work late on my show with the writers and as an actor have call times as early as 5:30 in the morning, so I am happy with six hours, but usually get about five or five and a half."
How challenging she expected it to be:
"I thought this would be pretty challenging because I love my phone—but then I thought: I can write, just not on my computer. I used a good old fashioned notepad and jotted down ideas for a script I am working on. Turns out my handwriting is incomprehensible!"
How she found disconnecting before bed:
"It was fantastic and it made me really excited to read my texts and emails in the morning, like I was on a remote camping trip."
How she felt:
"When I can sleep eight full hours I feel like Danny Ocean, like I pulled off the greatest heist of all time and I can lead a group of good-looking people to do anything I want."
Related: Q&A with Sarah Jessica Parker
