Ellen DeGeneres covers May's 'Shape,' and inside she talks about how she stays energized by eating vegan and avoiding all sugar and processed foods even though wife Portia de Rossi (who has publicly battled anorexia) prefers her heavier.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
On her diet:
"Food used to be really important to me. I loved steak, I loved hamburgers, I loved all that stuff. I can't believe how irresponsible I was, eating what I ate... Cheeseburgers, fried chicken, fried things... and then some things happened in my life, and, as a lot of young girls do, I put on weight as a barrier, as protection, to keep people away. I was always dieting, always struggling, always trying to lose it. Diets don't work. It has to be a way of life." Her approach to eating may sound rigid--"no animals, no dairy, nothing processed; a lot of soup, veggies, rice, beans, legumes"--but Ellen sees it as a way of being good to herself. "I want to be on my toes; I want to have energy. And as much as the diet seems like a sacrifice, it's helping me."
On Portia:
"She loves me no matter what. Whenever I feel bad about myself, or if I'm in a period where I'm not working out, she's constantly telling me that she doesn't notice, that I look beautiful. She'll say, 'I think you could gain 10 more pounds.' She would rather have me heavier than thinner, and she really hates that I ever doubt myself. She loves how I look. She wants me to be happy and never think about it."
On her exercise routine:
"I first started doing power yoga in L.A., which really makes no sense. Power yoga? It's the opposite of what it should be. Yoga should calm you down!"
You can read the whole Shape interview here.