10 Ways to Optimal Health, the Martha Stewart Way

Calling a blemish or rash “unacceptable”, Martha is vigilant about skin care. She cleanses her face morning and night, and employs the use of toners, serums, and sunblock.

Lucky for us, she names names. Martha’s a big fan of Mario Badescu products (and I couldn’t agree more — the Facial Spray is one of my favorite things ever, and I use their face wash and toner daily) and also likes super-exclusive brand Yon-ka’s line of goods.

To the envy of busy people everywhere, Martha has a “fabulous” home gym that was designed by her daughter, Alexis. Not only is it fully equipped with state-of-the-art cardio equipment and weight machines, but also boasts a huge flat-screen television and a stunning view of her farm.

Martha spends a lot of time in her little fitness sanctuary (as we all would if we had such a luxury in our own homes) because she knows the excellent health benefits of cardiovascular exercise and weight training, and so she makes it a regular part of her schedule.

Martha’s favorite outdoor activity is walking, and it’s no wonder: walkers are less apt to get cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other deadly diseases. Not only that, but they enjoy the positive mental health and spiritual benefits that come from walking.

And true to her nature, Martha’s a stickler about making sure she’s got the right walking gear, including comfortable walking shoes. Brands like New Balance are consistently highly-rated and trusted, but different brands work for different people, so be sure to try out as many pairs as possible before buying.

As you would expect someone with a celebrity status to do, Martha keeps an ultra-organized calendar with every single task, and meeting, appointment listed in excruciating detail (“Each appointment is listed with phone numbers of all the principals.”) While this may either seem too obvious or too scheduled, think about it: keeping a dilligent schedule helps keep your organized which eliminate a lot of undue stress. And that, of course, is quite healthy.

It’s hugely important to drink enough water throughout the day, and Martha makes it easy to do by putting a pitcher next to the computer in each of her four offices. And it’s no ordinary tap water, my friends: it’s mineral water spiked with fresh lemon, lime, orange, or (my personal favorite) cucumber and mint. So it’s convenient, tasty, and it looks pretty, too.

When you hear the word “juicing”, do you immediately think of Mark McGwire? You’re close, but think Jack LaLanne instead.

Martha starts out every single morning with an engine-revving glass of what she calls “green juice”. In her Breville juicer (above), she blends spinach, celery, cucumber, carrot, pear, apple, pomegranate, plum, peach, a bit of orange peel, and a small piece of ginger (many of which are harvested from her own garden, natch). “I even have my housekeepers hooked on the goodness of the juice,” she claims.

I love it when actresses and models claim that they go for days — weeks! — without washing their hair. Right-o! Apparently they don’t work out, sweat, or wake up with bad morning hair.

Not our Martha. She washes hers every day, and varies the shampoos and conditioners that she uses (I do this, too, since I swear that my hair responds better when I rotate between 2 or 3 different shampoos).

Salon treatments? Sure. In addition to trips to her colorist, Martha sometimes gets a hair glossing, which makes her hair…well, glossy.

Here we go with the exercise again. But that’s what Martha’s got down here for number eight, so let’s proceed.

Along with her blinged-out home gym, Martha enjoys private yoga classes to keep her toned and flexible. And with its renowned benefits, it’s a fantastic addition to anyone’s fitness routine. In fact, it’s so important to Martha that even when she travels, she brings a yoga block, ring, and strap with her so that she can keep up with her practice when she’s away from home.

Brush your teeth, go to the dentist, and take care of your hands, feet, and the skin on your body. Obvious, huh? Of course! But sometimes when we get lazy, these daily habits are the first things to slide.

But Martha doesn’t. She is vigilant about her daily routine, going above and beyond with salt water gargles (to prevent sore throats) and specially-formualated body lotions and tonics.

Since stress contributes to the development of disease, relaxation is key to a healthy life, and should be made a priority in everyone’s day — and that includes super-busy business magnates. Martha gets hers in as often as she can by reading (she has a Kindle!), watching movies (I’d love to see her Netflix queue), and enjoying a comforting cup of tea or cappuccino.