BALANCING ACT

ET Canada reporter Sangita Patel’s secrets to living well

Spend time viewing Sangita Patel’s Instagram account and you’ll notice a pattern: Sprinkled liberally among fashion blogger–worthy glamour shots, photos of celebs (thanks to day job No. 1, ET Canada entertainment reporter) and a pic or two of Canadian design stars (from day job No. 2, host of HGTV Canada’s Home to Win) are videos and photos of the TV personality killing it at the gym. Her regular #Fitnesstuesday posts offer a sneak peek at her exercise routine, whether it’s an at-home arm workout or a group Crossfit class. She started the hashtag as a way to motivate herself and others to meet their health goals, and it’s definitely made an impact on her 17,000-plus followers. “Someone sent me a direct message about how she lost 20 pounds by following #Fitnesstuesday!” she says. That’s why Sangita is the perfect person to kick off a new column about women living their healthiest lives. Read on for meal ideas, workout songs and the best way to eat a banana, ever.

WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST:

“I have a protein shake with a shot of espresso in the morning. I take that on the road, and that’s my morning start.”

LUNCH:

“I’ll usually have an omelette or hard- cooked eggs for lunch, or sometimes I’ll have soup because I need more sodium in my diet.”

DINNER:

“I tend to have some carbs in the evening, which isn’t necessarily the right way to do it. But I love basmati rice, and I love quinoa with chicken. I just try to eat before 7 p. m.”

HEALTHY DESSERT:

“One really easy, healthy dessert is taking a banana, slicing it open, spreading on some good peanut butter and a little bit of dark chocolate, wrapping it in foil and baking it for a few minutes.”

FAVOURITE EXERCISE: “I normally hate cardio, but I love skipping; I love doing double unders.” WHAT’S ON HER WORKOUT PLAYLIST: “I love loud music. Eminem’s ‘ Lose Yourself’ is one of my favourite songs to work out to.” LEAST FAVOURITE EXERCISE: “Burpees are the worst, but I know I have to do them because they’re so good for you.” HYDRATION TIPS: “I sip water with lemon all day long.” “I know a lot of us want to lose weight, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But you also have to think about how you’re going to take care of yourself in the future. That means getting into some of those great workouts and eating healthy.”