Zoë Saldana on Her Approach to Healthy Living: “Diets Must Not Exist in a Woman’s Vocabulary”

Two kids later, Zoë Saldana looks as fit as ever—but don’t think that there’s a secret, quick fix to losing the baby weight. “It’s not because I’m better than you or because I was chosen to be skinny. I work at it very hard!” Saldana says in People en Español's September issue.

“I’ve made a conscious decision to live a healthier and cleaner life. If I ate like everyone else then I would look like them,” says the Star Trek Beyond actress, who stuns on the issue's cover from a photo shoot in Havana, Cuba.

“I don’t come from a culture that’s predominantly tall and slim. We don’t eat carrots or bland chicken breast; we eat soup, stews, rice, fried food, everything!” shares Saldana. “If God gave you thick legs then work with what you have, and if you’re still not happy, then be disciplined. I don’t believe in tomorrows, I believe in today. Diets must not exist in a woman’s vocabulary.”

“It’s a choice of life," she says. "In order for you to take pride in yourself you have to be aware of what you are putting in your body and how you are treating it.”

Still, since giving birth to 1-year-old twins Cy and Bowie, the actress has noticed changes in her physique. “[Now] that I’m a mother and I’ve seen my body transform, I want to wear things that compliment me and also make me feel comfortable.”

So how have those changes translated into her wardrobe? Saldana gravitates towards female designers who know how to dress women’s curves. “I’m obsessed with 7 [for All Mankind]. You can tell in their design team there are women with curves, with booties, women with short and long legs because you have the options.”

As for her shoes, the Avatar star is done with suffering through stiletto woes. “I make sure that the shoes I wear were designed by women that wear them, who know what it’s like when your back hurts, or when you can’t feel your toes, and they avoid that without compromising the beauty of wearing heels.”

It sounds like this new mom has truly come into her own. Pick up the September issue of People en Español for her full interview, and keep scrolling for a look at behind-the-scenes images from her cover shoot in Cuba.

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