Apublic break-up could have had anyone running for the hills but with Eva it made her stronger than ever. instead of hiding away in her Malibu beach house watching endless soppy movies and tucking into family-sized tubs of Ben ‘n Jerry’s, Eva picked herself up, dusted herself down and came back stronger than ever after her split with her basketball player husband Tony Parker. Not only has she got a new movie, a new scent, Eva by Eva Longoria (Dhs185, available from Sephora), and a new book, but it looks as if this not so Desperate Housewife has got a hot new guy too.
While her rep hasn’t confirmed it yet, the gossip mags have been going into overdrive with tales of a sizzling romance after Eva was snapped on holiday in Cabo, Mexico with Penelope Cruz’s hunky younger brother Eduardo. and if that didn’t have them coming up with Brangelina and Bennifer style complilations, the very public smooch between this couple on a private yacht in Miami certainly did.
The recent David Letterman-style tuxedo malfunction almost sent the press into meltdown too. though we know that as we chat to Eva today we’re safe from such potential YouTube dramas. the tricky Tuxedo has been shelved and she’s kicking back in a pair of cargo khakis and a cute pink top. though whether the world did – or didn’t – get a flash of Eva’s well-honed body on the night time chat show, what we do know is that we couldn’t blame them for wanting a peek, because let’s face it, there’s a reason why she keeps topping those hot body polls.
SHAPE Middle East chatted to Eva about friends, fragrance, fitness and how she’s learnt to keep those curves in check.
“I’m not afraid to skip the gym”There’s no doubt that this former cheerleader and personal trainer was addicted to working out. six years ago she wowed the fitness world with moves in Life magazine that would put a yogi to shame, but as her career went into overdrive, Eva admits that her workouts had to change. With her TV show, blockbuster movies and her charity work for Eva Heroes, she admits that it didn’t leave her with much time to practice those meditation poses.
“I haven’t done yoga in years. I have a personal trainer and we just do light weight training, cardio and a lot of core strengthening. We focus more on the core than heavy weight lifting and tough cardio. You know, I just don’t have time to go to a class. the time is so restrictive for my schedule. I have a gym in my house so it’s easier for me to go and do that. I do yoga from time to time but it’s not my primary source of exercising.” and if she misses a workout, this A-lister still doesn’t beat herself up. “I always skip it (belly laugh). I mean I’m not afraid to skip it. I really don’t enjoy working out. It’s not like I can’t wait to get up in the morning and do it. It definitely takes discipline.
I used to be addicted but just not so much anymore as I have so much work that I love.”
“I like to stimulate my mind too”While the gym is now where Eva does her workout, she reveals these calorie burning sessions need to stimulate this A-list star’s mind too. When her PT trains her in her private gym the first thing that comes out is the Bosu ball. “I love anything that involves balance. We do a lot of core work on Bosu balls. and when you’re standing on one of these little round jelly-like things you have concentrate on what you’re doing. I love those [workouts] where you have to stimulate more than one thing at once. I love doing Bosu curls… It works out your mind as well.”
But Eva is pleased with the result of these Bosu sessions. “It definitely takes a little bit more work [staying in shape] but I love the way my body currently is,” says Eva. “I think I’m in good shape but most of all I’m healthy. That’s what’s more important.” But a hot body, says Eva, is not about the ability to shimmy into a size 10. “It’s less about the size that you are, it’s how you feel. I feel I have more energy now than when I was younger. I think my brain is more stimulated with all the activism that I do. It just makes you more aware, your eyes are open to the world and because of that I can’t wait to get up and experience new things.”
“Moderation is key for me”The owner of the Mexican restaurant Beso, knows that if you want to keep your curves in check, you can’t just rely on working out in the gym. You’ve got to watch what you eat too. this straight-talking Texan gal won’t be swayed by the latest Hollywood diet gimmick. “I think people want a miracle pill, a miracles diet or a miracle workout – these things don’t work on their own. You need balance.”
In between filming Cristiada with Andy Garcia and more episodes of Desperate Housewives with her favourite trio, Eva has been busy writing a new cookbook – Eva’s Kitchen.
“I just did a cookbook, it’s really good simple food where everything’s in moderation – both exercising and diet go hand.” good food for Eva includes her famous tortilla soup which she whips up when her friends come round.
“My friends always ask for tortilla soup and guacamole. It’s the most requested dish I make,” (laughs). she won’t reveal who takes a seat at her kitchen table but seeing as Victoria Beckham and Kate Beckinsale count among her closest gal pals, we reckon that they must have chowed down on a mouthful or two of the homemade guacamole. “It is something that I have evolved over the years. It has chicken and tortilla chips, avocado, onions…. It has a little bit of everything but it’s still a light broth. It’s very, very, tasty.”
Traditional Mexican food is known for being heavy but Eva says that you don’t need to give up on taste to enjoy healthy food. In fact, as we’re chatting she can’t help but suggest some low-fat alternatives for SHAPE Middle East readers. “For my bolognaise sauce I suggest ground turkey meat instead of beef. while in the soups you can use a vegan broth as opposed to chicken broth.”
She also has a tip for an energy food that you can snack on during the day too. “I soak almonds in water for like about a day and that makes them really plump and crunchy.” though as we’ve come to realise if there’s one thing that Eva’s not lacking in, it’s energy.
“Be creative”
The cookbook is just one of the projects that Eva has been working on. another is her new sought after scent. It seems that you’re not a celebrity nowadays unless you’ve got a wardrobe of fragrances, but Eva had another reason for creating her own fragrance: she hadn’t been able to wear one before. “I’m allergic to a lot of scents. When I’ve sprayed on fragrances before they’ve made me sneeze, so I haven’t been able to wear one. So when I started to develop this scent I wanted to make sure that it’s something I could wear.” the beauty press have been so excited about Eva’s new fragrance, Eva by Eva Longoria they’ve started calling it an allergy-free scent, but Eva’s a little more reserved when it comes to her accomplishment. “I don’t know if that’s been confirmed, but I do know that this is a fragrance I can wear.” So what’s it smell like? “Like the just got out of the shower kind of smell,” says Eva. “It has grapefruit and all the citrus notes I love. if I ever stopped someone to ask them what their scent was it was always citrus-based so I decided to put this in my fragrance.” the fragrance has already proved so popular in the States that Eva’s been asked to create another fragrance which is said to hit the shelves in the Fall.
Now with a fragrance (or should we say two), a movie, an award-winning TV show and a hot guy to keep her occupied, no wonder our favourite Desperate Housewife can’t attend those lengthy yoga classes anymore.
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