I love surrounding myself with real women who truly inspire others. Who doesn’t? And you’ve probably heard of the saying strong women lift others up, not bring them down. And that’s exactly what pushed me to start this four-part series (four-part for now!).
Over the next four weeks, we’ll be taking a closer look at four ladies you might only often see on television. We’re stripping them off of their characters and roles to, hopefully, get to know them a little better as real people. All gorgeous, all with great personalities, I love that we finally get to look past their artista image and just get to see them sweat and talk about other things they are into right now.
This week’s spotlight goes to the beautiful Gabbi Garcia. I sat her down to chat about how she’s preparing for her role in the upcoming remake of GMA’s Fantaserye, Encantadia.
HEALTHY VS SKINNY
All members of the “kanin club” will love Gabbi. This sweetheart admits to being a huge fan of rice. But since landing the role of Sang’gre Alena, the keeper of the water jewel on Encantadia, she made a few minor adjustments in her diet.
Here are the two things Gabbi watches out for in her diet:
- Fatty food. She prefers to eat fish and seafood more often. I say, you’re almost there Gabbi. Go for a vegan diet and you won’t have to worry about the fat and cholesterol anymore. 😉
- Portions. She did say she’s a fan of rice. There’s nothing wrong with that if you’re able to observe how much you are eating. Gabbi is currently on a calorie-count meal plan that lets her be more mindful of what and how much she’s eating every day. She also swaps her white rice for a healthier, high-fibre option–brown rice, saving the white for cheat meals.
And a couple more secrets to effortlessly staying healthy:
- She’s not fond of sweets. What? How can I be like that? No chocolates, whatsoever.
- She doesn’t drink sodas and carbonated drinks. Hmm, helps a lot when your parents raise you this way. Not a fan of sodas too! High five, Gab.
She says her genes let her eat as much as she wants without gaining weight. And while most of us think she’s lucky (well, she really is), it also makes it hard to tell if your body fat percentage is still at a safe level. Gabbi wants to go past the aesthetic and says the great thing about Encantadia, even before she auditioned, was that it motivated her to become the healthiest version of herself.
NT SWEAT AND HER BALANCING ACT
I got her off her feet after our short talk and gave her a few challenging NT Sweat tracks which included a couple of high intensity dance cardio tracks.
It wasn’t surprising at all that she nailed the workout. Gabbi took Hip-Hop and (you ready?) Folk Dance workshops when she was younger. “I balanced 5 bangas (clay jars) on my head! Legit bangas!”, She says.
Gabbi is an amazing dancer but her heart now goes to summoning the singing goddess within her. She realized how much she loved singing when she entered showbiz and even more so now that she’s set to play Sang’gre Alena, who also possesses Sonokinesic power. Sonokinesis is the ability to charm anyone with beautiful sound, which in this case, is Alena’s voice. Interesting stuff.
What else keeps her fit, you ask? She follows workout videos at home and sweats it all out during their Kali / Arnis training, which prepares her for sword-fighting scenes on the show.
Watch out for Gabbi, aka Sang’gre Alena on Encantadia. To be aired in July 2016! Follow her on Instagram, @_gabbigarcia to know more about this amazing lady.
Photos shot at Beyond Greenhills, 2F, Metro Pointe Center, 333 P. Guevarra Corner N Averilla St, San Juan, 1500 Metro Manila, Philippines. Call +63917 814 3886 for inquiries.
