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Actress & Activist
Alexandra Paul
Speaks her Mind

by Kim Henderson

Cover Story 15.10

Alexandra Paul
Photo by Jeff Katz

Best-known for her starring role as Lt. Stephanie Holden in the international hit series Baywatch, actress Alexandra Paul is also a vegan, an activist for animal rights and the environment and a bona fide health enthusiast. On a sunny fall Saturday in Pacific Palisades, California, our Healthy Living crew met up with Alexandra at her home nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains. She lives simply with her husband, triathlon trainer Ian Murray, in a beautiful but modest condominium. When we arrived, all the doors and windows were wide open as if to say, “Welcome, come on in!”

EARLY CHALLENGES

At 5 feet 10 and 130 pounds, Alexandra is trim, fit and radiant, appearing much younger than her 48 years. She has been a vegetarian since age 14, when she read the landmark book Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé. And last year, she became a vegan letting go of any food products from animal sources. I ask her how her health journey began.

“My mother cooked us three meals a day. She was very healthy. She didn’t allow soda or dessert in the house—well, unless she baked the dessert herself,” Alexandra explains. “I wasn’t into drugs and was very focused in school, so I rebelled by becoming a vegetarian.” But her life changed dramatically when she got sick at 15—very sick. She underwent two major surgeries to correct a bile-duct blockage. “The doctors said that the illness resulted from both physical and emotional issues—the emotional ones having do with my parents’ divorce,” she explains. While she developed the healthy habit of exercise at this time to blow off steam, she also became anorexic. Having lost 10 pounds after her surgery, she explains that to return to her former weight meant being sick again, and on a deep level, she was terrified of that. After time and with therapy, she began eating again but then discovered bulimia. “I didn’t know how to say no, speak up and take good care of myself in the world,” she says. She struggled openly with bulimia for 10 years until she joined a 12-step program that helped her combat the bulimia permanently. “Next to marrying my husband, giving up bulimia was the best decision I made in my entire life,” she says. Not longer after, she landed her life-changing role on Baywatch.

FINDING HER VOICE

Since that time, Alexandra has certainly found her voice and speaks up often. She has become an outspoken champion of electric vehicles and is now the spokesperson for the Chevy Volt. In 2005, during a peaceful protest at a Burbank facility where General Motors stockpiled reclaimed EV1s, Alexandra was arrested. The incident was featured in the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? and led to her becoming a founding board member of Plug In America. Both she and Ian drive electric plug-ins.

ACTIVIST ROOTS

As the EV movement has taken off, Alexandra is now turning her attention to ending animal suffering— hence the recent switch to veganism. Activism, courage and outspokeness are in her genes.

“I get my love of animals from my father, but my mother taught me how to make a difference in the world through quiet action,” she says, describing periods when they avoided tuna to save dolphins and iceberg lettuce to protest human rights violations. “But most of all, she conserved. We recycled and she was very aware of waste,” she explains. This idea of conservation and using only what’s needed has resonated with Alexandra as an adult. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Alexandra’s wardrobe was modest and resembled the size of my own. And when our production assistant set up some snacks, she noticed how simple the kitchen setup was—not too much of anything, just enough. Alexandra recently co-wrote and produced the documentary The Cost of Cool about overconsumption —it’s inspiring to see that she walks the walk. That speaks even louder than words.

Going Shopping with Alexandra Paul

Vegan Omega-3s

I love to put Barlean’s flax oil on my popcorn! I don’t use butter. And I put the Barlean’s Forti-Flax on my morning oatmeal. It gives them both a healthy omega-3 boost. I like Barlean’s because it’s organic, cold-pressed and high quality.

Dental Care

Spry products are terrific. They make gum, mints and toothpaste with a natural wood sugar called xylitol. My dentist says that bacteria are eating at my teeth, and xylitol is the way to get rid of it. Apparently xylitol makes it difficult for the bacteria to attach to tooth enamel. I love the gum and the mouth spray. I also like the cinnamon toothpaste. The best part is that xylitol is virtually calorie-free and doesn't spike your blood sugar.

Immune Support

I've taken Kyolic garlic for years. Kyolic uses aged garlic extract, which is supposed to be more potent and is definitely odorless. I use it whenever I need an immune boost.

Vegan Sinus and Joint Support

Nature’s Rite Remedies have many vegan products that are helpful to those who are active outdoors like Super Neti Juice for sinus health and Joint Relief, Back and Neck Relief and Bruise, Strain and Tear Repair.

Healthy Cuisine

I have to admit, I’m not much of a cook. But my husband is, and since I don't really eat salt, he flavors our vegetable soups and veggie dishes with Bragg Liquid Aminos. I also like Bragg Nutritional Yeast on vegetables. I’m a vegan and it gives it a nice cheesy flavor—it's good for you as well.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

I like whole-food raw vitamins as I’ve been told that they are more easily absorbed by the body. Also, when the vitamins come from whole foods, all of the important cofactors are included. I like Garden of Life’s Vitamin Code Women’s Formula.

Probiotics

I often tell my friends that if you take a round of antibiotics, it's important to then take probiotics to replenish the good bacteria in your body or you might get a yeast infection. I think probiotics are important to take on regular basis for overall vaginal and intestinal health. Some quality brands I like are UAS Labs DDS Plus and Garden of Life’s RAW Probiotics.

Natural Beauty Care

I love Beauty Without Cruelty and Aubrey Organics and have been using them for years. Beauty Without Cruelty was one for the first vegan cosmetics, so I feel strongly about supporting them. I particularly like the body lotions and shampoos. Aubrey’s new Lumessence Rejuvenating Eye Crème has a lovely scent and texture and is very hydrating. And recently, I tried a new line called French Secret—all of their products are very pure, without any chemicals. Their Anti-Aging Fluid is excellent made with essential oils. Also for anti-aging, I like Hyalogic’s Episilk. It's a hyaluronic acid serum. It feels fantastic going on, and fairly quickly, I notice an improvement in the appearance of my skin. I stay away from lauryl and laureth sulfates as well as moisturizers with mineral oils. Another vegan skin care line you can find in health food stores is
derma e.

Natural Home

Earth Friendly Products is one of the best. The dish soap, laundry detergent and general cleaning products smell good, work well and are environmentally safe. But even better, they list their ingredients and they don't use any palm oil, which is associated with tropical deforestation. I use Purely Products Healthy CFLs. I love that all I have to do is flip a switch and I have energy-saving lighting and clean air!

Resources

For more information about Alexandra Paul, visit www.alexandrapaul.com.

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