I knew someday when I really get serious about acting in front of the camera I would want a drastic commitment to what I eat, my chocolate addictions can be out of control sometimes, usually when my moods are crappy, and I'm buying bags at drug stores. I'm a huge emotional eater, so I'm just going to cut out these completely. It's too tempting and personally I'm unable to eat bread and chocolate in moderation.

I have almost completely, or am working on cutting out refined sugar, chocolate, wheat, bread. I'll keep in natural sugar or soy ice cream. But even these can be addicting. I'm cutting down on coffee to almost nothing, or a half a cup or cup a day max. What have you cut out in your diet? I don't eat a lot of dairy, maybe some cheese every once in a while. Should I cut that out as well?

What have you sacrificed to have a glowing complexion? I use proactiv and take also cod liver oil, and will continue to drink a ton of water constantly.

I also wonder if you have a really long day and you need a boost, instead of a cup of coffee, what could you drink? I have a very sensitive stomach and coffee really destroys me. I also will be working on crew, and I just don't know if black chai will do it. There's caffeine in tea but not like a coffee. I do not mean, it is Sunday afternoon and we're strolling in Union Square and want a pick me up, I mean, I want to focus on my career and be able to keep alert without coffee for long shoot days, or for overnight shoots or pick-up shots, etc.

I think there are a lot of people on crew or in front of the camera that can tolerate coffee and in fact I think it's very healthy, an article in the NY times that it boosts brain function etc....but personally my stomach and health is a wreck over it, so I'm wondering how I will survive acting or working crew on features without it!! I guess I will try black chai tea. There was this teechini grain coffee I forget what it was called, it was actually really gross tasting.

How do you drink your coffee? If by coffee you mean a latte, try switching to black. This helped a friend of mine with stomach issues. If anything you will develop a better appreciation for coffee.

If you need a serious kick (let's be honest - tea does not do the trick except as a long-term option ie. drinking green tea every day), try anything with guarana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarana

Careful, though, that stuff can give you the jitters.

for long days on set i like to graze rather than big meals. for ex:

6am call- have a half cup of coffee
11am- half cup
3pm half cup


etc. the problem with any big rush is there will be a crash. this goes for food too, smaller meals/snacks(fruit, etc) are better than a huge lunch and then starving yourself

I've never been a coffee drinker. It doesn't taste good to me. And except for the rare champagne toast at a wedding, I don't drink alchohol either. Never have. No smoking or drugs.

My one vice which I've done a great deal to curb in the past year has been junk food and soda. I used to eat out a LOT. However, I've found the value in the local grocer and eating foods that I prepare. If anything, that is my biggest challenge, because it's so easy to pull up to a drive-thru.

I rarely take anything for a boost. If so, it's a Mtn Dew. I try to leave any boosts to the energy of the moment and the love of life.

I eat an extremely healthy diet, and honestly, it's life changing in regards to the amount of energy I have. I've never had a problem with weight, but the amount of energy I have with this diet is night and day. The basic rule I try to follow is I avoid any processed foods, and stick to fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats raised without antibiotics. I also stay away from things like dairy and processed sugar as they give me a little congestion. I never drink coffee. Drink Green Tea if you need a little caffeine, but never drink it before you go to bed or it will disrupt your sleep cycle.

This is what my typical day looks like:

Breakfast:
-Fresh fruit (usually bananas, pineapple, oranges)
-Almond Milk (I make this myself out of raw honey, vanilla, water, and raw almonds to avoid any sort of chemicals that might be added to preserve it)
-Raw Almonds

Lunch
-Sandwich with whole grain bread, mustard, and antibiotic free deli meat
-Field greens salad (a combination of Arugula, Oak Leaf, Lollo Rosa, Romaine) with extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar as a dressing

Dinner
-Grilled fish w/ side of fresh steamed vegetables
or
-Spinach linguine with a homemade tomato basil sauce (made with fresh garlic, fresh shallots, sea salt, fresh pepper, plum tomatoes, and fresh basil)


I like to make all the sauces I use myself because that way I can avoid the preservatives they put in store bought sauces to increase shelf life. Stuff like that is really unhealthy for you.

If I need something to snack on, nuts (I like almonds and cashews a lot) are a good healthy snack.

If you stay on this diet and exercise regularly I guarantee you it'll change your life.

Diet pills that promise energy- Trimspa and Zantrex for example.

Not exactly really healthy, but with a good nutrition shouldn't hurt that much. It depends individually if its bad or not, since some get the anxious and some don't. Try it out before you go on set.

Number one rule I go with what my body is looking to have that day. If I feel like having roasted chicken, I have roasted chicken. I know that I can get by with a light breakfast but lunch has to be pretty decent, a sandwich or salad. Dinner needs to be a hot meal with a veggie side. I drink water. I exercise. I take long walks. I also take vitamins like cod liver oil to keep the inner engine running smoothly.

I stay away from diet pills because your body is meant to eat in order to draw energy correctly and naturally. Some have undiagnosed heart or liver conditions, and diet pills can aggravate these things. Starvation only triggers your body into then storing any food it does get whether it's lettuce or a twinkie and you won't lose weight that way. Cutting out junk food is key.

Go to a knowledgable doctor that specializes in nutrition.

Oh my god has anyone taken acidopholus capsules? My skin is a WRECK I swear I think it is the only thing that will work, along with proactiv, drinking a ton of water and eating well.
It's not just a screen acting thing, this has plagued me forever.....!! Stress too.

Thanks for all the helpful comments, as here I sit with a cup of coffee.
Vegetable juice is a great idea, for more long lasting energy.

My skin really improved and my energy drastically increased after I became vegan. I had been vegetarian for years, but totally eliminating animal products from my diet really did make a huge difference. Meat and dairy are difficult to digest and slow your body down, and the easier you make things on your body the better you will look and feel.

I eat a very healthful plant based diet and very minimally processed foods. Like, usually no more processed than olive oil. I buy organic when I can afford it, but since I'm on a budget I focus on simple, wholesome, and unprocessed food. All of my carbohydrates are minimally processed, like potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. I avoid gluten, which is difficult for the body to process and is found only in wheat, rye, and barley. I try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables as well as raw unsalted nuts and seeds and dried fruit. Optimally, eating 6 or so small meals will be best for your energy levels, but if nothing else, snack between meals. An example of my diet would be:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (made with water or rice milk) with golden raisins (no sweetner) and green tea
Snack: Raw almonds
Lunch: Brown rice, stir fried green beans and tofu
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Lentil stew and a small green salad

I also do not drink coffee or alcohol, but do drink caffeinated tea.

I can't live without my coffee! I've given up almost every other bad food in my life, but I will seriously go through withdrawals if I don't have it! I make mine at home and add a small amount of cinnamon creamer. I can drink the stuff all day long, no stomach problems. Guess I have a high tolerance for the stuff. In fact I can live on coffee and nothing else for the entire day. I wouldn't suggest this though, because it doesn't seem to work for my friends who have tried it. Everyone's body is different. I'm a very picky eater as it is.

MK You're so lucky you can handle coffee ! I love the taste and could also drink it all day plus it boosts my creativity like hell. Where in LA are you?

If you're really determined to use caffeine for energy, you could always just get one of the many products on the market that's mainly just disguised caffeine.

But the first two things are getting enough sleep (especially for your skin) and eating properly. These are the best ways to have a good base of energy.

If you smoke, of course, you're just depth-bombing your whole organism.

I nibble dried fruit and nuts all through the day (which, yes, could get out of control, but in fact I've been losing weight pretty steadily for months now). Those are good energy boosters too. And, again, healthy.

"back in the day" it was booze. IN the 70's and 80's it was coke. Now it's carrot juice and sprouts.

Interesting to note that the past half dozen productions that my kid has been on I have not noticed coffee at all on the craft table. Crew might bring their own, but not the huge coffee pots I am used to. Usually lots of water and soda and some juice then the usual munchies.
The major productions I work on have it all, but not so much the independents that my kid does. Maybe it is the age range of the crew. The majors seem to have older folks while the independents and webisodes are the twenty something crowd.
Even the network shows always have the coffee, etc so I guess a lot of it is the age of the people involved to some extent.
As long as my son eats something I can be grateful. Some teens are really picky.

Did anyone try taking Emergen-C when you're tired? It really helps me!