Singer Eric Benét stopped by our New York office last month to chat about his latest projects, and to share with us what artist he would love to tribute if he ever got the opportunity to do so at the ESSENCE Festival.
But we couldn’t help but notice the 47-year-old singer’s svelte physique and glowing skin, so we asked him to dish on his health and wellness regimen. And lucky for us, he obliged!
ESSENCE: What’s your diet like?
Eric Benét: I try to cut a few things out of my diet, like dairy, fried food, beef, sugar and white flour whenever possible. But with everything that I just named, there are times when I fall short of the glory, but I try my best to stick to it.
I also try to work out four times a week and cut stressful things and people out of my life, and it works.
ESSENCE: What would a perfectly healthy but satisfying meal look like for you?
EB: It would be some kind of grilled, non-farm raised fish, with some grilled veggies and some fresh juice.
ESSENCE: No carbs?
EB: Yes. You’re right. I’m lying. I would eat a sweet potato, or probably have some multigrain bread.
ESSENCE: Tell us more about your workout.
EB: So there’s this very popular home fitness thingy called P90x. You might have heard of it. And it’s a series of DVDs. One is yoga, one is boxing, one is for your chest and back, one is plyometric, which just involves jumping up and down for an hour. For the first month, I could not complete one full workout, but after a month or so, I was able to stick it out. And if you can stick it out for a month, you’ll be looking in the mirror at yourself like “damn!”
ESSENCE: On a bad day, what are your indulgences of choice?
EB: On a bad day? Oh lord. On a bad day, I’ll go to one of my favorite Italian restaurants in L.A. and I will start off with dipping my white bread in olive oil and balsamic vinegar until I’m almost full. Then the meal comes, and it’s probably some kind of pasta with meat. I don’t really do desserts, but I’m drinking wine the entire time. I feel guilty the entire time, but it’s also like a blissful nirvana. I’ll do that once every couple of weeks.
ESSENCE: Your skin is gorgeous. What’s your secret?
EB: My mama. She has this kind of skin that people were kind of envious of. I drink a whole lot of water because that’s what my mom did. So I guess that’s working for me. I don’t drink sugary drinks or soda and I think that makes a difference with the skin.