Alana Stewart Stays Grounded as the World Watches Her Family

Mind Your Body with Stephanie Stephens features celebrities age 45+ who share their latest projects, healthy living secrets and more.

Alana Stewart wants you to really get to know her extended and blended family in the E! reality documentary series that debuted in July, appropriately named Stewarts & Hamiltons. The show features Alana along with her ex George Hamilton, plus Kimberly Stewart, Ashley Hamilton, Sean Stewart, and George Hamilton, Jr. Alana’s other famous ex, Rod Stewart, may also drop by, and you never know who’s going to say what next.

It helps to understand the history here. Alana married George in 1972, and they had Ashley before divorcing in 1975. In 1979, she married Rod, and the couple had Kimberly and Sean—the couple divorced in 1984. George has another son, George Hamilton, Jr., or GT. Rod had another daughter, Ruby.

As a model, actor, author, and philanthropist, Alana works to keep the family close together, with feet on the ground, as Hollywood’s temptations loom outside the door. If all of this sounds unusual, it’s much clearer, and funnier, when you watch it on E! Sundays at 9/8c.

Hi Alana, and congratulations on your show! You look wonderful and I’d like to ask you about your nutrition plan and what’s on your plate these days. Food, I mean?

Right now it’s fruit including peaches, blackberries, and blueberries. I like quinoa oatmeal because it has more protein than normal oatmeal.

I grew up eating very healthy. I was raised in Nacogdoches, Texas, a small town, and then Houston. We raised our own chickens and grew our own vegetables. I remember my friends teased me because when we went to the drive-in, they wanted chili pie or hamburger, and I wanted fresh vegetables.

You were a model and you still definitely look like a model! What is your exercise routine?

It’s embarrassing, but I’ve never been a huge exercise fanatic. It’s hard to find time to go to the gym. I like yoga in the morning, which I started doing when I moved to New York to model at age 20. Because I sometimes forget to breathe when I’m tense, I work on breathing, along with stretches and poses that keep me limber.

Sometimes I do Pilates at my daughter’s house—I like to do any exercise lying down. When I watch TV, I might use weights to work on my underarms and I do butt exercises on the floor. I want to be more into a regular routine of walking for a half-hour each day.

We’re all working on making changes, it seems—or wanting to. Any health rule that you’re still trying to follow better or to change?

I do try to eat healthy and I love food, especially things like pizza and Mexican food. I don’t eat much meat, but occasionally I will have a good In-N-Out Burger. I talk about and think about doing the vegan diet, like Kathy Freston. I find, though, that I need protein for my muscles to feel good. If I eat some protein, vegetables, and the right kind of grain, I feel the best. I stopped eating gluten about four years ago because I felt it contributed to my sinus infections.

How do you look after your emotional and mental balance?

I realize I’m not a super high-energy person who can do 10 things at once. My mind can get all over the place, and I have to be focused. If I do too many things, I get overwhelmed and anxious. I want to have a conscious connection to something that centers me—a higher power. I always tell the kids we need a spiritual foundation to stay centered.

When I get up, I read a page out of Marianne Williamson’s book, A Year of Miracles: Daily Devotions and Reflections. I try to meditate to quiet my monkey mind.

What fulfills you?

I am president and CEO of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. In memory of Farrah’s life, we do research to fight cancer, and we provide patient assistance funds and support prevention programs.

We’re having our first fundraising event Wednesday, Sept. 9. It’s “A Tex-Mex Fiesta!” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The public can buy tickets.

What do you tell your children about good health—for mind and body?

I don’t have much control over that. I’m not so sure they eat healthy. I want to go in and throw out what’s in the cabinets and cook for them. They’d think I was meddling, but I can’t help it. I’ve told them it’s so important to have some kind of spiritual program, something you adhere to.

Any thoughts about the Epstein-Barr virus that you’d like to share?

It’s one of reasons I pace myself, even though the “active” part has gone away. I had symptoms back in the 80s, and some people told me it was psychological. I knew it wasn’t, and later I was diagnosed. I do believe mind and body are connected and that happy thoughts make happy molecules. I learned that from Dr. Deepak Chopra in October 1990 at his center in Lancaster, Mass. He’s played such an important part of my spiritual journey.

What do you love to do “just for fun”?

I love to get into bed and watch TV. I watch Ray Donovan, Masters of Sex, Homeland, and The Bachelor is my guilty pleasure. Oh, and I watch The Voice. I’ll read, too, and enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or The Happiness Makeover from M.J. Ryan. That book inspires me to focus on thinking positive thoughts. I’m more anxious by nature, with a fear of the future, worrying about the kids, and more.

About the show: What’s it like to be so open with your life for the rest of us to see?

It’s not heavily dramatic with everybody fighting. That’s not our family. We have a lot of fun, and a lot of love. And like all families, we have our issues and problems. Things do come up during filming that I never expected to come up. If the topic is really valuable, I think we should put it out there, like addiction.

So many people have loved ones who struggle, and are going through the same thing. My mother died of addiction. It’s good when people can identify with us. We want to be fun, entertaining and informative, so maybe if we help another person, we’re serving a higher purpose.

The whole concept of you with two ex-husbands on a show is really intriguing. I mean, what is that like?

Rod is not an ongoing member of the show or regular cast member. He is the father of two of my children, and he lives five minutes from me. We don’t hang out together much, but I see him from time to time. George and I are very close. The greatest thing about the show is that we all get to work together, and I hope we can continue to do that.

Stephanie Stephens is certain that at age 45+, the best time of our lives is now! So what are we waiting for? She writes, produces, and hosts her multimedia channel, Mind Your Body TV,  featuring timely health and lifestyle blogs, podcasts, and videos—also seen on YouTube and syndicated by AOL/On.