Allan Wu’s fun, active and adventurous on-screen persona is a good reflection of his real-life personality. As we soon discovered when we sat down to lunch at one of the 46 years old’s favourite Singaporean eateries, Muchachos. It was immediately clear that this genuine dad of two balances his life of fun and family with healthy living.
After placing his order of Burritos, it is clear that he isn’t restrictive about his diet. Rather, he listens to his body and is mindful about his choices. Allan explains “For lunch, I generally tend to eat something light, such as a sandwich or even chicken rice. I used to snack a lot, but my body doesn’t have those cravings anymore, so I rarely snack between meals.” When questioned about his meals, he keeps it simple and regular, with whole grain cereals, fresh fruits, lean protein and nutritious carbs. He adds, “I try to veer away from eating a late dinner. That’s because that’s when our metabolism tends to slow down the most as we prepare to wind down and sleep”.
Travel and Food
With extensive travel, often to isolated communities, Allan acknowledges that eating healthy isn’t always easy. “Depending on where I am traveling or working such as the Andes Mountains in Peru, or at Mount Everest base camp, sometimes just having anything to eat is a luxury.” He says, with a serious tone.
While Allan admits to a sweet tooth, “I really love Famous Amos cookies and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream”, fortunately it isn’t as ‘sweet’ as it was, and he is much better at limiting his intake of sugar now. He attests this to his outlook towards health changing as he has gotten older. “When we are young, we believe we are invincible. However, I’ve learned with age that now it’s about preservation and doing what I can to be fit and healthy. This is so I can still maintain a high quality, active life for years to come.” This reflection goes hand in hand with his inspiration for healthy living.
Inspiring the next generation
Allan Wu has always been motivated to remain healthy and active by his enjoyment of playing sports, such as basketball and volleyball. But his biggest inspiration are his two kids, Sage and Jonas. This is immediately clear when he talks of them. His face is alive with the delight of a proud father and admits that he, in turn, “hopes to inspire them to live healthy, active lives”. While he exudes a fun, healthy and somewhat carefree attitude, he admits that sometimes he needs to remind himself “that I’ve got 24 hours each day to do what I want and using even half an hour towards staying healthy is a small price to pay.”
After enjoying our hearty, yet healthy-ish lunch the conversation turns a little more serious. Allan pulls no punches when we talk about heavier issues weighing on the shoulders of Asians today. “I think people need to be realistic about their fitness goals. Exercise and diet are absolutely crucial in enabling one to reach their goals. However, genetics also plays a part in what is feasible.” This sensible consideration leads us to wonder how he maintains his exercise regime while jet-setting around the globe.
Allan Wu Manages a Work – Life – Exercise – Balance
Allan’s honesty and realistic approach cements our admiration and reinforces the Active8me ideal of a holistic, balanced lifestyle. “When I am busy working, I must confess it can be hard to maintain a regular workout routine. Therefore, I make a concerted effort to exercise regularly when my schedule is not so busy.” While he prefers to play sports and likes to run, swim and lift weights, he advises “As much as I don’t always enjoy doing cardio exercise, I believe that is the cornerstone of a long and healthy life. Also, drinking lots of water is essential for keeping the body well-tuned.”
It is as clear as the water served with lunch that Allan Wu has realistic expectations of his own fitness. More so, his approach to a healthy, active lifestyle is underpinned by a rock-solid mindset (it matches his abs). Allan understands the importance of having effective and expert guidance when it comes to health and fitness. “I think apps like Active8me, with expert guidance and information on nutrition, exercise and mindset are ideal for everyday people to really achieve their health goals.”
The flexibility and customisation of the Active8me app is built and tailored specifically to the Asian lifestyle. It allows users to personalise their approach to nutrition with choices of cuisines from across Asia (and the West). Allan is insistent on the importance of people being diligent in their approach to health. He adds, “Active8me can help guide individuals in Asia, and essentially anywhere, in attaining a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.”
All meals must come to an end…Thank you Allan Wu!
We skip dessert to race off to a hardcore workout…ok, so that’s not quite true. I head back to the office and Allan races off to spend the afternoon playing basketball with his kids.
