At age 53, Andrea Sunshine is a divorced grandmother of two — and a fitness influencer.
The half-Dutch, half-Brazilian grandma keeps to a strict diet and gym routine.
She eats a wide variety of vegetables, including broccoli, green beans, baby corn, yams, spinach, cabbage, and cauliflower, and avoids carrots and pumpkin and other sweet veggies, with the exception of sweet potatoes.
Most notably, she eats up to 150 eggs a month, saying this is the key to her muscular frame.
“The Fitness Grandma”
Additionally, Sunshine works out for three hours a day, on average, sometimes for five hours non-stop. Her record is eight hours with some fuel breaks. She has nicknamed the gym her “Disneyland”. There, she starts her routine with one hour of cardio before switching to weight training. “People call me a beast,” she said.
“It doesn’t bother me to be called a fitness grandma – I am in my best shape and infinitely healthy.” [1] She eats six to eight meals a day, avoiding salt and oil in her diet. Plus, she drinks about three to four liters of water a day.
Sunshine’s gym time is sacred so it’s frustrating when younger men hit on her during it. Many of these guys are aged between 30 and 35, with some as young as under 25. “Young men have a crush on good-looking mature ladies so I get hit on all the time,” Andrea said. “I don’t like the attention. When I am in my session, I hate to be disturbed.”
Her hard work and training seem to have paid off as she competes in physique competitions against women less than half her age. “I go to the gym every single day, except if I am injured or am very sore from the previous session.”
“There is a stigma that with advancing age of women, they should only dedicate themselves to taking care of the home and family. It’s possible to do both,” Sunshine explained, adding: “The mind has a very great power to transform our body, we cannot leave the mind aside.” [2]
How Many Is Too Many Eggs?
In the past, healthcare professionals considered egg yolks unhealthy because of their high level of cholesterol. They believed that this can increase the risk of heart disease. However, current evidence seems to indicate this as false. Eggs do not increase the risk of heart disease, because the cholesterol in food only has a small effect on the levels of cholesterol in the body. Still, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend for people to keep their cholesterol intake low to maintain a balanced diet. While eggs do contain a high level of cholesterol, they do not majorly affect the levels of cholesterol in the body.
Eggs also contain a lot of nutrients, including protein, vitamins, iodine, choline, and folate. However, more research is needed to determine how many eggs a day is too much. In the meantime, the benefits may vary from person to person, and in cases of doubt, they should consult their doctors. [3]
How Much Exercise Is Too Much?
There’s no debating that exercise is important. However, like many other healthy things, going overboard can become a problem. According to David Miranda, a physical therapist and owner of Excel Rehabilitation Services, “Overexercising is counterproductive and can actually be dangerous to your health.”
Currently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults get 150 (2.5 hours) to 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity and strength training per week. However, these guidelines don’t specify when the benefits from exercise stop being beneficial or when it becomes unsafe. There are no direct answers to this because many researchers disagree on this topic.
So, on an individual level, when is exercise too much? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are two main ways to overdo it: overtraining and compulsive exercising. [4]
Overtraining involves pushing yourself too hard and too fast, in addition to not scheduling proper rest days, not getting adequate nutrition, not getting enough sleep, and continuing to work out as intensely while sick or dealing with some other stressor. Meanwhile, compulsive exercising is when exercise no longer feels like a choice. Instead, it feels like something you have to do, or it feels addictive. Compulsive exercisers might notice they no longer enjoy working out — or guilt and anxiety if they miss a session.
People who overexercise tend to experience the following symptoms:
- Muscle soreness lasting for over three or four days.
- Getting sick more often because of decreased immunity.
- Increased injuries
- Constant fatigue, low energy, and irritability.
- No longer progressing or declining performance while working out.
- Prioritizing exercise over anything else, including social activities.
- Depression and anxiety.
What’s Best For You?
Of course, every person needs to exercise but how and how much depends on them. Everybody is different and needs a different regime, and what might be healthy for one person may be unhealthy for another. Therefore, it’s ideal to refer to a medical health professional, dietician, and gym trainer to figure out the healthiest and safest workout regiment for you.
Sources
- “This fit grandma eats up to 150 eggs per month to stay sexy.” New York Post. Samantha Ibrahim. March 15, 2022
- “Diet and fitness secrets of ageless grandma who stuns with youthful look.” News.com.au. Olive Loveridge-Greene. March 18, 2022
- “How many is too many eggs?” Medical News Today. Aaron Kandola. November 11, 2021
- “Are You Exercising Too Much? Here’s How to Tell (and Why It Can Be Risky).” Everyday Health. Kimberly Zapata. August 13, 2021
