Try as she might, the effervescent actress just can’t resist revealing parts of herself most artists would keep under cover until a revealing autobiography was penned later in their careers. “I think I’m in a green mood today,” she off-handedly states referring to her preferred colour of the day. “But my favourite colour changes on a weekly basis. Last week was orange because I felt vibrant. Green makes me feel happy. I’m extremely stimulated by colour.” And so goes the long, luxurious, hot afternoon with the actress full of energy (thanks to last night’s eight hours of sleep), honesty and a real down-to-earth approach to life and its eccentricities.

Credit for her grounded and balanced persona goes to her close circle of family and friends. In fact, Bell sharehs her 5,500-square-foot home with four friends who serve as her surrogate family. “Friends mean everything in the world to me,” she says. “They are my stability. They are, a lot of time, my inspiration and help me balance out my physical and emotional sides.” Shunning the Hollywood nightlife, most nights you can find the actress playing Scrabble for fun and relaxation. “I can honestly say this is one of the best moments in my life,” she squeals. “I had a seven-letter word and got 50 extra points on a triple word score.” The word? “Boobies! I’m not kidding you. I was so excited. It’s a real word that is the plural for two breasts. And I won the game!”

The powerhouse has also succeeded in her nutritional goals and positively glows when talking about her vegetarianism. Bell, who has not consumed meat since the age of 11, admits her own bull-headedness introduced her to this way of eating. “I was a vegan for four years in the mix of my vegetarianism,” says Bell on her eating saga. “I had a lot of quirks as a child and would only eat my food next to the dog and never liked the look, taste or smell of meat. My mom tried to disguise it but I just was not having any of it. When I discovered what vegetarianism was, I claimed to be one and my mom was very supportive. Because she’s a nurse, she helped me do research into what my body needed to replace.” Bell learned that eating in this fashion not only meant the need for protein substitutions but also minerals. “A lot of vegetarians just eat bread and pasta and don’t realize that iron, zinc and magnesium need to be replaced. I take supplements but I also find that I have a very well- balanced diet.” Nuts, lentils, tofu, broccoli, kale and other “power vegetables” round out her daily meals. “I’m constantly monitoring the colour of my food. My mom taught me that trick when I was a young girl: if you have a colourful plate, you’re probably doing a good job.” And after every meal, Bell rewards herself with a dessert. “Yes, even after breakfast! I make chocolate-covered strawberries a lot because it’s a good halfway point. You’re getting fruit, which is great, but you’re also smothering them in chocolate.” But her one guilty pleasure is Sour Patch Kids. “If it’s sugar, I’m there, but I have to be real careful around Sour Patch Kids and Hot Tamales.

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