Laura Potter 

My body & soul

Anastacia, singer, 41, on living with Crohn's disease, surviving breast cancer and the joys of yoga
  
  


Ever spent a night in hospital? This article is probably too short to cover the number of nights I've spent in hospital. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at 13 and then I had breast cancer at 29. Hospitals don't scare me, which is good, because I never know when I'm going to have to go in. But I feel comfortable if my mum's there.

Do you worry about your weight? At the beginning of my career I was told to lose weight. I lost way too much, and because of my Crohn's disease my intestines collapsed. For me, healthy eating is the best thing, because the more frequently you diet the more you mess up your metabolism. I'm quite energetic so I lose weight on tour.

Any notable accidents? No, but all of my diseases have been a huge surprise. Instead of people knowing you've broken your leg and saying, "She'll be fine – we'll go to the party in an hour", they're like, "Oh my God, that child is dying."

What exercise do you take? The one that really seems to work is Bikram yoga. I've had sciatica and I had a tough time getting my body out of the atrophy caused by cancer, radiation and surgeries. Yoga really helped reprogramme my body.

What's your attitude to smoking? I'm not for it, but I'm not against people who smoke. I'm not a hater. I find most smokers are very considerate, unless they smoke cigars – they're puffing away next to you and you're like, "Yo dude, seriously, I can't see. My retina is gone."

Are you happy? Yes. There are things in life that are going to get you down, but how long you stay there and who you take down with you is choice, and I choose to be happy.

How do you feel about cosmetic surgery? I have, on occasion, used Botox, but I still look like Anastacia, there is is still a part of me that doesn't look like a plastic person. I don't want to be 50 and smooth, though. There's a point, I have a feeling, when you realise that age is natural and that's OK.

NHS or private? I live in America most of the time, so private. You can get a shoe on sale, but there's no need to find a discount on a doctor.★

Anastacia, Lulu and Chaka Khan are touring with their show Here Come The Girls (www.herecomethegirls.org/)

 

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