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OUTSIDE HER "LESS THAN PERFECT" WORLD, ACTRESS AND FORMER BALLERINA ANDREA PARKER GIVE THE SCOOP ON HER ORGANIC LIFESTYLE, FITTING IN FITNESS, AND STAYING HEALTHY IN HOLLYWOOD. By Teri Wingender Andrea Parker, a star of ABC's Less Than Perfect, believes that the choices she makes about exercise and nutrition show up on the screen and in life, for better or worse. "Our bodies are our instruments," she relates. "My workout and diet and stretching are all a part of the people I play, from the way I stand and the way I move. It all comes through." This former ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet learned early about discipline, a rigor that has carried over into her adult life. "Even though I don't dance professionally anymore, that lifestyle is natural to me," says Andrea, who is now 34, and notes that she retired from ballet at age 18 due to her height. "It's impossible to be a 5'10" ballerina!" she explains. Andrea's ballet training and touring opened a world of possibilities to the young dancer. "I had the opportunity to travel the world and to learn how to take care of myself and be healthy and independent." She adds, "It opened my eyes to different ways of living. In Europe, one of the things that most impressed me was their standard for food - it's not all about convenience and economy, it's about the quality of the food you're eating and who you're eating with - that was a real eye opener." While Less Than Perfect workdays involve normal hours, consistency and energy are key. "I have to get in a tight skirt and remember my lines, so I don't want to feel like I have to take a nap." she quips. "I'll have a good breakfast and eat very lightly throughout the day - nothing that will make me feel weighed down. When the show's over, I can get myself a steak." Fitness-wise, Andrea likes to mix it up, working about three to five times per week. "I can be seasonal with my workouts," she relates. "In winter, I'm at the gym. In summer, I'm at the beach or in the pool. But I get bored really easily, so one day I'll do weights, the next day, it's Pilates, the next, it might be a ballet class or a yoga session. And sometimes, just going for a long walk feels good." With her dance training, Andrea is able to choreograph her fitness routines based on her body's needs. "I work in some cardio every time, and I stretch every day whether I'm working out or not," she explains. A new favorite fitness tool is her portable trampoline. "I absolutely love it because I can put my music on as loud as I want, and then just go crazy on that thing for an hour," she enthuses. "You're using almost every muscle in your body - gut, butt, legs, and mind too - just to stay on it!" She adds, "I live for the endorphin high - it feels so wonderful when you've given it your all for an hour and a half." Most important to Andrea is leading a balanced life - but with passion. "I work hard, play hard, and relax hard," she says. Today, she strives to follow an organic lifestyle - but no trendy diets. "I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and eat organic as much as possible, especially when it comes to meat and dairy," says Andrea, who is passionate about making healthier choices. "It is just crazy what's going on with food being injected with hormones and antibiotics, and the adulteration of our produce. Why don't we rise up as a people and not let ourselves be taken advantage of in sacrifice of our health? It's so important to me that I will pay extra for organic foods to support organic farmers. It seems logical, doesn't it, that how we live and what we're eating and what we're breathing is all a part of what we're passing down to our kids?" Andrea recommends knowing what's in the products you buy. "I'm a big ingredient-reader," she says. "I think high-fructose corn syrup is the downfall of all of us - it's in everything. I do my best to avoid it and shop at stores where I can find alternatives." Her favorite "good" food? Along with Japanese food, spinach, and short-grain brown rice, she loves umeboshi plum - an important ingredient in a favorite dish that she enthusiastically shares with FIT readers: "Sauté some onion in olive oil, throw in some broccoli and carrots - you can even sauté some ground beef or scrambled eggs - throw it all together with brown rice and a little umeboshi plum - it's delicious!" Her favorite bad foods? "Pizza and coke," she admits. "I'm always in a battle with cola, but when I go to the movies I have to have it." To get centered, Andrea enjoys massage and does breathing exercises. "It's how I consciously let all the parts of my body relax, it's part of my spiritual side, and it's also great for the lymphatic system." she explains. When she's overindulged and needs to drop a few pounds, she double or triples her water intake, cuts out sugar, steams in the sauna, and works out every day. Maintaining her weight is part of her job, but she believes fitness comes in all sizes. "No one should be torturing themselves because they're not as thin as a heroin addict," she asserts. "As long as you're healthy and exercising and eating well and leading a full, active life, staying in touch with your spiritual side and enjoying the people you love. That to me is fitness."