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Laura Prepon Is a Tall Drink of Bone Broth
The actress may be stashing foods, but she's revealing more of herself in her new book
By Megan Mclachlan
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Photography by Ray Kachatorian
For eight seasons, Laura Prepon played the ultra-cool and confident Donna Pinciotti on Fox’s That ‘70s Show. But even though she portrayed a lanky heartbreaker on-set, off-set Prepon was masking deep-seated body insecurity.
“I got into the habit of never watching myself on screen because I didn’t want to be critical of myself and my body,” said Prepon. “It was a very private struggle. Only my very close friends knew the issues I was having.”
This battle started when Prepon was just a teenager, after a modeling agency told her they’d sign her if she lost 25 pounds.
“I’d never had anybody put attention on my body like that. In a month and a half, I lost the weight, and they signed me and sent me to Milan, Italy. From there, I think I always equated being thin with success. If you look at most actresses, the more successful they get, the thinner they get. That’s not a coincidence.”
So when Prepon had problems losing weight and keeping it off, she felt like a failure. Over the course of her twenties, she started on a series of unhealthy diets, which would always result in the same cycle: lose weight, lose energy, and then lose the plan.
She would even bring her own restrictive diet food with her everywhere she went. One of her lowest, most embarrassing points came when she was at a lunch meeting with producers in Beverly Hills, and a waiter told her she couldn’t eat the cabbage soup she had brought in to the restaurant.
But after years of yo-yo dieting and trying every method under the West Coast sun (including hormone injections that trick your body into thinking you’re pregnant so you’ll burn more stored fat), Prepon met nutritionist Elizabeth Troy, who changed her life and would collaborate with her on the new book The Stash Plan: Your 21-Day Guide to Shed Weight, Feel Great, and Take Charge of Your Health. “When I met Elizabeth, she had some viewpoints I hadn’t heard yet about the body, which I found really fascinating. I knew the importance of the gallbladder and liver, but not to the extent that we talk about in the book. When I learned this and my body really started changing, I knew I wanted to share it with the world. I had never read, in any book, the information we present in The Stash Plan. Not being biased. It’s the truth.”
The Stash Plan consists of five parts, starting with the story of how Laura and Elizabeth arrived at the plan, why the plan works, how to create your own “stash,” recipes including bone broths (which give your skin a youthful glow), and stretching exercises for flushing outtoxins.
“One of the biggest revelations was learning the importance of the lymphatic system. When there are many toxins in your body, the lymph gets stagnant and adds to the cascade of body problems.”
The idea behind “stashing” is that you stash away foods, cooking only on Sundays and Wednesdays, so you’ll have meals prepared for the rest of the week. This plan works for single guys and gals on the go, as well as moms and dads.
“This is how my mother always taught me to cook. Because of my food sensitivities and busy schedule, I always cook at home so I bring food to set. A stash in the fridge is great for families, too. They aren’t running through a drive-thru on the way home or calling Domino’s.” Not that takeout is forbidden.
The great thing about the plan is that it works on an 80/20 schedule: 80 percent of the time you get to eat delicious, healthy foods like stuffed peppers and parcel-poached sea bass, while the rest of the time you get a break and can eat a cheeseburger with fries. And when you stash, you save money on food you would eat ordering out.
“I love the bison burgers, almond bread, ginger shrimp, brothinfused brown rice—all of them really,” said Prepon of her favorite Stash dishes. “These are recipes I eat all the time as well as prepare when I’m entertaining. They are great for bringing to work as well.” And Prepon has plenty of work on her plate. The fourth season of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black drops June 17, with Prepon returning as Alex Vause. “This is one of our best seasons. From the first episode, it’s a great ride. I think the fans will really love it.”
Plus, she has the film adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ book The Girl on the Train coming out this fall, starring Emily Blunt and Justin Theroux. “I play Cathy, Rachel’s (Blunt’s) roommate and friend. Tate Taylor (The Help) directed it, and he’s amazing. The cast is fantastic. I think people will love it. We do the book justice.”
This time, Prepon’s success on screen mirrors how she feels offscreen, with a truer, more authentic sense of self, similar to theingredients included in the plan.
“The Stash Plan is about real food—real butter, real grassfedamazing meat, fresh vegetables. If it’s substantial and my body willrecognize it, I eat it.”
The Stash Plan is available in most bookstores and online. Visitlauraprepon.com for more information.
