You may have seen Chef Babette Davis — a California-based health coach and fitness enthusiast — looking fab on social media, perhaps wearing a formfitting cocktail dress or a brightly colored workout set. And you may have appreciated her viral posts on aging well, such as when she turned 70 and turned it all the way up at a shoot, sporting a bikini-style bottom, a sleeveless top and heeled sandals — gaining nearly a million views on TikTok alone.
But how does Davis, also the head chef and co-owner of the plant-based and organic Stuff I Eat restaurant in Inglewood, continue to stay so fit? Here, she shares the details in an exclusive Sisters interview (edited for length and clarity).
And hey, if you feel inspired to try a thing or two after reading … we’re inspired, too.
I’ve had to learn how to nourish myself.
Her nutrition is important.
Babette Davis: I don’t even know how to hold a knife good, but I’ve had to learn how to nourish myself so I would be fair in nourishing my customers. My restaurant is leaning more towards a transitional diet. Not perfection, because to me perfection is raw food — life food. … We need to know how to take care of ourselves.
I just know I have to move. That is what I know.
She wakes up early.
BD: I have to get my workout in. [One day] I think I might have fallen asleep at 5:45 p.m., but then I woke up at 1. My day starts extremely early, and I shut it down early.
I don’t even own a scale. I just pay attention to how I feel in my clothes.
She works with personal trainers.
BD: I’ve had awesome workout coaches over the years. I worked out with Body by Venus — Venus Moore. She builds butts; Venus is an awesome trainer. Then Dino Mosley. He’s done a lot of my photographs, but he’s a heck of a trainer. And Bryan Clemons. I love that kid — he is the strength man.
We need to know how to take care of ourselves.
She loves running but recently moved to weights.
BD: I started off running hills at Griffith Park. Give me a hill, I’m running that bad boy. Now I’m working with Dr. Shabnam Islam, and we’re indoors with weights. I [wasn’t] able to get in the outdoor workouts because I’m in the restaurant. So I thought I should do more resistance and some weights. I’m having an incredible time.
I challenge myself
She loves a good pushup — or a good few dozen.
BD: I don’t even own a scale. I just pay attention to how I feel in my clothes. … I challenge myself to do one pushup — the correct pushup, good form — for every year I’m alive. I was supposed to be working my way up to my birthday. But I wound up doing 75. (Doing [sets of] 25 push-ups is more challenging than doing [sets of] 10. Plus, if I’m doing 25, I’ll need three to four minutes between reps, whereas doing 10, I’ll only need about one to two minutes.)
I am tying my own shoe, you know, when I’m 97. I’m going to be able to do it if I’m alive.
She plans to continue working out.
BD: I love my granddaughter. I do. But I can’t imagine her taking care of me. Nope. … I just know I have to move. That is what I know. … If I’m in the car, and I need to run and get to some help, guess who’s going to be able to get to the help? I am. I am tying my own shoe, you know, when I’m 97. I’m going to be able to do it if I’m alive.
I’m having an incredible time.
