Ion Overman - Ghost Whisperer

Ion Overman (pronounced "Eeon") is an actress who has graced both the small and big screens. She has appeared on General Hospital, Love Inc., Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, and most recently, Ghost Whisperer. I am a huge fan of the show Ghost Whisperer, so I was excited to chat with Ion on how she lives a healthy lifestyle.

Naturally Savvy Guide, Andrea Donsky:Ion, How you live a healthy, natural and green lifestyle?

Ion Overman: When the lease was up on my car last summer, I decided to buy a Hybrid. It gets amazing gas mileage. At the time I bought it, gas was $4.69 a gallon. With my hybrid, I was only having to fill the tank once a month! I've been recycling for years; I use my cloth bags at the grocery store; and all my light bulbs are CFL's [compact florescent]. I just got a water filter to put on my faucet and I'm now avoiding unnecessary plastics. I really want everybody to turn off the water when they are brushing their teeth and to bring re-usable bags to the grocery store. I buy organic foods when I can. I try to buy natural and organic things when it's convenient. I'm so excited that these products are becoming more widely available, giving us more choices.

Andrea:Tell me about your career.

Ion Overman: I'm an actress. It's been a great couple of months. I had a movie that came out in February and I began shooting another movie in April.

Andrea:How do you keep yourself grounded in the LA environment?

Ion Overman: It comes naturally to me. I've been doing this for a long time. I don't kill myself with the food. I like the way I look now, both on and off camera. The older you get and the more years you go through this, the more you stop caring as much - you become less obsessive and it becomes more about feeling and being healthier. A nice by-product is that my butt looks good in my jeans! I began working in this business when I was about 22 and when I started out, I was terrified like everyone else. You get more comfortable in your skin as time goes on - as long as I feel good about myself, then I'm happy.

Andrea:Who would you say is your mentor?

Ion Overman: I really don't have a mentor, I've always gone through life and figured things out for myself and made my own mistakes.

Andrea:Who do you admire most as an actor?

Ion Overman: I love Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Kate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson and Julia Louis Dreyfus.

Andrea:And who do you admire most in your life?

Ion Overman: My friend lost her husband to cancer three years ago and I lost my dad to the same thing to the same disease. They were on the same floor at the same hospital and they died within a week of each other. She has two young children and was suddenly thrown into single motherhood at a very young age but she has it all together. She's doing a great job handling it all so I admire her for that.

Andrea:What is your guilty pleasure?

Ion Overman: Sweets. I have the most wicked sweet tooth!

Andrea:How do you maintain balance in your life?

Ion Overman: About a year and a half ago I found an exercise class that I love. I always hated working out. But this is the first time I've ever stuck to a work out. I'm in great shape and feel great. I love when my clothes fit. I've made great friends in the class and walk there too. It takes me 25 minutes to walk to class, so I'm all warmed up by the time I get there.

Andrea: Ion, thanks for speaking with me. We look forward to seeing your new movie when it is out.