If you've had the chance to watch Blake Lively's new film, The Shallows, you'll probably be wanting to put down the chocolate brownie that's in your hand, because her enviably toned physique is insane.

As you know, a six-pack and muscular arms don't just magically arrive on your person overnight (no matter how much you dream about them). They require weeks (months) of hard work and determination.

For Lively, this meant cutting out soy and gluten from her diet before filming, with shooting starting just eight months after giving birth to her first child, James.

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In a recent interview on the Kylie and Jackie O Show, the actress revealed: 'It seems like, 'oh that's really easy to cut that out,' but you realise there's soy in everything. Even if it's the healthy, whole foods, organic stuff, there's always soy in it.

'Once you remove soy, you realise you're eating no processed foods, so that's basically what I did,' she added.

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Although the thought of cutting out soy and gluten has us wanting to reach for the nearest cookie, Lively said it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

'I was still able to have sugar and all of those things. It's all in moderation.

'You have a balance of protein, carbs and vegetables. And it wasn't the worst. I was eating rice and sushi, but just no soy and no gluten and watch how hard that is,' she continued.

So if she could eat protein, carbs, vegetables and sugar, what exactly couldn't she eat?

  • Bean sprouts
  • Bread crumbs, cereals and crackers
  • Breaded foods
  • Imitation dairy food
  • Meal and nutrition supplements
  • Burgers and prepared ground meat products
  • Chili
  • Edamame
  • Taco fillings
  • Pasta
  • Miso
  • Sauces (soy,shoyu, tamari, teriyaki, Worcestershire)
  • Vegetarian burgers
  • Stews
  • Chewing gum
  • Hot chocolate
  • Lemonade
  • Dressings
  • Frozen desserts
  • Spreads, dips, mayonnaise and peanut butter

Well, if it gets you a body like Blake's…

Watch the trailer for The Shallows below:

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Katie O'Malley
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.