Active beauty
For Thai-American beauty Ann Laisattrukrai, staying active is the secret to health.

Alicha "Ann" Laisattrukrai, currently one of Thailand's hottest celebrities, lives a very healthy and active lifestyle. "I've been into various sports and exercises since I was a kid," the 24-year-old Thai-American beauty says.

Ann was born in the U.S. but has spent most of her life in Thailand with her father, who is also her trusted mentor and friend. She is taking up Communication Arts (major in Advertising) at Assumption University. "While I was still studying in the States, I played softball and basketball in my physical education class. Sports is good for you; it gives you a good workout and teaches you to focus better."

SPORTS UNLIMITED
As a child, Ann loved to swim and ride horses. Her love affair with water sports blossomed as she grew up. She is an adept water-skier and, just recently, took up scuba-diving lessons. "I just love the ocean."

Ann is also into trapshooting; she is a familiar and refreshing sight at the shooting range. "Practicing trapshooting with my shotgun gives me a good workout, especially my arms and legs," she says. "It builds endurance as I have to shoot and move from one station to another." If not for her hectic school and work schedules, Ann would have tried out for the Thai National Shooting Team (she was actually drafted for the regional shooting team). "I'll keep on practicing whenever I have the chance. I'm not giving up my dream of making it into the national team."

Ann has recently taken up golf again, a sport her father taught her many years ago. Ann is mesmerized by the concentration and focus that golf requires, and finds the wide, open spaces and scenic beauty of golf courses relaxing. "I used to think that golf was such a boring sport," she admits. "Aside from the physical exercise, golf also provides a challenging mental workout - selecting the right club for the right distance, forming a good swing and stance, and judging wind direction."

On regular school days, Ann stays in the school dormitory, which provides her plenty of opportunities to exercise - and do yoga. "I go to the gym and spend about 35 minutes or 8 kilometers on the treadmill. Then, I finish off with yoga for about an hour in order to stretch and relax my muscles. Believe it or not, yoga does your body good. It helps regulate my digestive system and reduce my menstrual cramps." Ann has been practicing yoga for 4 years now, and even teaches yoga to her friends at the university. "I really like yoga because it helps improve health without any equipment," she says.

BALANCE OF EXERCISE AND GOOD DIET
Ann loves to eat veggies, particularly green salads - thanks to her very health-conscious father. She also drinks lots of water, which is probably why she has such nice, clear skin. "I don't normally pay much attention to my skin, but my father insists that I always put on sunblock lotion whenever I go outside to play sports."

To stay healthy, Ann recommends playing a variety of sports, engaging in regular exercise and eating a well-balanced diet. Ann says, "Remember to have balance in everything."