Outlander Star Sam Heughan: Global Ambassador for Wellness

There are two things actor Sam Heughan takes very seriously: His acting and his health.

Heughan rose to fame in 2014 with his breakout role in the hit show, Outlander.

In this historical drama set in the 18th century, 43-year-old Heughan plays Scottish military man Jamie Fraser, a chiseled Highlander whose athletic physique is as much a part of his character as his thick Gaelic accent.

Throughout his years as a struggling actor, Heughan learned the value of using his physical attributes to bring a character to life, but he didn't always use healthy means to do so.

In his autobiography, Waypoints, Heughan discusses how the pressures of conforming to physical expectations led to poor health choices and a low-level eating disorder.

He also shares his journey toward attaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle—and how he is helping thousands of people around the world do the same.

Journey to a Healthy Lifestyle

Sam Heughan's dream was to become an actor. He pursued roles on the big screen and small screen, and he took nearly any part that came along—whether it was in a television commercial or on stage.

But despite more than a decade looking for his big break, Heughan often found himself scraping for money as a bartender or server, sleeping on friends' sofas or sharing apartments to save on rent, and sometimes, literally without a penny to his name.

During that time, he learned to use his six-foot two frame to his advantage. He realized that if he looked the part during an audition, he'd be more likely to land the role.

This led him down a dark path, where he sometimes survived on salad and pickles to keep his calorie count low, or intentionally dehydrated himself to make his muscles look more defined.

"In hindsight, when I consider that time in my life, I recognize that I was living for a while with a low-level eating disorder," said Heughan in his memoir, Waypoints. "The requirement for an actor to look a certain way has driven me too far at times. I love training, but in my early years that led to a bad relationship with food."

Heughan didn't develop a healthy relationship with food until he became determined to become more muscular.

"It forced me to start researching health and fitness, and that's when I recognized that the body needs a healthy, balanced diet to survive and grow. It was a vital lesson, and even now I sometimes have to remind myself that there can be no compromise."

He continues to exercise on a daily basis, and his workouts are tailored to his current role.

For example, when he is shooting Outlander, he focuses on functional strength training that balances strength and cardio.

His role as a villain in a superhero movie called Bloodshot required that he put on more muscle, so he ate more calories, lifted heavier weights, and cut back on cardio.

Regardless of how he tailors his workouts, his relationship with food is now healthier and more balanced. He says he has tried many kinds of diets, but in the end, he focuses on clean eating. This includes whole, natural foods, whole grains, fruit and vegetables, and no junk food.

He enjoys juicing, and his favorite blend includes carrot, mint, ginger, and lemon.

Heughan also adds targeted supplements to his routine, including vitamin C, vitamin D, glutathione, krill oil, and omegas.

"It's mainly to do with immunity boosting and generally giving me energy because the days are long and tiring both physically and mentally," said Heughan.

My Peak Challenge

For Heughan, there's more to life than acting.

"If I did nothing else with my life, I'd still feel like something was missing," said Heughan in Waypoints. "I'm always looking for the next great challenge on the horizon. This has given rise to several projects far from film and television, including one dear to my heart that allows me to give something back."

Heughan is referring to My Peak Challenge, a nonprofit organization he co-founded along with his personal trainer, John Valbonesi. The organization is unique because it challenges people to set goals for themselves while raising funds for charity.

It began with Heughan's own personal goal of running two marathons in a one-month period. He broke the challenge down into manageable steps, and he raised over $37,000 for cancer charities in the process.

"We all need a focus in life," said Heughan. "And by introducing targets we can begin to take steps towards achieving goals that might at first appear unreachable."

My Peak Challenge is now a global movement with a simple premise: Help yourself while helping others.

As part of the program, people start by setting a goal for themselves with the idea that challenge promotes personal growth. The challenge can be physical (like running a 5K) or not physical (like learning a new language).

The membership fee provides access to 12 months of fitness, yoga, and nutritional plans, along with training from professionals and coaches.

More significantly, 50% of the net membership fee goes directly to various charities. To date, the My Peak Challenge community has raised nearly $7 million for its charity partners.

Funds raised through My Peak Challenge recently funded a clinical trial at the University of Oxford that is testing a new way to treat acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

Other causes have included fighting global hunger, supporting end-of-life care, and addressing environmental problems.

In 2022 alone, "Peakers" (as the members are called) raised enough money to plant 607,000 trees and cumulatively walked two billion steps.

The mission of My Peak Challenge echoes Heughan's own personal health philosophy: "Challenge yourself, and nothing is unattainable."

Waypoints

In 2021, Heughan accomplished yet another lofty goal: hiking a 96-mile trail through the Scottish Highlands called the West Highland Way.

The culmination of the hike included ascending Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.

Heughan details this challenging trek—and the lessons he learned along the way—in his charming memoir, Waypoints. Along with sharing details of this journey, he provides an intimate guide through the waypoints of his own personal life.

In reflecting on his hike along the West Highland Way, Heughan said, "For me, this journey has removed the noise and demands of everyday life to remind me that we're all just passing from one waypoint to the next. What matters is that we can look back at each stage knowing we made the most of it."

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