Eva Longoria is Maxim’s 2014 Woman of the Year: Her diet and workout secrets – Examiner.com

Eva Longoria has been crowned the 2014 Woman of the Year by Maxim, the magazine announced Jan. 6.

Maxim’s cited Longoria’s sultry sex appeal and down-home earthiness for their selection. Interestingly, the Latina bombshell says cooking is her guilty pleasure.

“One thing people are usually surprised about when they get to know me is how domestic I am,” said Eva, 38. “So when you see the sexy ‘Maxim’ cover and then you put it against me in an apron with flour in my hair, it takes a moment to reconcile that image.”

The 5-foot-2 Longoria is a former aerobics instructor who majored in physical education in college. Not surprisingly, Eva works out rigorously and follows a healthy diet. She hits the gym four days a week doing a combination of cardio workouts, yoga and strength-training.

Longoria’s diet features lots of fresh vegetables and lean protein. The former “Desperate Housewives” star said she once tried a vegan diet but found it too complicated to fit her lifestyle.

I love the philosophy behind veganism, but I went from one day eating chicken and meat to eating just salad. I didn’t know how to be a vegan. I didn’t know about soy or almond butter. I didn’t know that there are great breads. So I literally stuck to salads. And I think I passed out the first week.”

Eva, who divorced NBA star Tony Parker in 2011, is a former beauty pageant winner (Miss Corpus Christi, 1988) who credits her fitness-minded lifestyle for keeping her healthy physically and emotionally.

“My bachelor’s degree is in kinesiology, so it’s ingrained in me to work out,” she said. “I was an aerobics instructor, and a personal trainer in college, so I was addicted to exercise. I used to do an hour and a half to two hours a day. I’d teach a class and then train clients, and I realized I didn’t need that much. Now I like weight training and abs.”