Gina Rodriguez says being diagnosed with a thyroid disorder was a "blessing".

She said: "If I can at least walk for 20 minutes a day, it's extremely helpful for my thyroid gland. Running, boxing, jump rope and hitting the heavy bag are my workout constants.

"It's always been a battle for me with weight. Keeping weight off is very difficult because my metabolism is pretty much shot, which to me felt like a curse when I was 19. As an actress, I would say, 'Seriously? In a world that's so vain, I have to deal with the disease that makes you not keep weight off?' But it actually became a blessing because then I got to represent not only women and Latinas but also women who are dealing with this disease. I'm gluten-free, which is the most difficult thing in the world because, like Oprah, I love bread!"

The 32-year-old actress is a huge fan of boxing and was regularly joined at work out sessions by her 'Deepwater Horizon' co-star Mark Wahlberg.

She added to Health magazine: "I obviously like to box, and I grew up in a boxing family, but I didn't know [director] Peter [Berg] was so into boxing.

"I ended up boxing every day. I got so strong that summer, it was unreal. Mark Wahlberg would come when he could. Peter and I would box each other in the ring. I adore him. He's cracked me across the face, and I've cracked him across the face. It's really not as painful as you would think. We don't break that easily."