With last week’s announcement that her divorce from Tom Brady was finalized, supermodel Gisele Bündchen is back in the spotlight. It’s not an unfamiliar place for her, though for most of her career, headlines have focused predominantly on the supermodel’s incredibly healthy and holistic lifestyle.
While famous for her trim and trim figure, the 42-year-old mother of two defies the stereotypical supermodel mold when it comes to her athleticism. “Gisele is more of an athlete than a model,” she says. Nonna Gleyzer, a Pilates instructor in Beverly Hills, California, who has been training Bündchen for several years. “She is the most physically active person I know and is constantly moving her body.”
You won’t find Gisele following any fad diets or jumping on the latest training bandwagon. Instead, she takes a nurturing mind-body approach to diet, exercise, and wellness. Her health habits may seem strict to most of her, but according to the Brazilian beauty, they help her feel good and also promote environmental responsibility.
Here are some ways Gisele Bündchen stays healthy inside and out.
1. Start the day with hot water and lemon and green juice
Gleyzer reveals that the supermodel starts each day with hot water and lemon, a drink that is excellent for the immune system, as it is packed with vitamin C. While there is limited research specifically supporting the benefits of lemon water, drinking water before eating may promote weight loss. A small randomized, controlled essay published in magazine Obesity found that people who drank water before eating low-calorie meals lost 44 percent more weight over a 12-week period than those who followed only the low-calorie diet.
Bündchen follows up her lemon water with a fresh green juice that she makes at home with celery, kaleand “whatever vegetables you have at home,” says Gleyzer, who also trains celebrities Emma Roberts, Camila Alves and Vanessa Hudgens.
2. Their Diet Is Mainly Plant-Based
“We mainly eat a plant-based diet. It makes us feel good and also has a smaller impact on the environment,” said Bündchen. marie claire in April 2020.
In 2016, Allen Campbell, Bündchen and Brady’s private chef at the time, told the boston globe that his diet consisted of 80% vegetables, but not nightshades, such as tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and eggplants, because “they are not anti-inflammatory.” The other 20 percent? Mainly grass-fed, organic, antibiotic- and hormone-free lean meats and wild-caught fish or shellfish.
Keri Gans, RDNowner of Keri Gans Nutrition in New York City and author of The small change diet, notes that maintaining a plant-based diet “is definitely a smart move to be more environmentally conscious.” However, he does not recommend eliminating nightshade vegetables. “They are packed with nutrition, and the research is far from conclusive on their inflammatory effects on the body,” says Gans.
3. Sometimes he only eats raw food
Bündchen also ventures into a raw food diet, usually when you are on vacation. “They don’t always do it raw, but because it’s so easy to do in Costa Rica, we do an 80/20 raw diet, with big, colorful salads and lots of fresh vegetables,” Joanne Gerrard Young, Master Raw Food Chef, Holistic Nutritionist, health educator and one of the former couple’s chefs said well+well.
While Gans always recommends eating more vegetables, “raw isn’t always better than cooked,” as long as you avoid overcooking them, she says. “For example, many vegetables have higher antioxidant content when cooked, such as beta-carotene in carrots and lycopene in tomatoes,” he says.
4. Lunch is your biggest meal of the day
Bündchen tends to eat heavier earlier in the day. According to Gerrard Young, Gisele eats her largest meal of the day at lunch, followed by a smaller dinner.
While some people prefer to eat their largest meal in the middle of the day, Gans argues that timing is less important than the quality of the meal itself. “What really matters at the end of the day is whether we’ve met our nutritional needs and enjoyed our meals without overeating,” he says.
5. She drinks tea
During an interview with british fashion in June 2022, Bündchen revealed that she uses tea as medicine, revealing a cabinet filled with fennel, chamomile, and peppermint tea. “I always say that nature is our pharmacy. If the kids are sick, I’ll make a fresh ginger tea with lemon and a whole pot of manuka honey. It really is the best you can drink!” she said. “It’s great for PMS,” she added of raspberry leaf tea.
Gans applauds Gisele’s love of tea, “as it’s packed with nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent certain types of cancer, decrease heart disease and support immune health,” he says. However, she is not aware of any scientific research that supports raspberry leaf tea as a treatment for PMS.
6. You have eliminated several things from your diet
According to Campbell, the list of things Gisele avoids is extensive and includes white sugar, white flour, MSGcoffee, caffeine, mushrooms, dairy and fruits.
Trying to limit too much processed foods High amounts of added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat are recommended,” says Gans. Still, some of the foods on Gisele’s “don’t eat” list, like coffee, caffeine and dairy, actually have health benefits, Gans says.
7. She eats organic
“In our house, we try to eat locally grown and seasonal organic foods,” Bündchen said. marie claire. “We believe that by buying local, we will have a better chance of getting fresh food and also support local farmers.” He also grows his own produce and eats the eggs his chickens lay. “I love seeing my kids get excited when they find fresh eggs in our chicken coop or harvest vegetables from our garden,” she added.
While Gans is all for Gisele’s plant-based diet and supports local farmers and the environment, the scientific evidence to date “doesn’t show that organic food is more nutritious than conventional food,” she notes. “The most important thing is that no matter where a person lives, they have access to fruits and vegetables of any kind.”
8. She indulges from time to time
From time to time, Bündchen allows himself to indulge. “I’m not very strict and I think everything is fine in moderation,” she said. Marie Claire. “My ultimate guilty pleasure is dark chocolate.” Gerrard Young adds that Gisele loves her raw vegan desserts and she eats them “all the time.”
Gans supports the occasional gift. “It’s definitely important to indulge and not be too strict in order to have an overall healthy eating mindset,” she says. “I should expect that if Gisele wanted a piece of dark chocolate every day of the week, she would allow herself one.”
9. Practice meditation and mindfulness
Bündchen also believes that beauty starts from the inside out. “My routine certainly varies, since we travel a lot, but I usually start the day by taking deep breaths, doing some stretches and meditating,” he said. marie claire.
“Meditation allows me to calm and clear my mind, and exercise helps me feel energized.” She added that learning to focus her mind has helped her achieve “a sense of inner balance” in her life. “My goal in any situation is to allow myself to be fully present, as our well-being depends on connecting our mind, body, and spirit.”
Gleyzer adds that stretching is essential for Gisele “because she really believes in flexibility and likes to stay limber.”
10. She does yoga
Bundchen also said marie claire that yoga helps her “stay centered and balanced” and also brings her “clarity and peace”.
In his 2018 book, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful LifeHe explained his practice. “[Yoga is] so serene that I can be in a meditative state while practicing,” she said. “Whether it is music, mantras, breathwork or meditation, [yoga is] a beautiful and powerful spiritual practice. Yoga gave me my life back.”
11. She does pilates
Bündchen does pilates three times a week with Gleyzer, using a reformer or whatever other equipment she has access to. “He likes to get a full-body workout,” says Gleyzer.
What makes pilates a great exercise? Gleyzer explains that it avoids putting stress on your joints and muscles while strengthening your muscles and toning your arms. “It also increases flexibility in the spine, joints, and muscles and helps prevent injuries,” she says.
12. She focuses on form and technique
If you want to take a page out of Bündchen’s workout manual, Gleyzer suggests focusing on form and technique, unlike some of his other clients who focus on completing a workout as quickly as possible. “Gisele focuses on proper breathing and focuses on form and technique. She is very meticulous. She gets deep into her body,” says Gleyzer.
13. She hydrates
Because her lifestyle is so active, Bündchen prioritizes hydration. In addition to drinking water, she “loves coconut water,” says Gleyzer. “She drinks it from real coconuts.”
Staying adequately hydrated can affect everything from the function of your organs to the quality of your sleep and your mood, according to Harvard Health. The amount of water needed for sufficient hydration depends on a variety of factors, including body weight, activity level, and age. you can use a hydration calculator to determine your exact needs.
14. He likes to exercise outdoors
Bündchen loves to work up a sweat outdoors. “I love any type of exercise that I can do outdoors; horseback riding, biking, and skiing are some of my favorite ways to stay active and connect with nature,” she said. marie claire. “These activities not only help me stay fit, they help give me clarity and perspective. Being active feeds my body, mind and soul. It just makes me happy.”
