Gisele Bündchen has an incredibly trim and toned physique, which shouldn’t surprise anyone given that she has been modelling for most of her life.
But her super-sculpted figure isn’t down to chance or luck, as she has regularly said that it’s down to serious discipline in the gym and in the kitchen. Keep reading to find out what the former Victoria’s Secret Angel, 45, has said about what she eats – and avoids – to keep herself looking and feeling her best in interviews and in her own cookbook…
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Gisele's 'Easy And Nutritious' Diet Came Following A Major Health Wake-Up Call!
Gisele knows her way around nutrition these days, which is why releasing a cookbook felt like a natural next step. And one which her fans are eternally grateful for! Her book Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body and Feed Your Soul includes more than 100 simple, nutrient-packed recipes that anyone can prepare, and she's living proof that her approach works!
What we love about Gisele is that she's the first to admit that her cooking skills didn't come from any professional training. Instead, they came from years of trying to find healthy meals that felt doable. "I'm not a chef, I'm the farthest thing from a chef. But I'm like, how do I make things that are easy and nutritious?" she previously told WSJ Magazine.
And very interestingly, she didn't always live and eat this way, as her super-clean lifestyle came after a major health wake-up call. She previously explained that her diet and lifestyle in her early modelling days couldn't have been more different than they are today, as she started mornings with two cigarettes and a Mocha Frappuccino and ended nights with red wine. Yes, really! Eventually, she explained that this led to her adrenal glands shutting down, and shifting to nutritious food helped change everything for the better.
Gisele Prioritizes Organic Food And Supplements
For Gisele, food quality is key; and because of this, she avoids processed foods and focuses on organic, pesticide-free foods. She previously told Women's Health: "Everything starts on the soil."
She also swears by herbs and supplements – a habit she apparently picked up from her grandmother. Her daily lineup often includes Gaia Herbs products like ashwagandha and turmeric, which she says she has taken every morning for more than 20 years.
Interestingly though, natural and organic doesn't mean strictly plant-based. She confessed to experimenting with vegan and vegetarian diets in the past, but found they didn't give her what she needed, and she actually became nutrient-deficient! "I became anemic. Then I was raw, and I was freezing the whole time. I was blue, my lips were purple in the summer," she told WSJ. These days, she follows the 80:20 rule (different to Jennifer Aniston's 80:20 rule about balance) and her meals are about 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent animal protein.
The Joias Vivara model's focus is on simple, nourishing foods, including roasted veggies, green beans, broccoli, snap peas, carrots, and more. "For me, the whole thing about food has become, where is it coming from? How is it grown?" she explained to WSJ. "I see my body as a temple. I don't want to feel sluggish after I eat… My whole goal is to live the longest I can living the best life that I can."
What Gisele Eats For Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner
The mom-of-three starts her day at 5am with meditation, followed by lukewarm water with lemon and Celtic salt. After she moves her body – her non-negotiable daily ritual – she tucks into her nutritious breakfast.
Her post-workout meal depends on what kind of exercise she does. "If I did more weight training, then I'll definitely have scrambled eggs or hardboiled eggs because I want to have that protein," she has noted. On lighter days, she'll make a fruit smoothie with almonds blended into a paste for an easy protein boost. "I always make an almond paste to have some protein in there," she told WSJ Magazine.
At home, she and her kids rotate between salmon, fish tacos, chicken, soups, spring rolls, and tons of veggies. She loves chicken-and-veggie lettuce wraps marinated in pesto (we're trying these immediately!) and she always keeps homemade broth in the freezer because "if you're going to make anything, broth makes it taste better." Noted!
What Food Does Gisele Avoid?
Although many healthy A-listers tell us that life is all about balance, one thing you won't find in Gisele's kitchen is white sugar. "To me, white sugar means poison. There's so many other ways you can sweeten your things that are delicious. Honey, maple syrup, dates," she previously told WSJ.
She also avoids fast food and anything overly processed. "No McDonald's or shelf-stable cupcakes or candy for me," she writes in Nourish, adding: "My body is my temple, and my temple is sacred. Eating processed food is not being loving to myself."
Of course, even Gisele indulges every now and again. Her favorite treats include truffle fries, gelato, and a baguette with French butter. "I still sometimes have it. I'm human!" she exclaimed.
What Exercise Does Gisele Do To Maintain Her Toned Physique?
Being engaged to a jiu-jitsu instructor means Gisele definitely gets her workouts in – but she was committed to fitness long before meeting Joaquim Valente, with whom she recently welcomed a baby boy. Over the years, she's loved Pilates, yoga, cycling, and more.
She even shared an empowering Instagram video recently, showcasing some of her favorite moves and reminding fans how important it is to move their bodies daily. "If there's one thing I'd recommend to everyone, it's this: move your body. Your body is your home – and it was made to move," she wrote on Instagram last month.
"Movement is medicine," she continued, adding: "For your heart, your muscles, and just as importantly, for your mind and soul. Every time you move, you shift more than just your limbs. You move stagnant energy. You release stored emotion."
