Christie Brinkley, the iconic supermodel, continues to defy age with her radiant looks and vibrant energy. At 71, she’s a testament to the power of a healthy lifestyle, proving that age is truly just a number. With a career spanning decades, Brinkley has generously shared her secrets to maintaining a youthful physique and a positive outlook on life. Let’s delve into the diet, fitness regime, and beauty tips that keep Christie Brinkley looking and feeling her best.
The “Rainbow Diet”: Fueling Agelessness
Christie Brinkley has been a vegetarian since she was 13 years old, a decision driven by her love for animals and a desire to avoid the “violent slaughterhouse system”. This long-standing commitment to a plant-based diet is a cornerstone of her health and vitality. She emphasizes the importance of viewing food as fuel and has a “real awareness of how food is fuel.”
Embracing a Vegetarian Lifestyle
Brinkley’s vegetarian journey began early, and she educated herself on how to replace protein and ensure a balanced diet. Over the years, she has experimented with various approaches, including vegan, macrobiotic, and lacto-ovo vegetarianism. The one constant has been her avoidance of red meat and fowl.
The “Rainbow Diet” Philosophy
A key element of Brinkley’s diet is what she calls the “rainbow diet.” This involves eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables each day to ensure a broad spectrum of nutrients and antioxidants.
“I’ve always fed my children, my family, and myself a rainbow of color a day,” she told The Cut in 2018.
A Typical Day of Eating
- Breakfast: Brinkley often starts her day with raw oats, berries, and nuts. She may also have sheep’s-milk yogurt with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, papaya, chia seeds, raw oatmeal, and walnuts. Another favorite is avocado toast. She sometimes includes hot lemon water with manuka honey and cayenne pepper.
- Lunch: Salads are a staple, packed with greens and a protein source like beans or nuts. She aims to incorporate as many colors as possible into her salads.
- Dinner: Similar to lunch, dinner typically consists of vegetables served with bean pasta, rice, grain, or quinoa. A favorite dish is brown rice with lentils, roasted red and yellow peppers, and fennel, with a sweet potato and a side salad.
- Snacks: Brinkley enjoys fresh juices made with kale, lime juice, orange juice, and avocado. She also snacks on homemade pumpkin-seed mix with Himalayan salt, walnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and dried raisins. An apple with peanut butter is another go-to snack.
Key Dietary Principles
- Limit Sugar: Brinkley avoids sugar as much as possible, noting that it helps with weight management.
- Avoid “Deny-Eating”: She is against dieting, emphasizing that a healthy approach to food is more important. Instead of restricting, she focuses on gifting herself with nutritious choices.
- Mindful Eating: Brinkley stresses the importance of a paradigm shift in how people approach food, encouraging them to see healthy eating as an opportunity to nourish themselves.
- Occasional Treats: She believes in treating herself occasionally to something enjoyable, like a good chocolate chip ice cream, but emphasizes moderation and balance.
- Hydration: Brinkley drinks tons of water to keep her skin hydrated.
The Fitness Regime: Staying Active and Strong
Christie Brinkley’s dedication to fitness is just as important as her diet. She incorporates a variety of activities into her daily routine to stay strong, flexible, and energized.
Embracing Variety
Brinkley believes that the best exercise routine is not to have a routine, but to mix it up. She warms up with her Total Gym, an at-home machine that uses body weight for strength training. She then incorporates outdoor activities like running through the woods, bike riding on the beach, paddle-boarding, kayaking, and yoga classes.
Key Fitness Activities
- Total Gym: Brinkley has been using the Total Gym for over 20 years. She uses it for eccentric and concentric movements that strengthen, stretch, and tone her body.
- Yoga: Yoga is a cornerstone of Brinkley’s fitness journey. She enjoys the physical benefits and the opportunity to bond with her dogs during her practice.
- Spin Classes: When she can’t cycle outdoors, Brinkley enjoys spin classes or using a Peloton bike.
- Weight Training: She also incorporates weight training into her routine.
- Outdoor Activities: Brinkley loves cycling, often taking long rides to the beach. She also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and skiing.
Integrating Fitness into Daily Life
Brinkley is known for her ability to integrate fitness into her daily life. She performs leg lifts while brushing her teeth and squats while drying her hair. She adds arm movements while walking on the beach. Gardening is also a significant part of her active lifestyle.
Adapting to Change
While running was once her favorite way to sweat, Brinkley has adapted to her body’s changing needs due to injuries. She now incorporates shorter runs on the Total Gym and focuses on other forms of exercise that are gentler on her body.
Key Fitness Principles
- Move as Often as Possible: Brinkley emphasizes the importance of keeping the body moving and avoiding prolonged periods of sitting.
- Stay Flexible: She advises against being too rigid about exercise and encourages finding opportunities to stay active throughout the day.
- Have Fun: Brinkley believes that enjoying your workout is crucial for sticking with it.
- Listen to Your Body: She emphasizes the importance of listening to your body and adjusting your fitness routine accordingly.
- Consistency: Brinkley has always incorporated exercise into her routine.
Beauty Secrets: Skincare and Self-Care
In addition to diet and exercise, Christie Brinkley prioritizes skincare and self-care to maintain her youthful appearance.
Skincare Routine
Brinkley’s skincare routine is simple and straightforward, focusing on exfoliation, moisturizing, and sun protection.
- Exfoliation: She starts every day by exfoliating her face, a practice she has followed for over 40 years. She believes this helps keep her skin feeling fresh and smooth.
- Moisturizing: Brinkley uses Olay’s Regenerist line and Clarins neck cream.
- Sun Protection: She is religious about wearing sunscreen daily. She now uses sunblock instead of baby oil and always uses a foundation makeup that contains SPF.
- SBLA Beauty Products: Brinkley is a fan of SBLA Beauty products, particularly the Facial Instant Sculpting Wand and the Neck, Chin & Jawline Sculpting Wand. She uses these products to reduce wrinkles, tighten the skin, and boost collagen production.
- Lip Care: She uses SBLA Beauty Lip Plump and Sculpt to keep her lips looking plump.
Self-Care Practices
- Essential Oils: Brinkley integrates essential oils into her daily routine for aromatherapy and skincare.
- Rest and Relaxation: She emphasizes the importance of rest, relaxation, and getting enough sleep. She aims for seven to nine hours of sleep per night and uses relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing to reduce stress.
- Mental Stimulation: Brinkley keeps her brain active by engaging in activities like reading, learning, and challenging games.
- Positive Attitude: She believes that a good mental attitude, lots of laughter, curiosity, and adventures are essential for staying young.
- Hobbies: Brinkley enjoys spending time outdoors, gardening, and being with her pets.
- Occasional Indulgences: She enjoys a glass of red wine with dinner and allows herself occasional treats.
- Dancing: Brinkley loves to crank up the music and dance to lift her spirits.
Key Beauty Principles
- Start Early: Brinkley started caring for her skin at a young age.
- Protect from the Sun: She considers putting off the use of sunblock her number one beauty regret.
- Hydrate: She drinks tons of water to keep her skin hydrated.
- Exfoliate Regularly: She believes that exfoliation is the most important part of her skincare routine.
- Take Care of Your Neck: She uses skincare products specifically for her neck.
- Keep Lips Plump: She uses products to keep her lips looking full and firm.
Christie Brinkley’s Wisdom on Aging
Christie Brinkley embraces aging with grace and positivity. She believes that age is just a state of mind and emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself and maintaining a good mental attitude.
“I’m aging at my own pace,” she said. “And I love that today, we can choose how we want to age.”
Key Principles for Ageless Living
- Be Curious and Adventurous: Brinkley believes that staying curious and adventurous keeps you young.
- Focus on What You Can Control: She emphasizes the importance of taking care of yourself and making healthy choices.
- Embrace Your Age: Brinkley encourages women to embrace their age and age with pride.
- Don’t Stop Moving: She believes that staying active is crucial for maintaining joint health and overall well-being.
- Laugh Often: She believes that lots of laughter is essential for a good mental attitude.
Products Christie Loves
Here’s a glimpse into some of Christie Brinkley’s favorite products for self-care and beauty:
- SBLA Beauty Wands: She uses these wands to lift her neck and chin.
- Supergoop! Sunblock: This is her absolute favorite sunscreen.
- Total Gym: She uses the Total Gym to stretch, strengthen, and tone her body.
- Styrofoam Roller: She uses a Styrofoam roller for a total-body stretch and massage.
- Charlotte Tilbury Tinted Moisturizer: This is her go-to tinted moisturizer.
- Lumify Eye Drops: She keeps these in her purse.
- Olaplex No. 4 Shampoo and Conditioner: Her hair stylist recommended these to repair hair and dryness.
In Conclusion
Christie Brinkley’s ageless beauty is a result of a holistic approach to health and wellness. Her vegetarian “rainbow diet,” varied fitness regime, and consistent skincare routine, combined with a positive attitude and a zest for life, are the secrets to her enduring youthfulness. By following her tips and principles, you too can embrace a healthy, vibrant, and ageless lifestyle.
