Christie Brinkley, Age 68, Shows Healthy Eating Mindset That's Pure Sunshine

Gorgeous, glamorous, and happy.

A lot of fuss was made when Christie Brinkley entered her sixties a few years ago, somehow managing to “still turn heads.” Meanwhile, our thinking is, well, of course! You don’t need to be 22 to be a beauty icon—or an icon of any value for that matter! While Brinkley may have many secrets for “looking good for her age” (*sigh*), we’re way more interested in her holistic approach to wellness and happiness—because however many years she has under her belt, Brinkley is undeniably a walking ray of sunshine and joy.

As it turns out, Brinkley is passionate about her foods choices (a woman after our own hearts!) and relies on a vegetarian diet rich with healthy plant-based options. The model told Shape that she aims to consume produce of all colors every day:

“For many, many, many years I’ve always said I go for as many colors as possible in a day. That’s my main concept for making sure my kids get all the nutrients—making sure they get the deep greens, yellows and reds and purples, all of that. That’s just an overarching concept to the way I like to eat, along with the whole idea of variety in exercise, variety in food with the colors. I like to vary what I have.”

To that end, Brinkley turns to bountiful salads—our mouths are watering just reading about them! “Lunch is a big huge salad with every color in it. From leafy greens to purple to herbs, fresh cut herbs mixed into it for flavors. I vary what I toss into it. Sometimes it might be lentils and chopped tomatoes, other days it could be garbanzo beans, some days I might have just a salad and have some lentil soup on the side. Generally, it’s the big salad. Maybe it’s avocados chopped on top. Maybe it’s a handful of nuts and seeds and whatever.”Mmm!

True to her bright outlook, Brinkley allows herself to enjoy special treats: “Right now I’m addicted to these things, it’s so bad. They’re called So Delicious. It is coconut and soy, it’s like a so-called healthy dessert. I just discovered those recently and I’m so hooked on them.” Brinkley also admits to loving So Delicious Hazelnut Coffee Creamer, a vegan coconut-based coffee creamer.

Christie Brinkley's Healthy Eating Philosophy Is Pure Sunshine

Brinkley is also a fan of making her own latte art. OMG.

In her early modeling days, Brinkley’s outlook on eating wasn’t always so balanced, but her experience with crash dieting taught her a lifelong lesson: “I tried some pretty weird diets in the beginning,” she told The Cut. “I did everything from juice fasting to eating one kind of food at a time, to eating a grapefruit first before everything. The only thing that really lasts is a well-balanced diet.”

Now, she encourages others to make thoughtful decisions about their eating habits—not for their dress size, but for their overall well-being: “I really believe that the more informed you are about the benefits of a healthy bite versus the chain reaction that you’re going to put into effect in your body when you take that bite—you just suddenly don’t want to make that choice for yourself anymore. It’s beyond willpower at that point, it’s become a desire to do something good for yourself.”

Christie Brinkley's Healthy Eating Philosophy Is Pure Sunshine

Indeed, her holistic approach to taking care of yourself simply radiates loveliness:

“Every facet of your life contributes to your well-being. My whole day is based on a foundation of gratitude, and that is what sustains, supports, and propels me through my day. I’m always looking for a way to bloom where I’m planted, and to be grateful for wherever I am at any moment of the day.

“Most people will agree that when they feel good, they look good, and when they don’t feel well, they don’t look as well. The healthiest thing is to put the emphasis on health and wellness, and let beauty be the result of that.”

Christie Brinkley's Healthy Eating Philosophy Is Pure Sunshine