Gisele Bündchen is reaping the benefits of sobriety.
The Brazilian supermodel, 43, recently opened up to Vanity Fair about her journey with alcohol and how giving it up has changed her life for the better.
”Sometimes, we can get so disconnected from our bodies because we are running away from ourselves, so we just keep adding more things for us to do,” she told the magazine. “Give me anything to eat, give me anything to drink. You’re just in this mode.”
Bündchen — who recently divorced her husband of 13 years, former NFL quarterback Tom Brady — said that ignoring the social pressure to drink alcohol played a major role in her newfound sobriety.
“Right after I turned 40, actually, I felt a huge difference between when I had the glass of wine and when I didn’t have the glass of wine,” the former Victoria’s Secret model explained. “It’s socially accepted to have a glass of wine. And people even say, ‘Oh, it’s healthy for you.’ Well, it is not healthy for me. If you want to ask of your body what I ask of my body, which is a lot, I can’t be having all these things (alcohol, caffeine) because they add up.”
After deciding to give up alcohol for good two years ago, Bündchen said she “immediately” felt a difference in her overall well-being.
“I became more clear,” she explained. “I felt a bit more foggy before. Now I’m very sharp and very present and I notice things that I didn’t notice before,” she says. “When I’m not drinking, I’m sleeping much better. You have to be loving to yourself. You ask a lot of your body, you’ve got to do a reset. You have got to take care of this only vehicle you got, right?”
When it comes to other self-care practices — Bündchen notes meditation as an important part of her routine — the model said that while mothers are often shamed for taking time for themselves, it benefits your family in the long run.
“When you feel good, you’re a better mom, you’re a better friend, you’re calmer, you’re more patient, you’re more loving, you’re more grounded,” she concluded. “So you can’t feel guilty about prioritizing yourself. Because that’s loving you and loving the people you love the most, which are going to be impacted by how well you are. Because if you’re sick, everyone hurts.”
Bündchen and Brady share two kids: Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10. The former quarterback is also the father of son Jack, 15.
