“Holy cow, 2023 was a pretty intense year,” Gisele Bündchen reflects, in a conversation with Bazaar. “We don’t have control of what is happening on the outside,” says the supermodel, who is the subject of Bazaar's February cover story. “But the biggest lesson from 2023 for me has been the importance of nurturing.”
And what better way to nurture than from the inside out? Ahead of the March 26 launch of her cookbook Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body & Feed Your Soul (Clarkson Potter), the Brazilian supermodel and activist has unveiled a deliciously healthy collaboration with Los Angeles grocery shoppers’ foremost wellness destination, Erewhon. On January 14, the Giselderberry Boost Smoothie became available to the public. Topping the blended beverage’s ingredient list is black elderberry syrup from Gaia Herbs, which Bündchen has said she and her children take as a supplement. (She is an ambassador for the eco-minded wellness brand.)
“This supplement is why I wanted to do this smoothie with Erewhon,” she says. “It’s so delicious and such a great immune booster, so I said, if I’m going to make this smoothie, it has to have the berry.” The Giselderberry smoothie contains coconut milk and coconut meat, banana, acai, dates, lucuma, and plant-based protein, finished with an almond butter garnish and a drizzle of Bündchen’s beloved elderberry syrup. (All of the ingredients, naturally, are organic.) Due to her passion for whole-foods-based nutrition and her concerns about nutrient-depleted soil, a portion of the proceeds from the smoothie sales will go to the nonprofit Rodale Institute, which promotes the regenerative agriculture movement worldwide.
“It was a fun collaboration. It’s so yummy, and a little dangerous,” she says, laughing. “Food is medicine. For me, eating quality foods and [sourcing] high-quality supplements is key, because this is my temple.”
As much as I love Erewhon’s celebrity collabs like Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie (and for the record, they are all next-level delicious), what strikes me about this partnership is how deep Bündchen’s wellness philosophy really goes.
“I believe we are all spiritual beings having a human experience [with our spirits continuing] in a state of evolution,” she says. “We are all students in the school of life, with the opportunity to keep expanding.” For her, that meant overhauling her approach to food, fitness, and self-care starting in her 20s. She rose to fame in a profession that focused solely on her outer beauty. Her current wellness-infused lifestyle is a far cry from the fast-paced, sleep-deprived, travel-heavy lifestyle of a supermodel.
“Sometimes you have to reach rock bottom to realize that’s not the way you want to go. For me, it was in my 20s, when I started practicing meditation,” Bündchen says. “When you have these moments of quiet in a fast-paced life—two days here, two days there, move-move-moving on the hamster wheel, always in a plane—it’s hard to know where you are. Meditation opened up a world of questions, like ‘What am I eating? What am I putting in my body?’”
Her transition into motherhood marked another point at which she had to reorient herself. “Suddenly you go into this mom mode, and lose yourself because it’s all about your kids. But then you come out of it and ask, ‘Who am I?’ Because if you’re not doing well, no one else around you is doing well,” she says. “Rest, movement, nutrition—all those components of self-care become even more important. The more I can feel good about myself, the more I can help those around me.”
Bündchen is now 20 years into the groove of fine-tuning her lifestyle to support both her inner and her outer well-being. In addition to Erewhon smoothies and practices like meditation, yoga, and breath work, fitness has always been a major part of her lifestyle. She notes that she was more “sporty” in her younger years, when she practiced martial arts and was an equestrian. But since reaching her 40s, she says, she has incorporated weight training into her workout regimen—with a particular emphasis on strengthening her legs to maintain her mobility when she’s older. These days, she says, she is very much forging a path toward longevity.
“After acquiring all this wisdom I took such a journey to learn, I want to keep my body at the same level—to live to the fullest, to share and be active in my old age. Everything I do today is like putting money in the bank for retirement,” Bündchen says. “It’s the same thing for your health: If you’re not mindful and not making decisions today to support your health, you won’t have it. I take care of myself because I ask a lot of my body, and know it’s a gift to have a body.”
Jessica Ourisman is a freelance beauty editor for publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Allure, InStyle, POPSUGAR, Byrdie, The Zoe Report, and more. She has previously lived and worked in New York, NY, and Paris, France, but is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. She loves covering topics related to skincare, cosmetics, aesthetics, and trends, as well as exploring the intersection of wellness and beauty. Follow along on Instagram or check out her portfolio.
