Gisele Bündchen is still dedicated to her healing journey. The supermodel shares she hasn’t had alcohol for two years in a recent interview with People.
Bündchen says she initially chose to stop drinking in an effort to find more clarity in her day-to-day life.
“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,” she says. “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.”
When she cut alcohol from her life, Bündchen says she “immediately” felt more present.
“I became more clear. 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?”
Bündchen and NFL star Tom Brady announced the “amicable” end of their 13-year marriage in October 2022. At the time, Bündchen said in a statement, “The decision to end a marriage is never easy, but we have grown apart.”
Since then, Bündchen has been clear about keeping her focus on her well-being and mental health.
“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 tells People. “Give me anything to eat, give me anything to drink. You’re just in this mode. I feel like whenever you can bring yourself back into feeling your body and just being present, it’s great. You’re kind of in your body and you’re really present. You’re breathing, you’re connecting.”
Quitting drinking is part of Bündchen’s larger mission to prioritize self-care, something she says she wishes was more common for women and mothers especially.
“It’s not a selfish thing. People have been teaching us that it’s selfish if you take care of you. How is that selfish?” she says. “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. 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’s hurts.”
Together, Bündchen and Brady are parents of children, Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10, while the former NFL pro is also dad to 15-year-old Jack, whom he shares with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Last month, Bündchen told Vogue Brazil that while she was married to Brady, she made sacrifices, including pausing her career.
“I moved to another city, slowed down my work pace and started a life,” she said. “Worth it. I was able to experience motherhood fully and take care of my family.”
And for Bündchen, working on herself is constant. “I work on myself every day and put all my love into everything I do,” she explains. “I hope I can become a better and more aware person and continue to spread love wherever I go.”
RELATED CONTENT: