getting boring,” she says. Right now,
she’s into biking, which she mixes up
with watersports like stand-up paddle
boarding or kayaking. She also likes
to get in a brisk run, when possible.
“I really do love being outdoors doing
things as much as possible, but I switch
it up and I’ll go to dance class or
Zumba. I just think that if you make it
fun, then you’ll really do it,” she says.
Of course, fitness goes hand-in-hand
with diet, and Brinkley has her own
unique philosophies on what one
should or should not be eating. “I
think when people see the label low
fat they think that it’s healthy,” she
says. However, Brinkley warns that
the ingredient that everyone should
be on the lookout for is the sugar
content. “Every day we learn more
and more about how bad sugar is
for you towards causing diseases
and inflammation, which is also a
root cause of lots of illnesses. I think
looking for the sugar content is more
important then the fat content.”
Avoiding processed food is very
important too and Brinkley thinks it’s
essential to have an awareness of
the food one eats. She’s also leery
of Frankenfood (aka genetically
modified foods). “I don’t like the
idea of the foods being altered and
not knowing what’s in them. With
GMOs, I think we all need to be
active online and sign every petition that says, ‘We want labeling.’
We want to know,” says Brinkley.
Aside from exercise, diet, and
skincare, Brinkley indicates a
positive outlook on life contributes to living well. Although she’s
appeared on more than 500
magazine covers worldwide and
enjoyed much success, Brinkley continues to count
her many blessings and is appreciative of each day. “I just
have an awareness of gratitude throughout the day,” says
Brinkley, who points to the expression, “Bloom where you’re
8
TEXOMA AREA Living Well Magazine | FALL 2015
PHOTO BY ANNA GUNSELMAN