Kim Alexis

Kim Alexis has graced the cover of hundreds of magazines during the 20 years she worked as a supermodel.

Her healthy girl-next-door looks have been used to promote everything from lipstick to sliced bread.
But the 46-year-old mother of five wants women to know that looking great at her age or any age is more about nutrition and exercise than make-up artists and fad diets.

She will share her fitness and beauty secrets during three speaking engagements Friday, April 13 at the Gulf Coast Women’s Expo
“I’ll talk about facts and ideas that might click with some people,’’ she said during a phone interview from the Jacksonville home she shares with her husband, former New York Ranger Hockey Player Ron Duguay, and their children.

“Some people will say, ‘I could never live that way,’ ” she said. “They are not willing to trade their lifestyle for the smaller body, but some people are more willing to work for that than others.’’

Adopting a healthier lifestyle is the fountain of youth, health and happiness, she said.

“If your health is good on the inside, you’ll look good on the outside.

“You’ll have good skin and bright eyes.’’

Patricia Anderson-Colip, Pensacola News Journal’s operations and special projects manager, said Alexis was invited to be one of the speakers because she is a good example to other women.

She is someone who we feel has gone from supermodel fame to a women we can all relate to,’’ Anderson-Colip said. “She represents something we all strive to be.”

Alexis, an avid athlete who ran the New York City marathon in November, hopes she’ll inspire expo attendees to make changes in their lives.

Dieting is among the topics she’ll be discussing.

Decades of working in an industry where staying thin is a must, she has heard about all kinds of get-thin-quick diets. She learned that certain diets work for some people, but not for other people.

“What I’ve learned over the years is to look at the different things that work best for me,’’ Alexis said.

She adheres to a strict diet of organic foods that are free of pesticides and rich in nutrients. She and her family primarily drink water and they stay away from sodas, even diet sodas.

“In the United States, we don’t have the right nutrients in the soil any more, so we are not getting as many minerals and nutrients in our food,’’ she said. “Pesticides, chemicals and pollutants are bombarding our bodies.’’

Since the body is not getting the nutrients it needs, it craves more food, she said.

Processed foods, larger food portions and the out-of-control eating habits of Americans, have also contributed to bulging waistlines, she said. Alexis avoids most of the food on the inner-aisles of the grocery stores — the calorie-rich boxed, canned and processed frozen foods that are filled with fillers and chemicals. Instead, she shops for fresh vegetables and fruits, and organic, pesticide-free meats.

Alexis also believes you should eat what your body craves, and she’s not talking about a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

“You can’t follow a book and strictly adhere to a diet,’’ she said. “If I crave something, say a banana, there must be something in that food I need.’’

On the subject of beauty, the women whose face represented Revlon, said women don’t have to pile on the cosmetics to be beautiful.

“I’m healthy and my skin is good, so I don’t’ have to wear much makeup,’’ she said.

At the same time, she encourages women to experiment with cosmetics by going to cosmetic counters in department stores for a makeover, and this is especially important as you age.

“You find that women only see themselves one way and won’t change their hair or makeup. They get stuck in a rut, and the rut dates them.’’

She said she has been lucky to have makeup artists and hair designers try new looks on her.

But the key to trying anything new is motivation, she said.

“I’m in the public eye, which is a big motivator for me,’’ she said. “Other people are motivated by a big event in their lives: a young woman getting married, for instance.’’

Find a motivator, she said, set a goal and stick to it, and before you know it, your new lifestyle will be who you are.
“Setting that goal is important,’’ she said. “Set that goal and think about it every day.’’

Tips from Kim Alexis to jump-start a healthy lifestyle:

• Clean out your pantry and refrigerator of processed foods and foods high in sugars (including corn syrup) and chemicals.
• Shop the outer aisles of the grocery store for fresh foods.
• Buy organic, pesticide-free meats and eggs, and try meats that are lower in fat, such as buffalo, turkey, chicken and lots of fish.
• Use soy products that are rich in proteins.
• Consider doing a kidney, liver and bowel flush to rid your body of toxins. (Consult a holistic healthcare provider, or a nutrition expert at one of the area health food markets, on safe ways to do these cleanses.)
• Avoid sodas.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Get active, swim, play tennis, ride a bike, walk or do something every day to increase your heart rate and get your body moving.
• Get your kids involved with you, or get them in some kind of recreational sport.

To learn more about Kim Alexis log on to www.kimalexis.com.