This three-ingredient smoothie is the secret to Adriana Lima's toned tummy
Brazilian model and mother-of-two Adriana Lima is the longest-running Victoria's Secret Angel to date. The lingerie model walked her first show in 1999, and at age 36, she says she'd like to make it to 20 VS shows before thinking of retiring. But despite swathes of new supermodels coming into the scene, she's still dominating the industry, and last year she was listed as the fourth top-earning model in the world. And why wouldn't she? She looks as gorgeous as ever.
Speaking to Vogue, Adriana revealed some of the secrets to how she keeps in shape. For one, she's got a sneaky trick for when she's baring her abdomen while wearing crop tops. "When I wear clothes that show off some skin, I like to use lotion or body oil with shimmer to keep it silky and smooth," she said. But not only does a light-catching lotion help keep skin smooth, it also accentuates your muscles, making it look like your abs are well-defined.
I'm not saying that Adriana's gorgeous physique is just a trick of the light though, because it certainly isn't. She works hard to get her figure – it's part of her job after all! But she does have a few other tried-and-tested secrets she swears by, and one of them is a smoothie she has first thing in the morning.
The recipe? It's nothing fancy, no expensive ingredients or specially formulated powders designed by scientists, but simply a combination of three ingredients you probably already have at home. Have it early in the morning right after you wake up, it's a kick-starter drink to get your metabolism revved up, and it will provide you with a natural boost of energy.
"My favourite morning smoothie is a very simple water-based avocado and honey blend," the supermodel said. "On days when I want something heavier, I do a yoghurt and milk base — to start the morning off right."
The 36-year-old shared her recipe, saying she adds about one cup of cold water to a blender. She then takes a ripe avocado, halves it, pits it, and scoops the flesh into the blender. Pulse the mixture until it gets nice and creamy, and add a dollop of organic honey to taste – it's up to you. The result is a creamy, slightly sweet and refreshing drink that will leave you feeling satiated thanks to the healthy fats found in avocados.
Of course, you won't instantly get abs like Adriana Lima by drinking the same smoothie every morning. As a supermodel, part of her job requirement is to stay fit and hit the gym on a regular basis. "Unfortunately, there is no magic pill—I actually have to put in hard work to stay fit," Lima says. She regularly does boxing at Michael Olajide Jr's Aerospace gym – a known favourite of other Victoria's Secret models too.
She makes sure to mix it up as well though, revealing that she likes to go for thirty-minute runs and bike rides around town, as well as CrossFit classes. The supermodel usually has a friend in tow too, stating that the key is to find a kind of exercise you like and to do it with a friend.
"Just get up and move!", she implores. But first, off to the store to buy a few more avocados...