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Plant Chat: Kim Alexis

Sharon Palmer

I am so glad to have Kim Alexis on my plant chat! Kim is part of an elite team of models who rose to the “supermodel” status in the 1980s. Kim’s career started when she was discovered at 17 in a Buffalo agency. Kim could be seen repeatedly on magazine covers and had over 500 worldwide including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan and set the cover record for Glamour.  In 1983 she replaced Lauren Hutton as the face of Revlon’s Ultima II line to then become one of the most recognizable faces in America. She rounded out her supermodel status by being in the coveted Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit Issue six times, which made perfect sense, since Kim grew up swimming competitively. After her modeling career, using what she learned from the business, she also penned the books “A Model for a Better Future” and a fictional book, “Beauty to Die For.”  Kim has written and published five eBooks “Modeling: How to be Discovered,” “Dieting Lessons,” “My Thyroid Journey”, and “Lean Clean,” which can be found on Amazon. She now writes for numerous web sites encouraging women to be their best. In addition, Kim is also co-hosting the show “Food Quest” on the Food Network, which airs on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. and on the Cooking Channel on Sundays and Tuesdays at 10 a.m. She is also on the speaking circuit talking about different women’s issues such as body image and self-esteem, as well as family values and juggling a career with raising children. She lives in Boulder, CO and continues to work towards her goal in life, which is to encourage other women to be their best in all areas of life, believing that true beauty comes from within.

Kim Alexis behind the scenes in Food Quest.

Tell us all about your new TV program Food Quest.

The program is off and running, and it’s good! The show involves all of our opinions in making and creating a good show. I think it will be interesting for people who want to know more about food and where it comes from. If you didn’t know where avocados come from, you will find out on the show.

Are you personally intrigued with food?

I have a love-hate relationship with food, because of being a model. For years I had to be thin, but my body craved nutritious food, and also the fun and social aspect of eating food. God had us eat 3 meals a day as a way to socialize and to stop and be grateful.

“It shouldn’t be a burden to eat; I think it should be fun.”

It’s about getting the family together, and having them eat together, and enjoying it.

I don’t think we focus enough on eating on and how it is important to health, and how foods can heal the body. Good fresh food—any food in its natural state—is good. If God made it, it has to be good for us somehow. This is where I come from in terms of how I take care of my body and health. Fresh vegetables, healthy proteins, and healthy fats are what I focus on.

Why do you think people are so fascinated with food these days?

I think that we have lost touch with food. We used to be have our own farms, and we created our own meals when we walked outside to get our food. We got our protein from animals we watched grow up and took care of. And we got our food when we planted it as seeds and watched it grow up. I think over the past 50 years or so we are separated from that. It used to be a, natural thing; our ancestors did it for hundreds and hundreds of years. We need to enjoy food and become involved with how food gets into the package.

You have always been an icon for vibrant living and beauty. What is your own personal food and wellness philosophy and regimen?

I have been focusing on getting more fit recently and I’ve been doing a lot of training. I eat a lot of vegetables and salads, and I eat fats; I like fat and enjoy olive oil and coconut oil. I don’t limit myself too much. I eat healthy proteins. My thing is to put all of this healthy food into one pot for something like ratatouille. That’s a dish that hasn’t failed me once yet.

If I opened your refrigerator, what foods would I find there?

Quinoa, ground turkey, pesto, lots of vegetables, and salmon.

Kim Alexis and Robin Leach on the set of Food Quest.

What is your top moment or discovery on the show?

I really enjoy getting to spend time on set during this show. One show was in Mexico with Robin Leach, and we worked side by side. He is such a pro; and he says I was a pro too. But we clicked and there was chemistry and we fed off each other. It wasn’t hokey; we didn’t sound stupid, but that show was a high point. We talked about avocados and where they come from, and spent time with a chef down there at the Grand Velas Hotel. We learned how to make a wonderful very expensive taco, but it wasn’t that hard.

I was also fascinated with the wines and truffles episode we shot.

The show is really fun. I’ve gotten to spend time in kitchens in South Florida, and play with a bunch of different chefs, and learn how easy it can be to cook delicious foods. Of course, it’s easier for me when they have all of the little demos ready to go!  I know that everyone wants the meals to be easy so that people can make these at home. I really enjoy the personalities that have come into the studio.

“I think the most important thing that we all have in common is that we all have to eat.”

I had to come to terms with that when I was modeling, and it’s ok to enjoy food. I was starving myself, and kicked off of a set once for not eating. Irving Penn kicked me off his set once because he said, “You have no life in your eyes.” I never worked with him again. I learned how to eat, and learned what I could eat. Of course, I’m not for the designers, though I get some grace now because I’m 57 years old. I focus on my good traits, and change things that I can change. I can’t look like the other models anymore; I’m a size 8 or 10, which is too big for working. It’s good that there is more acceptance for plus size models today.

“I compare myself to me, and I be the best me I can be.”

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