With her jaw-dropping good looks and enviable bikini body, it’s hard to believe that model Abigail O’Neill is a mum of three.
The 43-yer-old, model turned author has two sons aged 18 and 21 and a 23-year-old daughter but she doesn’t look a day over 30. And now, she is spilling the secrets to her age-defying looks.
The Byron Bay beauty opens up to New Idea on her top health and beauty tips and what she eats to look this good. And believe it or not, you can still eat chocolate!
Here Abigail reveals her top 5 secrets for looking fabulous at any age.
1. Hydrotherapy
‘I’ve loved hydrotherapy since a very young age when I first discovered it’s healing and beautifying ‘powers’!’ Abigail reveals.
‘Hot and cold showers are the simplest way to incorporate a bit of age-positive wellbeing into your daily life. Simply blasting at the end of your usual 3-minute hot shower with brisk cold for 30 seconds is excellent to activate your circulation and metabolism.’
2. Fasting
‘I worked at an alternative Health Retreat for a while, learning much about juice fasting, alkalising and detoxification, followed by an optimal vegetarian diet for nutrition and continued wellbeing. Personally, I enjoy fasting with the changing seasons for vitality, beauty and youthfulness. These fasts make me feel more than ten years younger. I’ll juice fast from 3 – 7 days depending on my workload, having seasonal organic fruit and vegetable juices at ‘mealtimes’, she says.
‘I also activate all the organs of elimination within the body daily:
Skin – exfoliation
Bowels – herbs, charcoal, psyllium husks
Kidneys – plenty of water, herbal teas, lemon water, mint water
Lungs – daily deep breathing
Liver – beet juice, lemon, supportive herbs such as dandelion.
I’d recommend to anyone who knows nothing of fasting to work on incorporating more fresh fruit and vegetables into their diet, eliminating processed foods, and then trying one day only to begin. Fasting has also been great for me emotionally, it’s a wonderful way to reconnect with what’s really going on inside, as we often press down our negative emotions with food, alcohol or other things.’
‘I’m embarking on another fast soon, so if anyone would like to follow along, they can visit my Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/abigailoneill/ . Or you can read more about my fasting here- http://abigailoneill.net/tips-for-a-successful-fast/ ‘
3. Eat plant based raw foods
‘Organic seasonal mostly raw fruits and vegetables make up the bulk of my diet. I eat lots of greens and fresh herbs with my vegetable meals and limit too many combinations for best digestion,’ Abigail reveals.
‘For breakfast, most of the time I enjoy a beautiful fresh fruit platter, spirulina, sometimes green juice if I have time. I also may have a spicy (not sweet) hot cacao rich in cinnamon, maca, medicinal mushrooms or organic green tea as a hot beverage. Or I’ll have a ‘Supersmoothie’ as in my recipe book, Model Chocolate, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Lunch will often be similar, only including a green salad of some kind, or sometimes I’ll have organic softly poached eggs, seaweed and greens to balance and supplement my diet. Dinner is usually a cooked legume savoury, grain, or root vegetable dish, sauerkraut and again lots of greens. I also love to drizzle black tahini, lemon juice and cold pressed olive oil onto my meals.’
4. Use natural skin products
‘Allow your skin to balance itself naturally. It’s amazing how many chemical products people slather onto themselves in a day and then hope for beautiful naturally radiant skin. Our skin naturally has a sensitive balance of good bacteria, as does our colon, and all of our cells. All of our body is wonderfully intertwined. What effects your wellbeing inside will show up in your complexion,’ Abigail shares.
‘Drink plenty of water, exercise, get enough sleep and make sure your insides are eliminating waste matter daily. Eat plenty of antioxidant rich foods such as vibrant fruits and vegetables, and get into raw cacao which is great when you have cravings, as it’s amazing for your skin.’
‘Exfoliate daily whether it’s dry brushing, or an all-natural body scrub. You can also try my personal favourite which is my Salt Glow – http://abigailoneill.net/beauty-tips/ once or twice weekly. Moisturise your face and body with organic coconut oil or your favourite natural organic cold pressed oils. Try adding frankincense, myrrh or rose pure essential oils for extra amazing results. There’s no need to use a million products on your skin or creams with ingredient lists as long as your arm.’
5. Eat raw chocolate
‘I’ve touched on raw cacao and cravings, but the best part is, I could all but promise that you won’t have any ever again if you incorporate raw chocolate into your life, which is why I wrote a whole book full of my favourite recipes, Model Chocolate.’
‘Raw chocolate satisfies me emotionally and physically as it’s basically a multivitamin in its nutrient portfolio, it also boosts the libido and enhances a more youthful appearance both in your body and complexion. I’ve made raw cacao a part of my daily diet for at least 7 years now which is how long it takes to replace every cell in your body. I eat 2 -3 servings a day, so I must be made up of around one-third cacao beans! I think I may have found the real ‘fountain of youth’ we’ve been searching for and you can discover it too.’
I have loads of recipes on my website or you can buy a copy of my book – http://abigailoneill.net
