Padma Lakshmi in Bathing Suit "Empowers"

Padma Lakshmi is in the most recent edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Their Instagram account just shared a new set of photos of the Top Chef and Taste The Nation host. In them, Lakshmi posed in the water wearing a two-piece swimsuit with gold circles. SI Swimsuit captioned the post, “When we said this year would be filled with epic women who empower, inspire and use their platforms to be both seen and heard, we meant it. 👏 As an author, activist, actress, model, philanthropist, and television host, there isn’t anything Padma Lakshmi doesn’t do and now, she’s joining the pages of the SI Swimsuit 2023 issue!” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Padma Lakshmi stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. She Uses Honey On Her Skin

Shutterstock

Lakshmi has amazing skin. She shared some of her favorite products in an interview with Byrdie. “The biggest thing for skin, and it doesn't cost a lot of money, is honey,” Lakshmi says. “When I used to travel and I didn't have a lot of money, I would always find honey on the breakfast tray at a hotel or something. You just wash and cleanse your skin, take all the makeup off, pat your skin dry, and then slather honey all over your face, avoiding the delicate eye area. And then you just tap your fingers on your face, almost like you're playing piano on your skin. And what that does is pull out the impurities in your pores without upsetting the pH balance.”

2. She Uses Tea Tree Oil

Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images

Lakshmi tells Byrdie that she also likes to use tea tree oil. “Get a little bottle and keep it with your other skincare. You know, when I'm doing Top Chef, I'm putting on TV makeup every day, and all day they're adding powder, so my skin can get clogged and I can break out. So I always just ask for a big bowl of boiling water (you can just make it with a kettle), and I put five or six drops of tea tree oil in that boiling water. Then I take a big towel, put it over my head, and I steam my face. Just like you'd do with Vicks VapoRub if you had a cold. And it can sting—even the steam can sting your lips sometimes. But it's really good because it gets that antiseptic in there gently.”

3. She Eats A Plant-Based Diet

Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Lakshmi opened up about her diet in an interview with Into The Gloss. She says that she eats a mostly plant-based diet, and limits that amount of meat in her diet. “I’ve actually gone back to eating a lot like I ate when I was a child,” she says. “Which is really mostly plant-based. Once in a while some bacon or veal, but mostly it’s just poultry and fish. A lot of lentils, a lot of beans—50% of my diet is fruits and vegetables.”

4. She Has Fruits & Veggies With Every Meal

Padma Lakshmi/Instagram

Lakshmi tells Into The Gloss that she eats a lot of fruits and vegetables. She says that she makes sure to eat them with every meal. “For breakfast today, I had a big bowl of pomegranate, and then I had a big bowl of avocado,” she explains. “I had one egg, and one piece of sourdough toast. So, there is protein and starch, but it’s mostly fruit and vegetables. I try to do that every meal. Like, last night we had spaghetti pie for dinner—it was a very decadent evening! But I made sure that we had a salad, too. Regardless, I think that if you make a point to have 50% fruits and vegetables, then it’s easier. And eat those first—the order you eat your food matters, not just what you eat.”

5. She Does A Variety Of Workouts

Padma Lakshmi/Instagram

Lakshmi also shared some of her favorite exercises in her Into The Gloss interview. She says that she likes to do a variety of workouts. “I do everything,” she says. “If I think it’ll help, I do it. I box, I jump rope, I do calisthenics—old-school pushups, and mountain climbers, and sit ups. Things you can do on the floor without any help.”