Karlie Kloss Is a Gut Health Girl

There’s no right way to “do” wellness, but Marie Claire’s Doing Well offers a glimpse into the self-care mantras, therapies, and affirmations practiced by industry trailblazers.

When I hopped on Zoom with Karlie Kloss, I candidly didn’t think we would have much in common. She started her career as a Victoria’s Secret model, and I’m, well, five-foot-two. She’s a girl in STEM, having founded Kode with Klossy circa 2015 to get young girls interested in tech. And, while I can rattle off the best lipsticks at the drop of a hat, please don’t quiz me on HTML.

But it turns out the very-down-to-earth multi-hyphenate and yours truly do have one thing in common: We are both big on wellness. We love a solid 10 hours of rest, a good Eat, Pray, Love-style retreat, and are on side-by-side gut health journies. Kloss was nice enough to clue me into her go-to $50 probiotic (it’s already made a huge difference in my day-to-day digestion), and dropped some sage sleep advice.

She has a very attainable “set it and forget it” approach to mind and body care. With two children, a magazine to run (Kloss acquired Life and i-D earlier this year), and an ongoing partnership with Estee Lauder, easy-to-incorporate habits take precedence in her daily life. Here, Kloss shares the ins and outs of her very approachable wellness routine.

It’s not exactly a trend as of late, but the juice craze. Especially through the years in New York, it’s a trend that comes and goes. But, that was never going to work for me. I like real, proper food. I’m all for a smoothie though; I can get on board with that.

I love transcendental meditation. I wouldn’t even call it woo-woo; it’s just something I do very consistently and find really helpful when I’m trying to be present in my body and mind.

My ideal day starts by going to bed really early—like nine o’clock—the night before. Then I’d wake up around seven the next day, so I’d get a solid 10 hours. I start my morning with vitamins and a coffee. I’d squeeze in a workout and have a smoothie afterwards with the delicious fresh fruit, almond milk, and protein powder. Then, I’d spend the day with my adorable kiddos—I have a three-year-old and a one-year-old. After that, I think actually having no agenda is my dream day. I always try and do that on Saturdays. It’s a day for my family, so I try and put up those boundaries. I try not to work or travel.

The most calming thing I can do is just sit and put all my vitamins in their box. It was a $10 find on Amazon, so it’s definitely a great little hack. I keep a travel kit of vitamin D, my Memoractiv, and this really great probiotic. I use Thorne, and it actually has a delicious pomegranate berry flavor that’s really good for overall digestion. I was sick early this year and on a couple of rounds of antibiotics, so I’ve been super conscious about making sure I’m getting those nutrients and taking better care of myself.

If I’m going to splurge, I want to go away somewhere—like a retreat. I’ve actually been looking into doing something like that with my sisters or some of my best friends later this year.

I am a very busy working mom. I'm constantly on the go, so I don’t overthink anything. Life gets so busy day-to-day, between having two kids and running my own businesses and non-profit.

My general outlook is to do my research before committing. I like to do my diligence and assess the best products. I always talk to my nutritionist. I try and do research upfront and then make a plan, set it, and forget it.

I'm a big fan of popping my headphones in and doing five minutes of Headspace or Calm, whether it's before I go on set or if I'm trying to fall asleep on an airplane or walking on stage to give a big presentation.

I really try to be consistent with a massage and a facial. I try and squeeze one in every other week. I have my people. In New York, I love Tracie Martyn—she’s the best. Then, in Miami there’s this place called Gee Beauty. It’s my favorite place to go, and I feel really pampered. That’s my maintenance to take care of my body and skin.

Life is a little chaotic. It can be a little overwhelming with young kids and everything else I’m juggling. I try not to forget about myself. Honestly, even taking 30 minutes to put out all my vitamins is an investment in my self-care.

As much as possible, it’s important to minimize stress and find balance in life. Even if you have a stressful job, it’s about figuring out how to create time and space in your life for what brings you joy—whether that’s being around loved ones or something else. Any kind of antidote.

With my kids and with my husband. It doesn’t matter where I am.

Any sort of deprivation of calories, carbs, or sugar. At 31-years-old, I’m definitely at this point in my life where I’m fully embracing everything in moderation. I want to just live a life that is full of love and joy and spending my time doing things that are inspiring and challenging.

Sleep more!