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Padma Lakshmi Shares Her Wise Advice to Her 20-Year-Old Self (and It's Still Relevant at Every Age)

The 2023 SI Swimsuit model is featured on the cover of the fall issue of ‘NewBeauty.’

Ananya Panchal

Padma Lakshmi.

Padma Lakshmi.

Padma Lakshmi, who was featured in the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, is known for her wise words and profound messages. The Emmy Award-winning former Top Chef host and creator and producer of Hulu’s Taste the Nation is featured on the cover of NewBeauty’s fall issue . In addition to looking absolutely stunning during her photoshoot, she also dropped some valuable tidbits of advice.

The mom of one, who lives in New York City with her teenage daughter, Krishna, admitted that while this year has been extremely exciting, “surreal” and packed with success, it’s also been exhausting.

“I’ve personally been through a bit, but at 53, I feel much better today, physically and emotionally, than I did 20 or 30 years ago,” she explained. “I think there are a lot of myths about aging—especially around women and aging—that no longer hold true. And that’s pretty amazing to experience.”

The best-selling author was asked what wished she could say to herself in her early 20s, when she was just starting out as a model and building a name for herself in the culinary sphere.

“Nothing is permanent—good or bad,” she shared. “And that you really have to be a little kinder and easier on yourself, and be a little bit more patient, both with your body and with your spirit. As women, we are expected to be great and accomplished in every aspect of our lives—at every moment of our lives. That’s a lot of pressure.”

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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