Linda Gray

This Dallas actress still looks great at 75—here, she reveals her natural health and beauty secrets

Long before “going organic” swept America at large, actress Linda Gray was going to “one of the two health food stores in Los Angeles,” she says with a laugh. And what began as a wholehearted effort to help her then-husband’s “nervous stomach”—goodbye lifetime prescription of “little white pills,” hello organic garden and holistic health—became a lifetime mission to nourish body, mind, and soul. “I didn’t have time to become a nutritionist—which would have been great, but I had babies—so I started at age 20, delving into this vast world of nutrition and what I could do,” says the former model-turned-Dallas star, still a natural beauty at 75. Gray and her fellow health-minded friends “were making our own carrot juice and even kombucha. I laugh now when I see everybody drinking kombucha. It’s kind of like bell-bottom trousers—they come back again and you say, ‘I’ve been there, I’ve done that.’”

Gray sprinkles her wellness wisdom, tips, and recipes throughout her new memoir, The Road to Happiness Is Always Under Construction. For the TV icon—who’s winning raves for her leading comic role in the short film Wally’s Will—health and happiness are daily decisions. “It’s all up to us,” she says. “How do you want to live? Do you want to be strong and be able to walk around with your grandchildren? Do you want to be able to hike when you’re 90? Yes. The answer is yes. Because that’s what I’ve chosen.” Her choices have paid off in spades. “I take no prescription medication,” she adds. “I feel so fortunate.”

Here are some of Gray’s favorite nutritional choices that help fuel her continuing climb to peak health and longevity.

Morning Gratitude and Afternoon Deadlifts

Ever-effervescent at 75, Gray begins her day by awakening to gratitude. “The first thing I do is put those feet on the floor and say, kind of to the universe, ‘Thank you for giving me another day. Now, let’s make it as magical as we can.’ That starts my day in a very happy way. I sit for 10–20 minutes. It’s kind of a lovely meditation.” She then often walks her talk with an a.m. gratitude stroll—fueled by her superfood-packed smoothie, usually with organic spinach, berries, coconut oil, and chia seeds. “And I love having one cup of coffee a day with a tablespoon of organic coconut milk—it’s yummy and it’s good fat that helps you burn fat.” Three times a week, she’s building serious muscle, too. “I go to the beach and am a heavy-duty weight pusher,” she says. “To keep alive and healthy you have to move your body—so, yeah, I work out with weights and I absolutely love it. I deadlifted 75 lb. yesterday!” Indeed, 75 has never looked so good.

Goji berries and pumpkin seeds

“I have them in my car in a ziplock bag—because sometimes you get stuck in traffic, and you don’t want to zip into some place and get something wrong to eat. So I prepare!”

Colostrum powder

“I love it! I use it in my smoothies as an anti-aging supplement. It’s a lovely nourisher to the gut. And it keeps skin so soft; when I take an Epsom salt bath, I throw in some colostrum.”

Barley grass

“I take it because it has beta carotene, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and live enzymes. I feel it completes my regimen.”

E3live

“It’s an immune-system booster that keeps everything flowing. It’s great for the brain, great for circulation, great for the joints.”

Glutathione

“It’s perfect for overall health for me. I’ve found when I don’t take it, I kind of sag a little bit. It’s a perker-upper to me.”