As soon as I gave birth, I had, like, 20 kilos, which I think is about 50 lbs., and I realized, 'Oh my gosh - in one month, I have my photo shoot.' So I had to lose a lot, and you know, it doesn't happen in one month. So it took me almost a year because I think, realistically, it takes about a year.

I'm just so lucky - my office is a racetrack. That is something I'm very thankful for. It's exciting, and it's challenging, and there are a lot of emotions and nerves that come with it, but right there before the gates open, before that minute and a half or two minutes of the race, it just hits you.

I've never been bashful to say that I'm not really interested in Formula One. When I lived in England, it's all I wanted to do and I thought that anything else would somehow be a compromise to my dreams. But then when I came back to the States, I realised how much I loved being back in the States...

I was the Playmate editor for Playboy for two years. I produced two years' worth of centerfolds. I did everything on that, from picking the girls to designing the sets to picking the wardrobe, coming up with themes, assigning the photographer, down to editing the photos and approving the retouching.

We can either continue to collectively stand on the sidelines and debate what is causing autism and if it is an epidemic or we can get on the field and start addressing the real problem - a generation of children with autism. We are not focusing enough on prevention, treatments and support services.

I've been extremely lucky in that I've been a very successful model for a long time. So now I'm an actress and a mother. I'm a theatre rat, which I always wanted to be - I've wanted to act since I was 14 - and I never get bored, ever, and I have four beautiful children. I am, in fact, so darn lucky.

A normal modeling job consists of hair and makeup starting at 5:30 a.m. On location, we shoot until theres no light, then drive home. If were lucky, well have a hotel close to the location, which takes out the driving time. Otherwise, its pretty brutal, from airplane, to car, to job, and back again.

One of the reasons I wanted to come back is I got sick of seeing really ugly pictures of myself in the tabloids. I got to the point where I'd look in the mirror and say: "Where'd she go? Because she's still in there." I knew she was still in there (she laughs) and it didn't take much to get her out.

I was shocked when I looked at art schools in France. There's only one left that does anatomy. Now they do video. They do editing. I would go to film school if I wanted to do video and editing. In art school, it's only new mediums. It's three-dimensional or computer. I found that shocking. No nudes.

Singing is the rawest thing. Having been naked in films or naked in photo shoots, it's nothing compared to singing. It's absolute nakedness. You are stripped bare! It's very strange. Acting seems much easier, in fact, because you are putting on a costume - whereas here you are taking everything off.

I wish I could be more serious about painting. I think there may be something going on there and I should pursue it. I'm very old-fashioned - even with the music. I realize, while I have so much respect for the kookiness of people who go for it, who paint with their eyes closed, I am superclassical.

At Burning Man, the audience is the show: the boundaries between stage and public overlap and melt. Every form of self-expression, every fantasy... everything has a place. It's kind of a utopia, and everyone who sets foot in it is so impressed that they do their best to respect it and keep it alive.

I try my best to eat healthy the majority of the time so that I feel good and have more energy. I am so passionate about eating healthily, I am actually certified in nutrition. I try my best to eat organic whenever possible, but it's important not to be too strict about it. Just do the best you can.

Models eat. They're crazy about moderation, but they eat. There's this feeling that all models are into drugs or drinking or whatever, but I've got to say, 99% of the girls I work with are the healthiest people I know. Of course, as humans, we're not going to eat salads and organic food all the time.

Growing up in Alaska, they don't really teach you to swim there. I learned to swim just a few summers ago with Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard. She did great, and right after that I went to get scuba certified. I had fun with it. I didn't really get scared, but some people thought that was a risk.

Singing is the rawest thing. Having been naked in films or naked in photo shoots, it's nothing compared to singing. It's absolute nakedness. You are stripped bare! It's very strange. Acting seems much easier, in fact, because you are putting on a costume - whereas here, you are taking everything off.

To be an actor is to be ambiguous in every form, which is a very hard way to live. You represent desire: the desire of the director and the desire of the audience, even if it's a subconscious desire. If a director is to work with you for two months, he must be in love with you in some way or another.

Modeling in Europe at the beginning of my career was pretty hard, with the constant traveling and uncertainty as to where I was going to be from one day to the next. I was always getting run-down from jet lag and being in strange towns where I didn't speak the language or know what the food was like.

I make many mistakes. Many mistakes. I'm not a perfect human being. I have to learn from my mistakes. And a lot of the ones I've made have been public. So I always get nervous when people speak about something that sounds like a role model, because I don't know if I've been a great role model myself.

I was very fortunate. I had a great group of friends in my life, and family, and so I felt a sense of safety and belonging that ... as you grow older, you realize that not everybody does feel that. And there's particular certain groups of kids who always feel like outsiders. But I was very fortunate.

There are mothers who sew for six months to make a fashion collection - someone's grandmother, someone's sister. We come in and get paid to walk for 10 minutes at the end. Whenever I think about that, I realise it's not about me. I was just the one chosen to represent those women and sell the clothes.

Opening day is always so cool to be a part of and to people watch. The Pacific Classic, which I've had the privilege of riding in a couple of times, is great. Every day at Del Mar is fantastic. I love the smells, working out on the beach, running the stairs. It's just a healthy environment. I love it.

I practice yoga at home to a TV show called 'Inhale,' taught by Steve Ross. I figured that if the people on the show could stretch that deep then I could too. I ended up pulling my hip flexor. But that's how I met my husband. Paul was the physical therapist my coach called to meet with me after hours.

Sometimes, very quietly and graciously, you can inspire other people by showing them that there's a different way and many perceptions of beauty. You may not be feeling it inside, but if you display it like you mean it, then it can give permission to be kind to ourselves and embrace our individuality.

It's really about making opportunities for yourself and connecting with people on a more-than-normal level. That opens doors. You never know if the caterer's brother is someone. You don't know who someone is having dinner with that night. So being a nice person and touching people creates opportunity.

For me, one of the most important aspects of my work is to give people something to dream about, just as I used to dream all those years ago as a child looking at beautiful photographs. I still weave dreams, finding inspiration wherever I can and looking for romance in the real, not the digital, world

I was the Playmate editor for 'Playboy' for two years. I produced two years' worth of centerfolds. I did everything on that, from picking the girls to designing the sets to picking the wardrobe, coming up with themes, assigning the photographer, down to editing the photos and approving the retouching.

I think about quitting all the time. I'll take such a little thing and be like, "I quit! I've had enough of you people!" And then...I don't know, it gets better. I'm not really good at making plans so I don't have any definite plans for the future. I would love to have a family and kids at some point.

I experienced firsthand not only the mental and physical damage being unhealthy does to a person, but I also recognized the discrimination many overweight people faced because of their public image. And I, like everyone else, is susceptible to falling into negative patterns that can cause weight gain.

Patrick Demarchelier was the one who got me my first 'Vogue' cover. It was French 'Vogue' - I think in '87 or '88. I think I was the first black model to be on the cover of French Vogue, which was shocking to me because when I asked them about it, they were like, 'Oh, no. We've never had that before.'

In the morning, I use a Philosophy cleanser and Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream, which sinks in well and feels firming. I rarely wear foundation, so cotton wool soaked in warm water is often enough to cleanse at night, but I take off eye make-up with Klorane's cornflower-infused remover.

I had to pinch myself. I got the call and didn't expect it. And right up 'til nearly the end of filming, I was thinking, 'Am I actually doing a film with Akshay Kumar?' because I was a massive Akshay Kumar fan before, and the first film that I ever watched was his and Katrina's film, 'Namastey London.'

In 1984, I starred in 'Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan,' my first movie. My lines ended up being dubbed by Glenn Close, supposedly because my accent was 'too southern'. It was completely humiliating at the time. I became a laughing stock. I'm amazed that I managed to pick myself up and dust myself off.

Some women are naturally thin. But there needs to be an appreciation for a variety of types of women because we don't all come in one package. We're not pre-destined to all be a size six. It's very hard for a large group of women to maintain a thinness which is, after all, only natural to a few people.

The problem with my mother is that she didn't go to the doctor. And I think by the time she started to show symptoms that something might not be right, and finally went to the doctor, she was so close to her death that she couldn't get the care she had needed. Her big issue was not going to the doctor.

I don't like to use the words 'real women,' honestly. I like to use the word 'woman.' And I say that because there are so many women out there who are naturally thin or are naturally curvy, and I think when we start putting a label on the type of woman, it gets misconstrued and starts to offend people.

My smile has been my ticket to the world. Smiling releases the same feel-good hormones you get jogging. Caring for your lips and gums is important. I brush my teeth morning and night, alternating toothpaste brands. In addition to flossing, I use a Water Pik to massage my gums and remove food particles.

I tried a few times, unsuccessfully, to lose weight. It wasn't until I joined Weight Watchers that I was finally able to do it. I went to meetings and my son came with me. The best thing was that I could eat what I wanted and still lose weight. Slow and steady, I was getting my pre-pregnancy body back.

I can't change my bra size. They're natural! I can work out and I can stay healthy and motivated, but I can't change some things. I really just live my life. I love my body. It's what God gave me! I feel confident with myself, and if that inspires other women to feel confident with their bodies, great.

When you have used your beauty to get around, it's like having extra cash in your back pocket. I was so used to walking down the street and having the young guys passing by at least give me a flicker of a look. But once you're over 40, you become invisible. You're a brick in the building, and it's sad.

I've always hated modeling. It's superficial and fake, and I hate to have to care about what I look like. I get a pimple and freak. The whole business is all about selling beautiful girls' faces and bodies, so how can there be anything intelligent or nice about that except for the girl who makes money?

The Carmen Electra cards give me another way to connect with my fans while providing them the ability to enjoy the convenience of shopping or paying bills with ease -- online and offline, ... Payment Data Systems is the perfect partner for me because of the capabilities the company already has in place.

My mom really let us do our own thing and play with different trends, and my sister was a little older, so she had all the beauty tricks. I would stuff things like rolled-up toilet paper into my hair to get volume, or do the reverse, and I'd lie on my back, and she'd use an actual iron to straighten it.

I'm only four weeks out from birth, so I still have a couple more weeks before I can work out - which is fine with me. I love the feeling of working out, but I've never been a gym rat, ever, so now, it's all about taking in what I can if it's good for the baby, because it all translates to her in a way.

I like serving family-style or setting up a buffet. Everyone just goes to town, scoops their own food, and mixes their own drinks. You know how people love to come and watch you in the kitchen now and talk your ear off? If you give them something to do and something to drink, they don't do that as much.

Kanye is so much fun. He's a wonderful person. What I love about Kim and Kanye is that I think they save their happy moments and their smiles for themselves rather than sharing everything with the public. And listen, when a camera is shoved in your face trying to take a selfie, you do not want to smile.

I've always believed in a rainbow diet. As many colors and foods as you can eat, the better, because if you focus on one food, there's bound to be a report that comes out that says, 'Broccoli actually... ' So I mix it up a lot. And I take vitamins, like Biosil, which I take for my hair, skin, and nails.

When your life is not in balance and you're struggling to achieve stability, practicing observation without judgment gets really interesting, and very useful. How? Because you can learn to distance yourself from the roller coaster ride of your emotions and circumstances but still enjoy the ride of life.

I need to get better at learning how to stay calm. I'm a bit of a worrier and a stress cadet. Yoga helps me to some degree, but I haven't been able to figure out meditation yet. I have a feeling it would be very good for me, but unfortunately, I'm still holding it all in until I explode part of my life.

In contemplating what to do with my life, I felt like I had two possible paths: one was to move to New York and work in a design house; the other was to move to Africa and deliver food aid. That's when the idea of the FEED bag came to me. It's for those who want to put their consumer dollars to good use.

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