Elle Macpherson reveals why she decided to go sober 20 years ago

Elle Macpherson got to know herself “on a deeper level” when she stopped drinking.

The 59-year-old supermodel has been sober for 20 years and explained that she decided to cut out alcohol completely because she wasn't “fully present” in her own life and has “never regretted” her decision to quit.

She told Body + Soul: “I stopped drinking in 2003 because I felt I couldn’t be fully present in my life, and it was a wonderful springboard of getting to know myself on a deeper level. Everybody has their own journey and I’m not interested in telling other people what to do but I know that this was a decision that I’ve never regretted.

“Although it required discipline and persistence, the bottom line is you can’t be well and present in your life if you’re not present and well, and alcohol doesn’t really support that. It’s very difficult to get to know yourself if you’re numbing yourself.”

The 'Batman and Robin' star went on to add that while she used to think that beauty and youth were intertwined, she has since come to believe that beauty is in fact better aligned with “wellness” and overall health.

She added: “I used to equate beauty with youth and as I’ve matured and as my experience has evolved, I’ve understood that beauty is more closely aligned to wellness.

“The second part of that concept is that wellness is physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being and that they’re all integrated. That was the biggest revelation — that you can’t compartmentalize them and they’re not separate. If anything is out of kilter it affects the others, so the secret to a happy, healthy life is really keeping in balance with all those aspects. It took me a long time to get that.”