Supermodel and fitness enthusiast Christie Brinkley was one of the first famous faces to proudly wear a milk mustache in 1995 when the iconic campaign first premiered. Now she’s making a third appearance to help “reintroduce” Americans to milk as Nature’s Wellness Drink.

Looking just as vibrant, fit and healthy as she did 14 years ago, Brinkley is one of a cadre of more than 250 famous faces who have lent their upper lips in support of milk. Just when Americans are actively seeking solutions to achieve wellness — yet are frequently turning to manufactured, new-age wellness beverages — Brinkley is helping to remind people that milk is Nature’s Wellness Drink, a naturally nutrient-rich choice that offers an array of benefits that these fortified beverages are attempting to duplicate.

Brinkley helped launch the new “Drink Well. Live Well.” initiative for the national Milk Mustache “got milk?”(R) Campaign at the Sundance Film Festival and invited other campaign alumni attending the star-studded event to join her in the celebration of milk’s milestone. The wellness initiative for milk includes new national television commercials, a coast-to-coast wellness tour and Brinkley’s Milk Mustache ad, which debuts on January 20 in USA Today.

Brinkley’s testimony to wellness featured in the new ad includes:

“It’s time to recognize what’s really important. Feeling good inside and out. That’s where three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk a day come in. It’s naturally nutrient-rich like no other beverage. Nature’s wellness drink. Discover it for yourself.”

New Face of Wellness

The new campaign is helping to draw attention to the many wellness benefits of milk and the unique attributes of being a milk drinker. Milk is a nutrient-laden liquid that supplies many of the vitamins and minerals that Americans fail to get enough of in their daily diets. Each glass of milk is packed with nine essential nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, protein, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, potassium and niacin. Studies suggest that milk drinkers tend to have healthier diets and are likely to be leaner than people who drink little or no milk.

“It’s only logical to think of milk as a wellness drink because it’s one of the most nutrient-packed beverages you can buy,” said wellness and nutrition expert and author Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, who helped launch the new campaign today along with Brinkley. “Milk supplies more nutrients for your dollar than any other drink. You can get your wellness by the gallon with milk.” Dr. Bazilian said drinking lowfat or fat free milk each day is one simple step everyone can take toward achieving overall health and wellness. Plus, what other beverage can say it’s been endorsed by more than 250 celebrities.

“I’ve been drinking milk all of my life and I think it’s a vital part of living well,” said Brinkley. “As a busy mom constantly on the move, I may not always have an extra hour to hit the gym, but I always have time to grab a glass of milk. It’s one of the simplest things you can do every day and feel good about, for you and your family.”

Wellness Role Models

Perhaps the most powerful testaments for milk are the milk-mustachioed actors, athletes, models and musicians who have been part of the popular campaign. It’s no coincidence that these healthy and fit celebrities bring to life the true meaning of wellness. Brinkley and Naomi Campbell helped launch the original campaign, and more recent additions to the roster have included Heidi Klum, Brooke Shields, Marg Helgenberger, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Trisha Yearwood. These famous milk-drinking role models truly embody the concept of living well.

To help showcase the many advantages of being a milk drinker, a new report entitled “The New Face of Wellness: A Look at America’s Milk Drinkers” documents the science-based benefits of drinking milk. Milk drinkers may have a health edge, giving Americans more reason to get the recommended three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk each day. Decades of studies show that milk drinkers have stronger, denser bones and are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis.

Other studies suggest that grabbing as little as one glass of lowfat or fat free milk a day could help protect your heart and may even reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, while emerging evidence suggests the nutrients in milk may play a role in reducing the risk of certain cancers. The new report is available at http://www.whymilk.com.

Drink Well. Live Well.

Visit http://www.whymilk.com to see how you can achieve wellness in your life. On the Web site, you can download hot-off-the-press celebrity Milk Mustache photos snapped at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival or win a wellness getaway in Maui. Throughout the month of January, check out the Web site for a chance to win one of four exclusive spa retreats at the luxurious Grand Wailea Resort and Spa in Maui. Enjoy elegant accommodations, indulgent spa treatments, fine dining, and thrilling recreation at this world-class resort. Daily prizes will be given away from SpaFinder and Curves. See official rules at http://www.whymilk.com.

About the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”(R) Campaign

The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation’s milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the national Milk Mustache “got milk?”(R) Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to http://www.whymilk.com. Lowe New York is the creative agency for the national Milk Mustache “got milk?” (R) Campaign.

SOURCE Milk Processor Education Program

Post to Twitter Post to Delicious Post to Digg Post to Facebook