Tiffani Thiessen, 51, Says Her Mindset Around Wellness Has Evolved: 'In My 20s, It Was All About Looking Good' (Exclusive)

Tiffani Thiessen is in her wellness era!

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actress and cookbook author, 51, says that her mindset on wellness has changed over the decades.

Now, amid her milestone age and partnership with Isopure to create protein-boosted recipes, she finds herself prioritizing "feeling good" over "looking good."

"Last year, I turned the big 5-0, which was a turning point in my life. It usually is for most people," Thiessen tells PEOPLE. "Before I turned 50, I had a mindset of wanting to be at the best possible place for that age. So, I was working towards what I felt was going to be healthy for me."

The actress then "upped the ante" with her workouts and started adding "a lot of protein" to her diet. Therefore, she says it was "really perfect" when the protein powder company approached her with the campaign as it "aligned with everything that I was trying to do."

Related: Tiffani Thiessen Feels Better at 50 Than 40, But She’s Still Dyeing Her Hair: 'Not Ready to Go Gray' (Exclusive)

As for how Thiessen's current mindset differs from what it used to be, she says she tries to avoid putting "strict labels" on herself. The actress has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager, landing main roles in the pivotal teen shows Saved By the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210, and found her wellness goals, at that age, were focused on her physical appearance.

"In my twenties, it was all about looking really good," Thiessen explains. "But in my fifties, my first goal was feeling good, and that was physically and mentally. That had a lot to do with my diet and the type of exercising I was doing."

Related: Tiffani Thiessen Admits Her Memories of Saved by the Bell 'Seem to Get Smaller and Smaller' (Exclusive)

She found joy in physical activity and says she was not "racking my body into the gym seven days a week and going hardcore."

"I was doing things like hiking outside or playing pickleball with friends because it really has a lot to do with your mental health too," the actress says. "That's where I think I've changed a lot as I've gotten older. You get the benefits where you, of course, look better too, but I think when you start with the mental, it actually makes it a little easier."

"That's what I've learned in my wise age of 51 now," she adds. "When you go that way first, usually everything else falls into place."

Partnering with Isopure, Thiessen has developed a carrot muffin recipe with the brand’s zero carb vanilla protein powder to help her achieve her own protein goals. She describes the recipe as "so easy and versatile" – and also kid-friendly, which is important to the mom of two.

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Thiessen, who shares two kids Holt, 9, and Harper, 14, with her husband Brady Smith, says of the muffins, "I love them because of the pure protein in it," before explaining that she’s also trying to add protein to her kids' diet.

"I'm always trying to get protein in their diet as well, but the muffins are also packed with carrots and all the vegetables that they don't always get," she says. "They're good eaters, but we can always be better."

Read the original article on People