An only child raised by a single mother (her dad left when she was just six months old), Lima grew up a devout Roman Catholic, going to church every Sunday. As a matter of fact, before altering her path and moving from Brazil to New York City, where she signed with Elite Model Management, she wanted to be a nun—a far cry from the globally recognized Angel she’s become. But that doesn’t stop her from bringing a Bible to read backstage before shows, praying, or “going to church every day,” although she’s not talking about your typical chapel. “The church is in me—I always connect,” she says. “If you’re connected with the divine and always have pure intentions with everything you’re doing, you’re protected by the angels.” Not lingerie-clad, stiletto-wearing angels, but otherworldly time-and-space-bending beings. “I’m very spiritual. I believe in nature, I believe in energy, I believe in spirits.”

Something else she believes in: aliens. “I don’t picture them as, like, coming to get me or abducting humans,” she says. “I imagine they maybe look like us but with a higher intelligence and connection to the universe.” Extraterrestrials aside, she also has a place (or more like a shrine) in her bedroom for her crystals. “I don’t count, but I have a lot—more than 50.” Amethyst, in case you’re wondering, is her favorite. In other words, Lima is pretty cosmically connected. But she’s grounded, too—even with 9.8 million Instagram followers and the distinction of being the only celebrity to ever star in two Super Bowl commercials in one game, for Kia Motors and the online flower service Teleflora, in 2012. How did she earn such an honor? Simply put, consumers want whatever Lima is wearing—or selling. Case in point: Sales of Kia’s Optima reached their highest point in the company’s history after it received Lima’s stamp of approval. It’s safe to say that anything the bankable beauty touches turns to gold.

So just how does Lima—who has been included in Maxim magazine’s Hot 100, AskMen.com’s Most Desirable Women, Models.com’s Top Sexiest Models, Complex.com’s 100 Hottest Supermodels of All Time, and FHM’s Sexiest Women in the World (four times); has won Spike’s Guys Choice award for Hottest Girl on the Planet; and is one of Google’s 50 most-searched-for women on the Web—stay grounded when she’s pulling in a reported $10.5 million a year and a regular day at the office (like today) involves shooting at a $30 million manse with Victoria’s Secret photographer and dear friend Russell James? “My meditation is boxing, believe it or not,” she says. “I get so into it that no thoughts come in my mind. It’s my Zen moment.” Of course, a knockout like Lima trains only with the best, and in the ring that’s at the same world-famous Miami Beach gym where Muhammad Ali became the greatest, Angelo Dundee’s 5th St. Gym.

“I try to box every day,” Lima says, “but these past few days I’ve been bad.” By “bad,” she means she’s been trading her gloves for a spoon and molten chocolate cake. “It’s my guilty pleasure. If it were up to me, I would have it three times a day.” She’s not joking, either: In the middle of her Ocean Drive cover shoot, Lima got a hankering for chocolate bars to nibble on between outfits. “I eat everything,” she says, “but at the same time, I’m super healthy.” Healthy is as easy as cake when you have an on-call nutritionist and a personal chef to whip you up whatever your heart desires. “The best restaurant in Miami, I have to say, is my home.”

Home for Lima is where she feels closest to her native Brazil. And for the last five years, that’s been the Magic City. “I wanted to find a base where it was always summer, always nice and welcoming, with warm people and a beautiful ocean,” she says. “I just fell in love with Miami. Plus, there are so many Brazilians here, too, so I feel like I’m in Brazil.” If you’re hoping for a supermodel sighting, hit the Arts District. “I love to go walk the streets and Wynwood Walls and look at art.”

Good luck recognizing her, though. “I’m pretty low-key when I’m walking around—I think because people are used to seeing me with makeup and hair and in lingerie.” She laughs, adding, “I usually don’t wear any makeup and [have] my hair up, and I’m always in sports clothes, especially with my kids.” At least when she’s not rocking Victoria’s Secret’s million-dollar Fantasy Bra, an honor she’s had not once but twice.