Luann de Lesseps shared her surprising secrets for staying fit at 59.
“You should not drink while you eat,” the “Real Housewives of New York City” alum began in an interview with Fox News shared Saturday.
“People are drinking cold drinks while they eat. And what happens is digestion starts in the mouth. That’s why we salivate because, like when we’re hungry, you think — the burn — the digestive juices are already going,” she said of the advice she was given during stays at Austrian spas.
“So, the most important thing is to chew a lot while you eat. Pay attention to that. And don’t drink while you’re eating.”
“Europeans are thinner because they sip wine,” de Lesseps, who recently launched her new Countess Cabaret Tour, added.
“They don’t drink big, cold drinks. That’s not their thing. And this is a very key thing in order to stay in good shape. Drink water 20 minutes before you eat or drink — whatever you want to drink. But 20 minutes before you eat and 20 minutes after. So, not while [eating] because it waters down your digestive enzymes and juices that metabolize your food.”
“In America, we eat a lot. We get big portions. So, it’s about portion control as well,” she explained. “And eating slowly. And when you eat slowly, you don’t eat as much because it takes time for your brain to register that you have actually kind of had enough.”
“So, it’s taking time to eat and taking your time and eating slowly and chewing well,” de Lesseps added. “And, this way, you feel satiated. And a lot of people just skip over that point and just eat everything.”
The Connecticut native also revealed that she loves intermittent fasting, a popular diet method where eating is allowed for just eight hours a day.
“I love fasting,” de Lesseps said. “Intermittent fasting, which is you eat late in the morning and you try not to eat [after] 6 p.m. because digestion will wake you up during the middle of the night. Like, if you have a steak at night, you’re bound to wake up in the middle of the night because digestion needs energy, so it wakes you up.”
The “Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake” alum also advised against eating salads after a certain time.
“Another tip I got for you — [eat] protein and salad for lunch, something like that, because salad you should not eat after really 6 p.m,” she said.
“People think they’re eating — like they’re having a salad at night with their protein and all that, dressing, with parmesan cheese and croutons — and they’re like, ‘This is light.’ Well, the problem with salad is it’s 99% water. So, what is that doing? It’s watering down your digestion, just like if you had a drink.”
“People are washing it down with drinks as well, so digestion’s out,” she added. “So, salad is a no-no after 6. Instead of that, cooked vegetables. Cooked vegetables have much more to give you than a salad ever will. Not to say that dark greens aren’t good for you. Arugula, spinach, iron filled with vitamins, but during the day. Or you make sautéed spinach at night, and you don’t have salad.”
Finally, de Lesseps likes to stay active to reach her health goals.
“I’m a jock,” she said. “I love sports. So, I’m very active. I think being very active is one of the best things that you can do in order to stay fit.”
“It can be water aerobics. It can be just a walk to get your metabolism going in the morning or SoulCycle, if you really want to kill it. I’m not a big SoulCycle person, but sometimes I do SoulCycle. But I just feel like you have to be physically active.
“So, those are big tips,” she added. “It’s really about digesting, the way you eat and just keep it moving.”
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