“Real Housewives of New York City” star Luann de Lesseps shared her surprising secrets for staying fit at 59.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the TV personality and cabaret performer, who recently launched her new Countess Cabaret Tour, revealed her top three tips for maintaining a svelte physique.
“You should not drink while you eat,” de Lesseps said, citing health and wellness advice she received during stays at Austrian spas.
“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. 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 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.”
De Lesseps also advised people to practice portion control to avoid overeating and incorporate intermittent fasting into their diet regimens.
WATCH: LUANN DE LESSEPS SHARES HER THREE ‘BIG TIPS’ FOR STAYING FIT
“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.
“And, you know, listen, I’m guilty of the same thing sometimes,” she added. “But that’s how I stay fit.”
The TV personality told Fox News Digital she is an advocate for intermittent fasting, an increasingly popular diet method of time-restricted eating.
“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.”
De Lesseps also advises against eating a dish commonly labeled as healthy 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.”
The Connecticut native explained that staying active is another step that people should take to reach their 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.”
WATCH: ‘REAL HOUSEWIVES’ STAR LUANN DE LESSEPS SAYS NO SALADS AFTER 6PM KEEPS HER FIT AT 59
De Lesseps, who is an original cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York City” and appeared in 13 seasons of the hit Bravo series, made her cabaret debut in 2017 with her show “#CountessAndFriends.” De Lesseps became a countess after she married French Count Alexandre de Lesseps in 1993.
The two divorced in 2009, and de Lesseps officially lost the title when she married Tom D’Agostino Jr. in 2016.
De Lesseps’ cabaret show, which aired during the Season 10 finale of “RHONYC” and featured appearances by her “RHONYC” co-star Sonja Morgan and actress Rachel Dratch, became a hit with fans.
After the success of her debut performance, de Lesseps launched her nationwide “#CountessAndFriends” tour. Last fall, she embarked on her “F Marry Kill” tour, which was directed by acclaimed Broadway director and producer Richard Jay-Alexander.
In December, de Lesseps returned to the road for her “A Very Countess Christmas” tour. The reality star is now headlining her international Countess Cabaret tour, which kicked off Saturday at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. For her latest tour, de Lesseps teamed up again with Jay-Alexander, who previously directed shows for Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Kristin Chenoweth.
During all of her performances, de Lesseps wears ensembles pulled from the showroom of the fashion brand Jovani. De Lesseps and Jovani have a longtime partnership, and the prom dress retailer is a favorite with many of the other “Real Housewives.”
In 2019, de Lesseps released her original song, “Feelin’ Jovani,” along with an accompanying music video starring herself, “Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s” Cynthia Bailey and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘” Lisa Rinna. “The Real Housewives” executive producer and “Watch What Happens Live” host Andy Cohen also made a cameo appearance.
“Feelin’ Jovani” was de Lesseps’ fourth single after 2010’s “Money Can’t Buy You Class,” 2011’s “Chic C’est la Vie” and 2015’s “Girl Code.” In 2020, de Lesseps released her fifth song, “Viva La Diva,” which she co-produced with Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Desmond Child.
During her interview with Fox News Digital, de Lesseps shared that her cabaret tour shows will feature performances of all her original songs along with covers of hits by famous artists, including Tina Turner and Stevie Nicks.
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“What I enjoy most is the shock on people’s faces because they don’t know my cabaret show from watching the ‘Housewives’ because it’s always about the drama, because of music rights. Bravo was not paying for me to sing ‘What’s Love Got To Do [With It]?'” she said. “They’re not playing Tina Turner because that ain’t going to fly.
“I love the freedom I have with cabaret because I can do anything I want, say anything I want, sing anything I want.”
WATCH: ‘REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY’ STAR LUANN DE LESSEPS SAYS HER CABARET SHOW WAS INSPIRED BY FORMER CO-STARS
De Lesseps told Fox News Digital her songs were inspired by the friendships and feuds that she has had with her “Real Housewives” co-stars.
“Regardless of what those women have done to me over the years, cabaret? Life is not a cabaret. Well, it is for me because cabaret is my story that I write,” she said. “You know, it’s like life. You write your story. Nobody’s going to write your story for you. This is my story, right? And I think that they were always so jealous of the fact that I was successful at it.”
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“It’s like ‘Jovani, Jovani.’ I’m like, ‘Well, “Feelin’ Jovani.”’ That’s where it comes from,” de Lesseps continued. “So, I’m inspired by these women all the time to write music. I won’t tell you who ‘Money Can’t Buy Class’ is after. But I’m inspired by them all the time.
“All my music stems a lot from the ladies, from my experience on the show,” she added. “And then when people come to my show, they’re in for a real treat.”
De Lesseps will also soon be seen again on the small screen. She is starring in the “Real Housewives” dating show spinoff series, “Love Hotel,” which will air on Peacock. De Lesseps filmed the show alongside “The Real Housewives of Orange County’s” Shannon Beador and “The Real Housewives of the Potomac’s” Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby.
While de Lesseps told Fox News Digital she couldn’t reveal many details about “Love Hotel,” she said she was excited for fans to watch it.
“”It’s the first dating show for Bravo,” she said. “And we had a great time. I’m excited. I think people are going to love it. And it’s coming out in the spring, and so I’m super, super excited.”
