Giada at Home Star Giada De Laurentiis Shares Swimsuit Photo Welcoming New Pup

1. Healthy Eating Advice

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De Laurentiis is a strong proponent of balance when it comes to nutrition. “Many people think there needs to be a drastic change in order to eat healthily, but that’s not true,” she says. “My cooking still stays true to my Italian roots, with lots of delicious, fresh ingredients. Eating well is not about eliminating foods. It’s about noting how they affect you and eating less of those that challenge your health. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat pasta or dairy. As an Italian, I would never tell you that! Eating well is about finding the right balance for you. The real goal is to rethink the food we’re putting in our bodies and reduce the amount of inflammatory foods and toxins, but not eliminate things entirely.”

2. Meal Prep

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De Laurentiis meal preps to encourage healthy eating. “In an effort to have healthier options on hand when I don’t have time to cook, I like to make large batches of items that I can snack on when needed,” she says. “This usually includes roasted veggies like sweet potatoes and broccoli, brown rice, bone broth that I can sip on or use to make a quick soup, sliced fennel, arugula, homemade salad dressing — lots of fresh healthy ingredients so I’m reaching for those things versus a piece of chocolate (most of the time, at least!).”

3. Yoga on the Go

De Laurentiis swears by yoga and resistance bands for a great workout wherever she is. "I always say, if all else fails, take a deep breath," she says. "For a lot of us who talk a lot, you don't breathe as much as you need to. … If you can't do anything else, just sit up and try and breathe—even if it's for, like, a minute, it will still help."

4. Happiness From Food

De Laurentiis focuses on how food makes her feel, both mentally and physically. “Eating well, to me, means that I'm clear-headed,” she says. “And it usually means that I fall back on my Italian heritage. I think of a meal that is something from my childhood, around with my family, sitting down and having prepared it myself. And I think that's the journey of eating well for me. And I always say for me because it's just my journey, but it may or may not resonate with people. This is what makes me the happiest. And when I eat well, and I have all those elements, I feel great; I really do.”

5. Importance of Self-Care

De Laurentiis feels strongly about the importance of self-care. “You need to take care of your mind and your body before you can take care of anything else,” she says. “You need to take care of yourself first... My mom was very good about self-care, my grandmother was very good about self-care. I watched them, and I became very diligent at a very young age about taking care of my skin, using sunscreen and just keeping it healthy all the time. Over the years, [my skincare routine] has gotten longer and longer and longer, because as you get older, it gets more complicated! It’s become more intense over the years. With all the travel, all the makeup, the stress, I’ve had to take care of myself more rigorously.”

1. Seafood Lover

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Giudice loves seafood, especially sushi and shellfish such as crab and lobster (which are an excellent source of zinc). “Women of reproductive age are most likely moderately zinc-deficient due to menstruation and not eating the right foods,” says Shannon L. Kelleher, PhD. “Symptoms of too little zinc include dry and itchy skin, loss of hair, reduced ability to taste food and a compromised immune system that leads to more colds.”

2. Pizza, Please

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Giudice will never turn down a slice of pizza, but experts say it can absolutely be a healthy choice. “The No. 1 best way to boost the nutritional value of your pizza is by cutting out processed meats, which are high in calories and unhealthy fats,” says Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “Most pizza shops offer a variety of choices for crusts and toppings that can help keep your pizza healthy and still delicious,” says Fawziah Saleh, RDN, LD. “Don’t be afraid to ask!”

3. She’s a Hiker

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Giudice loves to hike, especially when she’s traveling to beautiful spots such as Malibu, Los Angeles. “Research shows that hiking has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety,” says Gregory A. Miller, PhD, president of the American Hiking Society. “Being in nature is ingrained in our DNA, and we sometimes forget that.”

4. Yoga Sessions

Giudice enjoys yoga sessions with mom Teresa Giudice. "One of the wonderful things about yoga is accepting yourself and your body just as you are today," says Dr. Corinna Keenmon, Houston Methodist's medical director of psychiatry and telepsychiatry. "This is the mindfulness aspect of yoga — simply appreciating your body for the things that it can do right now in the present moment."

5. Family Dinners

Giudice enjoys regular family dinners with her mother and sisters. “There have been more than 20 years of dozens of studies that document that family dinners are great for the body, the physical health, the brains and academic performance, and the spirit or the mental health, and in terms of nutrition, cardiovascular health is better in teens,” says family therapist Anne Fishel.``“There's lower fat and sugar and salt in home cooked meals even if you don't try that hard, there's more fruit, and fiber, and vegetables, and protein in home cooked meals, and lower calories. Kids who grow up having family dinners, when they're on their own tend to eat more healthily and to have lower rates of obesity.”