Here's The Advice Giada De Laurentiis Would Give To Her Younger Self

They say hindsight is 20/20. Certainly, if we could, each of us would go back and alter some of our decisions or make different choices.

Parade recently profiled Food Network star, chef, and author Giada De Laurentiis about her new book, Eat Better, Feel Better. The magazine asked the acclaimed chef what advice she would give to her younger self. The first part of her answer was simple: eat less sugar.

The Everyday Italian star confessed that around 2010, as her career really started to take off and she added new shows and cookbooks to her list of commitments — not to mention a child, Jade — her health began to suffer. De Laurentiis said that she began to experience sinus infections, rosacea, bloating, constipation, under-eye swelling, fatigue, and brain fog (via Today). To combat the constant feeling of tiredness, she turned, as many of us do, to sugar and carb-laden comfort foods like chocolate chips and, of course, pasta, cheese, and bread.

Reaching a breaking point, De Laurentiis, who admits she thought she knew everything she needed to about nutrition, began to take a closer look at her diet. This led to some changes and the idea for the book, Eat Better, Feel Better, which was released on March 16th.

Feeling lousy a decade ago and learning more about how her diet could be contributing to her sense of malaise and other health issues, Giada De Laurentiis began eliminating foods she learned might be contributing to her symptoms. These included refined wheat, sugar, dairy, and alcohol. What she learned in this experiment eventually resulted in the "three-day reboot" she outlines in her new book, according to Parade.

We know what you're thinking: Did Giada De Laurentiis just recommend cutting out pasta? No more bread, dessert, or cheese? Not exactly. De Laurentiis now recommends less of her and our favorite foods. She thinks pasta and meats should be seen as side dishes, while vegetables take on the starring roles in meals. Granted, this sounds less satisfying than a heaping bowl of one of her amazing pasta creations, but maybe it's worth a try if you're looking for a reset.

What was the second piece of advice De Laurentiis would give to her younger self? "You don't have to work so hard — it's all going to work out," she told Parade. Hopefully, this means De Laurentiis is enjoying some downtime after writing her book and filming Bobby and Giada in Italy.

Giada De Laurentiis adds that the best advice she ever received came from her grandfather, filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis: "Just make sure you can look at yourself in the mirror every day and be proud of what you've done, whether you're successful or not."