“Identify the culprits in terms of glucose spikes, and then just either take them out or swap them—that’s the framework I would approach lunch with,” says Means. Let’s take a typically lunch wrap or sandwich, for instance: “A sandwich might have vegetables, hummus, and a protein in there, but then the bread or the wrap essentially thrives the glucose spike,” she explains.

To mitigate this spike, she’ll swap the bread or wrap for a grain-free alternative, like ones with cassava flour (which does still spike some people, we should note, so it’s important to mind personal nutrition here), collard greens, or butter or iceberg lettuce. Sometimes she’ll even use shaved jicama or nori sheets for her wraps. “There are lots of ways to get the same thing that you love without the glucose spike.” 

DiDonato notes she has dinner with her husband in the evening—which is a protein, vegetable, and carb. (During pregnancy, lighter on the veggies and heavier on the carbs, she says.) 

“Dinner is usually some sort of protein and some sort of vegetable. I’ve been less on the cooked vegetable train while pregnant. We used to eat a lot of beets, broccoli, and asparagus, but I can’t even look at that these days,” she laughs. “So that’s what I used to eat when I was normal. So now it’s just like some sort of protein and a carb for me, or sometimes it’s just the protein at night. Cause my stomach is quite upset in the evenings for some reason.”

And then she ends the evening with a dessert: “We’ll have some ice cream, frozen yogurt, or I’ll make like my favorite almond butter cookies.” We’ll have to get the recipe on that last one. 

In addition to what he consumes, an important part of Young’s longevity strategy is what (or rather, when) he doesn’t consume: No surprise, Young is a fan of fasting. And he’s not the only longevity expert to be so—more research is needed, but intermittent fasting has been shown to extend the lifespan in animals; a recent study from 2019 also found that people who followed a time-restricted eating plan enhanced multiple genes associated with longevity (including one that upregulates autophagy—a cellular cleanup process that’s associated with a longer lifespan). 

“I fast from Monday evening to Wednesday morning every week,” he explains. (If you do the math, that’s 36 hours.) This is a pretty intense fast, and it’s not the only eating plan that has health benefits. “You just need to listen to your body and consult with your doctor,” Young says. (If you’re curious, here’s the minimum number of hours experts say you may need to fast to reap the benefits.)

It’s also essential to note that fasting is not suitable for everyone, especially those with certain medical conditions or a history of disordered eating. In these cases, it is best to avoid it or speak with your doctor about whether or not there is a healthy way to implement it.

And when I spoke with supermodel Kate Bock on a recent episode of Clean Beauty School, she felt similarly. “It took a while to find the balance. And I think a lot of people—whether you’re a student, working a job, or have a family and kids—everyone has busy lives. And everyone wants to feel their best and look their best. I think a lot of people are really hard on themselves, but it does take a minute to figure out what you put in your body, what’s going to give you good energy, what’s going to give you clear skin, what’s going to make you feel good, what’s going to give you your best life or your best self,” she says.

So all that said, sometimes it’s fun to look into what people consume day to day. Not only can it be a source of inspiration (who doesn’t love to learn a new recipe or way to use an ingredient?), but sometimes peeking into others’ lives can be oh-so-satisfying.

Here, what the Sports Illustrated cover model eats in a day.

When it comes to anti-inflammatory spices, the one that gets all the hype is turmeric—which is fair! “Turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, has been extensively studied for its disease-fighting potential and preventive health benefits,” explains Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN.

So when we saw that spice and functional food expert Kanchan Koya, Ph.D. shared a list of her favorites anti-inflammatory spices on Instagram, we started taking notes. After all, we’re all about stocking our cabinet with a handful of spices that pack, as Koya writes: “inflammation fighting powers.”

D’Agostino considers himself an omnivore (he eats plenty of fatty fish, meat, egg yolks, etc.), but he does love a good helping of plant-based protein. “I actually eat more plants on a ketogenic diet than I did growing up eating a high-carb diet,” he says. “Now, I have a lot of gut-healthy salads, vegetables, nuts, artichokes and greens.”

He also touts the satiating power of legumes: “My wife makes this traditional Hungarian lentil soup,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll have [it on] meat-free days.” A hearty, keto-approved evening meal.