She’s an all-American girl who’s taking center stage in the universe. Oliva Culpo, the first Miss Rhode Island to win Miss USA, won Miss Universe this week. At 5’6″, she’s got an endearing personality, a rockin’ cello talent, and a serious set of abs. While the sweet smile and hometown likability may come naturally, that body takes a lot of hard work.
For Olivia, high-protein, low-carb is the way to go. In an interview with Shape Magazine after her Miss USA win, she revealed some of her favorite high-protein foods. Unsalted almonds and yogurt top the list, as do the meal replacement Special K Bars.
Her favorite side dish is a baked sweet potato, and she swaps the sour cream on top with a little Greek yogurt. She seasons with cayenne pepper. The capsaicin in peppers like cayenne are a great metabolism and fat booster, so it’s no surprise that Olivia keeps a shaker handy! Steamed veggies are preferred to raw because she finds them easier to digest.
When she’s preparing to dazzle a pageant stage, she has a banana to calm her nerves and eats pineapple to reduce any swelling.
That’s not all she’s eating though. She and her nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of the F-Factor Diet, share a few foods that will helped Olivia not only feel great but prepare her entire body to looks its very best.
“What you eat can really determine the integrity of your skin, hair, and nails,” said Zuckerbrot. For a beauty queen, it’s not just about the smile and the bikini body, but the judges are judging you head to toe.
In the video above, Olivia and Zuckerbrot walk a grocery store and find a few essential foods for Olivia, including green tea, spinach, strawberries, and lean protein like chicken.
All of that food is fueling a reasonable workout regimen, which is also helping to shape her slender figure. Resistance training and cardio are each done three times a week. For her cardio she prefers running and the Latin-dance-inspired Zumba, which was named Company of the Year by Inc. Magazine.
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image via usmagazine.com