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Eat like Beyonce: Marco Borges reveals singer's diet

Exercise physiologist Marco Borges, author of the "22-Day Revolution" shows examples of the plant-based diet of his star client, Beyonce.
/ Source: TODAY

If Beyoncé’s killer shape is your inspiration, exercise physiologist Marco Borges reveals how to eat like Queen Bey.

She and husband Jay Z famously ate a vegan diet for 22 days in 2013. Beyoncé liked the program so much, she partnered with Borges for a plant-based, home-delivery meal service, 22 Days Nutrition.

The program's belief is that 21 days are needed to make or break a habit, and by the 22nd day, people can be on the road to new habits as they try to lose weight and become healthier.

Beyoncé credits Borges with helping her find success.

“I remember being on so many different diets, and Marco coming up with really creative ways to help me with my diet so I didn’t feel like I was depriving myself,” Beyoncé told TODAY for a segment Thursday.

Borges, whose new book is titled “The 22-Day Revolution,” believes in eating grains, vegetables and fruits, and avoiding all animal products like meat, fish and dairy. People can move to a plant-based diet at their own pace, he says, with greater benefits coming from more plant-based eating.

“It’s not about perfection, it’s about progression,” he told Tamron Hall on TODAY Thursday.

While people know they should be eating more vegetables, he says they struggle because “the majority of our diet is meat-based products.”

“We try to incorporate more plant-based products, but we don’t know how,” he said.

Research indicates that a plant-based diet can lower risks of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases, if you make other lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity and getting enough sleep, experts say.

For Borges, eating plants is a simple, effective way to get healthier. His top tips:

Eat three “mindful” meals a day

Focus on how your body feels and aim to eat to 80 percent fullness.

Try for the 80-10-10 ratio in your daily diet

That is, 80 percent carbohydrates, 10 percent fat, 10 percent protein.

“When the carbs you're eating are fresh and whole and come directly from the earth, then you can eat them in abundance," says Borges. "A plant-based diet includes nutritious, complex carbs found in fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as within most protein sources, like legumes.”

Exercise 30 minutes a day

Drink water or unsweetened teas

Skip sugary drinks like soda.