Giada De Laurentiis is a household name for many foodies. Her Food Network shows and cookbooks have taken her to celebrity chef status and have earned her an Emmy for her show, “Everyday Italian,” while her books have landed on the New York Times bestseller list many times. The one thing that may set Giada apart from her other celeb chef colleagues is her figure. Great chefs are rarely thin and Giada has managed to be both. She recently revealed some of her secrets for remaining so trim in spite of a world filled with pesto and desserts.
Giada will be seen on newsstands everywhere this month as she graces the cover of November’s Women’s Health. The magazine cover highlights the questions many of us were wondering – how does she cook for a living and still manage to stay so fit? Inside, Giada tells Women’s Health writer Sarah Copeland that she’s asked that question often. So what did she say? Giada simply relies on portion control. She says she eats everything she cooks, just not much of it at one sitting.
Along with portion control, Kathryn Budig, Women’s Health yoga contributor and author of The Big Book of Yoga releasing this month, can testify that Giada gets intense yoga workouts three to four times a week. Budig is often the one who pushes Giada through these routines. She told us what those workout sessions look like.
“We would do 3-5 sessions a week for 60 minutes. We focused on core and upper body strengthening along with overall flexibility work and stress relief,” said Budig. Some of the more common yoga poses practiced by Giada include Window Wipers, Chaturanga (pictured), Supported Bridge, Upward-Facing Bow, and Thread the Needle.
Budig helps Giada through her yoga routine quite often, but isn’t her sole teacher. “I see her (Giada) whenever I’m in LA and I have someone who takes care of her on her frequent trips to New York City.”
Giada has proven that being fit doesn’t mean giving up decadent flavor. Controlling portions and keeping a regular exercise regimen allows her to enjoy delicious foods and still remain one of the healthiest celebrity chefs out there.
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yoga pose photo by Ture Lillegraven for Women’s Health Magazine