Giada De Laurentiis Talks Food in Shape Magazine

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and we admittedly have food on our minds. What better time than to sneak a peek at Food Network chef  Giada De Laurentiis‘ interview with Shape magazine (catch her on the cover this month!)? Giada talks about food, fitness and life with her one-year-old baby girl.

“I knew when I was 12 that I wanted to do something with food-I just didn’t know what…I learned tradition from my grandfather, who grew up selling pasta in Naples; simplicity from my mom, who had four kids and had to get dinner on the table fast every night; and creativity from my aunt, who is my cooking soul mate,” she tells Shape.

Just how does Giada stay in shape when cooking (and sampling) is her profession? Yoga. Once an avid gym-goer, she turned to yoga after she gave birth- and hasn’t left.

“I thought, ‘Oh, this will be a good way to stretch,’ but it turned out to be so much more! It taught me to breathe, it strengthened my muscles, and it helped me relax… yoga gives me the energy and focus I need to get through my day. I’m not saying I don’t need a cup of coffee in the afternoon sometimes, but it’s the yoga that definitely keeps me centered.”

Giada also says that her pregnancy experience taught her how to stay slim.

 ”I gained 22 pounds, which doesn’t sound like much, but I’m only 5′3″, so it was a lot for my height. Because I had a C-section, I couldn’t work out for a long time afterward, so I knew the best way for me to lose weight was through diet.”

So- she eliminated white sugar and cheese for two months after giving birth.

“The first two weeks were hard, but I got over the hump by eating a lot of fruit and replacing sugar with healthier alternatives, like brown rice syrup and agave nectar.”

One thing is certain, we’ll be tuning in to watch her cook for some holiday food inspiration!

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