::giada:at:home::

I am not going to lie here...in the beginning of my food network days I had many obsessions with certain shows and chefs and Giada at the time was NOT one of them. 

Weird, I know - considering I looooove her now. 

I am not sure what it was about her at the time that irked me...she was highly annoying, her smile was wickedly gimongous and I just couldn't believe that she made and ate all that food and still stayed so thin {"bitch" - just kidding, ha ha}.

Not sure when my turning point was...I guess I got into more and more shows...and then I ordered my first cookbook back in January 2010..."Everyday Pasta" by Giada. I love that cookbook. I went through it 50 times a day for the first week or so. Lol. 

Now I have some of her books but am still missing out on three more. Her cookbooks are great - colourful images {although more pictures would be good} and fantastic recipes. 

But that's all you see when you go through her books or watch her on the Food Network...so I decided I am going to share an interview that was in Women's Health {issue with Brooklyn Decker on the cover} and is also on their website as well. 

A more "intimate" look at Giada De Laurentiis.

Giada De Laurentiis has all burners going, balancing a TV career with cookbook signings, designing a line of kitchenware for Target, and family dinners. Here, the Food Network star and mom shares what she puts on her own table, the yoga poses that keep her slim and energized, and lots of other amazing advice. 

Being a master multitasker is a job requirement when you're a chef. But Giada De Laurentiis takes that skill to the max.

She films three cooking shows {Giada at Home, The Next Food Network Star, and Giada in Paradise}, writes cookbooks {six total, and five of those are New York Times best-sellers}, designs a cookware line for Target, and teaches Matt and Ann how to make marinara {among other things} as a regular Today show contributor. She even whipped up meals for Will and Kate and 2,500 of their guests during the royals' 2011 U.S. invasion.

Giada's packed schedule doesn't leave much time - or energy - to prepare meals for her husband Todd, and their 4-year-old daughter, Jade, but she's not about to surrender her family meals to the microwave. The solution? Giada revamped her weeknight repertoire to include only things she could quickly pull together after a full day. Those dishes evolved into her newest cookbook, Weeknights with Giada, a collection of recipes anyone who's super slammed {or super impatient} can appreciate. 

"After a full day, I look forward to a home-cooked meal, but I don't have hours to make it," she says. "I wanted to show people that in busy times you can still eat well, stay trim, and feel good." She's certainly evidence of that. We caught up with the petite powerhouse to find out how she keeps it all together - in and out of the kitchen. 

With a career in food, how do you stay so fit? 

"I do yoga three times a week from 5:20 to 6:30 a.m. Yoga has trimmed my body in a way that the gym never could. I used to be a gym rat, but I switched to yoga and am now almost 10 pounds lighter. One important thing I've gotten from yoga is breathing. When I'm cooking, the top part of my body collapses down. It cuts off my diaphragm. Doing yoga in the morning expands my breath and oxygen capacity, and I carry that throughout my day. At night, I feel less run-down. I used to be able to come home from a long day and crawl into bed. Not anymore - I have to give 100 percent to my daughter and husband."

How else do you offset the challenges - OK, calories! - of your job?

"I eat everything, but I don't eat a lot of anything. I tend to eat several small meals instead of three large ones. My weight does fluctuate, though. I shoot a show for a three-month period, and during that time I might gain several pounds. On set I'm constantly around food, and I have to taste the recipes. When my jeans feel tighter, I'm like, Oh no. And it becomes harder as you get older and your metabolism slows. So after I stop shooting, I go through a period when I'm strict. I'll reduce dairy and sugar and cut out wheat products, including pasta. And I cut back my portions."

What do you usually eat?

"For breakfast, I'll have brown-rice bread smeared with almond butter and topped with blueberries, and a cup of juice. Hard-boiled eggs are a fabulous high-protein snack. Lunch is usually a salad with avocado, tomato, and protein - chicken or grilled salmon or tuna.

At night, I'll have something like turkey meatloaf with sun-dried tomatoes and feta. I'll also create themes for dinner, like Meatless Mondays or Breakfast for Dinner. My favourite treat is toast drizzled with melted chocolate and olive oil - mmm!"

You can't exactly take a sick day and have someone cover for you. What's your stay-healthy secret?

"I count on chiropractic sessions to keep my body aligned. Standing for hours can impact my posture, and that can throw the rest of my body out of whack. Acupuncture helps me relax and release stress. I'm also very into massage to help release tension in my back, neck, and shoulders. I think all these things help keep my immune system strong."

What's your greatest source of stress?

"Not spending enough time with my daughter and husband, but I do my best. On weekends, I'll do yoga at a reasonable time, like 9 a.m., so Jade and Todd can join me. I try to do stand-up paddle surfing and go on hikes with my husband on weekends too. When I'm out of town, I send special treats to them. I just had a pizza delivered to Todd from Pizzeria Mozza, his favourite."

What's the best advice you've gotten from other working moms?

"Don't forget to breathe!"

-S.*

{Source: Images from Tumblr}