What Is Rachel Ray Cooking?

Rachael Ray is one of the most beloved celebrity cooks of our time. She makes cooking fast, tasty, and most of all fun. She runs several TV cooking shows, a daily talk show, a magazine and has a line of cookware. Eating all of that delicious food and constantly being on the go, you have to wonder how she looks so great. Rachael says she hasn’t looked at a scale since she was a child and says she doesn’t have time nor does she need the pressure of trying to make her body meet everyone else’s standards. How does she do it?

She believes that the best diet program is one that will make you eat healthier as a first step, just like the best exercise program is one that you will do!  A non-diet approach to, well, dieting can prove to be beneficial for some. It removes many of the pressures, expense and time-consuming tasks of managing a diet. More than anything, it’s a common-sense approach to eating. Eat what you should, avoid what you shouldn’t and indulge once in a while. The non-diet philosophy continues to gain in popularity.

A Rachel Ray diet focuses less on the pressure of eating or avoiding certain foods and more on the concept of common sense. Anyone who has watched Rachel Ray on television knows that she loves cooking good dishes that are often easy and quick to make.

Rachel Ray Diet Tips

Some of the most common dietary tips associated with Rachel’s philosophy include the following:

* Try to stick to a regular meal time.
* Don’t skip meals to lose weight.
* Drink lots of water every day.
* Don’t waste precious calories on sodas.
* Eat plenty of raw and fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Start off your day with high protein and healthy carbs.
* Create a moderate exercise plan that you can follow. (When starting any new exercise regimen, contact your doctor first.)
* Avoid those foods that are problem foods for you.
* Eat lots of lean proteins.
* Eat foods rich in monounsaturated fats. This should include cooking with extra virgin olive oils.
* Try to reduce stress in your daily routine whenever possible. If you do have stress in your life, try www.stress-help.info . This book really helps you reduce stress!
* Don’t eliminate all of the foods you love. Instead, eat in moderation.
* Don’t eat because it is time to eat. Eat because you are hungry!
* Don’t hop on the scale every day; it can add pressure to your weight loss goals.
* Maintain self-control by getting in the habit of “thinking healthy.”
* Avoid crash diets.
* Vary your meals and food choices to avoid boredom. There are plenty of tasty, healthy foods and recipes for you to choose from!
* Decide what “the perfect body” means to you

Although Rachel Ray does not typically endorse dietary supplements, Ray’s name has become linked to the acai berry juice, Monavie, which she featured on her show. It is not clear if Rachel Ray takes acai but acai is considered a “super food”, it contains many healthy nutrients and it has been referred to as the food that can “jump start a healthy lifestyle.”

What about exercise for Rachel Ray?

Here is Rachael Ray’s take on an interview with Shape magazine about exercise:

Shape: So what kind of workouts do you do to burn off all that extra-virgin olive oil?

RR: My favorite home morning routine is 100 crunches, 100 butt lifts and at least 20 push-ups. I live in New York City but have a cabin in the mountains, so I do a lot of hiking and walking, especially with my dog, Isaboo. I do belong to a gym, but I can’t get there as often as I’d like. I think a lot of women struggle to fit in exercise. That’s why my new talk show is going to feature a Better Than Nothing workout segment. The idea behind it is to do the absolute minimum to maintain your weight and health — and to make the routine simple, no special equipment required.

Shape: What’s your definition of healthy eating?

RR: I don’t believe in counting calories; eat in moderation and you won’t have to worry about the numbers. I eat pretty much everything. Flavor is really important. If you peeked into my fridge and pantry today, you’d find almonds, cashews, goat cheese, Pecorino, salami, bacon from upstate New York, olive oil, pasta, tuna, an open bottle of white wine, tomatoes and beans. Truly relaxing during meals and enjoying the foods on your plate also matters. I make it a point to sit down, have a glass of red wine and savor my supper every night.

Shape: Workwise, you certainly have a full plate. how do you stay energized?

RR: I really love what I do. In fact, even after a full day of taping cooking shows, I’ll come home and head straight for the kitchen. Cooking helps me unwind because it’s so meditative. I focus on what I’m doing, not my worries or my to-do list. While I’m making dinner, I’ll listen to music: anything from the Foo Fighters or Tom Jones to my husband John Cusimano’s band, The Cringe. And I’m a Law & Order addict, so I’ll often listen to it while I’m cooking.

Advice that we can all use!