Gwyneth Paltrow's tips to get in shape

Fans have been asking Gwyneth Paltrow who appears as Pepper Potts in Iron Man 2 how she got in shape for the movie. Iron Man 2, with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (Iron Man) also involves a Filipino-American (his parents emigrated from the Philippines to New York City), Matthew Libatique as its cinematographer. In her website, Gwyneth wrote about the rigorous regimen she had to go through for her role in the movie.

She writes, “I have just traversed the globe doing promotion for Ironman 2, getting asked the same question repeatedly: How did I get in shape for the movie? Well, I am not going to lie, the process was an arduous one. I asked my business partner and trainer Tracy Anderson if she would share with us the terrifically difficult leg series she made for me to do during the filming of the movie. This 26-minute long video was an amazing start for getting the butt and legs I had always hoped for. I did this leg series after doing 45 minutes of Tracy’s dance cardio and her arm series (these can be found on her DVDs). Also, to really get in line, I followed her strict diet for five days to lose my extra winter weight. Now, I am not a good dieter and I cannot ever do it for long, only when there is a goal in sight, which there was in this case. This regimen got me into the shape of my life and I continue to return to it when I have a specific event so that I can do ridiculous things like be a 37-year-old mother of two and wear shorts!” She advises though to check with your physician first before embarking on a diet or exercise regimen.

Gwyneth’s Ironman 2 daily prep starts at 7 a.m. with green tea. Her breakfast consists of a Think Thin bar or Clean Shake:

One cup of Almond Milk

A handful of blueberries (optional)

A level scoop of Dr. Alejandro Junger’s “Move” powder

A scoop of Dr. Alejandro Junger’s “Nourish” powder

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

She also advises that “breakfast is a good time to take your daily multivitamin.”

From 8 to 9:30 a.m., she does the workouts: 26 minutes leg exercise, plus 45 minutes of dance cardio. After workout, she takes Kale Juice which according to her is “an incredibly healthy, refreshing way to start your day. Kale is full of calcium and antioxidants and just about everything else — it’s one of the best things you can put into your system. When juiced with a bit of lemon and agave, Kale turns into a sort-of grassy lemonade. No worries if you don’t have a juicer, a blender and a sieve do the trick.”

Lunch for Gwyneth is at 1 p.m. where she has a choice of either vegan or non-vegetarian wraps and for the non-vegan she has either chicken or turkey. For snacks, she eats almonds or drinks Kale Juice.

As for her dinner, it’s Turkey Kale Soup which her trainer Tracy shared with her. Here’s the recipe:

Turkey Kale Soup

One Yellow onion quartered

10 cloves garlic minced

Two leeks

Asparagus tips

Three stalks of celery

One parsnip

A handful of thyme

Two sprigs rosemary

Two low sodium vegan bullion cubes

12 cups water

Bunch parsley minced

Two lbs. boneless skinless turkey breast

One tablespoon soy sauce

One to two lb. Kale

Rub the turkey with half the garlic, half the rosemary, half the thyme, soy sauce and half the parsley. In a soup pot add remaining ingredients except for the Kale. Sauté on medium heat about 10 minutes so the vegetables start to brown. Cover with water and add bullion. Simmer about three hours so the vegetables are cooked. Strain broth. Meanwhile, place turkey with seasoning in a covered roasting pan into a 370 degree oven. Roast about one-and-a-half hour or until cooked. Take out of the oven cover and cool about an hour. Shred the turkey and add it to the strained broth. Take the stems out of the Kale. Chop and add to the broth. Cook another hour. Serve garnished with fresh parsley and a splash of soy sauce to taste.