Kennedy - The Hollywood wrap: 100 quick and easy meals to fuel your workout and help you lose weight, from celebrity fitness and nutrition expert

To my mom, who always told me I was her little star and could do anything I put my mind to. And to my rock and soul mate, Alex Dmitrevsky, whose vision and support made writing this book possible.

I have spent the last 30 years helping patients achieve and maintain healthy body weights through balanced nutrition and a healthy, active lifestyle.

Obesity-associated diseases now account for a significant portion of total US health expenditures. If we are ever to conquer this growing epidemic, we cant just keep talking about it. We have to do something. Exercise is clearly key, but preparing and eating balanced, nutritious meals to support that healthy, active lifestyle is just as important. However, we all know diets only work when they are followed; ensuring your daily menus contain variety and are fun to eat makes it much more likely that you will stick to your weight-loss goals. And thats where Nancy and her handy meals-in-a-wrap come in.

Like many food trends, the wrap has taken off in California and especially in Hollywood because it is convenient, portable, and endlessly variable. However, when it comes to wraps, dont forget that whats on the outside is as important as whats on the inside. Making wraps with healthy ingredientsfrom the wrap itself to the nutrient-packed filling withinis what this book is all about.

I have known Nancy as the Trainer to the Stars long before that term became fashionable and overused, and for many years she has been the one I turn to when I have a client who needs the right combination of inspiration, sound fitness advice, and nutritional guidance. She has helped many of my clients, including celebrities, politicians, and captains of industry, achieve their weight-loss goals, and if you follow her advice, she will help you, too.

With the current flood of fad diets and celebrity weight-loss memoirs on the shelves today, it is refreshing to find a book based on sound nutrition. Nancy has done a masterful job of creating great-tasting recipes that are also nutritionally balanced and healthful. One excuse my clients often give for consuming fast foods is that there is not enough time within their stressful lives to do things right. With this collection of easy, fast, and fun wrap recipes, that excuse is no longer valid.

David Heber, MD, PhD
Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition
David Geffen School of Medicine
Los Angeles, California

Dr. Hebers name and title are for identification purposes only. The University of California does not endorse specific products or services as a matter of policy.

Why do Hollywoods major stars always look great in movies and music videos, walking down the red carpet at international openings, and sitting through grueling publicity tours?

Because looking good and being in shape are essential to their work and lives. Preparing for a role doesnt just mean learning lines and going to costume fittings. It also includes everything from gaining or losing weight for a particular character to being trim and fit so the camera doesnt add 10 to 20 pounds.

Stars take this responsibility seriously. Very seriously. I know because Im a personal trainer, nutrition expert, and healthy cook who works with A-list clients such as Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Costner, Julia Roberts, Shakira, Jessica Biel, and many others, in order to whip them into shape.

I got my start cooking for the stars when I was hired to work with Julia Roberts on location in Chicago for the movie I Love Trouble. I emptied out the minibar in Julias hotel suite, removed room service menus, and brought in a big fridge stocked with fruit and snacks and a blender for protein shakes. When shooting moved to Madison, Wisconsin, I went, too. I cooked at Julias fully stocked rental home, preparing grilled chicken breasts and vegetables, stuffed baked potatoes, protein shakes, and salads to keep her energy levels up and her weight down. Three meals and snacks a day had to be low in calories, yet tasty and filling.

In Wisconsin, it was easy to cook with ingredients and equipment at my fingertips. But as I began to train and cook for other actors on movie and music video sets where kitchens werent available, I had to come up with on-the-go, balanced meals. Wraps were the answer! Movie stars on set could eat something quick, healthy, and balanced, without compromising one food group over another.

My wraps contain lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and essential fats that keep my clients looking and feeling great. Theyre gourmet fast foods that are healthy and have star-level taste.

The Hollywood Wrap features the same easy recipes I make for Hollywoods top stars, movers, and shakers. Each wrap is a complete meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My wraps taste great and help keep off the pounds. Sure, you say, celebs have trainers and nutritionists. Thats true, but they are human and still have to do the workouts and eat properly. The most important thing is, you may not be a movie star (yet), but now you can eat and lose weight like one!

Thanks so much for inviting me on your journey to health and wellness. I hope you have as much fun reading the information here as I did writing it for you. I look forward to working with you again soon! Until then, remember to set daily goals for fitness and nutrition, and to not beat yourself up if you have a slip or two along the way. Theres always tomorrow!

Best,

Nancy F. Kennedy

The Skinny on Important Nutrients

PROTEIN, COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES, AND ESSENTIAL FATS

It's amazing how many fad diets there are. All carbs. No carbs. Low fat. No fat. All protein. No protein. Yet none of them deliver on their promisepermanent weight loss.

When it comes to nutrition and food, I believe in balance. There's a reason for every nutrient, so why eliminate one? If someone suggests that you should eliminate one entire food groupbe it carbs, protein, or fatdon't listen. Protein is essential for building lean muscle. Don't eliminate carbohydrates. Your body needs complex carbs for energy and fiber. Certain fats are required for healthy hair, skin, and nails. The trick is to eat enough of each group each day to keep your body balanced and working at its full potential. If your breakfast wrap doesn't have enough carbs, have a wrap with some brown rice or quinoa for lunch. Balance is key to everything in life. Remember, eat right, not hype!

PROTEIN

All tissues, bones, and nerves are made primarily of protein. It's necessary for optimal health, vitality, growth, and development. Proteins are the building blocks for muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails, and internal organs such as the brain and heart. Proteins are vital to many bodily processes, including metabolism, immune function, transport of nutrients, skin integrity, and body tissue growth and repair. Eat proteins that are lean and low in saturated fat such as chicken or turkey breast, canned tuna, top sirloin or filet mignon, and tofu. Add a scoop of protein powder to smoothies or shakes. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, get your protein from nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and soy products.