Lifestyle Food Yoga, Acupuncture and '20 Pills a Day': Everything Giada De Laurentiis Does to Feel Her Best "My free time is all taken up by maintenance for myself," says the Food Network host. By Ana Calderone Ana Calderone Ana Calderone is the Digital Food Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 24, 2018 01:00PM EDT Giada De Laurentiis is all about self care. The 47-year-old Food Network star dished on the daily rituals and routines that keep her feeling her best while participating in The Cut’s column “How I Get It Done.” De Laurentiis, who shares her 10-year-old daughter, Jade, with ex Todd Thompson, starts her day by waking up at 5:30 am. “If Jade is with me, I usually go wake her up because she has to get ready for school,” she says. “Then I make myself a cup of coffee. I stretch and, if possible, I listen to three minutes of a fireplace on the Calm app. I have a yoga mat in my bedroom and with blocks placed so that I can put one under my shoulders and one under my head to open up my shoulders. Because of what I do for a living, I’m hunched over a lot, cooking or writing.” Ilya S. Savenok/Getty RELATED: Giada De Laurentiis Says Her Brother’s Death Inspired Her to ‘Make the Most of Every Second’: RELATED: Giada De Laurentiis Says Her Brother’s Death Inspired Her to ‘Make the Most of Every Second’ Maintaining a sense of calm throughout her busy life is clearly a priority for the chef. “Making breakfast for my daughter is actually a ritual I enjoy. I make pancakes,” she tells The Cut. (Get her kid-friendly almond butter and jelly pancake sandwiches recipe here.) “I like to cook, and as long as I’m not talking in front of a camera or having to explain to anyone what I’m doing, I sort of zen out. That’s my second form of meditation in the morning.” In addition to her stretches, De Laurentiis tries to get to a yoga class five times a week. She also schedules an acupuncture appointment once a week, and visits her doctor for vitamin shots to combat her frequent sinus infections. “If I think about it, my free time is all taken up by maintenance for myself,” she says. “I think people forget how much women, as we get older, have to keep up.” Want the ultimate dish on the latest celebrity food news, plus exclusive recipes, videos and more? Click here to subscribe to the People Food newsletter. RELATED VIDEO: 5 Things to Know About Giada’s Boyfriend Shane Farley’ When it comes to vitamins, De Laurentiis takes a mix of 20 different supplements based on what her acupuncturist thinks she needs—and yes, she knows that sounds intense. “The only regular things that I take are vitamin D, a probiotic, a prebiotic, and biotin. Everything else will sort of switch out. It’s like a baggie of — I hate to say this — 20 pills a day. Which is a lot,” she admits. “I have to tell her, ‘You can’t give me more than 20 pills a day. I cannot take them.’ I take ten in the morning and ten in the evening.” The cookbook author has previously opened up to PEOPLE about how she makes her life work as a single mom. “What’s helped me be successful is being okay with knowing I can’t do it all. I have a wonderful team of people around me that help me every day,” she said earlier this year. “Getting along with my ex-husband really helps as well. We’re supportive of each other and, in turn, supportive of Jade.”