Chris Hemsworth's personal chef dishes up the actor's dietary secrets
EXCLUSIVE: Chris Hemsworth’s dashing personal chef dishes up the actor’s 10 diet secrets, the morning drink he never misses – and the product every Aussie should have in their kitchen
- Sergio Perera looks after Chris Hemsworth’s diet
- Diet secrets include steak for breakfast and ice baths
A Spanish chef behind Chris Hemsworth’s ripped body has shared the actor’s dietary secrets while revealing how Australians can up their game in the kitchen.
Sergio Perera has looked after the A-lister’s nutrition for many years, helping him to bulk up or shred down depending on the role he’s about to tackle.
The Michelin-trained chef with a passion for farm-to-table cooking and fresh produce, said he prioritises meat through the day when Chris is trying to bulk up, and then lighter options such as fresh seafood in the evening because it’s easier to digest before bed.
A Spanish chef with a passion for farm-to-table cooking and fresh produce is to credit for actor Chris Hemsworth’s ripped A-lister body, and now he has shared the actor’s dietary secrets (Sergio Perera pictured)
Sergio Perera has looked after Chris’s nutrition for many years, helping him to bulk up or shred down, sometimes quickly, depending on the role he’s about to tackle
‘Working with Chris is wonderful as he’s very committed to his training and nutrition,’ Sergio told FEMAIL.
‘He’s so much fun to work with as he works hard. Whenever he has to gain weight, we increase his protein intake quite a bit.
‘For example, he might have 200 grams of grilled steak with a couple of extra virgin olive oil fried eggs and a few slices of paleo bread.
‘An hour and a half later, we’d follow this up with a green smoothie consisting of plant-based protein powder, spirulina, fresh kale, mint, frozen mango, olive oil and sea salt.’
Sergio said Chris’s wife, Elsa Pataky, was also committed to her overall health.
‘Elsa is exactly like Chris in the sense that she is tremendously hard working – she’s very committed to her health and fitness,’ he said.
‘In terms of food, Elsa is Spanish so she is a big proponent of Mediterranean cuisine. She eats a balanced diet, and the key is always using good olive oil, fresh produce and proteins.’
Sergio also religiously makes sure Chris has a warm lemon water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar every morning on an empty stomach because it helps his body to stay alkaline for better nutrient absorption.
The Michelin-trained chef said he prioritises meat through the day with Chris when he’s trying to bulk up, and then lighter options like fish and seafood at night (Sergio and Chris pictured)
Chris Hemsworth’s diet and body secrets
1. Eat a good breakfast: The first thing Sergio said Chris always does is make sure he has a good breakfast, comprising protein, complex carbohydrates, veggies and fats. Often, Chris will start his day with a grilled steak, Paleo bread and fried eggs, before having a smoothie an hour and a half later.
2. Switch to healthy carbs: According to RSNG, Sergio said Chris will only eat certain carbs in order to keep his snack cravings at bay. These generally include complex grains like rice, barley, quinoa, millet or buckwheat.
3. Incorporate fats: The actor also incorporates plenty of good fats into his diet, including extra Virgin olive oil and avocado, both of which aid muscle recovery when you’re doing intense workouts.
4. Stay full: Sergio said it’s easy to feel hungry frequently when you’re training lots, so he often recommended Chris have an ‘in-between’ meal at around 5.30pm to stop him from eating unhealthy snacks. This might be something like clear broth soups loaded with vegetables and some protein or rice cakes with Vegemite, tuna and tomatoes.
5. Grill for good digestion: He said you should grill or steam your meats and vegetables where possible to keep your ‘calories clean’.
6. Have 10 minutes of ice baths each week: Sergio is a huge proponent of ice baths and told FEMAIL he recommends Chris have them two to five days a week for three minutes as they strengthen the heart, immune system, recovery of muscles and increase the metabolism drastically.
7. Work out on an empty stomach: He likes Chris to work out on an empty stomach and then follow it immediately with a protein smoothie.
8. Drink warm lemon water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar first thing: This helps the body to stay alkaline for better nutrient absorption. Then, follow this with two litres of filtered water minimum per day.
9. Do something physical: Make sure you do something physical every day for at least 20 minutes. Move your body and stretch.
10. Supplement: Supplement with a good multi-vitamin that includes vitamin C, B vitamins, Zinc, magnesium and some form of a green powder supplement.
Sergio’s typical day on a plate
FIRST THING: A warm glass of lemon water followed by bullet coffee (double shot of espresso blended with MCT oil, cinnamon and lion’s mane mushroom powder)
12PM: Huge salad of raw and cooked vegetables with either fish, chicken or beef
THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON: Grazing on nuts, seeds, raw fish and berries
3PM: Vegetables and protein-rich meal
8PM: Fish with rice, potatoes and vegetables or gluten-free pasta
Elsewhere in the actor’s diet, Sergio revealed Chris will eat plenty of fish, nutrient-rich vegetables including spinach and kale and complex carbohydrates.
‘He was never much of a seafood fan, he was always a big meat eater,’ he wrote on Chris’s blog Centr.
‘I think the reason for that was because he never really experienced fresh seafood. Everything I buy is always freshly caught.’
Chris also uses a good multi-vitamin that includes vitamin C, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and some form of a green powder supplement.
When it comes to getting an Avengers body like Chris’s, Sergio said it’s all about getting physical as much and as often as possible.
‘Do something physical every day for a minimum of 20 minutes,’ he said.
‘Whether it’s a brisk walk, run, weights, boxing… you also need to stretch your body for a minimum of 15 minutes.’
He also recommends working out on an empty stomach where possible followed by a protein smoothie ‘immediately after training’.
‘I am a fan of ice baths two to five days a week for two to three minutes,’ Sergio added.
‘As long as you can do 10 minutes total for the week, this will strengthen your heart, immune system, recovery of muscles, and it increases the metabolism drastically.’
Sergio (pictured with Chris’s wife Elsa Pataky) said he always recommends Chris have an ‘in-between’ meal at 5.30pm if he is training lots and gets hungry to prevent him from snacking
He also recommends working out on an empty stomach where possible followed by a protein smoothie ‘immediately after training’.
‘I am a fan of ice baths two to five days a week for two to three minutes,’ Sergio added.
‘As long as you can do 10 minutes total for the week, this will strengthen your heart, immune system, recovery of muscles, and it increases the metabolism drastically.’
Sergio also shared his top tips for home cooks, and the main mistakes we make in the kitchen.
‘Not having the right pans for the right job is one of the biggest mistakes home cooks make,’ he said.
Sergio’s cooking (pictured with Chris) prides itself on always using the freshest ingredients
‘Always have one or two non-stick small or medium pans for omelettes or eggs only. Them, use large fry pans for proteins, small and large pots for rice and soups, and pasta and cast iron casserole for slow-cooked meals and braises.’
He said have all the staples you need for cooking meals such as olive oil, apple cider and red wine vinegar, and sea salt in your pantry.
‘Use citrus of all kinds and more fresh herbs and spices rather than dried herbs as everyone keeps them for too long and they go rancid,’ he said.
Finally, he shared his cooking secret weapon – agave nectar.
‘It’s great for adding sweetness to any dish and it’s very neutral in flavour,’ Sergio said.
‘It’s also very healthy and low glycemic which does not spike blood sugar levels like syrups do.’
Roasted beets with berries and goat’s cheese
INGREDIENTS
The chef shared his simple recipe for roasted beets with berries and goat’s cheese (pictured)
2 large beets, washed
1 orange
1 fennel bulb
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
75g of soft goat cheese
¼ cup roasted and chopped pistachio
¼ cup blackberries
¼ cup raspberries
1 handful of fresh mint leaves
A few sprigs of fresh dill
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Flaky sea salt to taste
METHOD
1. Pre-heat an oven to 400C.
2. Wrap the beets individually with aluminium foil and roast for 45 minutes to an hour or until beets are fork tender. Allow them to cool then peel off the skin.
3. Cut into bite-size pieces and in a bowl add 2 teaspoons of sea salt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, orange zest from the whole orange and orange juice from half of the orange ad the sherry, and set aside. Allow them to marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Thinly slice half of the fennel bulb with a sharp knife or mandolin and place in a bowl with the rest of the orange juice, olive oil and pistachio.
4. Grab a plate and remove the beets from the bowl onto a deep dish plate. Break off pieces of the goat cheese on top of the beets. Add the fennel/pistachio mix, the berries and spoon some of the beet marinade straight over the top of the salad. Season with a bit more sea salt and finish with the fresh mint and fennel scattered on top of the salad.
Source: Sergio Perera
For more information about Sergio Perera, you can visit his Instagram profile here. Sergio will be participating in the Human Kind summit, taking place March 16-18 at Luna Park Sydney. For more information about Human Kind, please click here.
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