If you know anything about cooking shows, you’ve probably heard the name Rachael Ray. The celebrity chef and effervescent TV personality started her career in 2001 with Food Network’s “30 Minute Meals.” Since then, she has created a strong following with her self-titled lifestyle and talk show, friendly contests with chef Guy Fieri, a cooking show for kids, and two travel programs. Thanks to a line of cookware, cookbooks, and other business ventures, she has amassed a net worth of about $80 million according to Business Insider Australia.
On the road to success, Rachael has also faced some challenges that many of us can identify with. While she did and always will look amazing, she has admitted to struggling with weight throughout her adult life. But she has begun applying the same incredible work ethic that made her a successful businesswoman to her personal health. Now at 54, she looks better than ever! Cooking runs in her blood. Born Rachael Domenica Ray in Glenn Falls, New York, on August 25, 1968, she is the daughter of restauranteur James Ray and Sicilian immigrant and chef Elsa Providenza Scuderi. She was shown the value of hard work at an early age. Her parents brought her and her siblings, Maria and Manny, to work at their many restaurants. As the three kids would later attest, they were essentially raised in the cooking business.
Rachael’s mother ran nine restaurants on her own after she and James divorced. While Rachael was an integral part of those businesses, she was also successful academically.
The Early Life of a Foodie
Rachael Ray (2004), (Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Speaking of her mother on her Facebook page earlier in 2020, Rachael wrote, “My mom, Elsa Providenzia Scuderi, is ‘no baloney.’ She’s tough, smart, and to me, oh so COOL. She’s my favorite cook and favorite person. She’s the hardest worker I have ever known and although one of the toughest humans, she’s also the most empathetic and compassionate. Among the long list of things to love and admire about Elsa, are her gratitude and positive mindset.”
At Lake George High School in the Adirondacks region of New York, she was an honor student and cheerleader. During those years, she acted on her entrepreneurial spirit by creating a gift food basket company called Delicious Liaisons. Ever the adventurer, she later moved into a cabin high in the mountains of northeast New York.
After graduating from high school, she moved to New York City to attend Pace University, where she majored in literature and communication. After two years, however, she decided to withdraw and get a job managing the candy counter at Macy’s. She was soon offered a promotion to become a manager in their large fashion accessories department. While she continued to be successful there, she began to realize her passion was in the kitchen instead of behind the counter. Finding New York City to be a bit too stressful, she returned once again to upstate New York to plan her next move. Rachael longed for the independence and responsibility of being in business for herself. As Rachael Ray put it while talking to ‘Good Housekeeping:’
“If you’re going to work that hard, it should be for something with your name on it.”
It was at this point that she came up with her best idea yet, what she calls her own “happy little accident.”
30 Minute Meals
Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri (2011), (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
Having worked in the Big Apple, Rachael understood the stresses of big city life. While working in Albany for a company that deals in gourmet food ingredients, she realized delicious meals can be made at a relatively low cost and in a short amount of time. It would be easy to teach others how to cook in this way, too. The only problem was that no one at the company was able to run the classes. So, she pitched the idea to her bosses with herself as the teacher. Needless to say, her idea took off. Ray published her first cookbook (also called “30 Minute Meals”) in 1999.
That’s when opportunity came knocking (or, in this case, ringing). During an especially bad snowstorm in New York City, the Today Show was in a bind. Because of the weather, their scheduled chef could not attend. Then weatherman Al Roker had been given a copy of Rachael’s first cookbook and decided to track her down. He called her home, and thinking it was a prank, Rachael hung up! Once she realized it was no joke, though, she agreed to come in, piling her equipment and mother into her car and rushing over in the heavy snow.
A Burgeoning Career, A Friendly Rivalry, And A Husband
Things started happening quickly for Rachael Ray in 2001. She was noticed by celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who remarked on her quick rise to fame.:
“She started out doing demos in stores, then landed one show, which turned into two, and then it just blew up. Once you meet her, you understand just what a powerhouse she is. This isn’t a coincidental opportunity. She was destined for this.”
John Cusimano, Rachael Ray (2005), (Mark Daniels for Every Day with Rachel Ray Magazine/WireImage via Getty Images)
Though Rachael had no formal training as a chef, their mutual admiration led to the show “Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off,” which aired for three seasons on Food Network between 2012 and 2014. In the midst of her rising popularity, Rachael found the love of her life in John M. Cusimano, a lawyer and lead singer of New York-based indie rock band The Cringe. They met at a party back in 2001, around the time “30 Minute Meals” first began airing. They tied the knot on September 24, 2005 while on vacation in Montalcino in the Tuscany region of Italy. Concerning their first meeting, Rachael told AOL News, “We walked directly across the room to each other. My husband and I have been together on the phone or in person every single day since the night we met.”
The two remain in love and happily married to this day. Cusimano works as the CEO of Rachael’s media company, Watch Entertainment, which now produces her television and online shows. In 2006, she told ABC News about the key to their successful relationship. “You know, my husband is the only guy in the world I could have married. The only man that can possibly exist that doesn’t mind eating dinner at midnight, you know. I mean, he’s a really easygoing guy.”
Cusimano has stood by her through thick and thin, from the exponential growth of her food empire to their decision not to have children in 2007. As she told People that year, “I work too much to be an appropriate parent. I just feel like I would do a bad job if I actually took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I’m doing.” When not working, the two divide their time between the rustic cabin in the Adirondacks and a home in Southampton, New York.
The Price of Fame
Rachael Ray (2016), (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
With a growing business, fame, and the love of her life at her side, you may think that Rachael Ray had everything. However, she admits that her busy schedule often caused her physical and emotional health to fall by the wayside. By the time she hit 40, she realized she needed to make some significant changes in order to lead a long, healthy life.
In 2012, she told ‘Yahoo News’ about her health habits:
“I didn’t start meaningful exercise until I was 40 and I feel really guilty about that now that I’m a few years into running six days a week. I really feel like I missed out a lot in my adult years. I wish I had those other 25 years back between when you’re forced to go to gym class and where I’m at now. There were a lot of years where I thought that just working really hard was the equivalent of having exercise every day in your life, and it really isn’t.”
A New Lifestyle
With an understanding of what it takes to lose weight and feel great, Rachael built a diet and exercise regimen that best fit her busy lifestyle. In addition to daily gym visits, she eats healthier foods, keeps a more regular schedule, and makes time for herself and her husband. According to ‘Women’s Health’ Rachael Ray revealed that she “stays true to her Mediterranean heritage” by eating unprocessed foods and lots of extra virgin olive oil. Based on what she revealed to ‘Women’s Health,’ Rachael Ray tries to more or less adhere to the Mediterranean diet, while also making sure that she drinks “gallons of water” per day.
Rachael Ray (2016), (Matthew Eisman/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
In terms of snacks, Rachael Ray shared with ‘Women’s Health’ two recipes that help her curb cravings throughout the day. The first is a tuna antipasti with canned tuna, fresh lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. She then chops up red peppers, artichoke hearts, and olives to go in the mix. Her other recipe was for a Greek yogurt veggie dip, which consists of two cups of nonfat Greek yogurt, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of cumin, and a teaspoon of ground coriander. Rachael Ray then recommended adding half of a squeezed lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Rachael Ray recommended serving it with assorted veggies such as zuchinni, carrots, and celery.
In terms of physical activity, Rachael Ray exercises using machines as opposed to free weights. She told ‘Women’s Health’ the specifics of her routine:
“Then I do strength work on the machines: biceps, triceps, the twisty one (I call it the twist and shout) where you hold on to the handles, the thing that looks like a chair without a seat that you hold yourself up on, and my personal favorite, the crunch machine. I really dig the machines—they’re like the monkey bars at the playground. Then I do what I call my bendy-stretchy and go home.”
Rachael Ray also told ‘Women’s Health’ about how her gym routine gives her the opportunity to have a break from her cooking personality, emphasizing the importance of “me time” and how exercise can be a means to that end:
“That hour at the gym is my recess from being Rachael Ray. Between my daytime show, the Food Network shows, my magazine, and my books, I’m always go, go, go! But working out is my time.”
John M. Cusimano, Rachael Ray (2017), (Jim Spellman/WireImage via Getty Images)
Rachael Ray went on to explain how her “me time” is the same reason why she doesn’t use a personal trainer at the gym, like many other celebrities:
“That’s why I don’t use a trainer. I’d feel like it was about making the trainer happy, not making me happy. Plus, trainers want you to listen to them. I like listening to my music.”
The famous chef also raved to ‘Yahoo News’ about how having a consistent exercise routine has more to offer than just a fitter physical body. It helped her achieve mental fitness as well:
“It really makes me feel mentally so much more on point, so much more even. I don’t lose my temper. I don’t get lost in the middle of the day. I just have a much cleaner, clearer vision every day and I can get so much more accomplished mentally by moving physically every day.”
In an interview with ‘Parade,’ Rachael Ray also praised her husband John Cusimano for his support:
“I have this extraordinary life during the day, and then I get to come home to my sweet husband who loves to cook with me. I have a nice glass of wine, he has some scotch, we chat, we cook, and we hang out with the dog. I have an absolute dream life.”
The Results
In addition to looking and feeling great, Rachael Ray lost a total of 40 pounds in time for her 50th birthday, which was on Aug. 25, 2018. This dedication allowed her to make 50 look like the new 30! With results like these, it sure sounds like Rachael Ray and her husband John Cusimano have found the right balance of physical and emotional health. After building her food empire through hard work, finding love, and creating a world-renowned brand, Rachael Ray has found the way to success in business while maintaining her health and beauty.
Rachael Ray (2017), (Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic via Getty images)
Isn’t Racheal Ray’s weight loss journey inspiring? Let us know if you’ll be trying any of her tips and tricks, and be sure to pass this on to others!
