TELEVISION can be a cruel medium. Celebrities know that they appear heavier onscreen due to the combined effects of lights and camera angles.

That?s why stars have to exert extra effort to keep the weight off. As a co-host on ?Paparazzi? and ?Stop, Talk & Listen,? I have to face that reality all the time.

Rachel and Barni Alejandro?s ?Sexy Chef Pounds Away? program gave me the perfect solution. Their dishes are too yummy to be called diet food. (Call 0917-SXYCHEF.)

The Alejandro sisters are walking advertisements of their thriving food business. Rachel has found a new love to go with her new figure. Excerpts from our interview:

How did you come up with the new diet program of Sexy Chef?

I have always wanted to create a calorie-controlled diet program which includes all food groups. My friends and I who wanted to lose weight have had trouble removing carbs altogether from diets like in the initial phase of The South Beach Diet. But with Pounds Away, you are allowed to eat brown rice, bread, pasta. We contracted US Certified Nutritionist Nadine Tengco to create this program, using my sister Barni?s time-tested recipes.

What are your fave dishes in this new diet?

I particularly like all our pasta dishes because we use moringa (malunggay) noodles. I?m a big fan of Italian food and, for the first time ever, I can have pasta with absolutely no guilt and knowing I?m eating something fortified with calcium and iron which both contribute to weight control.

Isn?t dieting a form of vanity?

The reason most people order our diet programs is they want to look better... But we also have clients who have a considerable amount of weight to lose. In these cases, losing weight is imperative in order to avoid diabetes and heart disease.

How?s your love life after splitting up with Philip?

I?m very much in-love with my Spanish boyfriend, Carlos Santamaria. He lives in Bangkok. He?s a reporter for the Efe Spanish news wire service. He shuttles between Bangkok and Manila so we can be together.

Has your dad Hajji tried dieting, too?

He?s one of those lucky people who don?t gain an ounce! He sometimes orders grilled bangus or one of our rice bowls. But he needs to watch his cholesterol and he knows the easiest way is to have us cater his meals.

Which celebs have tried your diet?

My best friend Geneva (Cruz) is currently on the Pounds Away Diet to supplement her rigorous weight-training program. Jaya has also tried our South Beach Diet, but she just gave birth at that time so she needed to add more food according to her doctor. Other celeb clients want to keep their names confidential. We are currently developing a diet for nursing mothers who need to lose weight.

What?s the difference of the new diet compared to other programs?

This is the first time moringa is being used as a tool for aiding weight loss. It?s the new wonder food. It?s so nutrient-dense. It actually tricks the body into letting go of fat despite the lower calorie intake. Normally, if you consume much less calories than what your body is used to, your metabolism slows down. With this program, fat loss is optimized and you are never hungry because you eat every few hours.

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