Gwyneth Paltrow Cookbook: Celebs Are Taking On Drastically Different Projects

Culture

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, known for star turns in Shakespeare in Love and The Royal Tenenbaums, also wants to help you eat better. The Oscar winner and author released a new cookbook on Tuesday titled It’s All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great.

The self-named avid foodie and mother of two, who founded online company goop in 2008, released Notes from My Kitchen Table and My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness in 2011. For her latest cookbook, the actress compiled 185 recipes that follow strict guidelines: no coffee, alcohol, dairy, eggs, sugar, shellfish, deep-water fish, wheat, meat, or soy. After her doctor prescribed an elimination diet, Paltrow “healed totally, felt more energetic and looked great.”

Paltrow, who reprises her role as Pepper Potts in this summer’s Iron Man 3, is far from being the only actor to publish a book on healthy living or to attempt a project outside her usual scope.

1. Alicia Silverstone

Alicia Silverstone of Clueless fame switched from acting to writing when she published vegan self-help guide The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight and Saving the Planet in 2011.

2. Jessica Alba

Fantastic Four star Jessica Alba released The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to You this spring. The Golden Globe-nominated actresss also became a businesswoman, founding The Honest Company last year. The site provides baby essentials that are chemical-free, eco-friendly and effective.

3 & 4. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Once known for starring in hit television series Full House and movies like Our Lips Are Sealed, actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen found success in high fashion when they launched designer clothing line The Row in 2006. This spring’s collection is characterized by simplicity, clean lines and soft silhouettes in neutrals.

Their more affordable collection, Elizabeth & James, launched in 2007 and released a line of handbags earlier this year. The celebrity twins have also added clothing line Olsenboye to their fashion repertoire. The collection, exclusive to JCPenney, reflects Mary-Kate’s signature bohemian style. Despite their roots in television and movies, the Olsens mostly focus on fashion these days. Mary-Kate’s last film role was her turn in 2011’s Beastly, and Ashley hasn’t starred onscreen since New York Minute in 2004.

5. Lauren Conrad

Reality television star Lauren Conrad later became a bestselling writer. Conrad was a cast member on the MTV series Laguna Beach in 2004 and later had her own spin-off series, The Hills, in 2006. The latter followed Conrad during her successful pursuit of a career in the fashion industry. Her LC Lauren Conrad fashion line launched at Kohl’s department stores in 2009, and her popular blog features healthy, beauty and fashion tips.

After reality TV and fashion, Conrad decided to try her hand at writing. The former MTV star is a New York Times-bestselling author several times over with novels like L.A. Candy and Sweet Little Lies, both of which topped the bestseller list. 

6. Steve Martin

Steve Martin perhaps stands as the ultimate celebrity chameleon. He rose to fame as a comedian and actor in the 1970s and 1980s and has since taken on the roles of author, playwright, producer, screenwriter and musician.

The Father of the Bride actor is also a New York Times bestselling author and has published several novels and a children’s book. For his 2005 novel Shopgirl, Martin went from author to screenwriter to actor — writing the book, adapting the screenplay and starring in the film. The versatile actor also plays the banjo and has won several Grammy awards. He was nominated for Best Bluegrass Album last year.

Perhaps the shifts in stars’ careers reveals that they are also simply people who are trying to figure out what they want to accomplish with their lives. Some attempts at change are more successful than others. Two years ago, Paltrow was reported to be considering a record deal with the goal of releasing a country album, but the deal fell through. I guess even movie stars can’t do everything.