A New York City chef, a restaurateur, an amateur body builder and a personal trainer, native of Queens, Kevin DeMarco, has combined his varied experiences in both the food and fitness industries to create his own ideal program targeted at making permanent, healthy changes to key areas of personal health.
The philosophy at DeMarco Studios is based on a 60-40 principle. "With my food background Im different from a lot of other trainers because I view what you put into your body as 60 percent of the equation. Without the proper fuel and nutrients, how are you going to see the maximum results? You have to take care of whats inside before you work on the outside," DeMarco says.
With a client base that ranges from teenagers seeking sport-specific training, to others in their 70s striving for maximum health, DeMarco does it all. However, the majority of his clients, 40 or older, are looking for a lifestyle change.
"I always let new clients know that if theyre coming to me its not to drop a quick 20 pounds and then forget about it. Its more of a gradual process, but one that will instill the necessary psychological and physical habits so they dont relapse," DeMarco says.
A client of DeMarcos for two years, Jayce Schmidt says that she still finds herself being pushed to achieve more during their sessions. "Kevins cooking and fitness styles are very much alike in that he is constantly thinking of new variations and changes to keep everything interesting," Schmidt says. Now in her early 50s, Schmidt says that she never intends on dropping DeMarco Studios from her life: "When you get older would you rather spend money on going to the doctor and medicines, or going to a personal trainer like Kevin who has so much experience with healthy cooking?"
Every client at DeMarco Studios receives an outline of foods they should stock in their pantry, along with numerous tried and tested recipes that DeMarco has developed during the years, all of which are low in fat and preservatives but packed full of taste. DeMarco says that you can talk to nutritionists and hear exactly what is good for you and what to avoid, "but they dont know how to make it taste good."
Most of his recipes follow a Mediterranean or Spanish cuisine, with a little Middle Eastern influence, like a roasted sea bass with spiced pumpkin seed crust, served with caramelized pumpkin polenta cakes. By concentrating on the subtleties of each dish, DeMarcos love of textures, tastes and garnishes help his clients forget they are eating healthy fare.
"I have done everything from business dinner parties, anniversary dinners or even Valentines Day dinners for two. People hire me for these kinds of things because they know the food is going to be really good, while also being really healthy," DeMarco says.
DeMarco also offers cooking demonstrations at Taste the Olive, in the Forum. "I dont use a lot of salt or butter and these vinegars and oils work perfectly as healthy substitutes," DeMarco says.
