Gwyneth Paltrow got cooking tip from Brad's mum

Brad Pitt's mum taught Gwyneth Paltrow how to stay "grounded".

The 38-year-old actress - who dated the hunk for three years in the 90s and was engaged to him for six months - revealed that cooking for her loved ones instantly makes her feel more relaxed and it was Brad's mother Jane who gave her the advice, which is the "best tip anyone's given her".

She explained: "My life can be surreal sometimes. I think, 'What's going on?' It is so crazy. I've been doing way too much. But last week I was at home with my children in the kitchen, and I threw a tea towel over my shoulder - as soon as I do that I feel grounded.

"Funnily enough, Brad Pitt's mum taught me that. It's the best tip anyone's given me because it's always there while you're cooking. So I got chopping and put the pans on the stove. It's so tactile, I felt like I had just got back into my own body."

The 'Country Strong' star - who is now married to Chris Martin with whom she has two children, Apple, six, and Moses, five - now finds she's at her happiest when she is preparing meals for her husband and children.

She told You magazine: "I love to cook for my family. Cooking makes me feel so calm and happy - doing things that are routine and mundane. If I'm stressed out, I start to cook and I completely relax."

And the blonde beauty's culinary skills are being picked up by Apple and Moses, which Gwyneth is glad about because while she loves cooking she can't bake.

She said: "My son can perfectly crack an egg and Apple is into baking, which is good because I am a terrible baker."