Over the last few months, I've been hearing more and more about dry shampoo. Maybe because everyone is trying to conserve water (or conserve money) by not taking so many long showers. Or maybe it's because more companies are making it easier to use, like the Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray.

I had a chance to try out Oscar Blandi's new Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray, and I've got to say, this is something that every girl who gets ready in a hurry after a workout should have. Trust me -- I used it after a serious sweat session, and my hair looked great, and it only took a few minutes for me to be ready to head out the door!

This spray is super easy to use (spray it onto your roots in sections from about six inches away, let it dry, shake out excess with fingers, brush and style). It's designed to absorb oil and product (check), increase volume at roots (check) and strengthen hair and nourish the scalp (not sure yet, but I'm guessing it's doing something good). And, it has a fresh lemon verbena scent, which I really liked.

When there's a big event looming on the horizon, one where you have to don a tight-ish dress and look your absolute best, you might think that fasting is a good way to drop a few in time for the big day. OK, I could never do this -- not eat anything at all for a day or more -- but you might consider fasting. Would you? Could you? More importantly, should you?

According to leading researchers, fasting is not only healthy, it's good for you. Mark P. Mattson of the National Institute on Aging, says, "In normal health subjects, moderate fasting -- maybe one day a week or cutting back on calories a couple of days a week -- will have health benefits for most anybody." OK, so that's good to know, but one has to consider the logistics of fasting -- in other words, can you do it? As Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian, points out, "you're hungry, fatigued, irritable. Fasting is not very comfortable. People try to cut back one day and the next day they're starving and they overeat."

Do you fast? Why? How? Please share.

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On a chilly winter day, hot soup often hits the spot. My problem with soup is that it rarely fills me up. Mind you, I'm a little lady and I still don't find a bowl of soup satisfying. I can't imagine how hungry a big guy would be without adding a large sandwich on the side.

I have a solution, though! For a long time, I've been adding other ingredients like cooked vegetables to canned soups to keep the calories low, the meals hot and my tummy full. It's really easy and quick and actually allows soup to become a meal in itself.

I've added my Easy to Make - Soup Dinner recipe to the online recipe book at Fitzness.com on page 32. I hope you'll give it a try!

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We all know that people tend to use time as a so-called "legitimate" reason to eat poorly. Those people never like me much. Why? Because the excuse is lame and doesn't hold water, and I'm fairly upfront about it. The truth: Bananas are quicker to peel than any package can be opened. Apples don't even need peeling!

Cooked food can also be insanely quick. In fact, I always keep giant bags of various frozen vegetables in my freezer so I can toss them in a bowl and heat them in the microwave in under five minutes. Is it gourmet? Not really. Do I care? Hell no!

What matters most is that we choose fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains. Those are a few of the things that are vital not only to weight maintenance, but they support a nourished, energetic and disease-free body. If you are hell-bent on eating poorly than just get on with it. But if you truly want to make fitness happen and change your life, you're going to have to kick excuses to the curb.

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This is the second part of my interview with trainer to the stars Gunnar Peterson. He already dished about his celebrity clients, and now he's sharing tips on working out faster and smarter. Why spend an hour when you can get your workout done in half the time, right?

It's not just celebs who benefit from Gunnar's expertise. All of us are busy and want the most out of our workouts, and he has some great suggestions. Say you only have half an hour to spare. "Work the big muscle groups," he said, "and incorporate multi-joint exercises [like lunges with lateral raises or squat press and jumps, which work the upper and lower body]. Do cardio blast intervals in between." For example, if you're doing bench presses, go from that to working your abs with the bicycle movement, then do a series of squat jumps, followed by a quick sprint on the treadmill.

In terms of strength training, he occasionally has to do a little convincing with new female clients. "Big weights don't give you big muscles -- big food gives you big muscles," he explained, saying the belief that "big weights add bulk, light weights tone, and cardio burns fat was written by one guy living in a cave in the 1980s -- there's more to it than that." He bases the size of his clients' weights on where they are in their workout, not on whether they're male or female.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I love to exercise, but may only have about 15 minutes to do anything on Christmas Day. Can you give me a quick circuit to do at home before we take off for the family party? Thanks and Merry Christmas, Johnny

A. Sure, Johhny! I'd love to. Before I do that, though, I want to tell you how impressive it is that fitness is such a priority for you. Lots of folks are going to use the holiday as an excuse to do nothing. You and I both know that a brief workout will probably make us feel more energetic and happy on the big day and give us a little more wiggle room to enjoy an extra indulgence without paying the price. High five to you!

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I was recently interviewed for the website GoHealthyGoFit about my favorite training music. I'm the type of sport who loves to go all out when I train. Hitting the wall elates me, and music plays a vital role in helping get that far.

You can find my list here along with a few others. (The article follows the photo of me shown here on the right.)The music I list is both fast and aggressive, which is really perfect for the things I love to do. Kickboxing, running, weight training, and more.

"Scarred" is by far my favorite, because I always loved to listen to it before a fight. "Go Away," is awesome for tough training but also makes me giggle. The article includes links, so you can have a listen to each song on my list. "Go Away" will probably make you giggle too.

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When it comes to strength training, I tend to make my moves relatively slow, controlled, and deliberate. But according to a post on Women's Health, there can be benefits to adding a little speed when you're doing crunches.

A recent study on the subject was published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The lead researcher of the study says that fast crunches -- where the up and down movement is completed in one second -- make your external obliques do some of the work.

If you want to try some fast crunches, think of it like interval training for your core. Do your regular ab workout -- at a regular speed -- and add a few fast crunches for good measure.

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Music is often a vital component to an awesome training experience. Check out this video and learn how you can get the same high tempo, pause-free, continuous music that fitness trainers are famous for. And yes, Fitz refers to WorkThis.com

To grab some extra fit tips, recipes and celebrity fitness videos ...

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I think Ryan Reynolds might be a bit of a liar. After insisting that he's not a runner and that he'd be lucky to cross the finish line in last weekend's New York City Marathon, Ryan completed the 26.2 mile run in three hours and 50 minutes, which comes out to around a 8:45 mile (if my math is correct).

At the finish line, he told reporters that he was pretty excited to still be standing and explained that seeing Michael J. Fox around mile 20 caused him "to gain about 15 pounds in goosebumps" and gave him the motivation to push through the last few miles. He ran as a part of Team Fox in honor of his father, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease and raised over $80,000 in contributions for the cause.

"I thought a lot about my father and Michael and the 500,000 other people afflicted with this awful disease in the United States alone," Ryan explained, adding, "I ran for those who can't."

This guy is every bit my idea of a Fit Celeb -- his mind, heart, and body are all in good shape. However, don't expect to see Ryan do it again any time soon. He has been quoted as saying, "I would sooner be prime minister of the moon than run another marathon."

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Don't gobble down your food. It'll make you fat if you do. Just eat slowly and modestly and you'll slash your chances of being overweight by, like, three times.

Blame the fast food industry on the fact that we scarf our meals, says a new Japanese study, and then ban those fast meals on the spot. Here's why: Researchers found that half of the men and just more than half of the women studied ate until they were full. Just under half the men and more than a third of the women ate quickly. The consequences? Men and women who ate until they were full were twice as likely to be overweight. And those who ate both quickly and to fullness were three times more likely to be heavy.

An interesting fact: Seems humans are hardwired to overconsume energy when it is available. Make that energy fast and cheap, and we're all over it. And because of this, we're getting fatter and fatter. We must learn, then, these two tactics: (1) Steer clear of fast food and (2) Slow down.

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You're eating right and exercising, but that stubborn scale won't budge. Are you making one of these mistakes?

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Don't have the motivation for daily workouts or the time and money to hire a personal trainer? "Minimalist workouts" could be the answer.

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It doesn't have to be another ill-timed chore to put a healthy dinner on the table. Try these time-saving ideas for getting that whole food meal prepared -- fast.

• Cook grains, pastas and legumes ahead of time and freeze in appropriate serving sizes. You'll always have them recipe ready.

Think about it: What form of technology has made the single biggest impact in the lives of children over the past 100 years? Computers have revolutionized the world, but I suspect television has made the biggest impact on young people, particularly because they are a captive audience subjected to clever and manipulative advertising that is targeted specifically at them. As such, it's believed that TV advertising is one of the top causes of ever-rising childhood obesity.

This revelation has caused Mark Scott, the Managing Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corp, to push back against kid-targeted advertising, and he's calling for a commercial-free Children's channel to be developed down under.

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