That's Fit

Though I know the benefits of healthful eating, I'm all for having a treat now and then. I love a good batch of fish n' chips as much as the next person. But some of the foods that people dunk into a deep fryer just amaze me. How -- and why -- would anyone ever come up with these ideas?

Fitz just told us about chocolate-covered bacon. That's pretty outlandish (not to mention it sounds utterly disgusting). But the deep fryer holds it's fair share of nastiness, too. Maybe you've spotted some different concoctions -- like deep-fried Twinkies -- at your local greasy spoon. Or maybe you've visited your state fair and sampled some of the newest trends in fried foods.

If you must indulge, just remember to keep high-calorie, high-fat foods like these to extremely rare treats -- your arteries will thank you.

Nestled (read: crowded) in seat 15A on my AirTran flight from Florida to Ohio for my 20-year high class reunion (gosh, that's a long time), I'm thinking, like many of us do when we travel away from structure and routine: How will my diet and exercise fare on this whirlwind weekend trip? And does it really matter? I mean, we're talking two nights and barely two full days. How badly can I mess things up?

And then I happen upon a blurb in Go magazine (the airline publication crammed in the seat-back pocket in front of me) about this woman who stuffed 173 buffalo wings into her tiny body in a mere 12 minutes. One-hundred pounds this woman weighs. And she won the wing-eating contest last year at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in, none other than: Buffalo. OK, so if this gal can down a truckload of festival food in one sitting, I can surely survive an indulgence or two. I'm running on a mini-bag of AirTran gourmet pretzels at the moment -- I've clearly got calories coming to me.

I think I'm headed for my favorite Ohio salad -- I know, not very daring, is it? Usually a no-salad-dressing girl, though, I may douse my chicken salad this time. And I'm definitely eating the pita bread slices that come with the meal I haven't had in 10 years. It must be butter that makes this white bread taste so good.

So, no heaping piles of buffalo wings for me on this trip. Nothing else too crazy either. Nothing too rigid either. Just a little moderation on the road, starting with a second bag of gourmet pretzels. What ever happened to airplane meals? It's lunchtime, people!

The girl is tough, that's for sure. Just after being hospitalized for major health issues, singer Amy Winehouse performed at a special birthday concert for Nelson Mandela and then last night, sang for one hour on stage in front of a crowd of 80,000 at the Glastonbury music festival. She even had enough in her to partake in a little altercation with a reveler from the crowd. It's reported that the fan tried to grab Winehouse, and she fought back.

As for Winehouse's health problems, her father says she has emphysema from smoking cigarettes and crack cocaine. Her spokeswomen says she only has pre-emphysema symptoms. Whatever the case, her diagnosis isn't slowing her from performing -- or smoking. Just after her hospital release, she was seen smoking a cigarette.

On April 20, in celebration of the April 22 Earth Day, families nationwide will celebrate our great planet by participating in the Green Apple Festival. If you live near one of these eight cities, you can plug into the music and environmental awareness that will be powering these simultaneous festivities.

Chicago: Lincoln Park Zoo
Dallas: Fair Park
Denver: City Park
Los Angeles: Santa Monica Pier
Miami: Bicentennial Park
New York: Central Park
San Francisco: Golden Gate Park
Washington DC: The National Mall

If you can't attend, do something instead to honor our Earth. Mix it up, like this post recommends. Enjoy a picnic in your favorite local park. Engage in a little eco-running -- tote a trash bag along on your neighborhood jog and pick up any litter you come across. Plant a fruit tree. Start our own compost pile, send a free e-card to friends and family, or simply get outside and marvel at the world around you. And by all means, eat a green apple. It's a Super Food, you know.

I went to the Sasquatch Music Festival at The Gorge in Washington in May, and while the music was fabulous, the food selection left much to be desired. Hot dogs, burgers, nachos, noodles, pretzels and popcorn was pretty much all that was available on site for the entire weekend. There were tight restrictions on bringing your own food in, and patrons couldn't go back to their campsite once entering the festival, meaning what food they did bring had to be carried around all day.

I think Sasquatch and festivals like it should take a hint from the many events starting to provide a much more impressive variety of food options. For example, The Calgary Folk Music Festival's motto is "only the best". A few years ago, organizers realized that many of their artists and volunteers were vegetarian or vegan, and so they began to cater to those who wanted more healthy non-meat, as well meat, options.

Not everything on offer is low-calorie or low-fat, but it's all full of flavor and has a much higher nutritional value than regular festival fare. Visitors can still get hot dogs but they're gourmet, and veggie dogs are also available. Other food choices include everything from sushi to Pad Thai to Caribbean to Indian. Fresh fruit, BBQ, gelato, organic burritos, salads and much more can all be had a pretty reasonable prices too. Even the beer comes from a local brewery rather than a corporation like Budweiser or Molson. Now that's what I call good eating!

Are there any healthy food options available at festivals and fairs near you?

The Taste of Buffalo is one of the nation's largest food festivals and attracts more than 450,000 people each year, and this year some of the fare will be just a little healthier. Scheduled for July 7th and 8th, the 24th annual Taste of Buffalo has made some healthy changes by requiring all food vendors to have at least one item on the menu that meets pre-set guidelines for fat, salt, and cholesterol.

The idea is not to completely change the flavors of the festival or force people to make healthy choices, but instead to give people the option of trying healthier fare and to show that foods with less salt and fat can still taste good. Some vendors have already been offering low-fat and low-salt options in years past and have had good success, so this year should be no different.

The arrival of spring and summer in North America and Europe heralds the beginning of fair and festival season. Millions head outdoors to enjoy midways, music, street performers and more. Traditionally the fare available at these sorts of events has been what my friends and I refer to as "brown food". Sound gross? It certainly can be! While all things deep-fried, hot dogs and hamburgers usually taste good, they don't have much nutritional vale and tend to make you feel heavy and tired in the hours after consumption.

In the last few years however, many of these events have begun hosting a range of food vendors that offer local cultural favorites. Dishes rish in spices and flavor from countries across the globe can be found at many events such as the New Orleans Jazz Festival, where revelers will find vegetarian options alongside sushi and traditional Creole cuisine. In fact, one Toronto Coucilor is going so far as to orgainze an entire event for that city which will promote delicacies from local communities.

Fans of a tasty fry-up have nothing to fear as festivals continue to offer all the usual favorites. But for those looking for something with a different flavor or some additional nutritional value, it's great to know that there are options. Besides, there's nothing wrong with following up a tasty curry with some french fries!