That's Fit

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

My guest this week became famous as one of the hot, yet capable babes of Charlie's Angels. This role that burned Cheryl Ladd's name and face into our minds forever, in my opinion, will not in the end, be what we remember her for. We spoke recently both over the phone and in person, and she definitely showed a side of her I hadn't expected to see.

Although stunningly beautiful, and more capable of turning heads at age 57 than most women are at 25 ... Cheryl's most impressive quality in my book is her willingness to take care of other women. She's investing a lot of time in guiding and educating other Baby Boomer women about menopause. Menopause is often a taboo, hush hush topic. But Cheryl has embraced her age and stepped up to the plate to help make her personal experience with menopause an educational experience for others. She shared a bunch of private experiences with me and offered advice for growing more beautiful each year. Read on to learn how to age as gracefully and gorgeously as she has.

Fitz: You're an iconic figure in beauty. You've aged flawlessly, and to me ... you're prettier today than you were 30 years ago starring in Charlie's Angels. What can we do, to be more like you?

Cheryl: First of all, I think it's most important for women to have a close relationship with their doctor. It's important to trust your doctor, so when things go weird you are comfortable addressing the situation and taking care of things. Be proactive with your health! You also have to love yourself! Beauty comes from the inside first.

Fitz: Well your outside is pretty fantastic too. Let's start with your fitness routine. What do you do to stay in such great shape?

Men are morons when it comes to matters of health. I didn't say it. I heard it from a radio show host this morning while trekking on my treadmill.

Seems men ignore serious medical symptoms and postpone trips to the ER when they're watching sports, according to an ER doctor who reviewed case numbers over three years at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. It all came down to this decision in the heads of men who were wrapped up in a game at the time something medical occurred: Do I need to go to the hospital now or can I finish the game first?

The lesson for all your partners of sports fans out there: When you see you man fall, faint, grab his chest, or otherwise indicate something is seriously wrong, do call 911 -- before the game nears its end.

Think you can cut just 300 to 500 calories a day from your diet? If so, it could be the very thing that keeps you living longer.

It's been said before: Limiting caloric intake can slow the aging process. This theory, based on the study of rats and mice, goes like this: Fewer daily calories decrease production of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), which then slows metabolism and tissue aging. Now, a new study adds to this theory and shows that this hormone decrease occurs when humans regularly skip rich desserts or forgo the Big Mac for a turkey sandwich instead.

So, researchers know now that calorie restriction does indeed slow hormone production in both animals and humans. Great news. What they need to determine now is whether the restriction actually slows the aging process. Common sense says that it does -- there's lots of evidence that cutting back on calories can limit risk for many common diseases, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Avoid these diseases, and yes, you will live longer.

AOL Health likes this Self magazine Eat Like Me blog. After checking it out, I do too. I like how the blogger details everyday occasions, like working and vacationing, and offers me, the reader, specifics on how healthy meals can easily be incorporated into busy days. Ever stuck on what to bring to the beach for lunch? How about leftover food from the house, like romaine, cucumbers, carrots, red onion, chickpeas and kidney beans? Thrown all together, they make a tasty and nutritious treat.

Need a mid-morning snack? How about yogurt, a toasted bagel, and a peach? Works for this blogger. Might work for you too.

The bonus with this site is that photos are included -- I got to see the actual yogurt, the bagel with raisins, the peach. And all nestled underneath the photo is serving size information. For this snack, it goes like this: This Meal Provides Approximately: Grains = 3 ounces (-whole), Fruit = 0.75 cup, Milk = 0.75 cup, Discretionary Calories = 40 kcals (sweetened yogurt).

I like this blog. Check it out and see if you do too.

A study in the peer-reviewed journal Internal Medicine states that regularly consuming the RDA of vitamins can help you live seven percent longer. Add that to the discovery that good nutrition can help reduce your likelihood of catching a cold by 20 percent, and that bottle of Centrum probably doesn't seem so overpriced anymore, does it?

But if choking down horse pills really isn't your thing, there are still plenty of vitamins and minerals to be had from -- get this -- actual food (surely no!! It can't be!!).

Among the best sources for your daily dose of health are leafy green vegetables, the kind that could be growing right now in your outdoor garden. Kale and spinach are great options, but so are more of the less thought of choices, such as parsley and mint. The former serves up 70 percent of your RDA of vitamin C, 50 percent of vitamin A, and 10 percent of your iron in a single handful. And the latter also has a great deal of vitamin A, in addition to pepping-up the taste of bland foods.

Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.

A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.

Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.

Everyone wants to be green these days, which of course is a good thing. But unfortunately for the unsuspecting consumer, green is being used somewhat duplictiously as a means of putting more green of a different kind into corporate coffers.

Men's Health takes a closer look at what some of the green language on packaging really means. Here's what they found...

CFC-FREE: Sometimes still found on bug spray, shaving creams, oven cleaners, and many other spray products, this claim is completely pointless -- CFCs have been banned from aerosols since 1978.

ALL NATURAL: Perhaps one of the most ambiguous phrases used in green-speak. As the article states, whatever it actually means, it definitely doesn't guarantee that it's safe.

The energy you burn in your everyday life contributes to greater calorie expenditure than your daily trip to the gym; that is, assuming you don't sit around all day while you work. Oh wait, that's exactly what you do? Then if you're looking to burn some serious calories, you may want to think about changing jobs.

Let's pretend for a second that the economy isn't in ruins and that switching occupations is an easy task. Didn't work. Too difficult to even pretend such a thing? Try again. Come on... humor me. Thank you. Now, take a look at how many calories you burn per week doing your current job, and then compare with how many calories you'd burn if you were, for example, outside digging ditches every day. Suffice it to say that after a day like that, you needn't ever step foot in a gym.

According to Men's Health, on average, people who work in an office environment burn about 9,000 calories a week through non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Then, depending on how much time and/or effort you put in at the gym, you could then be burning an additional 900 calories (three half-hour workouts per week) to 1,800calories (6 half-hour workouts per week). So, all said and done, an office worker burns under 11,000 calories per week even if they exercise regularly. How does that compare against our guy or gal that's out there digging ditches? It's no comparison at all. Skilled laborers burn an average of 21,000 calories per week at their job alone, never mind if they have the energy left at the end of the day to go the gym.

Some say being religious improves your health. Others say it can make you fat, thus hurting your health.

One 2006 study found that Southern Baptists were the most likely of religious folks to be obese. Don't blame the southern cooking, though. The study found that that outlook on life is one culprit -- serious believers tend to see God's will defining their lives, and not personal choice. Perhaps groups that frown on smoking and drinking tend to go overboard when it comes to restricting food choices. And of course, there's the issue of eating at church functions. Doughnuts, coffee, potlucks, ice cream socials -- high-fat foods are part of the culture.

There's a flip side to this argument. Men who turn to religion, rather than food, for comfort tend to keep extra pounds off. And in some circles, health is the newest form of ministry. Some churches include in their missions goals for sports and fitness. Several churches in my city even have gymnasiums and offer fitness classes and athletic programs.

What's your belief. Does church make you fat? Fit? Or somewhere in between?

If you missed our daily postings this past week, we invite you to take some time to catch up on our prior week's news and gear up for a new week of healthy living information and inspiration.

Baby, it's hot outside! Hopefully, the heat isn't standing in between you and your workout routine. If you feel a little like you're wilting, just look to this week's posts for a little inspiration:

• Are excuses stopping you from exercising? Maggie has 20 "no excuses" ways to workout.
• Attention men over the age of 50: Chris wants to tell you the secrets of MANopause.
• If you're eating tilapia for a healthy heart, I tell you why you might want to make a different choice.
• Want to really get in touch with your body? Try Fitz's naked pushups.
• Looking for a change in your workout? Laura shares reasons why interval training may be the way to go.
• Summer's heat can drain your energy quickly. Find out how to get it back by eating the right kinds of foods.
• Finally, we gave away a copy of pasta queen Jennette Fulda's book Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir. Congratulations Heidi, and keep up the good work!

Have a great week, everyone!

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. 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. Hey Fitz. I blew it! I am going on vacation with a bunch of my college buddies and some hot girls in four weeks. I've totally slacked off on my workouts since school ended and now I'd like to get ripped again before we head to Mexico. What can I do at my gym to shred a bit of fat and get buff quick before the trip? I know I'm a dork for slacking, but I also know you can help me improve. I'm willing to do the work! Jason

A. Familiar story Jason! You're not the only one who's taken some time off from their fitness training only to have it blow up in your face. You're also not the first person to try and undo the damage quickly. Four weeks is a pretty decent amount of time, so if you are really clean with your eating habits and start training intensely ... I think it would be safe to take off at least 10 pounds before you see Mexico, and all of those hot girls see you!

Where else but in New York can you climb a rock wall, watch a fashion show, listen to live music, participate in a variety of workout classes, enjoy a beauty and spa treatment, sip on drinks during a sponsored happy hour, and ride a mechanical bull all in one day? And best of all, where else but New York can you do all these things for FREE?

On this Saturday (July 12th), from 10am to 5pm, you can take part in the fun at the 2nd-annual Women's Health Are You Game? summer festival. Last year's event drew a crowd of over 10,000 people to the Hudson River Park at Pier 46, and festival programmers anticipate an equally as strong turnout at this location this time around.

Sponsors for the event include ASICS, Crunch, Oasis Day Spa, Garmin International, Michelob Ultra, and Oakley. Expect some great contests and giveaways from these companies and others, in addition to the dozens of other interactive demonstrations and health and fitness-related events.

For more information about the Women's Health Are You Game? summer festival, visit the official website: www.womenshealthmag.com/areyougame

Time. Our greatest resource. I'll debate it with anyone. And I'll win.

Lack of it is responsible for most of what stresses us out. And taking it back is what makes us feel better. The idea of taking a few minutes to relax at the end of the day is possibly the most commonly given advice for recovering from a stressful day. Such a simple solution and so satisfying. But how often do you actually do it? Seems I witness more time spent complaining about now having time than taking time to shut up and relax.

And it makes a world of difference. However, those few minutes would not be quite as decadent for me if not for adding a glass of wine to the equation. Also pretty common, I know. Again, when's the last time? And it's not such a bad idea. In moderation, wine can actually be a good thing. It can even have an antioxidant effect. For some adding chocolate makes for the ultimate de-stress recipe.

So stop fretting that you don't have time or can't afford the calories and sit down with a bite or sip of something nice. For five minutes. OK, two. Whatever. The point is this: ridding ourselves of a day's stress isn't about large quantities of time, wine, chocolate or anything else. It's about coming up with your perfect recipe, whatever that may be. Just so long as it's small and simple.

AOL Health has the secret for energetic living. It's as easy as eating well -- and avoiding foods that zap the life out of us. Here are some of them.

• While not everyone will get sleepy after a turkey sandwich, turkey (and milk, corn, brown rice, and legumes too) contain an amino acid called tryptophan that can be both relaxing and exhausting. If fatigue is a problem for you, you might want to steer clear of these foods.
  
  
• Sugar may seem to give you a burst of energy, but that's all it is -- a burst. Long-lasting energy will never come from sugary foods. The body metabolizes sugar too quickly and then leaves you feeling just plain "blah."
  
  
• Any food with lots of fat takes longer to break down in your body and won't leave you feeling perky.
  
  

For more eating-for-energy secrets -- Hint: sports drinks may not be all they're cracked up to be -- check out this AOL site.

I consider myself a pretty good eater. I mostly consume fruits, veggies, non-red lean meats, some whole grains, and only an occasional basket of bread -- ah, my weakness. I'm sure I eat the appropriate amount of calories in a day -- not too many, not too few -- but one thing that makes me wonder a bit is this: Am I getting enough of the good stuff in my diet -- the protein, the fiber, the calcium, the iron? My mom and I discussed this the other evening while power walking through our neighborhood. Protein was the topic. After our walk, I came home and did some research. Here's what I found.

Apparently, most Americans get more than enough protein in their diets, according to Health Central's MyDietExercise.com. Sometimes, though, our erratic eating habits and tendencies toward fad diets throw our protein intake out of whack, which undermines energy, exercise performance, and overall health.

So how much exactly is enough protein? Well, it depends on a few factors, says Health Central -- like age, gender, and activity level. For me, after plugging my stats into their handy dandy calculator, I learned that I need 81 grams per day. Seems like a lot but check out how these common foods stack up in the protein department -- chicken has 35 grams per four-ounce breast and salmon has 23 grams per three-ounce serving. One six-ounce can of tuna has 40 grams, four ounces of cottage cheese has 14, and one egg has six.