That's Fit

Trisha Yearwood isn't just a country music star and the wife of country-music performer Garth Brooks. Nope. She's also a cookbook author who shares some of her kitchen secrets with Health.com. Check out what the author of Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen has to say right here. Here's a sneak peek.

• Yearwood calls her kitchen the social center of her home.

• Don't cook a sleepy meal when you're trying to be romantic, says Yearwood. The first meal she cooked for Garth -- fettucine Alfredo -- gave him a glazed appearance -- he looked like he was going to pass out.
  

• Make fruit a priority. About her step-daughters, Yearwood says: "With young girls, it's a challenge (to get them to eat healthy). I keep a stocked fruit bowl on the counter, so they'll choose something from it."

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.

Picture the Hulk with dreads, and a giggly personality. That's Brad Johnson. Brad Johnson is the superhero character on Discovery Channels' Last One Standing. Funny thing is...he IS his character. The man who topples competitors with his mantra "I'm Brad", is straight out of a Marvel Comic. He is a 29 year old father of two from Oklahoma, and one of the most successful lightweight Strong Men in the United States. Don't let that confuse you though. Brad is massive, but his 236 pound body comprised of pure muscle falls under the 240 pound criteria for Strongman heavyweight status.

Discovery Channel thought it would be fun to grab three American athletes and three from the UK and pit them against each other in ancient competitions amidst third world tribes. The competitors live with the tribes, eat what they eat, and train for battle in these ancient games.The competitors travel to Kalapalo, Brazil (wrestling); Zulu, South Africa (stick fighting); Tarahumara, Mexico (endurance running); Mongolia (wrestling); Trobriand Islands (tribal cricket); Sumi, Nagaland (Akikiti kickboxing); Senegal (wrestling); Papua, New Guinea (canoe racing); Brazil (Kraha log racing); Peru (glacial challenge); Java (martial arts); and Vanuatu (canoe racing).

Brad and I spoke last week about his wild trip around the world. He's passionate about sports and fitness, a fierce competitor who is willing to talk himself through anything with his "I'm Brad" mantra, a dedicated family man, and also a lot of fun. I called him giggly, but that's probably not the way his competition perceives him. Lucky me, to simply be on the other end of a conversation hearing about his exciting adventures. The Last One Standing airs Thursdays at 8:00 pm on Discovery Channel.

Fitz: What does "I'm Brad" mean?

Brad: It's my way of saying "of course I can do this!". I'm Brad! When I say that, I live up to my own expectations of excellence. Brad can not be stopped.

Fitz: How did you get into Strong Man competitions?

Brad: I played sports as a kid, football, track, and power lifting. I still wanted to compete after high school was over, so I pursued power lifting. I did really well, and basically got bored with it. Strong Man looked more interesting, power lifting only consists of three basic lifts. It also was exciting to finally be challenged again.

Fitz: What was the transition like?

Brad: Awesome! The power lifting competitors were really cocky and annoying, but all of the Strong Man competitors were helpful and positive. It was strange! Instead of trying to screw with me, they were giving me pointers and cheering me on. I loved it!

Fitz: How did you get involved with Last One Standing?

Brad: Discovery was specifically looking for an American Strong Man competitor and the American Strong Man Federation recommended me as a good candidate. A couple of weeks later I was auditioning in New York. It consisted of a three hour miserable boot camp. I think they chose me because even after my legs locked up on me two hours and 45 minutes into it, I came back and finished the training. They must have thought I was psycho enough for the competition. It was brutal.

Fitz: And then what happened?

Brad: Within a few weeks, I was granted a passport (never been out of the U.S. before) and flew off to visit some of the wildest tribes in the third world. I was only supposed to be gone for eight to nine months, but Discovery thought it was going well. We ended up extending the show to 12 episodes which took 14 months to shoot. I'd come home for a week every few months.