That's Fit

Famous TV chef Rachael Ray wants to get kids cooking, and as the founder of Yum-O, a non-profit organization that helps parents and kids form healthy relationships with food, she's getting kids cooking one tyke at a time, according to the Well Blog over at the New York Times.

And if you ask Ray, the key to developing healthy eating habits in kids (in other words, how to get them to eat more veggies and less junk,) is by making healthy food cool. Says Ray: 'You can make vegetables cool to a kid if you're mixing them up with something a child likes. If a kid says "What's in there?" tell them, "It's boogers and dinosaur guts." Get a giggle out of them ... There are all sorts of ways to build healthy relationships with your children and food. You have to become more kid-like yourself. Think about what excites the child. It's your challenge and your job to make food cool, fun and an adventure for them.'

I for one totally agree ... what about you?

Celebrity moms Cate Blanchett and Halle Berry are out and about and looking amazing. Halle dished up the details on what she's doing to get her body back, but Cate, as usual, hasn't really made mention. Cate looked like she was right back to her pre-baby svelte figure this week at the Cannes Film Festival, and it's only been four weeks since she gave birth to her newest son. Do you think it's natural that her body bounced back so quickly, or does it have more to do with the pressure a 39-year-old actress faces in Hollywood?

Valerie Bertinelli, who dropped weight last year alongside Kirstie Alley with Jenny Craig, is working hard to maintain the slim figure she achieved, but she's not complaining about it. She's continuing to follow the good habits that helped her lose weight, which means no snacking in front of the television and making sure she gets in 10,000 steps each day. With her healthy new figure came another bonus -- a rediscovery of her love of being in the water. Valerie has gotten back into watersports, like surfing. It's great to see her maintaining her weight and living a healthful life!

Sarah Ferguson admits that she continues to have negative body image issues on a daily basis, saying, "I think I'm fat, ugly, and disgusting -- that I'm unworthy and nobody likes me." The formal royal has an interesting way of dealing with these problems -- after her daily morning workout, she takes an ice bath and feels "invigorated" for the rest of the day. Hey, whatever works, right?

Oil...it's what for dinner.

Well, it's at least part of what's for dinner. Knowing which oil is the healthiest choice and the tastiest choice for said dinner -- ah, that's what I want to talk to you about.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know by now that the healthiest way to go in terms of your oil selection is Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or EVOO if you're Rachel Ray ... which I'm not, so I'll avoid the acronyms). It involves minimal processing and high levels of the antioxidants known as polyphenols.

So, what about the other oils? How do they measure up?

• Flaxseed Oil: Good for salad dressing. Great source of ALA, a form of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
• Olive Oil: This non-extra-virgin (please explain to me how something can be Extra virgin?) is perfect for grilling, sauteing, and using in a pasta sauce. It's high in monosaturated fats (good fats) and antioxidants, so it helps prevent the build-up of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Canola Oil: Good for baking and broiling. Rather low in saturated fat and also a good source of ALA.
• Grapeseed Oil: Works well for pan frying food. A good source of vitamin E, beta-carotene and sterols, which means that it also guards against the collection of bad cholesterol.
• Rice Bran Oil: Can be used for deep-frying food or stir-frying. Contains various vitamin E related antioxidants that have been shown in clinical studies to inhibit both breast and skin cancer cells.

I'll admit -- I have a teensy crush on Rachael Ray. She's funny, she's cute and she can cook like nobody's business. Her meals are usually pretty healthy, but how great would it be if she started dishing out calorie-conscious recipes? Well, that's exactly what she's going to start doing, according to this article, all in an effort to lose the extra pounds she gained from the stress of being in the spotlight -- and being surrounded by food all day.

The 5'3 TV star and authoress is going to start coming up with healthy concoctions while her show's on hiatus, and then she's going to share them with us when she's back on TV.

Will you be watching?