That's Fit

Another famous man has died of heart failure. This time, a little more than one week after NBC's Tim Russert passed unexpectedly from heart disease, comedian George Carlin died as a result of problems with his heart. He was 71.

Carlin, who was aware of his heart troubles, died Sunday in Santa Monica after complaining of chest pains. The comedian, famous for his biting and oftentimes offensive humor, had produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, and a handful of TV shows. He appeared in several movies, and hosted the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Carlin won four Grammy's, was nominated for five Emmy's and on Tuesday learned he was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.,

Carlin is survived by wife Sally Wade; daughter Kelly Carlin McCall; son-in-law Bob McCall; brother Patrick Carlin; and sister-in-law Marlene Carlin.

To learn how to take control of your own heart health, you ought to pay this site a visit.

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 is one of those people who really puts me in awe. Desmond Howard has scooped up two of the most impressive and revered awards in the entire sport of football, a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl MVP. As I sat with Desmond on a sunny and breezy day in the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp, I wondered what if felt like to achieve such greatness. Most boys feel lucky to make their high school JV football team. To play in college is an honor. To do what Desmond's done ... indescribable.

I love talking to professional athletes because they have had access to the best of the best opportunities in fitness. They have been trained for perfection and have proven to have mastered the art of discipline. Surely, they have something to share!

ince retiring from playing football, Desmond now works as a color analyst for ESPN's College GameDay. He doesn't have the luxury of an aggressive coach barking at him each day to maximize his potential. He trains because he loves being fit, and just like you and me, he has had to find creative ways to work it into his schedule.

On a personal note ... for someone with so much success in one of the most testosterone-driven sports in the world, Desmond was one of the most down-to-earth non-egotistical men I've ever met. He maintained a gigantic smile (with ridiculously perfect white teeth) throughout our entire conversation and was just a pleasure to spend time with. He's smart, funny, and everything I would want my son to become if he followed in a similar athletic path. Plus he praised his Mom, and of course, I want my baby to do that too. If you haven't been able to keep up with Desmond's success in sports, but would like to achieve great fitness as an adult ... read on.

Fitz: You've retired as one of the most successful football players in both the NFL and NCAA. What do you do now to stay fit?

Desmond: I usually try to work out four-five times a week, but it's kind of difficult when I travel a lot. When we do a lot of college football games, I'll ask the Sports Information Director of the university where we'll be if we can use their weight room. Sometimes the hotels we stay in have pretty nice weight rooms too. We really don't need a lot. I try to do cardio. I like the elliptical machine a lot, because it's low impact on my knees. If they don't have that I'll do the stationary bike. I always get in at least 35-40 minutes of hard cardio, work my core, and then work some other muscle group.

With Super Bowl Sunday only two days away, I'm sure the corporate execs at Domino's, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut are hoping for the usual delivery madness. Inasmuch as these pizza giants rule the delivery game on Super Sunday, plenty of folks may want to keep their diets in check by eating something healthier. A popular solution may be Chinese food; you still get the convenience of having it delivered, but you don't have to worry about all those calories. Or do you?

A new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reveals that Chinese food is ... well, suffice it to say not much better for you than the pizza!! That's because most Chinese food entrees contain between 1,000 and 1,500 calories -- and that's without taking rice, crispy noodles, and other extras into account. Not to mention that fact that some dishes were found to contain two days' worth of sodium.

But, if you're still bent on ordering Chinese food, ask for your sauces to be kept on the side, avoid deep-fried foods altogether, and keep the serving sizes small. To find out which Chinese dishes truly are healthy choices, visit www.dietdetective.com and do a little food sleuthing.

OK! I....I mean the Easter Bunny just finished hiding eggs around the house for my two little tots. At the last minute, the Easter Bunny had to come up with healthy alternatives to stuffing these dear little people full of teeth-rotting sugar tomorrow morning. Mission accomplished! If the big furry one shows up to your house last minute, here are some great alternatives to candy in eggs.

• Goldfish
• Cheerios
• yogurt raisins
• stamps
• stickers
• raisins
• deflated balloons
• coins
• dollars
• erasers
• teeny nail polish bottles
• barrettes
• ribbons
• bows
• key chains
• put a five dollar bill in a surprise egg

Good luck! Happy Easter! Don't let the bunny hide the eggs where they can't be found again!