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.

Brandon Russell is the super sexy carpenter building up a storm on TLC's Trading Spaces. Easily filling Ty Pennington's boots of long ago, Brandon is passionate about carpentry and the viewers are passionate about him. One homeowner even tried to unzip him! We spoke for about an hour this week, and besides being gorgeous, Brandon is a true southern gentlemen. His drawl is adorable, and he is truly a sweet and smart guy. Brandon is also a former personal trainer, and his body is proof that he knows his stuff. Want to know his secret to spectacular abs? Read on!

Fitz: You're in your second season of Trading Spaces. How's it going?

Brandon: It's unbelievable! I've always wanted to work on television, and when I was told I got this job, I honestly cried. To be able to do what I love, carpentry, and just be myself on TV is an amazing gift. In fact, after I cried, I called all of the girlfriends I ever mocked for being weepy to apologize.

Fitz: That's pretty "manly" of you to admit it! But you're not just "the carpenter" on the show, you're the "hot carpenter." How's that?

What is GOOP, you ask? Well ... I have no idea, other than it's the unusual and nondescript name for Gwyneth Paltrow's up and coming advice website.

We wrote a lot about Gwyneth in September -- about her cooking habits, her workout routine, and her slimdown secret. Now all the press makes sense; Paltrow's website is set to launch soon and a little media attention pre-launch never hurt, right?

GOOP isn't exactly getting rave reviews. Though I don't understand how anyone could make a judgment call yet ... there's no real content on the yet-to-be released website. The subjects she intends to discuss sound interesting enough -- it looks like there will be tips on cooking/nutrition, exercise, travel, shopping, and more. If you're interested in what Gwyneth Paltrow has to say about living a full, happy, and healthy life, sign up for the GOOP newsletter.

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.

Nastia Liukin was the darling of the U.S. gymnastics team this year as she conquered Olympic Gold in the All Around competition and proudly added to her collection four more medals. That would be three silver and one bronze; I personally would kill to have just one in any color. She's Russian born, American bred and now working with the Secret Sport Challenge to help make other athletic dreams come true. I scored this interview this week while she was promoting the Challenge and bringing attention to the twenty $5,000 scholarships being given away to help others achieve their sporty goals. Nastia is ridiculously fit and has some great advice to help you look better, feel stronger and live longer.

Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?

Nastia: Before the Olympics I trained for about seven hours a day. It included about two hours of warming up and conditioning, and the rest of the time was spent practicing routines and skills on the events.

Fitz: If you weren't a professional athlete/gymnast how do you think you'd pursue fitness?

How about some motherly advice from Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher?

• Have great sex
• Eat the chocolate
• Don't sit on public toilet seats
• Make sure to floss
• Don't eat after 7 PM
• Dance like teenager
  
  

Intended for her 10-year-old daughter Emerson (anyone think the sex part is a bit much for a 10-year-old?), this wisdom comes from a woman who considers herself successful yet somewhat fragile. Constantly working on herself, the 43-year-old mom practices a little self-help -- she has a "goal board" at home, a collage of images and things she wants to achieve in her life. All written, glued, or drawn onto a big piece of paper, Hatcher's handiwork keeps her focused on her goals.

I have learned that when I go tailgating, I'd be wise to bring a cooler with my own food -- most people don't think to throw some Boca Burgers in with the brats, and I don't expect them too. Being a vegetarian is my choice, not theirs. However, if you know you have some vegetarians coming to your tailgate and want to plan for that, I have a few tips for you!

First of all, know your options. You can very easily stock up on a few store-bought options and keep everyone very happy -- there are some delicious veggie burger, chicken patty, and hot dog options out there. However, you need to read the instructions carefully because these items don't cook quite like meat, and some really aren't meant to be grilled at all.

Second, plan out your grilling. Many vegetarians would prefer not to have their food grilled on top of meat particles. If you have a couple of grills going, that should be pretty easy, but if you're using just one, your guests would probably appreciate it if you did a thorough cleaning and scraping before slapping their vegetarian fare on.

Aren't we all dying to be told to eat some bread....lots of bread? Unfortunately...I recently dealt with a pretty disgusting reason to chow down on some firm crusted French bread. Ick, ack and yuck! There was a hair stuck in my throat, and I was going nuts! I know........gross! But it was true. Fortunately that's about the grossest thing I've dealt with in a while, so I suppose I should feel pretty lucky? Hmmm.

Anyway. I complained about it to some friends, and they too had experienced the same thing at some point. Very annoying. So I Googled the question and fortunately found an answer. Dr. Khaghn recommended drinking milk to break down the hair (which could take up to three weeks!) Or ... eating some bread which had a good chance of grabbing on to the hair and dragging it down. I chose the latter, and thank goodness it worked. (Now it's probably stuck in my stomach.)

So! If you ever are violated by a hair that won't go away ... find some milk and bread. If you ever want a great excuse to devour some white flour .. chow down on some hair!

Prince Charles invited the Grand Slam winning Welsh rugby team to Clarence House (his London home) last week. He spoke to them a bit about their Grand Slam win, but according to player Shane Williams, he was more interested in talking about fitness and training. Williams said that the Prince of Wales was interested in their fitness coach, and that he works out himself quite a bit (perhaps he's using the gym that William built for Kate).

As much as Charles might have appreciated the fitness advice, it's almost certain the team appreciated the invitation to Clarence House more -- Coach Warren Gatland said, "It's a fantastic experience to be here, you can smell the history here." The team presented Charles with a framed Welsh rugby shirt at the end of the party.

The Welsh rugby team now has to shake off any ego their Grand Slam win and visit with the Prince might have given them as they head to South Africa to play for the Prince William Cup.

I ran really far on Sunday, and when the time came to go to the gym with my husband on Monday, I thought I'd be too beat to perform. I literally was contemplating stretching for an hour as I walked through the front doors. But then! Then I saw something beautiful to my left. Over the dozens of cardio machines to my side, I saw Tom Cruise plopped down on the couch with Oprah and was drawn over to the treadmills.

Curiosity got my goat, and up I climbed on to the machine before me. Now strangely enough, because of a back injury, walking hurts more than running. So with emotional bricks in my shoes I cranked up the speed to six miles per hour and got going. I swear to you that before I turned that darn machine on, I would have never imagined my legs would take me half a mile. Apparently I was wrong.

Turns out that even though I felt sluggish and was full of doubt, I was capable of running for an hour straight! Isn't that insane? I think so. Listen. I've been in this business a long time, and have made a living out of proving to people that they could do the things they thought they couldn't! Feeling slow, tired, and unmotivated is not unusual. What is unusual, though, is finding the inspiration to yank out your personal best, even under those circumstances.

I'm stuck! I've been teaching fitness for almost twenty years., and I often feel like I know all there is to know about body mechanics, weight loss, and fitness equipment. Today though, I'm totally stumped. My socks suck, and I can't seem to find a pair that don't!

I have been running a lot lately, and the only thing that bothers me after mile three is my socks! Ack! They're driving me nuts, and on the verge of giving me blisters. SO! I come to you, my brilliant That's Fit readers for help. Tell me about the socks you love and which ones I shouldn't waste my money on. This fitness pro needs your advice. My feet would like to thank you in advance.

Some of you probably think you know it all when it comes to shoe shopping. Well, Forbes recently gave out some tips on the best ways to shop for sneakers, and I think you'll be surprised at some of their suggestions.

• Find a good retailer. If you're a runner, check out a running store -- they will likely be better able to diagnose your shoe needs than a college kid working at Champs.
  
  
• Know your foot (or find someone who does). If you're flatfooted, you'll be likely to overpronate, whereas if you have high arches, you'll probably underpronate. Again, this is where a knowledgeable salesperson will be most helpful.

Buying organic foods at your local grocery store can get pretty pricey, because I know you're filling up a third of your cart with veggies. Right?

Noshtopia has seven ways to cut costs on your organic purchases, which could help your budget, your waistline, and your overall help. Below are the three I found most helpful, but feel free to check out all seven of their suggestions here!

• Hit the local farmers' market. You're buying direct, so it's generally cheaper.
  
• Check store brands in places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. These businesses often offer a store brand and organic version for similar prices to conventional brand names.
  
• Shop near closing time. Because of the lack of preservatives used in organics, they are often more prone to spoiling. Therefore, grocers might mark those items down near the end of the day to move them off the shelf.

Got a suggestion that's worked for you? Please share in the comments!

When you're done checking in on this blog, head on over to these three for a dose of insight and advice all about allergies. The bloggers who author these sites are allergy-affected themselves. You might find their words helpful as you battle the allergens in your life.

allergicgirl.blogspot.com
This allergic girl lives a wheat/gluten-free, processed sugar-free, lactose-free, low processed food-free lifestyle because she's allergic to tree-nuts, salmon, some veggies, melons, tropical fruits, and lemongrass. She also has asthma and GI distress and clearly, has some educating to do. Check her out.

gluten-free-blog.blogspot.com
This writer, a gluten-free/Celiac person, says the best way to overcome the trauma of no longer eating your favorite foods is to find replacements that are just as good. And maybe even better. Check out this February 17 post about a gluten-free pancake diet.

mykidshavefoodallergies.blogspot.com
With two kids and combined allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, and sunflower seeds, this one has some wisdom worth reading. Find out how she handled a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party here.

The other day, my seven-year-old Joey told me that, like me, he is going to stop eating sweets. A noble choice, I think, for a boy who normally can inhale candy, cookies, and cakes with the best of them. I like to credit my role modeling for Joey's health-conscious choice but I think it may be the abundance of dessert he ate at a restaurant recently and his subsequent tummy ache that convinced him to make this new change -- a change I predict may be short lived. He is only seven, after all.

While I will continue to allow Joey to indulge in sugary stuff every now and then (we don't keep sweets in our house but don't restrict all outside sources), I still plan to keep after Joey with healthy eating advice. I figure if I keep talking about nutrition, the information will one day sink in and maybe Joey will come to make healthy choices without a belly ache for motivation. Research says it's likely this will happen.

Recent studies show that when children as young as seven (that's Joey) are counseled to eat less fat and more fruits, veggies, and whole grains, they do it. When two groups of kids were followed until the age of 14, kids who got sound nutritional advice ate less saturated fat and had lower cholesterol levels than the ones with no such advice.

We're headed out to dinner tonight. And I've got my own little research questions: Will Joey order dessert?

Congratulations to our Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week, Russell Hay! Russell expanded his workouts to the Trapeze, Acrobatics and Acrobalance. Now Everlast is sending him a gorgeous tank top, so he can look hot while flying through the air!

The fitness equipment, apparel and boxing giant Everlast was so impressed with our That's Fit Fitzness Fiends that they've offered to reward our devoted readers! Not only am I proud of you all, but Everlast is proud of you too!

For the next two months (at minimum), Everlast will be rewarding an Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week with one of their hot new tank tops from their Spring collection. They're absolutely gorgeous, totally comfy, and of ridiculously high quality.

I'm thrilled with the grand response from those of you who've already participated as a Fiend, and even more excited to meet the rest of you! ...........

All My Children soap star and Calvin Klein model Colin Egglesfield and I have been talking lots of fitness lately, so I thought I'd get his advice for stay completely gorgeous for the holidays, and making it to the new year without an ounce of regret. This is what Colin has to say:

"My tips for the holiday season revolve around the theme of "CALORIE CONTROL!" You can enjoy most of the same treats you traditionally desire if you simply use the lowest calorie ingredients available. And of course, I'm never too conscious of exact calorie amounts, that would drive anyone crazy, I just try to be sensible about what I order and try to eat small portions when possible. "

Here are a few tips that I try to heed:

1. Latte, cappuccino, and hot chocolate lovers be sure to use non-fat milk! I love cappuccinos, so when I do order one... I order it with skim milk. I try to limit my intake of coffee to only two or three a week. The rest of the time I drink herbal teas.