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.

Mmmmmm. Just the mention of Chef Jens Dahlmanns's name puts my mind in ecstasy. His is the name of the man who created what I'd choose as my 'last meal.' He's the premier Chef of Disney's signature restaurant The California Grill, who also oversees a staff of award-winning chefs atop Disney's Contemporary Resort. Chef Jens was classically trained in European kitchens and worked for Le Cirque 2000 in New York City and Cafe 'L Europe in Palm Beach, Florida, before joining Disney in April 2004.

We first spoke on the phone a week before I was to dine at his spectacular grill. From a fitness trainer standpoint, he gave all of the 'right answers.' Not that he was contrived, but his stance on cooking is what I would wish to hear. If you've read my features before, you'll know that I preach the importance of lean fresh foods. Read on to see how dead-on Chef Jens is to that style of eating. From a regular gal's point of view, it was just really exciting and fun to hear Chef Jens talk about food. He described white asparagus the same way most men would describe a beautiful woman. I could imagine what each item tasted like as he described them.

My experience at The California Grill was almost indescribable. Chef Jens and his staff were pampering to say the least. He greeted me with a sample of the white asparagus he gushed about, and I knew I was in for something special. The combinations of flavors and textures were to die for! I relished every bite and cleaned each and every plate that landed in front of me (highly unusual for me). The man knows how to make fresh food taste divine. The advice he gave in this interview is exactly what I, as your online Fitzness Trainer, want you to follow. Chef Jens just knows far better than I, how to make all of the healthy stuff taste heavenly.

Fitz: How much does "healthy" influence the foods you create for your menus?

Chef Jens: Healthy actually has a lot to do with our menu. First of all, Disney has set an initiative for enhancing our menus in a healthy way, so across all of the Disney parks and restaurants you'll find better choices. On my part, I'm always driven by what's fresh in the market. We create meals based on the season. At the California Grill, our menu changes according to what foods are in season. Fresh food equals leaner and "cleaner" food. I never use processed ingredients.

Today is my very first Mother's Day as a mom and it's been wonderful. My son (adopted at age 10) made me a card at school and he picked flowers for me yesterday. Today, he's granting my Mother's Day wish by entertaining himself while I work and not begging me to take him to the skate park or the arcade or any of the other places he likes to haunt.

Later, we'll be getting together with my whole family. I have three sisters so, together with our mom, we're a whole house full of moms. As typical with my family, we're going to be celebrating with a potluck. I know one sister is making a lemon pie for dessert and another is making this delicious homemade bread, so I'm determined to bring some healthy dishes to pass.

For starters, I'm going to bring my sesame asparagus. Once upon a time, I'm sure there was an official recipe for it, but I've made it so often I've long stopped measuring and just make it from memory. Here's a similar recipe, though. Cooking Light has many other healthy recipe suggestions for Mother's Day.

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name: Erik J. Fritz

Age: 19

Occupation: Bulk Fuel Specialist at the Marine Corps and Navy Reserves Unit

If you're in the military...where are you? Green Bay, WI,

How often do you exercise? Almost every day

What type of exercise do you do? Running outside and on the treadmill, lifting weights, and a lot of push-ups.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Knowing that I have to stay in good shape to pass my PT.

There's a couple of things you can pretty much count on when it comes to asparagus:

1) It will supply you with a variety of powerful antioxidants, including a healthy dose of glutathione;

2) It contains a good amount of folate, which has been shown reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer;

3) It contains certain amino acids that can help reduce water retention, something that can make you look a bit puffy, and;

4) It will make the pee of many people who eat it smell pretty funky.

Since it's the most fun topic out of the four, that's what I'll address. The pee issue.

Strangely, this scent-chaing affect that asparagus has on urine does not occur in all people. Even more strange is the fact that there is also a segment of the population who cannot smell the funky scent given off by asparagus-laced urine. It is believed that only those with a certain gene can cause the break down of chemicals inside the asparagus that causes the scent, and only those with the proper gene can smell the results of that chemical breakdown.

Spring is here and I, for one, am glad. I mentioned to my mother the other day that I had bought a box of individually flash-frozen asparagus spears and they were really good. I told her I'd pick a box up for her. Her reply was "They sound great... but I'll buy fresh for now." And she's right! Asparagus is just one of the delicious, healthy foods that abound in spring. Depending on where you live, other delicious seasonal treats include Swiss chard, peas, strawberries, rhubarb, avocado, watermelon, apricots, spinach, Romaine lettuce, and basil.

Buying food in season not only ensures you're getting the freshest produce available, it's also good for the environment. Buying local food supports the farmers in your own community and reduces the distance food has to travel from the farm to your plate. Visit a farmer's market this spring and see what produce is in season!

In our house, we tend to keep food in our fridge for longer than most people. It's part laziness, part iron stomachs and part frugality, but whatever the cause, I'm often left scratching my head wondering if I should use a certain ingredient in my next meal. But I recently came across this handy timeline for storing common fruits and veggies:

• Carrot (peeled): 51 days
  
• Tomato: 36 days
  
• Garlic: 30 days
• Broccoli: 27 days
• Strawberry: 22 days
  
• Asparagus: 22 days
• Spinach: 19 days
• Grapes (black and green): 14 days
• Peppers (red and green): 14 days
• Cucumber: 8 days
• Lettuce: 8 days

Surprising, yes? I thought the times on many of these were much shorter. This is good news though, particularly for those month-old carrots in the back of my fridge.

When I spotted asparagus for $1.77 a pound yesterday, I scooped up a bunch. After rinsing and cutting off the tough stem ends, I steamed it in an inch of boiling water for four minutes and seasoned with a tiny bit of butter and a dash of salt. The kids ate their 'magic wands' with gusto -- I felt like a winner.

Here are a few facts of this super-member of the Lily family:

• "Hey, at least all our pee will smell!" This was boldly announced by one of my nutty friends at a recent wedding reception as a dinner plate with asparagus was set down in front of him. I honestly had no idea asparagus is connected with odiferous urine, but it's true. The odor is a by-product of digestion. We all confirmed our pee did reek after dinner. I know, I know, gross.
• Asparagus grows in sandy, well-drained soil during a short 6-7 week window in late spring. It takes two years before a crop is harvestable in its third year, with a harvest life of 6-8 years. Friends have an asparagus patch on their Wisconsin farm and after we'd pick some, stalks would literally grow inches overnight. Spears can grow ten inches in a 24-hour period -- talk about watching your garden grow!
• Did you know asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables on the planet? A 5.3 oz serving has only 20 calories (less than 4 calories a spear), no fat/cholesterol, low in sodium, 3 grams of fiber, a ton of folate (60 percent of USDRA), a rich source of rutin (strengthens capillary walls), a nice source of thiamin, vitamin B6 and potassium, and a sprinkling of other vitamins/minerals.
• Steam, roast, stir-fry or grill asparagus -- there are a ton of ways to cook and season it. Grilled asparagus with parsley pesto, anyone?

If you'd like to know more, check out Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board's helpful website.