That's Fit

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?

Halle Berry was seen this weekend at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in Los Angeles (possibly with an engagement ring on her all-important finger), and let me tell you -- she looked fantastic. And the fact that she gave birth to her daughter, Nahla Ariela, just about a month ago makes her fabulous body just that much more amazing.

New moms in the real world shouldn't hold themselves to Halle's standards -- I mean, she had a ridiculously amazing figure before the baby. However, she dished about her post-pregnancy fitness routine to People, and I've got the scoop for you!

She's been working out five days a week for an hour with her trainer, Ramona Braganza. She implements three cardio segments using the elliptical, stairs, and kickboxing, as well as some strength-training that works her abs and legs.

Moms: Pat yourselves on the back this Mother's Day for your ability to influence your kids in the healthiest of ways. Did you know you have the power to nurture your kids in a manner that might change their nature? You can also boost your little ones' IQs, conquer their stress, and ensure they get sick less often? You are a force to be reckoned with. Scientifically speaking anyway.

It's the strong mom-and-baby bond science is linking to smarter, healthier, happier children. Consider this: Nurturing mommy mice can actually change their pups' genes for the better with a whole lot of nurturing. Chances are human moms can do the same thing. Dads play a part too, but it's mom who generally has a more lifelong effect on kids, Mice studies also tell us that nurtured babies outsmart babes who are neglected by their moms, and pups who are snuggled by momma grow into less anxious, more self-assured adults.

Studies of moms and babies conclude that kids of very attentive mothers make friends more easily and get sick much less often.

I often ask moms of happy, well-behaved teenagers for advice. I figure if I stock up on strategies for the next few years, by the time my boys tumble in teen-hood, I'll know just what to do. Most moms feed me the same line: They love their kids unconditionally, they say, and they spend as much time with them as possible. Seems like a solid plan to me. I'm glad science agrees.

According to a recent study, babies who were breastfed exclusively for at least the first three months of life scored higher on IQ tests at age six than children who weren't breastfed exclusively. Previous research has shown that breastfed babies had enhanced thinking, learning, and memory abilities.

Researchers aren't exactly sure what the link between breastfeeding and IQ is. It could be a nutrient in breast milk -- perhaps the amino acids or cholesterol that's found in breast milk but not in formula. Or it could be the attachment-inducing act of breastfeeding.

The researchers of this study recommend breastfeeding exclusively for at least three months, though six months to one year may have added benefits.

When teen mom Xochitl Parra gave birth in the shower to the baby she'd been secretly carrying for nine months, she probably had no idea that her secret would soon be national news.

Parra had no phone in her home and thought that it was too early to call the neighbors for help. So she wrapped the baby in a blanket and -- umbilical cord still attached -- walked and jogged four blocks to the nearest hospital where doctors immediately set to taking care of her and the baby.

Parra and the baby are both healthy and safe. Doctors say they are lucky, but that Parra did the right thing by seeking help right away. Though Parra was initially scared to tell her mom about the baby, the family is now making arrangements to raise the baby together.

All old people may not be happy, but surveys of Americans taken since 1972 say that more than half of black men and women over the age of 80 are very happy. Older white men and women follow close behind. Young people, on the other hand: Not even close.

Only one-third of 18-year-old white men and 28 percent of white women say they are very happy. Young black Americans are even less happy. And Baby Boomers -- born between 1946 and 1964 -- are the least likely to report being happy.

Between 1972 and 2004, happiness trends went like this:

• General levels of happiness did not grow over the years, even though America became a wealthier country.
  
  

• Differences in happiness by gender, race, and education level lessened as people aged.
  
  
• Happiness increased over time, rising to high levels when people were older -- even for folks facing health problems and the deaths of friends and family.

Why are old people so happy? Maybe because so many of them live social lives -- volunteering, attending religious activities, spending time with neighbors -- or maybe because they're able to successfully compare themselves to others and feel pretty fortunate with what they've got. Or maybe we all just assume old people can't be all that happy, when the reality is much different.

Do you wish to one day be old and happy? Check out this AOL Body resource for a few longevity tips.

Moms who followed a "hearty" diet prior to conception are more likely to give birth to boys, according to a recent study. We touched on this here at That's Fit yesterday, but I thought I would go into some of the details I discovered.

The study found that, out of a group of women who followed a high energy diet (which generally included a daily bowl of breakfast cereal) around the time of conception, 56% had sons. Out of the group that took in fewer calories, including moms who skipped breakfast, only 45% had sons. The women in the first group not only consumed more calories, but but took in a large variety of nutrients.

Not everybody is sold on this theory, but there are some valid points to back up the findings.

Former Crossing Jordan and Law & Order actress Jill Hennessy just debuted her body after giving birth to her second child in November. And well, it looks pretty good.

Hennessy credits nursing for losing her pregnancy weight: "When you are nursing a small infant it literally sucks everything out of you," the 39-year-old said at her first post-baby public appearance.

Yoga helps too, admited Hennessy who maintains that getting back into shape is not all fun and games.

Lipstick Jungle's Kim Raver had a baby in October. Six months later, she's back in tip-top shape.

What's the star's secret? Running after baby Leo's five-year-old brother, Luke, eating well, working 16 hour days, nursing, and yes, exercising.

Raver has been taking "thigh-kicking" courses called Physique 57. Touted as the most effective workout system in New York City with the power to rapidly transform bodies, Physique 57 is a cardiovascular program of isometric exercises and orthopedic stretches. It tones the seat, abdominals, thighs and arms; strengthens the legs and back; and improves posture to produce a beautiful, sexy body.

If Raver's post-baby body serves as a testimonial for Physique 57, I'd say it's a system that works.

Want more celebrity body talk. Check out this AOL Body site.

The title of this post sounds like the title of made-for-TV movie. But it's fact. A baby boy was mistakenly sent home with the wrong family. The mistake happened in March at Heartland Regional Medical Center in southern Illinois. Upon realizing the error, hospital workers immediately contacted the families. Though they were not required to do so, the hospital reported the incident to state authorities.

I don't know how, in today's day and age, an error like this could occur. When people I know have given birth recently there are alarms on the maternity ward, infants and their parents wear matching bracelets, and photo IDs are taken of the children. In addition, unless there are medical issues, infants usually stay with their parents more now than in the past. At the time of writing, Heartland Regional Medical Center's web site isn't responding, so I'm not sure what their internal policies are.

Ghost Whisperer actress Jennifer Love Hewitt can't catch a break. First, the media scrutinized her bikini body and blamed her for putting on too much weight. Now a new rumor has surfaced: Jennifer Love Hewitt is pregnant.

"She is not pregnant," says the star's rep, despite reports to the contrary.

Love Hewitt was spotted recently wearing flowing, baby doll styles while running errands and while attending last weekend's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. That's when baby rumors began to flow.

It seems Love Hewitt can't bare her body or cover it up without being scrutinized. Fortunately, the actress seems happy with her body on all occasions.

While Jennifer Lopez was pregnant, there were rumors that she was unhappy with, even embarrassed by, the amount of weight she gained. However, she's now proudly announcing that she put on 50 pounds while carrying her twins, and though she acknowledges that it's a lot, she feels she had good reason.

She told OK! Magazine, "I gained a good amount of weight, which I was focused on because twins can sometimes have a low birth weight. I gained 45-50 pounds, a lot for my frame, but for twins it's right on." She also said she was proud of how she looks after giving birth, flaws and all. Lopez even admitted playing with her "little leftover belly."

I've got to say that it's refreshing to see a celebrity who is happy with her post-pregnancy body, even enjoying it a little (or pretending she is). So many stars feel such pressure to drop right back down to a size six (or zero, Nicole Richie), and that's just not realistic for anyone who can't spend all day with trainers and personal chefs.

Hey moms, are you trying to lose that stubborn baby weight? Here's a tip: don't leave baby at home with dad or the babysitter the next time you go for a run. Recent studies show that running with a stroller provides you with a much more intense workout without compromising your form or posture. Running with a stroller not only gives you a place to put your iPod, keys and water bottle, but it helps instill healthy habits in your little one early on in their life.

The one catch? You need a stroller that can handle a run. Anyone have any stroller recommendations?

(Via Fitsugar)

Former Law & Order star Elisabeth Röhm hasn't had her baby yet -- look for news about her baby girl's arrival in April -- but she's already eager to start working out hard.

"I'm gonna run like Forrest Gump!" says Röhm. "I definitely plan on doing NutriFit and running my ass off."

Röhm , 33, says this pregnancy, her first, has been pretty easy.

"My only humbling moments are when I have to grab onto the banister of my staircase and hoist myself up," she says. "Other than that it's been a breeze."

No, that's not the latest title to a pop song. It's just a fact. Researchers at the University of Oxford in England have discovered that merely looking at a baby's face triggers a part of our brain associated with rewards. So basically, one look and we're happy. Study participants didn't have the same reaction when they looked at other adults. Something about babies causes adult to respond positively with nurturing, caring thoughts.

The results of this study may hold clues to postpartum depression. It's possible that chemical changes during pregnancy or labor and delivery could alter the brain's ability to respond in its instinctive way.