I'm a big fan of Mexican food, but not a fan of all the fat that usually goes along with it. That doesn't hold me back from enjoying it whenever I want, though. I just order or make each dish in a much smarter and healthier way.

Homemade Tortilla Chips are a staple item and the great news is, they're painfully easy to make. I whip up a batch quickly and serve them with salsa (which is naturally nonfat) or my Fat Free Mexican O-Layered Dip.

Both recipes are available in my online recipe book at Fitzness.com, and I hope you'll give them a try. Other fun toppings to add to your chips are lean grilled meat, veggies, low fat or nonfat cheeses and sour cream.

Just like any other style of cooking, whenever you ditch the oil, butter and fatty sauces ... you'll end up with a much healthier meal. Ole!

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We often think about ground flax seeds as being something we add to other recipes to give them a little boost of nutrition: toss some into smoothies, muffins, granola.

How about recipes that use flax seeds as a main ingredient, though? We don't see too many of those, yet the health benefits of flax seeds are so bountiful that we should all be eating more.

Did you ever think of making a flax seed pizza crust? It only takes 15 minutes and I suggest using honey as the sweetener, so you'll end up with a honey-wheat type of dough. It promises to be hearty and nutritious!

When you think about the herb, thyme, what comes to mind? Probably rich, French country dishes, with so many calories and so much fat that it makes your hips bigger just thinking about it!

If you avoid cooking with this fragrant herb, though, you are missing out on thyme's amazing health benefits, like antioxidant power and antibacterial properties. Thyme is such a flavorful herb -- wouldn't it be nice to enjoy it in some healthy dishes?

Remember, you can substitute fresh thyme for dried in almost any recipe (just use a little less) to get more of the beneficial oils in the herb.

This weekend, our family went to a Mexican Fiesta party. I gotta say, not only were the food offerings delicious -- and plentiful! -- they were also healthy. From guacamole and veggies to slow-cooked beans with cilantro, there was something to satisfy every taste, and every nutritional need.

My favorite had to be the Mexican chopped salad with honey lime dressing. This salad had greens, chunks and color, color, color. Everything is fresh and the balanced ingredients are oozing nutrition.

Talk about a masterpiece: romaine, black beans, corn, tomato, avocado, jicama, radishes, red pepper, and a delectable dressing, complete with fresh garlic.

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Yes, I'm still trying to increase the amount of beans we eat, as I had mentioned when I posted the polenta and butter bean recipe earlier this month. We love beans, don't get me wrong. What we are finding hard is summertime bean dishes.

It's easy in the wintertime to do a one-pot hearty bean stew or something of the sort, but when we crave grilled food, it isn't as easy to serve up beans with no meat.

This recipe for Chick pea and black bean salad is summery enough to steer us away from our grill once in a while (although I'm sure tempted to serve it alongside a medium-rare grass-fed beef burger). It calls for tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions and other bounty we are getting from our CSA Farm share right now, so that makes it a fresh and nutritious choice.

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Have you jumped on board the "eat local" bandwagon yet? We sure have, and we are loving our CSA Farm for the second season this summer.

One thing I look forward to is getting a variety of salad greens throughout the season: Bibb, Boston, Romaine, and Red Leaf lettuces, and my bitter favorite: arugula.

This easy recipe, Garden Greens with Yellow Tomatoes and Peaches -- and I mean easy! -- combines your favorite greens with arugula, tomatoes and peaches, all in a balsamic shallot dressing.

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A delicious source of vegetarian protein? Quinoa, of course! It is not a true grain, so it is more protein than carbs, and it offers a plethora of vital minerals as well.

Zucchini, chock-full of vitamin C and minerals, is abundant this time of year and healthy.

Garbanzo beans: high in potassium, vitamins B and E, and fiber; another powerful legume.

How can you go wrong combining these amazingly healthy foods in one delectable dish?

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz, I know that most people are trying to lose weight, but I am trying to gain. Gain muscle, that is. I am going to the gym three to four times per week. I'm using the weight machines there, but It doesn't seem like I am gaining any muscle. Could you give me some advice? What types of healthy food should I eat? Should I be doing more reps with less weight or fewer reps with more weight? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Lea Rettig

A. Hey Lea, your question is superb, and the answer thank goodness is quite simple. Strength training should be challenging. Funny enough, my clients always seemed shocked and follow up that feeling of shock by giving me dirty looks when I pass them the dumbbell I'd like them to lift. Along with that dirty look, I receive chronic cries of, "Fitz! That's heavy!" Well, yes. Yes it is. The purpose of strength training is to get stronger, and yes ... build muscle. If I were to give them weights they could already lift comfortably ... they wouldn't be getting any stronger!

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Why is it that food products contain artificial lemon flavoring but household products are made with real lemons?

Why do people protect their babies and kids by putting them in car seats and then feed them food with synthetics and chemicals?

If grocery stores have aisles labeled "Health Food," are the other aisles stocked with un-health food?

A post on the blog Whole Food and More raises these thought-provoking questions and a few others too. Check them all out here and see what sorts of answers you come up with. Or come up with your own "these-don't-make-sense" food thoughts and tell the Whole Food crew what you think. Tell us too.

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Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

March 15, 2008

An internet acquaintance of mine led me in the direction of the Web site Make Me Heal. She just had a tummy tuck herself and found this resource a few days post-surgery after becoming a little depressed about what she'd done to her body, what she'd done with her money, and what she'd done to her husband and little girl whose lives were altered by this serious surgery. Make Me Heal helped her. It's helping me too.

Make Me Heal, operated out of Los Angeles, is the world's largest online portal for plastic surgery, anti-aging, and beauty products, services, and information. I'm using it solely for its message boards and blogs and have found handfuls of women who have survived tummy tucks and are thriving because of them. Chock full of personal stories, before and after photos, and priceless words of wisdom, Make Me Heal is offering me a sneak peek into what I may encounter myself. There are some sobering thoughts -- a few women are distraught about swelling; others some loose skin was left behind. There are many more hopeful messages -- nearly all of the women are amazed by their results, can't believe how good they look and feel, and share photographs of six-pack abs that are simply beautiful.

This tummy tuck business has my head a bit jumbled. Make Me Heal is making me feel better.

NOTE: Abdominoplasty is recommended for those whose skin and muscle cannot recover on their own as a result of significant weight loss, pregnancy, aging, heredity, or prior surgery. It is not a substitute for weight loss or an appropriate exercise program. For more information about this surgery, click here.

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I was checking out some of the info on DIY Life recently and was very amused by this post by Heather Craven on making your own hand sanitizer. Like Heather, I can be overzealous when it comes to washing my hands. In her case it's essential to carry hand sanitizer when out at soccer games or the supermarket with her kids. I always have some handy (no pun intended) for music festivals (port-o-potties aren't always equipped) and while traveling (foreign subways are never equipped).

Turned off by the not-so-nice chemicals in store-bought hand sanitizers, Heather went on an Internet search for one she could make cheaply at home with easy-to-find products. The amusing part is that her favorite turned out to include vodka in the mix of ingredients.

If you'd like to give it a try, take a look at Heather's post to get the recipe. I love the idea of avoiding rubbing chemicals into your skin by making your own sanitizer, but I can't help but think that it's a waste of vodka! I'd definitely recommend skipping the Grey Goose and using the cheapest brand you can find instead.

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One of my favorite treats is bread and jam. Toast and jam works too, and both are especially good with a tablespoon of the tasty, homemade raspberry variety. When I was little, I used to love visiting the family farm and spending an afternoon picking berries (although admittedly, a lot of those berries didn't make it into the pail, but rather ended up heading straight into my mouth after being plucked from among its leafy green surroundings), knowing that my grandmother would turn it into one of my favorite sweet treats.

I never sat in on a jam-making session though, so have never had the chance to make it on my own and wouldn't even know where to start. But recently I came across this post at DIY Life by Heather Craven that gives details on how to make your own jam! She mentions that it's great to use fruit out of your own garden, but if you don't have that particular luxury it's the perfect time of year to find all sorts of appropriate fruits at a local farmer's market. Next time all you fellow jam-fans out there have some time on your hands, you'll know what to do.

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I'm watching Dancing with the Stars right now, and for the most part almost all of the contestants have one thing in common. Hot bodies! Now, I'm not usually one to shout 'hot body', but these people look outstanding. Good for them. As an athlete, I watch and think about the days I use to have hours to do nothing but train all day. I loved being so incredibly lean in athletic. Wouldn't it be nice if we were all paid to dance all day? Or swim, kickbox, run all day. Whatever. We'd all have HOT BODIES too!

Well reality doesn't usually allow us 8 hour training days, but we can still get that sexy look without our own show. Attaining a lean muscular physique requires, weight loss and strength training. Got it. We talk about that all the time. Now I'm going to address the other little 'bonus' things they do to look so great for the show.

• Self tanner. Go spray tan somewhere or do it at home. Tanning lotions are safe and give a nice brown color that will enhance the definition of the muscles you already have. *Tanning in the sun or tanning bed is dangerous, and will destroy your skin. Avoid that OK?
• Show off your assets! If you love your arms, go sleeveless. Got great legs? Show em off. These dancers cover and show their favorite parts strategically. You should do the same.
• Wear high heels. They do make your legs look longer, and force your calves into a constant flexed position. Very sexy looking!
• Actually do your hair and makeup. They don't doof around on this one. If you're a girl...go all out girlie! Guys..try gel.
• Fitted shirts and boot cut pants on the men. YUMMY!

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