More Diet and Fitness Questions Answered:

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our That's Fit 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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Miss Fitz, I've been trying to lose about 25 pounds for a very long time and wanted to run something past you. I'm of the opinion that vegetarians are pretty trim. Should I go that route to lose weight? Nathan

A. Hi Nathan. Interesting question. I'm feeling both the urge to say yes and no, so I'll talk about the subject and let you choose. Vegetarianism has great benefits, and one of them can be weight loss -- if you do it right. There can be drawbacks as well, so hopefully I can help you make a decision that's right for you.

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How's this for alarming stats -- an astounding 80 percent of us are eating more than the recommended daily intake (RDI) of saturated fats every day. That's pretty shocking -- I expected the number to be high but not that high. Considering February is heart health month, I think it's time to face the facts about our saturated fat intake. For the record, the RDI of sat-fat is 20 g per day. Keeping that in mind, consider this:

• One croissant has 20 g of saturated fat
• Eight ounces of cashew nuts has 30 g. So does one-third of a roast chicken.
• If a food has 5 g of sat-fat in a serving, avoid it.
  
• Soft cheese has less sat-fat than hard cheese.
  

Want to know the sat-fat content of some of your favourite foods? Here's a pretty thorough list, and click here for more facts and myths on sat-fat.

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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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Grocery costs are a bit crazy right now. I was forgiving of it when fuel costs were also outlandish ... after all, food has to be transported so fuel costs directly effect grocery costs. But now the fuel costs are down and grocery costs are staying high. I don't know about you, but I think it's totally unfair.

In these tight economic times, we all have to be penny-pinchers. Since meat is one of the most expensive grocery items to buy, it only makes sense to cut back. Beans and tofu spring to mind as meat-replacements -- they're inexpensive, filling and high in protein. Another great option -- though not high in protein -- is mushrooms.

Swapping mushrooms for meat isn't only economical, it's healthful, lower in calories, filling and completely tasty. Try them in lasagna or grill up a marinated portobello as a burger. A recent study found that when participants ate meals where mushrooms replaced beef, they consumed an average of 420 fewer calories. Great news if you're trying to lose weight!

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Eva Longoria-Parker is fat. Actually, make that was fat. The Desperate Housewives star recently is looking slimmer and trimmer after gaining weight for her role on the hit series. How did she do it? The vegetarian way. Longoria-Parker recently revealed that she cut out meat in an effort to slim down. Was it a big adjustment? Nope -- "I love it... It really has affected my body," says the star.

So why meat? "It takes a lot for the body to process red meat and I've never been a fan of chickens," she told reporters. But she still relies on control-top panties to tone her tummy and tush.

I sure wish I could just cut out meat and be a size zero. You too?

(via Calorie Lab)

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Sitting at a desk all day, it's not that hard to stay properly hydrated. I drink water before and after exercising in the morning, and then I keep a big glass of water at my desk all day long. I don't monitor exactly how much water I drink -- I'm not a big believer in getting a certain number of servings. Instead, I pay attention to my body and I know when I've had enough.

Probably the best way to gauge your hydration is by the color of your urine. Your urine should be pale yellow or nearly clear. If you find you need to hydrate a little more, but can't imagine drinking any more water, never fear. There are many foods that help you hydrate. Check out the gallery for some ideas. Cooking Light also has recipes incorporating hydrating ingredients.

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I rarely buy frozen chicken, but it wasn't too long ago that my son and I enjoyed Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner. It's a favorite of mine that I usually reserve for a treat at a restaurant. It looks like my son and I were a little lucky, though. As of now, 32 people in 12 states have contracted salmonella from frozen chicken dinners.

The frozen foods in question were breaded or pre-browned chicken breasts that needed to be cooked in the oven. Those who got ill neglected to follow the instructions and heated the food in the microwave. If the chicken is fully cooked before freezing, the microwave more than likely won't do the job.

When dealing with frozen foods, be sure to prepare the meal according to directions. And be sure that any meats -- frozen or fresh -- are cooked thoroughly.

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I just love Honey Crisp apples. Unfortunately, their deliciousness comes with a pretty big price tag. The other day I was checking out at the grocery store and I had a bag full of Honey Crisps. The cashier and I were lamenting over how costly they were. I mentioned that I had heard that apple growers in our state had planted some Honey Crisp trees, so hopefully the cost would go down when those trees were mature and bearing fruit. Then we looked at the label. Fortunately for the environment, but unfortunately for my wallet, the apples in question were from my state. And they were just as expensive as ever. Even though I was disappointed in the price, I was glad to see that my favorite fall treat is now locally grown.

Being able to see where food comes from is important for many reasons. Environmentally speaking, the fewer miles the food has to travel to arrive on your grocery store shelves, the better. Local food also helps to ensure freshness and it supports the local economy. Health-wise, knowing what country your food is from can help you avoid foods that are potentially exposed to unsanitary conditions and/or harmful chemicals.

The new law, which requires country of origin labeling as of September 30, is a bit confusing, however. Certain foods, such as roasted peanuts and bacon, don't have to be labeled. Any food that can be considered processed is exempt from the law.

[via FitSugar]

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A good friend and I were chatting on the phone the other day and the subject turned to grocery costs. I thought my grocery bills were high, but compared to my friend's bills, mine are chump change. Her grocery costs were literally triple what mine were. Considering we have similarly sized families, it was kind of shocking.

In the end, we determined that the bulk of the savings is because her family eats a lot of meat and mine doesn't. It's not that my son and I eat 100% vegetarian meals every night -- we don't. But our meals have just a little meat, and larger amounts of grains and produce. Some ideas:

• Make meat stretch. Instead of cooking one chicken breast per person, make a package of chicken breasts spread over several meals. For example, one average-sized chicken breast is enough to feed three people if you serve enough veggies and grains with the meal. Use the remaining chicken for other meals such as a stir-fry or a cold chicken salad. You can apply the same principle with other meats as well. For example, a package of ground turkey can stretch into three meals for my family -- usually turkey burgers, lettuce wraps, and turkey chili with beans.

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We all indulge in 'bad' foods from time to time, but what are the chances that most of us are indulging in bad things most of the time? Pretty high if you live in Britain. Recent studies out of the UK showed that in every region of the country, people were eating more than their recommended daily intake of saturated fat on a regular basis. In more urbanized parts of the country, the average person consumed 20% more saturated fat than they should have, while in more rural parts of the country, they were eating double the amount they should. Yikes.

Why should we care about what they're eating in England? I have a very good feeling that we North Americans aren't far off. Eating too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol, up your chance of heart disease and shorten your lifespan, among other things.

You should be getting no more than 20 g - 30g of saturated fat a day. Lower your average intake by cutting out processed meats like bacon and sausages and cutting down on how much butter you consume.

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Google, the ingenious company that has seemingly single-handedly conquered the internet, could use some lessons in nutrition, apparently. Well, at least their NYC Cafe could. The eatery recently served up a stomach-churning, heart attack-inducing, vomit-inspiring doozy of a sandwich. The Bacon Krispy Kreme Burger is just that -- a cheeseburger with bacon served on a Krispy Kreme donut as the bun. The only way they could possibly make it less nutritious is if they deep fried it.

How many calories does you think is in one of these? Let's see, about 200 in the donut, 250 in the pattty, 150 in the bacon and 100 in the cheese? At 700 calories and about a jillion grams of fat, let's hope Google provides its employees with good insurance plans.

(via Celebrity Diet Doctor)

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You can benefit your health while doing the environment a favor. What a win/win situation!

Recent data from the UN shows what many of us already knew -- meat production emits significant greenhouse gases. In fact, meat production emits more greenhouse gases than transportation. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that it counts for about 18% of greenhouse emissions.

So take a tip from the UN Climate Chief and serve up more vegetarian meals. To further reduce your impact on the environment, purchase only locally-grown produce. AOL Food has a wide variety of vegetarian recipes to choose from. Enjoy!

[via GreenDaily]

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The Atkins Diet took the world by storm a few years ago -- and created a lot of controversy over health concerns. I can't say I disagree -- an eating plan that allows you to eat bacon and butter but outlaws even half a slice of whole wheat bread just seems wrong no matter how much weight you lose if you ask me.

According to the Daily Mail, the Atkins diet is back with a bang, and bread is no longer your worst enemy. Actually, the new plan looks a lot like the South Beach Diet, in that carbs are banned for two weeks, after which you can slowly integrate them back into your life. Another key change? Exercise is now recommended, especially if you're planning on eating carbs.

What do you think of the Atkins Diet? Does it work? More importantly, is it doable?

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Yuck! I just watched a little news bit about Minnesota on Fox News. They were featuring the state as it is hosting the Republican Convention in St. Paul. (That title is meant to be read with an adorable accent.)

Apparently all the folks in Minnesota aren't in "the know" about health. On display in this feature was an obnoxious amount of fried food being carried around on sticks. Mmmmm. Heart disease. Corn dogs, fried chips, fried meat and to top it off, chocolate covered bacon!

Would you ever even consider eating this? It looked pretty fowl to me, though I am fairly particular about what I put in my mouth. I can only imagine some guy sitting in a diner one day thinking, "how could I improve on this strip of pig fat? I know! Let's dip it in chocolate!"

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