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.

Cameron Mathison introduced his amazing abdominals to prime time TV viewers last year on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Those abs are a gift daytime soap addicts have enjoyed for a long time, as Cameron has starred on All My Children for many years. Last week, Cameron sat down to chat with me (I'm the squeaky voice you'll hear over a weird connection in the background) about how he stays in amazing shape. His advice is golden and if you do what he says, you may be worthy of some shirtless scenes too.

If you're interested in getting one of those warm and fuzzy hugs Cameron may be handing out this weekend ...

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Any fitness buff or sports enthusiast will know what I mean when I say moisture-wicking fabrics have a stinky problem. Sure, they're wonderful when you're jogging or working out at the gym; they pull sweat away from your body instead of letting it cling to you like a cotton t-shirt does. But those moisture-wicking shirts and shorts and socks have a downfall... they are the pack rats of sweat.

The same problem holds true for many sports uniforms. I know my son's nylon soccer uniform can come out of the wash with all the grass stains removed, but sometimes there's a lingering aroma quite different than the spring-fresh aroma my laundry detergent touts.

There are plenty of options for getting your workout clothes or sports uniforms looking and smelling perfectly clean. Specialty sports detergents are designed for performance fabrics. And other laundry additives can boost the cleaning ability of your normal detergents. Check out the gallery for some ideas.

My son is 11. Part of the job description of being a pre-teen boy is to be dirty. Almost constantly dirty. When he's home for the summer, it's easy for me to remind him to wash his hands. But school is starting in a few short days and hand washing habits will become even more important.

Henry the Hand is a great site that makes hand washing a fun, simple activity for kids. It promotes some simple principles:

• Wash your hands whenever they're dirty and before eating
• Don't cough or sneeze into your hands
• Don't put dirty fingers near your eyes, nose, or mouth.

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It's funny how different people are about their bath time routines. I have plenty of friends who like nothing more than to soak in a hot bath for half an hour, while others want to get in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. I fall somewhere in between -- there are times when my muscles are screaming for a hot shower, and I take a little longer than normal, but there are quite a few times I'm in and out in very little time.

What doesn't change, however, is my love of good products. What's a shower (or a bath) without a shampoo that smells amazing, or a soap that's totally invigorating? And, of course, it has to feel great on my skin.

Lately I've been hearing a lot about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. The company has been around for 60 years, though only recently have they gone from being a cult favorite natural food store brand to being embraced by the masses. The products are completely eco-friendly and certified organic as well as fair trade certified. Besides all that goodness, there are over 30,000 words written on the labels of all the products epitomizing the founder's beliefs -- makes for good reading!

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Now there's a soap that gets you squeaky clean and protects you from the sun's harmful rays. The all-natural soap provides an all-over layer of SPF 10 protection.

SPF 10 isn't enough for a day at the beach or for when you're spending prolonged periods of time in the sun. But I think a soap that provides a good base layer of protection is a great idea. It's also a perfect low-level protector for days when your exposure to the sun is minimal. You can purchase the soap online for $8.

Despite our knowledge about the importance of sun protection, sunburns seem to be on the rise. The numbers of reported sunburns in the US rose roughly 2% from 1999 to 2004. Check out the gallery for additional ideas on how to protect your skin from the sun. And don't forget to go to AOL Body for more sun safe tips.

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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.

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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.

This week I'm featuring one of the sexiest men alive (to heck with People magazines list! If they haven't figured out to put this guy on their list....they've no credibility with me.) Colin Egglesfield is both a successful actor with a sweet job as Josh Madden on ABC's soap All My Children, and one of the most popular male models around. If you don't recognize the name, go check out his website, ColinEgglesfield.com and you'll whack yourself on the head in one of those "I could have had a V-8 type moments". The guy has been the face and body of the biggest print campaigns around. Calvin Klein, Versace, Nautica, Clinique....the list goes on.

Before interviewing Colin, I literally had to shake my giggles out for about three hours. He's that insanely handsome. It was very stressful to me, until he said "hello". Besides being ridiculously delightful to look at, the boy is sweet! Pleasant, funny, down to earth, smart and thoughtful. The kind of guy anyone would adore, even if he were not so pretty. Colin is the all-American man, with a cautious Irish mother who happens to be a big star. He only happened across show business while pausing before medical school.

On the fitness side, Colin's body speaks for itself. He's not genetically gifted; he works damn hard. He runs, lifts and cycles. He's mastered nutritious eating in a way that allows him to continue looking quite perfect all the time, without having to starve or suffer. He's not strangely large or small.......he's just right. Fit. Fit. Fit. So enjoy learning about the guy who you may have drooled over in the men's section of department stores, or just wanted to be like(if you're a guy). I did. And when you're done, check out Colin's custom T-shirt company ShoutOutClothing.com. The ever-changing T's are the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list.

Fitz: How did you get into modeling and acting?

Colin:I decided to take a one year break after graduating from the University of Iowa and before attending medical school. I kind of fell into a modeling contract and then pretty immediately landed on runways around the world.

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Colin Egglesfield is the owner of the magnificent body we see on the Calvin Klein underwear box (at right). Colin has been generous enough to share a clear shot of his abs with us, and also some advice on how to get yours to look more like his!

We chatted a bit the other day for his feature in an upcoming Celebrity Fitzness Report here on ThatsFit.com. I found it refreshing to hear how hard he works to stay in great shape. He's not 'genetically gifted', he's a man who's willing to do the work it takes to earn a body worthy of massive billboards. Read the description of Colin's eating habits and training schedule for when he has a CK shoot on the horizon. Take note of the fact that he does not starve or suffer in any way. He just chooses lean nutritious food, and works out like a monster.Thank you Colin. Not only for making my eyes so happy, but for sharing your fantastic strategies for becoming a physical masterpiece.

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Before a recent camping trip, I was shopping for supplies and looking for a squirt bottle of plain soap to take with us for easy clean up. I was amazed to find out that it's hard to find soap that isn't antibacterial. Soaps containing the active ingredient triclosan seem to have taken over the market, but are antibacterial soaps really more effective?

No, say researchers. Though we're all encouraged to wash our hands to stop the spread of germs, a recent review of 27 studies by the University of Michigan has found that plain soap is just as effective as antibacterial soap in keeping hands clean for the general population. Antibacterial products have long been blamed for contributing to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and though there's debate about whether that finding is accurate or not, it appears that either kind of soap will keep your hands squeaky clean. Good to know!

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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.

This week's featured celeb is Alicia Minshew of All My Children. She's been on the show since 2002, and plays Erica Kane's daughter (Erica Kane is played by the legendary soap star Susan Lucci). I want to tell you all what a true delight Alicia is. I've spent many days with a variety of celebrities, but Alicia sounds more like one of my silly girlfriends from college than a gorgeous star who graces daytime television five days a week. She's bubbly, sweet and totally down to earth. She's definitely someone fun to hang out with, I'm sure.

Alicia truly takes her health to heart. I believe her fabulous physique is merely a side effect of her dedication to healthy living. She's just launched her first instructional workout programs which you can check out at Pumpone.com/Alicia, and I'm expecting them to be just as captivating as she is.

Fitz: Tell me about your fitness routine.

Alicia: To stay fit, I work out with my trainer, Louis Corragio two to three times a week. We do light weights, Pilates, and yoga. I also run about four miles once or twice a week. If I can't train, I do some light weights and stretches in my dressing room! Gotta keep moving!

Fitz: What's on your mp3 player?

Alicia: I have a bit of everything! Green Day, Guns-N-Roses, Justin Timberlake, David Gray, Moby...quite a mix!

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It's an old joke really -- soap, being soap, never gets dirty right? Or does it? The Dial Corporation Technical Center recently did a test to answer the question definitively and found out that the risk of contamination from a bar of soap is basically nil. Even when bars of soap were inoculated with bacterias E. coli and P. aeruginosa at drastically high levels, participants who used the soap didn't have detectable levels of bacteria on their hands after they were done washing them. So there you go...another one of life's mysteries solved!

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The age-old adage of washing up before dinner has some strong implications when you consider how much bacteria could be hitching a ride on dirty hands. All kinds of nasty illnesses can result from improper hygiene. Way back when before everyone had fancy antibacterial cleaners, soap got the job done. But now that we can simply rub on a hand gel or spray a surface, it begs the question: are we really choosing the right weapon against bacteria?

Microbiologists are beginning to think that antibacterial products don't quite clean as well as traditional methods. In fact, they could be doing more harm than good! These cleaners leave behind residue that can help build resistant bacteria, whereas soap and water do not. Why is this? It's due to the fact that antibacterial products don't kill everything, and the strains of bacteria left over become even stronger.

After the bacteria become tolerant of these cleaners, cross-resistance is possible. This means they start putting up all kinds of defenses, including protection against other things like antibiotics. One example they discovered was for a compound found in many hand and wash cleaners. Prolonged exposure to this common antibacterial cleaner caused mutations in the bacteria. Not only did they become stronger, but they somehow built a resistance to an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis. While this has only been shown in labs, the potential is there in the home. If you're a healthy individual, experts suggest sticking with soap. However some people with lesser immune systems may have to rely on antibacterial products.

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I posted on an article once before about the cancer-causing chemical 1,4 Dioxane being present in many personal care products like shampoos, body washes, bar soaps, etc. It's definitely not a completely new concept that our showers and baths are full of dangerous by-products, but I can't help but be bothered by the fact that although I'm grateful people are reporting these things, what exactly can we do about it? We got the bad news already, give us some ideas for solutions!

So I was encouraged today when I came across this link on how to find the safest and healthiest products -- finally something useful! And not only can I make a point to buy shampoo, make up, and other products with the "lowest concern" rating, but having lists like this out there for consumers may help motivate the manufacturers to give this issue some increased attention. So where does your favorite shampoo rank on the list?

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These days, it seems like so many products use the label 'antibacterial' as a selling point. I know I've chosen the antibacterial version of something over the regular one, but I might not anymore after reading this. The article provides three reasons not to use Antibacterial products:

1-They are bad for the environment, and have turned up in fish, waste water, and even breast milk.
2-They have lead to resistant strains of bacteria.
3-They don't do us any good. Colds and flus are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Plus, according to this, a little bacteria is good for you -- it helps build a healthy immune system.

I did a little digging and found that antibacterial products have actually been linked to cancer, which is pretty scary considering these products are everywhere. I think this is a good lesson in not believing everything corporations tell you.

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How many of you use that old sponge at your kitchen sink until it is about ready to crumble apart forcing us to get another one out of the pack under the sink? Guilty by admission. How many of you use the sponges on a handle that will dispense soap to wash dishes. I Used to. Dish washing sponges are full of concavities, millions of them and these concavities help produce foam but are also a breading ground for lots of different bacteria. Most of the bacteria nestled inside sponges comes from food when we wash dishes or wipe counters, especially raw foods, like meat or poultry and vegetables.

Some people put sponges in the microwave to kill bacteria. Well lets blow this myth out of the water. The spores that some kind of bacteria make to survive harsh conditions do not contain much water and they might survive microwaves. Bacteria that spill food may be killed in a microwave, but the toxins that they produce are the actual substances that make us ill, and they are not destroyed by microwaves. Improperly cleaned microwaves are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria also.

Wooden and poly cutting boards are full of crevices and if you wash them with a sponge that is full of bacteria you are just pushing bacteria deep into the board creating a risk for food poisoning or infection.

So how do you protect yourself from these bacterias and germs breeding around your kitchen sink and in your sponge. Start healthy habits when cleaning. Wash your hands even before you pick up the sponge to wash dishes. Leave your sponge very dry and without any residue of organic material by cleaning your sponge after you wash your dishes and by all means keep it away from your cutting board. Soak your sponge in vinegar which is a natural bacteria killer. Most important is to change your sponge every week. Oh come on, you can't complain about that. You can buy 4 sponges for $2. The cost of a trip to a hospital for food or bacteria poisoning is $200. Cost of the sanity to know you are safe.......... PRICELESS.

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