That's Fit

We are what we eat. Sure, we've been hearing that since we were in grade school, but it's a health maxim that, for whatever reason, never really seemed to stick. For proof of this assertion, visit any 7-11 and count the number of Big Gulp purchases that are made in ten minutes.

There is an enormous amount of evidence to support the existence of a food/well-being connection. Some foods affect how we handle stress (such as blueberries, which have been shown to reduce cortisol levels), while others have a direct impact on our mood (such as fish, dark chocolate, and sunflower seeds). Others, like potassium-rich bananas, regulate blood pressure, while high-protein eggs help build strong muscles and almonds increase blood flow, thereby improving sexual function.

These are only a few examples of how we truly are a direct result of what foods we consume. With this in mind, then, maybe it's time we thought about renaming the "Happy Meal," since its high-fat, high-carb content can lead to a very unhappy level of cholesterol and blood sugar. Maybe doing so will help the youth of today to better understand what You Are What You Eat really means and will therefore influence their dietary decisions.

Like cognition-improving walnuts, it's some food for thought.

Having just watched a beloved family friend endure a debilitating bout of chemotherapy, I'm very skeptical about a new survey released by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS).

According to an article that appears in the current issue of Men's Health, a NCCS survey found that 94 percent of cancer patients claim that chemotherapy is not as enfeebling as most people perceive it to be. Again, I find this figure to be somewhat hard to believe. Even as a kid, when a good friend's father battled cancer, I witnessed the manner in which the treatment assaulted his body. I'm doubtful that he felt his initial concerns proved to be unwarranted once his treatment concluded.

In no way am I casting doubt on the efficacy of chemotherapy; rather, I'm simply voicing my opinion on this particular study. I simply find it hard to believe -- given what I've experienced personally with loved ones -- that such a high percentage of people finish treatment and essentially take the attitude of "It wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be." Could I be wrong? Of course -- wouldn't be the first time, definitely won't be the last. That's why I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the results of this survey. Feel free to weigh in on this matter in the comments section below.

Last week I wrote about my goal to drop six sticky pounds. And a reader asked why, suggesting the scale is not the sole determinant of good health. This is certainly true. But my experience is this: Weight gain begets weight gain and pretty soon you can find yourself heavier than your heart valves, vanity and wardrobe are comfortable with. And I believe vanity, within reason, is an important part of our emotional health. Maybe not as important as clear arteries or wellness in general, but important nonetheless.

Here's some perspective: I'm essentially near the top of what's considered a healthy weight for my stature. That means I have no leeway for vacations or Thanksgiving or GNO. I like leeway. And I like nipping things in the bud before they're a problem. Or before I can't squeeze into my bathing suit to join my daughter in swim class. That's my strategy, and it's worked for me so far.

I think it can work for any parent struggling to keep tabs on their health and find time to exercise. It's all about staying on top of things as much as possible because none of us has room for big problems in our lives. It's about being reasonable. Losing six pounds is a whole lot easier than losing 60. Sixty pounds is a lot. Trust me. I just pushed that amount around in a double stroller yesterday as a way of getting a workout in while babysitting my daughter's best friend before my in-laws arrived in town.

I spent an hour sitting and visiting with a neighbor the other night, a neighbor nearing the end of her life, thanks to stage IV breast cancer that has spread to both lungs. We talked about all sorts of things -- how she should have been more vigilant about mammograms, how it's nice for her to know exactly what it is that will take her life, and how she can eat just about anything she wants now. We also talked about exercise.

My neighbor, who is in her early 70s, said she was in the marching band in high school. But ever since that time in her life, she's never really exercised. In her day, she said, exercise was about vanity. Women worked out to achieve a certain figure, to look good. There was very little talk about the benefits of exercise on overall health. And since she didn't buy into the gotta-look-a-certain-way mentality, she'd didn't buy into exercise either. In hindsight, she wishes she would have.

This thread of our discussion really makes me think. It makes me mostly think how lucky the young people of today are to know the health merits of exercise, to realize that while it can make a body look good, it's also a life-saving venture. It makes me feel good that my kids, now seven and five, will likely always know of exercise as a health measure. I'm not even sure they realize it can be used to achieve a certain appearance. Lucky for them.

Clearly, exercise is about wellness. Now, in her unwell days, my neighbor knows this. There's just very little she can do about it now. Unlucky for her.

Thursdays always seem to be big dining out nights. We've made it past hump day, and with only one work day left until the weekend, spending time out on the town with friends or co-workers is a great way to decompress.

However, it's also these same fun-filled dining out events that can easily derail you from the healthy track you're on. We start with some bread, then do some app swapping, followed by an enormous plate of pasta, and then we finish with a mountainous piece of chocolate cake. Oh yeah, and somewhere in between we have a drink or two. All said and done, it's very easy to consume over 1,000 calories in that single meal. Not good, since it's recommended that the average person consume around 2,000 total calories per day.

One way to avoid letting your fun night out turn deadly to your diet is to eat for yourself. This doesn't mean eating by yourself; rather, it simply means that you should cut yourself off when you have eaten enough, instead of continuing to chow down just because everyone else at the table is still doing so. Put down your utensils, fold up your napkin and call it a night ... for food. As for the laughter and good times, they're likely just beginning at that point.

For more diet and fitness tips, visit our sister site, AOL Body, by clicking here.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men over 75. It occurs when cells of the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may then metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, usually the bones and lymph nodes. It can lead to pain, incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and death.

That's why it's so important for men in their 20s and 30s to take steps to protect themselves against prostate cancer later in life. What are some of those steps? Well, one happens to be regular ejaculations. The Australian Cancer Council found that ejaculating more than five times a week in your 20s and 30s reduces the risk of prostate cancer later in life. Interestingly enough, the report states that masturbation is more effective than relying on sex alone, presumably because most men aren't getting this lucky this often.

Obviously, there are other factors (diet, exercise, etc.) that can also affect a man's chances of prostate cancer. Otherwise, if all it took to stave off prostate cancer was masturbating while you're young, it should almost be cured by now -- because, in a recent national study, 95 percent of men reported having masturbated.

My guess is that the other five percent didn't have arms.

The mind-body connection is something we frequently dismiss as being a bit too existential to really buy into, but the fact is that between these two parts of our being exists a very real relationship.

Just as it is possible for some people to feel better simply because they paid more money for medication (instead of spending less on the generic, even though their ingredients are identical), how we feel about our diet may also be rooted deeply in our mind-set. This is exemplified by a study out of the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, wherein researchers found that people given candies called tangerine, orange, or strawberry jelly beans claimed to enjoy the taste more than those given unnamed, but identical treats.

The mind is as much a part of the body as any other organ, limb, hair, or millimeter of skin, yet we tend to dichotomize the two, as if each could somehow act independently of the other. Think healthy and you will ultimately be healthy. Understanding this sense of wholeness is crucial to achieving total wellness in our lives.

Multivitamins are a convenient way to get all of the major vitamins and minerals packed into one little pill, but they are not exactly the most soluble of food supplements. To get around this, many supplement manufactures have created powder drink vitamin formulas, serving to bypass this one issue. But the taste (and price) of some of these products may not be right for everyone. Fortunately, there is always one other option. Good, ol' fashioned food.

In order to get your vitamins, you have to know where to find them. Perhaps I'll make this a multi-part post; covering all of the major vitamins over the next few days and telling you in what foods they can found. Sound like a good idea? I think so. To that end, I'll start today with some the many types of vitamin B and their respective health benefits.

B1 - Found in whole grain bread, pasta, rice, and pork. This type of B vitamin helps release energy from food and also keeps nerve and brain cells nice and healthy.

B5 - Found in fish, meat, poultry, whole grains, legumes, milk, fruits, and vegetables. This vitamin helps with the metabolizing of carbs, proteins, and fats.

B6 - Found in chicken, pork, fish, liver, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Great for keeping serotonin levels where they should be.

B9 - Also known as folate, this can be found in many fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, and beef liver. It helps break down fatty acids and has also been shown in some studies to reduce the progression of cancer in some cases.

B12 - Is found in abundance in eggs, meat, fish, poultry, and dairy. This form of vitamin B helps to form red blood cells.

When it comes to being healthy, there are three basic rules to follow: Eat well, exercise, and sleep. The Big Three. However, in the fast-paced world in which we live, it can oftentimes be difficult to adhere to even one of these rules, let alone all three.

Being honest with ourselves, we know whether we exercise enough, or if we eat clean the majority of the time, or if we're getting enough sleep each night. Personally, I know where I fall short. While I am very committed to working out at least 5 days a week and eating a very strict diet 6 out of 7 days per week (I usually take a day off to splurge a little bit), I frequently get less than 7 hours of sleep. Considering that all three of these wellness elements are of relatively equal import, I know that I have to make efforts to get to bed earlier.

What about you? Are you slacking when it comes to any of the Big Three? And if so, what is your plan to remedy that issue?

You can't be fit, or get fit, if you're not healthy. But being healthy has so many angles and there are so many things to keep in mind that it's easy to lose track and let different areas of your health slip without even realizing. Different seasons mean different health concerns, and so to make this season a healthy one we've got a list (courtesy of Natural Health) of 20 things you can do to help stay well, and fit, this winter:

• Spice up your meals with spices like ginger and garlic to boost your immune system, and hot peppers (if you can stand 'em) to boost circulation.
• Give homeopathic remedies a shot. One they recommend is influenzinum 9C.
• At the first signs of feeling sick try soaking your feet in hot water for about 20 minutes before going to bed.
• Make a point to take some deep breaths every day. Not breathing well and deeply regularly can have a slow but very negative effect on your body.

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.

I'm thrilled to death about my guest this week, Dr. Mehmet Oz., vice chair of surgery and professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University. I, along with millions of others met Dr. Oz a couple of years ago when he started appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show as her health expert. Kind of like the way she introduced Dr. Phil; except that Dr. Oz is truly brilliant in a non-subjective kind of way, easy on the eyes, and easy to understand.

I've been teaching fitness for almost two decades and have earned a Master's Degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences. I'm always hungry for new and relevant information. Rarely I find it. But, Dr. Oz always teaches me something new. He breaks highly advanced medical concepts down, so that everyone can understand them and how they affect our lives.

Dr. Oz is a major force in the push for real deal, gimmick-free healthy living. Mehmet is one of Oprah's favorite things, and a host of his own talk show on the Oprah and Friends radio network. He has a series on the Discovery Health Channel called You:Staying Young. He also happens to have best selling books out: You:Staying Young and You:On a Diet. I'd like to shrink down small and run around in his brain for a while to absorb all that he has to offer; either that or be his apprentice for a week. Since I probably can't do that, I invited him for an interview. Enjoy it. I did!

Fitz: How did you make the transition from cardiologist to wellness guru?

Dr. Oz: I spent the first few years of my career doing general medicine; you have to learn all other aspects of being a doctor before becoming a cardiologist. I got a great education on how the entire body works. Medicine is somewhat of a narcissistic profession, and I've spent a lot of my life keeping myself healthy. I saw the lifestyle mistakes others were making which led them to me, and I started to feel kind of guilty for not sharing what I knew about health and fitness. The stuff I've been pursuing my whole life! I lettered in eleven sports; everything from water polo to football. I love how you feel after working out; there's a lot to learn in life from pushing your body.

Fitz: How old are you?

Dr. Oz: I'm 47.

Fitz: Do you have children?

Dr. Oz: I have four kids. Ages twenty-one, seventeen, thirteen, and eight.

The Food and Nutrition Department here in my area has adopted a Wellness Policy for the county, a policy that extends into the public school system. This is good news for me since my oldest child is in first grade at one of our city's elementary schools. So what exactly does this Wellness Policy do for Joey and his public school counterparts? Among other things, it influences the way these kids eat while at school. Here's how.

Fryers have been removed from all schools. All food items are now baked. And a strict standard has been implemented for all snack items. Snack calories have been limited to 250, fat will be kept to 35 percent of total calories -- except for nuts and seeds -- and each snack will have a max of 35 percent of its weight from sugars, excluding fruits and veggies. Trans fats will be eliminated, and beverages will include only bottled water, eight-ounce servings of milk and 100-percent fruit juice, and low-fat and non-fat regular and flavored milk. Juices will have no added sweeteners and can only contain 120 calories per each eight-ounce serving.

I consider this a step in the right direction for sure. How about your local school system? Any similar changes taking place?

To read more about this one school system's healthy practices, click here.

I think there's not a whole lot of difference between practicing healthy habits for general wellness and practicing healthy habits for the prevention of breast cancer. Just check out the points made in this article about warding off the nasty disease that this year will strike about 178,000 American women.

The suggestions seem pretty familiar, don't they? That's because they're generally good for the body. And so it's simple, really. Just live a clean life, shoot for good health, and you'll have a fairly good shot at warding off all sorts of unwanted illness, like breast cancer.

In a nutshell, here's what tops this article's list of healthy habits:

• Maintain a healthy weight. A 2005 study showed women who gained weight after a breast cancer diagnosis had an increased risk of recurrence. Other studies show overweight women have a greater chance of a first-time breast cancer diagnosis. And countless studies indicate excess weight is bad for the heart, cholesterol, bones, joints, and more. Body Mass Index (BMI), although not a perfect measure, can help you chart your healthy weight.

Are you surprised at all when I tell you American obesity rates are soaring? Probably not. I wasn't when my husband told me about this weighty article he'd read. It revealed that not one state showed a decline in obesity during the year 2006. Mississippi was the first state to crack the 30 percent barrier for obese adults. West Virginia and Alabama were just slightly behind. Colorado was the leanest state with a 17.6 percent rate. This year's report, looking at overweight children for the first time, has the District of Columbia topping the charts with heavy kids and Utah boasting the lowest rates for little ones.

Obesity is becoming an epidemic. And we need to treat it as an emergency. First step: determine where you stand. My hubby located this body mass index (BMI) calculator. I share it with you today so you can chart your own measurement. Just enter your height and weight and then calculate your BMI with one click of your mouse. If you come up with the number 30 or higher, you fit the definition of obese. If you find yourself in this predicament, you're in the right place. That's Fit offers an abundance of health and fitness tricks that can help you whittle away at your digits. If you are below the 30 mark, pat yourself on the back. And keep on truckin' in the direction of health, fitness, and wellness.

There's just one way to fix our nation's obesity problem -- plain old hard work. Each and every one of us must eat right, exercise right, and minimize our health risks. Only then can we watch our obesity statistics, like our BMIs, melt away to more perfect numbers.

The University of Florida's College of Pharmacy hopes to raise $19 million so they can find new treatments for asthma, gain a better understanding of addiction and obesity, and enhance the college's community service programs. Note the health connection here.

The same university's College Of Health and Human Performance wants to raise $7 million to expand research in substance abuse, obesity, chronic diseases, and leisure and recreation issues. The College of Public Health and Health Professions -- they want $13 million. If they get it, they pledge to develop prevention programs to change the course of spiraling disease rates and to improve the health of individuals and their communities.

What about English, math, science, and foreign languages? Academics are still at the core of higher education, but now more than ever, health and wellness are sharing the spotlight. As they should.