FitSugar

Lea Michele Covers Women's Health: "I'm the Only Girl in My High School Class Not to Get a Nose Job"

FitSugar — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:30:42 PDT

If you're like me then you can't wait to tune in to tomorrow's episode of Glee, "Theatricality," to see Rachel (played by Lea Michele) do her best Gaga impersonation. In real life, Lea looks amazing on the June 2010 cover of Women's Health - she even goes indoor rock climbing during her interview! Inside, Lea opens up about her career, family, and what it's like to be a part of such a widely successful show.

Here are the highlights:

On loving herself and still feeling insecure: "[I'm] the only girl in my high school class not to get a nose job [but] I love myself, the way I look, my body but sometimes I can’t help but feel insecure here. It plays with your head."
On always being on the go: "I have to remember to rest, because I have a natural energy and I don't want to burn out."
On eating responsibly: "It's [The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone] about being good to your body and the planet. I'm a foodie, but I think it's much more fun to find things on the menu that are good for me."

Go Shopping With Alicia Silverstone

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:00:23 PST

On yesterday's Oprah Show, actress Alicia Silverstone took cameras grocery shopping with her. I have to say that I was surprised at how many processed foods Alicia picked out. Although I know a lot of vegans who rely on synthetic meat and processed foods as the backbone of their diet, I expected Alicia to be different.

In her book, The Kind Diet, the actress really touts the benefits of grains, vegetables, and fruits over convenience food. Because of that, I'm thinking this list might not be reflective of Alicia's normal dietary habits, but her way of showing a mass audience that you can still eat well and indulge if you're vegan.

While shopping, Alicia raved about brown rice ("If you add whole grain rice to your diet, it will change you") and leafy greens ("They're loaded with calcium and make your skin glow"). She also couldn't wait to bite into a mint-flavored ice cream alternative, a Rice Dream mud pie. Alicia said that the mud pies still make her feel "naughty" in the same way that ice cream can.

To check out some of the other items on her list,

Follow Your Heart cheese
Vegenaise
Organic olive oil
Maple syrup (an alternative to sugar)
Gardein Chick'n Scallopini
Newman O's

Check out the rest of Alicia's list at The Oprah Show.

Alicia Silverstone: The Kind Diet

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:48:53 PST

It's no secret that Alicia Silverstone is an animal lover. Remember how she starred in that sexy commercial for PETA to tell the world she's a vegetarian? Well now she's taking her passionate views a step further with her new book about going vegan, titled The Kind Diet, that's set to hit stores in the Fall of 2009. In case you're not familiar with a vegan diet, it involves not eating any animal products including meat, milk, or honey. Alicia enthusiastically illustrates how choosing a plant-based diet can benefit your body and how you feel about your body. Although Alicia is vegan mostly for humane reasons, the Kind Diet is also healthy since it's high in protein and fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Even though the foods are plant-based, she makes them sound delicious and indulgent.

A vegan diet doesn't just benefit the people following it. It also obviously saves the lives of many animals, and in her book Alicia explains how choosing a vegan diet can benefit our world as well. Talk about a win-win-win.

I'm curious, will any of you buy this book and try a vegan diet?

Read more about Alicia and her diet: Alicia Silverstone Talks Eating Vegan and Gardening Naked.

Source

Guess Who?

partysugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:00:15 PDT

Can you guess which celebrity chef was at the book launch for Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet?

Alicia Silverstone Talks Eating Vegan and Gardening Naked

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:30:05 PDT

Alicia Silverstone knows that eating well can help the planet, which is one reason she decided to swear off meat and dairy and adopt a vegan lifestyle. But it's not all selfless: she also appreciates how her improved diet makes her look younger and glowing.

In a new interview with Health, the Clueless star talks about her eating philosophy, her line of cruelty-free beauty products, and her book The Kind Diet, coming out in October. Here are highlights:

On why she wrote the book: "Once you're informed, then you can be really gentle and kind to yourself, by giving yourself all the gifts life has to offer - like mental clarity and vitality - all while making the planet better."
On why she went vegan: "I didn't come at it, honestly, from a health point of view. I was 21 when I went vegan. And when anybody told me to be healthy, I thought people were just telling me [to lose weight] because I'm in this business. So I was like, 'Go F yourself!' [Laughs.] Yet when I look at those pictures from back then, I can see the puffiness in my eyes. It's weird to be 32 now and feel and look younger. . . . Right after I first made the switch to a plant-based diet, people were literally telling me, 'What have you done? You’re sparkling.'"

To read more highlights - including what Silverstone has to say about being naked in her backyard -

On reports that she likes to garden naked: "It's true. It probably started when I was doing my garden the first time. I'd be out there, and it would be scorching hot, so I would take off all of my clothes and garden. And then I would jump in the pool and swim - and I always get in the pool naked, because why would you want to put on a bathing suit? . . . I don't want anybody to take a picture of me naked. But in my own home, in my garden, [nudity]'s OK."
On losing weight: "Diet first, exercise second. Exercise is fantastic, and when I need to be a certain way quickly, I amp up my exercise by walking the dogs and doing yoga."

What do you think about Silvertone's perspective? Are you interested in buying her book? If you've ever tried a vegan diet, tell me what you thought about how it affected your overall health below.

Olympic Pros Shawn Johnson, Natalie Coughlin, and Mia Hamm Share Their Healthy Snack Ideas

Leta Shy — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:25:59 PDT

Being an Olympic veteran means three things: you're a world-class athlete, you're used to hectic schedules, and you know how to travel smart. So who better to ask about how to stay healthy while being on the go than a few famous Olympic athletes? Whether you're snacking at home or need something to grab and go, here are recommendations from veteran Olympians Natalie Coughlin, Mia Hamm, and Shawn Johnson.

When traveling: It's all about "making sure you plan ahead and bring stuff with you, whether it's trail mix or an [energy] bar," soccer star Mia tells us. Gymnast Shawn recommends KIND bars because they are all natural and come in "fun flavors such as almond and coconut and apple cinnamon and pecan. They're surprisingly good," she tells ESPNw. Swimmer Natalie loves making her own energy bars - get her dried plum energy bar recipe here.

At home or work: Natalie is more than just a decorated Olympic swimmer; she's also an avid home cook and gardener. Natalie shared with YumSugar one of her favorite healthy snacks for Spring: "I love just having a really good baguette with good, high-quality butter (just a tiny bit of butter) and fresh sliced radishes with salt on top," she recommends. Shawn is all about snacking on veggies as well: she pairs peppers with hummus for a crunchy, filling snack.

Read on for more snack ideas from these famous Olympians!

Kim Kardashian Gets Slim by Slamming Gluten

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:03:26 PDT

Add Kim Kardashian to the list of celebs praising a gluten-free diet. Along with this sexy snapshot, Kim tweeted, "Gluten free is the way to be . . . "

Kim is all about maintaining her slim figure complete with those signature curves. Earlier this year, she revealed the secret to keeping her size-2 body, telling Us Weekly, "Changing my eating habits makes a big difference," which includes eating a more organic-based diet, free of refined sugars. Kim isn't the only celeb linking a slimmer bod to ditching gluten. Miley Cyrus explained that her recent weight loss was due to going gluten-free because of "a gluten and lactose allergy."

While many have had success losing weight by eliminating gluten from their diets, it's important to note that a gluten-free diet isn't the magic ticket to a thinner you. There are many high-calorie foods that are gluten-free (and foods like pizza, bagels, pasta, french fries, and cookies all have gluten-free versions). Not keeping an eye on portion sizes of these kinds of foods can actually cause weight gain. It's hard not to ignore the buzz though, especially if you're having trouble losing weight with the traditional route of exercise and a healthy diet. I'm wondering . . .

Source: Instagram

New Girl's Max Greenfield Talks Schmidt and Cece and Says True American Is a Real Game

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:42 PDT

Max Greenfield plays Schmidt on New Girl, a character that has a tendency to be materialistic, inappropriate, shirtless at any given moment. He can also be a sweetheart, thanks to Greenfield's funny, careful portrayal of him. I recently chatted with Greenfield while he was promoting Zevia, an all natural soda with no artificial sweeteners. Zevia has launched a campaign against artificiality, and they chose Greenfield to work with since he's a person who says what's on his mind and, like Schmidt, isn't afraid to be real. With that in mind, Greenfield and I chatted about when Schmidt is being the most real, the relationship between Schmidt and Cece, the sexual tension between Nick and Jess, and how real the show's drinking game True American is.

BuzzSugar: When is Schmidt being the most real?
Max Greenfield: I honestly think he's never not being himself. And that's his best quality and his biggest fault. He's always being real. Sometimes it would be nice if he had a filter every so often.

Buzz: Do you feel pressure to work out because you know shirtless scenes are coming?
MG: Uh, would you? It's terrifying! I'm not one of these guys who's just like, "Yeah I'm ripped. I can eat whatever." I work out so hard. And I work out really hard to get to a decent point. But so easily I could go off and go on a three, four day bender where I'm just throwin' down cookies, bread, sandwiches, and at the end of four days, you're like, "Oh yeah, I can see a significant difference."

Buzz: You also have to wear stuff like tiny bike shorts; do you ever get resentful when you see your costars Jake Johnson and Lamorne Morris wearing jeans and t-shirts?
MG: I don't get resentful toward them. I get resentful every once in a while toward the writers, just because sometimes it's like, "Really, guys?" I'd just like to know this is happening. They're on set and they're watching it, they can see everything. They have seen everything. Our showrunners, and our crew, and everybody else, has seen everything.

To find out what else Greenfield had to say about New Girl, its budding relationships, and the confusing drinking game True American, just keep reading.

Natalie Coughlin: An Olympian Who Loves Food as Much as We Do

Camilla Salem — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:30:37 PDT

What do backyard chickens and 11 Olympic medals have in common? Natalie Coughlin, that's what. The gold medalist and world champion is gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while cultivating a healthy interest in all things food-related. From growing vegetables in her own backyard in Lafayette, CA to her highly effective method of kitchen organization, Natalie gives us the scoop on her experiences with food.

YumSugar: You raise chickens in your backyard and you consider yourself an urban farmer. What do you grow or produce yourself that you're most proud of?

Find out her answer and so much more when you keep reading.

Shawn Johnson Takes Us Inside Training Camp

espnW — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:04:59 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow her journey and other Olympic hopefuls on espnW.com.

Say "camp" to an ordinary kid and she'll probably tell you about bonfires and sing-alongs and arts and crafts. Say it to an elite gymnast, and she'll tell you camp is every four weeks outside New Waverly, Texas, at "the ranch" - the national team training center.

Shawn Johnson in the Driver's Seat

The ranch is a lot different than it sounds. Yes, there are animals (camels, peacocks and lots of deer!), but it's also fully equipped with multiple gyms, a row of cabins for gymnasts, a separate row for their coaches and dining facilities. It's an honor to be asked to attend the national team camps, but spending a few days there is also really hard work, especially for a slightly older body like mine. I'm used to it, though - after all, I've been going to camp since I was 12 years old, and I'm now 20.

When we're there, we wake up around 6:45 a.m. and head straight for breakfast. Most of the girls grab eggs and coffee before we go back to our cabins and get ready to hit the gym. National team coordinator Martha Karolyi has an unwritten rule: If you're not 30 minutes early to practice, you're late. So although practice starts at 8:30, we all get there at 8. We get heat packs, get taped and do whatever we need to get ready, then sit in a loose circle on the floor and wait. At 8:30 on the dot, Martha walks out of the office. It's a signal - we stand up, line up and address her. She gives our assignments for the day, and we start practice.

My last camp, three weeks ago, was just a check-in for me. I'm not competition-ready yet, but it was good to be in the gym, working alongside all of the other girls. I'm impressed by them all, but I try not to watch too much because it makes me nervous. I don't want to compare myself to them yet; because of my knee injury and rehab, I'm not where they are right now.

Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London

Read on for more of a day in the life of Shawn Johnson at training camp.