9 Ridiculously fattening chicken dishes to avoid

Chicken is a good source of lean, low-fat protein, but some of our favorite recipes deep-fry and over-sauce it until it's only a shell of its former healthy self. We've hunted down nine complete diet disasters to avoid and offered up ridiculously healthy (and delicious) recipes to try instead.

1. Ridiculous: Chicken Parmesan
Traditional chicken parmigiana involves pan-frying the chicken, coating it with bread crumbs, layering on sodium-filled tomato sauce, and adding a generous dose of full-fat cheese. Served over a heaping plate of pasta, it's a 1,000-plus-calorie meal with double the amount of recommended sodium.

Ridiculously Healthy: Try this healthy chicken parmesan recipe instead. It uses part-skim mozzarella, less oil, and whole wheat bread crumbs to make a 365-calorie meal.

2. Ridiculous: Chicken Quesadilla
Order this in a restaurant and you may be getting more than 1,000 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat. Why? Gigantic white flour tortillas, double doses of cheese, and oil-slathered chicken don't help.

Ridiculously Healthy: Try this healthy chicken quesadilla recipe instead. It uses spices, not oil, to add flavor and serves up cheesy chicken on a whole wheat tortilla.

3. Ridiculous: Chicken and Dumplings
Though the calorie count in this traditional dish isn't horrible, the sodium count (approximately 2,000 mg) is enough to give you high blood pressure just by looking at it. And most recipes contain few, if any, vegetables.

Ridiculously Healthy: Try this healthy take on chicken and dumplings. It cuts the sodium in half while adding in carrots, celery, and peas.

4. Ridiculous: Fried Chicken
It may not come as a surprise that fried chicken isn't waistline friendly. But how bad is it? Just one breast of fried chicken contains 7 grams of saturated fat, half of your recommended daily intake, without any sides.

Ridiculously Healthy: To get your fried chicken fix without busting your belt buckle, try this 200-calorie "fried" chicken recipe. Buttermilk and a mixture of white and wheat bread crumbs coat the chicken, and fresh herbs and spices kick up the flavor.

5. Ridiculous: Chicken Salad
Coated with saturated-fat-filled mayo, most chicken salad doesn't stand a chance of making it on your healthy eating list. And certain drive-thru varieties contain more than 50% of your daily dose of saturated fat and heart-stopping trans fat.

Ridiculously Healthy: This chicken salad recipe goes light on the mayo but adds in celery, scallions, and grapes for a burst of flavor and crunchy texture.

6. Ridiculous: General Tso's Chicken
"Breaded," "deep-fried," and "soaked in sauce" aren't usually included in the General Tso's Chicken descriptions on menus, but this Chinese food favorite contains about 1,300 calories and over half a day's saturated fat.

Ridiculously Healthy: Choose this general's chicken recipe instead. Low-sodium soy sauce, vinegar, and fresh ginger give it authentic flavor while cutting the sodium and fat.

7. Ridiculous: Chicken Pot Pie
Though it's one of the classic American one-pot meals, chicken pot pie's buttery crust and thick gravy come at a caloric cost, weighing in at almost 800 calories per serving and 45 grams of fat.

Ridiculously Healthy: You don't have to skimp on flavor to cut the fat, with this take on a classic. This version has all the comforting qualities of pot pie (including a delectable crust!) with half the calories and a third of the fat.

8. Ridiculous: Chicken Wings
This traditional game-time favorite doesn't score well in our books—it's deep fried, doused in hot sauce, and dipped in a rich blue-cheese dressing. So it's not surprising that each serving can have more than 700 calories, 49 grams of fat, and 2,000 mg of sodium.

Ridiculously Healthy: Feel the heat of these metabolism-revving spicy chicken wings complete with a figure-friendly yogurt-based dipping sauce.

9. Ridiculous: Chicken Caesar Salad
Think ordering a salad puts you in the safe zone? Think again. Chicken Caesar salad can tally nearly 1,000 calories if you're not careful with all the rich fixings: Caesar dressing, croutons, and Parmesan cheese.

Ridiculously Healthy: Made with light dressing and homemade pita croutons, this hearty salad will fill you up without drowning you in heavy dressing.


What's your all-time favorite chicken dish?

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Regular soda or diet soda--which is worse?

By Nicci Micco, M.S., editor-at-large forEatingWell Magazine

The other day, as I wheeled my cart down the soft-drink aisle to pick up some seltzer, my 3-year-old pointed at the soda and said (loudly),"Soda'sbaaaaaaad." First thought: I've never directly said that to you… but right on, little man! Still, I didn't want my preschooler schooling all the people who'd come to pick up pop (as we call it where I grew up). That's just rude. So I said, "Well, we like seltzer better, right?"

Related: 10 Expert Food Rules to Follow

While I don't go around telling people soda is "baaaaaad," I don't think it's good: it's full of sugars or sugar substitutes; some kinds of soda, namely colas, contain phosphoric acid, which, according to some studies, may harm bones. That said, I don'talways avoid soda: now and then, I'll order one to have with a burger or with popcorn at the movies. I usually order a Diet Coke. Why? For years, I drank tons of diet soda—and that's what my taste buds grew to like. But when it comes to diet soda versus regular soda, what's really the better choice?

Related: 9 Bad-for-You Foods You Should Eat

I decided to weigh the pros and cons of each. Here goes:

REGULAR SODA
Con: It's full of added sugars, usually in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. (Is high-fructose corn syrup really worse for you than "table sugar"?) High intakes of added sugars are linked with high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels, risk factors for heart disease—which is why the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting all sugars to no more than about 6 teaspoons a day if you're a woman, no more than 9 teaspoons if you're a man. A 12-ounce can of cola has about 8 teaspoons—which translates to about 130 calories. So one soda won't make or break your diet, particularly if you make room for it by cutting out something else, but if you drink too many, these calories can add up to major weight gain. Side note: One of my college friends lost 20 pounds in about six months just by eliminating sodas. (He'd been a big soda drinker.)

Pro: If you're trying to avoid artificial sugar substitutes, you won't find them in there. Yes, I know that some people consider HFCS a chemical akin to the artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas; if you're among them and crave a soda, you could consider a variety sweetened with cane sugar.

DIET SODA
Con: It contains sugar substitutes, which some people prefer to avoid. (Related: Are sugar substitutes safe?) Some studies show that consuming no-calorie sweeteners may actually make you hungrier. But, in other research, scientists didn't find artificial sweeteners to stoke appetite, so the jury's still out on that.

Pro: Sodas with no-calorie sweeteners don't directly add calories to your diet; they also may be better for your teeth, since bacteria can't live on artificial sweeteners—they need sugars.

Don't Miss: 6 Healthy-Sounding Foods That Really Aren't

So which is better? Only you can decide. Personally, looking at this pro/con sheet makes me thirsty for… some seltzer.

Diet soda or regular soda or none at all—which do you choose?

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Sweaty, Stinky, and Fed Up? Dr. Oz Has Help

What to do about body odor and sweating? Get solutions from YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens: A Guide to a Healthy Body and Happy Life, by Michael F. Roizen, M.D.and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

If you smell funkier than a Black Eyed Peas track, there's probably a good explanation. But the actual composition of your sweat is based on your genes and the food you eat. For instance, garlic will pass quickly into your skin and share itself with others. Also, our major sweat glands, or eccrine glands, release a sterile solution that attracts smelly bacteria in some people. These secretions are stored in coiled circular glands that cover our entire skin surface. Washing frequently helps, but sometimes a quick course of topical antibiotics, from your doctor, followed by a probiotic is the best anti-odor solution.

I sweat so much that I soak my shirt, and it's really embarrassing. What can I do?
Hyperhidrosis, or excess sweating, is a common plight among teens and adults. It can happen in the armpits, feet, palms, face, or elsewhere, and can be embarrassing if it occurs at an inopportune time. While it's not the most embarrassing thing that will ever happen, we understand that it's a real problem that people like to have fixed. For whatever reason, supersweaters have more active sweat glands than most people. You can get prescription antiperspirants that contain higher concentrations of aluminum hydroxide or aluminum chloride than ordinary deodorant, such as Drysol (20 percent) or Certain Dri (12 percent). These can be applied three nights a week at bedtime and washed off in the morning. After it is working well, it can be applied once or twice a week (and still washed off in the morning) for three to six months until sweat production has subsided. Most people can then back off and not use any of the medicine for another three to six months, then repeat the cycle.

Some folks will get a red itchy rash with these — it's less likely if you don't shave immediately before applying. If no response is seen despite using three times a week, you can actually apply the antiperspirant, wrap the area in plastic wrap, then unwrap it in the morning and wash off with soap and water. Keep this up several times a week until those sweat glands calm down.

If these strategies are not working, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon can inject the area with botulinum toxin type A, better known as Botox, which will paralyze the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. Injections need to be repeated one to three times a year. You can also have the sweat glands destroyed surgically, but very rarely is that kind of drastic procedure needed.

How do you prevent body odor and sweating?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Michael F. Roizen, M.D., author of  YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens: A Guide to a Healthy Body and Happy Life (Copyright © 2011 by Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Oz Works, LLC), is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and cofounder and originator of the popular RealAge.com website. He is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute of the Cleveland Clinic and health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., author of  YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens: A Guide to a Healthy Body and Happy Life (Copyright © 2006, 2009, 2011 by Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Oz Works LLC, f/s/o Mehmet C. Oz, MD), is also a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of The Dr. Oz Show. He is professor and vice chairman of surgery at New York Presbyterian-Columbia University and the director of the Heart Institute.

Related Links:

• Buy the book YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens
• Learn how to cure acne with these tips from Dr. Oz

Related: you: the owner's manual for teens, teens, probiotics, personal hygiene, excessive sweating, dr. michael f. roizen, dr. mehmet c. oz, deodorant, botox, body odor

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5 summer fitness tips for stay-at-home moms

School is out, and if you're a stay-at-home mom, you might realize that you are having trouble getting your workouts in with the kids around. If you happen to belong to a gym with in-house child care, then you have nothing to worry about, but what if you don't? Here are five ways to get those workouts in if you are a stay-at-home mom this summer.

Schedule fitness like any other appointment...give it priority status

Just like you make time for the things you need, like going to the dentist, or having your hair trimmed, working out needs to have the same priority in your schedule. If you're dropping the kids off at a practice, use that hour for your workout and be back in the last 10 minutes. There's no reason for you to be in the bleachers watching your baseball player field grounders for an hour if you can jog around the park instead. The point is, it takes more time to justify or regret not working out, or make excuses for it, rather than just going out and doing it!

Network with other moms for a "fitness share" child care support group

Other moms are in the same predicament when school lets out. So if you can find three or four moms that are willing to switch off child-watching duties while the others work out, it can make things a lot easier! And you'll have new fitness buddies to motivate you too.

Get the kids involved

Even a child as young as 5 can bike for a few miles on a trail without getting tired. So why not get everyone out and moving in the fresh air with a family bike ride, or nature walk? You can even burn a ton of calories simply playing on the playground for 30 minutes.

Make the most out of daily activities...

We're just more active in the summer by nature, so as long as you make the most out of those activities, you should be OK. Walk wherever you can, swim a few laps in the pool, and just keep moving. You can utilize ankle and wrist weights, too, if you want a little bit more exertion in your day.

Don't snack on scraps

It's so tempting to nibble that PB&J crust or finish off the last chicken nugget, but that can add up to over 500 extra calories a day if you're not careful! Don't worry about them going to waste; toss those scraps, or better yet have the kids clean up after a meal if they can, so you don't even have to see it!

Use these tips to stay on top of your fitness regimen when school is out and the kids are home. You can make fitness work around your busy summer!

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Women's health check-up list for ages 19 to 39

Print it, Share it, Do it! Schedule women's health check-ups today.Credit: sxc.hu/iprole, sxc.hu

I am 35 years old and I have no idea what yearly check-ups I'm supposed to be scheduling. Sure, I make my appointment for a Pap smear every year, but there are other women's health check-ups that should be on my yearly agenda. Women between the ages of 19 and 39 often wait to go to the doctor until there is a health problem, but regularly scheduled check-ups can detect problems before they start and help women live longer, happier lives. Check-ups are about more than just a visit to the doctor; there are also immunization schedules and self-checks that need to be completed every year.

Breast self-exams help detect breast cancer earlier. While women between the ages of 19 and 39 do not have to schedule a mammogram every year, unless a lump has been detected in the past, self-exams should be a regular part of life. Instead of scheduling self-breast exams, some women prefer to exam breasts in the shower every day. This gives the woman a "feel" for healthy breast tissue. If a lump were to appear, early detection is easier with daily self-breast exams.

How to perform a daily self-breast exam. While in the shower, raise the left arm straight over the head. Use the right hand to feel breast tissue. Remember to cover all breast area including under the breast and near the underarm. Repeat with the right arm raised over the head using the left hand to perform the self-breast exam. Rush University Medical Center offers instructions on self-breast exam from a laying position.

Pap smear tests are not required every year. Yearly Pap smears are no longer required for women with a history of healthy Pap smear screenings. After the age of 21, according to Womenshealth.gov, women should schedule a Pap smear every two years. If screenings are clear through the age of 30, Pap smears should be scheduled every three years. If a Pap smear comes back with questionable results, a yearly schedule should be followed until your gynecologist feels safe moving the schedule to two or three year increments.

Immunizations continue beyond childhood. Babies and children get immunizations leading up to school years. After starting school, there are only a few immunizations most parents are aware of to maintain child health. What most women don't know is that immunizations should continue through adulthood. Immunizations suggested for women between the ages of 19 and 39 as part of a regular women's health check-up schedule include influenza, Tdap, Varicella, HPV, MMR, Pneumococcal, Meningococcal, Hep A and Hep B. Check out the interactive immunization schedule on Womenshealth.gov for detailed information on adult immunization schedules.

Don't forget eyes and ears. Regularly scheduled eye exams should take place every six to 12 months. Women who wear glasses or contacts may need to schedule appointments every six months if vision changes, otherwise yearly exams are appropriate. Ear exams should be scheduled every 10 years with the first being scheduled between the ages of 19 and 39 as part of a regular women's health check-up schedule.

Take control of your health and schedule regular women's health check-ups. Print this list, share with friends and make your health check-up appointments today.

More from Summer Cavalier-Banks on Women's Health

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Suncare Tips for Summer

Esthetician Gunilla Eisenberg has been voted San Francisco's best facialist by San Francisco magazine and has successfully launched her own line of facial oils. "Summer rays and vitamin D are good for a healthy complexion, but they can cause premature aging and skin dehydration," says Gunilla. How do you find that balance between sun exposure and protection? We asked Gunilla for tips.

 

• Find a great sunscreen. "Look for a physical sunblock with an SPF of at least 15 that protects against both UVB and UVA rays," says Gunilla. Products that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are the best. Gunilla recommends Marie Veronique Moisturizing Face Screen. "Stay away from chemical-based sunscreens that contain retinol or Vitamin A, as they have been found to accelerate skin cancer." See more of our sunscreen picks here.
• Re-apply that sunscreen every 2-4 hours, and "wear a hat or try to stay in the shade during the peak hours of sun exposure – between 2 and 5 p.m."
• If you do get a little bit of sunburn, "apply pure aloe vera – store bought or from the plant – to soothe redness or burns." Gunilla recommends Jurlique's Calendula cream, made from skin-calming calendula and witch hazel.
• Re-hydrate your skin after sun exposure. "Facial oils will hydrate and repair your skin after a day in the sun, as well as balance your complexion." Gunilla's own Gunilla Skin Alchemy facial oils are made with rosehip seed oil and sandalwood, both excellent in treating sun damage and replenishing moisture.

More from Spa Magazine:

Our Favorite New Sunless Tanners

7 Great Summer Weekend Getaways

Sunscreen & Suncare Picks for Summer

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The 5 biggest prerace nutrition mistakes

You may spend months training for your next 5-K, half-marathon, or marathon and as your race approaches, you'll probably take extra care with what you eat and drink. Maybe you'll load up on carbs, drink lots of water, and order extra servings of vegetables like broccoli and beans. But are you doing the right thing?

"How you fuel up before the race has a huge impact on your performance," says Beth Jauquet, R.D., a nutritionist for Cherry Creek Nutrition in Denver. Unfortunately, runners tend toward extremes: Skimping on fuel, overdoing food or drink, or eating foods that cause digestive disaster. Here's how to avoid common mistakes and ensure what you eat and drink in the week before your race will help you secure the personal best you hoped for.

1. Eating a Box of Pasta

Many runners like to bank energy by feasting on carbs the night before a race. And why not? You're going to burn through your glycogen supply the next day. But flooding your system with more carbs than it can process may lead to digestive problems that will have you running to the porta-potty every mile.

The Fix: Consume moderate quantities—not huge portions—of carbs for several days prior. "Massive amounts of any food throw your system a curve ball," says Jauquet. Have oatmeal for breakfast, potatoes at lunch, and pasta for dinner. "Eat just to fullness, so you don't get indigestion or have trouble sleeping," says Tara Gidus, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

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2. Drinking Gallons of H20
Not only will chugging too much water before a race leave you feeling bloated, but it will also dilute your electrolytes—minerals responsible for optimum muscle contraction. Diluted electrolyte levels can cause muscle weakness or cramping and, in extreme cases, can lead to hyponatremia, a life-threatening condition triggered by abnormally low sodium levels.

The Fix: In the days leading up to your race, drink fluids as you normally would to stay hydrated. This can include water, sports drink, juice, even coffee and tea. On the morning of the race, Jauquet recommends drinking 16 ounces of water two to three hours before the start, giving your body time to process extra fluid; drink another one to two cups right before the gun goes off.

Find a running event near you with our Racefinder

3. Loading up on Fiber
Normally, runners should make sure to eat lots of cruciferous vegetables, beans, and whole grains. And if you're used to such foods, all that roughage right before a race may pose no problems for you. But if you've been living on pizza and burgers, now is not the time to become a vegan. Loading up on high-fiber foods can cause uncomfortable gas, especially if your stomach is plagued by prerace jitters.

The Fix: If you think fiber might be an issue, "cut back on those foods three days before a major race," says Gidus. That includes beans and bran cereals, but not fruits and veggies, which you should eat in modest portions. Think one cup of pineapple, a handful of cherries, or a few broccoli florets. But, Gidus cautions, if you're racing every weekend, reduce your fiber intake only on race day to make sure you don't trim all fiber out of your diet.

4. Skipping Breakfast
Too nervous or worried about feeling full, some runners can't face food on race morning. But without it, you're likely to bonk in any race. Why? Because studies show that a prerace meal keeps your blood sugar steady and provides energy to power you through. "There's no way to get enough fuel midrace to make up for the energy you missed at breakfast," says Jauquet.

The Fix: If you know you get too nervous to eat before a race, wake up a few hours before the start so you can eat breakfast slowly, letting each bite settle before taking another. If you can't stomach solid foods, drink a smoothie with bananas, fruit juice, and milk. These ingredients are easy on most stomachs, provide energy, and won't leave you feeling overly full.

The 15 best foods for runners

5. Trying Something New
If you've never had spicy salmon sushi, don't order it the night before your race! You won't know how a food affects you until you've tried it—and last-minute experimentation could send you bolting for the bathroom and leave you dehydrated.

The Fix: Stick with what you know for a week before race day. During training, check the race web site to confirm which sports drinks and gels (if any) will be offered along the course so you can test them out in advance. Don't be afraid to skip the prerace dinner or hotel breakfast: If you're not used to downing sausage burritos prerace, you're better off sticking with a familiar bowl of pasta. As long as it isn't huge.

Have you made any of these prerace nutrition blunders? How did they affect your big day?

Susan Rinkunas is an  associate editor at  Runner's World, a magazine (and website) that informs, advises, and  motivates runners of all ages and abilities—and we mean it. Her blog on Yahoo! Shine offers tips on running technique, nutrition and weight loss, shoes and apparel, and balancing fitness and life.

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Catching up with Nadia Comaneci

Getty Images. May, 2011

This week, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with one of my childhood heroes: Nadia Comăneci. One of my earliest memories is sitting in the attic at my mother's house and sifting through my older sister's "Nadia" scrapbook. One newspaper clipping read: "Queen of the 10." At just 14 years old she graced the cover of Time magazine with the headline "She's Perfect." Nadia made Olympic history at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal when, as a member of the Romanian team, she became the first gymnast ever to score a perfect 10. She went on to become the Olympic All-Around Gold Medalist at the Games, set all sorts of crazy records, and inspire young girls everywhere to attempt flips off the side of their sofas. Today, when she isn't playing the role of mom, she stays involved with the sport as a commentator and coach. She also works with the Special Olympics, where she serves as vice chair for the Special Olympics Board of Directors.

Nadia spoke with us from her kitchen in Norman, Okla. (where she had just finished making pancakes for her son Dylan, who recently turned 5). Nadia talked about growing up in Romania, her Olympic memories, kids and sports, and the upcoming Special Olympics World Games in Athens, Greece.

Shine: At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, you scored the first 10.0 on the uneven bars. What did that feel like?

Getty Images

Nadia Comaneci: I usually didn't watch the scoreboard, but I heard some noise in the arena, turned around, saw the scoreboard, and looked at my teammates because I didn't understand the 1.0. (The scoreboards were not equipped to display a 10.0, so the judges flashed a 1.0.) One of them said: "I think it's a 10." I didn't understand that it was the first in history. I realized a 10 was the best thing you could get, but I didn't realize how big that was. 

Shine: What's your most memorable Olympic memory?

NC: Of course I should say the 10 on uneven bars, but then I got six more for a total of seven 10's, and I thought the judges were too good to me.

Shine: Béla Károlyi, one of the world's most prominent, and some would say controversial, coaches was on the sidelines as your coach. What did you learn from him?

NC: I consider him like my second family. I grew up with him. He is a big guy, and when you do gymnastics and you try new things, you are hoping that the coach spotting you will catch you before you hit the floor. He was demanding, but I liked that. I realized that we have to work hard to get somewhere. Otherwise, it's not easy to achieve something at the best level without hard work and discipline. Sometimes people are looking for the easy way to do things, and I don't think there are easy ways.

Shine: There is often discussion about there being too much pressure on young athletes, particularly gymnasts with their athletic peaks happening at such a young age and lasting for such a short window of time. Did you experience this, and how do parents know if they are pushing their kids too hard in sports?

Nadia performs the floor exercise during the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal. Getty Images.

NC: I didn't feel like I had pressure when I was young because I was just going with the flow and doing what I liked to do. I think the pressure comes when you realize what people expect from you. I had no pressure when I was 12 or 13. Nobody put me on the cover of any magazines before I won the Olympics, so I didn't have any pressure. It was different when I went to the 1980 Games because I was the reigning Olympic champion and I knew what people were expecting of me, but I was grown up then. I don't think kids have pressure. In general, people talk about little girls: "She's working too hard." But not one person says a thing about a 7-year-old boy. I think that's not equal or related to the world we are living. People think we are too fragile, but just leave the girl alone. Maybe she is better than the boy and can handle it.

Shine: What was it like growing up as a gymnast in a communist country?

NC: You grow where you grow up. I didn't know the difference between a communist country or a free country when I was growing up. I was doing gymnastics; the government was providing for my training. When I was in my teenage years and I was traveling, I realized the difference between a communist system and the free world. But this is what you have and you just grow up in what you have. And then later if you want to do something else, you make the decision to stay or leave. I left. (In November 1989, Nadia defected to the U.S. from Romania. In 2001 she became a naturalized citizen of the U.S.)

Shine: What about when you're an older athlete, your body starts to change and you transition from what you have always known (the sport) to the unknown (life without the sport)?

NC: You go from a time when you are busy nonstop with all the hours of training and traveling and competing, and then you go off and you have nothing to do and you have to look around and think what have I learned and how can I apply this to whatever I want to do. If you have good people around you, it is an easy transition, but sometimes it is not easy. Wherever you go and whatever you do in your life, the basics of the things that I've learned through gymnastics are the same. You have to commit, you have to love what you do, you have to educate, you have to be a good motivator--it's pretty much the same.

Shine: How important is it for kids to get involved in sports?

Nadia and husband Bart Conner A Very Special Christmas Party At The Shrivers' . November, 2009. Getty Images.

NC: I got involved in sports because I had a lot of energy and I used to jump on the couch at home and destroy parts of furniture. My mom was looking for a place for me to use the energy. It was a coincidence that I did gymnastics. I didn't know where I was going, but I liked the atmosphere. I liked the fact that I was doing something that I couldn't do at home. I liked that I was learning to do tricks. I liked the idea that I was traveling and competing. It was very motivating for me. I think it is important for kids to do some kind of sport because it is good for you first of all, and it keeps you busy. I think as a parent, it is important to keep your kids busy and sports are the easiest way to hook your kids into it.

Shine: You serve as the vice chair for the Special Olympics Board of Directors. How did you get involved and why is this important to you?

NC: I got involved because my husband, Bart Conner (former American gymnast and gold medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games), has been with Special Olympics for more than 30 years. When I moved to the states in the '90s, he introduced me. You meet the kids and you go to the competition and you just get hooked and they become a part of your life. It is kind of a big family, the entire thing that is happening with the organization.

Nadia and Special Olympics Romania athletes at the 2003 World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland.

Shine: The Special Olympics World Summer Games will take place in Athens this month. Seven thousand Special Olympics athletes from nearly 180 countries will compete in 22 Olympic-type sports. What are you most looking forward to about this year's games? 

NC: Mostly just having fun and celebrating the athletes, the parents, and the volunteers, and to cheer the athletes on in the competition. We'd just like to encourage people to get involved in their local programs, be a part of the family, and to be a volunteer. Take your kids to competitions and teach them what Special Olympics is all about. We used to think that just being in the Special Olympics was a great thing, but now the athletes really want to win.

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The Dangers Of Belly Fat

In certain cultures you rub a Buddha's big belly for good luck. But if you're someone who has a lot of belly fat, you could be running out of luck. Research continues to mount showing that belly blubber increases our chances of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, even cancer.

Researchers with the European Perspective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) followed about 360,000 Europeans enrolled in one of the largest, longest (ten years) health studies in the world. They found that people with the most belly fat had about double the risk of dying prematurely as people with the least amount of belly fat. And death risk increased with waist circumference, whether the participants were overweight or not.

But don't be confused and cut out all fat from your diet because the culprit isn't fat, per say. We all need some fatty tissue in our bodies. It stores energy, regulates hormone function, helps us absorb vitamins and minerals, and provides us with built-in insulation. In fact, 20% to 35% of our daily calories should come from fat. But too much of a good thing – especially if it comes from saturated and trans-fats -- is dangerous. It's especially risky to our health if it settles in your stomach.

Diet and Exercise Tips for Weight Loss

Why is stomach fat worse, than let's say, thigh fat?  Well, there are two kinds of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is that fat you can see and grab onto - beer bellies, spare tires, pouches, and love handles. It's the fat that makes a person look fat. It doesn't look great, but it's not so risky. Then there's visceral fat, that's the kind of fat that hides inside. Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds the abdominal organs and it's even more insidious because it's so hard to detect, and because it is also affected by genetics in addition to an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

How do you know if you're walking around with visceral tummy fat? Researchers use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where a magnetic field and energy pulses are used to create an image of the inside of the belly. 

But you don't need fancy equipment to figure out if your belly fat is a health factor. Do it yourself by measuring your waist-to-hip ratio. Apple-shaped people - those who carry more of their weight around their waist - are more likely to be storing up visceral fat. Another way is to feel your belly: is it flabby or firm? If it's firm, you may have visceral fat. But visceral fat is not just a burden of the obese and the beer-bellied. Here's the Catch-22: A thin person can have too much visceral fat and be at as great of a health risk as someone twice their weight. Here's what you can do:

Weight Loss Tips For Everyone

Four Ways to Conquer Belly Fat

1.Keep track of your waist-to-hip ratio as well as your body mass index (BMI). Make a note on your calendar to measure your waist and hips every other month or so. If measurements reveal that your waist is wider than your hips, take it as an urgent message to try to lose some of your belly weight. Women: watch out if your waist expands beyond 35 inches. If your waist size falls into the danger zone and your BMI is 25 or more, you're at risk of heart disease.

2. If 20% to 35% of your daily calories should come from fat, make most of it the good kind of fat - either mono- or polyunsaturated fats. Tasty foods with healthy fats include salmon, avocados, olives, and walnuts. Cook with vegetable oils, like canola, olive, or sunflower oil. Avoid foods high in saturated fats and carbohydrates.

3. Routine, moderate exercise helps to fend off the fat, and more strenuous activity burns off existing fat. The good news about visceral fat is that it's the first fat to go once you start shedding pounds. Go for fat-burning cardiovascular exercise as well as moves that firm up and strengthen the abdominal area. Check-in with your doctor before starting any vigorous exercise program.

4.And take a test. If you're worried about your risks, your doctor can track visceral fat by the tape measure or with an MRI or a blood test that measures the presence of a protein called retinol binding protein 4 (RBP 4) in the blood -- an indicator of potential health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

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5 Ways to Avoid E. Coli

Conde Nast Digital Studio

Amy Paturel, SELF magazine

In the world's third largest E. coli outbreak in history, a rare strain of the common food-borne bacteria has killed 22 people and left more than 600 in intensive care.

Meanwhile, more than 2,150 people in 12 countries are suffering from excruciating stomach cramps, diarrhea (which is often bloody) and frequent puking. And there are four suspected cases of E. coli infectionconnected to this outbreak in the U.S.

Scary, huh?

All four U.S. patients recently visited Germany, home to a bean sprouts farm that officials pegged Monday as the likely culprit. Bean sprouts are a common source of E. coli, says Catherine Donnelly, Ph.D., professor of food microbiology at the University of Vermont.

"The Food and Drug Administration has long warned consumers to avoid consumption of sprouts since seed stock is often contaminated with microbial pathogens," she says.

Related: Is Your Soap Making You Dirtier?

But later on Monday, German agriculture officials said 23 of 40 produce samples from a suspected sprout farm failed to identify E. coli contamination, The New York Times reported. In other words, the case is still a mystery.

Before you panic, take heart: Food-borne illness has been on the decline in recent years. However, you can get infected from swallowing lake water while swimming, touching animals in petting zoos and other animal exhibits and by eating foods prepared by people who didn't wash their hands after visiting the john.

Here are five steps you can take to reduce your risk of E. coli infection, according to Ruth Frechman, registered dietitian in Los Angeles and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association:

1. Wash your hands (and your produce)! Good hand washing is the single most important thing you can do, especially after using the bathroom (or changing diapers); touching animals or spending time in their environments (playing fetch with Fido, for example); and before preparing and eating food. Rinsing produce under running water helps reduce bacteria, too.

See Also: The #1 Way You're Bringing Germs Into the House

2. Cook meats thoroughly. Ground beef and meat that has been tenderized should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (use a thermometer to be sure!). "Heat kills bacteria," says Frechman. "Cooking leafy greens for 15 seconds at 160 degrees will also kill E. coli."

3. Avoid eating high-risk foods. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or cheeses, unpasteurized juices (apple cider is a biggie) and undercooked meat. And steer clear of human and animal feces (easier said than done when you don't know who's preparing your food and what their hand-washing habits are!).

4. Don't swallow! When you're in swimming pools, rivers, ponds, streams and backyard "kiddie" pools, don't swallow the water! Some kinds of E. coli cause disease by producing something called Shiga toxin. Infections start when you swallow invisible Shiga toxin-producing E. coli -- in other words, when you get tiny amounts of human or animal feces in your mouth (ew!).

5. Don't cross-contaminate. Clean and sanitize counter tops, cutting boards, utensils, refrigerator shelves and hands after they touch raw meat. Use separate cutting boards for fruits/vegetables and raw proteins, such as chicken, fish or meat.

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