Red-carpet results Denise Austin's celebrity diet and fitness tips

Red carpet fitnessLook like
an A-lister

America's favorite fitness expert Denise Austin, author of Side Effect: Skinny, knows how easy it is to envy those gorgeous celebs walking the red carpet in their silhouette-skimming designer gowns. But you don't have to be rich and famous to look red-carpet ready. She tells SheKnows how to look like a celebrity without spending a fortune on personal trainers, personal chefs and tummy tucks.

Celebrity fitness secrets: 3 moves to a red-carpet body

Even the sveltest of stars does a little extra work to look picture-perfect for the awards shows. Austin, who is a Screen Actors Guild member and award-show voter, says you, too, can incorporate a few celeb-caliber workout moves into your fitness routine to look your best. "Sure, the stars have trainers — and sometimes even surgery, but the following moves will tighten and tone you quickly, whether you're famous or not."

1DIY tummy Tuck

Red-carpet trick to look 7 pounds slimmer — instantly

According to Austin, it's all about posture, posture, posture to look slimmer — and stars use this trick all the time. Here's her step-by-step guide to improve your posture and look skinnier without even dieting.

Lift your upper body up off your hips to add an inch to your height.Draw in your abs so your legs move more fluidly and gracefully.Pull your shoulders down and back.Slightly lift your chest bone (sternum).Breathe deeply and let the oxygen flow into your back to keep your back muscles elastic.Always pull in your core and abdominals as you stand tall.Look straight ahead and feel like your hair is in a high ponytail being pulled upwards. This visualization trick helps to elongate the neck.

If you're looking for a tight waist, stop wasting your time doing all those crunches. If they haven't helped yet, they aren't going to just because you add more reps. Instead, try this surgery-free tummy tuck, Austin suggests. Not only is it effective, you can do it anywhere.

Move: Stand or sit tall with your shoulders back. Tuck in your abs, pulling your belly button back to your spine; contract and hold for 5 seconds. Then let your muscles relax and then tuck them in again for 5 seconds. Each 5-second isometric contraction is equal to one sit-up. Repeat for 15 to 20 repetitions

2Deadlift/row

This full-body exercise is Austin's favorite move for getting toned thighs and banishing back fat (hello, backless dress!).

Move: Stand nice and tall with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight down in front of your body. Keeping your abs strong and back straight the whole time, slowly bend forward at your hips to lower the weights toward the floor, with your hands directly under your shoulders. For the row, bend your elbows as you pull your arms up along the sides of your body and bring your shoulder blades together. Lower the weights back toward the floor. Return to standing, squeezing your buttocks and thighs (it’s the squeeze that really helps lift and shape your butt). Repeat for 1 minute.

3Bridge/tricep extension

"One of the keys to looking great in a dress is toned arms," Austin says. "To go from arm flab to arm fab, try this exercise."

Move: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and your heels about 6 inches from your butt. Hold a dumbbell in each hand close to your ears, with your elbows bent and pointing to the ceiling. Lift your hips to the ceiling, contracting your back, abs, butt and legs, while straightening your arms and raising the dumbbells to the ceiling. As you lift your butt off the floor (bridge), your arms will be straight (tricep extension). Your body should form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold, then lower your hips and dumbbells, and repeat for 1 minute.

Celebrity diet tips

Austin doesn't recommend going on a deprivation diet to lose weight. She suggests eating healthy foods that fill you up and banish bloat.

1Eat more fiber

What to eat for glowing skin

Austin's top food picks for stunning skin.

Salmon to calm inflammationCantaloupe with lycopene for a healthy glowBerries with polyphenols for anti-aging and to fight wrinklesOlive oil to beat dryness and roughnessGreens (broccoli, spinach, collards, mustards, kale) with antioxidants to keep skin elastic and zinc to build collagenCarrots with beta-carotene to discourage wrinklesOatmeal with cleansing compounds to oust toxinsWater to keep skin hydrated and supple

"Foods that contain fiber are important to eat on the days leading up to a big event because they blast fat and naturally suppress the appetite," says the fitness expert. "Fiber-rich foods also help to 'flush you out,' therefore helping to keep you slim." She suggests adding beans to your dishes, munching on raw veggies and whole fruit, and choosing high fiber cereals and 100 percent whole-wheat bread.

2Pump up your potassium

You can suffer from water retention and puffiness regardless of your size. However, you can look thinner by eating foods that are high in potassium and low in sodium. "These help prevent the dreaded bloat, making it that much easier to slip into a form-fitting dress," says Austin. "Try a veggie, like bok choy, or a fruit, like plums, to reap the benefits."

3Go lean with protein

Waffles and pancakes may sound like a tasty way to start the day, but all those carbs will leave you lethargic by mid-morning and craving yet more carbs. If you want to look and feel your best all day, start your morning — especially on days you have a big event planned — with protein-packed eats. Austin says, "Fit protein into your meal to keep your energy up! Eggs or egg whites would be a good choice."

About Denise Austin

Known as "America's favorite fitness expert,” Denise Austin has sold more than 24 million exercise videos and authored more than 12 books on physical fitness. As a worldwide fitness phenomenon, she has created a loyal audience with her two major television shows: Getting Fit, which ran for 10 years on ESPN and continued under the new name Denise Austin's Daily Workout on Lifetime Television, and Fit & Lite, also on Lifetime. Denise served two terms on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, helped launch the new food guide system of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was recently honored by Woman's Day magazine and the American Heart Association with the Red Dress Award for her contributions to heart health. For more information, visit DeniseAustin.com.

More celeb fitness tips

Harley Pasternak's Hollywood workout
Mark Wahlberg's workout for women
Get Anne Hathaway's Catwoman curves

Caramelized pineapple shortcakes

A Tropical Twist On An Old FavoriteHomemade shortcakes are easy and impressive, plus they just scream summer! Grab those pineapples that are just coming into season for a fun tropical twist!

Shortcakes are a great go-to dessert when entertaining a crowd. They come together quickly and easily, plus they have a great comfort food feel to them. I love the addition of pineapple for these. It makes a fun twist for a summer cookout.

Caramelized pineapple shortcakes recipe

Yields 8-9

Ingredients:

For the shortcakes:

2 cups flour1/4 cup sugar1/8 teaspoon salt (pinch)2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 stick unsalted chilled butter, cut into small cubes3/4 cup heavy cream2 egg yolks1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pineapple:

1 large pineapple, rind and core removed, diced2 tablespoons butter1/2 cup packed brown sugar3/4 cup white sugar

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream1/3 cup powdered sugar2 tablespoons rum (optional)Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Add the butter cubes and rub in with your fingers until all the butter cubes are completely mixed.In a small bowl, add the cream, yolks and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until just combined, don't overmix or your dough will be tough.Just knead the dough three times to bring it together, don't overknead. Roll a rolling pin over the dough lump, one or two times in each direction, or until the dough is about 1-inch thick. Then cut out circles with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. This will make 8 to 9 shortcakes.Place the shortcakes on a greased cookie sheet and bake until they are golden brown, 8-10 minutes.Add all the pineapple ingredients to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a strong boil, stirring frequently. Allow to boil until the mixture has thicken into a rich caramel sauce with pineapple chunks, about 10 minutes.In a stand mixer, add the whipped cream ingredients. Mix on high with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.Once the shortcakes have cooled, fill with pineapple and whipped cream.

More tropical dessert recipes

Boozy pineapple upside down cake
Mango honey crisp
Coconut cake bars

How to grind your own meat for burgers

You Control What Goes Into Your Burgers! The food grinder attachment for your stand mixer is all you'll need to get started! Grinding meat at home is not only simple, it ensures the freshest, lightest, juiciest burgers possible! No additives, no pink slime... just 100 percent whole beef goodness!

Follow these steps below and we bet you'll notice a difference... not only in the overall taste of the burger, but how you feel after you eat one. They're fresher, lighter and completely delicious!

How to grind your own meat for burgers

Yields 7-8 burgers

Ingredients:1-1/2 pounds beef chuck3/4 pound beef sirloinKosher salt and pepperAmerican or cheddar cheese6-8 hamburger rollsToppingsEquipment:KitchenAid mixer with food grinding attachment (retails $50-$60)Directions:1Chill the beef and meat grinding tools

Place food grinding attachment tools in the freezer. Cube all of the meat and place it in a bowl and mix it around well. Place the bowl in the freezer for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour.

Tip: It's important to thoroughly cool the equipment and meat before grinding, this ensures that the meat's natural fat does not "smear" throughout the ground meat, but rather gets well distributed in cool bits through the meat; this will make for a far superior burger!2Prepare to grind meat

Line a pan with parchment paper and set it under the mixer. Remove grinding tools from the freezer and hook them up to the mixer according to the simple instructions provided in the box.

3Grind the meat

Set mixer setting between a 2 and 4. Remove meat from the freezer and (in batches) begin grinding the meat out onto the parchment paper by placing some of the cubed meat into the top of the grinder and pushing it through with the tool provided.

4Form burger patties

Take the freshly ground meat and (working quickly and carefully not to overhandle or overpack the meat) form beef into desired size burger patties, pressing a thumb print in the center of the burger.

Tip: Overpacking and/or overworking the ground meat, results in a stiff and heavy burger. Work fast and pack light — this will keep the ground meat cool and your finished burgers light and juicy!5Prepare the grill and cook

Place prepared burger patties into the refrigerator while preheating your grill to medium-high. Once grill is ready, remove patties from the fridge and liberally salt and pepper on both sides. Grill burgers on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side (depending on thickness, size and desired doneness). Do not press down on the burgers while grilling. After the second 4 minutes is up, place burgers in a line in the center of the grill and turn down heat to low. Place cheese on top and close the grill about 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

6Serve

Remove from grill and allow burgers to rest 3-5 minutes. Assemble buns and toppings and serve.

More burger recipes

Homemade White Castle burgers
Blue cheese burgers
Casablanca burgers

Turkey hotline is open for another holiday season

For thousands of home cooks with turkey dilemmas, Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line comes to the rescue during the holidays. Here is a behind-the-scenes peek at this 29-year-old tradition.

Turkey problem? Call Butterball's experts

For 27 years, Carol Miller has been on the helpful end of Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line.

On the other end of the line: home cooks in turkey turmoil. There are giblet mysteries to solve and questions about stuffing, timing and thawing. It's safe to say that Miller and her fellow turkey talkers know all there is to know about the holiday bird.

Miller, who has a degree in home economics education from Northern Illinois University, has been picking up the phone almost from the start. The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line opened 29 years ago and employed six home economists who took 11,000 phone calls in the first year. Now, more than 50 Butterball experts respond to that many calls on Thanksgiving Day alone.

Butterball's hotline, 1-800-BUTTERBALL, is open weekdays from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST in November and December. Calls are answered in English and Spanish.

"This morning I've taken 10 calls, varying from, 'How long is it going to take to thaw my 20-pound turkey?' to, 'Is the turkey that I bought at Easter still going to be good?' " Miller says.

People can also email dilemmas to talkline@butterball.com, live chat at butterball.com or ask questions on Twitter or Facebook. Overall, about a million people get in touch with Butterball during the holidays, Miller says. This year, they've updated their Talk-Line space to include a social media center where customers can ask questions in real time on Facebook and Twitter or live chat one of the turkey experts on the website. The walls are adorned with flat-screen TVs displaying the live feeds from Facebook and Twitter, roasting schedules, recipes and more. They've also added Pinterest to the mix this year.

“I'm 45 and going to cook my first turkey.„

According to Miller, the number one question after all these years is still about thawing. The easiest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator, and the rule of thumb is one day in the fridge for every 4 pounds of turkey, Miller says.

Miller, who consults a 4-inch-thick binder with roughly 70 tabs (though the experts also use laptops), says she's received a round of applause from relatives in the background of a call on Thanksgiving Day. But not everyone who the experts help is calling in a panic.

"I [once] got a call from a woman just when the line opened, and she said, 'I'm 45 and going to cook my first turkey. My mom and my mother-in-law said no more, it's your turn.' She needed the basic information that people needed in 1981."

"It's better if you call us early than if you call us on Thanksgiving Day," Miller says. "On Thanksgiving Day, you probably have a problem."

In addition to the newly renovated call center, there's one more key development for the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. If you have an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, you can download the Butterball Cookbook Plus app, where you'll find recipes, how-to videos and more.

Behind the scenes at the
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line

In addition to telling us how the Talk-Line works, Miller also gave us a little behind-the-scenes glimpse. Read her interview below to find out what really goes on (and why no question you have is a stupid question).

SheKnows: What's Thanksgiving Day like for the Turkey Talk-Line?

Carol Miller: I am one of 50 people who man the lines, and Thanksgiving is the culmination of our season.

Each one of us is here for eight hours that day. It is a crazy day. Our office [in Naperville, Illinois] is a great big wide-open room, probably about the size of a basketball court. You can imagine what it sounds like in here when you get 35 to 40 people talking as fast as they can. The lines are constantly busy. We probably take 11,000-plus calls on that day.

SK: How do you prepare for these two months?

CM: We go to what we affectionately call Butterball University. The newest staff members go to Turkey 101, and I am one of two teachers for that course. Each of the staff members is assigned a particular method of roasting a turkey. They're not using recipes; they're using a method… such as the open-pan method, covered roasting pans, oven-cooking bags.

We do about nine or 10 different methods and at the end of the day, everybody lines up their turkey and we compare roasting methods. It really helps to be able to do and see, so when you get a call, you've seen it in the test kitchen.

Everyone who is on the line is a food professional, and what I mean by that is they either have a degree in home economics or they are dieticians, so they come to the talk line with a food background already.

SK: Butterball still cooks a turkey in a microwave in its test kitchen. Does this method really work?

CM: When I started 27 years ago, microwaves were the new hot thing. They were huge and people were not used to using them, so the Butterball test kitchen had developed a method for cooking a turkey in the microwave. It has to be a turkey that's 12 pounds or less.

People still do it and we do it in our test kitchen. It's excellent, and you can't really tell the difference. Microwaves have gotten smaller and people are not cooking turkeys in them as much as they used to, so that call has changed.

SK: You must get some oddball questions, right?

CM: We do get callers who just don't cook a lot. We had a young woman who had a large turkey and a small apartment oven. Her concern was that the turkey was going to rise in the oven. Turkeys do not rise. She was very glad to know that they actually get a tiny bit smaller.

SK: What helpful tips have you collected over the years?

CM: Many roasting directions say to put a rack under the turkey, and that gets the turkey off the bottom of the pan so that the air can circulate around. If you don't have a rack that will fit in the pan that you're using, get out four or five carrots and lay them in the bottom of the pan. Put the turkey on the carrots. This keeps the turkey off the bottom of the pan and the carrots will flavor the broth a little.

Another tip is to use a meat thermometer and make sure it's accurate. Most people have a meat thermometer in the back of their drawer that they haven't used since last Thanksgiving. To test it (for accuracy), boil some water. Make sure that when you put it in the boiling water it reads 212 degrees. Then you'll be able to test that turkey.

You can't look at a turkey to see if it's done. You really need to take the internal temperature (Butterball advises that a turkey is done when the thermometer reads 180 degrees F deep in the thigh, 165 degrees F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.).

SK: Do you recall the first time you made a turkey?

CM: I'm always really honest about this. I have a degree in home economics education… but I was like that 45-year-old woman that I described: I always went to Thanksgiving at my mom's or my mother-in-law's. So it was not until I went in as a freshman to the Butterball test kitchen that I did hands-on roasting and put a turkey in the oven.

Click here to view a larger version >>More turkey tips

Celebrity chefs' Thanksgiving menus
Turkey for two
Delicious turkey leftover recipes

Country star Patty Loveless Get screened for lung disease

Lung Disease
AwarenessGrammy-award winning country music star Patty Loveless has written a new song for a health campaign about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease that is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States – COPD kills more people each year than breast cancer and diabetes combined. Awareness and early screening could change the statistics. Singers join to raise awareness

Country star Patty Loveless, who will be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in April of next year, is touring her latest album, Mountain Soul II and, in May, will perform a benefit concert with Dave Matthews and Emmylou Harris to raise awareness about the "plundering of Appalachia by mountaintop removal coal mining." But even closer to her heart is her participation in DRIVE4COPD, a campaign to encourage people to get screened for COPD, a common potentially deadly lung disease, so they can breathe better.

In 1996, Loveless lost her sister to emphysema, a form of COPD, at age 48. "It was devastating to watch my older sister, Dottie, lose her vitality and eventually her life," says Loveless. "I was inspired by her to take on singing as a career, and I remember her being so full of life before COPD, but it got to the point where she couldn't do the activities she loved."

Even though COPD is characterized by obvious symptoms, of the 24 million Americans who may have COPD, half of them don't know it and remain undiagnosed. "Dottie suffered for years with this disease and didn't even know she had it until near the end," adds Loveless.

Symptoms of COPD

According to the Canadian Lung Association, the main symptoms of COPD are a long-lasting cough, coughing up mucus, and being short of breath. In countries such as Canada and the US, smoking causes about 80 percent of COPD cases. Other factors that can cause COPD are second-hand smoke, air pollution – dust or chemicals – and having repeated lung infections as a child.

Can we prevent COPD? Yes, we can prevent most cases of COPD by not smoking and by staying away from second-hand smoke and other air pollution. If you smoke, you can reduce your chance of getting COPD by quitting as soon as possible.

New song Drive to raise awareness

Loveless wrote the song Drive for the campaign and the memory of her sister, Dottie, debuting the song at the DRIVE4COPD 300 in Daytona in February. Her fellow DRIVE4COPD teammate, Danica Patrick, made her first NASCAR appearance in this race, drawing attention to the COPD campaign as well as her NASCAR career.

"I wanted to write an upbeat song that encourages people to take action if they might have this disease and get back to living life again," Loveless says.

"I tell anyone who will listen: take the five-question screener at DRIVE4COPD.com that helps determine if they are at risk for COPD and if they are, to talk to their doctor because there are steps you can take to breathe better. Those who take the screener can be entered to win an Ultimate NASCAR weekend – I'm behind anything that encourages people to take care of themselves."

Early detection for lung detection saves lives

Early diagnosis of COPD is crucial because once you have lost lung function you can't get it back. Many people think their symptoms, like being short of breath or having less energy, are just signs of getting older and they wait too long to see a doctor.

There is no cure for COPD, but there are good treatments:

Quitting smoking, and staying away from smoke and air pollution.Taking COPD medications, which can include pills, inhalers (puffers), and supplemental oxygen.Joining a pulmonary rehabilitation program, a special class that teaches exercise and COPD management.

"When my sister was suffering I had no idea what COPD was," Loveless says. "Sometimes I think to myself: If only I had known. A lot of people think this is a disease that affects only older men, but really a lot of people are at risk. So, I've educated myself and now I am spreading the word."

For more information on the DRIVE4COPD campaign, please visit DRIVE4COPD.COM

More on lung disease

Anti-smoking laws: State and federal laws are failing to protect you10 Reasons to quit smokingLove & lungs

Crab and mango sliders

Sweet And Spicy Handheld Crab Rolls Mango crab sliders are a quick-and-easy way to please a crowd. The crab pairs well with the sweetness of mango and heat of jalapeños.

For those of us who aren't lucky enough to live in lobster country, crab is a great alternative. These sliders have the sweetness of mango with a bit of heat from the jalapeños and are sure to be party favorites.

Crab and mango sliders recipe

Yields 12 sliders

Ingredients:1/3 cup sour cream1/2 cup diced mango2 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeños (stem and seeds removed)1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon Old Bay1 tablespoon fresh lemon juicePinch cayenne pepper12 ounces lump crabmeat12 Hawaiian-style dinner rolls1/2 cup arugulaDirections:

Add the sour cream, mango, jalapeño, salt, pepper, Old Bay, lemon juice and cayenne to a large bowl and stir until combined.Gently fold in the crabmeat.Split the dinner rolls to resemble slider buns. Fill with crabmeat and a few leaves of arugula.

More crab recipes

Avocado crabcakes
Crab salad crepes
Hot crab dip

In a pickle What to do if it rains at your BBQ

Rain is no match for your BBQ

You've been planning a cookout with friends and family for weeks now — only to see that rain is in the forecast. Instead of canceling, make the most of it!

Finding out that it's going to rain on the day of your barbecue is almost as bad as finding out it's going to rain on the day of your wedding (OK, maybe not quite as bad).

Still, a little rain doesn't have to ruin the entire day. Keep a positive attitude and make the most of the situation. Friends and family know you have absolutely zero control over the weather, and they certainly will be happy to come over anyway. Here, we'll look at a few things you can do to salvage the day if it just so happens to rain on your barbecue.

Move the barbecue inside

Who says barbecues have to be outdoors? Not us! We think there's nothing wrong with cooking burgers on the stove or moving the grill to the garage. If you know it's going to rain in advance, you could pick up an indoor grill and clear out some space in your living room or even purchase a large, outdoor shade to cover up the grill and your chairs.

Have a few games to play

Since outdoor games like beer pong and corn toss will be off-limits, have a few games prepared that you can play inside. As long as the drinks are flowing, no one will mind sitting around the dining room table instead of outside on the deck. Again, it's all about keeping a positive attitude and enjoying the company of friends and family.

Check out our list of the best dinner party games >>Turn it into a potluck party

If you were planning on grilling burgers and providing a bunch of outdoor sides, like watermelon, potato salads and chips, make sloppy Joes instead and have everyone bring a side of their choice. This gives the party a bit more variety and takes some pressure off of you to have to cook everything in the kitchen.

The slow cooker is your friend

If you were planning on having ribs, beef brisket or pork tenderloin, throw it in the slow cooker midmorning if rain is expected to come your way. You'd be surprised at how juicy and tender the slow cooker cooks the meat, and we love that it requires little to no effort on your part!

Try this slow cooker barbecue chicken recipe >>Change the time, not the day

Hopefully, the rain won't last all day. In fact, it's pretty rare to have a consistent downpour all day long. Call up your guests in advance and ask if they wouldn't mind changing the time by a few hours. If it's not expected to rain until the evening, invite everyone over for an afternoon barbecue. If rain is in the forecast midmorning to early afternoon, have guests arrive closer to dinnertime. Given the circumstances, most everyone will be able to accommodate. And if not? Keep the barbecue at its pre scheduled time, pour yourself a drink (or five) and enjoy!

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