Health habit
Alison Sweeney
works out with the EA Sports Active fitness video-game package for the Nintendo Wii. Sweeney, a mom and host of The Biggest Loser, told People magazine that the game helped her shed pregnancy pounds: "It's just a good example of how you can really get it done at home."
The skinny
What Sweeney does is right on: The game's 30-day challenge—a month's worth of increasingly difficult strength and cardio exercises—includes a progress tracker to help keep you motivated. The caveat: "You get out of it what you put into it," says Gregory Brown, PhD, associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Nebraska, Kearney, so make sure you push yourself.
Grade: A-
Health habit
She likes The Clean Program, a 21-day “detox” regimen that costs $350. The program's shakes and supplements helped the Oscar winner drop the weight she gained "during a majorly fun and delicious phase," according to her blog, Goop.com. (Paltrow reportedly put on 40 pounds while pregnant.)
The skinny
The program allows one filling, solid meal a day—drawn from a diet made up of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, fish, and nuts. But experts say the rice-protein powder and fiber shakes just make you poop, and the supplements—probiotics, enzymes, and concentrated essential oils—won't clean out your system any better than your system can cleanse itself. "Our bodies, when we eat a healthy, balanced diet, naturally do an amazing job of detoxing," Giancoli says.
Grade: B
Health habit
Sutter is a fan of Revolution Abdominal Cuts supplements, which contain conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid found in safflower oil, red meat, and dairy products. Sutter, a star of The Bachelorette, took them while losing the 50 pounds she gained during her last pregnancy.
The skinny
Research suggests that CLA may help you lose body fat and increase lean body mass. But, at almost $70 a month, the supplements cost more than most gym memberships. In addition, they may lead to an increase in inflammation inside your body, studies show. "You’re better off incorporating natural sources of CLA, like dairy and grass-fed beef, into your diet," says Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, Health’s Senior Food and Nutrition Editor and author of Feed the Belly.
Grade: C
Health habit
Somers, 63, touts bioidentical hormone replacement (HRT) therapy—plant-derived estrogen and progesterone that have the same chemical makeup as the body's hormones. Her goal: combat the "Seven Dwarves of Menopause—Itchy, Bitchy, Sleepy, Sweaty, Bloated, Forgetful, and All Dried Up."
The skinny
Many bioidenticals are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved so there's no guarantee that they’re safe or effective, let alone more so than conventional HRT, according to Nanette Santoro, MD, chairwoman of OB-GYN at the University of Colorado, Denver School of Medicine. There are proponents of bioidenticals besides Somers, but the North American Menopause Society cautions against them. Before you start any kind of hormone therapy, talk with your doc about your health profile and whether the risks are outweighed by the benefits.
Grade: C-
