By Shelley Johnson, R.D.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program
For decades consumers have been exposed to all kinds of conflicting information about the nutritional benefits of all types of food in the marketplace – this includes beef. Questions about food and health are often generated by emerging – and ever-evolving – science of diet and health.
Attention to nutrition began to escalate in the 1970s, when nutrition researchers captured the attention of legislators, regulators and those in a position to give dietary advice. It created an opportunity for the beef industry to deliver messages about the nutritional value of beef.
you probably know comedic actress Wendie Malick as model turned fashion editor Nina Van Horn on Just Shoot Me, stepmother Ronnie Lawrence on Frasier, and as fame-obsessed soap star turned news anchor Victoria Chase on TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland, also starring Jane Leeves, Valerie Bertinelli, and Betty White. But off-screen, the award-winning, 61-year-old actress is honored and recognized for her work with Planned Parenthood and The Humane Society, as well as her and her husband Richard Erickson’s charitable gift fund, “A Drop in the Bucket, ” which supports a medical center in the Congo. Malick, who doesn’t look or act a day over 40, spoke to Healthline about staying in shape inside and out, the health benefits of animals, and the recent Planned Parenthood funding controversy.
It would surprise many of your fans to learn that you’re over 60. How do you stay so youthful?
I think everyone has a stage in their life where they find their groove. I think for me it’s been since I was 50. I feel much more comfortable in my own skin now than I used to.
Having been a model, was there anything that you learned, in terms of beauty and fitness, which you utilize today?
Oh, I’m much healthier now than I was. In those days the way you stayed in shape was that you just didn’t eat and you stayed up dancing till four in the morning, which was not terribly sustainable. You can abuse your body without repercussions when you’re young, but these days, staying in shape doesn’t come without effort. But I’m willing to put in the effort.
Do you follow a special diet?
People are always surprised that I love to eat. I eat good, healthy meals, and for me it’s protein, lots of fiber, lots of greens, and salads everyday. I eat fish, but that’s the only animal I eat.
I’ve read that you don’t eat sugar either.
I’m not big on sugar. My sugar intake comes in the form of wine. It used to be that model juice was white wine. But I find now, with red, that I probably drink it a little slower and that it has more restorative qualities. I love to drink Bombay Sapphire martinis — and I think you probably pick your poison.
What do you do for exercise?
I think the best thing you can do is have animals in your life. We have two dogs, three horses, and two miniature donkeys, and I start every day with animals out on the trails in the mountains, so it’s just a part of my life that restores me in more ways than physically. It’s also spiritually part of my ritual.
If someone crashed a Hot in Cleveland rehearsal what would they find on the crafts table?
Cynthia, the woman who runs our kitchen, knows that we all have a healthy amount of vanity and want to look great in these clothes and be the glamorous, fabulous broads who moved to Cleveland, so we always have a big jar of raw, fresh nuts, and there’s always fruit, a green, leafy salad of some sort every day, whole grain everything, and everything is very unprocessed.
Which women’s health issues would you like to see brought up on the show?
I would love to do one on a woman’s right to choose. I’ve been on the Board of Advocates for Planned Parenthood for most of my adult life and I believe very strongly that women should be allowed to determine what goes on in their own bodies. Also, obesity, which we are dealing with. Now the ways we deal with these issues are as quasi idiots. These are serious problems that we tackle in a comedic way.
But I think another thing that would be beneficial to broach are the benefits of laughter. I think people underestimate the benefits of laughter. It’s one of the reasons I’ve come to be very proud of the work I do, because I know how much I value the people who make me laugh before I go to sleep at night, and I know that without Jon Stewart, the world would be a far more difficult place to live in.
Your character Victoria Chase is not opposed to plastic surgery. What are your thoughts on the matter?
I think it’s a very individual choice and if it’s something that makes people feel better about themselves then I totally get it. But what I do think we’ve lost in our culture, and it’s the complete opposite of what our characters do, is embracing this stage in our lives and owning our experience. I think it’s funny because when we first did this show, [show creator] Suzanne [Martin] kept talking about how we’re the late 40-something women. But I said, ‘Let me play my age. Let me turn 60.’ It’s important to remind women out there that you don’t have to crawl under a rock at any given age.
Your character had a near death experience on a recent episode. How do you envision the afterlife?
That’s such a great question because I just lost a good friend on Christmas day. I was there and it was so profound. He had been battling cancer for years and on this day this man was filled with light and energy, up until the last moment. We don’t think he was conscious that last day, but his life force was so absolutely there… and then suddenly it wasn’t. You could feel this visceral whoosh and he was no longer there. It was a really profound thing. I think I’ve come to believe that your energy goes somewhere and does not extinguish and can’t be destroyed.
What is it like working with Betty White?
Valerie put it a great way. She said that every day it’s like having a master class in comedic acting. She is so delightful, and talk about someone who exudes light. She has a twinkle in her eye. This is a woman who has had a lot of joy in her life and has been generous and extravagantly kind and has a remarkably small ego. But she’s still a spitfire — a bawdy broad — and I just love her for it. I consider her a really close girlfriend. She’s helped me understand that age is just a number.
Are there any special considerations that must be made for her on the set?
I would say that the woman is working so hard. She only comes in Mondays for the read-through and then she doesn’t come back till Wednesday because she often has other things going on. I would say that the only thing is that on rare occasions she might be a little tired. She hasn’t slept enough or something, and sometimes – it’s usually because she’s dehydrated
Wake up your appetite with a healthful breakfast. A high-calorie weight gain breakfast might include 1 cup of oatmeal made with 1 cup of low-fat milk and mix-ins that include 12 sliced almonds and 3 tablespoons of raisins for 460 calories. A nutritious mid-morning meal might include 1 cup of calcium-fortified orange juice and one slice of whole-wheat bread topped with 1
diet Recipes. Find Diet Meals Free. Download Now!Lunch and Mid-Day: Calorie Up
Make sure you eat your fruits and veggies. They may be low in calories, but they’re rich in nutrients that keep you healthy. A weight-gain lunch meal might include 3 ounces of grilled chicken on a whole wheat bun topped with a 1-ounce slice of Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions served with 1 cup of mixed greens tossed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for 475 calories. A few hours later, enjoy a high-calorie mid-afternoon meal such as one large fresh pear with 1 cup of low-fat yogurt and 10 whole-grain crackers for 440 calories.
Dinner and Later
To prevent meal boredom, eat a variety of different foods throughout the week, especially protein foods such as eggs, beans, cheese or seafood. For dinner, enjoy 4 ounces of broiled tuna steak with 1 1/2 cups of baked sweet potato and 1 cup of roasted Brussel sprouts tossed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 520 calories. Finally, finish your day with a healthful, high-calorie evening snack such as 1/2 cup of raw pistachio nuts with 1 cup of low-fat milk for 460 calories.
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