Fitness Poll: How Flexible Are You? Have You Ever Been Able to Do the ... Splits?

I think there's a time in every gal's life when she can do the splits--like when she's 10! I used to be uber-flexible, but now? Not so much (and the baby in my belly doesn't help much with that!). But, whether you can do the splits or not, flexibility is so key to fitness and injury-prevention. One of my goals this year is to up my flexibility. How flexible are you?

I was inspired by this photo of a FitSugar blogger in a yoga-splits pose. I wondered, will I ever be able to get down into this position again? I hope so!

How flexible are you?survey software

Can you do the splits? How flexible are you on a scale of 1 to 10?

Fitness: Do You Work Out Harder When You're Angry? Would A Photo of Mel Gibson Motivate You?

I'll be honest, when I'm fuming about something, I run faster and longer than I usually do. That's one good thing about anger, I guess: It can be motivating. But I had to laugh when I read that one gym is plastering shamed actor Mel Gibson's face on its workout machines, in hopes that it motivates folks. Would that work for you?

Would that face cause you to burn more calories on the Elliptical? FitSugar pointed out a funny photo of a gym advertising that they're putting photos of Mel Gibson on their machines to motivate calorie-burning. They even have a so-called "Mel Gibson membership special"--just $40 a month.

Finally, a Celeb Who's Setting Realistic Weight Loss Expectations After Having a Baby

You gals know I'm not a fan of the crazy pressure women put on themselves--especially in Hollywood--to snap back to their old bods after pregnancy and childbirth, so I want to praise one celeb and new mom who says to hell with those crazy expectations ...

Yay for Tiffani Theissen (you remember, the cutie from "Saved By the Bell," who's also starring in "White Collar"), who just had a new baby in June and is sending out the message that her body isn't back to where it was pre-baby, and that she's OK with that.

"I'd love to be my size again but my body is just not that way," Thiessen, 36, told PEOPLE. "It doesn't work that way for me and I'm okay with that."

Estrogen Has Protective 'Brain Effect'

U.S. researchers and Chinese researchers say rat studies show losing estrogen can lead to diminished brain function.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found areas of the brain -- such as CA3 -- that tend to be stroke resistant and important in learning and memory, became vulnerable to stroke in rats that went without estrogen for long periods. It appears estrogen helps suppress free radical production that can become deadly to cells at higher levels.

"Estrogen must be doing something that is very critical for the protection of CA3 and we think it's suppressing NADPH oxidase production," Dr. Darrell W. Brann, chief of Medical College of Georgia who was the study's corresponding author, said in a statement.

Embarrassing Question: Have You Ever Forgotten to Take a Tampon Out?

Don't ask how a conversation with friends veered into the territory of tampons (cringe), but out of the group of women I was chatting with recently, several admitted to a tampon oops, which, as you know, can result in a frightening health issue that we all know as Toxic Shock Syndrome. Have you ever had a tampon oops?

I was curious, after reading a post over on MomLogic about the facts about Toxic Shock Syndrome (or TSS), which, as you know, has been linked to incidents of tampons being left in place too long. Let's have a little refresher, shall we?

"TSS is essentially an infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus--or staph--bacteria," the MomLogic bloggers write. "Symptoms include high fever and confusion, which then can rapidly progress to coma and eventually organ shutdown and even death. It also shows up as a rash, similar to a sunburn, and can be anywhere on the body, including the feet, lips, mouth, eyes, and hands."

Educators Tout the Benefits of Eating More Seafood

Just like the old joke, everyone's tried the "See-food Diet": you see food, and you eat it. But is there enough actual seafood on your family's plates?

Experts at the University of Idaho took a look at the data, in Idaho and across the nation, and they say no. On average, Americans eat just one serving of seafood a week, while nutritionists recommend at least two.

"It's culture; we're just not a seafood-eating nation," said Gary Fornshell, multi-county aquaculture educator for the university.

With Extension Educator Rhea Lanting, Fornshell has put together a four-part class to address misconceptions, fear of cooking seafood, health benefits and risks, and fundamentally what seafood is. The class is now available as a curriculum for nutrition educators, as well as being offered to the public.

Do You Need a Vacay From Your Diet?

Think of a world without sleep, without lunch breaks, without vacation days. Scary, huh? The fact is--we need to rest and recharge. Life depends on it. And, some say that if you're not giving yourself an occasional rest from your diet and fitness goals, you might be doing yourself a disservice. More after the jump ...

According to the writers over at the Diet Blog, taking a day off from dieting once per week can have many positive benefits, including this one: "If you let yourself eat whatever you like once a week, you won't end up feeling deprived," they write. "It's much easier to resist that slab of cake when you know you can have one in a couple of days' time."