She’s been quite candid about the work she’s put into maintaining her fabulous figure, and Gwyneth Paltrow is happy to get frank on the subject of aging, too. “I’ll take my wrinkles,” she admits in March’s revamped Harper’s Bazaar. “I don’t like the Botox thing.”

What she does like? In addition to her husband and children — whom she opens up about in the issue — simply food. “I eat whatever I want,” she says. “I like bread and cheese and wine, and that makes my life fun and enjoyable.” But it’s not always about indulgence; the cookbook author often goes on detoxes to restart her system, and even sells a cleanse on her goop.com website.

Perhaps that’s how she’s always fit into gorgeous designer dresses, from her glimmering Elie Saab and short Stella McCartney to her tummy-baring Emilio Pucci and the infamous Alexander McQueen, worn to the 2002 Oscars. “I loved it,” she says of the controversial gown. “But I think the hair was a mistake. I shouldn’t have had it braided.” Read more on Paltrow in the March issue of Harper’s Bazaar and at harpersbazaar.com/gwyneth.

–Kate Hogan

STUDY UP ON HOLLYWOOD’S ON-THE-GO FITNESS TRICKS

She’s only 24 years old, but Kristin Cavallari definitely thinks about the future … of her face. “No one’s ever told me I needed to get a facelift or anything,” she tells xojane.com. “Never say never, but I don’t think I’ll ever get Botox because we don’t know the long-term side effects, and I just don’t think that can be good for you.”

In fact, the starlet has yet to cosmetically alter herself at all … teeth excluded. “The most I’ve done is Crest Whitestrips,” she jokes.

Cavallari, a practicing vegan (“Realistically it happens 50 percent of the time,” she says) who hits the gym at least four times a week, says she “craves” healthy food. “If I don’t eat healthy food I don’t feel good,” she shares.

The starlet admits that her workouts — combined with a light diet and intense Dancing with the Stars training — did once take their toll. “At one point I got too skinny and my manager had to say something to me,” she reveals. But with DWTS behind her and a trainer helping her with cardio and weightlifting three times per week, she’s on a healthier track.

She’s sure to stay hydrated, too; the former Hills star says that “as cliché and old school as it is, I think drinking a lot of water really helps” keep skin clear — as does washing your face at night “no matter how tired you are.”

When she’s going glam, Cavallari prefers to use Armani foundation and mascara, NARS “Orgasm” blush and Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner (“It doesn’t move,” she raves). But for a day out in Los Angeles, her makeup is minimal. She shares, “The most I wear is a little bit of foundation and mascara.”

SEE WHAT STARS WEAR TO WORKOUT

Though she looked pretty darn model-y in amethyst Oscar de la Renta at the Hollywood premiere of The Help (left), Jessica Chastain says she can’t compete with the pros.

“There are some dresses that are so beautiful, the detail is so magnificent, but I can’t give them the justice they deserve,” she tells ASOS magazine. “It’s tough because I’m never going to look better than a catwalk model in a dress,” she continues. “I’m not a model, I could never be a model.”

Despite these self-professed shortcomings (she’s only 5-foot-4), the redhead beauty says she still loves fashion. “I always loved [it],” she laughs. “I just couldn’t afford it.”

Flash forward five years, and the star, who also appeared in this year’s The Tree of Life alongside Brad Pitt, has a healthy appetite for the stuff. “I absolutely adore [Louis] Vuitton,” she gushes. “I went to the show last year and it was such a celebration of the female body” — something she says she knows a little about. On the Mississippi set of The Help, “we would work all day, then go and eat because we had to gain weight,” she explains. “All of your clothes get too tight … But there’s something really sensual about being heavier, you feel like a painter’s muse.”

–Justine Harman

TRACK DOWN STARS’ FAVE ITEMS IN: ‘YOU ASKED, WE FOUND’

We know how she got that rockin’ bikini body, but how does Gwyneth Paltrow maintain her outer glow?

“For me, sleep is a major thing,” she said Saturday during an appearance on Ask Dr. Brandt on Sirius XM Radio. “I don’t always get it, and when I don’t, I look like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

Other beauty secrets Paltrow lives by include drinking lots of water, taking vitamins “religiously” and having at least one cup of coffee — with almond milk — each morning. She follows that with a glass of homemade green juice, consisting of kale and her favorite farmer’s market goodies, and eats a lean protein with veggies for lunch. But she allows herself to cheat once in a while.
“Dinner is where I really go off the rails,” she admitted, saying that when she eats out she indulges in French fries and red wine. But at home, she cooks healthfully for her family, and tries to avoid gluten and dairy.

Another way the mom of two stays on top of her health? By detoxing twice per year. Paltrow said she’s a fan of the Clean Program, an elimination diet that lasts for three weeks and allows a daily lunch. “I find it very rejuvenating,” she said. “It’s like being high.” In between detoxes, she sometimes picks up a five-day juice fast, too.

To round out her wellness plan, Paltrow sticks to workouts with her trainer, Tracy Anderson. And with a near-nude scene coming up in her new film, Thanks for Sharing, the actress is feeling more confident than ever. “Now, I’m my own body double,” she boasted.

Tune into Ask Dr. Brandt every Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on Sirius XM.

–Kate Hogan

STUDY STARS’ HAIR AND MAKEUP MUST-DOS

Top Chef judge Gail Simmons knows how to dish out the best food — for your skin! The Food & Wine editor — and host of Bravo’s Top Chef: Just Desserts — recently joined the Eucerin Skin First Council, which raises awareness of skin care health. So, how can what you eat affect how you look? “My rule is always the darker the color of the food, the better [for your skin],” Simmons tells BellaSugar.com. “That goes for everything from blackberries and blueberries to broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes and cherries. Especially foods really rich in antioxidants like berries: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and so on.” If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth while maintaining a flawless complexion, Simmons recommends “a little bit of dark chocolate. It has tons of antioxidants in it.” For a healthy glow, the foodie is a big fan of fish. “Fish is really healthy for you, and fish oils and the fat that’s in things like fish are good for keeping your skin moisturized.” Avocado and nuts can help in that way, too. As for her stance on so-called beauty drinks and powders, she says they can probably be skipped. “I’ve seen those drinks that they say are good for your skin. I’m sure it’s just added nutrients, like taking a multivitamin that has extra fish oil,” she shares. “It certainly can’t hurt you, but the truth is that the best way to get your nutrients and keep your skin healthy is to eat real food.” –Caroline Slutsky

LEARN MORE STAR BEAUTY TIPS AND TRICKS!

Though she admits to loving food — and eating lots of it, too — Gwyneth Paltrow happily flaunts her fabulous bikini body on the May cover of SELF. In an interview about her new cookbook, My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness, the actress opens up about her eating habits — she went macrobiotic for a while after her dad, Bruce, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998 — and shares some of her favorite recipes. But getting a swimsuit-ready figure hasn’t necessarily been easy for the Country Strong star. “I never thought that I’d be considered to have a good body,” she admits. “I was bony up top and kind of dumpy on the bottom. But my trainer, Tracy Anderson, completely changed my legs, butt, arms and stomach. I feel better than ever, too.” Paltrow, who does 45 minutes of cardio five days a week, supplements her workouts with “muscular structure work” — toning, realigning and lengthening. Throughout the day, she fuels with raw almonds, coconut water and juices, but doesn’t deny her cravings, either. “I say I always eat right, but last night, I had fried clams, pasta with duck sausage and two glasses of red wine,” she admits. “When I want to lose, I eat less pasta, bread and potatoes.” Calling her butt her problem area, the actress says she skips workouts when she’s on vacation, but enjoys feeling strong and healthy after breaking a sweat. “I saw a shot of myself in Barbados and was, like, all my hard work paid off,” she shares. “I’m 38, I have two kids, and I feel good.” For more on Paltrow’s diet and exercise routine, pick up the May copy of SELF or visit self.com. 

SEE MORE STARS ROCKING BIKINIS IN ‘BEACH PATROL: SPRING BREAK’

Model Irina Shayk may have wept when David Letterman unveiled her Sports Illustrated cover yesterday, but she wasn’t the only one surprised: Simon Southwood, co-owner and designer of Sauvage swimwear, was also shocked to learn one of his bikinis was front and center on the bestselling issue. “I couldn’t sleep because of this!” he exclaimed. “It was just thrilling. It’s the ultimate, really, to get your suit on the cover.” Out of hundreds of thousands of suits shipped to the top-secret locations, six Sauvage suits made it into the pages, and the $165 pink-and-yellow triangle suit ended up making the cover. Southwood says the secret to Sauvage’s success in the mag is that they walk the line between sexy and tasteful, both in their special suits for Sports Illustrated and their everyday swimwear. “We try to be sensuous and stylish at the same time,” he said. “We want you to feel glamorous when you put on our suits, just like the photos you see in SI.” See more at sportsillustrated.com, or pick up an issue, on stands now — and if you’re ready to shop for your own bikini, visit everythingbutwater.com and enter our exclusive code SI2011 at checkout for a free water bottle with purchase! -Alex Apatoff

SEE MORE STARS IN BIKINIS IN OUR BEACH PATROL GALLERY

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After dyeing her hair strawberry blonde this summer for her role in On The Road, Kristen Stewart has gone to the dark side, returning to a brown hair color. “I was blonde a little while ago,” Stewart told PEOPLE on the red carpet at the Cinema Society and Everlon screening of her film Welcome to the Rileys on Monday. “So now I’m dark again for Twilight,” she said, adding, “I feel much more myself with darker hair.” Director Jake Scott, who directed Stewart in Welcome to the Rileys, said he kept Stewart’s chestnut color for the movie. “She came from Twilight onto our film within the space of two weeks. I liked it, and we kept it. But we let it grow horrible and shaggy and let the split ends come out.” But as Stewart prepares for Bella’s Vampire incarnation in Twilight, she’s had to give up some unhealthy habits she picked up on the set of Welcome to the Rileys. “She ate badly, smoked tons of cigarettes, stayed up late,” Scott said. “She embraced the habitual nature of the character.” So Stewart is currently testing a lighter diet. “Well, it’s kind of embarrassing,” she told PEOPLE. “But I’m playing a vampire soon. I eat disgustingly normally. And so, right now, I’m trying to not put so much butter in my food and stuff like that.” And is the diet working? “Yeah, yeah,” she answered “I feel better . . . I guess so.” Tell us: What do you think of Kristen’s new hair color? –Jeffrey Slonim

Courtesy Jenny Craig

In the past year, actress Sara Rue has learned a lot about setting goals and working hard to achieve them. The Jenny Craig spokesperson, who lost 50 pounds on the weight loss program, accomplished her latest goal by running her first half marathon on Sunday—and completing it in a remarkable two hours and 27 minutes. “I feel so happy! It’s awesome!” Rue told PEOPLE at the finish line. “Now I understand what people have been saying about having a runner’s high. I’m in the best shape of my life. Less than seven, eight months ago I couldn’t even run a mile. This has been really empowering.” Rue, 32, ran the City to Sea half marathon, which started in downtown San Luis Obispo, Calif. and ended in Shell Beach, Calif., with her personal trainer, Christopher Lane. “When the race started we were being passed by hundreds of people,” Rue said. “I was a little discouraged and I tried to joke with Christopher by saying ‘hey, I don’t think we’re going to win this thing!’” But she didn’t let herself get psyched out and instead, focused on keeping the 12-minute mile pace she trained for during the summer. “Once we settled into our pace, I just started enjoying the run,” said Rue. Following her every step of the way was fiancé Kevin Price, who filmed Rue along the route, and even ran alongside her “for about two-tenths of a mile,” she said, laughing. After the race, Rue celebrated by going out the lunch (she had a healthy grilled chicken salad!) with Price and friends. “I wore my medal to lunch,” she said. “I had to. I didn’t think I’d enjoy [the run] as much as I did. It was empowering and fun – fun!” –Monica Rizzo

Courtesy ELLE

British presenter and model Alexa Chung, with her unique shabby-chic style and quirky sense of humor, is often seen gracing the front row at fashion shows (she’s currently doing the rounds in Paris), and even has a Mulberry bag named after her. But constantly having to read speculation on her weight and whether she is suffering from an eating disorder has finally taken its toll on the fashionista. Upset and angry about the ever-present rumors, she’s decided to speak out on the subject. “I cannot express how frustrating it is to not be believed when you say, ‘I don’t have an eating disorder,’” she states in the November edition of British Elle. “I am naturally very thin. I get even thinner when I’m stressed. And you cannot imagine how stressed I was last year,” she says in the candid interview. Referring to her U.S. television debut on MTV’s It’s On with Alexa Chung, which was later canned, the petite Brit adds: “Anyone could see that I wasn’t doing great and I wasn’t coping.” It was after the show finished last year, that the eating disorder rumors spread on the Internet to such a degree that the 26-year-old was forced to issue a denial statement. And yet still, her slight frame continues to garner unwanted attention. “It angers me because I don’t want to be a pin-up for young girls just for being thin,” she says in the feature, which sees her as the cover girl, channeling her favorite 1960’s style icons (Jean Shrimpton and Julie Christie amongst others). “I don’t want to be admired for being thin as opposed to being dressed well, and I don’t want the two to get confused.” Check out the video below to go behind the scenes of Alexa’s shoot, or pick up the current issue of British Elle, on newsstands now. –Monique Jessen

Courtesy Troy Plota

Take note, Jamie Foxx. Kirstie Alley, who is playfully unabashed in her ongoing quest for Foxx, is even more “shag-ready”. In fact, after tipping the scales at 228 lbs. last year, the actress has dropped 50 lbs.–and isn’t looking back. “THE GOOD NEWS….I’ve lost 50 lbs!!! THE BAD NEWS…I have 40 more to go!!! …lol…..at least I’m more than half the way there!!,” she Tweeted on Oct. 4. What’s her secret? Staying faithful to Organic Liaison, the weight-loss program she launched in March, as well as finding support and inspiration from fans who took the dieting plunge with her. “Thousands have now had huge success with my new weight loss program,” Alley, 59, tells PEOPLE. “Nothing makes me happier than reading about their extraordinary triumphs…They inspire me to continue on my own journey and I am grateful for them.”  As the country’s first USDA-approved organic weight loss plan that specifically targets cravings, curbs appetites and boosts energy, Organic Liaisons will soon be available at GNC stores, the first time its been available outside of the company website, www.organicliaison.com. Two years in the making, Alley says she wanted to create a weight-loss system that doesn’t include “meals that I can keep in my closet,” she says on the Organic Liaison site. “Also one that would actually improve mine and my kids health along with shrinking my awesomely ample bottom.” As for her gradually shrinking body, Alley has perspective. Tweeting on Oct. 6: “I’m far from SKINNY….but I’m at least far from Shamu …no insult to Shamu intended.” –Elizabeth Leonard

Courtesy GQ

She’s regularly fêted as one of the world’s most beautiful actresses—but mother-of-one Jessica Alba still sees the flaws in her body. And she’s happy with it. Two years after giving birth to daughter Honor, the Machete star tells the U.K. edition of GQ that there is something “amazing” about having a child. “My breasts are saggy, I’ve got cellulite, my hips are bigger, but I love it,” she proudly says in the November issue. And the 29-year-old feels inferior to many of her fellow female stars in the beauty stakes. She name-checks other leading ladies like Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Garner and Beyoncé. “Every actress out there is more beautiful than me,” she tells the magazine. “All better looking than me. I’ve seen them without makeup, so I know.” The cover article comes complete with a swimsuit shoot that plays up her slender legs, and she says that having Honor has helped her confidence. She is “way more comfortable since I had a baby. I’m far less self-conscious now that I have her to worry about.” But the actress says she wasn’t always so happy to show off her body. “I used to have anxiety attacks before I did the photo shoots. I’d never worn high heels to even dresses before I did movies,” she says. And she vows not to succumb to that other product of the entertainment industry—cosmetic surgery. “I hate the idea of trying to freeze time. I believe in growing old as nature intended and, if the movie roles dry up as a result, then so be it.” — Simon Perry

Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; Alfred/Sipa

Crystal Renn’s rise to the top of the fashion industry isn’t slowing down. First, the plus size model, who documented her years suffering from anorexia in order to work in the fashion industry in a memoir Hungry in 2009, broke down barriers in New York City, walking in Zac Posen’s ZSpoke show last month. Now, she’s burning up Paris, walking in Zac Posen’s ready to wear show, as well as walking the runway for major labels Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel. “This has been one of the most amazing times of my life,” Renn, 24, tells PEOPLE on the phone from Paris. “I’ve done one show before, usually as a special guest, but to be working this much is incredible.” For Renn, who walked in Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2006 fashion show at a size 12, being treated as one of the pack, not as “the plus size model,” is “a real breakthrough,” she says. “I’m here being treated like any other girl. It doesn’t matter my size. It doesn’t matter who I am. I’m going on castings like everybody else.” Though Renn is now a slimmer size 10, she says she’s still “different from most of the girls at the castings,” but acknowledges that there is more diversity on the runway these days. “When I first started, the girls were all blonde, all emaciated and miserable looking,” she says. “Now, there’s more ethnic diversity. The girls are not as skinny as before. You do see size 6s and a couple size 8s. There is change happening in the industry. There is more allowance for people to be different. I’m so impressed. I can’t wait for next season.” – Charlotte Triggs

Flynet

As she prepares to show off her new range of clothing designed for British sportswear firm Fred Perry, Amy Winehouse says she’s been drug-free for three years and is in a better place. “I’m much healthier now,” she tells the U.K. edition of Glamour in its November issue. “I used to use drugs and I haven’t used drugs in almost three years. I literally woke up one day and was like, ‘I don’t want to do this any more.’” While her private life around her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil was in such turmoil, she says she focused on her fashion line. “I went through a lot of trouble with my ex-husband, so I had such a long time to think about the collection.” The divorced singer has drawn on her own tastes to design the chic line—and she models it for singer-turned-photographer Bryan Adams in the magazine. “I like ’40s and ’50s stuff. I played Rizzo in Grease when I was a kid at school, and I’ve always worn bowling shirts and things like classic trenchcoats.” The collection starts at a size six (U.K.) because she wanted to be able to wear them. “When I started eating right, I lost quite a lot of weight,” she explains. “Everyone thinks it was because of my lifestyle. It was because my eating habits got a lot better and I came to my natural weight. I’m not really skinny but I’m tiny and I couldn’t really get anything because they didn’t do a size six.” –Simon Perry

Bryan Adams for Glamour

Ethan Miller/Getty

Ashley Tisdale has much to be excited about when it comes to life after East High School. Following the third installment of the popular High School Musical, Tisdale has focused on her CW show, Hellcats, in which she plays a cheerleader. And while she still loves her narcissistic character in HSM, Tisdale said there are certain things about Hellcats that she prefers. “It’s awesome to be able to work out for your job all the time,” Tisdale told PEOPLE of her role that often has her in sports bras and short shorts. “I am constantly working out with my trainer. I’m on a more healthy diet. I have a cheat day, though. It’s a very healthy way of living, I must say. It’s a lot of fun.” Her cheat food? “Something involving bread or pasta.” But the 25-year-old still embraces her days as a female antagonist on the Disney series, as well as her former cast mates. “The cast is growing up and we’re doing our own projects but I have to say there is a tight bond with all of us,” Tisdale told PEOPLE Sunday while hosting a party at Las Vegas’s Wet Republic. “We went through something that is so lucky and it’s something that does not happen every day and we have that connection. They are my best friends… It’s like second nature to us.” –Mark Gray

Courtesy Prevention

Think getting Botox is just a silly little procedure with no potential long-term downside? Listen to actress Dana Delany’s story. “Seven years ago, I had never heard of Botox,” the former Desperate Housewives star tells Prevention magazine in its November issue. “My dermatologist was saying, ‘You should try it.’ He injected my forehead, hit a nerve, and created a huge hematoma. The nerve has been dead ever since. It affected the muscle in my right eye, so my eye has started to droop a little bit.” The experience left Delany, 54, wary of plastic surgery, and impressed by women in Hollywood who shun it. “I won’t do it, no,” she says. “My hat’s off to Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s so smart, and she doesn’t dye her hair or anything. And Meryl Streep still looks like herself. Diane Keaton, too. I think the really great actresses don’t worry about that kind of thing.” Delany, who stars in the new ABC medical drama Body of Proof, also relates her struggles as a young woman with an eating disorder. “When I was a teenager and in my twenties, I had eating issues,” she says. “I binged. I starved. I was one step from anorexia — a piece of toast and an apple would be all I would eat in a day.” But despite her misadventures with Botox and food, Delany says she has a healthy outlook when it comes to the heaviest issue of all — her own mortality. “I think I have a pretty good relationship with death,” she says. “Ever since I was a little kid, it wasn’t something I feared.” To hear more from Dana’s interview visit prevention.com, or pick up the November issue of Prevention magazine, on newsstands tomorrow. –Tim Nudd

Courtesy Prevention

Janet Mayer/Splash News

Looks like someone isn’t cheating on her diet! Jennifer Hudson, who recently revealed that she’s lost an additional 20 lbs. since April, appeared even more svelte at the seventh annual Black Ball for her Keep a Child Alive foundation in New York on Thursday. The Weight Watchers spokesperson, dressed in a stunning strapless black gown, clearly had a blast on the red carpet as she flaunted her figure for the photographers. Earlier this month, Hudson, 29, said she’s still getting used to her new look. “I go into the store and they try to put me in 4s and 6s and I’m like [she looks over both shoulders] ‘Who are you trying to talk to?’” says the former size 16 star.

Vince Bucci/AP

There was a time when soccer star Mia Hamm would work out for seven hours a day. “That was my life,” she says, “everything was geared around playing soccer, about being healthy. I would literally be active all day long.” Flash forward to today: The 38-year-old mother of three-year-old twin girls has new priorities–and they don’t include seven-hour workouts. “Things have changed,” she says. “I spend a lot of time with my kids, so I can’t dedicate as much time [to exercise].” When she does work out, Hamm says she spends an hour at the gym. “I like to be toned and fit, which is harder for two reasons. First, I’m older. Second, I like to eat. I never thought about my caloric intake when I was playing soccer. Now I have to pay attention to it.” Her guilty pleasure? “If I had to choose one food that is my weakness, it would be chips and salsa,” she says. “I don’t know what it is, but I love them. But other than that, I try to eat healthy, fresh food. Or at least in moderation.” These days, Hamm is a spokesperson for Give Your Health A Shot, a public awareness campaign to educate adults about vaccinations and total body wellness. It’s a message that hits close to home. “I’m like every other parent,” she says. “My health often takes a backseat to my kids.” But now more than ever, Hamm says, her health is important to her. “I don’t want to have a negative impact on their lives,” she says of her daughters, Grace and Ava. “I want them to be happy and successful, and the best way is making sure the entire family is healthy.” And her advice for parents struggling to find time to get to the gym? “You’re worth it,” she says, before rethinking her answer. “No, your family is worth it.” –Steve Helling

Adam Larkey/ABC

Comedian Margaret Cho hasn’t had a problem making other people laugh and feel positive, but now, at 41 years old, the Drop Dead Diva star is finally focused on making herself feel good. The funny-lady says all of the exercise she’s done in the short time she’s been on Dancing With the Stars has completely changed the way she feels about her body and herself. “I’ve never been so excited about something in my life,” Cho told PEOPLE backstage at Tuesday night’s DWTS elimination show. “I’m so into it. I’ve never worked out—never. Now that I’ve been moving, I realize how good it feels.” Cho, who says she isn’t using a scale to measure her progress, already notices dramatic physical differences. “I can see it in my face,” she says. “I can feel it in my whole body. I have lost a lot of weight. It’s the first time I’ve ever been there, and I feel great about it.” Cho promises her new healthy lifestyle is permanent and not just for DWTS. “I’ve really made a commitment to [my partner] Louis [van Amstel],” she says. “I told him after this, I’m staying physically active. I’ve never been physically active in my life, and I know that Louis has added years to my life, and this is a really important thing. I want to stay in my body, I want to stay in my skin.” –Dahvi Shira