Food Network Star Allegra Melton Shares Swimsuit Photo From Cancun

The Worst Cooks in America cast member shared a picture of herself posing in a pink bikini while lounging in the pool, against a background of blue skies and ocean waters. Melton went on the trip with her friends, and looked as if she was having the time of her life. "Meet you on Level 18😎," she captioned the holiday snap. "So hot," a friend commented. Here's how the barrel racer feels about food, cooking, and life.

Melton went into Worst Cooks in America: Love At First Bite knowing next to nothing about cooking. "I never learned how to cook," she says. "When I was growing up if I wasn't barrel racing I was in the gym, so there was a lot of fast food when we were coming home from games at night, a lot of popcorn and nachos. I was just always on the go."

Melton was overwhelmed by some of the requests from the judges. "We were supposed to render this duck fat and I didn't even know the term rendering," she says. "You had to cut the shallots as uniform as possible. They were adamant that you could not burn your shallots or it would ruin the whole dish. So of course, I burned my little shallots. We were all just doing our best. You've got all these characters around you and you're just trying not to get burned alive by the person beside you."

Melton is also a personal trainer and barrel racer. "Participating in barrel racing can have several potential health benefits, including improved physical fitness," says Krish Tangella, MD, MBA, FCAP. "Barrel racing requires a high level of physical fitness, as it involves both horsemanship skills and physical endurance. Barrel racing requires precise movements and control, which can help to improve coordination and flexibility."

Melton does not agree with Anne Burrell's statement that all brown food tastes good. Acrylamide, which is produced when foods are cooked at high temperatures, can be unsafe for humans. "To be on the safe side, people can reduce their exposure by following a normal healthy, balanced diet – which includes eating fewer high calorie foods like crisps, chips and biscuits, which are the major sources of acrylamide," says Emma Shields, health information officer from Cancer Research UK.

Melton has gained a real appreciation for the culinary arts since appearing on the Food Network show. "I am such a good cook now," she says. "I love to cook. This was like a real-life culinary class, and I was getting trained by Chef Ann and Jeff Mauro. It was amazing."