When Sarah Palin got a surprise phone call from the McCain campaign one August afternoon, asking whether she'd like to be on the Republican presidential ticket, the then-Alaska governor didn't doubt for a moment she was ready for the challenge.

"When I got the call, it was not such a shocking call to me," Palin told talk-show host Oprah Winfrey in a highly anticipated interview that aired Monday. "I felt quite confident in my abilities and my executive experience and I knew that this is an executive administrative job. I was happy to get in there and contribute."

Nor was Palin deterred by the fact she had five kids at home, including an infant with special needs.

"It never occurred to me that I couldn't do the job because of children," she said. "My children are my strength. ... They allow me to be grounded."

But what did shock Palin was just how much the campaign knew about her and her family before she even formally met with Sen. John McCain to discuss the job. Contrary to what was reported in the media, Palin said, she was extensively vetted, and the campaign knew exactly "who they were getting."

Sarah Palin's much talked about interview on "Oprah" aired Monday and the former vice presidential candidate discussed the 2008 campaign, her daughter's pregnancy, and Levi Johnston.

On Levi, Palin admitted that she was disappointed in the father of her grandson, saying, "Some of the things that he is doing is kind of heartbreaking."

Palin also shared her feelings on Johnston's decision to appear in a photo spread in Playgirl, saying, "I call that porn." The Playgirl photo shoot features Johnston posing with a hockey stick, as the spread is being marketed as a "tribute to hockey moms."

Palin also criticized Katie Couric for the televised interviews that the former Alaska Governor feels cast her in a negative light.

"For people who only know me from that interview, I don't blame people for thinking I was ill-qualified," Palin said on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Sarah Palin was routinely mocked for her answers to Couric's questions. Even Tina Fey turned Palin's lack of assuredness into a running joke that eventually won her an Emmy. It was Couric's question about what news sources she reads, however, that continues to upset the former vice presidential candidate.

What Is The Best Life Diet?

Exercise physiologist Bob Greene's TheBest Life Diet is an easy-to-follow, no-gimmicks approach to a healthy diet and lifestyle. It's a dietitian's dream diet -- and one that apparently changed talk show host Oprah Winfrey's life. Winfrey describes in the foreword how, after years of struggling with diets, she found success with The Best Life Diet.

There is nothing groundbreaking about The Best Life Diet. Greene's "diet" is synonymous with the phrase "lifestyle change." There's no going on and off this diet, because it's not a "diet." It's a lifestyle of healthy eating, with an emphasis on regular physical activity.

The Best Life Diet is a safe, effective way to lose weight and improve fitness. But it is not quick or temporary. You're encouraged to make gradual changes, one step at a time. The aim is to transform your old eating and exercise habits into healthier new ones that will last a lifetime.