Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

A new program called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution has just started airing.  He is a British Chef who has taken on the task to start a food Revolution.  He starts with the statistically most unhealthy city in the US: Huntington West Virginia.  So far there have only been two episodes released and I have to give ABC a pat on the back for taking on a show that focuses in on changing the Standard American Diet (SAD).  A number of shows currently focus in on weight loss but this is the first show that really is putting kids eating habits at the forefront.

To me personally there were a few things that really stood out: the visuals that they use to break through to get peoples attention.  In episode one Jamie cooks up a families entire week worth of food so they can see just how much junk they are consuming in a week.  Then in episode two he shows a group of school kids with their parents what their meals look like grand scale, bringing in a dump truck to drop off how much fat they are consuming.  Its scary!

Just like any reality show there is drama in conflict of personalities.  But at the end of the day you really just want to see Jamie succeed as he hits set back after set back.

Rubber meets the road: at the end of the day it leaves me wondering how much change will he really get made and will it be change that sticks after cameras are done rolling?  If a year from now they are back right where they started how much good has it really done.  All we can do is wait, watch and hope for the best.  Jamie I am rooting for ya!

Coffee Alternatives

Most people drink coffee for the morning pick-me-up, but if you are wanting to cut down on your jitters or just your caffeine intake, you have choices.
• Herbal coffees are an option, such as Teeccino. It contains no caffeine, but it may provide a natural alertness. Its main ingredient is chicory root. People who are trying to give up coffee for health reasons often turn to Teeccino. It tastes a lot like coffee, but a little sweet and smoky. It contains heart-healthy potassium and inulin that helps aid digestion. Teeccino is safe for even kids to drink and comes in a variety of flavors.
• Yerba Mate is made of South American holly tree leaves. You can find it in brands such as Guayaki, which a very environmentally friendly company that is focused on restoring the rain forests. Guayaki has less than half the caffeine of coffee. Its flavor is very herbal. It has high levels of antioxidants and heart-healthy potassium.
• Morning Matcha is made of green-tea leaves ground into powder. It also contains about half the amount of caffeine of coffee. It tastes similar to steeped green tea, but has more of a kick. It has about three times the antioxidants of bagged tea, giving you extra protection from heart disease and cancer. It is pricey, though. One jar, which contains 15-20 servings, costs $33.
photo credit: Chris Owens

Product Review: Kashi - Autumn Wheat

Lets face it, you can't eat oatmeal everyday! So I was on a quest to find a cereal, just to switch things up and add some flavors. Per Dani Nichole's recommendation, I gave the Kashi - Autumn Wheat a try, I was a little hesitant at first, I have previsouly tried Kashi - Go lean crunch before and HATED it!

I have to say, Autumn Wheat changed my perception on Kashi, it's got the right kind of crunchiness, the wheat don't break away like Kellogg's all bran does, and it's got a hint of sweetness in it. I was impressed. According to the food label, it's got 6g of fiber, 7g of sugar, 1g of fat and a total caleries at 190. Not bad at all. According to the ingredient, it's whole grain wheat, with a dash of cane juice. Afterall, it is a process food, but not bad if you got sick of oatmeal. It's a thumbs up for me!

Product Review: Boca VS Quorn Chicken Patties

Boca Meatless Chik 'n Patties Original

160 calories
6 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
430 mg sodium

VS

Quorn Naked Chik 'n Cutlets (1 cutlet)

80 calories
2.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat)
420 mg sodium

Quorn wins! It manages to cut a few calories and less fat.

Skip This: Au Bon Pain Caprese Sandwich

Fresh mozzarella, tomato, romaine, and basil pesto may sound harmless, but this sandwich have more fat than BK's Whopper Jr. or a McDonald's Quarter Pounder. It's got 680 calories, 32 g fat (15 g saturated fat) and a whopping 1,200 mg sodium.

America's Best Hospitals

Take a look and see if your regional hospital made the list.

1. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore


2. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.


3. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles


4. Cleveland Clinic


5. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston


6. New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell


7. University of California, San Francisco Medical Center


8. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia


9. Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis


10. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston

For a complete list, visit US NEWs. You can also search hospital by their specialty.
photocredit:j.reed

Product Review: Roomba 500 series

I am a lazy guy, if there's something that can help me to clean less, I'm all ears. I have owned 4 roomba since 2002. The first 3 were killed by my dogs fur, the only survivor is my 2 year old Roomba 500 series. If you have pets, don't get anything lower than a 500 series, the older generation were not designed to handle fur.

One of the down side of being allergic to dust is that I must clean often, especially we have carpet. Let me tell you this, the Roomba WILL NOT replace regular vacuuming, you will still need to use your upright. However, the Roomba will reduce your vacuuming frequency. With 2 dogs in the house, I run the Roomba once a day, it learned my 2300 sqft home terrain and not miss a spot. Very impressive. I get a full bucket load EVERY DAY. Clean up is not bad either. With the addition of the Roomba, my house is able to cut down to Vacuuming only once a week with our Dyson. Not bad at all.

Here's a video of my Roomba in action, also my dogs are featured.

Product Review: 3M Filtrete

If you have allergies, make sure you change your AC filter monthly, especially if you have pets at home. Years ago when I was bachelor, AC filter was the last thing on my list, it's amazing how marriage can change a guy :) Never use the el cheapo blue wire filter, its cheap and nasty, invest in a good one like the 3M Filtrete. With 2 dogs in my house and living in Florida, the AC runs constantly and a good quality filter is needed. Every month when I change out the filter and compare it to last months? I can tell the difference by the color. Do yourself a favor, change that filter, if you don't? It's going into your lungs.

Product Review: Magic Bullet

As a lazy guy that helps my wife "cook" periodically, the magic bullet is awesome. First of all, I hate washing traditional glass blender, it's heavy, its huge and I need to wash the blender gasket, the blade, plus my glass. But with the magic bullet, the lazy factor allows me to wash the blade, finish my drink, THEN i wash the same cup I blend in. Yes, as a guy this is very important :)

I think the size factor also make this blender attractive, I can make several different things in a short time. Besides smoothies, I can make pasta sauce, microwave the container, make a veggie omelet without the mess.

I have owned the unit for 2 years now, for $49 - it is a good investment. Thumbs up!

Product Review: Neutrogena Men Invigorating Face wash

I have never been a fan of facial products, growing up I only knew about 3 things: Shampoo, Soap and hair gel. So life after marriage is an experience, there were times where my wife insisted on me testing certain products with her, I never quite got into it simply because they all make you smell like flower afterwards.

After lots of trial and error, I've finally settle on a product that I can recommend. Neutrogena Men Invigorating Face Wash, this stuff rocks, it cleans your face, if you leave it on for a minute, you'll really feel refresh and it doesn't  dry up your skin like other products do. Price is $5 and you don't smell like a girl. Share your favorite product in the comment area.