The series starts tonight. British cook Jamie Oliver comes to Huntington, WV, also known as the most unhealthy city in the U.S., to plant the seeds of a food revolution. By going into the schools, Jamie hopes to change the culture of a city’s eating habits starting with the kids, but it may not be that easy. The grown ups in this town are so deeply set in their ways that Jamie is getting resistance at almost every turn.

What Jamie finds is kids eating pizza for breakfast at school, pouring bright pink strawberry flavored milk over their pre-sweetened cereal, eating faux mashed potatoes and super processed chicken nuggets for lunch, and a system that is so out of whack that the challenges ahead of him are enormous.

He also visits a family whose eating habits are just unfathomable (at least to me) – one where the deep fryer is used at every meal and the freezer is completely stocked with cheap frozen pizza.  He cooks up everything this family eats for a week all at once and sets it out on the table. It will truly make you ill looking at it. Luckily, the family seems willing to learn some new tricks and hopefully can change.

Check out the video preview below and then set your DVR for the show tonight!

What do you think of the show’s premise? Is the state of school food really this bad? I’d love to hear your take on it, too!

I have increased his overall calorie count (he’s a 6′ tall 13 year old boy who swims 3 times a week and is not all about food), doubled his protein, added a B complex vitamin daily, and added an Omega 3 supplement. The Omega 3 supplement was recommended by a mom who I was talking to about our boys and their ADD tendencies even though they are ridiculously smart. She said that the Omega 3 supplement was really helping her son be more focused and feel better overall.

After doing more research on Omega 3, I came to the conclusion that we all need to be taking it. Some of its recognized health benefits include:

• Heart, Brain & Eye health
• Healthy triglyceride levels
• Reduction of inflammation throughout the body
• Joint health and mobility
• Mental clarity and balance

Next the challenge was finding an Omega 3 supplement my kids would take. A large gel cap that smelled of fish oil was not going to go over well. Neither was a product that left an oily aftertaste. I found the Coromega brand which offers the Omega 3 as a Squeeze. The orange flavor squeeze comes in a single serve pack and tastes like an Orange Creamsicle – no fish or oily taste at all! You can mix it in yogurt or a drink, but my son and I both just squeeze the packet straight into our mouths and its done. Plus it is absorbed by the body faster than the softgels. Easy peasy orange squeezey!

It has been one week and while I won’t say it has been a miraculous turnaround, I am seeing overall improvements in his energy, mood and he says this week at school has seemed better. Time will tell, but I think we are moving in the right direction.

You can find the Coromega brand of supplements at Amazon or through my favorite source, House of Nutrition. Click on the images below for product details and ordering information.

Coromega’s Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplement 90 Daily Dose Packets (Orange Flavor) Coromega’s Kids Omega3 Brain and Body Squeeze Pkts Lmn-Lme 30Pkts Coromega’s CoQ10- 50 mg (Juicy Orange Flavor) 30 Squeeze Packets Coromega’s Omega-3 Squeeze Packets Lmn-Lme 90Pkts Coromega’s Prenatal OmegaBaby Squeeze Packets Perfect Peach 30Pkts Coromega’s Healthy Heart Omega-3 & Co-Q10 30Pkts Coromega’s Multi-V Multi-Vit & Multi-Min Gummy Fruits 60Gms

So far, Kir DeVries has the best kids bento selection, but I have also found a few on Amazon, like these:

5″ long x 1″ deep x 2.75″ wide Hello Kitty lunch box

Snoopy 2-Tier Bento Box

Vivo Kids Bento Box, Orange and Pink

Kotobuki 2-Tiered Bento Box, Panda Face

So what do you pack in a bento lunch for kids? Easy to eat finger foods like mini-sandwiches, pre-cooked pasta, veggies, fruit, and other treats work really well. If you are looking for some inspiration, check out these resources:

• 21 Healthy Lunchbox and Snack Ideas
• Search Flickr for a TON of photos of kids bento box lunches
• O’bento Lunch 4 Kidz has the most beautiful pictures and creative ideas
• Laptop Lunches has ideas, recipes and an online store
• 501 Bento Lunches: 501 Unique Recipes for Brilliant Bento
• Hawaii’s Bento Box Cookbook: Fun Lunches for Kids
• My Lunch Box: 50 Recipes for Kids to Take to School!

And I just found even more great eco-friendly, money saving, kid-friendly lunch containers and bento boxes (click on images for more information and where to buy):

Shinzi Katoh Bento Box ~ 2 Deck Pretty Alice Shinzi Katoh Monkey Bento Box ~ Single Deck Shinzi Katoh Bento Box ~ 2 Deck Cute Red Hood Shinzi Katoh Bento Box ~ Cute Red Hood Shinzi Katoh Bento Box Accessories Ringo Mayo Apple Shinzi Katoh Bento Box Accessories Ringo Furikake Containers Set Shinzi Katoh Bento Box Accessories Ringo Apple Cups Shinzi Katoh Bento Box Accessories Ringo Soy Sauce Container Shinzi Katoh Bento Box ~ Cheri Shinzi Katoh Bento Box ~ 2 Deck Cheri Shinzi Katoh Slim Bento Box ~ Cute Red Hood Shinzi Katoh Perch Bento Box Shinzi Katoh Double Deck Bento Box ~ Hungry Bee Shinzi Katoh Slim Bento Box ~ Pretty Alice Ariel Food Container DISNEY PRINCESS EZ-Freeze Food Container Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Food Storage Container SPIDERMAN EZ-Freeze Food Container Maximum Drift Lightning McQueen Food Container Butterflies Disney Princess Food Container Sanrio Hello Kitty Face Shaped Bento Box Sanrio Hello Kitty Character Bento Create Kit Airtight Food Storage Container Set – 6 Piece Lock & Lock Lunch Set Laptop Lunch Bento Buddy 2.0 – Berry Laptop Lunch Bento Buddy 2.0 – Lime Laptop Lunch Original Bento Sleeve With Ice Pack Laptop Lunch Bento Set 2.0 – Purple Party Obentec Laptop Lunches Pink & Magenta Colored Bento Lunch Box Set Obentec Alien Bento System 2.0 Insulated Laptop Lunch Box System Obentec Laptop Lunches Whimsical Colored Bento Lunch Box Set Kids Lunchboxes: Kids Lunchboxes with Plastic Food Containers – Deluxe Lunchbox (Orange) Obentec Flower Fun Bento System 2.0 Insulated Laptop Lunch Box System Bento Box 2 Deck Red/Black Cherry Blossom Bento Box 2 Deck Red Floral Shinzi Katoh Single Deck Bento Box ~ Pretty Alice Kotobuki 2 Tier Bento Box ~ Happy Panda Kotobuki 2 Deck Frog Bento Box Insta-Totes Reusable Rainbow Dot Lunch Tote Insta-Totes Reusable Friends Go Shopping Lunch Tote Insta-Totes Reusable All Over Monkey Lunch Tote Vera Bradley – Let’s Do Lunch (Blue Rhapsody) – Bags and Luggage Vera Bradley – Let’s Do Lunch (Night & Day) – Bags and Luggage Vera Bradley – Let’s Do Lunch (Make Me Blush) – Bags and Luggage Vera Bradley – Let’s Do Lunch (Purple Punch) – Bags and Luggage

I recently found My Daily Veggies, packets of whole dried vegetables that you can use for making a quick cup of soup, or add to rice, potatoes, ground beef and other dishes. Each packet contains 2 USDA servings of vegetables, has no added salt, sugar or preservatives, is portable, and tastes great.

Made by Lane Labs, My Daily Veggies is certified organic, too.

Complex carbohydrates – found in fruits and whole-grain cereals – are digested and broken-down into glucose – the body’s usable form of sugar. This process of digestion takes time and the glucose produced is slowly released into the bloodstream, where it is transported to cells for use as an energy source.

When you eat simple sugars – a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee or a sticky bun with icing – you’re ingesting ready-made glucose. No digestion is necessary – the glucose is already in its simplest form and goes directly into the bloodstream. Such rapidly available glucose is probably not immediately needed for energy and therefore is stored as fat. Also, the rapid surge of blood glucose stimulates the pancreas to release insulin, setting off a whole cascade of responses.

Bottom line – consuming a lot of simple sugars causes your body to store fat and ultimately impairs the functioning of the pancreas, possibly leading to diabetes. Consuming complex carbohydrates provides glucose for energy and is part of the natural pathway to good health.

Check out this technique:

Using an Apple Corer and Divider, cut down 7/8 of the way through the apple. Remove the slicer and reform the apple so it looks “whole” again. Pack in a sealed baggie or container. When your child opens it up at lunch, the apple will still appear fresh and will not have browned.

Need more great lunch box ideas? Check out my posts on 21 Healthy Snack and Lunch Box Ideas and 20 Healthy Fall Fruits and Vegetables.

Since Glucosamine is not available in human diet, it can only be ingested as a supplement. Glucosamine as a supplement is used by two kinds of people: older people with diseases like osteoarthritis, and sports persons.

In osteoarthritis in older people, especially knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage cushioning the joints becomes stiff and inelastic. There is also natural wear and tear of the connective tissue and cartilage. This makes the joint hurt, swell up and refuse to move easily. Research is pointing to promising evidence that Glucosamine supplement might help in these cases.

Use of Glucosamine decreases the natural wear and tear in our joints, and thus possibly reverses the effects of diseases like osteoarthritis. As we age, our body has a lower supply of natural Glucosamine, and a supplement becomes essential.

Including a supplement of Glucosamine for the treatment of osteoarthritis is better than exclusively taking pain-mangement drugs like NSAID( Non- Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug). This is because unlike the NSAIDs which simply trick the body into not registering pain signals, Glucosamine promotes the production of proteins, which help repair the damaged connective tissue.

In cases of joint pains for sports persons, Glucosamine could be helpful because it can work on the repair of connective tissue and cartilage damaged due to excessive workouts of certain joints.

The supplement Glucosamine along with chondroitin sulfate, another sort of molecule naturally occurring in our cartilage, is said to be more useful both for sports persons and older people suffering from osteoarthritis. Chondroitin restores some of the cartilage elasticity and is thought to prevent the destruction of cartilage by enzymes.

It is important that the Glucosamine supplement be taken while the cartilage damage is still limited, so you have to start with the medication at the early stages of pain to see fast improvement.

Glucosamine supplements usually have mild side effects like drowsiness or nausea. Those allergic to shellfish should avoid the Glucosamine derived from shellfish and only take Glucosamine supplements derived from non-shellfish sources.

Since Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body, it is a godsend to those with osteoarthritis or joint pains, and a healthier alternative to other synthetic products.

I have never met a sugar I didn’t like – until yesterday.

For the past month I have been making a concerted effort to eat healthier and drink more water – the results are beginning to show. The hardest part for me has been reducing my sugar and carb intake. I love candy, pasta, bread, and carbs in general. However, I really noticed something yesterday.

My mom had given me a bag of my favorite malted Easter eggs before she left on vacation yesterday. The good me and bad me had a serious war over that bag of eggs. The good me said resist and the bad me said yummy! The bad me won. I ate about 1/4 of the bag of the malted wonders and about 30 minutes later I felt horrible.

Since my body had not had so much sugar in one sitting in quite some time, I found myself feeling drowsy, sluggish and left with a massive stomach ache! I hadn’t realized how GREAT I had been feeling until then. By starting my day off with an egg scrambled with spinach, onion, and a tiny bit of cheese with a thin slice of toast, my days have been more productive, I have felt less hungry and my mind has been clearer.

Reducing my sugar intake has left me feeling so good, I haven’t even really craved coffee! I hope I learned my lesson yesterday.

Photo

Other healthier choices I have begun to make include eating a high protein breakfast each morning instead of a high carb breakfast.  Not only do I find that I have a clearer head throughout the morning, but I have more energy and do not find myself hopping up for a snack as often.

The results of these two baby steps to better health are starting to pay off. I have lost about 6 pounds, but my skin looks healthier, I have more energy and I generally feel better.

I have a long way to go (about 40 more pounds) but I have found that making a healthier choices is easier if I incorporate a new one every few weeks rather than trying to do it all at once.

1. Sleep – ensure that your child is getting the proper amount of sleep for their age. The body needs that down time for repairs and re-energizing.

2. Fluids - make sure your child gets plenty of water, milk and vitamin rich fruit juices in their daily diet. Steer clear of sodas and other drinks high in sugar and artificial sweeteners.

3. Fruits & Veggies – Fresh fruits and vegetables are the absolute best source of vitamins and minerals that you can give your kids. Be creative or be fun, but get them in their daily diets. The best vitamin sources are strawberries, papaya, cantaloupe, blueberries, tomato, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, apricots, carrots, mango and bananas.

4. Reduce Sugar and Sweeteners – Sugar suppresses the immune system. The fewer sugary foods you can give your kids, the better. Sugar is the main ingredient in so many of the handy processed foods. Many of the artificial sweeteners on the market today are not much better, really. Aspartame can cause headaches and more serious reactions in some. Splenda is known for causing stomach and intestinal issues. Our family doctor recommends that parents give their children Splenda when they are constipated (we have tested this one and it works).

5. Exercise - Get the family moving – everyday. Whether it is a walk, going for bike rides, dancing to the tunes or participating in an organized sport, do something. Exercise is good for every part of your body’s daily function.

6. Yogurt – The enzymes in yogurt are great for restoring balance in your child’s digestive tract. Look for yogurt with active cultures as they are the ones that help restore the good bacteria in your system (especially after being on antibiotics). Yogurt is also high in calcium – good for strong bones. One note – steer clear of the candy colored, high sugar yogurts.

7. Good fats - Your body needs a certain amount of good fats in order to stay healthy. Many types of fish, like salmon, are naturally high in Omega 3 Fatty acids. Another good source of Omega 3 is flax seed oil. You can easily add flax seed to oatmeal and other hot cereals and your kids will never know they are there. Purity Products also makes an orange flavored supplement just for kids.

8. Vitamins - Vitamins B and C are two of the most important when it comes to boosting the immune system. Our pediatrician recommends a good multivitamin just to fill in the gaps in your kids diet. Vitamin C is available in many forms from fresh fruits, fortified in many children’s foods, and vitamins. Personally I love Emergen-C. It is a powder that you add to water to make a fizzy, fruit flavored drink high in vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. They have a kids version too that my kids love – Alacer’s Emergen-C Jr For Kid’s Multi Vitamin.

9. Supplements - Sometimes kids just need a little extra boost. Low doses of zinc have been shown to boost the immune system and reduce the severity and duration of colds and other viruses. Probiotics are important for restoring balance to the intestinal tract – especially following antibiotic use. Many of the vitamin/supplement companies are now making children’s formulas of their products (never give children the standard adult dose of a supplement and always check with your doctor first).

• KiddieBoost is a 100% safe and natural formula, containing carefully selected herbal ingredients known for their tonic effect on the immune system.
• Sea Buddies Immune Defense (Children’s) Chewable Sparkleberry Tablets
• L’il Critters Gummy Immune C Plus Zinc & Echinacea, Dietary Supplement for Kids

10. Set a good example. Give your child the healthiest environment you can. Refrain from smoking around your children, provide them with a clean home, and set good examples with your own nutrition and exercise habits.