Mothers Day - We Called It

Health Archives

Blistex medicated lip balm
July 10, 2007 | | TrackBacks

Summer is here, and being outdoors is a must for me. Chapped lips are very amateur, unattractive, painful, and simply unwarranted when considering the number and variety of products currently on the market for its prevention. Keeping your lips moist seems like an easy enough task for anyone to achieve, this really should be a year round activity and actually a must in cold winter temperatures too ( I however reside in Houston, and thus a cold winter is simply nonexistent). The first product I picked was the Blistex lip balm (medicated). The taste, texture, and ease of use were all decent.


I left the container in the car while at the beach and when I returned, the wax in the container had melted and leaked out of its container, making a mess in my cup holder (where I had placed it). Poor design and perhaps wax that melts too easy(?) were definite soars in the rating of this product, which makes it absolutely useless for people who live in hot climates (me in the summer), perhaps had I rated this product while on a ski trip, It would have done better, but that wasn't the case, and the product didnt have a warning stating that it should only be used under colder temperatures.

General Mills Honey Nut Clusters
June 28, 2007 | | TrackBacks

Apparently everyone at WeCalledIt.com believes breakfast is the most important meal of the day, considering that this will be the sixth cereal review and I know there are a few more coming. But the other day I was looking for a break from the normal and I decided to try General Mills Honey Nut Clusters. I figured I like honey, almonds, and walnuts so it has to be good right. Well, kind of. The initial tastes are all there, and if you eat like you are in a competition you will love it. But I consume cereal at a much slower pace since I am usually trying to get ready for work, making lunch, and making sure I'm not leaving the water running anywhere. That gives time for the cereal to get a bit soggy, which I am not a fan of. The wheat and rice flakes seemed to soak in the milk so quick, that if I put my spoon down, I might as well pour the rest out. Now the clusters of almonds and walnuts were still crunchy and tasty, but the flakes were .. ummmm.flakey. I think if the flakes were a bit thicker, this could come close to being in my normal cereal rotation, but until then I'll keep looking. I can't really call this a miss because it is good if you hurry, so I settle for a Fair Deal.

Orasco Sesame Bar with Honey and Natural Orange Flavor
June 12, 2007 | | TrackBacks

Well my friend and I started becoming mmm I guess you can say healthy and are trying all these organic foods. When she first handed me an Orasco Sesame bar, I was thinking I wasn’t going to like snacking on this instead of a muffin or something. Let me tell you how amazing these taste though. They actually make my mouth water for more. I love my morning snack now and feel healthy all day long and they truly do fill you up so you want to snack more. That is a huge thing for me because whenever I have a morning snack, I always end up wanting more food not even ten minutes after that. I cannot wait to try more of the organic bars. I definitely recommend these to anyone who is trying to eat healthier and wants a good snack.

Glaceau - Vitamin Water - Power-C
May 25, 2007 | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks

So I finally got my hands on this popular Glaceau Vitamin Water Power-C drink, located in all your popular health/grocery stores, and grabbed a variety of these drinks. Today's will be focusing on their Power-C dragon fruit (c+taurine) which has a more red than pink color to it.. giving it the impression it will taste something watermelon-like.. since I have no idea about dragonfruit.

The legend of the dragonfruit says that the fruit was created by fire-breathing dragons. By eating the dragonfruit it was believed that one became empowered with the same strength and ferocity of a dragon. Other stories say that the dragonfruit looks like a dragon's egg. Let's just hope its the former story that Glacleau vitamin water were going for.

This drink is One of the few times where i can detect more of an after-taste than a taste while drinking it. It tastes almost flavorless (hint of berries) but has a distinct smell which probably is the reason for the great aftertaste sensation.

They have a very hip / tongue in cheek marketing strategy as depicted on their bottle label.. 'gives you the power to do a thousand pinkie push-ups' and a very effective formula of 'vitamins + water = all you need' Please dont believe that you can truly perform these stunts unless you truly could before ever realizing this product ever existed. But hey, its a nice change from the boring content typically posted on competitor products.

Im not sold on this drink, it doesnt have anything about it that would make me buy it again but its a flavor that I now 'understand' since some of their other products have un-familiar fruits (i.e. jackfruit, acai-blueberry-pomegrante) that no one can understand without having a taste-test first.

TrueBlue - Blueberry drink
May 23, 2007 | | TrackBacks

Lets get to the facts because you won't believe me how great tasting and healthy this drink really is..

  • There is no high fructose corn syrup in TrueBlue and the juice contains 25% less total sugar and calories than other juices
  • Each 64 oz. bottle of TrueBlue Blueberry contains the juice from 1lb. of blueberries
  • According to a USDA study at Tuft’s University, Human Nutrition Center on Aging, blueberries are #1 in antioxidant activity - surpassing 40 common fruits and vegetables in their ability to neutralize free radicals in living cells
  • Blueberries lower cholesterol, prevents UTIs, and improves eyesight and memory/co-ordination/balance!

    Alright so now when I tell you how this drink truly is amazing you just might believe me now. I love to drink.. since I dont do alcohol and carbonated beverages are loaded with caffeine Im stuck with a small selection of fruit/juice drinks. I just recently started tolerating the taste of cranberry juice (thanks to cranberry blends with other tastier fruits) so when I saw this drink appear in my fridge (available for purchase at a location close to you) I tore the top of the bottle off and poured me a tall glass.. I have to admit it's not a fruit juice drink one would typically think of but that doesnt mean its not worth checking out. I've tried all the different kinds of juice drinks out there and this easily lands in my top three list (the other two being Mango and Cran-Grape - which TrueBlue's Blueberry is easily the healthiest one)

    The Trueblue website is pretty informative in that it also provides a Blueberry Juice Recipes section for those of you whom want to make cocktails / shakes out of their drinks. The Trueblue company does also provide three other flavors of thier Blueberry Juice Cocktails with Green Tea, Pomegranate and Cranberry.

    Give the TrueBlue blueberry juice cocktail a shot, print out a coupon and get one from your local health/grocery store and let me know what you think.

    • Fruity Cheerios
    May 2, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    I'll start off by saying that I love Honey Nut Cheerios but now my new favorite is the Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios. I wasn't surprised to see this new product, Fruity Cheerios, touting a fruity version of your standard Cheerios. As far as Cheerios go, they are pretty good- they leave a bit of that multi-grain aftertaste but with only a 100 calories they are a great breakfast/snack. If you've ever had Fruit Loops you'll quickly realize that Fruity Cheerios are not so much the sweet/dessert (sugar rich) like snack but more-so healthier alternative. It's a great alternative to the age-old competitor Fruit Loops, I dont see kids being swayed but maybe adults would find this more attractive to get a 'Fruit Loops'-like experience and not so guilty feeling afterwards. Here are some quick healthy facts about Fruity Cheerios:
  • 25% less sugar than the leading fruity cereal
  • 12 essential vitamins and minerals
  • An excellent source of whole grain in every serving

    • Spectrum flax seed oil with lignans
    April 9, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    Do you take vitamins daily? You should. Do you take flax seed oil daily? You should seriously consider it, and here is why. It has long been know that Omega-3 fatty acids are simply put, good for you, for a variety of reasons. Fish use to be the richest source of this, yet with a smell that killed and a taste that killed you again, there is great news, flax seed is officially natures richest source of alpha linolenic acid which is an omega-3 essential fatty acid. These fatty acids are converted to EPA and DHA which are the very same ones that are found in fish producing the amazing benefits that have been scientifically proven, like heart health, reduced inflammation and improved cellular integrity. Flaxseed is also the most concentrated source of SDG lignans that have antioxidant properties (which we all know is what can keep you young and healthy longer) along with a balancing effect on hormonal levels throughout the body.
    Fatty Acids are a must and absolutely essential for healthy living thus taking this supplement is simply a no brainer. The next question would be which product to buy. The Spectrum brand is simply the best one out there from all the ones that I looked into. It is shipped refrigerated and is sold that way too, its from fresh seeds that have been sliced and the best tasting one by far from the ones I tried/tried. You can take it with any drink (since the after taste leaves much to be desired), I personally take a tablespoon in the morning and a tablespoon at bedtime along with my protein shake.

    Colavita Tagliatelle Spinach Nests
    April 4, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    Instead of traditional pasta where one has to eyeball portions and beginners have no idea about pasta and end up cooking way too much or too little, there's now a solution! Colavita tagliatelle spinach pasta (approx $4/bag - 8 servings) is actually pasta loosely rolled up into little nest like balls and the general rule is 1 nest per person. How simple is that! I happen to love Pesto sauce so I love the two added together, but any thick/creamy sauce which clings to the pasta will do great. The pasta nests uncurl on cooking and the finished result is the same as regular long flat pasta. Tagliatelle comes in three varieties - plain, red (tomato) and green (spinach). I prefer the spinach version only because I've had the plain and red ones all my life and this is something new (to me).

    Almonds
    April 3, 2007 | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks

    I've recently had to re-evaluate my dietary habits.. for a variety of reasons.. and have realized that my snacking habits were the worst.. so I've now found a healthy snack which is cheap, extremely healthy and tastes good! Almonds are available everywhere and here are 5 quick reasons you need to start snacking on them:

    1. Almonds - and all nuts - lower cholesterol.

    2. They may help you lose weight.

    3. They are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E (good for heart and disease prevention)

    4. They contain loads of magnesium, a mineral of which most people don't get enough.

    5. Almonds lower the rise in blood sugar and insulin that happens after eating, making them a good tool in the arsenal against diabetes.

    6. Protein! Don't ever again ask a vegan how he or she gets enough protein. A quarter cup of almonds contains more protein than an egg

    Next time you're at your local grocery store, hit the fresh produce section and grab a package of natural whole almonds and if anyone has ideas on how to incorporate them into other meals. post them below!

    Schick Women's Quattro Razor
    March 20, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    So I've moved on from those "exfoliating" Venus razor blades and am on to Schick's Women's Quattro. This is a man's razor made all pink and pretty for women. And finally women can stop borrowing their husband's razor. The four-blade razor actually pulls through with its packaging promises--a smooth and close shave. The razor even comes with a shower stick-on holder and offers a travel case in some packaging. I must not be the only one that likes it because they have a whole site dedicated just to the razor where you can "trick out" your razor and join a fan club. Yes, a fan club for a razor. And while I won't be joining any razor fan club any time soon, I will definitely be buying and recommending the Quattro For Women razor. So here's to unwaxed, unlasered, smooth shaven legs!

    V8 V.Fusion Tropical Orange
    March 19, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    I did some research on this one.. there's this taste that I can't quite figure out.. Im surprised there isnt an online website where one can guess all flavors that go into these fruit cocktails developed by V8 to provide a full half cup servings worth of fruit and veggies in one regular glass (for a better detailed description please refer to Stacey Whaley's comments from another review). It seems to have a subtle carrot like taste while you drink it.. does anyone else detect that? Apparently V.Fusion's primary vegetable-juice base is sweet potato juice.. so now it makes complete sense as to why you'd wanna throw a million flavors at it, ha ha. I do enjoy this flavor.. and it seems like all three flavors (tropical orange, peach mango and Strawberry Banana) of this product line have that thick consistency.. and I dont mind.. its a nice change from plain standard OJ. I must say that the Strawberry Banana flavor was my fav, so give that one a shot first.

    Purpose Dual-Treatment Moisture Lotion with SPF 15
    March 12, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    "Unless you live in a submarine and work in a coal mine, you have to wear sunscreen on your face."

    This is what my dermatologist told me two visits ago. And I agree, the sun can be brutal to your skin. So I've been on a hunt for a great moisturizer and sunscreen combo and after several trial offers from my dermatologist, I think I've found one. Purpose Dual-Treatment Moisture Lotion with SPF 15. The lotion doesn't burn like fire on contact and leave your skin extremely oily like some I've tried. You should be able to find it at your local drugstore for around $9.

    POM 100% Pomegranate juice
    March 9, 2007 | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks

    Pomegranates, by far are one of my favorite fruits. Its health benefits consist of reducing several heart risk factors, including LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and foam cell formation, all of which are steps in atherosclerosis and heart disease. A single pomegranate gives you 40% of your daily required Vitamin C, while being rich in content with folic acid and other potent anti oxidants (which help prevent free radicals which are in turn responsible for organ and cell oxidation/ destruction). The endless benefits of this fruit simply add to my love for it, and when a 100% juice variety was made available, I simply couldn't be happier. As a veteran pomegranate lover, I must say that the POM brand has the best taste that resembles that of the original fruit, unlike a few other brands that I have tried in the past. Note: The bottle doesn't come with the cape, however, its very fitting when considering how good this stuff is for you, it can save your life (sorta)...

    Back to Nature - Granola Cereal
    February 5, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    I need a generous serving of protein every morning, thats simply because I work out every morning before heading to work and starting my day. This cereal that I mix in with high protein milk is my 2nd breakfast of the day (first is oat meal that have before heading to the gym).Its a good source of fiber with a lot of protein. Think of it as a granola bar on steroids, with the added benefit of being able to have it at any time of the day, along with my favorite food (milk) and it is simply my favorite mini meal or snack. The bag has 7 servings which I consume in 3, its not as big as a cereal box, and it sure does cost more, yet consider the amount of protein in this thing and it becomes well worth the price, not that you should ever consider saving money on food that is actually good for you when compared to an alternative thats bad :)

    Alfredo Clementines
    January 21, 2007 | | TrackBacks

    After my two back-to-back pizza reviews, I've received some interesting comments about my dieting practices.. here I am with a healthy review! Oranges are the coolest, but are tough to keep up with.. do I get Sunkist / Naval / whatever else? ( Update: Navals are seedless and sweet.. go with them!). I came across a box of these clementines a couple of years ago, and decided to see what they were like.. I've been hooked ever since. They are a hybrid fruit, a cross between tangerines and bitter oranges.. the skin seperates extremely easily from the fruit, are seedless and they taste sweet. I usually have a couple at a time, and best of all love knowing that they are fruit! Here's a nutrients listing proof for the non-believers.

    Amy's Kitchen - Pesto Pizza
    December 13, 2006 | | Comments (3) | TrackBacks

    One might think that this should be filed under junk food.. but read on. Amy' Kitchen is all about alternative pizza-lifestyles.. read my previous review about not liking legacy pizza.. Harris Teeter (local grocery store) offers this product line, and if you check out Amy's website.. you'll see how they've gone above and beyond the typical 'tombstone' crap one might associate with frozen pizza. For starters they now have pizza's which are lactose-free, dairy-free, soy-free, light sodium, and all kinda healthy watcher kinda stuff. I suffer from high blood pressure, and am lactose intolreant. The Pesto Pizza has organic tomatoes and brocolli florets on it.. imagine that.. pesto pizza. It does taste as good as it sounds.. the pizzas are in the medium size offering which most people should be sticking to!.

    Spinach Alfreda Pizza - Papa Johns
    December 11, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    Its amazin how for all this time the three major pizza vendors have stuck to the basic recipes.. Logging onto Papa Johns and seeing Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Spinach Alfredo, and a couple other cool soundin flavors. I decided to 'do it'. The Hawaiian BBQ rocks as does the Spinach Alfredo.. dont get me wrong.. the legacy flavors are great.. but Im just not a legacy totin kinda guy. I used to have a slight bias towards Dominos.. I think its cause of their crust.. but I hardly do pizza anymore that I've reset my pizza requirements and am going to start from scratch. Change it up, question and experiment is what I'm all about and that applies to my tastes when it comes to pizza too. Kudos to Papa Johns!

    Breyer's Double Churned Light Ice Cream
    November 27, 2006 | | Comments (4) | TrackBacks

    My husband has a need to buy everything low-fat, no fat, light, low sugar, etc. Most of what he buys I can handle but I revolt when it comes to anything but regular ice cream--please see previous post on my family's devotion to ice cream. However. One time he came back with 2 half-gallons of light ice cream. One of which was Breyer's Double Churned, Extra Creamy, Light Chocolate Mocha Silk ice cream. The words creamy, chocolate and mocha were enough to make me try it. I was very impressed. If I had not read the label, my experienced taste buds would not have known the difference. I have also tried the Butter Pecan and although it wasn’t quite as good and creamy as regular Butter Pecan, it was definite a good substitute when you’re counting calories and fat--even if it's not by choice.

    Fitness Gear Polyurethane dumbbells
    November 15, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    You could buy them solid metal weights, like yer ancestors had but why? The hex-shaped, rubber-coated and contoured handle dumbbells allow for a nice comfortable feel while in agony due to training to failure. The dumbbells currently lay on my garage floor, I haven't and won't bother with buying a weight stand but prob the Proform Fusion foldable bench.. or maybe a treadmill.. I need to figure out how to lower my blood pressure anyways.. so weight lifting is a good start.. just need to supplement it with a proper non-toxic sodium diet. Got the 15lb pair for $30-$40 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

    Penta bottled water
    November 9, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    Do you drink bottled water? thats a no brainer, you should. So whats the difference between a regular bottle water versus the Penta water? a lot. 11 hours of purification via 13 separate processes, you can be assured that this product wont be available via bulb like fixture that you can attach to your water faucet, you simply have to buy it. Penta water is actually a new matter, its patented as such anyways, its different from regular water, since it has a higher boiling point, less viscosity and a higher surface tension, bottled in the best known plastic bottle (material) known. Its simply great stuff, and with a high price tag, its only available at select stores. You can read more about this product at the official Penta water site. With a taste that feels more refreshing (probably placebo, after reading all the benefits) than regular water, if what is claimed is true (it would be hard to feel the difference over such a short periods of time), its definately worth it. I always say that there is no cost too high when it comes to health and the well being of ones self and thus, this product is a must for me.

    Starbuck's Maple Macchiato
    October 24, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    I love me some Starbuck's. I usually stick to frappuccinos, lattes and even chai teas but I tried the Maple Macchiato this past weekend. The maple syrup they pour on top is just heavenly but after that it's a bit disappointing. I like my coffee sweet and I figured the coffee paired with maple syrup would do the trick but I was quite mistaken. If you like straight up coffee, it might be great for you but for those of us with an extreme sweet tooth, spend your $4 on another Starbuck's treat.

    ODWALLA Beverages (Now owned by Coca-Cola)
    October 23, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    These smoothies are good. One of my favorites is SuperFood. It's green and ugly and delicious.  I also love the Super Protein drinks.  The protein drinks are a bit gritty, but they still feel good going down – the original is my personal favorite.  I love walking into the store and choosing the drink by how I feel.  Need energy?  SuperFood or Super Protein.  Feel a cold coming on?  Citrus C-Monster.  Then there are mango, blueberry, pomegranate and other super ingredients to get you up to par on whatever you might be lacking.  For something simply refreshing but good for you, too?  Try the classic Strawberry Banana Fruit Smoothie Blend. Other beverage lines have a similar variety and are also nutritious, but I find I like the consistency better in the Odwalla drinks, and the price is better than most of the other brands.  I got lucky and paid $1.25 for my 15.2 oz. Super Protein Odwalla today, but normally they run about $3.00 a bottle. So worth it!

    Crest Maximum Strength Sensitivity Protection Whitening Plus Scope Toothpaste
    October 16, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    Some products I'm completely loyal to (see my last post) and then there are others that I welcome new variations of. Toothpaste is one of those.  I have yet to go get the Zoom whitening done so I'll take all the help I can get and usually that is in the form of whitening toothpaste.  Unfortunately I have sensitive teeth and used for too long, my poor teeth can't handle regular whitening toothpaste.  I believe I found the right toothpaste for me...Crest Maximum Strength Sensitivity Protection Whitening Plus Scope.  Wow that's a mouthful, but the name pretty much says it all.  Since using it, I'm not sure how white my teeth have gotten, but I haven't noticed any sensitivity issues I normally do with regular whitening toothpaste.  It's a little on the expensive side for toothpaste at $4.50 a tube but I'll call it a Fair Deal.

    V8 V.Fusion - Peach Mango
    October 9, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    Flavor #2 conquered.. and I'm disappointed.. for those who remember I had tried the strawberry-banana version of the V8.Fusion line. I've now had the Peach-Mango version and I'm not happy. I'm a huge mango fan.. the sweet wonderful months of March thru May.. yah exactly..i know their prime seasons, thats how big of a fan i am. Why do companies pair the bloody peach with mangoes constantly?! Dole, Cytoscope Muscle Milk, Nature's Best, and even Luzianne Tea are to blame for this psycho pairing.. so someone needs to let them know it's not working! Ugh.. It's 'drink-able' but definitely not one I would savor by sipping chilled while watching Nip/Tuck. Infact, I'm not buying this flavor again. The only flavor left in the v.Fusion catalog is their orange juice. I'm tellin you heads up.. I like my oj's with no pulp and with low-levels of acid.. yeh I'm picky.. but we know this.

    Alterna Enzymetherapy Hemp Thickening Compound
    October 3, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    thickener I have been faithful to the Bed Head hair products line for 5 years now.  I went out on a limb this week and got my hair cut by someone new.  And new salon means new hair products.  I was out of my Bed Head thickener and requested a replacement from the new stylist.  I was given Alterna Enzymetherapy Hemp Thickening Compound for $18.60.  I was really disappointed.  It may have made each strand of my hair thicker (although I'm not convinced it did), but it provided absolutely no body to my otherwise fine hair to give it any kind of stylizing ability.  I'm going to stick with my trusted thickener, Bed Head's Small Talk which lives up to its promise to be a thickifier, energizer and stylizer for $15.95.

    V8 V.Fusion Strawberry Banana
    October 2, 2006 | | Comments (4) | TrackBacks

    So the new V8 V.Fusion drinks show up, and I'm thinkin these look mighty like the protein/energy drinks that have been flooding the market.. apparently V8 are joinin the trend looks-wise bUT luckily taste-wise they've stayed true to their guns. I've only tried the strawberry-banana and the drink itself has a thicker consistency (prob the banana to blame? i dunno) so be warned, and it has a very strong sense of a health kick to it.. prob why it touts proudly that one serving contains a day's worth of veggies n fruits! The new V-Fusion line does have other flavors and I expect to try em all out.. so come back for their reviews soon. Don't get me wrong, I love the standard spicy V8 but thats not something my lil girl would ever drink, so this is a great family-friendly drink.

    Listerine Vanilla Mouthwash
    September 28, 2006 | | TrackBacks

    listerineBeing a long time mouthwash user right after flossing and brushing, I was rather relieved to know that a new vanilla (my favourite flavor) flavored Listerine was available on the market. Rushing to the store, buying one and rishing back home was a great joy, knowing that the burning sensation that I always experienced with this product may be coming to an end. I was further excited when I saw the label, in big letters 'Less Intense', that was just amazing! Less intense along with my favourite flavor? its like Baskin Robbins had just teamed up with Pfizer to create an amazing product! So how was it? Im not sure how they measure the intensity on this thing, but I definately didnt notice a change, and had I never seen the Vanilla flower on the bottle I would have never guessed that I had switched! Pure marketing.

    Exotic Coconut Body Lotion
    September 20, 2006 | | TrackBacks