This year I decided to set three very strict criteria for Father's Day gift recommendations.

1) It must encourage Dad to stay fit and healthy.

2) It must be an item that he can share with the family.

3) It must be something that I, as a father, have personally used and enjoy.

I spend a lot of time sampling and testing health and fitness products.  Rarely do products live up to their promotional hype and I usually feel cheated and mislead after shelling out my hard earned money for the latest fad.  But the following two items are worth their weight in gold:

#1 The BlendTec total blender (www.blendtec.com) is my favorite kitchen gadget in the world.  I originally saw this product on a cool site called (www.willitblend.com) and had to try it myself.  On the site, the BlendTec blender turns everything from a cell phone to credit cards to dust.  This product replaces a blender, food processor, juicer, coffee grinder, ice cream maker, smoothie maker and much, much more.  This machine is my most helpful tool in eating heathy without sacrificing taste and enjoyment.  I use it to make fresh soup, smoothies and ice cream.

#2  The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliam.  This guide is a must for every American household.  This straight forward, simple to read guide explains the role and importance of vitamins, minerals and other vital nutrients.  Also, Mr. MacWilliams does an unbiased analysis of the top 1500 nutritional products available in the US and Canada.  This is a great guide to evaluate your nutritional products or find one that meets your specific needs.  You can find this book at Amazon or any major online book store.

This year let's show Dad how much we love him by giving him gifts that promote healthy living.....dp