Hottest Kids Toy in 2011: Tablet Computers!

Forget flying radio-controlled fish and video game consoles -- the most in-demand kid's "toy" this year is the tablet computer! In fact, according to a new Nielsen research poll, the Apple iPad is the most-asked-for gift among children this holiday season. A whopping 44% of kids surveyed said they wanted an Ipad, up from just 30% last year.

The Consumer Electronics Association says that tablet devices are definitely the hottest gifts for the 2011 Christmas season. According to the CEA director of research Shawn DuBravac: 

 "Tablets, tablets, tablets and some more tablets on the side... Far and away, that will be the most popular item!" 

 He says that it's difficult to know for sure which of the many tablets on the market will end up being the true sales star in the US. The population is very diverse demographically. According to DuBravac:

"There’s going to be multiple tablets that will probably do well because there’s a large variation of consumers out there... They all want different things."

Many experts believe that younger children will be demanding the new LeapPad Explorer "learning tablet"... a device designed to help kids learn reading, writing, and math faster. Just don't tell them it's not really as cool as an iPad or Kindle Fire!

Learn some mo': Tablets are the new Cabbage Patch Kids

Another Reason Not to Eat Canned Food: Toxic Chemicals!

Eating a lot of canned food can skyrocket the level of a toxic chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) in your bloodstream, according to a new study from Harvard. That's bad because BPA is pretty nasty stuff that significantly hurts your overall health, especially over time.

Researchers found that people who eat a serving of canned soup every day had much higher BPA levels (about 20 times higher!) in their urine than people who eat fresh non-canned soup. That's because BPA is a by-product of a chemical used to prevent the corrosion of the can's metal, and it leaches into the food.

According to the study's head researcher Karin Michels:

"To see an increase in this magnitude was quite surprising... [the levels of BPA seen in the study participants] are among the most extreme reported in a nonoccupational setting."

We say: Just another reason to not eat canned foods. What sucks is that some of the best tomato products are canned, but these are among the worst because the tomatoes' acid leached out the BPA even faster!

Learn some mo': Soaring BPA Levels Found in People Who Eat Canned Foods

Green Tea Can Lower Bad Cholesterol

Drinking green tea or taking a green tea supplement can lower your "bad" cholesterol according to a new study. Researchers found that regular green tea consumption significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels in patients. They tested both regular green tea and a supplement containing the phytonutrient catechins found in green tea.

The researchers found that drinking green tea was slightly more effective at lowering cholesterol than taking supplements. Experts say that a daily dose of green tea could be a good way to improve overall cholesterol numbers.

We say: This is just more evidence that green tea kicks serious butt. There are so many health-boosting reasons to drink this stuff that it boggles the mind!

Learn some mo': Green tea may trim "bad" cholesterol: study