Free radicals create oxidative stress on a cellular level and have long been considered a major culprit of the aging process. Since antioxidants clean up those free roaming bits of "reactive oxygen compounds," one would think vitamins loaded with free radicals would help folks live longer. However, last Spring, researchers found that taking high doses of vitamins may decrease life span rather Read more

You may or may not take a multivitamin. Some folks like to use them as a nutritional safety net in case they are missing the necessary vitamins and minerals from their daily diet. But it is hard to keep track of all those vitamins and minerals, especially the ones we don't often hear about, such as vitamin E. This fat-soluble vitamin is linked to a strong immune system, and is necessary for Read more

If you're a label reader like me, you may have noticed the ingredient tocopherols on your food. I know it sounds like a toxic chemical, but they are actually naturally occurring fat-soluble alcohols found in milk, lettuce, and wheat germ oil that behave similarly to vitamin E. Scientists figured out how to isolate this compound into a light yellow liquid, and manufacturers add it to their Read more

If you eat processed foods, you eat food additives. There really is no way around that fact. Some additives are benign and might even be considered beneficial, while others you might just want to avoid. I recently came across the ingredients alpha tocopherol and wanted to know which side of the line it fell on. Here's what I learned. Alpha tocopherol is a form of vitamin E that is added to oils Read more

Bella and I have been writing about different ways to take care of your skin with tonics and blemish blasters, but you can also improve the quality of your skin from the inside out. According to Real Age foods high saturated fat, trans fat, and simple sugars promote aging and inflammation. For lovely skin avoid and or minimize the following foods: Full-fat dairy products Red meat (especially Read more

Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. But what does that really mean... Here's the deal. When you take a vitamin supplement that is water-soluble, your body metabolizes what it can and flushes out the excess through pee. Your body does not store theses vitamins so it is important to get them daily through diet or a supplement. Vitamin C, vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), and vitamin B9 Read more

Sometimes a bad hair day is inevitable. You woke up late and didn't have time to shower. Or the humid weather is the culprit. Maybe you're just in dire need of a good haircut. A great way to prevent a horrible do is to work from the inside-out. We all know that what we put in our bodies can reflect how we feel and look. If you take a multi-vitamin, then you're already doing your lovely Read more

I am paranoid about the flu, I'll admit it. So I'm putting my paranoia to good use and figuring out simple ways to boost my immune system and I would like to share them with you. One of the easiest ways is to sleep at least 7 - 9 hours a night. For me, this might mean going to bed a little early since I am not always in control of my wake up time. My 20 month old daughter IS my alarm clock. Read more