What types of cleaners do you use in your home? Have you ever really looked at the bottle? What are the ingredients? Most household cleaners are not required to give full disclosure on their label. I’ve always thought this odd. It makes me wonder, are they hiding something? I really don’t know the answer. What […]

Aromatherapy By Mary Ann O’Dell, MS, RD Essential oils* are made of concentrated aroma compounds derived from plants, including seeds, bark, stems, roots, and flowers. High quality essential oils are extracted by distillation, often by using steam. They are used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, for adding scents to incense and household cleaning products. Interest in essential […]

Women of all ages strive to keep their skin looking young. No one wants to look their age as they get older, as is evidenced by the increase in plastic surgery and Botox procedures. Wrinkles are definitely our enemy in the fight for younger-looking skin. Fortunately, Nature has provided an array of effective weapons in […]

Researchers analyzed the results from more than 20 previous studies and found that hay fever sufferers may get some benefits from using probiotics, improving their symptoms and quality of life. In the new study, published online in April in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, researchers reviewed data from 23 randomized trials and more […]

  School is out, summer is here, and it’s time to get outside! Spending more time outside is great for body, soul and spirit – fresh air and sunshine can lift the mood and boost the immune system. Using common sense can allow you to enjoy it even more – drink plenty of water to […]

Women who began using multivitamin supplements around the time of conception had a lower risk of giving birth prematurely, says a new study. Multivitamin use was associated with a 16% reduction in the risk of pre-term birth, and a 20% reduction in the risk of preterm labor in normal weight women, according to findings published in the […]

  Cherries do more than fill a tasty pie! A new study reports that consumption of Montmorency tart cherries caused changes in uric acid metabolism, which can have an impact on joint pain. A second study also found increases in antioxidant anthocyanin compounds in the bloodstream after consuming tart cherries. High levels of uric acid are […]

Women who take DHA fish oil supplements during pregnancy may boost their babies’ immune systems and help protect against colds during the first months of life, a new study shows. Infants whose mothers were given DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil, got sick less often and for shorter periods of time […]

  The heat is on! It’s summer, and everyone is outside!  Soccer camps, picnics, swimming, whatever it is, most of us will have our kids outside during the summer months. But as a parent, there are things we have to be mindful of before we send our kids out for a day in the sun. […]

In 1998, the Institute of Medicine recognized choline as an essential nutrient, setting an adequate intake at 550 mg/day for men and 425 mg/day for women (rising to 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for breastfeeding women). However, according to the often referenced National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, while American infants get […]