MORE: 10 Smoothies For Pretty Skin Amaranth: The radiance boosterKnown for its cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering nutrients, this ancient grain is in facial oils like the Echium & Amaranth Age Confidence Facial Oil ($90; paiskincare.com). It fights DNA-damaging free radicals with the antioxidant vitamin E and helps keep skin hydrated with the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6—the same type of fats that make up healthy skin cell membranes. “They’re critical for helping the skin retain water and look more radiant,” says Ariel Ostad, MD, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center....

However, about 20 of migraine sufferers deal with unusual types—and knowing if you’re experiencing an out-of-the-ordinary migraine can help tailor your treatment and prevent future episodes, says Noah Rosen, MD, director of the Headache Center at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in Manhasset, NY. “One important thing to remember about migraines is that oftentimes the associated symptoms can be even more impairing than the migraine pain itself,” says Rosen....

Professionals are getting an understanding of how breast cancer might reoccur, though. As the primary cancer is treated, so-called “seed cells” can migrate out of the breast to other parts of the body. Wherever those seeds end up, the cancerous cells can lie dormant—sometimes for years—before triggering a new and often aggressive outbreak of the disease. While experts are still sorting out the exact mechanisms underlying recurrence, research has begun to sift out those lifestyle changes and behaviors that lower your risks—and those that don’t seem to make much difference....

McDonald’s drops margarine for butter… Looks like Mickey D’s is finally catching on to the fact that we want to eat real food—not French fries with 19 ingredients or unconvincing “rib” sandwiches. So it’s no surprise that when the chain started frying Egg McMuffins in butter instead of liquid margarine, sales of the breakfast item increased by double digits, according to Business Insider. …and tries out sweet potato fries. In late October, McDonald’s announced the arrival of sweet potato fries in certain Texas locations....

(Blast belly fat, tone every inch, and love every minute of every workout! Try Flat Belly Barre! FREE for 21 days) Want more instant fixes for a flatter belly? Here are 8 ways you can feel trimmer and slimmer in your belly—in some cases, nearly overnight. Stand up straight Standing up taller can make you look 5 pounds slimmer, says Deborah L. Mullen, a certified strength and conditioning specialist in San Luis Obispo, CA....

As a nation, we’ve got a problem with sugar. Our damaging relationship with the sweet stuff is the impetus behind the creation of SugarScience, a new website from researchers at University of California San Francisco. Thanks to their extensive analysis of more than 8,000 papers about the health-wrecking properties of too much sugar, they’ve gathered compelling evidence about just how harmful sugar can actually be. Read on for the jaw-dropping facts....

Turnips: One-half cup has only 18 calories but is rich in cancer-fighting compounds called glucosinolates. Blend turnips into your favorite mashed potato recipe for lower-calorie comfort food. Cauliflower: One cup of this cruciferous veggie (cooked) contains nearly 20% of your daily need for bone-building vitamin K. Toss florets with oil and red-pepper flakes and roast. Onions: A rich source of quercetin, a flavonoid linked with reduced risk of colon cancer, chop and sprinkle onto canned soups for a homemade touch....

Perfume for Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a romantic gesture, not a toxic one. Which is why we’ve rounded up the best new natural perfumes that won’t kill the mood with chemicals. Our perfume picks are mostly handcrafted in small batches with plant extracts, distilled flower essences, and essential oils. So giving or getting one feels luxurious and special. Here are our 9 favorites of the season… A Perfume Organic Mejica....

King (whose name has been changed for this story) knew she was lucky to have a comfortable house in a nice Massachusetts town. There was no immediate crisis she could point to, nothing that would look to an outsider like anything more than the ordinary strain of raising a toddler and an infant. As a psychotherapist, she knew intimately that all mothers feel overloaded from time to time. But she could not help blaming herself for losing control—and wanted to do better for her family, to become the calm, competent mother she’d imagined she could be....

MORE: 5 Raw Foods You Should Be Eating For Prettier Skin2. No yo-yo dieting. Yet another excuse not to hop on the juice cleanse bandwagon (besides, you know, hunger): “As we age, the dieting cycle leads to a saggy, less firm complexion because our skin can’t bounce back as easily after stretching slightly to accommodate pounds gained and lost,” explains Heidi Waldorf, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City....

And no, we’re not talking about obesity here. The research focuses on fast food’s overuse of antibiotics in the animals that end up on your plate. These animals are routinely fed antibiotics to speed up their growth and prevent diseases in crowded and dirty conditions. And just like in humans, frequent antibiotic use can create bacteria that are resistant to the drugs, meaning antibiotics could become useless and leave both people and animals vulnerable to disease....

Many organic egg-laying hens are living in huge warehouses, and, although not crammed into tiny cages stacked from floor to ceiling (the norm in nonorganic-egg production), tens of thousands of birds in each house means each could only have a few square feet on a porch to qualify for “outdoor access.” “This entire incident started because a bureaucrat at the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] during the Bush administration said it was OK for organic-egg producers to confine their birds,” explains senior farm policy analyst Mark Kastel, cofounder of The Cornucopia Institute, a farm policy research group based in Wisconsin....

As knee-jerk reactions go, these are valid. Research does suggest that certain antioxidants may reduce risk for stroke, diabetes, and cancer, while improving memory and preventing skin damage, among a host of other things. But that doesn’t mean more antioxidants are better. Just like other natural, good-for-you substances (water, oxygen, iced tea), too much can be harmful. Here, we bust four of the biggest antioxidant myths wide open so you can stop shelling out your cash for those goji berries (but keep drinking the wine: You’ll need it after realizing blueberries really aren’t superior to apples): Myth: When it comes to antioxidants, more is always better....

Researchers who tracked the diets of 93,600 women found that those who ate more than three servings of strawberries and blueberries per week were 32% less likely to have a heart attack during the 18-year study—even those with a history of high blood pressure. The source of berry power: anthocyanins, flavonoids that give the fruits their bright colors. “They seem to make arteries and blood vessels more flexible, which lowers blood pressure,” says study coauthor Eric Rimm, ScD....

For clean produce…I use a mixture of baking soda and water to scrub fresh fruit and vegetables. —Carol Kenworthy For glossy hair…Mix with shampoo to get rid of product buildup. —Suzanne Taravella For itch relief…Make a paste with water and apply directly to mosquito bites to relieve swelling and itching. —Rowena Renfrow For smooth skin…I keep a jar of it in the shower to exfoliate every morning. —Tammie UnderwoodDermatologist’s tip: When using this natural body scrub, make sure to choose the crystal form of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)....

Neither of these brands fit your needs? Keep these four qualities in mind when shopping for alternative appliances. Digital, programmable timer. This serves as an in-your-face reminder that you turned it on and switches to warm when your meal is done. Clear lid. It helps fight the urge to peek inside. Each cover lift sets cooking time back at least 20 minutes because of lost heat. The right size. For best results, fill it at least halfway....

Raw Hazelnut Chocolate Coconut Spread This stuff is chocolate-y, nutty, creamy—and so good. Get the recipe at Rawsday. MORE: 4 Homemade Granola Recipes You Can Make in Half an Hour or Less Homemade Chipotle Salsa From cherry tomatoes to white onion, lime to cilantro, this blended salsa is fresh. Get the recipe at What’s Gaby Cooking. MORE: 5 Healthy Dishes You Can Make in Your Microwave Fresh Cornmeal Whip up your own cornmeal to ensure it’s preservative-free....

[sidebar]GUEST OP ED I recently learned something disturbing: Most of the chicken Americans buy harbors harmful bacteria that can make us sick. In fact, in a recent study from Consumer Reports, 97% of the chicken breasts they tested, purchased at stores across the U.S., had harmful bacteria on them, more than half of the samples contained fecal contaminants, and about half of them harbored antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Just to reiterate, I said fecal contaminants and antibiotic resistant bacteria on the chicken I bring home from the supermarket!...