Think of it as a way to help your sunscreen work more efficiently. A few years ago, researchers conducted a study measuring production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which forms in the skin’s deep layers after UV-light exposure. They tested the three most popular sunscreen ingredients, and shockingly found that study participants wearing sunscreens produced more ROS after UV light exposure than those with bare skin.

However when study participants had measurable amounts of the natural tomato compounds lycopene, phytofluene and phytoene in their systems, it changed everything. Those who had consumed these nutrients in the form of the all-natural supplement Lyc-O-Mato for ten weeks experienced significantly less ROS formation. It turns out that lycopene isn’t the only important ingredient. The phytofluene and phytoene in tomatoes also play an anti-aging role in skin protection.

For skin protection and beauty from within. Lyc-O-Mato is the nutritional way to radiant, younger looking skin.

An Australian study of 2,350 12-year-olds found that for every hour per day the children spent reading or studying, their chances of having elevated blood pressure fell by 19 percent. Those children who spent that time watching TV or playing video games had higher blood pressure.

The researchers thought that perhaps those children with good study habits also had better eating habits and higher activity levels – both of which contribute to a more heart-healthy lifestyle.

If you (or more likely your stubborn child) need more persuasion to brush up on the study skills, consider the other great life skills that can be learned from a dedicated homework regimen.

Studying builds confidence as your child’s results in school improve. Good study habits also help kids learn how to prioritize and stay organized. Learning how to balance socializing, school, fitness and extracurricular activities, will prepare them to make their own healthful decisions once they’re on their own.

By encouraging goods skills now, you may be giving your child the gift of physical and emotional health for years to come. What other life skills do you try to instill in your children?

Much of the research on natural lycopene over the years has been done using either whole tomato products (such as tomato paste) or Lyc-O-Mato, which contains everything from tomatoes in their own oil. The modern thinking is that all of the tomato’s nutrients, working together, may be responsible for helping to lower blood pressure, reducing the effects of UV rays on your skin and for contributing to bone health. Although it’s a very powerful antioxidant, many researchers now suspect that lycopene on its own may not be 100 percent responsible for all of these health benefits.

Researchers frequently choose to use Lyc-O-Mato in their studies because it offers them a consistent dosage of all the natural tomato nutrients, each and every time.

We absolutely encourage you to eat whole tomato products – they are as delicious as they are nutritious. But consistency matters. So if you aren’t eating six or seven servings of tomato-based products each week, all-natural Lyc-O-Mato may be a great alternative.

Start the season with an all-over exfoliating treatment. Buff your face and body with abrasives to remove dead skin cells and prep your skin to absorb moisturizers. Continuing to exfoliate once or twice a week will improve skin turnover and help release toxins naturally.

Luxuriate in a rich, essential oil bath. Make your bathing ritual more indulgent by adding a few drops of essential oil into the bathwater. Jojoba or almond oil are especially good at hydrating your skin and creating a barrier that keeps in moisture. Add even more moisture by using cream-based bath cleansers.

Switch to a milder cleanser. Antibacterial soaps, and toners with alcohol can strip natural oils from the skin, so store those for warmer weather when your skin might be a little oilier. Instead, choose mild, fragrance-free soaps and alcohol-free toners. Lock in even more moisture by patting your face dry rather than rubbing.

Use a heavier moisturizer. Trade in your lightweight summer formula for a thick cream, and apply at least twice a day. Consider a paraffin treatment once a month for especially dry body parts.

Switch to a moisturizer with sunscreen. It’s easier to forget your sunscreen on these brisk, overcast fall days, so now is the time to switch to a product that meets two fall beauty needs. You still need a minimum of SPF 15 even when the sun isn’t as bright.

Apply a hydrating face mask once or twice weekly. Choose a deep moisturizing mask if you have dry skin. If you’re skin tends to be oily use a clay-based mask to tighten and reduce pores without dryness.

Keep your lips glossy with wax-based lip balm. In especially dry weather it can be tempting to lick your lips for extra moisture, but that will only dry them out more. Instead, liberally apply wax-based lip balm which has extra staying power.

Use your blow dryer’s coolest setting. Your scalp needs pampering too. Over-drying on higher heat settings may lead to embarrassing dandruff.

Cover your hands. Hands show signs of aging faster, and protecting them from the elements by wearing gloves earlier in the season can keep them looking young. To keep your hands touchably soft, remember to always apply hand cream after you wash them.

Keep hydrating from the inside. Not a change, but a reminder to keep up the good habits established during the hotter months. Drinking plenty of water is crucial to your skin’s health. It’s perfectly fine to get your fluids from cold-weather staples such as a hot cup of tea.

Each season brings its own skincare challenges. Making a few changes in your routine can help keep your skin looking younger, smoother and healthier all year long.

We’re opening our wallets for more than just calcium tablets and multi-vitamins. Because we’ve grown so confident about their efficacy and safety, millions of us now include natural nutritional supplements that target specific health concerns as part of our daily routine. There’s been a great deal of interest in Lyc-O-Mato, for example, since studies revealed that it may interfere with free radicals that disrupt new bone formation. Lyc-O-Mato’s natural, whole-tomato phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that work synergistically to also improve skin and cardiovascular health.

Today, we’re all about taking a proactive approach to living. It seems we are embracing the idea of gaining more control over our lives through good nutrition and dietary supplements that are backed by extensive research and produced by quality manufacturing processes.

When it comes to bone health, taking steps to protect our bones also makes a lot of sense financially. Osteoporosis affects nearly 44 million Americans (including two million men), with costs for osteoporosis-related fractures estimated to reach more than $25 billion over the next 15 years.

Living well starts with living smart. It seems that finding natural, effective ways to stay active and healthy has become the American mantra.

This kind of beneficial stress comes from weight-bearing exercise. When your muscles pull against your bones the osteoblasts are stimulated. As a result, weight-bearing exercise three times a week for as little as 15-30 minutes a day can help to maintain or possibly increase your bone density. Research also suggests that weight-bearing exercise helps bones retain calcium.

We picked out some exercises that make the most of your time. These can all be done with minimal equipment and you can sneak them into your day in short bursts.

1. Weight Lifting: Weight from an outside source adds more stress to your bones so pick up dumbbells or hit the machines at the gym! Most experts recommend performing six to eight reps slowly for the most bone building impact. If you can perform 15 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier weight. Your body should be well supported so you have the strength to lift more.
2. Dancing: Weight-bearing can also mean using your body’s own weight to pull the muscles. Dancing is a perfect activity since it can involve your whole body or isolate a few muscle/bone pairs. You can also adapt it to your fitness level. What’s more, dancing improves balance and coordination. The best way to prevent a fracture is to prevent a fall! Similar activities include gymnastics and Tai Chi.
3. Plyometrics: These exercises repeatedly stretch and contract your muscles so your bones feel the stress at a rapid rate. Good examples of a plyometrics program include jumping jacks, hopping, climbing stairs and jumping rope. There are also DVDs available if you’re looking for a set routine. If your bones are especially brittle, avoid stress fractures by taking care not to come down too hard.

The above exercises stress your bones differently so try them all. Fitness was never meant to be a single minded pursuit. You should also be doing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week to protect your cardiovascular heath.

It’s good to change your routine regularly – it strengthens dedication by preventing boredom. Results take time. At least one year-long study showed that older women who did high-intensity weight training two days per week subsequently increased their bone density by one percent. The group who did not exercise that year experienced bone density loss of 1.8 to 2.5 percent – more than double the other groups’ gain.

Don’t approach your weight-bearing workouts with an expiration date. Other studies have shown that once you stop doing weight-bearing exercises, your bone mass may quickly revert back to levels before your exercise program. Exercising for bone health should be a life-long commitment.

Building bone density is critical as you age so do all you can to support it. Supplementing your diet with Lyc-O-Mato also helps to support healthy bone density by helping to prevent free radicals from disrupting new bone growth.

Your supper savior is spaghetti! Pasta is popular – it was the top food choice in one international survey – but other dishes don’t stack up to spaghetti’s numerous health benefits.

A Sauce to Satisfy

Canned tomatoes and tomato sauce top WebMD’s list of heart-healthy foods to keep on hand. Both of these pantry staples are lycopene-rich foods. Lycopene, particularly when consumed in combination with the tomato’s other nutrients, may help to lower blood pressure, help protect against some forms of cancer, improve skin’s elasticity by helping to protect it from UVA/UVB damage, and has also been associated with supporting healthy bone density and cholesterol levels.

If you’re worried that spaghetti will go right to your waist or hips, rest assured that in addition to being nutritious, tomato sauce is lower in fat and calories than other sauces such as pesto and Alfredo.

Noodles with Nutrients

You can even feel pretty good about the noodles. Pasta fuels you without causing a blood sugar spike like some other foods. It keeps you satisfied longer so you’ll be less likely to snack later on. Choose whole wheat pasta if you want even less glucose and more fiber. If you prefer white noodles buy brands that are made from enriched flour, and you’ll benefit from added thiamine, niacin, folic acid and iron.

Sneak in More Substance

Bulk up your sauce with vegetables and seasonings to pack an even bigger nutritional punch. Add:

• Spinach for its abundant vitamins and minerals that promote cardiovascular health
• Broccoli which research suggests may work with tomatoes to increase cancer protective properties
• Basil to deliver antioxidants that may help to protect against heart disease and cancer
• Oregano to possibly help relieve cold symptoms
• Garlic as it is thought to have antiviral and antibacterial properties
• Olive oil since this heart-healthy fat may also help your body absorb the sauce’s tomato nutrients more easily

There’s no reason to feel like you can’t provide a nutritious dinner with a plate of spaghetti. You can load it with vegetables (the tomato sauce counts!), whole grains, healthy fats, and seasonings that replace unnecessary sodium. If you find yourself agreeing with a full third of the National Pasta Association survey respondents, who claimed they eat pasta three or four meals a week, don’t feel bad. Give into this comfort food and rush this dish to the table for dinner.

If you want to do something good for your skin – and enjoy some restful moments while doing it – consider a steam bath. It’s a great way to open your pores, and get your skin glowing and feeling smooth. A shower does a great job of rinsing off the skin’s surface, but steaming is the only way to deep-clean your pores. The heat causes you to sweat so pores can flush out dead skin cells and other impurities.

Steaming also increases your blood circulation and may enhance collagen production which improves skin’s strength and elasticity. Collagen is critical for skin with few wrinkles. Another way to slow signs of aging is to protect your skin from the elements. Sun damage causes wrinkles, fine lines and excessive dryness. Taking Lyc-O-Mato may offer protection from UVA and UVB rays. Without sun damage it’s easier to maintain gorgeous, supple skin.

Here’s the best way to use a steam room:

• Wash your face before so makeup and other residue on your skin can’t clog pores.
• Tie back your hair to prevent its oils from clogging pores.
• Dress properly since tight clothes may irritate and cause breakouts. A loose towel maximizes steam and it also protects your body from microbes that love growing in damp, dark places. For the same reason, always wear sandals!
• Drink water or the heat may cause dehydration.
• Use an oil-free moisturizer after the steam room to lock in moisture.
• Steam regularly. If you can’t make it to the steam room two to three times a week for 15 minutes, drape a towel over your head and stand over a pot of boiling water – obviously this will only cleanse your face.

If it seems burdensome to add another to-do to your beauty routine consider the bonus health benefits you may feel. Steaming is said to lessen sinus congestion, improve your immune system, relieve joint and muscle pain, and increase blood circulation. Be careful if you have a cardiovascular disease though as your heart may work too hard.

Steaming is a great way to cleanse and rejuvenate your skin. You’ll look pretty and feel more relaxed. After all, stress often sabotages your skin!