For starters, vitamin D is vital to skeletal muscle form and function—and we’re talking all movement.* Vitamin D receptors (VDR) have been found in skeletal muscle throughout the body (i.e., the ones that flex and make your bones and body move), indicating muscles need vitamin D to participate in all sorts of daily activities—not just exercise.* Sufficient vitamin D is also required to maintain a healthy percentage of muscle mass throughout the lifespan....

“People have used black cumin seeds and their oil to treat a wide range of conditions for thousands of years,” says Vincent Pedre, M.D., mbg Collective member and board-certified internist and integrative medicine specialist in New York City. Black cumin seeds were even found in King Tut’s tomb, and apparently they got a mention in the Old Testament as being able to cure anything but death. But what makes the oil of these small, unassuming black cumin seeds so great?...

In the beauty space, they’re particularly a hot-button issue—largely due to the fact that the exact mechanism of function isn’t as well understood. And one complaint I’ll often hear is that collagen peptides don’t make it all the way to the skin—and instead are used up by other parts of the body. See, we have robust research showing that the peptides do, in fact, improve the quality of the skin.* One study found that collagen peptides are able to support skin elasticity and dermal collagen density1....

Each chakra vibrates or spins at a particular frequency that is thought to affect specific biological processes in the body. Each of the chakras is associated with a different color of the rainbow, and the circulation of energy in each of our chakras influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition. Open, balanced chakras align with corresponding healthy organ systems and a well-functioning physiological body, as well as stability and health within the emotional and energetic body....

To make sure you’re getting enough antioxidants, aim to eat a rainbow of whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, herbs, nuts, and seeds. (The more colorful your plate—the better.) Produce high in vitamin C1—like red bell peppers, broccoli, and oranges—are especially important. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, “Vitamin C is a necessary cofactor2 in collagen synthesis,”* says Brittany Modell, M.S., R.D., CDN. This essential nutrient is actually required by specific enzymes involved in collagen formation on the daily....

In traditional Chinese medicine, the belief is that after a woman has a baby, there is an empty space in her body where the baby once was. Her body is open, her ligaments loose, and it’s believed that if “yin” or wind/cold comes into this open space, it will cause future ailments and prevent the body from properly recovering. Thus, the practice of confinement emphasizes staying warm by remaining indoors and abstaining from cold foods/drinks, from touching cold objects, and from washing one’s hair lest one catch a chill....

Likewise, with sugar, this way of gradually removing sugar from your diet will keep you from feeling any withdrawal symptoms by having you continue to eat the foods you crave. A more gradual plan is based on the understanding that it takes a month for the human brain to create a habit. So during a month, if you create healthy new habits—habits that you’ll start to cultivate long before you have to give up any of your unhealthy old habits!...