Essential oils are created by glandular structures in the plant, either on the surface or internally. If you touch a lavender leaf, for example, you can smell the essential oil on your fingertips from the external oil glands. With a plant like eucalyptus, you have to break open the leaf to access the aromatic compounds. In either case, when it comes to incorporating essential oils into wellness, it’s often more practical—and accessible—to work with a concentrated essential oil than the raw plant itself....

Her response broke me. “I never feel good anymore, Mom," she said. “I feel bad all the time. My stomach hurts after everything I eat.” Because my daughter was in pain, I was in pain. And I was on a mission to help her feel better. So one morning after watching her struggle to eat breakfast, I called an acquaintance who I considered to be knowledgeable about health. What happened next changed the course of Maci’s health....

Silence. Total, deafening silence. What do we agree on? Music and food. One thing we loved to do together was cook. I miss that—planning the meals, goofing off at the grocery store, setting up the kitchen, chopping, and sautéing, music blasting with the windows open wide letting the Southern California sun stream in. Talking, laughing and loving. I’m comforted by those uncomplicated memories and have tucked them away inside a special place in my heart....

The question may feel all the more pressing if you, yourself, are in a relationship where the sex isn’t quite where you or your partner want it to be. Or perhaps you’re just wondering about it as someone who personally loves sex—or someone who is personally pretty uninterested in it. That is, how important sex is to a relationship varies depending on the individual. Sex matters a lot to some people and some couples, and it’s less important or not important at all to some people and some couples....

If you’re taking a prenatal multivitamin or want to complement your prenatal vitamin with some healthy omega-3s, it’s a really good idea to see if it contains a solid amount (more on that later) of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This marine-derived omega-3 fatty acid has been linked to healthy fetal growth and development1, along with a slew of other perks for you and your growing baby.* While some biological properties overlap (i....

But there is a wide range of these supplements on the market and at different doses, making it easy to wonder how many probiotics you should be taking per day. Many of these microorganisms are the same or similar to microorganisms that naturally live in your body, although the diversity of these microbes in our body is directly affected by our consumption pattern, like how much and how often.* While there is plenty of data out there on the benefits of using probiotics, information on exact dosage—and the right amount for you—can be a little trickier....

If you’re rushing to the bathroom several times within an hour, it may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. On the other hand, if you find yourself passing hours without having to go, that could be signaling another type of issue altogether. The good news? Whatever type of bathroom-goer category you fall into, it’s possible to train your bladder and improve any unwanted habits. Since the amount of water a person needs each day will differ, the best way to test your hydration levels is simply by checking the color of your pee....