Dear AllStarHealth,

I’m a 30 y.o. female and new mother. Over the last year or so, I’ve become aware that my hair is growing much slower than it did while I was in college. It also seems to be thinner and drier and falls out more easily. My doctor seems unconcerned, just said to make sure to keep eating enough and take my prenatal. Believe me, I eat enough and I’ve been taking this prenatal for over a year now. There’s got to be something else? I ‘ve seen “hair vitamins” , should I use one of those or can you suggest any particular supplements that might help?

Thanks,

Gabriella

Malibu, CA

Dear Gabriella,

Congratulations! Well, on one hand there are indeed a few nutritional supplements that ‘work’, that people have successfully used to improve the growth and condition of their hair. On the other hand

By resupplying your body with “friendly” bacteria, Probiotics can be incredibly useful supplements to both keep you healthy and help you pull through a wide range of health problems. Probiotic supplements have been around for a long time, but recent high-profile ad campaigns for probiotics in yogurt as well as food poisoning outbreaks have really taken them prime time and renewed interest in these bacterial supplements. But although probiotics come in capsules and tablets just like vitamins, there are big differences between the two, you’ve got to regard them differently than inert vitamins. So we’ve put together a guide for buying, storing and using your probiotic supplements for the best possible results.

n Part One of AllStarHealth.com’s New Year Detox Guide, we laid down the basic principles of detoxification. As we said near the beginning of that article, there’s no universally agreed-upon definition of or approach to detoxification, and the range of options and opinions runs the gamut from legitimate and useful to outright scam. Even the BBC picked up on this theme with a story on today, but their headline is misleading when it says

Along with losing weight, joining a gym and giving up smoking, another popular New Year idea is undergoing a detox program of some kind. but there are a lot of competing and overlapping schools of thought about detoxing, what toxins are, and how to best help the body eliminate them. Experts and quacks alike have written dozens of books on the subject, advocating this or that approach to get rid of toxins and waste. There’s no one universally agreed-upon definition or approach to detoxification. Yet, fundamentally all detox protocols have the same goal…

A New Year has always been the perfect time of year to re-commit to losing excess weight, getting into better shape, getting that blood pressure down, stop smoking, clean up your diet or start taking some supplements. These are all worthwhile, achievable goals. But, suddenly, protecting your health has taken on a new urgency and importance. Suddenly, even with the best health insurance in the world, taking your health for granted, or taking avoidable risks with your health is a very risky proposition.

Dear AllStarHealth,

Maybe it’s been our typical Minnesota weather, or the Holidays, or something else, but we’ve really gotten into a rut with our training. My wife and I got the gym every other day faithfully but we don’t seem to be making the kind of progress we were just a few months ago. I think she’s losing her enthusiasm for it, and we’re kind of at a plateau. Are there any supplements that can help us get back on track?

We get a lot of variations on this theme. Most people who’ve made exercise a part of their life will get into a rut or hit a plateau sooner or later. Are there products that can help? Definitely!

Let’s take another look at the concept of appetite suppression and appetite suppressant supplements. They’ve both been around a long time. But is that a good strategy for everyone trying to lose weight, or just certain people? And do any of the products work?

Acai is getting a lot of attention as a hot new ‘superfood’ thanks to endorsements from celebrity dermatologist Dr. Perricone, the multi-level marketing operation behind the over-hyped MonaVie, and other interests. ‘Superfood’ is a term a lot of people hadn’t ever heard until recently. But ‘superfood’ isn’t a technical or specific term, anyone can call anything a superfood. Cocoa powder, in particular organic unsweetened cocoa powder is a true superfood in every sense of the term.

First Coke and Pepsi, and now Dr. Pepper have all announced their intention to begin marketing drinks sweetened with stevia. Meanwhile, millions of people are wondering what the heck took them so long.

It happens to all of us. You run out of time before you run out of presents to buy. And even if you do have the time, the last thing you want to do at this time of year is get back in the car again and go off to do battle at the nearest mall or big box store. Well we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together great His & Hers Gift Baskets full of our most popular and natural bodycare products and fragrances. For little more than you’d pay for a bottle of cologne at the mall, an AllStarHealth Gift Basket will delight your recipient with whole basketful of gifts. And it even includes the cologne. But act quickly since supplies are limited!