Looking for something new and unexpected to make your diet more interesting and help you lose weight? Check out these 5 foods.

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Nearly every time my son and I go grocery shopping, he begs me to buy children's vitamins. I know parents tend to disagree when it comes to children's vitamins. Personally, while I don't think they're harmful, I don't think they're necessary. My son eats plenty of fruits and vegetables, he gets sufficient calcium from milk, yogurt, and fortified orange juice, and he eats a broad range of other healthy foods as well.

But my kid LOVES his candy. And I'm quite certain that is why he wants those gummy vitamins he sees in the store so badly.

Angie over at ParentDish recently wrote about a study regarding children's vitamins. The study reviewed 14 types of vitamins and found that only five of the reviewed brands had the 12 essential vitamins you would expect. Some brands had as little as four vitamins. The researchers state that the vitamins are little better than candy.

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As much as I enjoy splurging from time to time on pricey beauty products, I also really like trying out simple, DIY beauty items. Not so long ago I wrote about home-made hair care -- using foods like mayonnaise and beer to soften and brighten your hair. I think what I like about at-home beauty is that, since the tips are usually cheap, barring any major disasters you can figure out which products you like without having to waste a tonne of money on stuff that turns out to be not so great.

I was pretty excited to find this list of 10 great budget beauty products that you can make at home. They're all really simple, containing only a few ingredients each. In addition, a number of the 'recipes' include a lot of the same ingredients -- like essential oils and rubbing alcohol, so you only have to buy a few things and can still try most of the ideas. All you need is a range of empty bottles and containers and you're good to get started.

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Have you heard of Glyconutrients? They're a form a manufactured sugar that are supposedly healthy for you, because apparently your body is lacking in these so-called 'essential' sugars. Does this sound like a hoax to you? It does to me.

And it is, according to Mark's Daily Apple, who weighs in on the idea of Glyconutrients and uncovers that there is no such things as an essential sugar. In short, those who purchase glyconutrients are wasting their money, and there have been numerous lawsuits and warning letters urging manufacturers to stop scamming consumers.

So remember, don't believe everything you read, especially if the word 'glyconutrients' is in there.

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I think years ago, like way back in the old days, things must have been simpler when it came to eating healthy. Not only were there no processed foods but there wasn't nearly the selection we have now. Given, in a lot of ways having choices makes it easier (you can always find something you like) but it also makes it so much harder to fit in everything we're supposed to eat as far as nutrients go during the day. How many servings of fruit? Plus how many of vegetables? And then there's grains and protein....I'm getting a headache. And where does that blueberry muffin fit in exactly anyway?

But Best Life magazine has simplified things for us just a little by compiling a list of 8 foods you should eat every day:

• Spinach
• Yogurt
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Blueberries
• Black Beans
• Walnuts
• Oats

That seems easy enough, right? At least they kept it in the single digits! Plus read their full article for explanations on why you want to eat these every day and tips on how to make it happen.

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I like the view in this piece that we shouldn't rely on a pill to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need to keep our bodies healthy. Many exist in abundance in food so why no make a commitment to include them as part of a regular diet rather than always turning to a multivitamin? I'm not saying they multivitamins are useless, but if it's possible to absorb vitamins in food, why not give that a try too?

For those who are interested in giving it a go, here is a list of 10 essentials, along with one of the many reasons each is so good for you and some of the foods that are packed full of them:

• Iron - Prevents anemia, found in tofu, lean red meat, nuts and seeds, dried fruit and fortified cereal.
• Vitamin C - Helps your body deal with stress, found in orange juice and citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, spinach and bell peppers.
• Vitamin D - Aids in cancer prevention, found in fortified milk and yogurt, salmon and can be absorbed from a small amount of sun exposure.
• Vitamin E - An antioxidant that helps lower the risk of a stroke, found in almonds and sunflower seeds.
• Vitamin K - Aids in blood clotting, found in avocados, kale, spinach and pine nuts.
• Calcium - Essential for bone health, found in milk and dairy products, broccoli, almonds and sesame seeds.
• Folate - Fights cancer, found in peanuts, lentils, corn and spinach
• Selenium - Keeps immune system strong, found in shellfish, Brazil nuts and sesame seeds.
• Magnesium - Helps keep bones strong, found in beans, seeds, nuts and green leafy vegetables.
• Potassium - Works to keep blood pressure level, found in sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kiwi and bananas.

To find out more about why these are all so good for you, as well as other foods that contain the 10 vitamins and minerals, take a look here. The article even includes a recipe for each, and they all look pretty tasty.

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Traveling, while fantastic, can also be pretty stressful. Saving money, getting the right flight times, booking decent yet economical lodging, catching connecting flights and more, can take a mental toll. Even figuring out what to bring may make you crazy, so in the interest of staying sane while preparing for a trip, here is a list of 7 essentials to pack that will help your holiday go smoothly and will ease your mind:

• Money: Bring it in as many forms as possible including cash, travelers checks, credit and debit cards, and keep it in separate places. You never know what different businesses will be willing to take and you don't want to come up short. You also don't want lose everything if a bag is stolen or misplaced.
• Phrase book: Based on personal experience, there is nothing that inhabitants of other countries hate more than when North Americans assume that everyone speaks English. They don't, and it's ignorant to think they do. Learn a few helpful phrases ("Do you speak English?" is a good start) and it will help you immensely.
• Converters and adapters: You'll be pretty disappointed to haul your laptop across the world only to realize that you can't plug it in. Remember, different countries use different electrical systems and you need to be able to not only adapt the plugs, but also convert the energy to the correct voltage.
• Battery-operated alarm clock: They're small and cheap and will keep you from missing a non-refundable bus or plane trip. Enough said.
• Appropriate luggage: If you're backpacking, no one will feel sorry for you if you bring a matching, seven-piece luggage set and have to haul it all over the place. And I've learned from experience that showing up at a nice hotel with an enormous, grubby backpack, while unavoidable at the time, is embarrassing.
• A memento from home: It's no fun to be homesick but having something that reminds you of loved ones seems to really help. I always bring a little photo album, but a beloved stuffy, blanket or other keepsake will also work.
• A sense of adventure: If you go away and act like stick in the mud or spend all of your time talking about how much better things are at home, chances are everyone you meet will wish you'd have stayed there. Traveling is all about experiencing and learning about different places so be prepared to try new things and you'll have the time of your life.

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Depending on what your needs are, you've probably got a slew of face and skin care products stashed in your bathroom right now. Some of them work, and some of them don't, but if you're like a lot of people then you're probably slowly getting more and more tired of all the artificial colors and preservatives, and even the dangerous chemicals, that come in most commercially manufactured skin care products. So have you ever tried making your own?

I admit I never have, although these recipes for skin care oils look easy enough that I just might give it a shot. And they have mixes to try for everything from general facial balancing to specific concerns like eczema -- and even a specialized hip and thigh formula. And I bet it would be such a nice time working with all those essential oils making the house smell all wonderful!

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Fat has a bad reputation when it comes to dieting, weight loss, and general health. Some of it is well-deserved, for example trans fats and saturated fats, but some of it is not. Your diet needs to have some fat to keep your body healthy; it's just a matter of making sure you're getting the right kind of fats. Research has shown that the majority of diets are short on essential fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6, and flaxseed oil can be a great source of these healthy fats. Incorporating it into your diet regularly can help prevent a variety of different health complications like coronary heart disease, arthritis, and skin problems. When shopping for flaxseed oil, it's important to buy high-quality that has been protected from light (brown to amber bottle) and heat (do not use in cooking).

Omega-3 fats have so many benefits -- besides reducing the risk for many illnesses, they have also been shown to help reduce both body fat and stress. But obviously, as with everything, it's important to incorporate supplements like flaxseed oil into a well-balanced diet and health plan, and not make the mistake of neglecting other important areas like regular exercise.

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