Beware: Freebies can drain your wallet

Natural Supplements I Use

As a longtime women's health reporter for national magazines, I'm lucky to have the inside scoop on which vitamins and supplements are proven to work in trusted studies. So, it should be no surprise that my cabinet is stocked with these all-natural remedies to...

Prevent skin aging
Every day, I take at least 15 mg. of lycopene (the compound that gives tomatoes their bright red color), which wards off sunburn and sun damage, as well as a supplement containing grape seed and red wine extracts, which zap free radicals that lead to sagging, wrinkled skin. Tip: Sipping two cups of green tea daily also decreases sun damage.
Try: Now Foods Lycopene 50 20-mg soft gels; Meridian Naturals Resveratrol, Grape Seed, and Red Wine Extract, 120 capsules

Rev energy and boost mood
I slump-proof my day by popping 100 mg. of coenzyme Q10 three times daily, which is a natural vitamin-like substance that gives you more get-up-and-go by fueling the "power plants" inside your body's cells and encouraging your body turn fats and sugars into energy. Plus, it elevates mood by helping your brain pump out more mood-elevating tryptophan.
Try: Swanson Co-Q10 100 100-mg soft gels

Banish migraines
I've cut the number of my monthly migraines by half and reduced their intensity by taking 100 mg. of coenzyme Q10 three times daily, which refuels drained energy cells thought to trigger migraines, and 200 mg. of magnesium, which stabilizes blood vessel walls, minimizing painful expansions and contractions.
Try: Swanson Co-Q10 100 100-mg soft gels; Vitamin Shoppe Magnesium Citrate, 100 200-mg tablets

Shorten the flu
Sambucol is an all-natural sweet syrup made from elderberries, which are rich in antiviral compounds. It's been proven to cut about 3-4 days off a flu and lessen its symptoms when taken at the first signs of illness. Stock your medicine cabinet with it now so you'll be ready to sip at the first sniffle.
Try: Sambucol Original Liquid

Ward off yeast infections
I take 4 acidophilus pearls containing 1 billion CFU each daily. FYI: Pearls deliver more live good bacteria than powders or pills. Also, you need several billion CFU of good bacteria to make a dent in the trillions of bacteria in your digestive tract, so don't bother with acidophilus supplements that offer only several million CFU per dose.
Try: Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls

Turn off hunger and cravings
My blood sugar crashes pretty quickly, making me noshy between meals. To the rescue: chromium picolinate. Just 200 mcg. of this insulin-regulating mineral with food keeps my blood sugar steady till the next mealtime.
Try: Swanson Chromium Picolinate 200 200-mcg capsules

Techie Services I Use

Email collection and newsletter delivery:
Your MailingList Provider
Why I use it: YMLP makes it effortless to collect emails from folks who sign up, send out e-newsletters and track open and click-through rates thanks to an intuitive interface that gets you up and running in minutes. Choose their free service or pick the (happily) low-cost choice for more mailing options. I started out with the free service, soon upgraded and have never looked back.
To try it: ymlp.com

Blogging software:
Thesis WordPress Theme:
Why I use it: Not gonna lie—I heard it was the best, easiest, smoothest, most user-friendly blogging program, but I didn't believe the hype. I tried other ones first. And guess what? Everyone was right. Thesis makes a Wordpress blog easy to customize and update even for the most technophobic among us.
To try it: DIYThemes.com

Web hosting and domain registration:
Superb Hosting
Why I use it: I've been using Superb for all my web hosting, email and domain registration for years. What I love most: You can host dozens of websites for just $5 each per month, so you can earn extra money by "sub leasing" your domains. Plus, the support is fast and helpful. Tip: Installing a Wordpress blog? Superb techs will do it for you at no charge so you can bypass the installation headaches.
To try it: SuperbHosting.net