Blog Posts by Oprah.com

Photo: ThinkstockBy Emma Haak

First, the not-so-good news in neuroscience: According to a recent study, cognitive decline may set in as early as age 45, much sooner than previously thought. But before you start to panic, there's also reason for hope: Researchers around the globe are learning that we can build up our brains--making them bigger and sharper--simply by feeding them the right nutrients. Here, six smart foods to add to your shopping cart.

RELATED: The Brain Diet

Sunflower Seeds

A handful provides a good dose of vitamin E, a nutrient that appears to shield neurons from cell-damaging free radicals. After analyzing data from subjects ages 55 and older, Harvard researchers discovered that people who consumed the most vitamin E were 25 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who consumed the least.
An alternative: almond butter.

RELATED: 4 Superfood Seeds to Add to Your Diet Today

Yogurt

Head to the dairy aisle for this plentiful source of vitamin B12.

Photo: ThinkstockBy Corrie Pikul

Barely a week goes by without another study touting the health benefits of chocolate--especially the antioxidant-rich dark varieties. Research has shown that it can help reduce high blood pressure, protect cells from age-related damage, help us control our weight, and lower the risk of heart disease and strokes (it can also lift our spirits--but we didn't need science to tell us that).

RELATED: The Superfoods of Summer

With dark chocolate rapidly approaching superfood status, we've been thinking about ways we could use it to sweeten up boring health foods. Fortunately, these companies are one step ahead of us:



Sunsweet PlumSweets
Prunes are loaded with potassium, high in fiber, and, of course, help keep you regular. But for those who still see prunes as a treat only a senior citizen could get excited about, Sunsweet takes chewy prune bites and covers them in dark chocolate. These good-for-your-gut Raisinets are perfect for munching at the movies.

RELATED: Dr. Oz's

Photo: ThinkstockBy J.I. Baker

Pitfall #1: You Aren't Channeling Your Inner Italian
Think like Robert Duvall in The Godfather, and be a consigliere to someone. If you don't have the boss's ear, get the ear of the person who has the boss's ear. If you can't get that person's ear, get that person's best friend's ear.

RELATED: How to Talk So People Really Listen: 4 Ways to Make Yourself Heard

When a boss who'd deeply trusted me became suddenly enamored of a new employee, thereby shutting me out, I didn't let my ego get in the way. Instead, I took the new favorite child to lunch and asked if I could help her with a project she was working on. As a result, we became friends, and my boss started hearing about all my "brilliant" ideas through the current darling. All this returned me to the boss's favor--and eventually led (along with other things, of course) to a promotion.

RELATED: Why Avoiding Rejection Is a Major Mistake

Pitfall #2: You Haven't Cracked Your Boss's Code
I once had a boss who never

Photo: Oprah.comAdam Glassman, O Magazine's Creative Director, has made a new discovery:

I've had to buy my share of baby's gifts over the years, and just because a present is meant for a little one doesn't make it any easier to find the perfect thing. Which is why I'm crazy about Burt's Bees Baby, a new line of organic apparel and earth-friendly products.

RELATED: Raising a Free-Range Kid




Photo: Oprah.comThe clothing--in tasteful shades of muted grays, pinks and creams--is absolutely adorable, and is sure to please style (and environmentally) conscious parents. And while 100% organic clothes are usually quite expensive, these pieces are super affordable: a 3-piece newborn set (bodysuit, bib and hat) is $9.99; a baby knit terry coverall is $14; a 7-piece gift basket (which includes clothing, shampoo and lotion) is $39.99.

RELATED: The Lowdown on Prenatal Vitamins



Photo: Oprah.comThe line, available now at Target.com, will eventually expand to include home and lifestyle products, but in the meantime I've found my new go-to baby

Photo: ThinkstockBy: Lynn Andriani

You already know about iced tea and lemonade, hot dogs and mustard, and peach pie with vanilla ice cream. How about these three pairings, though?

RELATED: 25 Superfoods to Incorporate Into Your Diet Now

Black Pepper-Strawberry
Why we're thinking of these two things: Salt's BFF goes into everything we cook, and lately we've been combining strawberries with balsamic vinegar.
Putting them together: Instead of giving the berries a sharp bite, pepper lends a subtle warmth.
Add one more element: A drizzle of orange juice over pepper-dusted strawberries creates a luscious sauce for ice cream.

RELATED: Desserts for the Hottest Days


Watermelon-Feta
Why we're thinking of these two things: It's common to match the salty Greek cheese with olives, tomatoes or cucumbers, and eat the melon on its own or in a salad with other fruit.
Putting them together: The sweet, juicy watermelon takes on an almost savory edge with sharp feta.
Add one more element: Mint brightens both foods'

By Stephanie Pearson

Toni Bark's secrets for staying happy, sharp, and healthy

Photo: Courtesy of Callie's Charleston BiscuitsBy Kate Rockwood

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but morning auto-pilot means it can also get pretty boring (eggs, cereal, repeat). If you're feeling ho-hum about your current rotation, consider one of these swaps instead.


If you always eat: Bagels with cream cheese
Swap it for: Ozery Bakery's Morning Rounds. Think of this saucer-sized, chewy bread as the love child of a bagel and an English muffin. Studded with plump cranberries and chewy bits of orange, they're the perfect canvas for a thick schmear of Karoun's Labne cheese, a thick, spreadable yogurt that's lighter than cream cheese and subtly tangy.

RELATED: Confessions of a Recovering Breakfast-Skipper

If you always eat: Cheese and toast
Swap it for: Carrie's Black Pepper Bacon Biscuits. Handmade by Callie's Charleston Biscuits, with caramelized bacon, cream cheese, and green onions, these addictive little biscuits are shipped pre-baked and frozen. Simply pop one (or three) in the oven to warm, and breakfast

Warning: These new books will keep you out of the pool, hiding under the beach umbrella and then up all night to finish.

Photo: Oprah.comGone Girl
By Gillian Flynn

"You could imagine the skull quite easily" is just the kind of sentiment you wish serial killers would keep to themselves. It's also one of the first things Nick Dunne--the handsome, smarmy, admittedly dishonest narrator of the opening chapter of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl-tells us about "the finely shaped head" of his wife, Amy. Make that his missing wife, Amy, who just happens to disappear from their Missouri home on the morning of their fifth anniversary, fueling a small-town melodrama--complete with middling cops, fame-hungry neighbors, and cable-TV news crews--in her wake. As the story unfolds in precise and riveting prose, alternating between Nick's voice and Amy's diaries chronicling their relationship, it quickly becomes clear that theirs was not the happiest marriage, and that Nick, "a big fan of the lie of omission," is hiding