When you are someone who is always seeking to learn, have new experiences and evolve, your life becomes very busy. Add on caregiving, maintaining relationships, beginning or managing careers (or inventing new ones), it is a modern challenge to find the time to live a holistically healthy life. Technology presents us with overwhelming amounts of information about what skincare products to use (and for what), what to eat, what kind of makeup to buy, how much exercise is best, making it hard to find a coherent approach to health and beauty that makes sense for a productive and busy life.

As a professor, I love conceptual frameworks that organize many complex ideas in ways that make it easier for my students to apply them. So rather than use my precious time to invent a conceptual framework for this busy woman dilemma, I have decided to partner with Perricone MD over the next few months because after years of research, they have one. The idea is that through a combination of the right nutrition, supplements, exercise and skincare you are more likely to achieve a greater sense of physical well-being. It will manifest from the inside out and and in you looking your best self.

Earlier in the summer, I wrote about an event where I got in touch with the idea that however much I thought so, I was not taking care of myself. Read about my experience here. It was through the very thoughtful encounters provided during that trip, that I was able to come to this epiphany. There was little or no product promotion needed or given, the results spoke for themselves. Perricone MD was the architect of that moment.

As a scientist, I have the habit of referencing research and data when making decisions in real life. When I was told that if I applied this framework (which is based on science) that I could achieve “better mental clarity, increased energy and an overall boost in physical well-being”, I wanted to learn more because these are the outcomes I strive for; not to be beautiful, thin or look “younger”. These outcomes have nothing to do with age, they are inclusive and support an engaged life.

In the upcoming months I will be sharing this framework and my experiments with applying it. Scientists believe in transparency so I am informing you I will be paid to create this content. My approach here as always is to give you information and to share my experiences. The women Perricone MD speaks to are “Born Seekers”. Women who both value and challenge knowledge, who have unquenchable curiosity, have passion for what they are doing, and are creative problem solvers. I trust that as always, because my readers are also “Born Seekers”, that you will form your own questions, design your own experiments, come to reasoned conclusions and make your own decisions.

Being somewhat cynical, by nature, I decided to conduct some preliminary research and enlisted Calvin as a subject too. For the last month we have altered the way we eat by following the parameters of the anti-inflammatory diet suggested by Dr. Perricone. This involved a bit more preparation (rather than take-out) but we found it has been easy once we got provisions in the house. We do feel sharper, our afternoon slump is gone, Calvin’s issues with skin inflammation (he has given me permission to disclose), have mitigated. Last week I met someone I had not seen in several months and she commented on how well I looked  (she actually said I looked younger but that’s not my objective) and asked me what I was doing differently, Well chomping on a lot of greens… for starters. Stay tuned.