What is tryptophan? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that’s a vital building block for protein in the body. There are 20 known amino acids, nine of which cannot be created within the body and must be consumed in the diet, thus considered “essential.” Tryptophan fits under this umbrella. Research has found that tryptophan also plays an important role in the gut microbiome-brain connection. This is because it’s a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is key for main functions, including healthy sleep, hunger, pain recognition, and emotional processing....

RELATED: How to Fix a Credit Card Error Before It Impacts Your Credit Report Permanently If you notice a potential error, ask your doctor’s office about it. They may be able to resubmit your claim with corrected coding. “I also recommend asking your insurer how a procedure needs to be coded to get covered,” says Donovan. RELATED: 8 Savvy Ways to Save on Pricey Prescription Drug Costs How to Prevent Problems Know your network....

“You don’t need any product or any other tool,” says Shannon Davenport, the founder of the skincare company Esker Beauty. “It’s just you and the brush, which I think is why it’s such a satisfying process.” She has spent more than a decade researching consumer, design, and beauty trends, and she says dry brushing is one of her favorite rituals because it’s time-tested and simple. One small warning: “It can be quite scratchy and stimulating using a brush on your dry skin,” she says....

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 10, Etsy is expanding its Uplift Makers Program with the addition of the Indigenous Artisans Collective, which features shops from Indigenous makers affiliated with 10 Indigenous groups across the United States and the First Nations of Canada. This is the fourth community joining the program—following the launches of the Gee’s Bend Quilters, Gullah Basket Weavers, and Afghan Refugees Collective—all in partnership with Nest, a non-profit that supports sustainable growth and inclusion in the global craft market....

Negotiating alimony (otherwise known as spousal support or maintenance), as part of a divorce can be stressful, overwhelming, and fraught with emotion for both parties involved. Here are a few important points to keep in mind when it comes to alimony settlements, as well as tips to help you arrive at an alimony figure that makes sense—and enter negotiations well-informed. One of the most comprehensive sites to start with is MaritalLaws....

LAUREN IANNOTTI: During your first 18 months as First Lady, you traveled to roughly 40 states, 75 cities, and 10 countries. You’ve crisscrossed the U.S., rallying support for the administration’s priorities, and visited an active war zone. As the first First Lady to keep a job outside the East Wing, you maintained a full teaching schedule and “showed up,” as you put it, for your family. So I guess my question is: Do you sleep?...

That’s why I like to slowly ease out my heavy winter creams and face oils for lightweight formulas that still provide a hefty dose of moisture. One moisturizer I’ve tested lately that has done the job better than others is FaceGym’s Vitamin C + Bioferment Gel-Cream. The newest product from the spa known for its ″workout″ facials, the Liftwear face cream was dubbed “shapewear for the face” by the brand because of how bouncy and sculpted it makes dehydrated skin look....

Simple to put together, Star Wars lovers will absolutely love these fun Star Wars games you can play at home! For my son’s 4th birthday party, we did a Walt Disney World themed party. Since Star Wars is such a huge part of Hollywood Studios and the Last Jedi is coming out this year, I decided to recreate the Walt Disney World Jedi Training Academy experience for the kids at the party!...

I grew up on gummy bears. My dad always made sure we knew which ones were the best – the ones in the gold bag. Always the gold bag. When I saw a pack of cute gold pack gummy bears at the store the other day, I knew I had to make a printable bear valentine to share. Not sure I’ll actually be giving them out since I want to eat them all, but I am sharing the valentine!...

If there’s one thing that I love to create most, it’s scavenger hunts. There’s a reason there are over 50 scavenger hunt ideas on my site. I’m honestly not sure I like the scavenger hunt part as much as I just like coming up with silly rhyming clues. And I love seeing you all make and share the scavenger hunts with your family. Plus, I think they’re super fun to do with my own family....

One of my favorite things about the fall is all of the fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and Halloween parties. We love checking out each and every one in our area. Wagon rides, pumpkin picking, and trick or treating with my toddler may be three of my favorite things ever. So it probably comes as no surprise that I host a Halloween party each year. This year I combined my love of Halloween and fall festivals and hosted a Halloween carnival that’s perfect for kids of all ages....

Here’s how it works: the color experts at Clare have already chosen the “Elite Eight,” a curated collection of 8 potential paint colors (check them out, below). These choices have been paired into color family matchups (“teams”) of pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. “Fans can submit a prediction bracket to narrow these eight colors down to one top choice, and the color that receives the most picks will land a coveted spot in the Clare color palette,” the company explains in a press release....

Eggplants are one of the most delicious and versatile ingredients you can cook with. They can be fried, baked, pickled, stewed, pureed, and even stuffed. And just like tomatoes (also a fruit!), eggplants are part of the nightshade family. While you may be a big fan of popular dishes like eggplant parmesan and rollatini, there are so many varieties of eggplant grown around the world, and they all look and taste different....

But for the most part, people who retire in their 30s or 40s-usually those involved in the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement-get there because they’ve super-hustled and managed to become millionaires. Lauren and Brian, on the other hand, were “not rich,” Lauren explains. Because of this, they knew they couldn’t stop working forever." So, as a dream realized but also as a compromise, they decided to take two years off to have an adventure....

Yet, even with inflation finally starting to slow down, the cost of living remains high. Data shows that by the end of May, Americans were spending an extra $460 per month on food, fuel, and more, as compared to a year before. Red-hot inflation is forcing many people, myself included, to reevaluate the way they spend and how they prioritize their purchases. I knew that in order to keep up with increasing costs of living, I had to do something about my credit card spending....

How Much Turkey Per Person Do You Need? As a general rule, calculate 1 to 1½ pounds of turkey per person. You might be thinking there is no way one person can eat that much turkey, especially when Thanksgiving sides aplenty are served. But keep in mind this is not counting just the weight of meat, this is also considering bone and cartilage, which is of course a package deal. While calculating 1 pound of turkey per person leans on the safe side, accounting for 1½ pounds of turkey per person guarantees leftovers to enjoy post-holiday, and who doesn’t love that?...

The truth is that our post-shower hair care products usually end up looking more like a random experiment than a routine, but being a mixologist with your styling arsenal isn’t doing your hair any favors. Just like you shouldn’t apply face oils before serums, the wrong order can make your products not as effective, or worse, damage your strands. “Knowing the correct order of application for your hair is just as important as your skincare routine,” agrees Michelle Lee, professional hairstylist, co-owner of Salon Eva Michelle in Boston, Mass....

This guide offers instructions for how, and how often, to perform routine cleaning, and what cleaning methods to avoid damage to the hide. It also covers how to remove stains when they occur, and how to deep-clean cowhide rugs to make them last for years. Care Basics for a Cowhide Rug It might surprise you to learn that cowhide rugs are relatively easy to maintain—so easy, in fact, that they are among the easiest types of rugs to care for....

Air mattress: For an item that’s used only occasionally, an air mattress accumulates a surprising amount of dirt and dust. Next time you inflate yours for use, give every side of it a once-over with the vacuum’s upholstery attachment or a handheld vac. Then wipe the mattress top (getting into all those little grooves) with a chemical-free wipe (Seventh Generation Disinfecting Wipes, $4, target.com) and air-dry. Apron: If machine washing hasn’t conquered those greasy food stains, try a presoak treatment that uses an oxygen-based stain remover, such as OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover ($9....

That being said, once you have a sturdy skillet, saucepan, and stockpot et al. on hand, they should last you. There are a number of factors that determine how long your pots and pans will last—particularly whether they’re nonstick, stainless steel, cast iron, or copper and what materials were used to manufacture them—but one of the best ways to maintain your cookware is to use the right cleaning method. For starters, avoid the dishwasher, even if the manufacturer says it’s OK....