I took a stroll down the dental hygiene aisle of my local drug store and spotted these familiar children's cavity-fighting mascots: Spider Man, Little Mermaid, and good ol' Snoopy. But the inspirational cleaning character that caught my eye was relatively unknown-endangered, in fact. Utah, the prairie dog, is one of three endangered animals highlighted on Preserve Jr toothbrushes, along with Grizzly the bear and Karner Blue the Butterfly.

Last month, LIME looked at the benefits of several ergonomic computer mice and similar devices. Today, we look at their constant companions—keyboards—which despite being attached to some rather speedy late-model technology, remain as antiquated as a Model T.

Few realize that today’s keyboards date to the 1860s and the first modern typewriter. They haven’t changed much since, and what’s more, the QWERTY layout (named for the top row of keys) was inefficient by design right from the start, with common letters moved to the fringes to keep fast-fingered typists from jamming their machines. As many know all too well, the keyboard’s unforgiving straight-lined design requires awkward hand placement. For some, this means pain in the wrists, hands, arms, and upper body.

Just because they're natural doesn't mean they're safe. Herbal supplements can have harmful effects when taken in improper doses or when mixed with other herbs or medications. Until recently, it's been a bit of a guessing game, but there is now a guide to navigating the confusing landscape of herbal dos and don'ts.

The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety is 704 pages of comprehensive information on the safety of 125 herbs, covering everything from interactions and adverse reactions to toxicity and allergies.

Kevin Costner swears by it and my boyfriend won’t start the winter without it, but I’m still suspicious about Airborne’s cold-zapping powers. Developed by a teacher who was “sick of getting sick in the classroom,” Airborne’s effervescent tablets have become a staple for those who find themselves in stuffy indoor environments (think offices, airplanes, and gyms) thought to be the breeding ground for germs and bacteria.

Sometimes making an effort isn’t enough. When it was time to replenish my toiletries, I used to commend myself for walking past the incredibly convenient pharmacy to the health food store a few blocks too far. There I would squeeze through tiny aisles with spilled granola crunching under my feet, until I made it to the health and beauty section. Once ensconced in this zone of all things natural, I breathed a sigh of relief — I was safe here. Sure, the packaging wasn’t as sexy as the products at mainstream stores, but the contents of these tubes and bottles contained ingredients I could recognize, substances derived from plants and fruits and purified water.

I’d love to tell you about the nuances of a mangosteen’s flavor, but I’ve yet to taste the fruit. A Los Angeles-based friend gave me a farewell bottle of juice upon my return to NYC over a year ago and it still sits dusty on a shelf.

I don’t know what I’m waiting for, mangosteen juice is supposed to be an incredibly healthy elixir. It may have something to do with the other plum-colored beverages I’m consuming these days — with all of the unsweetened cranberry juice and acai smoothies I haven’t had time for another.

Once in a while I come across a product that gets me genuinely excited. Dagoba Organic Chocolate is my new obsession. After all of the confusion about what it means to be truly organic, Dagoba is proving to be the real thing.

In our household waking to the blaring sounds of 1970s classic rock is an everyday occurrence. Each morning I am jolted from sleep by wailing guitar riffs or the screechy voice of Robert Plant (our station happens to favor Led Zeppelin). I've tried to explain to my beloved — the master of the alarm clock — that beginning the day in such a rough fashion can't possibly be good for the heart or mind or even the emotions. So he switched our wake-up to the generic alarm function. I am now ripped from my dreams by an impersonal, high-piched "beeeep beeeep."

Isn't there something between the two?

There's more than one way to start the day. Acknowledging this freedom is the first step to appreciating my all-time favorite coffee alternative, yerba mate. I first experienced the subtle lift (and there's definitely a lift) of this South American brew when searching for a beverage that could pull me out of morning grogginess without the jitters of a regular cafe au lait.

Yerba mate is the drink of choice for millions of people in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Bolivia. It is traditionally served in a round, hollow pot called a calabash (often referred to as a gourd) and sipped through a specifically designed silver metal straw called a bombilla. The straw is solid except for small holes that act as a sieve, filtering out the mate leaves and allowing the brewed liquid in.