I keep sunflower seeds in my kitchen cabinets, at my desk, and in the car. These crunchy seeds contain lots of natural vitamin E. In fact, just a quarter cup of sunflower seeds contains almost 100 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance of this fat-soluble vitamin.

As you'll recall, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that patrols your body for harmful free radicals that lead to disease and aging. It also blocks free radicals from damaging cholesterol in your body. You see, every cell in your body needs a certain amount of cholesterol, but when attacked by free radicals, it becomes oxidized (or unstable). And cholesterol, once it has oxidized, can stick to blood vessel walls and lead to atherosclerosis. But eating a handful of sunflower seeds each day will give your body the tools it needs to flush out these unstable molecules.

But that's not all...

When you eat a handful of sunflower seeds, it's almost like taking a multivitamin. That's because they contain all the nutrients your body needs, except for vitamin D. So when you bite into a sunflower seed, you also get:

• Selenium, another powerful antioxidant shown to help with DNA repair
• Magnesium, a versatile mineral that plays a major role in controlling blood pressure, migraines, muscle cramps, asthma, and fatigue.
• Phytochemicals, such as phenolic acids and lignans, which may help prevent heart disease and cancer.
• Fiber & protein help you to feel fuller longer.
• Potassium helps to counteract too much sodium in your diet.
• And even Tryptophan, the hormone that encourages the release of the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin.

When shopping for sunflower seeds, look for black-and-white shells that are firm and unbroken. Skip any packs that have shells with a yellowish tinge...this means they've probably gone rancid. And if you buy them from a bulk bin, give them a sniff to make sure they still smell fresh. Add fresh seeds to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, and homemade muffins...or just eat them by the handful as I do.

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