Hello, I'm Monica Reinagel, the nutrition diva, here with your quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

When we think about taking nutrients into our bodies, we're usually thinking

about swallowing them in the form of pills or maybe powders or that radical format known as food.

For that matter, when we talk about nutrient absorption,

we're usually talking about the absorption of nutrients

from the digestive system into the bloodstream.

But a handful of companies are trying to change the way we think about

nutritional supplementation.

Instead of swallowing a handful of pills and worrying about whether or not they're being absorbed,

why not bypass the digestive tract altogether and apply them directly to your skin,

nicotine, estrogen, testosterone, apply them directly to your skin.

Nicotine, estrogen, testosterone, and certain pain medications

can all be delivered through the skin

through medicinal patches, gels, or creams.

So why not vitamins and minerals? The U.S. military, for example,

is working on a skin patch that could deliver essential nutrients and other compounds

to soldiers during periods of high intensity conflict

when getting adequate nutrition from food might be challenging. The scientists who are working on this

project don't expect to have anything ready even for field testing for another 10 years or so.

But you don't have to wait for those fusty old scientists to dot every eye and cross every tea.

There are companies who will take your money right now

for patches, gels, and bath salts

...