SAY YES TO YOGA
It can help ease chronic pain, studies find:
"To ease chronic muscle pain and fatigue, people with fibromyalgia often are urged to exercise and develop coping skills, along with taking medication. Might yoga help?  This study involved 53 women, with an average age of 54, who had had fibromyalgia for an average of about 12 years. They were randomly assigned to participate in weekly two-hour yoga classes tailored for people with the condition or to be on a waiting list for the classes, which included gentle poses, meditation, breathing exercises, yoga-based coping instruction and group discussion. All the participants continued their normal care as well, which for some included taking medication. Those in the yoga group were urged to practice daily at home, too. After eight weeks, standardized scales showed greater declines in pain, tenderness, fatigue, stiffness and depression, and bigger improvements in sleep, memory, balance, strength and vigor among the women practicing yoga. About 91 percent of the yoga group, compared with 19 percent of those on the waiting list, reported being better at the end of the study than they were at the start."

AVOID THOSE COLDS
Here are a couple of ways to do it:
"Diet is the fuel that runs the complex human machine and all of its parts, including the immune system," says Dr. David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center.  Essential power players include high-quality protein, such as fish, lean meats, and beans, needed to help build white blood cells (the body's defenders); brightly colored fruits and veggies, which provide immune-boosting antioxidants; and omega-3 fatty acids (good sources include fatty fish, walnuts, and flaxseed) to keep the immune system balanced....."Exercise can keep you from getting sick by stimulating the immune cells that target cold infections, Fryhofer explains. A University of South Carolina study found that people who walked or did other moderate activity for 30 minutes most days averaged one cold per year, while less-active folks reported more than four colds per year.  Just don't overdo it: Heavy exertion -- like marathon training -- may increase your risk of catching seasonal bugs, perhaps because it can stress the body's systems, allowing viruses to gain a foothold."

"Do the hard jobs first.  The easy jobs will take care of themselves."
-Dale Carnegie