Cures for change-of-season bothers

Sail through the everyday health hassles that pop up during the 'shoulder season' to feel your absolute best!

Prevent ‘picnic sickness’ with kefir

Enjoying a picnic or cookout is a Labor Day tradition we love. But when food spends too much time in the sun, it can breed bacteria that trigger GI upset. If you feel symptoms brewing, sipping two 4-oz. glasses of kefir (a tangy, yogurt-like drink) daily could cut the length of time you’re under the weather in half. UCLA scientists credit kefir’s Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast that uses its sticky coating to trap bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. Once trapped, the bacteria are excreted before they can latch on to the walls of the GI tract.

OR CRUNCH ON CORIANDER SEEDS!

If you do come down with a stomach bug, chew 1 tsp. of coriander seeds three times daily. Doing so could trim two days off your recovery time. Slovakian scientists say coriander blocks the growth and spread of illness-causing bacteria.

Slipping on socks deepens sleep!

A great night’s sleep cuts the risk of any daytime energy lags by as much as 65%. And simply donning a light, comfy pair of socks could help you drift off more quickly, snooze 32 minutes longer and reduce your risk of restless sleep by 50%, say researchers from Seoul National University in South Korea. When feet feel cozy, they energize the nerves (warm-sensitive neurons) that usher in deep sleep.

Banish brain fog by turning on the tap