Chemical Reactions - Small red or white bumps that are sometimes accompanied by tingling, redness or swelling.  The cause – An allergic reaction to chemicals in lip balm, lipstick, toothpaste, or any product that comes in contact with your lips.  How to fix it – Reduce pain and inflammation by applying a cold compress of whole milk (protein and fat restore pH balance) and then call a dermatologist, who may prescribe a non-steroidal cream, such as Atopiclair, to relieve irritation.  Identify the cause of the reaction by discontinuing use of all lip products and then reintroducing them one at a time.  Or see your derm for an allergy test.

Cold Sores – Red or white blisters that may be grouped together.  They can also appear as scabbed, inflamed bumps and sometimes leak clear fluid.  The cause – You can get a cold sore, which is caused by a herpes virus, through skin-to-skin contact (kissing someone with an outbreak).  Once you get it, the virus stays in your body and surfaces when it’s triggered by factors like sun exposure, stress, or illness.  How to fix it – To alleviate pain and expedite healing, apply an OTC treatment like Abreva.  If you’re prone to frequent outbreaks, ask your doctor for a prescription-strength herpes treatment that interferes with the virus’s replicating.  To prevent flare-ups, eat high-lysine foods such as chicken, and replace your toothbrush every time you’re sick.  Always use sunscreen on your lips, and don’t kiss anyone who has any suspicious bumps on their mouth.

16 ounces —  That’s how much water you should drink before each meal to lose an additional 4 1/2 pounds every three months when you’re dieting, according to a new study in Obesity.  Makes sense:  Researchers think you eat less because the water makes you feel full.

45 Minutes of fall hiking — will burn off the 300 calories in your morning bagel.

47% – That’s the percentage of carbs that should be in your diet if you really want to stick to your plan and reach your ideal body weight, says a new Canadian study.  Why?  Diets that are low in carbs (but high in protein) are hard to maintain.  And good carbohydrates (fruit, whole grains) deliver lots of appetite-busting fiber and less saturated fat, which is better for your heart.

Stay full longer with omega-3s. Omega-3 fats can help your body burn more calories and trigger hormones in your tummy that help you feel full longer, Australian researchers say.  Get yours the tummy way.

>Purslane Make a big salad with these tasty greens; they have more omega-3s than any other leafy green.

>Flaxseed Grind up flaxseed and sprinkle it on your yogurt or cereal.

>Scallops Pan-sear or broil scallops for omega-3s from the sea.  Pacific halibut and wild Alaskan salmon are good choices, too.

Prime Time – When it comes to working out, all hours of the day are not created equal.  Check it out:  Morning – BEST FOR Yoga ..Your ability to perform is lowest in the morning; better to keep your exercise less intense in the a.m. hours.  Going long.. When your core temperature gets high, fatigue sets in.  Your inner thermometer is lowest now, so you will take longer to overheat.  Afternoon — BEST FOR Smashing the competition..Time for the smackdown:  Some moves requiring accuracy, like your tennis serve, are most precise around 2 p.m., when it’s easiest to get energized and your focus is sharpest.  Evening — BEST FOR Getting strong..Your core body temp is highest in the early evening, so your muscles will warm up more easily and you can work harder.  Scoring..For the same reason, this is also when you have the most power to make explosive movements, such as those used in soccer or volleyball.

STRESSLESS – Stress can hinder your workout efforts, The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reports.  Blame cortisol:  The stress hormone consumes muscle tissue, sabotaging your hard-earned strength gains.  It also slows the formation of new muscle, making recovery harder, says John Bartholomew, Ph.D., the study’s lead investigator.

C YOUR HEART–  Treat your beat:  Young women who consume the most vitamin C have the healthiest BP numbers, Nutrition Journal reports.  The study tracked 242 female volunteers for 10 years until they were ages 18 to 21.  The blood pressure of those with the most vitamin C in their bloodstream was four points lower, on average, than that of women with the least.  The vitamin decreases levels of C-reactive protein, a maker of inflammation (one cause of hypertension), says study co-author Gladys Block, Ph.D., of UC Berkeley.

SWEET HABIT ..New research confirms what you might have suspected:  Sugar is addictive, says a study in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. When sugar-fed rats were denied their usual sweet drink for 24 hours, they exhibited withdrawal symptoms.  Why?  Sugar activates reward areas of the brain and increases levels of pleasure chemicals such as dopamine, says study co-author Nicole Avena, Ph.D., of Princeton University.

The real must-have, though, is the shot for regular, or seasonal flu.

Everyone needs that this year–and ASAP, says Philip Tierno, director of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at New York University Langone Medical Center.  The seasonal-flu vaccine may even offer a little protection against swine flu, according to some experts.  So don’t hesitate–vaccinate!

Your flu survival kit….Besides getting vaccinated, here are five smart ways to boost your defenses during flu season–or help you feel better if the virus puts you down for the count.

• Consistent hand washing reduces your flu risks significantly.

• You can ease nasal congestion with chicken soup.

• Vitamin C may help you get better a little faster.

• Ask your doctor about an antiviral if you’re pregnant or have a chronic disease.

• Staying well hydrated can fuel your immune system.

Take Our Test

Want to be a runner, but not sure you’re ready? There are three keys to running well: stamina, flexibility, and strength. Find out where you stand with our quick test, then follow our training tips to reach your goal.

Your stamina test:
Can you walk 2 miles in 32 minutes or less?

If you answered no:
Start walking 15–20 minutes 3–4 times a week. Then, add 5 minutes per week to each walk until you reach 45–60 minutes. Once a week, work on your speed, aiming to walk 2–3 miles at 15 minutes a mile. Next, follow our walk-to-run plan.

Your flexibility test:
Lie straight-legged on the floor with a towel wrapped around your left thigh, both ends in your left hand. Keeping your hips and right leg glued to the floor, use the towel to raise your left leg toward your chest while keeping it straight. Can you reach 90 degrees?

if you answered no:
You can still run, but do this move daily, holding it for 20–30 seconds. Also, incorporate stretches for your hips, calves, thighs, chest, and back. Limber muscles are key to preventing injury and will give you a better stride.

Your strength test:
Can you hold a plank (a.k.a. the “up” part of a push-up) for 3 sets of 30 seconds, plus do 2 sets each of 10 squats and 10 push-ups?

If you answered no:
Strong arms, legs, and core are running essentials. Practice the above moves, plus add 1–2 sets of 30 crunches and 10 each of lunges, leg curls, calf raises, and upper-body rows 2–3 times a week to build all the muscle you need.

To get the vitamin D value of ten minutes’ exposure to sunlight, you’d have to eat….

6 1/2 pounds of Shitake Mushrooms or

150 Egg Yolks or

3 3/4 pounds of Fresh Farmed Salmon or

30 servings of Fortified Cereal or

2 1/6 pounds of Sardines or

30 cups of Fortified Orange Juice

If you’re en route to an athletic event, don’t fall prey to high-fat fast food.  Eating high-fat meals before aerobic exertion decreased performance significantly in a study at the Hoffman Heart Institute of Connecticut in Hartford.  Athletes had a 6 percent drop in VO2 max when they ate just two high-fat meals before exercising to exhaustion on a treadmill.

Snap, crackle, pop.  During workouts, your joints can make as much noise as a bowl of Rice Krispies.  While some sounds are normal, others can be screams for attention and signs of injury.  How can you tell the difference?

A painless repetitive sound is usually no cause for alarm, says Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado.  Intermittent grinding noises in shoulders, ankle and back areas simply may be tendons moving across a joint.  But if you feel pain, it’s likely that a tendon or joint surface is aggravated or inflamed.  A few days of rest, ice and ibuprofen may solve the problem.  If pain persists, see a doctor, preferably a sports medicine specialist.

When an accident is accompanied by a perceptible pop, chances are you’ve torn a ligament.  Twisted knees and ankles — from skiing and basketball mishaps, for instance — are typical sites for such pops, which are sure signals for a trip to the doctor.

Workplace stress may cause absenteeism, accidents and poor performance, adding up to billions of lost dollars each year.  So why does it get the best of some workers, but have little effect on others?  Researchers tracked 5,000 people for three years to find out.  They found that five factors buffered stress:  a sense of well-being, high energy levels, an ability to express anger positively, general physical fitness and lack of aggressive Type A behavior.

Physical fitness helps  boost the other four factors, points out Paul Lloyd, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, who conducted the study with the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research.  Remember that when work piles up and you’re tempted to skip your workout.