Tula Karras, SELF magazine

1. Gets You Motivated: Fitbit One ($100; Fitbit.com)

This souped-up pedometer also tracks cals and hours slept, and wirelessly uploads your stats into charts on your phone and computer for constant feedback.

Why You'll Love It: "The setup is so simple, and the site is super easy to navigate. My favorite part: I get rewarded with badges when I hit milestones like exceeding 10,000 steps or climbing 10 sets of stairs. It makes me want to move as much as possible." --Amanda Woerner, SELF assistant editor

2. Makes Your Run More Fun: RunKeeper (free; iTunes)

The do-it-all app gives updates on speed and distance, and prompts for interval training. Runs are saved and mapped to share (if you want to) on Facebook or Twitter.

Why You'll Love It: "I set my audio alert to tell me my pace every mile. Knowing that it's tracking me encourages me to speed up. And with the GPS capability, I can do a 5-miler on vacation without getting lost." --Sara

Peter Ardito/Fitness MagazineBy Hallie Levine Sklar

Every 32 seconds someone in the U.S. catches a cold. That means the highly contagious virus is literally everywhere -- from doorknobs to elevator buttons to the handle on your cart in the supermarket, where it can live for hours, says Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of the respiratory care department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds & Flu. We know you've heard a million and one tips for avoiding these nasty germs -- the key is figuring out what works and what is a waste of time. Here, straight from the medical lab, healthy advice you can really trust.

Related: 6 Foods That Prevent Colds and the Flu

8 Ways to Beat a Cold
Gargle with water.
A recent Japanese study found that people who gargled with water three times a day had 36 percent fewer colds than those who didn't gargle at all and had fewer colds than those who used an antiseptic mouth rinse. "Gargling can help remove mucus that drains from

The answer isn't what you'd expectGrab any given cookbook, and you'll find myriad mentions of eggs, sugar, and wine--all typical recipe fare. But wait. Didn't you just read last month that sugar is toxic to human cells, and that eggs might up your risk of prostate cancer? As for wine, it either cuts your odds of developing breast cancer, or increases them, but you can't remember which. Is your cookbook trying to kill you? Or--even worse--is everything we eat associated with this dreaded disease?

It's a valid question, and one that scientists from Harvard Medical School and Stanford's Prevention Research Center wanted to answer. So they performed a (much more scientific) cookbook test of their own, choosing 50 random ingredients from the Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.

25 Ways to Start Eating Clean

The team then pored over journals and analyzed studies involving each ingredient and cancer risk. A whopping 80% of the ingredients were included in at least one study linking them to cancer, and half the

Yes, it's freezing out, but if you find yourself refusing to go anywhere without the throw blanket wrapped around you, it might not just be your husband's sneaky habit of turning the thermostat down - one of these ailments could be throwing your internal temperature for a loop. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

Your thyroid is stuck on slow mode
The thyroid gland controls metabolism, and if it's underactive, you may be chilly more often than not. "Standard blood tests miss low thyroid in about half of people," says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! If the test comes back normal, but you're still having trouble, you may want to ask a holistic doctor for a second opinion. He or she may try prescribing thyroid medication anyway to see if it works. Find a board-certified doctor here.

You're not getting enough iron
Iron is needed to deliver oxygen to your cells for energy, and low levels could explain why you're feeling cold. "If you're not making enough

Self-control is very valuable, and most of us are eager to boost our self-mastery. One of the best ways, it turns out, is through monitoring. The more aware we are of what we're actually doing-not what we wish we were doing, or imagine that we're doing-the more control we can exert over ourselves. Monitoring dramatically boosts our self-awareness, and self-awareness is a key to self-mastery.

Monitoring has an almost uncanny power; people who keep close track of just about anything tend to do a better job with it, in key categories such as eating, drinking, exercising, working, TV- and internet-use, and spending.

In fact, in some studies, the mere presence of a mirror-which allowed people literally to watch over themselves-made them more likely to behave in a more upright way.

On the flip side, research shows, failing to monitor ourselves is one of the main reasons that we lose self-control. As we lose a sense of self-awareness, our behavior starts to change; our

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

by Lexi Patronis, Glamour

There's no cure for the flu--once you have it, you have it, which is why it's always good not to get it in the first place.

But if you've been felled by the flu and have no choice but to deal with it, there just may be some good-for-you foods that can help ease your symptoms and make you feel better while you wait it out. Like...this sorbet, for example?

See more: 60 Winter Nail Polish Ideas



Influenza Sorbet by Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is made with cayenne pepper, ginger, citrus juice, Maker's Mark bourbon, and honey, and is meant to clear nasal passages and ease sore throats.

The sorbet may be onto something: experts say that the iciness in popsicles can indeed help dry throats, while also keeping you hydrated. Be sure to choose a chilly treat that has real fruit juice in it so that you get some nutrients instead of just sugar:

Chicken soup isn't just an old wives' tale--the broth is hydrating, and studies have shown that the

Think StockYou already know that while falling asleep after an evening of celebratory margaritas is a piece of cake, you can kiss those sweet dreams goodbye. And science proves it. According to new research published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, drinking anywhere from low, moderate, or high amounts helps people sleep soundly for the first half of the night but during the second half, slumber is fitful and time spent in R.E.M. (that restorative phase of sleep when people dream) is decreased.

Good to know for the next time you hit the town, but what if you've already consumed alcohol and are desperate for some shut eye? Here are some tips for sleeping through the night:

Plan ahead: While at the bar, limit your number of drinks as the evening winds down. "What makes people wake up during the night is the alcohol leaving their bloodstream," says Lisa Shivers, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "But if you lengthen the time between your

Photo: Thinkstock

By Corrie Pikul

Fill Your Bottle With Water, Not Bacteria

Remember to fill your water bottle from your tap at home. Secret swab tests at gyms across the country have discovered bacteria thriving on water fountains that could cause lung, skin and eye infections. One test by a cleaning company even determined that the gym's drinking fountains were germier than the toilets.

Extra time: 2 minutes

Use Your Phone As A Motivator (And A Moneymaker)

Make a digital entrance. Apps that help you track how much and how often you exercise, like RunKeeper, Fitocracy, MyFitnessPal and Nike+, can be a kick in the pants to work out longer, harder and with more enthusiasm. Thank the Hawthorne effect -- the tendency to act differently when you believe your actions are being observed (even if the only observer is you). As a feel-good bonus, apps like Plus 3 Network and Earndit also allow you to accrue points that translate into charitable donations or gift cards and discounts -- just