By Dena Stern, Illustrations by Naomi Abel, Refinery29

Yep, it's officially winter, and with that comes lots of warm fuzzy knits, darkness at 4 p.m.… and the inevitable dawning of cold and flu season. Germs and bugs wreak havoc on our jam-packed schedules, our skin, and every other element of our lives. Not to mention, double-fisting Gatorade and Tylenol PM isn't exactly our idea of fun. Naturally, we want to protect ourselves from getting sick, to avoid spreading nasty germs around, and to get better as quickly as possible if those bugs manage to sneak past our well-crafted defenses.

That's why we consulted two doctors who know how to prevent and treat colds and flus: Dr. Eduardo Dolhun, MD, founder of the Dolhun Clinic and creator of Drip Drops ORS, and Dr. John Cranshaw, also of the Dolhun Clinic and former Chief of Medicine at St. Luke's Hospital in San Francisco. They've got everything you ever wanted to know about colds, flus, and keeping yourself healthy. Follow their advice

I know you have the best intentions to get organized and eat healthier in 2013. I do too. But so often your best-laid plans fall by the wayside when the day-to-day realities of life hit. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe we can set ourselves up for success instead of failure? I've been combing the shelves for books that will give us a plan and inspire us to achieve our goals and change our lives in 2013. Check out my top picks here: - By Kacy Faulconer

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Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine

Did you make a New Year's resolution to lose weight this year? If so, the key to success may not be just what's on your plate, but also the plate itself. Studies show that once food is on our plate, that we will most likely eat nearly all of it. That means the bigger your plate, the more calories you will unintentionally consume. And our dinner plates have gotten bigger and bigger over the years--in the 1960s, the average dinner plate was 8.5 inches in diameter and held around 800 calories worth of food, whereas today's dinner plate is an average of 12 inches in diameter and holds approximately 1900 calories worth of food! (Check out the size difference between the white [dinner] and brown [salad] plates!)

See more: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

So all you need to do to eat less at meals is opt for a salad plate for your grub instead of a traditional dinner one. Healthier habits don't always have to take more time, guys: Quick fixes can

Who can be called "the perfect woman"? It's an endlessly debated and loathed topic today, but the world seems to have had its answer a century ago: Elsie Scheel, a 24-year-old Cornell University student who was deemed to have the ideal body size. 

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The clincher? Scheel was 5-foot-7-inches and weighed 171 pounds, and would have surely been advised to lose some weight today.

Scheel's story ran in the New York Times this week, a follow-up to the newspaper's original 1912 article headlined "Elsie Rebecca Scheel the 'Perfect' Woman," which recounted how the "medical examiner of the 400 'co-eds' " at Cornell described her as the epitome of "perfect health." She received worldwide media attention, and wound up inspiring comparisons—not all so positive—to the Venus de Milo because of her curves.

The Times referred back to Scheel in its January 2 story about a new study that claims having a slightly overweight Body Mass Index might actually

These simple tricks will make your resolutions stick!

By John C. Norcross, PhD

'Tis that time of the year again: 40 to 45 percent of adults in the United States will make New Year's resolutions, continuing a tradition that began in ancient Roman times.

Resolutions run the gamut of self-improvement, but the majority concern health behaviors, such as losing weight, starting exercise, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol use.

Associates and I have conducted multiple studies on self-change in general and New Year's resolutions in particular. Making a resolution is a valuable opportunity for you to increase the quality of your life.

Take our resolutions solutions quiz

In fact, 40 to 46 percent of New Year's resolvers will be successful after six months. Contrary to widespread public opinion, a considerable proportion of New Year resolvers do succeed. What's more, scientific research indicates that you are 10 times more likely to change by making a New Year's resolution compared to non-resolvers with the identical goals

Alexandra Owens, Allure magazine

After indulging in a season's worth of eggnog, peppermint bark, and turkey, almost all of us have gained a couple pounds-and are more than a little bloated. That food baby will take some extra work at the gym, but in the meantime, here are some tips to get rid of the puffiness.

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Pass on the salt. Sodium-including the kind found in processed foods like microwave dinners and canned soup-is one of the biggest bloating culprits because it makes your body retain water. Eat fresh ingredients, and try seasoning your meals with fresh herbs instead.

Don't fake it. You're probably avoiding sugar after that entire box of candy canes you had last week, but the artificial sweeteners found in sugar-free gum and diet sodas contain sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, and lactitol that are difficult for the stomach tobreak down, causing an excess of air and bloating.

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Lexi Novak, Allure magazine

We may have missed the zombie apocalypse of 12/21, but in case you want to get in shape for the next one (I hear 2018-2028 is looking pretty good)-or maybe just shed a few of those post-eggnog pounds-better start getting reacquainted with the treadmill. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that aerobic exercise is the most effective way to work out if you're trying to lose weight.

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Researches evaluated participants in three different groups: resistance training, aerobic exercise, and a combination of the two. Not only did those in the aerobic group lose the most body fat overall, but they also spent the least amount of time exercising (133 minutes per week versus about 180-260). That's less than 20 minutes a day! Even I can handle that.

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So whether you prefer pounding it out on the treadmill, walking in the park, or doing laps in the

by Shaun Dreisbach, Glamour

We're all a teensy bit guilty of having unrealistic expectations at the gym: a few squats and presto--one size smaller! Nothing works that fast, but with the right strategy you can see results in just two weeks, says Pete McCall, trainer and exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. What makes that possible: focusing on muscles that respond fastest to strength training--those in your arms, shoulders, calves and lower abs.

These moves will help you score, tighter arms, calves and lower abs in two weeks; see sexy definition in your butt, hips and thighs in four (and, if you have weight to lose and are eating right, drop a dress size); and after six weeks, you'll be slimmer and more toned all over. Do two sets three or four days a week circuit-style.

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