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THE MINERAL THAT KEEPS PAIN AWAY

Muffin tops might not be so bad after all - as long as they're the type on your plate and not the stuff hanging over the waistband of your jeans. Oat-bran muffins may reduce the risk of gallstones, the pesky, painful pebbles that plague some people's gallbladders. That's because they're high in magnesium, a mineral that reduces the risk of those stones. One muffin serves up anywhere from 50 to 90 mg, and you can make it even healthier by using Chia and walnuts as the fat. Without enough magnesium, triglycerides can soar, and your healthy HDL cholesterol levels (you can remember which one of the cholesterols is Healthy or Lousy by the first initial) levels can drop - a combination that's linked to lousy LDL cholesterol-packed gallstones. The only trouble with getting your magnesium from muffins is that if you don't make them yourself, they can contain more bad (sugar, fat) than oats. And one of the biggest risk factors for gallstones, and the belly pain that comes with them, is extra weight. If you're not going to stir up your own oat muffins (and even if you are), you can also imbibe magnesium from these other good choices: a cup of spinach packs 156 mg; the same amount of oatmeal holds 60 mg. Halibut has 91 mg in 85 grams. Whole grains are filled with it (brown rice, for instance, has 63 mg per 3/4 cup), as are nuts (walnuts have 44 mg per 30 grams). Best thing about it: What your tastebuds love, your gallbladder does, too.

WHY SKINNY DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN HEALTHY

Being at your ideal weight is great (congrats!), but it doesn't always mean you're in ideal health. Where you carry the little fat you have can make a big difference. If you have omental fat - that is, fat between your abdominal organs - you're at risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (hypertension, diabetes and a cluster of other conditions), even if your weight's ideal. To figure out whether you're at risk, check your waist. When measured at your belly button while you suck in, it should be half your height (or less) in inches. The more fat you have bunched around your middle, the more proinflammatory cytokines you have racing around in your blood. These signal inflammation, and the more inflammation you have, the greater your health risks. Once the inflammation ball gets rolling, the danger of obesity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome go up. The great news is that you and your body get a second chance. It doesn't take that long and isn't that difficult if you know what to do. Lower your percentage of body fat with the triple threat: walking 30 minutes each day (no excuses); weight training (not for bulk, for strength) three times a week; and eating right. Start by having 70 calories of fat (six walnuts will do) 25 to 30 minutes before any meal; then avoid all saturated and trans fats, simple sugars and syrups, and any grains that aren't 100 per cent whole grains. It's easier than you can imagine once you start - it's how both of us always eat (yes, always) - and the inches around your waist will roll off as long as you keep walking and working out.

THE BEST WAYS TO DODGE A COLD

That cold that's getting passed around faster than the latest celeb gossip? Help yourself steer clear of it with these strategies: Lather up. Hand wipes are convenient and popular, but plain old soap and water may keep you healthier. Research has found that hand-washing kills significantly more bacteria than antimicrobial hand wipes. That said, if there's no water around, hand wipes are much better than nothing, and alcohol-based wipes are best of all. When washing, you have to be thorough (suds up for 15 seconds) and frequent, because germs can survive on your hands and other places for three hours or more. Know where the germs hide. Big hangouts for germs: the phone and the TV remote control. Researchers have found high levels of amylase, an enzyme that warns of contamination from saliva or other bodily fluids, on the handsets and mouthpieces of phones and TV remote controls. In fact, phones and remotes tend to have even more amylase than baby-changing mats. And where there's amylase, there may be cold and flu viruses. Once you touch a contaminated surface with your hands, it's maddeningly likely that the virus will be transferred to your nose or mouth, and bingo, the bug's in your body. Eat and sleep well. Don't go too long without food: One small study found that after having a meal, people produce more gamma interferon, an immune-system compound that can help your body fight viruses, including ones that cause colds. Another ally: sleep. It induces the release of growth hormone, which in turn stimulates the immune system.

PLASTIC IS HEALTHY? THE SURPRISING TRUTH

Think "plastic" and maybe you conjure up Tupperware, Barbie dolls, credit cards and smooth-skinned celebrities? Or how about those potentially scary chemicals in rigid plastics - called bisphenol-A, or BPA, and phthalates - that we've talked about before? Well, here's a healthier take on the word: When it comes to your brain, plastic is a very good thing. Brain plasticity is how us docs describe your brain's ability to reorganize and regrow itself as a result of new experiences. In plainer terms, a plastic brain will learn - and retain and use - information better. So what's the price of plastic? About the cost of a pair of walking shoes. See, people who are fit have more-plastic brains. Get in step and you'll boost circulation in all parts of your body, including your brain. That's probably why the folks in one study who walked regularly were able to focus better on what they were doing compared with the people who did only stretching and toning exercises. Walking is so good for your brain that it may lower your risk of dementia as you get older. Another thing that has the potential to keep your brain more flexible than Gumby is daydreaming. By stirring up the part of your brain that handles imagination, you keep your brain running outside of its normal thought process, which helps keep it running at its highest levels. Nuts (especially walnuts), avocados, olive oil and oily fish such as salmon, cod and tuna can also help. The omega-3 fats in these nutrients may help protect your brain function. And learning something new, as long as it feels more like recess than study hall, is also a great stimulator.

TURN OFF YOUR WORRIES

Whatever you're stressing about probably won't kill you. But worrying about it can. When you cultivate a "this too shall pass" attitude, you'll boost your health in more than one way: 1. It keeps your arteries younger than Beaujolais nouveau. Anxiety is so hard on your heart that highly anxious people with heart disease are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or die than their more mellow-minded peers. Give your body anxiety, and it snaps into "uh-oh, is that python going to be my dinner or do I need to start running now?" kind of thinking. This fight-or-flight response comes complete with a racing heart, shallow breathing, dilated pupils and increased blood flow to your extremities. Handy when facing the python, not so much when facing the CEO. Over time, this high-alert state causes needless aging of your blood vessels. 2. Your memory stays more agile than a 10-year-old gymnast. Obsessive worriers have more than double the risk of cognitive decline compared with their more carefree peers, a problem linked to that artery wear and tear. Use this hat-trick of choices to keep yourself younger: 1. Knock out your concerns by writing them down (with potential solutions). 2. Talk them out with people you love. Work on decisive plans of action for worries that won't go away. 3. Settle your mind with activities like walking or lifting weights. It won't take long; recent research suggests that as little as eight weeks of yoga can drop your anxiety level. Bonus: Kicking worries to the curb drives up your motivation and concentration.