20 ways to get healthier, calmer, stronger & happier

Shape, Sept, 2004 by Tricia O'Brien

B energized. Kathleen Fry, M.D., a gynecologist and homeopath in Scottsdale, Ariz., and a member of the American Holistic Medical Association, advises her patients taking birth-control pills to supplement with a B-vitamin-complex formula that includes [B.sub.6]. Oral contraceptives interfere with the absorption of B vitamins, which may make you feel sluggish, depressed or tired, she explains.

Indulge in flower power. Besides adding a nice decorating touch, keeping a mixed bouquet in your office may help improve memory, learning and concentration, according to Alan Hirsch, M.D., the neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

Illustrations by Katy Dockrill

Tricia O'Brien, a freelance writer based in Spring Lake, N.J., finds health and happiness through runs on the beach, playing with her dog and cooking with friends.