Honey! My throat hurts
When you're starting to get that scratchy sore-throat feeling, try these soothing solutions.

1. A dollop of honey in a warm lemon drink or herbal tea.
2. Gargle with warm salt water (1 tsp/5 mL of salt in 1 cup/250 mL of water).
3. Suck on sugar-free throat lozenges, hard candy or ice pops.
4. To help you sleep, try a humidifier or vaporizer with a little eucalyptus oil in your bedroom.

First aid at your fingertips
A staple in every medicine cabinet, cotton swabs now carry medicine, too. Rougier Pharma fills the cylinder of the swab with antiseptic, iodine or insect bite relief that's released into the tip by snapping off the other end. Perfect for travelling, the swabs are available at drugstores across the country.

Track your diet
Eatracker.ca lets you record your daily food intake and activity, then spits out personalized feedback (easy-to-follow reviews of your nutritional intake and the breakdown of protein, fat and carbs you're consuming) based on the guidelines set by Health Canada. Run by the Dietitians of Canada, this site is a good one to bookmark for a healthy approach. The best part: it's all free.

Improve your memory
If your mantra is “I can't remember," try improving your memory with the WETT method from The Memory Doctor (New Harbinger, 2005) by Douglas J. Mason and Spencer Xavier Smith.

W: Write it down. Keep an appointment calendar.
E: Eliminate distractions. Find a quiet space when you need to concentrate.
T: Take breaks. Focus on something different for a while, then go back.
T: Timing. If you're a morning person, do the complicated stuff before noon.

October is eye health month
Adults should get their eyes checked every one to two years. For more info, call the Canadian Association of Optometrists at 1-888-263-4676 or you can visit opto.ca.