Fall fun boosts your health!

The key to feeling your best? Making time for autumn treats and outings!

- -BY BRENDA KEARNS

Restore stamina with leaf peeping

Summer's lush green leaves are transforming into vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow. And that makes this a great time to visit parks! A British study reveals that strolling through tree-filled spaces can perk you up in as little as 5 minutes. Scientists say the sight and smell of trees relaxes and opens arteries, improving the flow of energizing, oxygen-rich blood to brain and muscle cells.

OR BRUSH YOUR TEETH

If you're feeling weary, a quick brush with peppermint, spearmint or wintergreen toothpaste could wake you up in 30 seconds, a Malaysian study found. Experts say mint's aromatic oils energize the nervous system to provide an instant stamina boost.

The fall scent that deepens sleep

Adding 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon to your evening snack could help you feel calm, relaxed and ready to drift off in minutes. Indonesian researchers say cinnamon compounds block your body's production of the alertness hormone noradrenaline, while increasing levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. Try adding cinnamon to warm milk, sprinkle it over buttered toast or stir it into vanilla yogurt and then top with sliced bananas.