Send spring joy soaring!

The sunny days and gentle breezes we've been craving all winter are here. And experts say these tricks will help you enjoy every minute feeling your best.

- BRENDA KEARNS

Stay upbeat and energized The key to keeping your mood and energy up and cravings down? Balancing your glucose levels.

And a saturated fatty acid called C15:0 can help.

A study in Nutrients found that C15:0 works like the diabetes drug metformin, improving cells' ability to take in glucose and process it. Researchers advise supplementing with C15:0 daily. You can also find it in foods like whole milk and butter.

Stop allergy flares with vitamin C

We think of it as a winter cold remedy, but vitamin C can cut fun-sapping spring allergy symptoms (including sinus irritation, itching, runny nose and postnasal drip) by up to 70% if you take 500 mg twice daily, suggests a study in Inflammopharmacology. Vitamin C's secret? It's a powerful natural antihistamine, plus it blocks the release of the hormones called prostaglandins that worsen sinus troubles by increasing congestion and irritating pain nerves.

OR TAKE A BREAK

Daily R&R could cut your risk of miserable allergy symptoms by 45% or more, suggests research in BMC Public Health.

The study authors say that your body quickly tamps down the production of inflammation-triggering proteins known as cytokines whenever you're relaxed.