Now On Sale: Amazing Health!

Whoever said you can't buy good health was woefully misinformed. The key: Knowing what to buy. So whether you purchase one—or all—of the products in this shopping guide, you'll soon be on your way to better health. To truly maximize your budget, we even found three "power purchases" that meet 40-plus women's top health goals—and then some! As for the freebie tips, please accept those with our compliments.

Goal: build strong bones

Calcium supplements

If you don't consume enough calcium through your diet (and less than 15 percent of women do), your body withdraws it from your bones—making them more porous and upping your risk of osteoporosis. Aim for 1,000 mg of calcium daily if you're under 51; 1,200 mg if you're 51+. If you don't eat three servings of dairy daily, you probably need a supplement. Either type of calcium (carbonate or citrate) does the job, so just pick a product that delivers the dose you need at the lowest price. Calcium is best absorbed with vitamin D, so buy a brand that has added D or take a separate D supplement along with your calcium.

Dumbbells

"Strength-training is key to having strong bones for the rest of your life," says Ronald Zernicke, Ph.D., director of the University of Michigan Bone and Joint Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Center. Lifting weights causes your muscles to pull on your bones, which in turn become denser and stronger. Choose weights that are heavy enough so you can do 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Jump rope

"Jumping rope really pounds the bones in your legs, which helps keep them strong," says Pittsburgh-based orthopedist Vonda Wright, M.D. Start by alternating 1 minute of jumping and 30 seconds of rest, working up to 5 minutes. Repeat 3 or 4 times a day. "Breaking up exercises into multiple sessions allows your bones periods of rest that helps program them for strength building," says Zernicke.

Free: avoid cola

In one study, females who were frequent cola drinkers—no matter what their age or how much milk they drank—had lower bone density than noncola drinkers. A good alternative: tea, which is linked in research to stronger bones.

Goal: slim down

Food Diary

If you want to drop more pounds, keep a food diary: Doing so helped double weight loss in a recent study. There's no "best" type—just use what works for you. This one easily slips into your purse, so it's always on hand (greenchairpress.com/fd).

Peppermint plant

The cheapest hunger buster ever! People who sniffed peppermint throughout the day consumed nearly 3,200 fewer calories a week in a recent study. You can take a whiff before exercising to perk up for a workout too. Plant a healing garden.

Food scale

"Using a food scale to measure what you're putting on your plate is one of the best ways to achieve weight loss," says Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., an adjunct nutrition professor at New York University and author of The Portion Teller. "Eating too much causes weight gain, so getting a handle on portion sizes—especially for pasta, cheese, and steak, which are commonly overestimated—is a must." Unless you prefer a digital scale, a more economical mechanical scale is fine for keeping portions in line.

Power purchase: Vitamin D supplements

You don't want to be deficient in this wonder nutrient, which is proving to be a factor in everything from heart disease to memory loss. A recent Mayo Clinic study even found a link between low levels of D and chronic pain. Evidence is mounting that we need more than the current recommended daily intake of 400 IU, especially as we age because older skin produces less vitamin D. It's hard to get enough D from our diet (it's not naturally found in many foods), so take a daily supplement of 1,000 IU of vitamin D3—the kind your body makes.

Free: Tweet

"Telling the world how many workouts you've done or how many pounds you've lost reminds you how much you've accomplished and helps you stay motivated when you get a thumbs-up Tweet back," says Jessica Smith, a lifestyle fitness consultant in Miami Beach.

Goal: be pain free

Reusable cold pack

"Ice is the silver bullet for most types of acute musculoskeletal pain—it quickly eases pain and inflammation by slowing blood flow to reduce swelling," says Jason Theodosakis, M.D., a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and author of The Arthritis Cure.

Nondairy Milk

Got arthritis? Research shows that nearly half of all arthritis pain is related to diet, and a common trigger is cow's milk, says Neal Barnard, M.D., an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science and author of Foods That Fight Pain, who researches the effects of vegan diets. Many of his patients who substitute soy or rice milk see an almost immediate reduction—or a total disappearance—of their pain.

Avocado soybean unsaponifiables supplements

No pain reliever works for everyone, but if you suffer from chronic conditions such as tendinitis, bursitis, or arthritis, this proven anti-inflammatory is definitely worth a try, says Theodosakis. Take 300 mg daily; ASU, an extract of avocado and soybean oils, has been studied for up to two years—talk to your doctor about longer-term use (vitaminsofthemonth.com).

Free: Meditate. People who do so on a regular basis are significantly less sensitive to pain, probably because their bodies are more relaxed, finds a recent study.

Power purchase: sneakers

Regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do to extend and improve the quality of your life. "By working out at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week, you can dramatically lower your risk of disease and injury," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. Exercise needn't be expensive: $80 sneakers tied with or even beat $150 models within the same brand, in a recent study. After finding your perfect match, search for the same model on the Internet—you can often locate it for less at sites like roadrunnersports.com and amazon.com.

Goal: recharge your brain

Bananagrams

All games build brainpower, but they don't all pack the same punch. The best challenge attention, speed, flexibility, and memory—and Bananagrams (bananagrams-intl.com), which requires you to create words and crosswords at a breakneck pace, fits the bill, says Cynthia Green, Ph.D., founding director of the Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and author of Brainpower Game Plan.

Tuna

Talk about brain food! In addition to the omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent dementia, tuna is also high in vitamin B12—and people with low B12 levels were up to six times more likely to have the brain atrophy associated with Alzheimer's disease. Aim to eat two or more servings of tuna a week to reduce your dementia risk by nearly 30 percent.

Yoga mat

Doing yoga on a regular basis thickens and improves function in the brain's cortex, which plays a key role in memory, attention, thought, and language, preliminary research suggests. The more you practice, the greater the benefit. For a free yoga workout, log on to prevention.com/yogaworkout.

Free: use your nondominant hand

Eating, brushing your teeth, or combing your hair in a new way challenges your brain and helps you think faster, says Green.

Power purchase: omega-3 supplements

Talk about an anti-aging fat! Research shows omega-3 fatty acids, which can be obtained only through diet or supplements, are essential for protecting your brain, heart, bones, joints, skin, and more. Preliminary research shows that they may help you lose weight by boosting fat metabolism, to boot. Fish-oil supplements are an easy way to ensure you take your daily dose. To get your money's worth, choose a highly concentrated formula that contains about 1 g combined DHA and EPA, the two most beneficial types of omega-3s.

Goal: healthy up your heart

Tape measure

Keeping track of your waist circumference—and ensuring it's less than 33 inches (35 inches for men)—is an ideal way to keep your ticker ticking. "People who carry more of their weight in the abdominal area have a significantly higher risk of heart disease than those whose weight is concentrated in the hips and thighs," says Plano, Texas, cardiologist Sarah Samaan, M.D., author of The Smart Woman's Guide to Heart Health.

Waist size too high? Switch to a Mediterranean-type diet high in vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, whole grains, fish and seafood, and healthy fats like olive oil. In a new study, people who ate this way had significantly smaller midsections.

Blood pressure monitor

"This is a must-have for everyone over 40," says John Elefteriades, M.D., chief of cardiac surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. High blood pressure has no symptoms, and if you don't know you have it, you can't bring it down—an achievement that cuts your risk of stroke in half and reduces your heart-attack risk by 25 percent. If your blood pressure hasn't been a problem in the past, check it once a month; if you have high blood pressure, check it weekly. Report values consistently greater than 140/90 to your doctor, advises Elefteriades. You needn't spend much for an accurate monitor; the Relion HEM-741CREL was Consumer Reports' "Best Buy" pick for price (Wal-Mart). Discover heart-healthy foods here.

Electric toothbrush

One study found that the presence of common dental problems—including gum disease, cavities, and missing teeth—is as good at predicting heart disease as cholesterol levels. Choose a power toothbrush with oscillating-rotating technology; these brushes are more effective at removing plaque and reducing gingivitis.

Free: get hugged!

"Women who are hugged secrete higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure," says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director of New York University's Women's Heart Program. Enjoy more free time talking and laughing with your friends.