Think of all the things on your agenda for the weekend. Chances are one of your items is not “Energize self for next week.” But once you see how easy it is to revitalize your body and your mind in time for Monday morning, this healthy goal will climb to the top of your to-do list. Read on and you’ll be the guest who brings homemade cookies and can explain how they can be better for you than tofu dogs.

Supplement your life with one wonder pill
“The most important thing you could think of doing is to start to take one capsule of Omega-3 fish oil per day,” says Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D., founder of the Hoffman Center in New York City and president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine. “It's great for heart, joints, skin and hair, brain/mood… the studies just keep on validating its benefits,” Dr. Hoffman says.

"Omega-3 fatty acids are part of the membrane of every cell in the body; they're also the building blocks of hormones that govern much of the body's physiology," says David Katz, M.D., director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale. Regular consumption may also lower the risk of colon cancer, stroke, asthma, and arthritis, studies have found. There's evidence that these omega-3 fats can help your brain, too. According to a 2005 U.S. government analysis of 497 studies, high consumption of Omega-3 may help ward off Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Take Omega-3 capsules or add more cold-water fish to your diet.

Treat stress with Mrs. Fields
Your favorite comfort food, warm brownies, mac ’n cheese, or mint chip by the gallon can sometimes do a body good. According to the National Academy of Sciences, during chronic stress our levels of glucocorticoid hormones increase and remain elevated. When these hormones rage, we seek pleasurable activities. Sugar and fats are pleasing because they cause corticotrophin levels, or the hormones that trigger adrenaline release, to decrease. Munching on that cookie is equal to slamming on the brakes and disrupting the body’s creation of chronic stress creation. However, that’s only a temporary or occasional solution. Since sugar and fat consumption does increase abdominal flab, the best thing you can do for yourself is to fix the source of stress or find healthier antidotes, such as yoga, meditation, or exercise. Until then … cookie? 
 
Brighten your outlook by morning
Julie Kleinman, a Los Angeles-based yoga teacher, is famous for her trademark “Lift Your Spirits” workshops. She coaxes students through a festive, lighthearted, but very exhilarating class. She has even been known to leave a little chocolate treat on your mat while you’re in Corpse pose (savasana). So we asked Kleinman how we could recreate that spirit-soaring session at home. Down-dogging to your favorite tunes is easy and recommended, but the key to really feeling good is to challenge yourself. “An exhilarating yoga pose will quickly shift your mood, change your energy, and shake off any aggression you may have hidden deep down,” Kleniman says.

The Rx: After warming up the body with 10 Sun Salutes, take a stab at some of the tougher poses like Warrior III, Half Moon, or Kleinman’s fave to shake things up a bit, Handstand. In summertime she suggests going up against a tree for further benefit; a breath of fresh air alone always lifts the spirits.

Take a pose for a good night’s doze
Weekends can be so busy that it’s hard to settle down for a good night’s rest. Before bedtime, wind down with a soothing yoga pose. Yoga asanas were originally designed to calm the body and quiet the mind for meditation. “There’s a feedback loop between the muscles and the brain,” says Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., a sleep specialist at Andrew Weil’s Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. “When you stretch and release tension, the brain relaxes, too.” To get to a sleepful state, some people find Bridge pose especially useful. Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your heels parallel, close to your butt. Lift your hips up off the floor, pushing your pelvis toward the ceiling. Arch up onto your shoulders, then lace your palms together underneath your body and press your arms into the floor or mat. Hold this posture while taking 10 to 15 long, slow breaths.