Quick-cooking oats work as well as old-fashioned ones for a soothing oatmeal bath.

TRUE.  An oatmeal bath with either type is a natural way to ease dry, itchy, irritated skin. Put 1 cup of quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats in a food processor or blender and grind into the finest powder possible. Turn on the tub water full force and slowly sprinkle the oat powder under the running water. Stir the water well to keep the oats from clumping or settling. Then settle back and enjoy a restful bath.

Alternate method: Place 2 cups of either quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats in one leg of a pair of pantyhose and tie it closed. Put the stocking under the tub faucet and turn the water on full blast, adjusting the temperature to be comfortably warm. When the tub is full, swirl the stocking around in the water a few times. Discard stocking.

Be extra careful getting out of the tub because oatmeal creates a slippery surface.

We use only 10% of our brains on average.

FALSE.  This myth that the brain has vastly underutilized potential dates back at least 100 years. Modern brain-imaging studies have since debunked the notion that 90% of the brain goes unused. The functions of the brain are carried out in many different regions, and no areas are completely inactive.

You might be advised to stop taking aspirin before surgery, but herbal supplements are OK.

FALSE.  Like aspirin, several herbs may increase the risk of excessive bleeding. Others may cause swelling, raise blood pressure or prolong the effects of anesthesia. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s important to tell your surgeon not only about the prescription and nonprescription medicines you’re taking but also about supplements. You might need to stop taking the herbs for up to three weeks before surgery to make sure they’re completely out of your system. See the chart below for examples of some common supplements and the potential complications they might cause during and after surgery.