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Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever

It's a good idea to feed a cold but a bad idea to starve a fever, since your body needs nutrition at all times for healing. When your temperature goes up, so does your metabolism—which means your body requires calories more than ever to carry out basic functions like breathing and pumping blood. Not eating will only make it harder for your body to fight off the illness.

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If I’m Not Overweight, I’m Not at Risk of a Heart Attack

Just because your weight is normal doesn’t mean you are out of the woods when it comes to heart disease. Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. They may look like the picture of health from the outside, but inside they can have dangerous plaque blocking their coronary arteries, the arteries that surround the heart.

Know your total cholesterol, the breakdown of the “good “ and “bad” components of cholesterol, and your triglycerides. And don’t smoke. Smoking is the fastest way to a heart attack.

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The Biggest Breeding Ground for Germs in Your Bathroom Is Your Hairbrush

Actually, it’s your toothbrush. We know from research that used toothbrushes are contaminated with millions of germs from our mouths, from the bathroom, and from neighboring toothbrushes. To keep germs from spreading, don’t share toothbrushes or let your toothbrush make contact with any other toothbrushes stored in the same holder. A good rule of thumb is to keep them at least an inch apart. Also, get a new toothbrush after you’ve had any illness such as a cold or flu because germs can remain even after you’ve recovered

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Donating Blood Only Helps Others

The life you save may be your own. Preliminary studies suggest you can lower your risk of heart disease by regularly giving blood. This helps mitigate the amount of iron in your body. Many researchers think that we take in too much iron, mostly from eating red meat. Excess iron is thought to aid in the creation of free radicals in the body, speeding the aging process and raising the risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Until menopause, women are naturally protected from iron overload, but after that the danger of overdose climbs.

But don’t rely on donating blood alone. Go easy on the red meat: no more than a few servings a week and keep each to the size of a deck of cards.