An apple a day may be true, but some health lore isn’t
Everyone knows that you shouldn’t swim within an hour after eating, a glass of warm milk helps you fall asleep, and doctors always save the patient right before the last commercial. Right?
Maybe, but you’re right to be skeptical. Many common beliefs about health don’t hold up to clinical research (and once in a while a TV patient dies). In the winter months, although you do need to dress warmly, you don’t need to worry about these often-repeated words of advice:
- Don’t go outside with damp hair. Your head will get chilly, but chances are you won’t catch a cold. Colds are caused by viruses (over 200), and most people contract them by coming into contact with someone who already has a cold. People may tend to catch cold more readily during the winter because they’re inside more, and closer to other people who may carry the virus – not simply because the weather is cold.
- Feed a cold, starve a fever. Or is it the other way around? Whatever the saying is, you don’t want to avoid eating when you’re sick (even if you don’t feel much like it) because your body needs the nutrients to fight infection. Drinking plenty of fluids and getting lots of rest are the most dependable ways to get well quickly.
- You lose 75% of your body heat through your head. You’ll lose heat through whatever part of your body is exposed to cold temperatures – head, hands, arms, legs, etc. Yes, keep your head covered when outdoors in the winter, but keep the rest of your body warm as well.
If you need help answering these or any other questions regarding your group health insurance plan, give us a call today. Tim Rasch will help separate fact from fiction and even deliver apples to keep the gang at the office healthy all winter long.