Cold and flu myths

By Rich Maloof for MSN Health & Fitness
Reality Check



Colds are not caused by going outside without a coat.

Sorry, Mom. You meant well, but the only way to catch a cold or flu is by picking up a virus. Going out into the cold without a jacket or a hat, or with wet hair, does nothing to facilitate transmission. It’s true, though, that we are more prone in the winter. Viruses are more easily shared when people are clustered together indoors.


Flu vaccines do not cause flu.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention are emphatic that you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. The vaccine is made from killed or “inactivated” viruses, which can’t be transmitted. However, you may experience a few side effects which mimic the disease such as aches and a low-grade fever.


Feed a cold, starve a fever? Nah. Feed ’em both.

This bit of armchair advice is probably repeated as often as it is jumbled. But you wouldn’t want to starve either virus: At higher temperatures the body produces more interferon, a protein that helps prevent virus reproduction. “The body is like a furnace, and to create heat you need calories,” says Dr. George Wootan, a family physician and author of Take Care of Your Child’s Health. “When people have chills it is because they don’t have enough calories to bring up the heat normally …by feeding them, they will have enough calories to raise the temperature, increase the interferon, and kill the bugs.” Wootan will sometimes recommend to patients without a temperature that they promote their own fever by getting into a hot tub or putting on warm clothes and getting under the covers (drink lots of water, too, if you’re going to try this method).

“[Some] might say that you should starve a fever because you don’t want the fever to go higher,” he concludes, “but the body isn’t dumb and won’t do damage that it can’t control.”


Viruses survive on surfaces.

You don’t have to wait to be sneezed on to catch a cold or flu—you can pick the virus up right from a counter top, keyboard, telephone or other surface. Rhinoviruses, the family of germs responsible for most colds, have been shown to survive on a surface (or “fomite,” in medical terms) for several hours or even days. “The concentration of virus attenuates; that is, the potency is less and less as time goes on. But you need very few viral particles to trigger an infection,” explains Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, professor and chairman of otolaryngology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Even if there’s just a little left and you happen to touch that doorknob or coffee cup, the virus can then survive on your hands for quite a long time. Then all it takes is a little wipe or your nose or eyes and whatever little bit of virus on there will go to town very quickly. It’s a very efficient multiplying process.”

News: Mutant Respiratory Virus Has Claimed 10 Lives, says CDC



Colds that linger or worsen may indicate sinusitis.

Barring an underlying condition or immune deficiency, most people can fight off a cold inside of 10 days. When symptoms such as congestion, headache and runny nose drag on, it may indicate a bacterial infection of the sinuses, or sinusitis. “Duration of a cold beyond 10 days is highly suggestive of bacterial infection,” says Rosenfeld, who was the lead author of a new guideline for treating adult sinusitis, which addresses the importance of distinguishing a cold from sinusitis. “The other feature suggesting sinusitis is the pattern of ‘double worsening.’ That’s when someone starts to feel better and then all of a sudden they get hit again, and they’re getting worse. Now bacterial infection has superimposed itself on the viral illness. When you have prolonged illness or the double-worsening pattern, it’s reasonable to consider antibiotics.”


Vitamin C is ineffective for preventing or treating cold or flu.

A review of 30 studies on vitamin C that was updated in May 2007 put to rest a few dozen years’ of overconfidence in orange juice. “Vitamin C cannot effectively prevent or cure common colds or flu in the majority of people,” says Sari Greaves, registered dietician with New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Greaves allows that some benefit has been shown for extreme athletes exercising in extreme cold, but “since vitamin C is only known to offer a biological benefit in certain cases and in a restricted number of people, for the average adult, it’s not worth it to supplement.”


It’s true: we can put a man on the moon but we can’t cure the common cold.

The problem is that there are hundreds of varieties, or serotypes, of rhinovirus in addition to other viruses that cause the common cold. Of those hundreds, just a few are causing widespread infection at any point in time. The serotypes change so rapidly that they’re impossible to keep up with. A vaccine would have to be specific to the current serotype, and by the time the virus was identified and an antidote developed, the active serotype would have changed. On the plus side, we’ve been to the moon six times.

A letter to Santa

How to Send a Letter to Santa
by eHow Holidays & Celebrations Editor

Introduction
Sending a letter to Santa is as traditional as leaving him milk and cookies on Christmas Eve. Santa is a busy man come Christmas time. Writing him a letter, in addition to paying him a visit, is a great way to make sure he remembers the gifts at the top of your wish list.

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Things You'll Need
Pen
Paper
Envelope
Stamp

Steps
Step One
Be nice. Behave yourself year round or it is pointless to send a letter to Santa requesting gifts and a visit to your house. Santa only visits well behaved children.
Step Two
Address Santa cordially. Begin the letter with Dear Santa. Ask Santa how he is doing and how Christmas preparations are coming.
Step Three
Tell Santa of any behavior problems you may have had through the year. Explain to Santa how you have corrected the problems and what you are doing to be good.
Step Four
Make a list of gifts that you would like Santa to bring on Christmas Eve. Prioritize your list in the letter, listing the most wanted gift first and ending with the least wanted.
Step Five
Ask Santa for a reasonable amount of gifts. Remember that Santa is visiting children all over the world in just one night. Asking for a large number of gifts will be considered selfish.
Step Six
Mail your letter early in the season. Send your letter out the day after Thanksgiving if possible. This will give Santa time to reply to your letter.
Step Seven
Address your letter to Santa Claus, North Pole. Do not worry about a house number or street names. There is just one mailbox at the North pole for Santa to receive his mail, and it never gets mixed up with elf mail.

Tips & Warnings
Tell Santa about the milk and cookies you will leave out for him on Christmas Eve.
Being naughty or lying to Santa in your letter will land you a lump of coal in your stocking.
Santa will not give you gifts that your mom and dad do not want you to have.
If you send your letter too late, you will not receive a response back from Santa.

Don't have a lump of coal?

If your child has been naughty and you don't have a lump of coal for their stocking, here is a site you may want to check out.

Easy holiday menu

Too stressed to even think about the holiday dinner? Here are a few easy holiday menues that may help.

From Southern Living.

From Food Network.

From Redbook.

Here is one for the kids.

Kick it down a notch

After 10 years, the Food Network is canceling Emeril Live, the cooking show featuring chef Emeril Lagasse. Although the long-running show will stop production on December 11th, Lagasse is still under contract with the Food Network and will continue recording The Essence of Emeril and will also participate in certain specials and development opportunities in the future.

In a statement released by the Food Network, Lagasse said, "I am deeply appreciative to all the unbelievable staff -- many who have been with the show since the beginning -- and all the loyal viewers, and the many talented guests who have appeared on the show through the years. I look forward to continuing my association with the Food Network with `The Essence of Emeril,' and I have lots of new ideas cooking."

When asked why the show was canceled, Food Network publicist Carrie Welch said, "The only reason would be that it hit a ton of television milestones and, you know, all good things come to an end."

Rev up for the holidays

Did you survive Black Friday? And how about Cyber Monday? If not, here's some intel from Women's World- how to rev up for your holiday preparations, when you're feeling like something the cat dragged in:- try these quick and surprising tips:

1. Wear orange or red- hot colors catch your attention, help you focus, and stimulate your brain waves.
2. Doodle on paper- it sends a message to your brain to wake up! (Even looking at some zig zag patterns can have a similar effect.)
3. Hit the water cooler (the actual water- not just the gossip group!)- dehydration will zap your energy, and cause your body to try to slow down, which in turn, makes you tired. Drink small amounts of water every 30 minutes to stay hydrated and energized- and this works even if you aren't tired!
4. Chew sugarless peppermint gum- chewing releases the hormone serotonin, which relieves tension and helps you feel more awake.
5. Have a chicken sandwich for lunch- chicken contains the chemical tyrosine- an essential amino acid which boosts energy and relieves anxiety. Other sources for tyrosine are milk, cheese, or yogurt, avocados, bananas, Lima beans, or pumpkin seeds.

Northpole.com

Mom, dad....here a a fun holiday site for your kids.

Silly gifts

Gifts for the 2007 Holiday Season

As you rack your brain and race around trying to get gifts your family and friends will like this holiday season, keep in mind that a stupid present might just be the perfect present. Reuters reports that the website Stupid.com unveiled its list of the top 10 stupidest holiday gifts for 2007, with founder Gary Apple saying in a statement, "These gifts are so ridiculously stupid that everyone will want them." Here are a few from the top 10:

Mistletoe to Go -- Faux mistletoe on a suction cup that attaches to your forehead.
The Hillary Nutcracker -- A nutcracker made in the image of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, in which the nut is cracked between her pant-suited legs.
Inflatable Moosehead -- Save the effort of hunting and a real moose's life by putting this inflatable moose head on your trophy wall.
Electronic Yodeling Pickle -- Press the button on this six-and-a-half-inch plastic pickle and an authentic-sounding yodel plays.
Poo-lar Bear Candy -- This plastic bear is filled with candy poop, so when you press down on its hind quarters he poops out a piece.
Get Off the Phone Excuse Machine -- This machine comes in handy when you need to get off the phone with a chatty Cathy. Press a button for excuses like "Whoops, there's the door," and "I can't hear you, you're breaking up."
USB Dancer -- Plug this bikini-wearing dancer into your computer's USB port and audio port and when sound plays on your system, she'll dance.

Susan's greetings

Need some holiday cheer? This is so cool and fun.

Click here....and here.

Hannah Montana 3-D Movie

HANNAH MANIA IS NOT OVER YET...

Tickets On Sale Saturday For 3D Hannah Montana Movie "Best of Both Worlds Concert" The Movie Has 1-Week Engagement in February...Tickets can be purchased online at the movie's official website.

Buy tickets.

Elf yourself

You've gotta see this......Jeff Martin -'Stress saver traffic' has been "elfed!"

Take a peek.

You can do it too.

okay, I just made a total elf of myself too.

A safe holiday

Let's be safe this holiday
BY MORRIS & JAMES CAREY | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

We have written about holiday safety for two decades.

Despite the repetition, there are always folks who need help guiding them through a safe holiday season. Here are some tips from the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors and the National Fire Protection Agency.

DECORATING
Use caution with holiday decorations. Look for those made with flame-resistant or noncombustible materials.

Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and don't use candles to decorate Christmas trees. Always use nonflammable holders.

Choose artificial icicles made of plastic or nonleaded metals, and avoid sharp or breakable ornaments.

Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of reach of children. .

Place older ornaments and decorations that might be painted with lead paint out of the reach of small children and pets.





TREES
Look for the "Fire Resistant" label when buying a faux tree.

Check for freshness in a live tree. A fresh tree is green, its needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break.

Place the tree away from fireplaces, radiators or heaters.

Cut a few inches off the trunk to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. And keep the stand filled with water.








LIGHTS
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and someone touching a branch could be electrocuted.

Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.

To hold lights in place, string them through plastic hooks, not nails or tacks.

Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.

Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.

Inexpensive remote controls can be used to safely turn off exterior decorations during a rain or snowstorm.

Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

Use heavy gauge extension cords (the lower the gauge-number the better the extension cord). For example: 12 gauge is better than 14 gauge is better than 16 gauge.




ENTERTAINING
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range.

But wait, there's more.

Eat your way slim

20 Simple Steps
By the Editors of Prevention



From the instructions for some diets, you'd think losing weight was more complicated than quantum physics. The food diaries you need to write; the nutrition labels you need to read — and pronounce and translate; the protein, fat, and carbohydrate grams you have to add up. It's time to try an easier way. No math, no more squinting at the fine print and trying to decipher those words with no vowels. Instead, just 20 everyday tactics that will get you started on your weight loss plan and then help you stick to it. Soon enough, your diet will simply become the way you eat.

1. Always eat dessert

Yes, always. "A small amount can signal that the meal is over," says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. She ends her meals with a piece of quality chocolate — and she's a doctor. Other options include mini-cupcakes or fruit.

2. Blot out the fat

You can use a napkin to blot a teaspoon of fat off a pizza slice. That may not sound like a lot, but multiply it by a slice a week, and that's more than a whole cup of fat you won't eat — or wear — this year.

3. Take the beltway

When junk food beckons, tighten your belt a notch. Not so you can't breathe, but so you have a gentle reminder of the size you'd like to be. "The scale isn't the only measure of weight," says Roberta Anding, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

4. Go public

Enlist the help of coworkers, friends, and family — and know they're watching. "The power of embarrassment is greater than will-power," says Stephen Gullo, PhD, author of The Thin Commandments.

5. Get spicy with it

Capsaicin, the substance that puts the hot in hot pepper, temporarily boosts your metabolism. Just make sure you're drinking a yogurt lassi with that searing-hot chicken vindaloo. Dairy blocks capsaicin's sweat-inducing signals better than water.

6. Milk it

Consuming 1,800 mg of calcium a day could block the absorption of about 80 calories, according to a recent University of Tennessee study. Jump-start your calcium intake by filling your coffee mug with fat-free or 1% milk, drinking it down to the level you want in your coffee, then pouring in your caffeine fix. That's 300 mg down, 1,500 to go.

7. Go organic

That's where you're likely to find bread and cereal with fiber counts that put the conventional choices to shame. Thought you were doing well with your 3-g-per-serving Cheerios? Nature's Path Slim blows it away with 10 g. (And it really doesn't taste like a shredded shoebox.)

8. Splurge on precut veggies at the supermarket

Sure, they cost more, but you're more likely to eat them. "Make low-energy snacks as easy as possible," Rolls says. "Keep vegetables as near to hand as you can. Make it so you have no excuse."

9. Practice fine dining

Pick a restaurant where you'll actually want to linger. "When the meals are not hurried, the presentation is beautiful and the portions are reasonable so you can regulate your attitude," Anding says. That means your body — not the empty plate — will tell you when to stop.

10. Don't skip your 3 pm feeding

"Have a 150 calorie snack [now], and it can save you 400 calories later," Anding says. An ounce of nuts or two sticks of string cheese weigh in at about 170 calories.


11. Increase your a-peel

Speaking of fiber, a lot of it's in the peel, whether it's potatoes, apples, or pears. Even oranges — don't eat the whole peel, but keep the pith, that white stringy stuff; it's packed with flavonoids. More nutrients, more fiber, less labor.

12. Drink with your dominant hand

If you're circulating at a party, Rolls suggests keeping your glass in the hand you eat with. If you're drinking with it, you can't eat with it, can you?

13. Plate it

Whatever it is, don't eat it out of the container and don't bring the container to the couch. "Part of satiety is visual," Anding says. "Your brain actually has to see the food on the plate, and when you reach into the jar, or the box, or the bag, you don't see it." If it's worth eating, put it on a plate. Eat what's there, then stop.

14. Keep your hands busy

Find a way other than food to work off your nervous energy. "It's behavior modification," Anding says. "Instead of grabbing a bag of chips, you pick up your knitting. Art works, woodworking works — anything that occupies your hands."

15. Take 10

When your mind strays from your desk to the vending machine, it could be hunger — or it could be boredom or irritation with your boss. If you're still thinking about snacking 10 minutes later, then you're probably hungry. Think of it as a chance to have one of the nine servings of fruits and vegetables you need each day.

16. Go out for ice cream

Or an eclair. Or even guacamole and chips. Just go out. Don't keep your danger foods in the house. You can't eat half of a carton of ice cream that's not there.

17. Start with salad

It's the holy grail of dieting — eat less by eating more. Rolls's research has found that eating a salad as a first course decreased total lunch calories by 12%. Avoid the croutons and creamy dressings, which have the opposite effect.

18. Just scrape by

Always order your bagel or burger with a plastic knife. Use it to scrape off the excess cream cheese and mayo. You could shave off as many as half the calories.

19. Send back the bread

All it takes is a wave of the hand, a smile, and a "No, thank you."

20. Go crazy — sometimes

Deprivation won't make you thin — or happy. Designate a meal or two a week when you can eat absolutely anything you want.

Is your tree "green"

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is going "greener" — with energy-saving lights replacing old-fashioned bulbs on the towering evergreen this year. Weather permitting, the tree will also get some of its electricity from 363 solar panels just installed atop Rockefeller Center.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he hoped the change to the midtown Manhattan display will inspire the tens of millions of New Yorkers and tourists who see the tree every year.

"Now they will see an example of green leadership which may inspire them to make greener choices in their own lives," Bloomberg said Tuesday.

The 84-foot-tall Norway spruce will be covered with 30,000 multicolored light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, strung on five miles of wire.

Using the energy-efficient LEDs to replace incandescent bulbs will reduce the display's electricity consumption from 3,510 to 1,297 kilowatt hours per day. The daily savings is equal to the amount of electricity consumed by a typical 2,000-square-foot house in a month.

The owners of Rockefeller Center, Tishman Speyer, also showed off a new solar energy array that will generate electricity on the roof of one of the complex's buildings, the largest privately owned solar roof in Manhattan.

The solar panels will help light the tree and are also tied into the city grid. In fact, their biggest contribution will be in summer when the grid is often near capacity due to air conditioning use.

After the official tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 28, the Christmas tree will be illuminated from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. most days through the first week of January.

The Rockefeller Center tradition was started in 1931, when construction workers building the first part of the office building complex erected a 20-foot Balsam fir amid the site's mud and rubble.

After the tree is taken down in January, it will be cut into lumber to be used in houses built by Habitat for Humanity.

Top video game gifts

Need a little extra help finding just the right gift? Here's what's especially popular this year in the video game department.

15 worst holiday gifts

If you suffer panic attacks at the mall or you have recurring nightmares about the colossal gift gaffes you've made over the years -- you may be an HGSS sufferer.

Holiday Gift-Shopping Syndrome!

Don't make these mistakes.