cold season

whenever i have a spare moment at school, i like to read the news online, specifically health news. on CNN today, there was an article listing the secrets of women who never get sick.

let me first preface this with the fact that nate rarely gets sick, and even if he is, he refuses to admit it. his two mottos in life (that I am constantly hearing) are 1. keep your expectations low, that way you'll always be happy...and 2. just tell yourself the opposite. for instance, when we walk home in 0 degree weather, nate tells me, "Just pretend the street lamps are the sun and you won't be so cold." what? yeah right. i am dying here. on that note, here is the 7th reason why some women don't get sick...

7. Stay positive

At the first sign of sickness, Jenny Spring, 29, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, practices another tactic linked to good health: "I tell myself that I refuse to be sick."

Is she crazy to think that works? Not at all. In one study, participants who had heightened activity in a region of the brain associated with a positive attitude produced greater amounts of flu antibodies. Another study showed that people with sunny dispositions churned out more antibodies in response to vaccinations.

Researchers aren't clear on the connection, but they do know "the brain communicates with the immune system, and vice versa," says Anna L. Marsland, PhD, director of the Behavioral Immunology Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. And a growing number of psychologists stress that focusing on wellness, as opposed to illness, can have good results.

Make positive thinking work for you: If you don't always think positively, experts say, you can at least learn to be less negative. Don't dwell on your symptoms when you do get sick, and try not to assume the worst (like telling yourself, "I always get sick this time of year" or "This cold blows the whole week"). Practice focusing on your strengths and how you feel when you use them. Slowly, you'll recognize that these feelings are more rewarding than negative feelings.

"You probably can't change your personality," Marsland says, "but you can change your behavior." Odds are, you'll join the ranks of the perennially healthy.

alright nate - you win! i will be more positive next time i am hurling stomach acid or using up a whole roll of toilet paper for my runny, allergy nose. other secrets of not getting sick include: getting a massage monthly, washing your hands multiple times a day, eating more garlic, and taking brief cold showers. i think i could really go for that monthly massage...