By Becky Hand, Registered Dietitian for SparkPeople


When a virus enters your body, one of three things can happen:

The virus can die, OR

Your immune system can activate and kill the virus, OR

The virus can survive, multiply, and produce a cold or the flu.

• The power of produce: Plant foods contain natural disease fighting compounds called phytochemicals and antioxidants. These substances can enhance your immune system. Therefore, eat vegetables and fruits at least 5 times a day, preferably 7-9 times.
  
  
• Exercise: Regular, moderate exercise will stimulate the fighting T cells into doing their job - attacking foreign invaders like germs and viruses.
  
  
• Healthy Lifestyle: To improve your immune system and resistance to disease commit to these guidelines: do not smoke, sleep 7-8 hours each night, eat a nutritious diet that includes breakfast, and avoid (or take steps to reduce) mental stress.
  
  

By Jen Mueller, for SparkPeople

Believe it or not, outdoor exercise can be enjoyable year round-yes, even in the winter months!

When there is a chill in the air, it's easy to assume you'd be better off to pop in a workout DVD or take your daily walk indoors at the local mall. But as long as you dress properly, there's no reason you can't venture outside for a workout that is both comfortable and enjoyable.

The tricky part is wearing enough that you're not shivering from the cold, but not so much that you're sweating because of all of the heavy layers. Here's a guide to knowing what-and how much- to wear so that you can be prepared all season long.

Layering for winter workouts typically consists of three basic layers:

1. The Base Layer
   Start with your base layer, which includes undergarments, socks, and the first layer of clothes (tops and bottoms) closest to the skin. This layer should be made of "wicking" material, meaning it pulls moisture away from the skin. Remember:

By Nicole Nichols, Managing Editor and Fitness Expert at SparkPeople

If you're planning to ring in the New Year with a drink, watch out: Many popular cocktails contain more calories than a cheeseburger! To celebrate without adding to your weight, try one of these low-calorie cocktails.


Cosmopolitan Lite: 75 calories, 0 g fat
The ladies on "Sex and the City" popularized this typically-220-calorie cocktail. Lighten it up by squeezing a wedge each of lime and orange into 1 oz of cranberry flavored vodka. Top with club soda and serve on the rocks.


World's Easiest Cocktail: 75 calories, 0 g fat
And the easiest way to slim down your cocktail order? Ask for a flavored vodka or rum with club soda and a twist of lime on the rocks.


Morning Mimosa: 75 calories, 0 g fat
This classic of 1 oz. orange juice and 3 oz. champagne is the perfect drink for a New Year's brunch.


Mini Margarita: 80 calories, 0 g fat
Margaritas often come in glasses so big and are made from presweetened bases so sweet

FitSugarSource: Movie Snack Ideas For a Paleo Lifestyle

The aroma of buttered popcorn and churros is enough to make anyone want to see a movie, but if you're on a paleo diet or any other dietary restrictions, it's enough to make you want to leave. Curb cravings by bringing your own fun snacks. Read this quick list to see what healthy bites you can get your hands on.

• Dehydrated Fruits: Don't worry about adopting a raw-food diet on top of it; you can dehydrate all sorts of fruits in the oven. Apples, mangoes, and blueberries are all tasty options. The best part about these munchies? They're eaten as easily as candy and have natural sugar, so you won't miss that box of Skittles.
• Pistachios: No need to worry about the crackling amongst a room of popcorn eaters. Pistachios, once opened, are delicious little morsels that will leave your salt craving at bay. By pouring the right portion into a container beforehand, you're snacking in a smart way. Fret about snacking in the dark no

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

If you've been hearing buzz about, well, getting buzzed while pregnant, here's why: A recent study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says that low to moderate drinking throughout pregnancy didn't alter kids' IQs. The researchers looked at 1,628 women, with the average age of about 30 years old, half of whom were first-time mothers. The authors of the study had the women report how often they were drinking: low was considered one to four drinks per week, moderate was deemed five to eight per week, and binge drinking was defined as five or more in a single occasion. The researchers then followed up with the subjects five years later and administered IQ tests to their 5-year-old children.

According to the study: "There were no significant effects on test performance in children of mothers drinking up to eight drinks per week, compared to children of abstaining mothers. However, there was a significant association

Dr. Travis Stork offers tips for a healthier new year. (Photo courtesy of The Doctors)Losing weight and getting in shape are two of the most popular New Years resolutions we make—and two of the ones we're most likely to break as well. Dr. Travis Stork, the Emmy Award-nominated co-host of "The Doctors," tells Yahoo! Shine about his 10 best health tips for the new year, and we have to admit, these sound like things a real-life human being can actually handle.

Related: Why New Years Resolutions Are So Hard to Keep

"I definitely try to practice what I preach," he told Yahoo! Shine in an interview." So all these tips? I do them. And I can say that with all sincerity."

Related: New Years Resolutions Men Wish Women Would Make

It's easy for celebrities to talk about staying in shape and looking good when they have a personal trainer, nutritionist, and stylist at their beck and call. For the rest of us, though, Stork offers these ideas:

• Find an activity you enjoy, and exercise with a friend. Finding an activity you really enjoy is the key, Stork says. And it's OK if that

by Jené Luciani

Groupons for Botox: legit or lethal?Botox and other anti-wrinkle injectables ain't cheap, so when you see a deal from daily coupon sites such as Groupon and Living Social for 75 percent off, you may be tempted to click. But hold that finger for a sec.

There's good reason to be skeptical of these coupons, says Matthew Schulman, M.D., a New York City-based plastic surgeon who used to offer such discounts but has since stopped because of concerns for consumers' health and ethical issues.

Since the physician is offering an extremely low price yet has to give a percentage of sales to the coupon site, they don't profit as much. Some doctors may therefore overdilute the toxin to shave costs, which results in poor results for the consumer, he says.

"Doctors may also acquire the product from a cheaper source such as overseas or off the so-called 'grey market,' which sets up the potential for inferior, harmful products," Dr. Schulman adds. (The list of possible side effects of Restylane, for example, include

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.