Some basic facts about dieting and exercise from one of my favorite sites, Active.com.

• Low-Carb Diets Rule
  • If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to cut out refined starches
  • What works best for keeping the weight off is a high-protein, low glycemic index (GI) diet
• The Treadmill vs. the Common Cold
  • Do exercise moderately if your cold symptoms are confined to your head. If you’re dealing with a runny nose or sore throat, moderate exercise is permissible. Intense exercise can be resumed a few days after symptoms subside.
  • Don’t “sweat out” your illness. This is a potentially dangerous myth, and there is no proof to support that exercise during an illness helps cure it.
  • Do stay in bed if your illness has spread beyond your head. Respiratory infections, fever, swollen glands and extreme aches and pains all indicate that you should rest up, not work out.
  • Don’t jump back in too soon. If you’re recovering from a more serious bout of cold or flu, gradually ease back into exercise after at least two weeks of rest.
    In general, if your symptoms are from the neck up, go ahead and take a walk, but if you have a fever or general aches and pains, rest up.
• Did You Ruin Your Child’s Eating Habits?
  • Parents don’t have as much influence as previously thought
  • Children’s eating habits are influenced by many factors, including schools, local food environment, government guidelines that regulate school meals “and the broader food environment that is influenced by food production, distribution and advertising.”
• Eat Your Way to A Good Tan
  • Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables gives you a healthier glow
  • The study found that, when given a choice, people preferred those with a skin tone caused by carotenoids to those who were suntanned.

Read the full article here:

http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/The-Diet-Detective-4-Health-and-Fitness-Facts.htm?cmp=17-2-122