Tis the season for parties and cheer, memory making and cozy
nights by the fire. And for catching colds, feeling tired and
craving carbs. The changes in weather, temperature and light
this time of year have physical and psychological effects on
your body that in turn can have a major impact on your overall
health. Learn what these effects are and how to use them to your
advantage, and youll have a happier, healthier winter. The
Winter Effect: Your Immune System As the weather starts to
change, probably the first thing that crosses your mind is the
risk of getting sick, and with good reason. Up to 20 percent of
Americans come down with the flu each year, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we suffer from
an astounding one billion colds. So get your flu shots (for the
seasonal flu and H1N1) and follow these finer points of
prevention. Work with it. Be a germophobe: It pays to be
obsessive about keeping your hands clean, since theyre a major
way germs get into our bodies. One study s