I got a cold this winter. Found all my cold remedies had expired back in 2001. So I think it'd been about 4 years between colds for me! For me, I think my paying attention to where my hands have been, frequent hand-washing, trying not to touch things like door knows in restrooms (I pull my sleeves over my fingers, like a glove) and just not being around children much, has a lot to do with my lack of colds.

Believe it or not, I think it was when I started eating 8-10 brazil nuts a week. They are extremely high in selenium, which is critical for your immune system. My kids call them "medicine nuts".

Even with the kids bringing home the normal crud, I haven't gotten any of their colds. My wife had a cold at Christmas and I didn't get it despite, uh..., kissing a lot the day before. I've occasionally felt like I've been coming down with something but it's always been gone the next day.

We've all added high doses of Vitamin D for the winter and the wife and kids are now doing the brazil nut thing, too. We've also gotten more serious about eating well, too.

Other than that, I take a multi, calcium and magnesium, extra Vit C, a Vit B compound and niacin. The nuts were first, though.

Thanks arc that's easy enough to do!

If you go the brazil nut route, don't buy too many at a time and keep them in your refrigerator. They go rancid reeeeeally easily.

If you have a WinCo there in Donkeyland, they sell them bulk at a decent price.

I've been much healthier since cutting starch and sugar from my diet and eating mainly unprocessed foods, at least three meals based on veges each day. My colds used to be frequent and lasted several days. Now, I've only had about two very mild and brief colds since starting this WOE (about half a year since I reduced fruit, and cut out sugar two years since I cut starch). I turned 40 recently, and can honestly say that with this WOE, some resistance training, rope skipping every morning (high-intensity) and a walk most days, I have not felt this healthy, strong or emotionally stable in all my adult life.

However, this is not the path to social acceptance! Nawchem writes:
"I no longer have any expectations that I have to be perfect to be liked, especially women, seem to like me more when I'm heavy." Very true!

I find that, much as I try to bond with other women, I have few female friends (though those I do have are old, wonderful friends). I'm pretty sure that being slim doesn't help (though I don't consciously rub it in), that I'm viewed as 'different' and a bit annoying. Sure, I have a strong personality, but eating differently and looking different do come into it - I know this from the kinds of remarks I get from other women.

Actually, having a strong personality is just about a prerequisite for our WOL, don't you think, LOL...