Have you ever heard "don’t go outside in the cold with your hair wet you’ll get sick” or, "don’t swim after you eat or you’ll get stomach cramps". Where do these sayings come from and are they really true?

First of all going outside when it’s cold with wet hair or without a jacket will not make you sick. Being cold does not make you sick but the change from a warm environment to a cold environment can make your nose run or from cold to warm for that matter. That doesn’t mean you will get sick. In Natural medicine we use temperature changes to stimulate the immune system. Some people jump into cold lakes or oceans in the winter time and this activity has led to fever colds and flus in the people who made the plunge. Ending your hot shower with cold water has shown to stimulate the immune system too. So it’s not all that bad to get a little cold sometimes...it’s good for you!

What about exercising after you eat? Well this is somewhat true. Ideally you should wait a little while after you have a big meal to do strenuous exercise. When you are digesting food your body shunts a lot of blood to the digestive system (stomach and intestines) and if you exercise real hard afterwards your body wants to move that blood from the digestive system to your muscles and that doesn’t go over well with your stomach. You will get indigestion and possibly stomach cramps. If you are lightly exercising, like stretching or walking, then you probably won’t have a problem after you eat.

What other health myths can you think of that might or might not be true?

Dr. Leah