Staying out in the cold will give you a cold
Colds are caused by viruses, either from inhaling infected air droplets sneezed or coughed by someone infected, or by touching something that an infected person has touched and transferring it to your mouth or nose. You don’t get colds from cold air or wind, but the viruses that cause them are more active in the winter- which is why more people get them in the colder months.

Chocolate causes acne
Acne is formed when oil glands in the skin make too much of a waxy substance called sebum that can clog pores along with dead skin cells. This allows bacteria to grow and irritate the blocked pores and lead to the red, swollen appearance. Over washing can cause further inflammation too, so a good balance is key. Studies have disproved the chocolate link, though stress has been shown to cause outbreaks.

Knuckle cracking leads to arthritis
The popping sound when someone cracks their knuckles is caused by bubbles bursting in the fluid that lubricates joints. When the bones are pulled apart, the capsule containing this fluid is stretched and can “pop”. A study of 74 people who habitually cracked their knuckles and 226 people who didn’t found no difference in rates of arthritis.

Sugar makes children hyperactive
Obesity and cavities are much bigger concerns for children having too much sugar than hyperactivity. At least 12 double blind studies have been conducted that observed how children react with diets containing different levels of sugar. None of them could tell the differences between the children who had and had not consumed the most sugar.

As our lives become busier and faster paced, it’s hard to remember to take the time to “stop and smell the flowers” as they used to say. Stress can build up to enormous levels that will seem insurmountable to most, and lead to some serious health risks if not dealt with in a timely manner. Everyone is familiar with the feeling of being ground down by the daily events and unexpected emergencies that can arise in our day to day lives, but many people aren’t aware of the long term effects that can be left by it. Here are just a few of the lesser known conditions that can be caused or affected by stress:

• High cholesterol
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Insomnia
  
• Headaches
  
• Hair loss
  
• Weight Gain
  
• Acne
  
• Wrinkles
  
• Cancer

One way of combating stress that won’t cost you anything more than your time is meditation. Whether or not you have any of these kinds of conditions, you can feel the effects of meditation even if it’s just for five minutes a day. Just like with exercise though, the more you can do it, the better. There are many types of meditation, but whichever you choose, do it as often as possible. Whether it’s during the day, or when you lay down to go to sleep at night.

For a quick meditation, try these few steps:

1. Take a deep breath, hold it, and count to four, then release it. As you release it, feel the tension in your body begin to drain away.

2. Repeat the deep breath, but this time hold it until a count of eight and again feel the tension lift as you exhale. Try to allow your entire body to go limp.

3. Take a third deep breath, and hold it as long as you comfortably can this time. Feel your entire body relax as you let it out.

4. Concentrate on your breath. Try to imagine seeing the air going in and out of your mouth, expanding and relaxing your lungs.

5. Imagine the oxygen filling your lungs and entering your blood stream as fresh, new energy. Energy that will revitalize your whole body. Imagine the air you breath out to be all the stress and anxieties you may carry with you.

6. Repeat this whenever you can.