Common health habits deemed 'a waste of time'
Starve a fever
Starve a fever: Wrong again. A high temperature boosts your metabolism, causing you to burn calories. If you're weakened, the illness will hang around longer. So try to replace calories any way you can, says Ben Ansell, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Health Program at UCLA. "It's even more important to maintain regular fluid intake, as your body's demands may be at least twice what they are in other circumstances." Your fever could be caused by any number of ailments, so monitor it and see a doctor if it gets to 105 degrees or lasts for several days. (Steer clear of colds and flu by avoiding the 6 Germiest Places You Touch Every Day.)
