You hear the “rules” thrown around all the time: Drink eight glasses of water a day. Drink half your body weight in water a day. If you’re already thirsty, it’s too late, you’re dehydrated.  And while you certainly know it’s not pleasant to feel parched, staying hydrated is important for a host of other reasons. [...]

The immune system and the body’s internal clock are intimately tied.  Blood cells that fight disease ebb and flow with the body’s daily circadian rhythms. Levels of circulating T-cells peak at nighttime, for example, and then gradually subside. Studies have also shown that the immune system reacts to certain infections by manipulating circadian clock genes, [...]

Oatmeal isn’t the only heart-friendly breakfast: Enjoying one grapefruit a day can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by 15.5 percent and triglycerides by 27 percent, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Dreaming, snoring, tossing and turning — there are lots of things we do while we’re sleeping, but what’s actually going on while you’re in the land of nod?  Research has come a long way in helping us understand that sleep is more than just a required period of inactivity for our bodies and brains.