Welcome to the quick and dirty tips to slim down and shape up.

My name is Brock Armstrong. I'm the Get Fit Guy and I'm currently getting over a cold.

In fact, as I record this, I've got a warm drink and a box of tissues right beside my computer.

It isn't a bad cold or even a man cold, but it is enough to annoy me, interrupt my sleep,

and cause me to miss more than a few workouts, which really isn't a big deal right now,

since it's the off-season for me, but when it happens in the spring or the mid-summer,

well, I'm not so cavalier about missing my training sessions. In fact, I can get downright ornery.

Now, it doesn't seem to matter how many times I get sick during the training season, or how

many times the athletes that I coach fall prey to a seasonal flu. I still do a lot of hand-wringing

over whether or not I should be jumping on the bike or prescribing

some heavy lifting session for my clients. But don't worry, this wouldn't be the quick and

dirty tips if I didn't have a few guidelines that you can follow. But before I get to those,

I want to talk a little bit about the immune system. Your immune system is comprised of six

components that do their absolute

best to protect you from foreign invaders. One is the lymph nodes and lymphatic system, which

recognize and fight invading pathogens. Number two is the respiratory system, which creates mucus,

coughs, and sneezes that trap and remove contaminants.

Number three is the skin, which is a relatively thin but very effective barrier against

invading pathogens.

Number four is the white blood cells, which attack pathogens in your blood and in other tissues

of your body.

Number five is your spleen, which is a major organ that

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