Recent research suggests that dieting during flu season could make you more likely to catch the flu. Researchers from Michigan State University put mice on a calorie-restricted diet; the mice found it harder to fight off the infection than other mice who were given higher amounts of calories.

So, yay! Hand over the chocolate cake, I'm going to eat some calories and save myself from the flu. Uh ... no.

The mice in the study were given 40 percent fewer calories than their non-restricted counterparts. That's a pretty drastic calorie reduction. Safe and effective weight loss involves cutting calories, certainly -- but the reduction shouldn't be as drastic as that in the study. You can use an online calculator to estimate your caloric needs. Eating healthfully, as balanced diets suggest you do, will help you with your weight loss efforts while keeping your body strong, healthy and able to fight off illness.