A while back we read an article about not getting sick on airplanes. Evidently there are many who share our fear of catching colds, the flu, or pneumonia. As one person expressed it: "Travelers hunker down to see who their neighbors are and are paranoid that they are flying in a sealed infectious hospital ward." We are the ones who twist our necks around to see who has that hacking cough or who is sneezing or sniffling behind us. But no matter how much zinc we take or how many hand sanitizers we use, we should not be concerned about germs or getting sick. It happens to all of us and is part of life.

But with the arrival of The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick we immediately fell back into our old ways. Gene Stone is a reputable writer about science and health matters, possesses a sense of humor, and has tried dozens of treatments to ward off disease, imbalance, and decrepitude. He has interviewed 25 people who are never sick and gotten their secrets to share with us.

We cannot reveal all of these remedies which range from the commonplace to the outrageous. But here are a few: dunking your head in hydrogen peroxide, taking naps, yoga, eating a plant-based diet, or slurping down chicken soup. We were happy to see spirituality and a positive attitude both on the list of secret remedies.

So from now on we're going to try and chill out and relax in the presence of germs, coughs, sneezes, and runny noses. And if we do succumb to illness, we vow to stay at home so we do not create a whole new generation of people hobbled by the fear of getting sick.