While we all love that fall brings us football, pumpkins and an opportunity to finally make gumbo, it also is the start of cold and flu season. While the children are getting back to school and back into a routine, this is always the best time of year to remind ourselves about how to stay healthy year-round.

One of the more commonly known aspects to keeping in optimal health is managing appropriate levels of cholesterol. The name is plastered on health-conscious food items, television commercials and mentioned in any comprehensive health-care plan, but it’s important to understand why it matters and the function it serves.

The skin has numerous functions in keeping a body regulated and safe, including covering and protecting other organs, serving as a barrier from germs and bacteria, preventing the loss of water and other fluids, helping to control body temperature and making vitamin D.