The Fitness Guru » flu

Avoiding the Swine Flu? Wash up!

Guru — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:27:08 +0000

You may have heard that we are trying to avoid the Swine Flu this winter. There is a big debate regarding the pros and cons of the H1N1 vaccine, but one great way of improving your odds against the illness is to wash your hands on a regular basis. Here are some guidelines that you probably learned in Kindergarten, but let me repeat just for good measure:

Use soap and water. If soap is not available, use an alcohol-based cleanser that is at least 60% alcohol. The Center for Disease Control says that the cleansers are just as effective as soap and water UNLESS your hands are visibly dirty and then you should use soap.
Anti-bacterial soap is just as effective as regular soap. With all bar soap, take a moment to rinse the bar before using it. There may be residual bacteria from a previous use.
Try to find paper towels to dry your hands. Electric hot air blowers may only serve to help breed bacteria and then blow it all over the room. Not great…..
Hot water vs. Cold water? Makes no difference. None. Just go wash your hands.
Rub your hands vigorously while washing, making sure to get as much of your hands clean as possible.

You probably don’t want to become “that person” who is compulsively washing every minute of the day, but according to the Mayo Clinic, here are some key times to be especially alert:

Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry
Using the toiletChanging a diaper
Touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste
Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands
Treating wounds
Touching a sick or injured person
Handling garbage or something that could be contaminated, such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes

Super-Duper Immuno-Foods

Guru — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:32:50 +0000

Cold and flu season is on us, and in a big way. Every day I get a note from a friend who has to some sort of ear, nose and/or throat illness. Aside from donning HazMat suits on public transportation and refusing to shake hands with everyone you come across, a great way to maintain your health and well being is by feeding yourself foods that will help boost your immune system. Here are a few options. Try to add one or more of them to your daily menu.

Kiwi:
Momma always said to eat oranges when you feel a cold coming on. Though the prevention benefits of Vitamin C are debatable, increasing your intake can lessen the severity and duration of a cold. Ounce for ounce, kiwis have twice the Vitamin C of oranges and are also one of the fruits least likely to be contaminated with pesticides. Grab citrus when you can, but seek out the kiwis for a nice alternative.

Tea:
Black and green teas contain catechins which work against free radicals in the body, as well as theanine which helps boost the immune system. Get rid of the soda and seltzer and have two or three cups of tea daily to boost your health.

Garlic:
In addition to its antioxidant properties, garlic is a great antibacterial and antiviral compound. It can help fight the stress-induced cold. A good friend recommended piercing a clove with a fork and, with the garlic speared on the end, scrambling eggs for breakfast. The result is a delicious, ultra-healthy twist on your morning meal.

Ginger:
My personal favorite- when I start to feel that cold coming on, I make a hot tea with a piece of raw ginger and then add a little fresh lemon juice. It brings a great deal of relief. Studies have found that it is immune system boosting as well as possessing antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

Oysters:
Zinc is important to a healthy immune system, aiding white blood cells in battling viruses and bacteria, and one medium oyster contains all the zinc you’ll need for one day. Oysters: they aren’t just for romance anymore.

Mushrooms:
Mushrooms are fantastic for a healthy immune system and the very best are reishi, shiitake and maitake. Two properties of mushrooms, selenium and beta glucan, are major weapons in your nutritional fight against the flu this season, as both help to clean sickness out of the system.

So there’s your quick list. The best call is the oyster-mushroom garlic-infused frittata, side of kiwi, and a cup of ginger green tea. So make your way to grocery store and stock up now. And don’t forget the Purell.

This Stinks…..I Think……

Guru — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:10:29 +0000

When last we left the FDA, they were issuing a warning against a popular weight loss supplement, Hydroxycut. The warning was issued after 23 people had reported severe adverse reaction to the supplement, including one person who needed a liver transplant. Other issues included heart problems and muscle damage that could lead to kidney failure. All very serious stuff….but in 23 people– out of how many consumers that had purchased the product? And no mention of whether these people had taken the suggested dosage of the supplement (believe it or not, when people hear that something can help you lose weight, they tend to take more than they should. True.)

I have never been a big fan of weight loss supplements. I believe people take them in an effort to get the results without changing their behavior. In that sense, they are a crutch. As a nation, we are a mess in terms of weight management. And the supplements offer a false hope of change. It’s no wonder that people develop problems: some folks are probably popping the pills like Tic-Tacs (Editor’s Note: as of this writing, there is no existing FDA warning against Tic-Tacs.)

But now the FDA has issued a warning against Zicam. For those of you who don’t know, Zicam is a Zinc based nasal spray that works as a cold remedy. The warning suggests that Zicam can destroy one’s sense of smell. In 2006, Matrixx, Zicam’s parent company, paid out $12 million to 340 people who claimed their senses of smell had been damaged or destroyed.

I live by Zicam in the winter. The first sign of sniffles, I run to the drug store and stock up. I have never had any problems and I have found it effective. But what do I do now that I know my sense of smell is in danger? Do I continue taking the product? For heavy people, does the possibility of liver or kidney problems stop them from taking Hydroxycut? What do we do? Who do we listen to?

At’ll Do, Pig

Guru — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:55:29 +0000

When I first heard the term “Swine Flu”, I didn’t go immediately to the flu bug that is presently making all kinds of headlines. It’s an unfortunate name for an illness and misplaced: this bug isn’t a form of the Swine Flu but is a strain of the human influenza virus (on a related note, the World Health Organization, bowing to the protests of the Hog Lobby, have decided to refer to the bug as H1N1 Human Influenza A, a title which will no doubt yield far less interesting headlines. The timing is a little late– Egypt has already destroyed 300,000 pigs).
No, I immediately went to my favorite swine and his bout with illness. Here’s a clip:

Every single doctor I know, without exception, is shocked and upset by the CDC’s call to arms. Yes, there is a flu bug going around. Yes, people are falling ill. The numbers are extremely low, but you still should not go out and lick the straphangers’ pole in the subway. If you want to keep busy, call your local media outlet and chastise them for blowing this WAY out of proportion. Be safe, be smart, be calm. Take the same precautions that you would take during our regular flu season.
And before you write the note, please don’t assume I am making light of this. I am just choosing not to join in the panic.