How To Prepare For Flu Epidemic

Are you sufficiently protecting yourself against the flu? The CDC made a statement a few days ago that more people in the U.S. are getting the flu this year compared to the same time last year. It could be because certain areas are getting it really bad.

At the end of the first week of January, the flu had spread across 47 states. On the 9th January, Boston's mayor declared a public health emergency. In the Northeast, hospital emergency rooms are becoming crowded with flu stricken patients. If you don't want to get sick, you better be vigilant now. It could be right at your doorstep.  The CDC has yet to confirm whether the flu is peaking or winding down. They will have a better idea in a few weeks time.

At a news conference, the Director of CDC urged all Americans to get a flu shot. Do not wait too long to get the shot because if you do, it will be difficult to find a doctor or clinic that have supply of the flu vaccine.  The CDC is expecting around 135 million doses from the flu vaccine suppliers. Already 128 million doses have been distributed by 4th January. So, you do the math.
Getting the vaccination is not a 100% guarantee that you won't get the flu. Its effectiveness is only 62%. So yeah, there is still that little risk of getting it. Does that mean you should not waste your time with it? Well, it is better than nothing. When it comes to flu prevention, this is currently the most helpful solution. The flu vaccine this year is no different from the other years.

Here are a few more ideas on how you can avoid the flu.

1. Wash your hands constantly. You never know when you might come in contact with the virus. Take extra precaution if your line of work has you meeting lots of people. Definitely wash your hands after you're done visiting someone who is sick. To wash properly, scrub your hands hard for around 20 seconds. Instead of counting to 20, someone suggested that you sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Make sure you don't ingore the back of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails. The scrubbing will help remove germs and viruses from your skin.


2. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer wherever you go. Sometimes, you may be in a situation where you can find water and soap to wash your hands. This is when the hand sanitizer comes in handy. It can also help you eliminate the germs.


3. Stay healthy. Watch what you're eating and live a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you are eating nutritious food. You want your immune system to be in tip top shape. If you smoke, try to stop. If you have allergies, get it under control. You don't want to inflame your upper respiratory tree. That just makes it easier for the virus to attack you.


4. Keep your surroundings clean. Look around you and ask yourself what could be contaminated. You might want to disinfect things like phones, door handles and remote controls. Even at the office, clean your work space daily. Just be more aware of where germs might be lurking.


5. Get proper rest. Sleeping late and waking up early will take a toll on your body. You need enough sleep so your body can efficiently fight whatever flu or cold that comes your way.

At this time, it would be wise to do a stock check on your medicine cabinet. Make sure the batteries for your thermometer is still working.  Do you have the medications you need to fight cold and flu? Make certain you have pain relievers, fever reducers, cough syrups and decongestants readily available.

5 Quick And Easy Tips To Prepare Meals For Weight Loss

Losing weight is all about reducing calories and burning fat. It definitely takes effort to meet your weight loss goal but there are simple things you can do to raise your chances of success. These tricks only require less than a minute to do. As you go about your daily business, just integrate these tips into your life and soon, the weight will start coming off. These tips will compliment whatever weight loss program you are currently pursuing and will help boost your efforts.

The first tip has to do with flaxseed. The next time you have breakfast, add a little ground flaxseed to your cold cereal, hot cereal, yogurt, muffins, smoothies, pancakes, waffles and bread mixes. This source of high fiber and protein, will keep you from feeling hungry. This is one way to suppress your appetite and keep you from taking in too much calories. It is available at the health food stores.

Next tip is to drink green tea before exercising. Apparently you can burn more fat if you do this. The caffeine in green tea frees the fatty acids from the adipose tissue and therefore, makes them more available to be burned when exercising. Also, it contains an antioxidant called polyphenols which work together with caffeine to boost calorie burning. However, a word of warning, green tea is not recommended if you suffer from high blood pressure.

Do you love to spread butter on your bread or use butter in your cooking? Well, a healthier choice would be to replace butter with olive oil. In a study, participants either used butter or an olive oil dip for their bread. Those that dipped their bread in olive oil ended up consuming an average of 52 calories less than those who ate butter.

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When you eat a salad, how are the ingredients prepared? Do you slice or shred it to small sizes or chopped them into big chunks? The trick is to leave your veggies as big pieces because that will require more effort in chewing. You'll end up eating less during your main meal. The same goes for soup. When your soup contains big vegetable pieces, you'll feel more full and eat less of the next dish. So, opt for chunky soups instead of pureed ones.

One last tip; make it a habit of dabbing the fat and oil off your food, especially if it has been fried. Did you know, by dabbing 2 slices of pizza, you can eliminate about 1 tsp of oil? That is 40 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. Such a simple thing to do but has far reaching effects on your weight loss effort.

If you want to look great in your clothes, you need to start losing weight. Check out this weight loss solution that is clinically proven to work.

Lose Weight To Reduce Hospitalization Visits

Do you know what is your body mass index (BMI) point? It is one way to know if you're overweight or obese. An Australian research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that heavier people had more episodes of hospitalization compared to those within the normal BMI range. Example of health problems that heavier people are being hospitalized for are diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, asthma and chest pain.

What does this mean to you? Try not to be overweight. And if you are, take steps to lose that extra weight and you'll be decreasing your risk of hospital visits for a variety of health problems. Even small differences in your weight may make a big impact on your health.

You are overweight if your BMI is between 25 to 30. If your BMI is over 30, you are obese.