Here’s how you can prevent pneumonia

Here’s how you can prevent pneumonia - Your lungs get about as much credit for sweeping out the germs and gunk you breathe in as do Beyonce’s backup singers. So we’d like to sing their praises for working overtime during peak pneumonia season. And we’d like to keep you from crooning I’ve Got the Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu, even if your Aerosmith impersonation is great!

More than half a million cases of pneumonia will wind up in U.S. doctor’s offices this year. Some 50,000 people will die. The older or younger you are, the more dangerous it is. You can’t avoid the bugs that cause this nasty lung infection. But you can cut your risk and stop the spread.

Cover up coughs. With your elbow — Dracula-style — or with a tissue. That’s better than using your hands. Those germs fly out of your lungs at 950 kilometres an hour when you cough or sneeze, so they can cover a lot of territory in search of victims.

Stop shaking hands. Greet friends with a big hello and say goodbye with a cheerful wave (think Royal Family).


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Swipe ’n’ wipe. Bacteria and viruses can live for days on hard surfaces that are shared by friends, family, neighbours and strangers — door knobs, game controls, computer keyboards and TV remotes. Airplane trays aren’t far behind. Swipe with alcohol wipes.

Don’t smoke. Your lungs have enough to cope with.

Get vaccinated. There is a pneumonia shot for grown-ups and the Hib vaccine series for infants and small children. Both protect against several types of pneumonia, meningitis and other serious infections. Getting a shot is a no-brainer.

FOODS THAT SPICE UP YOUR LOVE LIFE

Remember when you and your partner could barely take your eyes (and your hands) off each other? Maybe what you need to bring back that rush is a walk down the aisle. The grocery aisle, that is. Here’s a food list that’ll spice up your sex life.

But before the feast, try doing something else with your mouths: talking, especially about what you like in bed. Talking triggers oxytocin, a warm-and-fuzzy chemical that makes people bond.

Next, don’t forget the erotic organ that’s even more sensitive than your mouth. No, eyes a little higher: We mean your nose. In men, a sniff of lemons, doughnuts or licorice can increase blood flow to the penis. For women, licorice and cucumbers often do it. Why isn’t clear, though the shapes may be as arousing as the smell. (Do we have to draw a picture here?)

Now for the love snacks. Stock up on:

Bananas. They’re rich in bromelain, an enzyme that may boost male libido.

Celery. It’s high in androsterone, a hormone released in male sweat that can turn women on.

Oysters. They contain zinc, needed to produce libido-enhancing testosterone.

Garlic. Any dish with garlic in it can increase blood flow to sexual organs. Just share the food.

Figs. They’re rich in amino acids that heat up desire.

Chocolate. It has several ingredients that trigger that loving feeling.

Nibble one or go for the lot. Satisfying sex can make you feel great and make your RealAge years younger.

THE SLIMMING POWER OF SOUP

Want a slimmer you? Developing a soup habit will have you stepping out in clothes you haven’t worn for ages.

The more often you eat soup, the more likely you are to shrink your waist, lose weight and lower your total body fat — your body mass index (BMI). That’s according to new research confirming previous soup-slimming studies. The fact is, soup makes you feel fuller on fewer calories. And it means you’ll also cut your risk of heart disease, diabetes and other unpleasantness that come with big bellies and excess weight.

You don’t have to know a thing about cooking to make great soup. Here’s our three-step soup-for-dummies secret:

  • Fill a pot with water and turn on the heat.

  • Throw in lots of fresh, colourful vegetables. Carrots, celery, red peppers, onions, garlic and any other firm ones first, then tomatoes, dark greens, zucchini, whatever. All are chock-full of nutrients with almost zero calories and fat. Enrich the flavor and up the protein with beans (fiber plus flavor), chicken or fish.

  • Be bold with spices. Cayenne and hot peppers, rich in capsaicin, not only rev up the flavour but even help you burn fat a little faster.

For store-bought-soup days, choose low-sodium varieties (under 260 milligrams a cup). ( healthzone.ca )







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