Preparing for Flu Season

If you are anything like me you are worried about the flu season especially with the threat of H1N1. Recently I was investigating which vitamins would be best to help boost my immune system against H1N1 and discovered that vitamin D may be my best ally. Along with a daily multivitamin and washing hands and avoiding large groups. Remember that as the seasons are changing it is imperative to take care of your health!

Back to School and Back to Stress

It is commonly known that stress can take its toll on the human body pretty seriously. Heart attacks are commonly linked to stress and diet as well as headaches and fatigue. What you may not realize is that stress can also have a large negative impact on your vision. As fall approaches and school is back in session stress becomes inevitable. If you are a parent you are concerned for your child going back to school. If your children are older then economic stress maybe a factor in your stress-level-equation. And if you yourself are going back to school it may be economic, concern, or just going back to staring at a computer screen all day. It is important to maintain your eye health by seeing an eye-care professional once a year. And while you already have a list of things to do and appointments to make you might as well add in a small trip to the eye doctor. Welcome back fall! We embrace you, but can do without your stress.

Healthy Snacking

It is common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are healthy snacks. But what most people don't realize is that these snacks are brain food for kids going back to school. Apples and other fruits are in abundance this year due to the mild summer climates. That means that for a low price you can give your kids and grandkids great after school snack and lunch time treats that are good for them. So head on out to the local market and grab some delicious, nutritious, and cost effective snacks.

Eggs for breakfast!

Eggs can be prepared so many ways and have great health benefits. Everyone knows they are a great source of protein but what you may not know is that eggs contain most of the recognized vitamins with the exception of vitamin C. In addition to that the egg is a source of every B vitamin. It is a particularly rich source of vitamins B12 and B2 (riboflavin) and a significant source of folate. Eggs are also a good source of vitamins A and D and some vitamin E.

There are tons of ways to eat and prepare eggs, including fritatas and omelettes. So next time you are going through the cereal aisle, remember to check out the eggs first. They last for a long time in the fridge and always come in handy!

Visual Fatigue

Visual fatigue is becoming a common term in this age of computers. More and more people are turning to reading glasses from sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. A supplement containing lutein, zeaxanthin and blackcurrant extract may reverse signs of visual fatigue.

Fish Oil May Decrease Infant Allergy Risk

A new study shows that mothers who take in omega-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) during pregnancy may produce children with a reduced risk of childhood allergies. This is described by the effects of maternal omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and its impact on lactation and the incidence of allergic disease in infancy.
One hundred and forty-five pregnant women, affected by allergy themselves or having a husband or previous child with allergies, were included in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. They were given daily supplementation with either 1.6 g eicosapentaenoic acid and 1.1 g docosahexaenoic acid or placebo. Starting at the 25(th) gestational week to average 3-4 months of breastfeeding. By performing skin prick tests on the infants, it was discovered that the prevalence of food allergy was lower in the omega-3 group compared to the placebo group. Also there was a decreased incidence of IgE-associated eczema in the omega-3 group. Meaning that maternal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may decrease the risk of food allergy and IgE-associated eczema during infancy to one year in a family with history of allergic disease.*

* http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19489765