Beat Swine Flu...

The newsmedia is full of breathless, panic-stricken reports about Swine Flu. They throw around words like "pandemic," Recombinant" and "transspecies."

What does it all mean? Is this bio-terror, or just an anomaly? I even read a story linking a reduction in solar flares and solar wind to the rise of new strains of flu and maybe other diseases.

Wow. Makes you want to stay home, wrap yourself in a blanket and hide!

So what to do? It's fairly simple, really.

First, DON'T PANIC! If you've ever read Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" you already get this sage advice. Read through the news hype. Swine flu is NOT prowling your neighborhood streets, looking for a random sucker to infect.

Most likely, it's being spread through direct contact with those within the "hot period," or in the case of this bug, 24-72 hours after infection. So unless you're spending time in Mexico City, airports or places where we KNOW THERE IS AN OUTBREAK, you are probably not at risk yet.

So...now is the time to gather information about this and other flu viruses. Knowledge is power.

Second, Wash your hands! Yeah, your mom is right. Clean hands (and other skin surfaces) help prevent not only infection in you, but in others as well. Do you need anti-bacterial gels and soap. Um, think for a minute...influenza is a VIRUS...so anti-bacterial soaps, gels, etc. probably won't help.

Third, Flush the air at home! Open windows on breezy days when it's warm enough. Keeping the house closed up, whether you're heating or cooling, is like inviting the virus in. Let the fresh air in, let the sun in, you and your house will feel better.

Fourth, Eat to be immune!Include lots of fresh veggies and fruits in your diet. One precaution...since much of our produce comes from California and Mexico (Swine Flu hotspots), wash your produce well!

Fifth, Get some sleep! The body repairs itself and resets the defenses during sleep periods. Get 8-10 hours a night, and maybe grab a nap daily.

Sixth, VITAMINS AND MINERALS! I cannot stress this enough. EVERYONE needs a good multivitamin/mineral complex! Stop buying Centrum, OneADay or whatever other $15 crap you're throwing your money away on and go get some Prograde VGF+ For Men or Prograde VGF+ for Women! The reality is that if you're not spending about $35-$50 a month for your multi, you're probably getting crap.

In addition, it helps to add supplemental Vitamin C to your regimen. In spite of the scare tactics often employed by the medical community to stop people from using this natural immune booster for that purpose, Vitamin C really does boost immune response in humans. 1,000 - 3,000 mg/day will help, more is ok if your system can handle it.

Seventh, and last...No rubbing snouts or smooching with pigs or birds or people who sound like they're hacking up a lung! Enough said!
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Quinoa and Fresh Herb Salad With Garden Tomatoes

Makes 2 servings, with leftover quinoa Description

Quinoa is a high-fiber grain that's loaded with protein and readily available in groceries or health food stores. Need a convenient grain? Try this one: it cooks in 6 minutes! Here’s a version of the delicious Middle Eastern salad, tabbouleh, with quinoa instead of bulgur.

Ingredients
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 scallions (white and light-green parts), thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons lightly packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
3 large beefsteak tomatoes, preferably a mixture of red and yellow
2 ounces low-fat feta cheese

Instructions
Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, over high heat. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt; bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 6 minutes, until nearly all the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender and chewy but not soft.

While quinoa is cooking, combine juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Fold in quinoa, scallions, cucumber, and herbs. Toss until thoroughly coated. Season to taste as desired.

Thinly slice tomatoes. Arrange on serving plates. Spoon about 1 cup quinoa over tomatoes. Crumble feta on top. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information
350 calories
14 g total fat (4 g sat)
10 mg cholesterol
47 g carbohydrate
15 g protein
7 g fiber
410 mg sodium