With all the hysteria surrounding swine flu I thought it would be best to add my voice into the chorus emphasizing preventative measures.

There are certain foods that can boost your immune system so that your body is better prepared to handle the possible attack from the swine flu virus, as well as from any other influenza viruses.

Here are some easy dietary additions and suggestions we can adopt to bolster our immune systems and improve our odds against a nasty bug: [Read more →]

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the leader when it comes to all things related to global health trends. And in a situation like the one in which we currently find ourselves, we look to the WHO for the protocols to follow.

News of swine flu’s spread has sometimes been accompanied by a chart from WHO called the “Pandemic influenza phases“. According to the chart, we currently sit at a “phase 5 pandemic alert” on a scale of 1 to 6. But what does that mean? What happened in phases 1 to 4? What happens next? Let’s decode… [Read more →]

It’s been only a few days since swine flu gripped the attention of the world. So it’s still hard to predict how bad the spread of this new strain of influenza could get.

Understandably, the unknowns about swine flu - combined with the images of people in Mexico with their mouths and noses hidden behind masks - may be fueling fear and panic.

And even though the most-recommended precautions have been modest - thorough hand-washing, good cough-and-sneeze etiquette - some people have begun donning surgical masks. Is it necessary? Is it helpful? [Read more →]

Ask MedBroadcast’s nutrition expert, Brennan Robertson, your nutrition questions and get all the latest in nutrition news.

Q: I have type 2 diabetes, and I’m wondering if all the hype about vitamin supplementation is in fact beneficial for my condition?

Keep reading for Brennan’s answer … [Read more →]

Human swine influenza is a respiratory disease caused by influenza A. It usually infects pigs, hence its name, and when it infects humans it creates symptoms similar to the flu:

via Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): Symptoms include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, and sore throat. Some people with human swine influenza have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.

As governments collaborate to stem a potential epidemic of swine flu, there are things that we can all do to protect ourselves and those around us. [Read more →]

A few of my co-workers - the ones who take lunch around the same time that I do each day - know that I love me some fish.

I’m a frequent tuna sandwich eater, and I often pack leftover salmon fillets from last night’s dinner. Oily fish packs a good helping of omega-3 fatty acids, and it’s a fairly economical protein source.

But one of my favourite fishy lunches really gives me big nutritional bang for my buck.
[Read more →]