HaveHealthNow Blog by Wellness Mike

Precisely what is the dreaded "Flu"? It's an acute respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses A or B. While most people who get the flu recover in a week or two, others can develop severe and potentially life-threatening complications. According to the Mayo Clinic, those most threatened are children under five and adults older than 65, nursing home and long-term care residents, pregnant women up to two weeks postpartum, and others with weakened immune systems. So too are people with chronic illnesses or who are extremely obese. If the flu strikes, stay home. You're sick and highly contagious. Embrace your downtime and heal your body with it. Curl up on the couch, read, watch TV, and nod off to sleep anytime. Get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night--your body is fighting a virus. Drink plenty of fluids for both the flu or a cold. Fluids hydrate your respiratory system and convert thick mucus into a liquid you can spit out. An expectorant will thi

  Why Should You Get the Flu Vaccine You may be asking yourself why you should get the FLU vaccine?   After all, it’s only 40-60% effective.   First of all, it is difficult to determine which FLU viral strain there will be in the upcoming FLU season.   The FLU vaccine components are determined based on the previous year’s strain.   This is how the FLU vaccine is made because how well the FLU vaccine works can vary from season to season.   According to the CDC website, “ At least two factors play an important role in determining the likelihood that flu vaccine will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community.” 1 Benefits of the FLU shot ·          One of the benefits of getting the FLU vaccine is that it can prevent you from getting sick with the FLU.   Receiv

     Good health is of prime importance to all of us. We need to be healthy, filled with abundant energy, sound sleep, and a fit and disease-free body, which will give us a sense of overall well-being. In order to be fit and healthy, we need to practice healthy living styles with proper food habits and exercise. We cannot be healthy if we are lazy. All of us need to work hard, both physically and mentally, to be fit and healthy. Besides exercise, people need to eat healthy foods and avoid junk foods, which make us lethargic and dull. If you are overweight and obese you can suffer from health problems. So, you need to maintain an optimum body weight to be healthy.       The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put out physical activity guidelines for healthy adults.   Essentially, all adult should avoid inactivity.   The CDC recommends that adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15