An avocado is actually a fruit, high in vitamins B-6, C and E. They’re a good source of potassium, magnesium foliate and fiber. The best way to tell if an avocado is ready for immediate use is to gently squeeze. If it is ready to eat, it will be firm yet yield to gently pressure. Not only are avocados healthy for you, they are healthy for the environment. On one year, a single avocado tree can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven 26,000 miles.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the flu shot for almost anyone who wants to reduce the risk of having influenza. It’s important to get the flu shot annually because the vaccine is changed each year to protect against different strains of flu.
The CDC also recommends the influenza shot for children from 6 months to 18 years of age. In the past the CDC called for vaccinating children from 6 months to 59 months of age. Ask your child’s doctor whether the flu vaccine is right for your child

The CDC recommends the flu vaccine in particular if you:

• Are a child on long-term aspirin therapy
• Are pregnant
• Are 50 years old or older
• Have a chronic medical condition such as asthma, diabetes, heart, and kidney or lung disease.
• Have a weakened immune system such as from medications or HIV infection
• Are resident of a nursing home or other long term care facility
• Are a child care worker, health care worker or live with or care for someone at high risk of complications from the flu

Do not get a flu shot if you:
• Have had an allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past.
• Are allergic to chicken eggs.
• Developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.)
• Have a fiver. Wait until your symptoms improve.

- Mayo Clinic -

Researchers in Japan have found that 26% of hemorrhagic stroke patients they studied had specific bacteria in their saliva that may stick to aging blood vessels, weakening them and possibly causing their strokes. Have your teeth cleaned and brush and floss faithfully at home.

Harvard researchers have found that taking a daily nap can reduce the risk of death from heart disease. The study showed subjects who napped at least three times a week had a 37% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who stayed awake all day.