When something like the swine flu comes visiting, the challenge is to be prepared and avoid panic - not an easy line to tread, either for public health officials or for the average person on the street.

Remember that the best things you can do to protect yourself are the same things your mum always told you (and what President Obama said again yesterday): “Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you’re sick; and keep your children home from school if they’re sick.”

Would a face mask help? Though Britain is said to have ordered 32 million masks, the kind that will offer real protection is the more expensive kind used by health workers: they have very fine holes that filter much more effectively. You also need to use them properly to get any real protection. Also, even if you are using a face mask, you still need to be careful about keeping your hands clean and free from infection.

It might be a good idea to avoid crowds too. Preventing people from getting together in large numbers will (hopefully) prevent an infectious airborne disease like swine flu from spreading in large numbers. That is the idea behind banning big public meetings when a pandemic (which roughly means a very large epidemic) happens. Public gatherings have already been restricted in Mexico.

If you are sick stay at home. Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, then throw away the tissue.

There is no vaccination for this strain of the virus yet - and it could take four to six months to get ready.

Till then, be careful, be prepared, but don’t panic.

Want to know more about the swine flu? Go to:

1. The Swine Flu factsheet

2. Swine flu or pig flu facts 

3. All you wanted to know about swine flu 

4. In the news: Mexico fights the swine flu 

One of the key to keep yourself young and energetic is by ensuring that your intake of anti-oxidants is adequate. Research has shown how they help our body fight damage to our cells or slow them down.

Oxidation is necessary to break down food, but some by-products of oxidation called free radicals are unstable molecules that damage the body. Antioxidants ‘mop up’ the free radicals and protect the cells. Damage from free radicals is a cause of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, eye cataracts, common colds, memory loss and many of the stress related conditions. Antioxidants in our diet reduce the risk of these diseases. Fruits and vegetables are rich food sources of antioxidants.

Here are some important antioxidants and the foods they are found in :

1. Vitamin A and carotenoids. Carrots, papayas, mangoes, milk and eggs.
2. Vitamin C. Citrus fruits.
3. Vitamin E. Green leafy vegetables and nuts.
4. Selenium. Sea foods, oat meal, nuts, whole wheat, and meats.
5. Lycopene. Tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit.
6. Lutein. Dark green leafy vegetables, spinach, and brussels sprouts.
7. Lignan. Oats, flax, barley, rye.

Antioxidants in their fresh and natural forms have been proven to be easy absorbed and beneficial to the body, but in supplement form their benefits are less clear and their use is more controversial.

To know more about antioxidants and a healthy diet, go to :

 1. Free Radicals and Antioxidants

2. Cherries good for antioxidants

3. Griddle and microwave cooking preserves antioxidants

4. Memory loss after chemotherapy can be prevented by antioxidants

5. Click Here For a free online consultation about your diet