Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/226563
health & fitness ealth Local h llness d we at an s tip .ca/ g BCLivinlth Hea DAY 10 tree trimming Shortbread Fruit and nuts Substitute the shortbread for sliced pears, cinnamon-dusted The Flu Shot by the Numbers Like it or not, it's flu season – and the decision to get the flu shot is a big one for many Vancouverites. Check out the debrief about influenza and the vaccine to help you get informed apples and mandarin oranges. A bowl of dry-roasted nuts will add protein, calcium and a savoury twist to your yuletide snack. DAY 11 70% Christmas eVe Meat pie Seafood and salad THE EFFECTIVENESS of the influenza vaccine when it is appropriately matched to the seasonal flu strain in the community 1.3 MILLION Follow the French tradition and kick off the evening with raw oysters. Oysters are rich in zinc, which helps keep your immune system strong. Next, enjoy a fillet of sablefish or wild ABOUT 1.3 MILLION DOSES of publicly funded influenza vaccine will have been distributed in B.C. during the fall 2013 flu season ON AVERAGE = 1000 salmon with plenty of veggies and a green salad for a light, nutritious meal. DAY 12 Christmas Day Turkey with all the trimmings Be satisfied, not stuffed It would be blasphemous to suggest that your Christmas feast should be a low-calorie meal. Instead, practise being 20,000 CANADIANS ARE HOSPITALIZED annually due to the flu APPROXIMATELY "one and done," meaning no second helpings. Serve yourself a moderate portion of turkey and your favourite side dishes. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite. After all, this wonderful meal only happens once a year. ■ Haley Barton, MSc., is a Vancouver nutritionist and health educator. Learn more at nutritionsavvy.ca. bcliving.ca p32-39_Health+Fitness.indd 37 to 2,000 to 8,000 PEOPLE DIE EVERY YEAR across Canada from the flu and its complications 90%ARE SENIORS of those fatalities ABOUT UNDER APPROXIMATELY in a million in a million THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE who have a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to the influenza vaccination THE NUMBER OF OCCURENCES of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare and serious nervous system disorder, in flu vaccine recipients TWO ONE ONE WEEKS THE IDEAL amount of time before flu season to get immunized 67 THE NUMBER OF YEARS the flu vaccine has been administered routinely in Canada 1X PER YEAR THE FREQUENCY that the Public Health Association of Canada recommends getting your flu shot in order to combat ever-changing flu viruses 65 YEARS OLD 6 MONTHS OLD 5 YEARS OLD THE AGE GROUPS eligible to receive a free influenza shot in B.C. THE APPROXIMATE COST of a flu shot if you're NOT ELIGIBLE for the free vaccine $25 THE NUMBER TO CALL to find the nearest flu shot clinic in B.C. 811 SOURCES:HealthLink BC, BC Centre of Disease Control, Public Health Association of Canada, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority NOVEMBER 201 3 | 37 13-10-23 2:08 PM