May 2009 HealthierYou Calendar

Allergy and Asthma

Key to the Matching Activity

• Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
• Employee Health and Fitness Day (Third Wednesday in May)
• National Women's Check-up Day (day after Mother's Day, during 2nd full week)

Fact or Fiction

Inhaled allergens will only produce respiratory symptoms. Ingested allergens (food) will produce skin and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Fiction: Any route of entry, including inhalation and ingestion, may produce the spectrum of allergy symptoms (respiratory, skin, gastrointestinal, etc) not just one or the other.

To effectively manage your allergy symptoms your allergist/immunologist can determine the cause(s) from the allergy tests you have taken. Once the causative agent(s) is/are determined, you and your physician can develop a treatment plan aimed at controlling or eliminating the symptoms. With your allergy symptoms under control you should see a considerable improvement in the quality of your life such as improved sleep quality, days without constant sneezing, or a better control of atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Important Definitions:

• Allergens - Materials that set off the body's immune response.
• Symptoms - Manifestation of the body's immune response to the allergen.
• Anaphylaxis - Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can involve the entire body. Patients experiencing anaphylaxis can have trouble breathing and experience hives, itching, or loss of consciousness. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can progress very quickly; without proper treatment anaphylaxis can lead to death.

More information can be found at:

• www.aaaai.org
• www.lungusa.org
• www.emedicinehealth.com
• www.mayoclinic.com

NASA in Your Life

Air Purifier

The AiroCide TiO2 is an air-purifier that kills 93.3% of airborne pathogens that pass through it, including Bacillus anthracis, more commonly known as anthrax. It is essentially a spin off of KES Science & Technology, Inc.'s Bio-KES system, a highly effective device used by the produce industry for ethylene gas removal to aid in preserving the freshness of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

The TiO2-based ethylene removal technology that is incorporated into the company's AiroCide TiO2 and Bio-KES products was first integrated into a pair of International Space Station plant-growth chambers known as ASTROCULTURE™ and ADVANCED ASTROCULTURE™. Both chambers have housed commercial plant growth experiments in space.

For more information on the subject please visit www.sti.nasa.gov.

Down-To-Earth

Carbon Sink

Our forests, trees, and other plants keep the atmosphere in balance by taking the CO₂ out and converting it back to carbon in leaves, roots, and the soil below. Something that is not a source of carbon but removes it from the equation is called a carbon sink. Therefore, forests and soil are a carbon sink.

In a breathing cycle, humans and animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide (CO₂). CO₂ is also released in other natural ways such as volcanoes erupting and dead matter decomposing. Furthermore, CO2 is released unnaturally from burning fossil fuels.

To learn more please visit www.epa.gov.

HealthierYou by Choice

A Cinco De Mayo Recipe - Anita's Green Salsa (Salsa Verde)

A Cinco De Mayo Recipe - Anita's Green Salsa (Salsa Verde)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. tomatillos, husked and washed
2. 4 Serrano peppers, washed
3. 1/4 onion
4. 1 garlic clove
5. Cilantro to taste (5 sprigs or so)
6. Salt to taste
7. Preparation:
8. Toast the tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic on a hot griddle.
9. Allow the toasted ingredients to cool.
10. Grind all ingredients in a blender, pour into a serving dish, and decorate with chopped onion and cilantro.

Experiment with the recipe by adding two chopped avocados and a teaspoon of cumin to make a delicious dip.

For more information please visit www.mexconnect.com.