Mason in the morning

HERE ARE NINE FOODS THAT COULD HELP YOU AVOID SWINE FLU:

It's taken months, but the swine flu vaccine will finally be available.  There should be 200 million doses by the end of the year, and another 50 million by May. Kids, pregnant women, and health care workers are first in line.

Here are nine things that can boost your immune system, and help keep you from getting the "H1N1" virus.

#1.)  WATER.  First off, make sure you're drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day, minimum.  If you're drinking less than that, it can compromise your immune system.

#2.)  YOGURT.  It has "probiotics," which are healthy bacteria that keep your intestines germ-free.  In a Swedish study, 181 factory workers took a probiotic supplement, and they ended up using 33 percent fewer sick days than their co-workers did.

#3.)  CHICKEN SOUP.  Researchers have found that almost every type of chicken soup is good for a cold.  Except chicken-flavored ramen noodles.  It's because an amino acid in chicken mimics a bronchitis drug called acetylcysteine.

--And the salty broth keeps mucus thin, the same way cough medicine does.

#4.)  OATS AND BARLEY.  When ANIMALS eat it, they're less likely to get the flu and even anthrax.  When WE eat it, it boosts immunity, makes injuries heal faster, and might even help antibiotics work better.

#5.)  FISH.  Oysters, lobster, crabs, and clams help white blood cells produce proteins that kill flu viruses.  And salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fats, which help increase airflow in your lungs, and prevent respiratory infections.

#6.)  GARLIC.  An ingredient in garlic called "allicin" fights off infections and bacteria.  In a British study, people who took a garlic extract for three months were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.

--And other studies show that garlic lowers your risk of certain types of cancer.

#7.)  MUSHROOMS.  They force your body to make more white blood cells, which fight off infectious disease.  Plus, those cells your body makes then tend to be more aggressive than normal.  That means they'll be more efficient in ridding your body of a nasty virus.

#8.)  TEA.  In a Harvard study, people who drank five cups of black tea every day for two weeks were ten times less likely to get the flu.   It's because black and green tea both have a certain amino acid that boosts the amount of something called interferon in your blood.

FIVE WAYS TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT

According to a new study by Carnegie Mellon University, what you post on Facebook or Myspace COULD help identity thieves access your bank accounts and credit cards.  Here's more on that . . . and a few other ways to avoid identity theft . . .

#1.)  DON'T LIST YOUR FULL BIRTH DATE AND BIRTHPLACE ON FACEBOOK.  You might think your Social Security number is a completely random string of digits, but it's not.  The numbers identify WHERE and WHEN you were born.

--And according to Carnegie Mellon researchers, those two details alone are enough for identity thieves to GUESS your Social Security number.

#2.)  CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS ONCE A MONTH.  Once a WEEK is even better.  And keep an eye out for SMALL charges from companies you don't recognize.

--Before identity thieves buy stolen credit card numbers, they test them to make sure they haven't been cancelled.  They'll charge a buck or two because most people won't notice.  But eventually, they'll charge A LOT more. 

#3.)  IF AN ATM LOOKS WEIRD, DON'T USE IT.  Look for something called a SKIMMER right where you slide or dip your ATM card.  At first glance, a skimmer looks like it's part of the ATM.  But the card slot shouldn't stick out more than an inch from the machine. 

#4.)  BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELING.  Identity thieves LOVE tourists.  So make sure no one's watching when you use your credit or ATM card.  And avoid using public wireless Internet connections unless your laptop or phone has beefed-up security protection.

#5.)  GO PAPERLESS.  You might think you're not important enough to have someone root around in your trash.  But you're WRONG.  Everyone, everywhere, is at risk.  So go paperless.  You can still access your account online.  Plus, it's the environmentally friendly thing to do.