Food for thought

With fall comes talk of flu season. Safeway plans to hold immunization clinics. Visit shop.safeway.com/corporate/safeway/Immunization.asp and enter your zip code to find a Safeway store near you that offers immunizations. Or, to find a free or low-cost flu clinic near you, go to www.flucliniclocator.org.

Turn a profit, kids

Far worse than Halloween ghosts is Halloween cavities. Turlock dentist Robert McCulla aims to do something about this. McCulla is buying back Halloween candy at $1 per pound -- up to 10 pounds -- with prizes for trick-or-treaters who bring in the most candy. To exchange your potentitial cavities for loot, call 667-7889 or bring your candy by Turlock Dental Care, 990 Delbon Ave., on Nov. 5 or Nov. 6.

Flu fighters

If you want to add something to your health regimen to prevent a cold or flu this winter, consider these two things:

• Zinc -- A recent small study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that only 29 percent of those people who took zinc every day got a cold, flu or other infection compared with 88 percent of those taking a placebo. Look for a multivitamin that has 15-20 milligrams of zinc.

Exercise -- A recent study in the American Journal of Medicine showed that sedentary post-menopausal women had twice the risk of getting sick compared to women who exercised regularly.

Yep, that's our story, and we're sticking to it -- exercise and don't forget your multivitamin.

By the numbers

28 -- Percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who participated in daily school physical education in 2003; this is down from 42 percent in 1991.

Food for thought

Fruits and veggies will keep your brain sharp, according to French scientists who studied the eating patterns of 1,640 adults in a 10-year period. The study, in the October issue of Prevention magazine, showed that those who chowed down the most flavonoids (antioxidants in fruits, vegetables and teas) performed better on tests measuring memory, logic and language skills.