Before there’s the holiday season, there’s what has come to be known as the “Flu Season.” Over the last few years, Americans of all ages have been told to run and not walk to get their annual flu shot. While there’s no question that the flu is a substantial health risk, many – many questions have arisen in regards to the flu shot.

Recently, study after study is coming out revealing serious concerns over the safety of these flu vaccinations, the lack of any long term safety studies, and whether or not these shots are even helpful at all.  In fact, while malls, supermarkets, drug stores, businesses, radio station campaigns, and even places catering to children are promoting flu shots for P.R. or as a publicity stunt, fewer and fewer doctors are advocating them —and even less are getting the shots themselves….. Here’s what you should know.

CLICK HERE FOR A NATURAL FLU SHOT ALTERNATIVE…

Flu Shots Contain Toxic Agents Flu shots can contain anything from aluminum, formaldehyde, microorganisms, thimerosal (mercury), ethylene glycol, and other toxic substances that are dangerous at any dose and deadly if at high doses.  In addition to these substances, the flu vaccine is prepared from the fluids of chicken embryos inoculated with the specific type (s) of influenza virus that supposedly protects against the strains believed to be the most likely to be prevalent during that particular flu season. Reports over the last few years, however, have uncovered that the strains in the vaccine are typically not the strains present for that season.  Not very encouraging considering the potential health dangers you’re opening yourself and children to from these toxic chemicals.

The flu can be deadly. In fact, building and maintaining immunity to unwanted infection, flu, cancer, and other infectious disease is always a critical matter in all seasons. Yet, the human body can not build healthy immunity by being exposed to neurotoxic poisons like mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, and DNA from animals. Mercury is the second most toxic material on earth after radioactive plutonium.

To make thimerosal, you start with elemental mercury and then ramp it up 1,000 times when you convert it to ethyl mercury. Aluminum is then added to the vaccine which has a multiplying effect on the mercury. This causes the mercury to be 10,000 times more toxic than elemental mercury. Formaldehyde is classified as a toxic, colorless, water-soluble gas having a suffocating odor known mostly as embalming fluid. It’s used in vaccines as a disinfectant and preservative.  There are no long-term safety studies that vaccine manufacturers can draw from to validate the effectiveness of the flu shot. In fact, a leading immuno-geneticist showed that if an individual has had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970-1980(the years studies) his/her chances of getting Alzheimer’s Disease is 10 times higher than if they had 1,2 or no shots. The cause of this is thought to be the gradual build up of mercury and aluminum in the brain causing cognitive dysfunction (brain damage).

With influenza, by the time the virus is isolated, cultured for manufacture, and distributed to the population, the virus that is causing the current incidence of influenza has usually changed to a form completely unaffected by the vaccine. Michael Decker, MD of Aventis, the flu vaccine manufacturer admits: ‘By the time you know what’s the right strain, you can’t do anything about it.’ “ A recent report points out that potential confusion between respiratory infections caused by influenza viruses and those caused by non-influenza viruses can result in misdiagnosis and gross overestimation of the true impact of influenza on death and illness in a given influenza season. Therefore, the scare that’s been created about the flu has been exaggerated to some degree. The flu shot, once marketed to the elderly and those with weakened immunity only, is now being recommended for all. Looking at the research and using common sense regarding health, the only conclusion one can draw is that there simply wasn’t enough money to be made by selling to this select market.
Is It Right For Your Kids?  Oct. 31, 2006 — An independent analysis by the internationally renowned Cochrane Collaboration of worldwide influenza vaccine studies, published in the British Medical Journal on Oct. 28, concluded there is little scientific proof that flu vaccine is safe and effective for children and adults. Citing the Cochrane Collaboration finding as well as methodological flaws in a child influenza vaccine study published Oct. 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the National Vaccine Information Center is calling on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to stop recommending annual flu shots for all infants and children until methodologically sound studies are conducted.
“There is a big gap between policies promoting annual influenza vaccinations for most children and adults and supporting scientific evidence,” said epidemiologist Tom Jefferson, Cochrane Vaccines Field, Rome, Italy, who coordinated the comprehensive analysis for the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration.

Does It Work On Anyone? The Cochrane Collaboration analysis also concluded that there is no real evidence that the use of inactivated influenza vaccine has any real effect on preventing influenza. This was backed up in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, which stated that the flu vaccine is effective as little as 30% of the time. Impact On Immunity   Additional reasoning for flu shot hazards and their ineffectiveness is that vaccines bypass the natural defensive capabilities of the liver, kidneys, colon, lymphatic system, and the immune system and deliver toxic waste directly into the body. Your body doesn’t know what to do with mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, chicken embryos, and microorganisms when they’re dropped right into the blood stream.

Guillain-Barré, autism, temporary Multiple Sclerosis-like illness, breathing problems, hoarseness, wheezing, hives, paleness, dizziness, weakness, rapid heartbeat, and death have all been reported as side effects from the flu shot. Not to mention that many people who receive the flu shot immediately get the flu….

Your immune system is the only thing that prevents you from being overcome by infection and a host of other chronic illnesses. Therefore, supporting and enhancing it – not manipulating it -is extremely important. Helping the immune system means you don’t just boost one or two components. There are 22 different instruments or components to the immune system including T-cells, B-cells, Natural Killer cells (NK cells), macrophages, lymphocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, interferon, gamma globulin, interleukin 1,2,3,4, and other white blood cells.  All components must be orchestrated properly and simultaneously, in order to encourage optimum immunity. By definition, you can’t build immunity and shield the immune system with vaccines and poisonous pharmaceutical drugs. You can only help immune system function through a healthy lifestyle that supports immune function. People are dying from the flu not because they didn’t get their annual flu shot, but because they are already sick and have compromised immune systems. Therefore, the ultimate treatment for the flu is active prevention.  Active prevention entails a healthy lifestyle year round and not just during the “Flu season.”

This includes:
Many studies show a substantial boost in immune function with a Chiropractic adjustment.  Eating right by obtaining adequate nutrients from your diet without over-toxifying yourself from your dietExercising: Although tough to acquire in today’s sedentary world, some level of physical activity is necessary on a daily basis.Getting adequate sleep: The average American gets 365 hours too little sleep/year.Addressing stressors that effect your spine, mind, and musclesIf you do this, your immune system will be strong and functioning where it is naturally supposed to. Eating a junk food diet, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and burdening yourself with little sleep and unresolved physical and emotional stress will only serve to bring your immune system down, where it will be of little protection.
Our patients take a pro-active role in their life and health. Medical science may have some benefit, but nothing benefits you like taking good care of yourself.

RESOURCES:

BMJ, Oct. 28, 2006

Cochrane Study, Oct. 31, 2006

The Lancet, Sept. 23, 2005

A wonderful thing happens every Summer.  People commit to new fitness and weight loss programs as part of their attempt to get ready for the beach and poolside.  Why is this so wonderful?  It increases awareness about the importance of diet and exercise and improves the health of those involved.  Unfortunately, most people fall off of the proverbial wagon after the first month or two.

The problem with many weight loss systems is that they cater to the masses without considering individual need.  They use a “one size fits all” approach.  This approach works for some but leaves many to ponder why the weight will not come off the way it used to.

As if that were not bad enough, weight loss is not just about Calories.  The concept of the Calorie is based on the amount of heat a food generates when it is burned in a sealed chamber.  Although Calorie estimation can be useful, it does not take into consideration the affect that food can have on hormone levels.  To make things even more confusing, different foods can affect people’s hormones differently.  For example, some people do not tolerate carbohydrates very well.  For these individuals, carbs cause excessive insulin production which in turn tells the body to store fat.  This can happen even if the individual is not “over eating” on Calories.

Exercise Programs

A common problem with exercise is time.  People typically do not want to take an hour or more daily to go to a gym and exercise.  I recommend The 10 minute rule.  Everyone has at least 10 minutes to give to exercise.  The key to this rule is that the exercise must be intense.  Try the following exercises: push-ups, pull ups, lunges, and squats.  Perform two sets of each exercise within a 10 minute time frame.  Don’t worry if you can’t perform a lot of repetitions of these exercises when you first get started.  The key will be consistency over time.  If you do it daily your body will get stronger and build lean muscle mass.  As this happens you will notice your clothes fitting better, your energy increasing, your sleep improving, etc.  Do not weigh yourself on a scale.  As you lose fat, you will gain muscle.  Therefore, your weight may not fluctuate down as much as you want it to.  Weight is not as important as body composition.

Once Again, Common Sense Applies –