Flu shots / Storm aftermath / Stress

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: I’ll ask Gus Kotsanis, MD to explain if chemotherapy actually cures cancer. Also, to sort out which cancers actually respond positively to chemo and about the role of natural treatments. He will answer your questions if you call in. At the end, Andy and I will have fun brainstorming about what to do with leftover Halloween Candy. (Hint, taking it to a nursing home isn’t doing the patients a favor.) Call the live show with questions at 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and how to listen nationwide.
 
Stressed?
Maybe you can find something that will help in my article in Doug Kaufmann’s November Newsletter. LINK.
 
Aftermath of “Frankenstorm”, Sandy
 
Our prayers go out to all those who have suffered losses due to Sandy. Sadly, for those in its path, having survived the storm doesn’t mean that the fight is necessarily over. Consumers Union has put together some good advice on several aspects of those challenges, including action steps to avoid mold. LINK. Please forward this to anyone you know who was affected and has some way to get internet access (perhaps on their smart phone?). For the rest of us who want to help by making a donation of money or blood, link here to the Red Cross.
 Annual Flu Shots
This is an expansion of my newspaper column this week that I thought worth spreading further. (Really, I’m not just taking the easy way because I have a busy week including several radio interviews as guest and a talk for a Rotary Club. Okay…maybe that is a little part of the reason.)

In the fall, TV medical experts order us to get our flu shots. It certainly is easy enough—the vaccinations are so readily accessible that you can practically get one as a side order with your hamburger at the drive-thru. Some institutions require their employees to get flu shots and your own doctor probably recommends them. Given all that hype, you would think that they are (1) foolproof; (2) our only hope; and (3) without controversy or risk.
 
We want to believe that our physician has all the answers, but a second opinion is sometimes recommended. Of course, if the second doc went to the same type of medical school and is visited by the same drug reps, you may just get the same opinion twice. A naturopathic physician or integrative (nutrition-savvy) doctor can provide contrast and I’ve yet to meet one who is a big fan of flu shots. The decision is yours alone, but to make a more informed choice, you may want more information:

(1) It takes time to develop a vaccine. Therefore, each year the makers have to predict which varieties of flu will be making the rounds. Often they choose appropriately; sometimes they do not. (Scientists are working on a vaccine that will defend against a broad range of viruses, but that is probably years away.) It takes a couple of weeks for your body to fully react to the shot (or nasal spray) and protect you, so if you plan to have one, it is best to get it early.

(2) Next week I’ll list a number of ways you can boost your immune system naturally. If you don’t take at least several of those health-promoting preventive steps, then perhaps you should get a flu shot…especially if you are over age 65 and have a lot of health problems.

(3) Potential side effects of the immunization can include feeling as though you have the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare.” (I added the emphasis.) The CDC advises you NOT get the shot if you have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
 
In 1976 hundreds of patients contracted a very serious neurological condition, Guillain Barre Syndrome, from the swine flu shot. (GBS is now rare, but since it caught the experts by surprise, is it possible that there could be another surprise some year?)  I’ve always been impressed by lectures from the brilliant neurosurgeon, Russell Blaylock, MD. He is the author of a number of books including: Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.  He reviews evidence that vaccinations (in part because they can contain additives like mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and antibiotics) over-stimulate special immune cells (microglia) in the brain. Those cells can take a very long time to calm down. If we get a flu shot each year and maybe a shingles vaccine, there is a concern that they may never do go back to normal. He and others believe that hyper-vigilant immune cells go beyond protecting and cause inflammation that over time can lead to dementia. He calls them  “excitotoxins”. Blaylock says Aspartame (artificial sweetener) and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG, flavor enhancer) have the same effect. You can listen to an interview I did with him at this LINK.

There is no controversy whatever about the advice to wash your hands frequently; cough into your sleeve; stay home if you are sick; and don’t pick your nose unless your fingers are clean! (I’m obviously a case of just one, but I have never had the flu…and I have never had a flu shot.)
 
Last Week
LINK to Archive. We talked with US Congressman / Dentist Paul Gosar of AZ about government’s role in solving our health care crisis.  Dr. Thomas Lenahan of Cornerstone Wellness in Plano explained the tool he uses for relieving everything from Arthritis, Bursitis and Sciatica to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, TMJ and Golf-Related Pain. (Turned out his magic tool is an Avazzia micro-current pain device.) I also asked him about Restless Leg Syndrome.

Please help spread the good word-forward this newsletter to friends and family.
My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book: Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

The information contained in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright 2012 Martie Whittekin, CCN