aww... Harmless little guy. No worries, you can go ahead and eat him.

You can’t turn on the television or open up a newspaper without hearing about Swine flu.  After seeing all this fear and mass hysteria, my spider senses were tingling, so I decided to share some research.  “But you’re just a chiropractor! What do you know about treating flu’s?” 

The fact is, even being a Chiropractor in Maple Ridge, I get asked about swine flu every day recently, and even though chiropractic care is not a treatment for the flu or any other disease, rather a strategy on getting and staying well in mind and body, I’ve done enough research not in diseases, but on what makes people be and stay well.  You can say I’m a wellness expert with a non-traditional view. 

Even still, I have no illusions that everyone is going to agree with me here.  With all the craze going on, facebook and twitter statuses of doom and gloom, I’m just getting a little fed up and I wanted to share with you some simple truths about how our crazy little world operates, how your body works at its best, and give you some tips to consider so you can protect yourself and don’t have to walk around in a constant state of fear like the

Fear. Quite an effective tool for controlling masses of people, don't you think?

masses do.

What is “swine” flu?

Well, it’s just like any other flu, but it’s a new strain of it.   In  the past, swine flu hasn’t affected people, and the few people who had it were the ones that were in contact with pigs.  This strain is transmissible through human to human contact, which is why the health officials are concerned.  Oh, and by the way, you can relax.  You will not catch swine flu from eating pork.  They’re changing the name back to “A-H1N1″ to help combat public avoidance of pork products, although I think the damage has already been done.

People who have suppressed immune systems die of the flu each and every day.  Unfortunate as that is, it’s a fact of life.  Depending on certain factors which I’ll mention later, which happen to be WELL WITHIN YOUR CONTROL, you can greatly reduce your risk of becoming a statistic. 

As for our discussion about “Swine” flu, here are the symptoms:

Any of these sound familiar to you?  That’s because they’re the symptoms of any ordinary flu.  When you get these symptoms, the usual care at home works optimally:  Rest, proper nutrition, plenty of fluids.  If the symptoms worsen to breathing problems, sudden dizziness or confusion, and severe and persistent vomiting, these are emergency signs and require immediate medical attention.  

So why the scare?

This is not the first time we’ve had a “swine flu” scare.  The last one happened in 1976.  On April 27th just earlier this week, Time magazine published an article that talked about the fiasco that resulted from the last scare of Swine flu. 

     Despite admitting that the way the last pandemic scare was a farce, the article still suggests that officials “may soon have to consider whether to institute draconian measures to combat the disease.”

These “draconian measures” were used back in 1976.  You want to know what happened back then?  After the pandemic scare, it resulted in a massive swine flu vaccine campaign mandated by the Ford administration.

Do you happen to know what happened as a result of this massive campaign?

Within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the vaccine. The vaccine was also blamed for 25 deaths.

Several hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome after they were injected with the swine flu vaccine. Even healthy 20-year-olds ended up as paraplegics.

And the swine flu pandemic itself?  There were more deaths and injuries from the actual vaccine itself than the swine flu before the vaccine was mandated.  Watch how fear was used even back then!

LOL.  It’s funny, I used to laugh at conspiracy theorists, but when you look at facts from real, credible sources that are not directly or indirectly tied into pharmaceutical manufacturers, you see how the government and media scare the *&%# out of people to get them in a state of fear and panic, and then they end up consuming more drugs (watch the Tamiflu sales go up and Glaxosmithkline stocks go way up) and soon, you’ll be hearing about mandatory flu vaccinations again.  History repeats itself. 

Here are some facts to consider before you panic about this swine flu pandemic scare, special thanks to Dr. Joseph Mercola:

• Malaria kills 3,000 people EVERY DAY, and it’s considered “a health problem”… But of course, there are no vaccines for malaria.  So chances are, you won’t be hearing much about it.
• Remember the Bird-Flu (similar strain as swine flu by the way) epidemic scare back in 2005 that the US government estimated that 2 million people will die, at best only 200,000?  Ya, that turned out to be a hoax.  Dr. Joseph Mercola did his research and shows conclusive proof that it was brought on to instill fear and sell pharmaceuticals.  He even wrote an entire book about it–”The Bird Flu Hoax”.
• In 2004, more than 1,170 people died worldwide from being struck by lightning.  Can’t sell a drug or vaccine for that, although I’m sure they’ll be working on it.
• Tamiflu (anti-viral drug prescribed for the flu) went through some rough times not too long ago, as the dangers of this drug came to light when, in 2007, the FDA began to investigate the drug due to complications and dangerous side effects from 1800 separate reports. Common side effects of Tamiflu include:
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Cough

  The very symptoms you are trying to avoid.

• More serious symptoms of Tamiflu included convulsions, delirium or delusions, and 14 deaths in children and teens as a result of neuropsychiatric problems and brain infections (which led Japan to ban Tamiflu for children in 2007). And that’s for a drug that, when used as directed, only reduces the duration of flu symptoms by 1 to 1 ½ days, according to the official data.
• The regular flu, not the swine flu, has already killed 13,000 people in the US since January (even though there is strong support that these types of numbers are exaggerated to help boost vaccine sales).  However, the fact remains that the regular flu at this point in time is FAR more dangerous than the swine flu.  Were you this fearful and worried before the media started talking it up?

(Mexican advertisement)Caption reads: INFLUENZA: When all conventional masks have run out.

The flu kills immune compromised people every year.  Infectious diseases all over the world have always been present and it’s been a part of life.  These bacteria and viruses are part of nature.  The fact remains:  It’s not just about the germ.  You have to have a viable host for these pandemics.  They thrive in unsanitary, high stress, immune compromised and weakened individuals.  You take an 80 year old man who’s recovering from heart surgery in a hospital (filled with antibiotic resistant bacteria and swarming with viruses), he’s in a weakened state, he catches the flu and dies, and we say that the cause of death was the flu.  The truth is, this unfortunate series of events concerning the host was a perfect breeding ground for the spread of the virus.

Remember:  Flies don’t cause garbage!  Observe the state of health of the host of these germs!  The ideal host?  A high stressed, dehydrated, unfulfilled, sedentary person who is on the typical North American diet (alcohol, cigarettes, refined sugar, processed foods, sodas, medications, trans fats) that is both toxic with chemicals and deficient in essential nutrients.  A great place for bacteria and viruses to thrive– environments with supressed immune systems.

Ok, so you’ve heard me rant and give my version of conspiracy theories about this new pandemic scare.  Just remember one thing when you’re seeing these scary media reports of sick people dying over the next few months:  It’s not new, this has happened before, it will happen again, and you don’t have to live with fear.  Observe carefully how the pharmaceutical advertisements will be put out in the wake of these reports, sometimes even in the next segment of the television program!  Don’t become so easily influenced.  Do your research from sources not tied into Big Pharma, and ask your alternative health provider on ways you can make yourself stronger both internally and externally.  Here’s my top ten ways to prevent swine flu– some are common sense, and others you might not have thought about.

• Wash your hands regularly (duh!)
• Take high quality nutritional vitamin supplements, especially Omega-3’s, along with making sure that you eat a diet with high levels of anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables.  Start every meal with something raw– fruits and salads.
• Get more sunshine!  I’ve read tons of research about this and I’m convinced that the flu-season happens for mainly 2 reasons, one of which is stress and the other is lack of Vitamin D absorption due to lack of sunlight.  Sunlight allows us to absorb vitamin D, an extrememly important vitamin for the immune response.  Levels are chronically low in the dark winter months. Go outside for a walk!
• Go easy on the junk food.  Sugars, sodas, high fructose corn syrups, and processed foods are actually toxins which paralyze the immune system temporarily because you body has to use up all it’s energy to recover from them.  
• Rest.  Last time I caught a virus, I looked at it as a lesson.  I get bored easily and like to take on 12 things at once.  Even though I do what I love and love what I do, if my body didn’t tell me to rest, I probably wouldn’t have.  Listen carefully to the signs your body is giving you and appreciate them rather than try to mask them.  Your body is often wiser than you are.
• Exercise.  When you exercise, you increase blood flow throughout your body, so your immune system factors get better circulation.  Exercise helps prevent insulin resistance which really is tough on the immune system.
• Have some effective tools at your disposal for dissolving stress as it comes.  Your anger, resentments, frustration, fears, and guilts all raise stress hormone levels.  (Even your fear of catching swine flu will do it!) If you don’t deal with them NOW in an effective manner, the scientific literature suggests that it actually causes unhealthy adaptations in your body.  Read “Biology of belief” by Dr. Bruce Lipton from Stanford School of Medicine.
• Eat Garlic.  It works as a broad spectrum antibiotic and anti-viral.  And you won’t have to worry about creating resistant microbes, so it’s quite safe.  If you’re not too worried about offending those around you… make sure you eat your garlic. 
• Get adjusted regularly (shameless plug).  Every cell of your body, including the organs responsible for your immune system have a connection to your nervous system.  A chiropractor is more than just about back pain and headaches.  Keeping your spine moving properly with adjustments allows that connection between brain and cell to remain clear and working optimally.   
• Have a group of alternative health practitioners on your health team.  In addition to having a General Practitioner, it’s wise to include a Naturopath and a Chiropractor and Massage Therapist on your team to ensure that your body is kept in balance in all areas.   The training we have is completely different than an MD who focusses on disease, symptoms, and treatments.  All are necessary to work together to ensure all angles of this complex organism that is you to be functioning at its best.  There are even some great homeopathic remedies that work quite safely and effectively for flu’s.  Do your research!

The other option here is to walk around in fear and be suspicious of everyone.  I love the mexicans for their sense of humor.  God bless them.  This one had me in stitches.  It points out the fact that we just need to slow down, relax, and not be so panicky.  Caption reads “INFLUENZA:  When conventional masks have run out”

LOL.

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