After all the hype, most people are finding that the risks outweight the benefits of the flu shot. The Drug companies are asking us to just pay them more and take the flu shot, although the numbers and benefits are not backed up with hard science, but with pleas for bigger profits.
If you haven't had your flu shot, read the article before you run out and put more money in the Big Pharma's pockets.
Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:
What part of "no thanks" do CDC officials and drug company execs not understand when it comes to most Americans refusing to get a flu shot every year? Despite all the hype about how 36,000 Americans die every year from influenza and 200,000 more are hospitalized, it is hard to find somebody who knows anybody who was hospitalized or died from infection with one of the three influenza viruses contained in the flu vaccine. Yet, those figures keep getting bandied about by public health officials, who steadfastly refuse to produce the hard scientific evidence to back up their numbers. In light of the fact that only 20 percent of all flu-like illness in any given flu season is actually influenza, inquiring minds want to know the truth and are asking for proof that backs up the rhetoric. So far, the flu vaccine studies published in the medical literature fail to give credence to any of the inflated influenza mortality figures the CDC is using to try to scare the people.Guaranteeing Drug Company Profits - Unable to frighten Americans into getting an annual flu shot, public health officials have taken to playing the sympathy card. On behalf of drug companies, they are pleading for the people to roll up their sleeves, dig deep into their pockets and shell out some bucks for the flu shot to guarantee the drug companies big profits. It doesn't look good on drug company stockholder proft/loss statements when unused surplus vaccine has to be dumped after the flu season is over. No, wait! Now public health officials are saying that there is no such thing as the beginning and ending of a flu season: the flu is actually a killer all year round so everybody should get vaccinated all year round! Exercising the Immune System - It wasn't so very long ago when the flu vaccine was only recommended for those at very high risk for suffering serious complications from influenza infection, such as the elderly or those already seriously ill. The majority of healthy young Americans accepted getting the flu every couple of years as a part of life. It was a great excuse to take a few days off from school or work and stay in bed with plenty of kleenex, Vicks vapor rub, OJ, chicken noodle soup and a good book. Then, after experiencing the sore throat, chills, fever and other symptoms of acute inflammation that are part of a robust immune system exercise, often recovery from influenza was followed by an extended period of good health. And when that same strain of influenza came around again, there was either no re-infection (immunity) or fewer and milder symptoms of illness. Superior Natural Immunity - Experience with type A and type B influenza infection has another bonus: immunological memory that could help resist the ravages of a nastier version of type A or type B influenza that comes around someday. Flu vaccine only provides temporary immunity. So pandemic flu planners are counting on the superior, longer lasting immunity of those Americans, who have actually recovered from influenza infection, because drug companies won't be able to produce pandemic flu vaccine fast enough to provide doses for everyone for up to a year after the pandemic begins. If public health officials are depending upon Americans with qualitatively superior cell mediated immunity to influenza, which can only be obtained from recovering from the flu the old fashioned way, to limit morbidity and mortality from a future pandemic flu - then why are they insisting that every American get annual flu vaccinations from birth? Dealing with the Flu - These days, many Americans are taking steps to deal with influenza or flu-like illnesses by enhancing the functioning of the immune system through diet, exercise and other positive lifestyle and health care changes. And if they do get the flu, they are taking a common sense approach. To prevent and treat influenza or flu-like illness that does not involve a fever over 103 F, pneumonia or serious complications which may require special medical intervention, here are a few non-toxic suggestions:1. Wash your hands frequently.2. Avoid close contact with those who are sick.3. If you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.4. Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.5. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.6. Get adequate sleep.7. Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals, especially foods containing vitamin C (such as citrus fruits) and vitamins A and D (such as cod liver oil) and spend a few minutes a day in sunlight to help your body make and store vitamin D.8. Exercise regularly when you are well.9. Lower stress.10. Consider including holistic alternatives in your wellness or healing plan, such as chiropractic adjustments, homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, acupuncture and other health care options.There is little indication that CDC officials are going to stop asking Americans to roll up their sleeves and guarantee drug companies flu vaccine profits. There is also little indication that Americans are paying much attention to that request. In the wings: most likely a CDC and drug industry plan to try to get politicians to mandate the stuff."
No forced vaccination. Not in America."
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20061216&Category=ZNYT01&ArtNo=612160439&SectionCat=BUSINESS&Template=printart
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
They Could Save Your Life...
"The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you. It's that they are so good for you they could save your life."By David Bjerklie, TIME Magazine, October 20, 2003
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bosses Push Staff to Eat Right, Exercise
By ELLEN SIMON
The Associated PressMonday, December 4, 2006; 5:00 PM
NEW YORK -- Many companies are starting to sound like moms: They're pushing employees to eat their vegetables and go outside and play. And they're not being gentle about it.
Outdoor clothing company L.L. Bean, Inc. shuts down its manufacturing line three times a day for mandatory five-minute stretches, designed to prevent the most common injuries the workers suffer.
"It's a safety measure, just as we would ask someone to wear safety glasses if there's a danger of hurting their eyes," said Susan Tufts, the company's employee wellness program manager.
At retailer Replacements Ltd., 250 employees take part in a walking program organized by the company nurse. T-shirt manufacturer American Apparel has 80 loaner bikes, locks and helmets for employees and hosted an employee screening of "Fast Food Nation," a film where the villain is the meat industry.
Insurance company The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. is among those using price manipulation in its cafeteria to encourage employees to eat right. It's increasing the prices on fatty foods and using the extra money to fund a subsidy for healthy sandwiches, cut fruit and salads.
Such "Twinkie taxes" are now in place at 7 to 10 percent of corporate cafeterias run by food service company Sodexho, up from almost none three years ago, according to the company.
Mounting healthcare costs are driving the changes. Employee assistance company ComPsych Corp. runs what it calls "trainwreck exercises," in which companies compute how long they can absorb healthcare cost increases before they become unprofitable. The first client that did the exercise realized it only had 18 months. Health insurance premiums for 2006 rose 7.7 percent twice the rate of inflation.
While some companies are responding to the higher healthcare cost by cutting employees' coverage and shifting more costs to the employees, others are doing everything they can to convince employees to adopt healthier habits in the hopes they will avoid diseases caused or complicated by eating poorly and being overweight or inactive.
After L.L. Bean increased the price for burgers and lowered the price for salads in its cafeteria fruit and salad bar purchases doubled while French fry and burger sales fell by half.
When railroad company Union Pacific Corp. opened a new headquarters in Omaha two years ago it ordered its cafeteria operator to hire a full-time dietitian for the site and cut the fat and calories on every item by 10 percent.
The company runs a "Know Your Numbers" program that drills into employees' heads figures such as the 30 minutes of exercise they should be getting a day and the 3,500 calories in a pound.
"The biggest thing the guys come back and say they learned the most about is portion size," said Marcy Zauha, the company's director of health and safety. "They didn't understand how much they were eating."
Besides cost cutting, another factor behind the programs is the amount of time employees spend at work.
If workers don't have access to fruits and vegetables on the job, they will need to consume between one and two servings every waking hour after work to meet the goal of eating 5 to 9 servings a day, according to the California Department of Human Services. To reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day, sedentary workers would have to spend most of their evenings in motion, the department said.
Even a little daily exercise can boost health, said Dr. Antronette (Toni) Yancey, associate professor at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Yancey collaborated with the Ministry of Health in Mexico, where everyone gathers at 11 a.m. each morning for 10 minutes of exercise to music. The result, after a year, was an average .45 pound weight loss an improvement from the one pound a year, on average, people gain as they age.
"Especially as it relates to physical activity, people have demonstrated that they're not going to make a lot of changes on their own," Dr. Yancey said. "If we're going to make a big dent lower healthcare costs, improve productivity and morale you have to make it easier to do than not do."
Yancey and others say that work gyms are used primarily by people who would exercise anyway. For everyone else, a little manipulation goes a long way. Her suggestions include incorporating exercise breaks in to the work day, restricting parking close to the building, limiting elevator access to people with disabilities, widening and brightening stairwells and hosting walking meetings. (People seldom refer to the notes they take during seated meetings, she says.)
Price manipulation worked for senior business analyst Kathy Blaszczyk at The Hartford, who started buying a flank steak salad with grilled corn when the price dropped from $6 to $4.70.
"I love it, but I never used to get it," she said. "I have in my head a $5 threshold."
Having the company's top leaders embrace the program also helps.
Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc. restaurants and a runner, has cajoled 265 company employees to run the January Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon with him. Most of the runners joining him "have never done anything like that distance-wise," Cathy said of his group. "There's a lot of first timers."
Cathy said he's motivated by his religious belief that the body is a temple and a more practical thought.
"We live in a time when there really is a healthcare crisis," said Cathy. "Every segment of society needs to make a contribution."
Ellen Simon is a national business beat reporter for The Associated Press, covering labor and workplace issues. Write to her at esimon(at)ap.org.
© 2006 The Associated Press
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bosses Push Staff to Eat Right, Exercise
By ELLEN SIMON
The Associated PressMonday, December 4, 2006; 5:00 PM
NEW YORK -- Many companies are starting to sound like moms: They're pushing employees to eat their vegetables and go outside and play. And they're not being gentle about it.
Outdoor clothing company L.L. Bean, Inc. shuts down its manufacturing line three times a day for mandatory five-minute stretches, designed to prevent the most common injuries the workers suffer.
"It's a safety measure, just as we would ask someone to wear safety glasses if there's a danger of hurting their eyes," said Susan Tufts, the company's employee wellness program manager.
At retailer Replacements Ltd., 250 employees take part in a walking program organized by the company nurse. T-shirt manufacturer American Apparel has 80 loaner bikes, locks and helmets for employees and hosted an employee screening of "Fast Food Nation," a film where the villain is the meat industry.
Insurance company The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. is among those using price manipulation in its cafeteria to encourage employees to eat right. It's increasing the prices on fatty foods and using the extra money to fund a subsidy for healthy sandwiches, cut fruit and salads.
Such "Twinkie taxes" are now in place at 7 to 10 percent of corporate cafeterias run by food service company Sodexho, up from almost none three years ago, according to the company.
Mounting healthcare costs are driving the changes. Employee assistance company ComPsych Corp. runs what it calls "trainwreck exercises," in which companies compute how long they can absorb healthcare cost increases before they become unprofitable. The first client that did the exercise realized it only had 18 months. Health insurance premiums for 2006 rose 7.7 percent twice the rate of inflation.
While some companies are responding to the higher healthcare cost by cutting employees' coverage and shifting more costs to the employees, others are doing everything they can to convince employees to adopt healthier habits in the hopes they will avoid diseases caused or complicated by eating poorly and being overweight or inactive.
After L.L. Bean increased the price for burgers and lowered the price for salads in its cafeteria fruit and salad bar purchases doubled while French fry and burger sales fell by half.
When railroad company Union Pacific Corp. opened a new headquarters in Omaha two years ago it ordered its cafeteria operator to hire a full-time dietitian for the site and cut the fat and calories on every item by 10 percent.
The company runs a "Know Your Numbers" program that drills into employees' heads figures such as the 30 minutes of exercise they should be getting a day and the 3,500 calories in a pound.
"The biggest thing the guys come back and say they learned the most about is portion size," said Marcy Zauha, the company's director of health and safety. "They didn't understand how much they were eating."
Besides cost cutting, another factor behind the programs is the amount of time employees spend at work.
If workers don't have access to fruits and vegetables on the job, they will need to consume between one and two servings every waking hour after work to meet the goal of eating 5 to 9 servings a day, according to the California Department of Human Services. To reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day, sedentary workers would have to spend most of their evenings in motion, the department said.
Even a little daily exercise can boost health, said Dr. Antronette (Toni) Yancey, associate professor at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Yancey collaborated with the Ministry of Health in Mexico, where everyone gathers at 11 a.m. each morning for 10 minutes of exercise to music. The result, after a year, was an average .45 pound weight loss an improvement from the one pound a year, on average, people gain as they age.
"Especially as it relates to physical activity, people have demonstrated that they're not going to make a lot of changes on their own," Dr. Yancey said. "If we're going to make a big dent lower healthcare costs, improve productivity and morale you have to make it easier to do than not do."
Yancey and others say that work gyms are used primarily by people who would exercise anyway. For everyone else, a little manipulation goes a long way. Her suggestions include incorporating exercise breaks in to the work day, restricting parking close to the building, limiting elevator access to people with disabilities, widening and brightening stairwells and hosting walking meetings. (People seldom refer to the notes they take during seated meetings, she says.)
Price manipulation worked for senior business analyst Kathy Blaszczyk at The Hartford, who started buying a flank steak salad with grilled corn when the price dropped from $6 to $4.70.
"I love it, but I never used to get it," she said. "I have in my head a $5 threshold."
Having the company's top leaders embrace the program also helps.
Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc. restaurants and a runner, has cajoled 265 company employees to run the January Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon with him. Most of the runners joining him "have never done anything like that distance-wise," Cathy said of his group. "There's a lot of first timers."
Cathy said he's motivated by his religious belief that the body is a temple and a more practical thought.
"We live in a time when there really is a healthcare crisis," said Cathy. "Every segment of society needs to make a contribution."
Ellen Simon is a national business beat reporter for The Associated Press, covering labor and workplace issues. Write to her at esimon(at)ap.org.
© 2006 The Associated Press
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Exercise a Key Component to Avoiding Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is one of the world's most common chronic diseases. It affects one-third of all women over age 50 (making it more common than breast cancer), and one in five men (making it more common than prostate cancer). A new report released by the International Osteoporosis Foundation examines some of the causes behind osteoporosis, and offers several suggestions for people of all ages on how to avoid the condition later in life.
The report, entitled Move It or Lose It, was published to commemorate World Osteoporosis Day. Among the report's highlights:
In girls, the amount of bone tissue accumulated between the ages of 11 and 13 equates to approximately the same amount of bone tissue lost in the 30 years following menopause.
Exercise appears to be the key to increasing (or retaining) bone mass. A study in Finland found that the most physically active young girls gain about 40 percent more bone mass than girls who are the least physically active.
A study was conducted on postmenopausal women who used small weights to strengthen their back muscles for approximately two years. At a 10-year followup, women who exercised had stronger back muscles than those who did not exercise. Perhaps most importantly, they had reduced the chance of getting a fracture by approximately 300 percent.
Exercise also greatly reduces the risk of falls in the elderly, an important statistic considering that each year, approximately 40 percent of people over 65 suffer at least one fall. Individually tailored exercise programs and group exercises such as tai chi appear to be the most effective in reducing the incidence of falls and fall-related injuries.
The Move It or Lose It report is available for free on the International Osteoporosis Foundation's Web site (www.osteofound.org). In addition, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about ways to combat osteoporosis, including exercise and rehabilitation programs, and diet and lifestyle modifications. For more information, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/senior/osteoporosis/index.html.
Minne H. Move It or Lose It. How Exercise Helps to Build and Maintain Strong Bones, Prevent Falls and Fractures, and Speed Rehabilitation. Published by the International Osteoporosis Foundation, October 2005.
KEEP YOUR BODY YOUNG, ALIVE & FULLY FUNCTIONING
New research reveals revolutionary sound technology - the same technology that enhances memory - can dramatically increase longevity, slow aging and lower stress. This sound technology can actually put you - very safely, quickly and easily - into states of...
Deep stress release and relaxation
Superlearning
Dramatically enhanced creativity
Laser-beam focus and concentration
Enhanced memory
Increased feelings of well-being
Dear Reader, It's a rare immune system that can't use a little help. Let's face it; few of us are perfect. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to get as much sleep as I should. And although I'm pretty good at managing stress, life has a way of throwing stressful surprises at us on an almost daily basis. And then there are the exercise and diet issues. Again, few of us are perfect. So wouldn't it be nice to provide your immune system with a security force that would quickly respond to any breech of the perimeter, so to speak, freeing up your immune functions to do their work at top capacity? Let me introduce you to a first class security force: four Pathogen Destroyers that are ideally suited to give your immune system a strong helping hand. -------------------------------------------- Flu fighters ---------------------------------------
First: What's a pathogen? The word comes from the Greek and literally means "birth of pain" - a good way to describe a disease-causing microorganism that may arrive in the form of bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite. Four excellent Pathogen Destroyers were featured in a recent issue of Baseline of Health, a weekly e-letter published by HSI Panelist Jon Barron. When I asked Jon about the Pathogen Destroyers (we'll call them PDs to keep it simple), he told me he always keeps several bottles on hand so he'll be prepared fight off infection. Jon added: "If you catch a cold or flu at the first sign and hit it hard, you can stop it. Like most illnesses, if you wait until it's fully established, it's harder to get rid of it. And one other note, after you get rid of it, keep hammering for another 2-3 days to make sure it's really gone and not still lurking around."
------------- PD #1: Oil of wild mountain oregano -----------------------------------
The most exotic sounding of the four PDs is oil of wild mountain oregano (OWMO), which is produced from oregano that grows in remote mountain regions north of the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks put wild oregano to medicinal use long before scientists discovered the herb to be extremely rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese and others) and vitamins C and A. Jon notes that OWMO is "antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It also has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The key components, the isomeric phenols, in dilutions as low as 1 to 50,000, destroy a wide range of pathogens. Another phenol constituent, thymol, actually helps boosts the immune system."
------------------------- PD #2: Olive leaf extract ---------------------------------------- "Olive leaf extract (OLE) has a long history of being used against illnesses in which microorganisms play a major role," writes Jon. OLE is a member of a group of antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids. In one laboratory test an OLE effectively eliminated a wide range of organisms, "including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast/mold/fungus." In a previous e-Alert, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., wrote this about OLE: "I'd add some acidophilus culture (also called probiotics) to the mix, during and for a few days after the use of OLE. The situation here is that OLE is such a good antibacterial that it can also kill the 'good guy' bacteria that we need in our gastrointestinal tracts. A capsule or so of acidophilus before meals should be adequate insurance for keeping these beneficial organisms established."
-------------------- PD #3: Grapefruit seed extract ------------------------------------- Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural antibiotic, which Jon describes as a "broad spectrum anti-pathogen." And he offers this impressive benefit list: "Internally grapefruit seed extract can help with gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, food poisoning, parasites (single and multi-celled), candida yeast infections, thrush, oral infections, colds and flu, sore throats, strep throat, and sinusitis." GSE can also be used to treat various skin conditions (nail fungus, cold sores, warts, athletes foot, infections, rashes, acne, etc.), and is sometimes used by campers to add to water of questionable quality. Jon adds one word of warning: "Grapefruit seed extract MAY increase the effect of a number of medications."
-------------------- PD #4: Garlic --------------------------------------------
The most familiar item on the PD list is garlic, which Jon calls his favorite because it's the "kindest" to the beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Jon writes: "The olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, and grapefruit seed extract can all destroy your beneficial bacteria if taken in sufficient quantity. Garlic is kinder to probiotics. In addition, garlic is one of the best infection fighters available for both bacterial and viral infections." Other garlic benefits:
Stimulates the activity of macrophages (which engulf foreign organisms)
Helps clear mucous from the lungs, making garlic particularly effective in treating upper respiratory viral infections
Effective against strep and staph bacteria
Deep stress release and relaxation
Superlearning
Dramatically enhanced creativity
Laser-beam focus and concentration
Enhanced memory
Increased feelings of well-being
Dear Reader, It's a rare immune system that can't use a little help. Let's face it; few of us are perfect. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to get as much sleep as I should. And although I'm pretty good at managing stress, life has a way of throwing stressful surprises at us on an almost daily basis. And then there are the exercise and diet issues. Again, few of us are perfect. So wouldn't it be nice to provide your immune system with a security force that would quickly respond to any breech of the perimeter, so to speak, freeing up your immune functions to do their work at top capacity? Let me introduce you to a first class security force: four Pathogen Destroyers that are ideally suited to give your immune system a strong helping hand. -------------------------------------------- Flu fighters ---------------------------------------
First: What's a pathogen? The word comes from the Greek and literally means "birth of pain" - a good way to describe a disease-causing microorganism that may arrive in the form of bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite. Four excellent Pathogen Destroyers were featured in a recent issue of Baseline of Health, a weekly e-letter published by HSI Panelist Jon Barron. When I asked Jon about the Pathogen Destroyers (we'll call them PDs to keep it simple), he told me he always keeps several bottles on hand so he'll be prepared fight off infection. Jon added: "If you catch a cold or flu at the first sign and hit it hard, you can stop it. Like most illnesses, if you wait until it's fully established, it's harder to get rid of it. And one other note, after you get rid of it, keep hammering for another 2-3 days to make sure it's really gone and not still lurking around."
------------- PD #1: Oil of wild mountain oregano -----------------------------------
The most exotic sounding of the four PDs is oil of wild mountain oregano (OWMO), which is produced from oregano that grows in remote mountain regions north of the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks put wild oregano to medicinal use long before scientists discovered the herb to be extremely rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese and others) and vitamins C and A. Jon notes that OWMO is "antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It also has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The key components, the isomeric phenols, in dilutions as low as 1 to 50,000, destroy a wide range of pathogens. Another phenol constituent, thymol, actually helps boosts the immune system."
------------------------- PD #2: Olive leaf extract ---------------------------------------- "Olive leaf extract (OLE) has a long history of being used against illnesses in which microorganisms play a major role," writes Jon. OLE is a member of a group of antioxidant plant compounds called flavonoids. In one laboratory test an OLE effectively eliminated a wide range of organisms, "including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast/mold/fungus." In a previous e-Alert, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., wrote this about OLE: "I'd add some acidophilus culture (also called probiotics) to the mix, during and for a few days after the use of OLE. The situation here is that OLE is such a good antibacterial that it can also kill the 'good guy' bacteria that we need in our gastrointestinal tracts. A capsule or so of acidophilus before meals should be adequate insurance for keeping these beneficial organisms established."
-------------------- PD #3: Grapefruit seed extract ------------------------------------- Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural antibiotic, which Jon describes as a "broad spectrum anti-pathogen." And he offers this impressive benefit list: "Internally grapefruit seed extract can help with gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, food poisoning, parasites (single and multi-celled), candida yeast infections, thrush, oral infections, colds and flu, sore throats, strep throat, and sinusitis." GSE can also be used to treat various skin conditions (nail fungus, cold sores, warts, athletes foot, infections, rashes, acne, etc.), and is sometimes used by campers to add to water of questionable quality. Jon adds one word of warning: "Grapefruit seed extract MAY increase the effect of a number of medications."
-------------------- PD #4: Garlic --------------------------------------------
The most familiar item on the PD list is garlic, which Jon calls his favorite because it's the "kindest" to the beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Jon writes: "The olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, and grapefruit seed extract can all destroy your beneficial bacteria if taken in sufficient quantity. Garlic is kinder to probiotics. In addition, garlic is one of the best infection fighters available for both bacterial and viral infections." Other garlic benefits:
Stimulates the activity of macrophages (which engulf foreign organisms)
Helps clear mucous from the lungs, making garlic particularly effective in treating upper respiratory viral infections
Effective against strep and staph bacteria
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