Your Best Defence Against Seasonal Colds & Flus

Due to the overwhelming number of questions we receive every flu season, I wanted to share with everyone some important insights to think about. Enjoy!

1. Understand that the flu virus is not the ROOT CAUSE of the flu.
   • We are exposed to viruses and bacteria every day of our lives. What primarily determines who gets sick is the state your IMMUNE FUNCTION.
   • A famous study published in the New England Journal of Medicine exposed the study participants to the cold virus and then observed that only those who were “stressed” developed a cold!
   • We talk about the flu as being SEASONAL, but viruses and bacteria do NOT only come around during the fall and winter months! What definitely IS seasonal during the winter in Canada is far more STRESSORS in our lifestyles such as poor diet, more sitting (spinal stress and subluxation), less exercise, and more emotional stress from the holidays. Stressors trigger stress hormones (among other adaptations) which DECREASE your immune function and make you more susceptible to the flu.
2. Educate yourself regarding FLU VACCINATIONS:
   • We need to use scientifically valid data, and not emotion, to form an educated opinion regarding vaccination. There are a TON of sources telling you to get a flu shot, so I will provide you with some of the opposing arguments. I am not telling you what to do. I am just giving you some points to ponder! Ultimately it is your decision.

BENEFITS:

• I can not find any published peer-reviewed data telling us that the flu vaccines are EFFECTIVE. The data simply does not support claims that the seasonal flu vaccine significantly decreases the incidence of flu or complications from it. There has even been some admission that the vaccines DO NOT prevent the flu, and that they only GUESS correctly less than 30% of the time regarding which virus to vaccinate against.
• The health authorities justify recommending the vaccine by claiming it decreases the severity of flu and complications from it. But they often report RELATIVE risk reduction instead of ABSOLUTE risk reductions. You need to understand the difference. E.g. Out of 5000 people in a study group, there were 4 deaths in the unvaccinated group and 2 deaths in the vaccinated group. This relative difference is reported as a “50% reduction in deaths in those vaccinated versus not vaccinated”. But this is an absolute difference of 2 in 5000 which is not remotely significant! Believe it or not, they DO report findings this way!
• And efficacy and effectiveness are NOT the same thing. Effectiveness means it has been shown, in the real world, with a prospective, randomly controlled, placebo trial to prevent the flu when a group is vaccinated and then directly exposed to the pathogen. I have not seen this done for the flu shot. If you have, send me a copy!

COSTS:

• I can not find published, peer-reviewed data showing that flu vaccines are SAFE over the long-term. A government vaccine brochure is not enough. The only way to prove safety is to track individuals over a longitudinal study and compare vaccinated to non-vaccinated populations. I have not seen this. If you have, please send me a copy.
• Check the vaccine ingredients for common toxins such as aluminum, mercury (one of the most toxic substances on earth), ethylene glycol, and formaldehyde. Do you know the long-term effects of these toxins? We DO know that toxins cause SUPPRESSION of your immune system.
• Remember that the vast majority of cases of the flu involve mild to moderate symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and malaise. Not pleasant, but not serious or risky.
• Even with H1N1, your chances of death as of Oct 17, 2009, were 0.0002% (the statistics showed 83 deaths in Canada associated with the virus). And, the majority of these deaths involved underlying conditions or secondary bacterial infections. So if you did not have an underlying illness, your chances would have been EVEN LESS. The chances of dying in a car accident on your way to get the H1N1 vaccine were FAR greater than from the virus itself. Interesting.

3. Here are some evidence-based, simple steps to keep you healthier not just during the winter but all year, and all life, long.

• Don’t panic if you or a loved one gets the flu. Keep hydrated, stay home, eat intelligently and REST. If severe complications arise go to your medical doctor or a walk-in clinic.
• Take Vitamin D every day – this is absolutely one of the most evidence-based interventions available for reducing the incidence and severity of seasonal colds and flus. The data is very, very strong.
• Eat fresh, raw fruits and vegetables to ensure that your body is receiving sufficient daily micronutrient levels.
• Avoid refined sugar. Your immune cells require Vitamin C to work properly. However, glucose (sugar) and Vitamin C are almost identical, so glucose can attach to the receptors on your immune cells and BLOCK Vitamin C. The solution is NOT to take large amounts of synthetic Vitamin C supplements – the solution is to consume LESS refined sugar.
• Reduce your physical stress. Research shows that physical stressors like poor posture and vertebral subluxation complex increase stress hormones which can down regulate immune function. Research also shows that getting chiropractic adjustments can lower stress hormone levels and increase immune function! GET ADJUSTED REGULARLY! Schedule a check-up with us if you have not done so yet!
• Exercise regularly. Research shows this to increase your immune function.
• Reduce your emotional stress – learn a relaxation technique like meditation or mind quieting. Focus on solutions, and what is under your control. Think about what you are grateful for every day.