Six things you can do to reduce the impact of Swine Flu on your health

"The 1918 has gone: a year momentous as the termination of the most cruel war in the annals of the human race; a year which marked, the end at least for a time, of man's destruction of man; unfortunately a year in which developed a most fatal infectious disease causing the death of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Medical science for four and one-half years devoted itself to putting men on the firing line and keeping them there. Now it must turn with its whole might to combating the greatest enemy of all--infectious disease," As noted in the Journal of the American Medical Association final edition of 1918: (12/28/1918).

My article here is not about how to avoid Swine Flu. It is about how to ensure you do not get knocked around too much should you get a dose of it. There is already plenty of advice about how to avoid it (Washing hands, quarantine etc). What I am about to tell you is what health officials do not tell you.

Swine Flu (H1N1) virus is a relatively mild influenza. Those most at risk of complications include people with:

• Pre-existing conditions such as asthma and emphysema
• Weakened immune systems due to factors such as chemotherapy, chronic stress, poor nutrition, poor sleep and medicine such as statins and prednisone
• The least previous contact with influenza over their lifetime
  

In my case: If I catch a dose of the Swine Flu, I will welcome it because I am currently in good health and most unlikely to die from the few days of sniffles and aching muscles. I greet the infection with the knowledge that, once I have had this mild virus, I am immune to it for life.

I will then have an innate resistance to this new influenza family.

This is important to me because the H1N1 virus will surely eventually mutate into another variation of the H1Ni and there is the slight, but real, possibility that the new bug has similar qualities to the 1918 Spanish Flu that wiped out millions. My immune system will be primed and prepared for the onslaught.

Here are six things you can easily do to reduce the impact of the virus on your health:

1. Ensure your vitamin D levels are kept up over winter. We have a "Flu" season because population D levels plummet over winter. Keep yours up with a vitamin D supplement which you can get off me for just $12-$15. Adults can take 4,000iu per day, children 1,000iu per day during winter. In three years of testing vitamin D levels, not one person has returned an "optimum" result and many have been seriously deficient - is there any reason why you should be bucking the trend towards deficiency? High vitamin D levels may reduce your lifetime risk of all cancers by 60-70%, so what are you waiting for?
   
2. Ensure you have a good intake of vitamin C with fruit, vegetables and a daily supplement - Ester C is best because one dose per day is enough. Daily intake can be about 2,000mg per day over winter. Kiwifruit are rich in vitamin C and going for as little as $1/kg right now. As an added bonus, vitamin C improves energy levels and is great for hair, skin and nails.
   
3. Boost your trace minerals. New Zealand soils are deficient in many trace minerals, including boron, cobalt, selenium and zinc. So far, everyone I have tested for zinc levels (an indicator for several trace minerals) have returned a deficency result. Low levels of zinc and selenium lay you wide open for inflammation and infections such as sore throats and poor healing. I use two supplements to correct these deficiencies: AgeWise Blood Sugar Support and Kordels Selenium ACE. Dosages depend on a person's needs. these supplements have the added bonus of reducing the risks of developing prostatisis (if make and over 40yrs), they may improve male and female virility while reducing sugar cravings.
   
4. Take a daily Lysine supplement. Lysine is an amino acid that has antiviral properties. It is used for reducing the ferocity of the cold sore virus. It works when taken daily over the longterm with similar benefits for other viruses, including infuenza. As an added bonus, it is great for skin, hair and nails as well!
5. Get an infusion of quality protein over the day. Your immune system needs protein to fight the Good Fight. Good athletes and gardeners know that you get better results if you dribble in the nutrients, including protein, rather than give the same in a single big hit each day. Rather than have all your protein in a single meal, divvy it up into three or four servings over the day. Whey protein is the King of proteins. You can get a pot of whey off me. Sprinkle a level spoonful on your breakfast cereal and mix with smoothies and other dishes during the day.
6. Get plenty of sleep. Seven to eight hours per day. Go to bed by 10pm, have the lights out by 10.30pm and be asleep by 11pm. It is during the hours of 1-3am that your body produces peak levels of Growth Hormone (This is why children and teenagers need lots of deep sleep). In the adult, Growth Hormone repairs and revitalises the body that has been exhausted by a hard day's work. Sex is the recommended knockout drug for those who are slow to fall asleep. With all that vitamin D and trace minerals, you will be feeling more like it and hopefully getting plenty of it one way or another!

If I catch Swine Flu....

Should I take Tamiflu?
Virulent it may be; but the Swine Flu is still a relatively mild virus. If you are in good general health and if you have put my nutrition and sleep advice in place early on, there really is no need to take Tamiflu - unless you want to add to the billion or so dollars Roche International is making out of this pandemic. Do not be fooled: Tamiflu is not some harmless drug. It has the potential for serious, harmful side effects. As with all drugs; take only if you really, really have to. Be guided by your doctor on this one, if you are unsure.

Should I take medicines like Panadol (and Tamiflu) to lower my fever?
If you are in good general health, there is no need to take any medicines for a mild flu virus. One of the tools your body uses to kill off a virus is to cook it. Viruses do not tolerate high temperatures, so let the body get on with the job without interference, use cold compresses to relieve the headache and wait for the fever to break. Once the fever breaks, you are on the way to a full recovery and robust immunity to that strain. Good old fashioned chicken broth will assist your recovery by supplying a rich brew of minerals and protein - including collagen.

Do I need to take antibiotics?
Antibiotics work against bacteria - not viruses. Influenza is a virus, so do not take an antibiotic unless your doctor has advised you do (If you already have a lung disease like COPD an antibiotic may be prescribed to lower the risk of secondary bacterial infection). If you are recovering from the flu and then find your health deteriorating for a second time within a week or so of the first infection, it is possible that you have contracted a secondary bacterial infection. Go see your doctor who may prescribe a course of antibiotics. Be sure to complete the full course of treatment.

So, what has changed since the influenza pandemic of 1918 which killed at least 20 million people?

It is interesting to note that the 1918 flu pandemic grabbed hold of humanity in the festering trenches of the 1st World War. This was the perfect breeding ground for the killer: Young men crammed together in the most appalling conditions, immersed in mud and excrement, surrounded by rotting bodies, fed shit for food and deprived of sleep - all the while being shot at, bombed and gassed. Then the survivors were herded into makeshift troop ships and transported home to spread the bug to their stressed and exhausted families.

This reminds me very much of the way modern industrial pig and chicken farming operate - Roll on more variations of Bird and Swine Flu! Perfect conditions for breeding Super Bugs. The next one may by more akin the 1918 killer virus.

If we are really serious about minimising the possibility of breeding killer pandemics, we would do more about the way we treat our animals.

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Is the Swine Flu outbreak just a load of hype?

I think it is and so do a lot of other people. It does appear to me to be a beat up to sell a load of anti-viral medicines and flu vaccines. Flu epidemics are best controlled by fostering healthy, de-stressed populations.

These outbreaks put fear into populations and fear is what sells. Whether it be virus outbreaks or Presidential Jumbos and F-16 fighters flying over New York, there is an unnecessary accumulation of fear-mongering for control and for profit. These all add up to a stressed population that is all too willing to give away control to others.

For a concise perspective on the subject, please read this newsletter from Dr W C Douglas, an interesting and out-spoken physician:

Media pigs misinforming public about so-called "epidemic"

Those filthy swine... The swine flu "epidemic" is only a few days old, and Big Pharma is already plotting to make a fortune.

European drug maker Roche announced it was scaling up production of Tamiflu, giving a boost to its stock price and sending millions into the Roche coffers. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the anti-flu drug Relenza, is also seeing its stock price climb, as investors hope this swine flu is the biggest thing since the bubonic plague.

There's only one problem here – it's not going to happen. You read the Daily Dose because I always give you the straight scoop, and because I'm not afraid to tell you when the mainstream has it wrong.

And they have it wrong on swine flu. It won't be an epidemic – it'll barely even be a ripple. I've run medical clinics in Africa – I know what an epidemic looks like.

And this isn't it.

The media is blowing swine flu out of proportion so it can feed its 24-hour news cycle – the same media, mind you, that had us convinced that avian flu was going to destroy the planet a few years ago.

But here are the facts about swine flu – it has affected so few people in America that it's hardly worth discussing. There are 64 confirmed cases in America as I'm writing this – not 6,000 or even 600. There are 64.

Of course, the media is fixated on the 100 or so people who have died in Mexico from the swine flu. But let me clue you into something that no one seems to be discussing – health care in Mexico is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. I know – I've been there more times than I can count.

Disease spreads rapidly through Mexico because large areas of the country lack clean water and basic sanitation. Seeing a doctor – let alone a qualified doctor – is a luxury unavailable to most of the population. Of course the flu is killing people in Mexico – so are a lot of other diseases that are successfully treated in America. People in Mexico still die from diarrhea, for Pete's sake!

Yes, they have apparently had some cases of bad swine flu in Mexico. They've had lots of dengue fever and chagas, too, but you don't need to stay up at night worrying about it. Beating the swine flu isn't any different from beating the regular flu. Wash your hands. Avoid large crowds if you can. Get plenty of rest and fluids if you start getting sick.

And don't be afraid to eat pork or any other meat, for that matter, as it's not the pigs who are getting sick. Of course, I'm not recommending you eat Mexican pork – or any food produced in Mexico, for that matter. Hopefully the tainted peppers outbreak of 2008 taught us that. But don't change your diet because of some so-called swine flu epidemic.

It's no epidemic. It's no public health catastrophe. It's good theatre – and nothing more.
Dr Douglas's website

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How best to protect you and your family from the worst of Swine Influenza

Swine Flu has arrived in New Zealand and, like me, you are probably wondering how to protect your family as the virus sweeps its way through the population.

We are about to experience one of the frightful consequences of factory farming.

With the onset of winter, we are fast entering the cold and flu season. Perfect timing for Swine Flu it would appear!

Now, you will be hearing lots good advice from the health authorities from now on about how to reduce your risk of contracting the virus - measures like washing your hands, staying at home and so on; but they are probably not going to tell you some of the most important. So, what else can you do to reduce your risk of, first, contracting the virus and then minimising its impact:

Ensure your immune system is strong and responsive - RIGHT NOW!

Yes, your immune defences need to be strong and on high alert right now. Most of us have a weakened immune system, thanks to our hectic lifestyles and nutrient poor diets. So, what can you do for your family right now to bolster their immune defences?

• Take a Vitamin D supplement (Refer to this article to work out the correct daily dosage for each family member). Cheap vitamin D is available off this website.
• Treat your family to a mid winter tropical holiday (Winter is flu season principally because this is when population vitamin D levels plummet and so does one's immune system).
• Increase your family's daily intake of antioxidant and vitamin C rich fruit, berries and vegetables. Bolster this with daily drinks of super plant extracts such as Nutra-Life Load Up Berry Brights and Fruitful Greens. You could add a vitamin C supplement as well for the time-being. Fruitful Greens nourish the gut and reduce inflammation.
• Take garlic, olive leaf and lysine supplements. These have antiviral properties.
• Have a little protein in each meal (You could take some whey protein small amounts over the day). Whey is known to support the gut health and the immune system.
• What is the Active Elements tissue salts mineral status of your family? Complete the online assessment on this site and act on the advice. Have Active 7.1 available in yoru medicine cabinet and take at the first signs of a sniffle.
• Reduce stress in your life - Now! Slow things down, work fewer hours, reduce debts, have a laugh each day. Have a holiday. Shut stressful people out of your life.
• If you have been chronically stressed you may have burned your adrenals which are at the heart of immune health (This includes children). Check my articles about adrenal fatigue and start the adrenal restoration programme now - even if you consider yourself a mild case.
• Get restful sleep each night. Deep sleep is at the heart of immune health, so ensure you have a good night's kip. If not, have a look at the supplements on this site that safely aid deep sleep, or contact me for assistance.

These measures, along with the usual ones (hand washing etc) will reduce any risk of catching all flus and colds. More important: These measures will ensure your family's immune systems will react swiftly and strongly to any viral invaders, ensuring that they get over the infection quickly and with the least discomfort and fewer, if any complications.

To learn more, please click on the key words below this article.

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Kiwis Hand Hygiene Habits And Attitudes Worrying

Monday, 17 April 2006, 1:27 pm
Press Release: TNS Research 16 April 2006

Kiwis Hand Hygiene Habits And Attitudes Worrying Given Threat Of Viral Pandemic

New research indicates that New Zealanders are not cleaning their hands well enough to stop the spread of disease.

Gary Moller comments:
This is hardly a surprise, since the teaching and practice of hand washing during childhood is a farce. If people do not have this essential habit in place during their formative years, it is unlikely that it ever will be. The sad fact is that childcare facilities and schools are physically and financially unable to provide proper hand washing training for children.

Here is what I have written about hand washing in the past. Go to this PDF, download it and then click on the link to "I wash my hands - Yeah right!" Enjoy the read

One Flu over the Cuckoo's Nest

Sure, we should be prepared for a possible Bird Flu Pandemic; but I do not agree that we should be stockpiling billions of $$$ on antiviral drugs that are of questionable efficacy and safety. We should be concentrating on:

• Ensuring that all of our citizens have robust immune systems that resist infectious attacks - concentrating on our most vulnerable - the elderly, the young and the infirm
• Cleaning up the world's poultry industry that is breeding these bugs
• Practicing effective public and personal hygiene practices like hand-washing with soap several times a day

On the hand-washing that is recommended in the emergency preparedness brochures; this is where we really are in Cuckoo-Land. I agree entirely that hand-washing is everyone's first line of defense against infection. However; this recommendation is often impractical, especially in schools where infections like influenza run rife during winter. My mother, Maisie, a retired school teacher, first pointed out to me the impracticality of getting school children to wash their hands. I have subsequently written several articles about this.
Each child should be washing their hands for at least 30 seconds at least 4 times a day while at school to remove the snot, saliva and also the dirt picked up in the playground and from door knobs, etc, etc. Here is the school maths:
20+ children per wash basin x 30 seconds/child x 4 times a day = 40 minutes without adding changeover time.
This means constant queueing throughout the breaks in class activity and, let's face it, this never happens with all of the kids usually being given no more than a few minutes to get the job done, if at all. To expect this to happen properly and consistently is just plain nuts.
Besides, if it did happen, already financially challenged schools would be flat broke within a few weeks and would require a full-timer employed to just keep the soap and hand towels flowing.
Of course, there are practical solutions; but these require investment. We could start by reallocating some of those billions being spent on mostly useless stocks of Tamiflu.