Many major media outlets are reporting an ‘Outbreak’ of a new ‘Deadly’ strain of fungus called Cryptococcus gattii. They are calling it ‘Potentially Lethal’ and saying that many of the victims have been ‘Healthy’ and so this new fungus could be a big problem.

 

Well, the media MUST be bored because this new fungal strain is HARDLY deadly and the ‘healthy’ people that they are reporting are dying like flies from this problem are anything but. This is simply propaganda that no one should be worried about in the LEAST! Here are the facts:

270 CASES have been identified in the past 11 years
40 people have died in that time period

 

That is HARDLY something to worry about. More people die of heart attack or breast cancer every MINUTE in JUST the United States than people have been DIAGNOSED in 11 years!! If you want to worry about something that might kill you, worry about heart disease and breast cancer. This infection is SO overrated in the US media right now that a Canadian website that is dedicated to reporting and informing travelers to Canada about this infection and is run by the University of British Columbia, Cryptococcusgattii.ca, hasn’t been updated since a May 8, 2009 news report of ONE woman dying a year previously!!

 

Now lets take a look at this propaganda about these ‘Healthy’ people that are dying from this. Well, a Medscape report broke down the health problems that people who were diagnosed with Cryptococcus Gattii had. Lets take a look at these healthy people:

The Mean Age of Infected Persons was 62 years old
48.6% were on oral steroids (which suppress the immune system)
29.9% had invasive cancer
12.7% had chronic lung disease
4.2% had HIV
3.1% had a history of an organ transplant

 

That’s nearly 80% of people with SERIOUS health problems that contracted this fungal infection. VERY VERY few people get this problem without having underlying health problems, but most people would consider themselves healthy unless they actively have a life threatening illness anyway!! If you have:

Arthritis
Fatigue
Chronic Pain
Don’t exercise
Eat Processed Foods
Don’t expose your skin to sunlight regularly

Then you are NOT healthy and are probably, at the very least, very vitamin d deficient if you are not taking high dose supplementation or are not sunbathing regularly. While it’s unlikely that we will know more about these sad cases of people that were previously ‘healthy’ before they died, the fact that the average age of victims is 61 and male, that is nearly EXACTLY the same demographics that usually kill otherwise ‘Healthy’ men who have sudden massive heart attacks. These men who die of sudden heart attacks were not exactly healthy either, although that’s the way the media portrays it.

 

So, how healthy are YOU? I’m not worried about getting Cryptococcus gattii. But those of you who take ANY medications are NOT healthy and are at risk, particularly those of you with autoimmune diseases. The fact is that some medication Side Effects, like the Side Effects of Remicade or Corticosteroids predisposes you to getting these infections that only AIDS patients used to get- and Cryptococcus gattii is no different. The vast majority of people who are getting this have health problems- and as more and more of the population accepts that health problems are ‘random’ and that lifestyle, exercise and diet have nothing to do with their health problems, then more and more people will be getting these diseases and infections previously reserved for those with HIV or other immune system problems.

Got vitamin D?

 

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

 

 

With the Swine Flu now looming as a Pandemic, there is lots of information and misinformation about what to do about the flu. How to prevent it and how to limit its effects if you DO get the flu should be primary concern for everyone right now.

 

While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is preaching avoidance and handwashing, they Completely Ignore means of strengthening the immune system as a means of prevention. While avoidance and handwashing are powerful tools to keep from getting the flu- if the people that DO HAVE the flu knew who to avoid- don’t you think that they would have?

It’s not always obvious who has the flu, and people may be able to spread the flu BEFORE they have any symptoms, so if you have to go to work or school and shop for groceries, then who do you avoid- EVERYONE? We live in a society- especially right now in this difficult economy – where it is simply not practical to stay home from work.

And right now, a large part of the US economy is driven by health care. So, the millions who actually work directly in the health care industry AND those who actually work with patients are not going to just be able to stay home. They will also have increased susceptibility to contracting the flu and increased ability to TRANSMIT the flu as well.

 

So, the rational and practical thing to do is to make your immune system as strong as possible right now ANDstart to take specific natural immune boosting and antiviral supplements that will improve your chances of fighting off the flu if your ARE exposed to it.

So, this is the first in a series of blog posts that will tell you more about antiviral and immune boosting supplements, likeSelenium and Influenze, that may help you to ward off the flu and/or decrease the severity of your illness if you DO happen to get the flu.

 

There is a great article on Strengthening the Immune System on the Ora Media website. The owner, Tom only talks about dental health on his site, but amazingly, most of the techniques that Tom talks about to prevent and treat Periodontal Disease and cavities are EXACTLY the same things that you would do to help prevent the flu!

 

Garlic

The first supplement that I wil discuss with you today is Garlic. Garlic, also known by its botanical name of Allium sativum is a very old and very well known antiviral, antibacterial and immune system modulator.

Garlic contains a wide variety of ingredients that may contribute to its effects. Among them are: Selenium, sulphur, germanium and magnesium. Many of these particular compounds are sorely missing in the typical westerners diet and each of these compounds, individually, have been widely studied for their beneficial effects. But put together, they produce an amazing product whose properties are matched no where else.

 

How to Take Garlic and why it works

One account of health care workers in Japan during a 1970′s flu epidemic showed that many who did not get the flu were taking garlic. The ‘traditional’ way that they were taking it is illustrated below:

This garlic preparation [of minced garlic and honey] is chewed and retained in the oral cavity as long as possible for the liberated volatile compounds to penetrate and be absorbed by the tissues of the mouth, nasopharynx, and sinuses

This preparation is in agreement with a study done of 125 traditional healers in which 94% stated that the best way to use garlic medicinally is to mince it and eat it raw- mixing in butter or honey was acceptable. But only 20% used it cooked or steeped, while still agreeing that it negatively affected it’s medicinal value.

Garlic MAY help to coat the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose when taken this way, effecting a so called antiviral barrier that could potentially kill the flu virus when and if it were to come into contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose- the most likely way to contract the flu.

 

Taken this way, garlic may also have the potent effect of keeping  people far enough away from you to keep you from being able to inhale their exhaled viruses!!

 

While garlic is DIRECTLY an antiviral and antibacterial on contact, as shown in many studies, garlic is ALSO an immune system booster in its own right. Many studies show that it can significantly boost the effects of the immune system when taken orally. One study on AIDS patients who ALL had a decrease in the level of their ‘Natural Killer Cells’, a potent immune system cell, before treatment- showed EVERY PATIENT to have NORMAL levels after 12 weeks of taking garlic orally!

 

Aside from the antiviral and immunomodulating effects of garlic, another reason that it is potent protection from diseases is its detoxification abilities. Garlic has sulphur containing amino acids which act of the liver to help with detoxification. In fact, it is such a potent detoxifier that studies show it has good effects on getting rid of lead and cadmium! This effect of garlic could generally produce an effect of making the body work less and allowing it to heal rather than to detoxify.

 

All of these reasons put together make garlic a powerful protector against possible infections and possibly even the flu.

 

But if taking raw mashed garlic mixed in honey doesn’t appeal to you, you do have other options. Immuni-T2G From Longevity Plus has freeze-dried raw garlic in capsules that still retains the active component, Allicin. It is ALSO combined with immune boosting mushrooms and can be taken regularly with virtually no toxic effects having been noted from continued use.

 

 

Garlic, therefore, appears to be a safe and effective antiviral, immune system modulator and detoxifier that you could consider adding to your arsenal of herbal preparations during this Swine Flu outbreak.

 

Resources

High Quality Garlic Powder in Capsules
Money by the Mouthful- If you take care of your teeth, then you automatically boost your immune system. Learn what dentists simply DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW!
Vitamin D Supplements- If I could only choose ONE supplement to get me through flu season, it would be Vitamin D. Vitamin D is probably one of the BEST immune system stimulants that there is. Seriously, if you are not taking Vitamin D, then you are setting yourself up for getting the flu. You heard it here first, and don’t blame me if you get the flu and you are not on Vitamin D!

 

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com

 

______________________________________________________________

 
I was talking to my mother the other day and she told me that she had already had the “flu” this year. Upon further questioning, it turned out that she had a gastrointestinal illness for a day or two.

A couple days later when I was working in the hospital Emergency Department, the paramedics called to say that they were bringing in a person who had “flu-like symptoms”.

It also turned out that she had a gastrointestinal illness.

So obviously there is much confusion, even in the medical world, about what the “flu” is.
 
 

The REAL flu is a virus called influenza.

 

When you contract influenza, you get “cold-like symptoms”: stuffy nose, joint aches, headache, coughing, fever and fatigue. It often seems like the flu except that you feel a LOT worse and it generally comes on VERY quickly.

When people get a “flu vaccine”, they are getting vaccinated against THIS virus- Influenza. When the news reports on the Avian Flu or the Bird Flu, it is THIS virus that they are talking about.
 

 
Now, when you get a gastrointestinal illness, usually accompanied by diarrhea and often nausea and vomiting, this is NOT influenza, but likely it’s some other virus… possibly the Norovirus.

Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It often goes through a household or office with EVERYONE getting it very quickly. Many people think that they have food poisioning when they get the norovirus.
 
 

But it is NOT the flu
 
 There is no vaccine to prevent you from getting this uncomfortable gastrointestinal problem.

I hope that clears up any confusion about the flu for anyone who thought that gastrointestinal problems were somehow related to the influenza vaccine or the Bird Flu.
 
 

However, these two viruses ARE LINKED!

 

A poor immune system is responsible for BOTH of these diseases. While yes, they are “contagious”, you need not CATCH them from other people if your immune system is “bulletproof”.

It is a MYTH that someone else GIVES you a cold, the flu or the norovirus- YOU give it to yourself by not being able to fight it off.

Want to learn how to make your immune system “bulletproof”? I can teach you and you’ll stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Contact me for a free “quick consultation” to learn if I can help you to recover from most chronic health problems, improve your energy or just get your immune system bulletproof!
 

Kerri Knox, RN
Functional Medicine Practitioner
http://www.easy-immune-health.com

When most people get sick, they go to the doctor expecting help. Often help comes in the form of antibiotics to combat infections. As a society, we are beginning to understand the repercussions of this constant use of antibiotics in the form of drug resistant bacteria that could make antibiotics completely ineffective in the future- but there are other risks too.

A new study shows that 13% of ALL cases of acute liver failure are caused by ONE SINGLE class of drugs- antibiotics!

This is sad news for those who experience liver failure due to these commonly used drugs- and is another good reason to take preventative measures to improve your immune system in order to avoid having to take antibiotics.

Antibiotics should ONLY be used for life threatening emergencies , yet doctors still prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily almost half of the time. And by unnecessarily, I’m referring to conditions where the patient is likely to heal themselves with or without the use of antibiotics.

The biggest recipients of unnecessary antibiotics being colds, flu, bronchitis and ear infections- NONE of these require antibiotics as they are generally self-limiting -and not even bacterial in origin in most cases.

For some reason, our society has begun to think of common illnesses as horrible events that we should fear. But they are often a way for the body to rid itself of toxins and a way of forcing the sufferer to slow their life down for a few days in order to heal.

Take the time to listen to your body- take a few days to heal yourself from illness instead of relying on dangerous drugs to suppress symptoms.

Kerri Knox, RN

Functional Medicine Practitioner