Devin Hunter's Health, Weight Management and Money Making

Guest blogger: Samantha Block

It’s that time of year again; you literally can’t walk into any drug store or grocery store with a pharmacy without being bombarded by posters, signs, and banners telling you to get your flu shot.

Let’s review real quickly what the flu is.  Influenza is a respiratory illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) www.cdc.gov “colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu.  People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

•Fever or feeling feverish/chills

•Cough

•Sore throat

•Runny or stuffy nose

•Muscle or body aches

•Headaches

•Fatigue (tiredness)

•Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

Most people who get influenza will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.

Pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections are three examples of complications from flu. The flu can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may have worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu.”

Note that the flu is NOT typically vomiting and diarrhea, the “stomach flu” is not the same as influenza.  Also note that many other viruses, including “the common cold” can cause nearly indistinguishable symptoms.  However, are of course not covered by the vaccine.  In general, influenza has a higher rate of severe illness and secondary illness than other similar viral illnesses, however the rate is still rather low for low-risk people.

So…do you get a flu shot or not?  Bear with me while I share with you my personal thoughts on the flu vaccine.  This is only Samantha talking now, and I am not a medical professional, however I have researched the topic of flu as the mother of a special needs child with specific pulmonary defects and an immune deficiency.

Here’s my biggest issue with flu shots…every year there are dozens of viruses and bacteria circulating that cause “flu-like” symptoms, and have the potential to be just as virulent as influenza. The vaccine, if it’s a good match, will potentially protect you against only about 3 strains of the dozens of viruses out there. Why are we so concerned with those 3 of the dozens? The CDC even has a “pledge” form you can fill out http://www.cdc.gov/flu/nivw/pledge/ Among the “flu-like” illnesses circulating out there every winter, my son has been admitted to the hospital for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Metapneumo Virus (hMPV).  In fact, according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), flu-like illnesses are so common, the average adult will likely have 1-3 episodes per year, and a child may have 3-6 episodes per year.

Which brings us to my second issue…since the vaccine was mainstreamed, nobody focuses on natural prevention anymore. The CDC has a whole page for prevention, visit it yourself to see where their alliances lie http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm Basically they say vaccinate, and medicate.  Very little talk about ways to be proactive to protect yourself.  Natural prevention can be very simple…plenty of vitamin d over the summer to get your stores built up, a natural healthy diet that builds a robust immune system, enough sleep and exercise to maintain that robust immune system, supplements of specific vitamins during the winter (d, c, zinc are three of the big ones for viruses), common sense practices like coughing into your elbow or a tissue, handwashing, staying home when sick, avoiding large indoor places, getting fresh air often, etc etc.

But all of that takes *work*, and lazy Americans would rather just get a shot and assume it works. Leaving themselves susceptible to every other virus circulating that isn’t covered by the vaccine, thus opening the door for the vaccine manufacturers to develop yet more vaccines.

See the issue here? So go ahead, take a vaccine, but if people continue to ignore their overall immune health, then the list of vaccines will just continue to grow and we’ll develop more and more chronic health conditions. I choose to focus on the natural methods of bolstering my immune system.

The ingredients in the vaccine are very concerning to me; the flu vaccine has the strangest manufacturing process of all the vaccines.  Many of the ingredients can be toxic at high levels, and although a single vaccine is not likely to have toxic levels, the accumulation of many vaccines PLUS environmental exposures can lead to high levels.  Then add in an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to our kidneys and livers not able to process the toxins.  It quickly compounds.  Those ingredients vary by manufacturer, but include:  formaldehyde, gelatin, latex, thimerosal, egg protein, neomycin, polymyxin, sucrose, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate-monobasic, sodium taurodeoxycholate, gentamicin sulfate, monosodium glutamate.  You can look up each brand of vaccine on the market at this page http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm I encourage you to take some time to read the actual manufacturer inserts for each vaccine before you get it.  You’ll find some interesting information, for example, did you all know that the following statement is on the manufacturer’s insert for several brands of flu vaccine: “there have been no controlled clinical studies demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with [name]” including Afluria, Flulaval, and Fluzone.  Further, the manufacturer’s insert for FluMist says the potential for “shedding” (i.e. passing the genetically modified live flu virus to another person) last 28 days.  And the FluMist High Dose, the shot specifically being marketed to the elderly, says right on the label that there have been NO tests confirming that it provides any greater protection to the targeted population, they are just assuming it will since it is more concentrated.  Who wants to be a guinea pig?  I thought that you had to give informed consent to take part in medical research?  And while you’re reading the inserts, pay careful attention to the efficacy rates, they vary widely, so getting the vaccine is far from a guarantee of any sort of protection.

The H1N1 “epidemic” was eye-opening to me.  Typically flu is harder on elderly, right? But not H1N1.  Why wasn’t it?? Because that strain had circulated once before, and those people who were exposed before had natural immunity still. *However*, everybody that ran out and got an H1N1 vaccine 2 years ago, now have (maybe have) vaccine-induced immunity, which does not last long.  So if (when) H1N1 circulates again, those that chose the vaccine won’t be immune (unless it’s in that year’s vaccine, if we’re still doing vaccines then) but those that got the natural illness, will likely have natural immunity.  I’ll take life-long natural immunity any day!

The flu does not have to be a severe illness, even for those with underlying risk factors.  I have a son with pulmonary defects and an immune deficiency.  He is sick *all the time*, and often has complications from simple/mild illnesses.  We work very hard on his diet, his supplements, his environment, etc to keep him as healthy as possible so what little immune system he has is as strong as it can be.  And that means letting him acquire natural immunity when possible.  He did not get the chicken pox vaccine, for example, but he did get wild chicken pox (unfortunately his titers show he isn’t immune, so we’ll need to expose him again)  Getting sick actually BUILDS the immune system, as long as your immune system is healthy enough to mount an appropriate response and then maintain those antibodies.

Which brings us back to how important it is to have a robust immune system in the first place!  And a vaccine isn’t the way to build it, diet, exercise, less chemicals, some supplements, and natural illness…that’s how you build your immune system. I believe that vaccines should be reserved for the worst illnesses, not mostly mild illnesses.  I am NOT anti-vaccine, I am definitely careful to do my research, consider my own risk factors, and explore other avenues of prevention/treatment before resorting to a vaccine.  I do not believe that getting the flu vaccine is the right decision for my family, and I also believe that if more Americans took better charge of their health, many would soon discover that it also is not the right decision for their families.

1. Set a Realistic Goal. Healthy weight loss is typically about a half to two pounds a week.  Don’t be disappointed if someone else lost more their first week.
2. Initial Assessment. It is important to know where you are starting.  Take photos from all angles in tight fitting clothes (work out gear is best).  Take your measurements.  Have your body fat tested and calculate your BMI.  Keep records.
3. Track your progress. Keep notes in a journal of what you are eating, how often you eat, the exercise you are getting and how you are feeling.  Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don’t, research shows.
4. Behavior Shifts. Don’t expect to lose weight if you keep doing what you were doing.  Reduce calories from foods like mayonnaise, butter, cheese, bacon, unhealthy oils, processed foods, sugars, enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup and sweets.  Get on a meal plan and stick to it.  Meal replacement plans work great and help to reduce calories.
5. Accountability. First and foremost, you are doing this for YOU.  Don’t quit on yourself!!  It’s always a great idea to get the support from family, friends, neighbors or co-workers to keep you accountable, or to join the Challenge with you!
6. Motivation. Promise yourself a reward for achieving your weight loss or fitness goal. Maybe a shopping spree, a trip to the Day Spa, a Round of Golf, etc.  Give yourself something to look forward to and put a picture of your reward somewhere you will see it often.
7. Cut out liquid calories. This is simple. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, coffee ,sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Drink water and herbal teas. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint.
8. Get your ZZZ’s. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain. Not good.
9. Weigh yourself often. Some. like me, do it daily (a little obsessive!), some do it weekly.  You will have something to look forward to if you do it weekly and won’t get discouraged on days you don’t lose.  Remember, healthy weight loss is only .5-2 #’s a week!
10. Put the food to bed early. Do not eat after 8pm.  No midnight snacking.
11. Move and Shake. Get out and exercise.  Walking, jogging, elliptical, running, swimming, biking, hiking, etc.  Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.
12. I’ll have water with that. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals may help you eat less.
13. No more Supersize. Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less food naturally.  Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.  People tend to fill whatever they have, so reach for smaller plates, cups and bowls.
14. Snack Healthy. Keep plenty of Nuts, Celery, Carrots, Apples, and other cut up veggies on you, if you feel like grazing.  Put down the chips.  Step away from the ice cream.  The more colorful, the more healthy.
15. Treat yourself occasionally. This does not mean every couple hours!  This means a small treat once a day. If you are eating out, make healthier choices.  Many states now require the calories to be on the menu (Hooray for that!!)

1. Plan ahead for the time you will be gone from home

2. The lack of a gym is no excuse, exercise in your room.

3. Schedule your workouts early in the AM in the case something comes up. At least your workout is in and you didn’t miss it.

4. Remember to pack your necessary equipment, dvd’s, bands, apparel, shoes.

5. Remember to pack your meal replacement drink, post recovery drink and supplements.

6. Pack your water container.

Here is an article I read a while back that I would like to share. Keep in mind that this group was testing the effects of exercise on blood sugar levels. Diet can also be an effective way of controlling your blood sugar levels!
People with Type 2 diabetes should mix aerobics with weight training to get the best results in lowering blood sugar, a new study suggests.

The combination worked best for weight loss too, compared to aerobics or weight training alone.
Blood sugar is fuel to muscles, and more sugar is burned during aerobic activity. Weight training builds more muscle, and both activities change muscle proteins in ways that enhance the process.
“It’s clear that doing both aerobic and strength training is superior to either alone,” said lead author Dr. Tim Church of Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. “It’s almost like taking two different drugs.”

Patients in the study, published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, achieved the results over nine months, exercising three days a week for about 45 minutes each session.
“People can manage this amount of exercise,” said Laurie Goodyear, of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, who wasn’t involved in the new study but does similar research. “They didn’t have to go on a diet. This was purely an exercise effect.”
3 programs tested
The researchers’ goal was to test three exercise programs that doctors could realistically recommend and patients could stick with. They compared aerobics alone, weight training alone and a combination. U.S. guidelines recommend aerobics and weight training combined for all adults.

All three groups worked out for about the same amount of time. A fourth group was offered only weekly stretching and relaxation classes for further comparison. The study was completed by 245 people with Type 2 diabetes.

Led by trainers, patients walked on a treadmill that raised the uphill grade by two per cent every two minutes for the aerobics.

Weight training, also supervised, was done on machines that worked muscles in the upper body and legs, with more weight added as participants increased their strength.

“It gave me a lot more energy. That was one of the first things I noticed,” said Deidra Atkins-Ball, 44, a biology professor diagnosed with diabetes a year before she joined the aerobics-weights group.

A distant aunt with diabetes lost both legs and her vision to the disease. Too much blood sugar can damage nerves, eyes, the heart and blood vessels.

“I remember as a kid having to do things for her, going to the store for her,” Atkins-Ball said. “It really scared me.”

The researchers found that only the group that combined aerobics and weights both lowered their blood sugar and lost weight, although all three fitness groups reduced their waist sizes.

Fewer patients in the combo group started taking new diabetes drugs than in the other groups. Decisions on medications were left up to the patients’ regular doctors during the study.

Forty-one per cent of the patients in the combo group either decreased their diabetes medications or lowered their average blood sugar as measured by a common blood test, compared to 26 per cent for weights only, 29 per cent for aerobics only and 22 per cent in the non-exercise group.

The blood sugar reduction achieved by the combo group was enough to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other complications, the researchers wrote, citing earlier studies.