Tag: immunity

  • Herd Immunity is Grossly Misunderstood

    Microbiologist John Dorman, PhD

    “I do believe that a vaccine can, under some circumstances, provide temporary ‘immunity’ or protection from an infectious pathogen, however, that is where my faith in inoculation ends. Vaccines were never intended to be the first line of defense against infectious disease nor were they intended to be provided under such an aggressive immunization schedule. As most of you are aware, the development of modern sanitation has contributed far more to limit the spread of disease than the vaccine.

    My greatest issue with the current vaccine schedule is that it fuels the fire of viral mutation.

    Consider the 2015 measles outbreak at Disneyland. It had nothing to do with the un-vaccinated, but rather a very simple process of an accelerated morbillivirus mutation. Why do you think we alter the flu vaccine every year? Viruses mutate naturally but do so at a greatly accelerated rate when threatened by the antigens provided through the vaccination process. At some point, the rate of mutation will surpass our ability to develop a vaccine. If this occurs there will be nothing left to stem the advance of the disease.

    And herd immunity is grossly misunderstood. True herd immunity can only result from a healthy, fully functioning immune system. Vaccines cannot confer “herd immunity” because vaccines only stimulate one of the two essential elements of the immune system. In the vaccinated, the body’s natural immune response is impaired, and the antibodies are not as strong as they would have been had the virus passed through the immune system in a ‘natural’ manner, therefore leading to an ever-increasing reliance on developing more vaccinations.

    Unfortunately, the immune response mounted by the vaccine is enough to trigger mutation in the attacking virus. I too want herd immunity, but it will never be achieved through vaccination. Why are so many booster shots necessary to bring antibody titers up to serologically acceptable levels? Does this not indicate that our current science does not yet allow us to formulate an injection that mimics naturally acquired and lifelong immunity? The current truth is it is impossible to create permanent immunity through the artificial induction of a vaccine.

    Many of the infectious diseases we immunize against are simply a result of poor hygiene and or septic recycling systems, unnatural diets, metabolic congestion (especially liver) and persistent immune suppression via pharmaceuticals.

    The large-scale public health innovations – including clean water technologies, sanitation, refuse management, milk pasteurization, and meat inspection – as the source of health improvement and reduction of disease. – Harvard Paper

    These infections are natural in these environments and in many cases, designed and created by and within the body itself to carry out a janitorial duty by infecting and removing all cells of poor integrity so the body can be revitalized by their new replacements. There is enough evidence to prove that vaccines diminish the integrity of every cell in the body and exacerbate the need for a deeper, more widespread infection at a future time.

    Mass vaccination is, in my opinion, bad science at best and will eventually lay waste to any natural immunity of humans at worst.

    The only way to ensure lasting and permanent immunity is through a truly healthy “herd” which is the complete antithesis of a drug-dependent population that find themselves unable to fight any infection naturally. First, we abuse the antibiotic and witness the birth of the super-bug. A mutated strain 100% drug-resistant and now through the abuse and overuse of the vaccine we are forcing the antigenic drift and accelerated mutation of the virus.

    And for proof? I have compiled much research over the years, but it is not possible to point you to a single study or a ‘smoking gun’. It took me several years to unravel the dogma that I was taught and accepted early in my career.
    I don’t know all the answers, but I am certain we are not asking enough of the right questions. I know many doctors, nurses, researchers, chemists and fellow microbiologist who do not “tow the party line” when it comes to the “science” of vaccines.

    The science is not settled and anyone in the medical community who attempts to convince you otherwise is either willfully deceitful or woefully ignorant. We have chosen to roll the dice and gamble with our health.

    What will save us from disease when this Ponzi scheme of mass vaccination and symptom management collapses? I fear we will be left with nothing to defend ourselves against invading pathogens because we all chose to remain ignorant rather than integrate the truth while we still had a chance.

    Because we chose to consume antibiotics like candy and prescribe them for everything under the sun…we chose to believe that vaccination would magically provide us immunity because many of us were too lazy to learn how to build immunity naturally through diet and lifestyle or to learn the symptoms of environmental poisoning. We chose to numb the pain instead of addressing the cause of the pain.

    All of these short-sighted decisions will eventually circle back around and bite us all in the collective arse.

    I truly hope we all wake up soon.”

    Microbiologist John Dorman, PhD

    Resources for Research: 

    http://sm.stanford.edu/archive/stanmed/2011summer/article7.html

    In other news: Measles Information the Media is Suppressing

    Measles MisInformation with Physicians for Vaccine Choice

    nvic.org

  • The Cookie that Caused the Traditional Holiday Cold

    It happened every year, after an exhausting 24 hour car ride (driven in the middle of the night so the kids could sleep) we would arrive at grandma’s house and eat dozens upon dozens of sugary Christmas cookies. It was my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe and it was a Christmas tradition. We would eat them the whole time we were there. Inevitably, someone in the house would get sick and then it would spread through the grandkids and adults. Sickens during the holidays became a tradition too.We just thought it was because we were all in close proximity to each other and spreading germs. Those cookies were so addictive that we couldn’t stop eating them. My husband told me that one night he was tired and sleepy and not hungry but he still dragged himself to the kitchen and had another sugar cookie. These cookies were covered in sprinkles and they would fall off, so he ate them over the trash can as to not get them on the carpet. Good lord, it was crazy. 

    Fast forward many years, and I now know why we got sick. 

    As humans, we naturally crave a sweet taste. It is an essential part of balancing the other tastes found in nature such as salty, bitter, and sour flavors. But it felt like we were crazy addicts at Christmas time. So, what happens when we consume a lot of sugar? First and foremost, our bacteria shifts dramatically and makes more sugar-loving microbes that make us crave sugar like crazy. This, along with the key player in the reward system of our brain, set us up for control problems. That feeling of pleasure we get from food and other substances is made by dopamine. Dopamine receptors are all over our brain, and indulging in any addictive substance, such as sugar, brings on a deluge of dopamine. 
    Guess what happens when we eat a lot of sugar?
     
    Yep, those levels also surge and then we need more to stay satisfied. Neurotransmitters – namely epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine – have been shown to play a major role in controlling and maintaining homeostasis within the gut system in terms of nutrient absorption, blood flow, gut microbiome, local immune system, and overall gut motility and cravings. Hang on — I’m not saying you have to give it all up, but I’m going to tell you what to do to help yourself and bring the balance back. But first, let me tell you what goes on inside of your body. 

    There is a fact that you may not know about your body’s immune system:

    EATING ANY KIND OF SUGAR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE YOUR BODY’S DEFENSES BY 75% OR MORE FOR FOUR TO SIX HOURS.

    This is the reason my family always got sick at Christmas. We had way too much sugar during the holidays and it lowered our immune system’s ability to keep us well. Let’s talk about this in regards to vitamin C. In the 1970’s, Dr. Linus Pauling (one of the greatest researchers in the field of microbiology) discovered that vitamin C helps the body combat the common cold. But what he also found was how sugar can do the opposite.

    So it’s not a great idea, and especially if you’re sick, to eat any kind of sugar, because the white blood cells can’t get past the sugar to do their job. So this is why we all got sick every Christmas. Our bodies lost their superpower strength to keep us healthy because we were eating so much sugar and crashing our immune system again and again. 

    Want to avoid getting sick? In addition to washing your hands frequently and staying warm (mom was right … bring a sweater; viruses thrive in cold weather) perhaps the best way to prevent illness is to avoid eating excess sugar. Sugar weakens the immune system. 

    There are certain times of the year when you need to strengthen your inner micro-biome and the holidays is one of those times.

    Look at these great holiday inspired ferments: 

    KEIFER

    Kefir is my number one thing I consume every day. It sets my day off right. It balances hormones and blood sugar and, goodness, I don’t know what I would do without it. There are fifty bacteria in kefir. It will be a mighty force in your life and slowly change this whole world inside of you. 

    You just make a jar of Easy Kefir, which only takes 24 hours to make. Then when it’s done, add a few spoonfuls of this to small jars and fill them with milk. Let this ferment for 24 hours or until it’s thick and creamy, and then place in the fridge. You can even make chocolate milk kefir and boy, is it yummy. It’s such an easy way to make kefir and since it’s made from actual kefir grains, you get all the benefits of kefir without worrying about straining out the grains. Kefir is so nutrient dense that it will give your gut and brain what it needs and calm your body down while strengthening your immune system too! 
    Have it every day and just watch how you’ll change and sail through cold and flu season.
    KOMBUCHA
    Kombucha is a powerful detoxifier and will stop those craving for sugar quite effectively. Sugar is hard on your liver and kombucha will help support liver function. Kombucha will also supply you with a very powerful probiotic yeast that fights Candida and keeps not only the good bacteria in your body healthy, but the good yeasts too! When I have overwhelming cravings for food I know won’t be good for me, I always drink a kombucha first; and then if I still want it, I can have it but I never do. Kombucha works and it’s super delicious too. 
    Candy Cane Kombucha and let the microbes eat the sugar out of the tea. Then you’ll receive a holiday treat with tons of Christmas flavor and lots of bubbliness too! 

    Click Here

    And what about an interesting twist on Keifer water – gingerbread style featuring blackstrap molasses, ginger and spices.! 

    gingerbreadwaterkefir.jpg
    Gingerbread Water Kefir

    christmas-kefir-soda.jpg

    Christmas Kefir Soda  Christmas flavored kefir soda that’s super bubbly. The fruit adds extra food for the culture, which gives you extra probiotics too. This bottle can be used as a starter for many more bottles. Donna shares her recipes, and how to’s on her site Click Here

    These recipes and so many more are available at CulturedFoodLife.Com

    More Information

    Colds and flu aren’t the only reason not to eat sugar. Look through this list of other-sugar-related-ailments. If you are suffering from any of these, think about how much sugar you are ingesting. Here’s another article on a blood sugar stabilizing diet, it’s similar to the Mediterranean-type diet. This is a very simple and delicious way to cut back on the sugar.

    water-kefir-pot-icon.png

    This article originally appeared at: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/a-cold-you-can-beat-after-a-holiday-treat/.

  • Tips to Improve Immunity

    We get one body, and we need to look after it. Our bodies are complicated pieces of machinery which have been protecting us from disease, adapting to changing surroundings and lifestyles and helping us to survive since the beginning of time. Our bodies are not cut out for modern life; for processed diets and sedentary lifestyles, yet they still survive. Take a moment to think about what an amazing thing that is. Think about what we put our bodies through every day, yet they do (mostly) what we ask of them. 

    Be kind to your body. Nourish it with healthy food, condition it with exercise and balance it with healthy products, after all, it has to last you a lifetime.

    What can you do to improve immunity?

    There’s no magic pill to improve immunity, you have to adopt some healthy habits to keep your system functioning as it should.

    Exercise

    Not getting enough exercise can make you sluggish and it can affect your immune system. Exercise is excellent for general immunity, and you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete, even walking has been shown to benefit your immune system. Research shows that people who exercise regularly have more efficient white cells which fight infection. And as we know, exercise is known to release endorphins into the bloodstream; the body’s happy hormone, which reduces stress and promotes sound sleep. These are essential for good immunity.

    Eat a Healthy Diet

    Proper nutrition is essential for the proper functioning of your immune system. A diet high in sugar and alcohol can feed infections so you might want to avoid these if your immune system is low. Ensure that your diet contains plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so include plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Other immune boosting foods include garlic and mushrooms, both of which have antiviral and antibiotic properties.

    18 Tips to Supporting Wellness

    Learn about the three foods that can boost immunity

    Healing Tonic

    Foods that Reduce Brain Inflammation

    Benefits of Bone Broth

    Get Enough Sleep

    Apart from making you chronically fatigued, lack of sleep can make you prone to illness and infection. If sleep deprivation is chronic, it can lead to diabetes and heart disease.  When you sleep, the body heals itself. If you don’t sleep, your body does not get the chance to repair and restore, and your immune function is impaired. Research has shown that 7 hours of sleep per night is associated with an optimal immune function.

    Avoid sleep disruption from EMF wireless radiation

    Learn to Manage Stress

    When your body is under constant stress, you’re more prone to illness and infection. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream when we are under stress, and these weaken the immune system.

    5 Successful Tips to Reducing Stress

    What can compromise and weaken your immune system?

    Learn More visit www.balancemebeautiful.com

    Portions of this article were contributed by balancemebeautiful.com

  • The Worst Trade Ever

    Vaccines provide temporary protection from certain acute illnesses. Acute illness, is by definition, self-limiting. They are short term. Chronic illness goes on and on and on. Since nature has given us acute illnesses, there is a reason that we get them.  For children, it is pretty clear that they need to exercise their immune system.  Studies have been done which reveal that when parents keep the house too clean, kids don’t develop a strong enough immune system to fight off the bad boys when they come around.[1]  In fact, some believe that it is a source of autoimmune disorders, asthma, and allergies, because the body doesn’t know what needs to be fought off and what doesn’t.

    Vaccines are given to healthy children in order to protect them from getting sick. The vaccine-preventable diseases, while wide spread, rarely caused complications. The same can’t be said for the chronic diseases that have replaced the acute illnesses.

    At the beginning of the twentieth century, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death worldwide. In the United States, three diseases — tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrhoeal disease — caused 30% of deaths.5) By the end of the twentieth century, in most of the developed world, mortality from infectious diseases had been replaced by mortality from chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.6)

     

    More than 90% of American child receive 36 doses of childhood vaccines
    as recommended by the CDC. 

    Have we traded acute illness for chronic disease? 

    2018 CDC reports that Half of all Americans live with at least one chronic disease, like heart disease, cancer, stroke, or diabetes. These and other chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in America, and they are also a leading driver of health care costs.

    By 2025, chronic diseases will affect an estimated 164 million Americans – nearly half (49%) of the population [5]

    Autism rates in schoolchildren jumped 15% between 2012 and 2014, continuing a two-decade rise. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 11 surveillance sites as one in 59 among children aged 8 years in 2014 (or 1.7 percent). … The rate is one in 38 among boys (or 2.7 percent) and one in 152 among girls (or 0.7 percent).

      “Fully vaccinated children may be trading the prevention of certain acute illnesses (chicken pox, pertussis, measles) for more chronic illnesses and neuro-developmental disorders like ADHD and Autism.”

    [1] https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(12)00519-2/fulltext
    http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151118-can-you-be-too-clean
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/it-possible-be-too-clean-researchers-say-yes-f1C6345427

    [2] https://mpkb.org/home/pathogenesis/epidemiology

    [3] https://www.fightchronicdisease.org/sites/default/files/docs/GrowingCrisisofChronicDiseaseintheUSfactsheet_81009.pdf

    [4] https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf

    [5]  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

    [6] Autism Rates: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180426141604.htm   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/ss/ss6706a1.htm

  • Enter to Win! doTerra oils Giveaway

    Enter to win one of the many Boise Natural Health Symposium door prizes. This inaugural event will include speaking sessions by local health experts, exhibits by Idaho businesses and practitioners, and interactive demonstrations such as healthy food preparation. Healthy snacks will be provided (hello, on-tap kombucha!). Bring your family, friends and your enthusiasm for meeting other passionate health-minded people and practitioners in a collaborative, functional setting. Enter to win one of our many door prizes!  

    THE GIVEAWAY

    To enter the giveaway, please use the widget below. Every action you take in the widget earns you more points for the giveaway. You can earn up to 15 entries, which improves your chances of winning! 

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    OUR SPONSOR

    Thank you to Lisa Hevern, for sponsoring this giveaway of the introductory trio of doTerra essential oils! The trio includes peppermint, lavender and lemon. She will guide you to better health, naturally with a one-on-one consultation about the health benefits of research backed essential oils by doTERRA to bring out the best in you! Follow Lisa on Facebook for more expert information on the power of essential oils. 

  • Elderberry syrup is better than a shot to avoid the flu

    Logic and evidence-based proof that elderberry syrup is the better choice to boost immunity against the flu. That’s right! Elderberries have been proven to both boost the immune system and shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms significantly. 

    What Are Elderberries?

    Black elderberry extract (Sambucus species) has been reported to have been used for years by native Americans, mostly against rheumatism and fever. Sambucol is a natural remedy with antiviral properties, especially against the human influenza virus. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell.

    Elderberry Evidence

    Believe it or not (Believe it, buddy!) elderberries have been studied in REAL labs!   In fact, they have been studied in double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies.  (That’s more than we can say for some vaccine studies!).  Elderberries have been proven to both boost the immune system and shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms significantly.

    At the Bundesforschungsanstalt Research Center for Food in Karlsruhe, Germany, scientists conducting studies on Elderberry showed that elderberry anthocyanins enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. These unique proteins act as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune response, thus helping to defend the body against disease.

    Study #1

    A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study.

    Results: 

    1. Sambucol was shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus
    2. Sambucol reduced the duration of flu symptoms to 3-4 days
    3. Convalescent phase serum showed a higher antibody level to influenza virus in the Sambucol group, than in the control group.
    4. Sambucol is beneficial to immune system activation and in the inflammatory process in healthy individuals or in patients with various diseases.
    5. The results of this study show that all Sambucol elderberry formulations have a strong stimulatory effect on inflammatory cytokine production by human normal monocytes.
    6. The study was not funded in any way by the company which produces and markets the product of Sambucol in Israel.The study can be found here

    Study #2

    Here is another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Norway.  Patients received 15 ml of elderberry or placebo syrup four times a day for 5 days, and recorded their symptoms using a visual analogue scale.

     Results:

    1. Symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving
      elderberry extract compared with placebo.
    2. Elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment
      for influenza.
    3. None of the patients reported any adverse reactions related to the medication. (The same can NOT be said for the flu shot!)
    4. A complete cure was achieved within 2 – 3 days in nearly 90% of the elderberry-treated group compared with at least 6 days in the placebo group.
    5. The results of our study show that elderberry syrup is also effective against influenza A virus infections.
    6. In view of its in vitro and in vivo efficacy on influenza A and B viruses, elderberry extract offers an efficient, safe and cost-effective supplement to the present armamentarium of medications for the prophylaxis and treatment
      of influenza.This study can be viewed here 

    DIY Elderberry Syrup

    Hippocrates Is Said To Have Called This Plant . . .
    His “medicine chest,” and for thousands of years it’s been revered in folk medicine for its healing properties. (source) Now studies are starting to confirm what tradition has long held: elderberries are a delicious and effective way to support immune function during cold and flu season.

    Unlike fire cider, which supports the immune system through an infusion of pungent and spicy herbs, this elderberry syrup recipe uses a sweet and simple decoction of berries and honey. Learn HOW TO from easy video tutorial from mommypotomus

    Study # 3 

    Here is a placebo-controlled, double blind study was carried out on a group of individuals living in an agricultural community (Kibbutz) during an outbreak of influenza B in Panama in 1993.

    Results

    1. A significant improvement of the symptoms, including fever, was seen in 93.3% of the cases in the SAM-treated group within 2 days, whereas in the control group 91.7% of the patients showed an improvement within 6 days.
    2. A complete cure was achieved within 2 to 3 days in nearly 90% of the SAM-treated group and within at least 6 days in the placebo group.
    3. Considering the efficacy of the extract in vitro on all strains of influenza virus tested, the clinical results, its low cost, and absence of side-effects, this preparation could offer a possibility for safe treatment for influenza A and B.
    4. Sambucol Elderberry Extract and its formulations activate and boost the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production.
    5. The most striking increase was noted in TNF-alpha production (44.9 fold).
    6. Sambucol was shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus.This study can be viewed here

    Conclusion: The Flu Vaccine Just Doesn’t Measure Up
    10% ‘effective’ flu shot in 2018 and the CDC and Health Department campaigns still encourage people to load up on the toxic shot.

    The evidence speaks for itself.

    • The elderberry has no known harmful side effects, but the flu shot does
    • The elderberry syrup works with your natural immune response system, the flu shot does not
    • Elderberries have been proven to be effective against 10 strains of the flu
    • Elderberries have been proven to shorten the duration of colds and flu
    • Elderberry syrup is safe for pregnant women and children over 1 year of age (due to the honey content) (Check with your doc before starting/stopping any health regimen)
    • The flu shot is even less effective in senior citizens and children under 2 years of age (Those who need it the most! Read more here)
    • The flu shot has never been tested in pregnant women
    • There have been reported deaths and serious injuries proceeding the flu shot (Seizures, narcolepsy, convulsions, encephalomyelitis, facial palsy, facial paresis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, hypoesthesia, myelitis, neuritis, neuropathy, paresthesia and syncope just to name a few) Read more here.
    • The flu mist is a live virus and can spread the flu to others up to 21 days following the application (Isn’t that what we’re trying to avoid!?)

  • Dark Days: It’s Time To Test Your Vitamin D Levels

    Winter is almost officially here and we all know what that means: it’s the darkest time of the year. This is the ideal time to test your Vitamin D levels, since our blood serum concentration of Vitamin D has a significant impact on your immunity, mood and even our cancer risk! Cold and flu season can be less serious when your Vitamin D levels are optimized. 

    The optimal Vitamin D level for health and disease prevention is between 60 and 80 ng/mL. 

    Depression susceptibility: below nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) may increase your risk by as much as 85 percent, compared to having a vitamin D level greater than 30 ng/mL.

    Type 2 Diabetes risk: people with a median level of 41 ng/mL present a diabetes rate of 3.7 per 1,000. Those with a median serum level of 22 ng/mL have a diabetes rate of 9.3 per 1,000. 

    Pre-term birth risk: up to 59% of preterm birth (which represents 28% of newborn deaths during the first 30 days of life) could be prevented by optimizing the pregnant woman’s vitamin D level to 40 ng/mL.

    Breast cancer risk: levels above 60 ng/mL can lower risk by 83% compared to women with levels below 20 nl/mL

    There are various ways to test your Vitamin D levels. Some of our favorites are at-home prick tests such as those provided by Vitamin D Council and Grassroots Health. Both tests are around $60 and include personalized lab reports.

    There are numerous health issues that Vitamin D can play a supporting role in preventing or reducing symptoms, such as autoimmune diseases, gastrointestinal disease, dry eyes, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, bone injuries, neurological disorders, dental health and much more. 

    High-Dose Vitamin D Increase the Need for Calcium, Magnesium and K2

    Something of note also is the interplay between vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and Vitamin K2. While it’s important to supplement with quality vitamin D3 to optimize your levels, you may also need to increase key minerals and vitamin K2 so that all are working properly in your body. 

    When these four key nutrients are imbalanced, there may be symptoms of vitamin D toxicity or increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The latter is most often caused by taking calcium supplements when vitamin K2 levels are low, which then causes overabsorption of calcium. This then in turn may cause calcium deposits in your heart and kidneys. 

    A proper calcium to magnesium ratio is important, since magnesium keeps calcium in cells so they can function better. The historical healthy calcium-magnesium ratio has been 1-to-1. 

    Magnesium and vitamin K2 also complement each other, as magnesium helps lower blood pressure, which is an important component of heart disease. 

    Thus, when you supplement with any of the following: magnesium, calcium, vitamin D3 or vitamin D2, remember to take all the others into consideration as well.

    (Statistics from Dr. Mercola article and various studies). 

    Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy Must Be Considered for Healthy Babies

    Protect Our Children NOW! is a GrassrootsHealth campaign launched in 2015 to combat vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women worldwide.

    Research conducted through this project reveals up to 59 percent of preterm births — which are responsible for 28 percent of newborn deaths during the first month of life — could be prevented simply by raising pregnant women’s vitamin D to a level of 40 ng/mL.

    Preterm babies are also more likely to suffer health problems later on, including a higher risk of ADHD, cerebral palsy, autism, asthma,22,23 intestinal problems, pneumonia, vision problems, hearing loss and dental problems.24,25,26 Your vitamin D status during pregnancy can even influence your child’s future risk for cardiovascular disease.27,28

    As of 2015, the U.S. had a preterm birth rate of 9.6 percent, meaning nearly 1 in 10 babies were born prematurely. The U.S., while one of the most advanced countries in the world, ranked No. 130 in preterm births out of 184 countries in 2010.

    Protect our Children NOW! is a cost-effective, reproducible program that protects children by ensuring pregnant mothers are vitamin D sufficient, and could go a long way toward improving these abysmal statistics. Among non-Caucasian women (among whom vitamin D deficiency is more common and prominent) the reduction in risk was even greater.

    In this group, the preterm rate prior to the start of the study was 18 percent. Those who achieved a vitamin D level of 40 ng/mL by their second test had a 78 percent lower preterm birth rate — reducing the preterm birth rate to just 4 percent!

    preterm birth rate for womenpreterm birth rate non-white women

    Aside from halving the risk for preterm birth, vitamin D optimization also protects the mother by reducing her risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and prenatal infections by approximately 50 percent.29 If you are currently 12 to 17 weeks pregnant, you can join the join the GrassrootsHealth pregnancy study for free and test your vitamin D level from the comfort of your own home.

    If you are planning a pregnancy, or are more than 17 weeks pregnant, you can take control of your and your child’s health by using the D*Action test kit. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to monitor your vitamin D status.

    So, now it the time to get tested and to optimize your levels for a healthier winter and year ahead! 

    Photo by Mira Kemppainen on Unsplash

  • 88% of Idaho Eat Organic Foods

    HFI: Health Freedom means being able to choose quality foods supporting the immune system. Once found only in health food stores, organic food is now a regular feature at most supermarkets. People are concerned about toxins used in food production. They are concerned about the affects of chemicals and GMOs on their health. Where do you shop for your local organic, non-GMO and pesticide free produce? 

    Organic Trade Association reports that organic foods now occupy over 80% of United States kitchens. It used to be taboo to correlate the cleanliness of food with health, but times have changed. Consumers have caused increased accessibility and affordability of organic foods, but a need remains for increased organic food production in America.

    Conventional food producers say their products are safe, but the dangers of Round Up and other chemicals in food production are well known. The disease-stricken United States population has realized that conventional foods and dietary guidelines failed them. However, the word is out that organic foods make people feel healthier.

    Customers are the bottom line, and stores have been reacting to sales accordingly. Robyn O’Brien reports “Target, Costco, Chipotle, Kroger, General Mills and Cheerios have responded to this demand for “free-from” food and are producing more foods free of allergens, artificial dyes, GMOs and artificial ingredients.” Although under scrutiny, organic foods are even available at Walmart.

    The higher prices of organic food invites dishonesty in food production and sales. Fraud risk is greater when food is imported.Recently, 36 million pounds of conventional soybeans and corn shipped from overseas were labeled and sold as organic.

    Hopefully, increased organic sales will increase organic food production in the United States despite the incentives of government subsidies to grow conventionally. Many local farmers use organic methods but cannot afford certification, and there is a need to better connect them to customers who are looking for organic foods. Benefits of American-grown produce include: closer observation of production and shipping, less distance traveled (fresher produce), supporting local economies, and cleaner environmental impact.

    This article originally appeared at: http://thinkaboutnow.com/2017/05/study-82-percent-of-americans-eat-organic-need-for-locally-grown-increases/.

  • You’ll Be Shocked at What the Flu Shot is Really Doing to You!

    If you’ve taken the INFLUENZA VACCINE on year one. Your RISK OF CONTRACTING THE FLU in year two is HIGHER!
    Your RISK OF GETTING A PANDEMIC STRAIN  (in year two) is HIGHER! Your risk of shedding and spreading the virus for longer periods of times is HIGHER as a result of what that vaccine did to your immune system the year before. THE FLU VACCINE:  It has changed your immune system in such a way that your T-cells can’t respond using memory response. You are actually MORE susceptible (to illness) than  someone who never got the vaccine.

    T-Cell Cross protection. Vaccinated children are worse off after the Flu Shots. Dr Suzanne Humphries
    Vaccine Re-Education Part 1: https://youtu.be/AhA2ll9ikfE
    This article originally appeared at: https://youtu.be/jt9rdznYsLI.

  • Its Almost “Flu Shot Season”

    It’s almost the beginning of ‘flu season’ or as I like to call it ‘flu shot season’. Viruses don’t know what time of year it is, but the pharmaceutical companies and the CDC certainly do.

    Watch for the dire warnings to begin any day now: it’s the worst flu season yet, supplies of flu vaccines are low this year, deaths have started already, etc.
    Fear sells flu shots, because if you look at the facts getting a flu shot makes no sense…even if you truly believe in the popular Germ Theory where invisible viruses and bacteria are trying to kill us, yet to protect ourselves we need to inject ourselves with viruses and bacteria !! 

    In which reality does it make sense to fear flu viruses, yet in order to protect ourselves from the more than 100 types of influenza viruses we must inject ourselves with only 3 strains of influenza type A and B, and one strain of H1N1 (swine flu). Did you know the swine flu virus is in all flu shots now since the ’09/10′ season? 

    If you say, ‘but I get a flu shot every year and don’t get the flu’! I must respectfully say that correlation does not equal causation.

     What is keeping you healthy is your own body and immune system. Health can NEVER come from the outside, it is created within.
    What can you do to stay healthy this fall and winter? (aka SUGAR season?):
    – get enough sleep each night
    – keep stress under control
    – exercise (we sit around a lot during the winter due to loss of daylight and cold weather)
    – expose your body to sunlight (we get little to no sun during the winter, which is a primary cause of disease)
    – supplement with vitamin D3 (at least 2,000 iu’s and up to 5,000 iu’s in areas with less light if you’re not getting enough sun)
    – supplement with vitamin C, at least 1,000 mg daily (and at least 3,000 mg 1-3 times daily when not feeling well)
    – eat healthy and organic, unprocessed food
    – drink more water (instead of coffee, soda and alcohol)
    – limit your processed sugar intake during the party season of October-April
    – limit your toxic intake from junk food, unfiltered water, and the environment 

    – stay away from flu shots! (you are injecting a cocktail of immune compromising substances and a weakened immune system is more susceptible to the diseases you’re trying to avoid; ever wonder why you don’t get the actual flu, but are sick with a cold, stomach bug, strep throat, ear infections, etc.? Your immune system is now ‘down’)

    More on the risks of the FLU SHOT.