Optimal Health Institute
November 2009 Newsletter
This month’s articles:
Thanksgiving Blessings
The Empty Chair
Think Twice Before Getting the Swine Flu Vaccine:
Swine Flu Cases Overestimated? CBS News Exclusive
Dr. Russell Blaylock on Swine Flu
What to do to Avoid Complications from the Swine Flu Vaccine
Beware Taking Tylenol with the Flu Vaccine
14 Ways to Avoid Colds and Flu
The topics for our regular features are:
Sex: Question and Answer
Just Do It! Exercise and Cold Weather: Keeping it Fun and Safe
Just for Fun: The Irish Sex Fairy
Frightening Food Fact: Burial Grands
Recipe of the Month: Pumpkin Cheesecake
Supplement of the Month: 5-Loxin
Referral Incentive Program
Happenings
Note from Sandra: For the last few years, I have tried to have a focus on Gratitude in the November newsletter, in honor of Thanksgiving. This year, writing something on gratitude seemed like an insurmountable task. I have sat in front of my computer for hours, trying to come up with something – anything. But I have had difficulty feeling gratitude – especially with the Holidays approaching.
For those of you who don’t know, my father was diagnosed with end-stage small cell lung cancer on New Year’s Day. He died just five weeks later, on February 10. I was very much a “Daddy’s Girl” – even at 47. And although those five weeks were absolutely wonderful – and he had what was a “good death”, there still has not been a single day in 2009 where I have not cried, where I have not felt that deep ache that only grief can bring. Although through my faith I know I will be with my Dad again, that thought does not fill the deep hole that was once my special relationship with my father. I just miss him so very much.
I had decided to skip the whole “Gratitude” thing as I didn’t have it in me. Like many others who are grieving, I just wanted to skip the Holidays completely this year (something I know I cannot do because of my children). It then struck me that others in our OHI family are grieving losses themselves – and so I knew the direction that I needed to take this year. In my search to provide something of comfort to others who have lost a loved one, I came across the website “Thanksgiving Blessings” – which is devoted to those who have lost a loved one through suicide. I read their Intro (below) and then found a story that affected me profoundly, “The Empty Chair”. I am now looking forward to setting a place at the table for my father (in “his” chair, at the head of the table) and laying a red rose of remembrance on his plate…it will match the red sweater vest he always wore on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Welcome to Thanksgiving Blessings
Not all countries celebrate Thanksgiving. Everyone, the world over, has a reason to be thankful. Thanksgiving does not only have to be on the fourth Thursday in November. It can be any day; you feel the beauty of the good things in life. Whatever “higher power” you believe in, you may want to thank them for your blessings. Regardless of where we live or our religious beliefs, with these special pages, we will come together and share our blessings.
Thanksgiving is the first holiday of the season for many. It is a time for family and friends. Together, they give thanks for a bountiful year and all that they have.
For most, it is a joyous time of wonderful foods and sharing their joy with those they love.
Those of us who are remembering the loss of a loved one, Thanksgiving is the beginning of the most difficult time of the year. It is hard to think of blessings and happiness when there is a member of our family missing.
We must remember that our loved ones may be gone from our sight, but they are still with us. They live on in our hearts. They did not want us to live in such deep sadness. They would want us to go on living, loving, and even laughing. In their name, we can enjoy the season.
Thanksgiving Blessings was created as a way for us to share the blessings we have received throughout the year. It is a tool to help us keep things in perspective. Some blessings may be so routine or small, that we don’t always recognize them. With all the pain we endure, it is healing to see that there are good things in our lives, no matter how minuscule.
Thinking about what our blessings are seems like a futile task. After all, the worst has happened. What do we have to be thankful for? Someone dear to us is not here!
We can be thankful that we shared time with the one we are missing. Thankfulness is ours because we had the opportunity to know them. Some people will never know the beautiful person that we did. The happiness and laughter we shared with our loved one, is another reason to be thankful. We have our family and friends, another blessing to be thankful for.
We should be thankful for another day, for with each new day, there is hope of a brighter tomorrow.
We hope that this holiday season will hold many healing moments, new traditions, the love of family and friends, and many blessings.
Have a peaceful holiday season.
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The Empty Chair
There’s an empty chair in our house and I am not sure what to do with it. It’s been empty a long time, and though we’ve moved more than a few times since it became empty, we still haul it around with us.
It’s not a particularly classic chair or even a very pretty one, and it is empty all the time. Whenever we move, I never really know which room to put it in, but once it has found its place, I’ve noticed that it simply stays there. No one moves it; no one suggests putting it away. No one sits in it. It’s just an empty chair.
We have been a military family for many generations, and we are used to having members of the family off in faraway places for what often turns out to be long periods of time. My father would sometimes be gone for up to a year, or even two. His chair was often empty at the table. My husband’s military career took him away for many months at a time, and his chair was often empty. Then, when our daughter was commissioned in the military, we knew her chair would also be empty sometimes. So empty chairs at our house are not an uncommon thing, but this chair—this chair should never have been empty.
As the holidays approach, I am always faced with the task of deciding what to do with our empty chair. Should we put it away for the season? Should we decorate it or should we just ignore it? One year we did decide to put it away, but even though it was an empty chair, it left an even bigger empty space when we moved it to another, less occupied place. How can that be? How can something that is empty leave a bigger empty space when it’s gone?!
We’ve tried to ignore it, but its emptiness is very loud, and it is hard to miss an empty chair in a room filled with people sitting in all the other chairs. And even when we could manage to ignore it, others could not, and they always commented on it. An empty chair is not invisible.
Then, one year, we decided to simply include it in our holiday decorating scheme and that was the cause of some interesting discussions. Should we put a special holiday pillow in it? What about tossing a colorful quilt or afghan over the back? Should we put something in the chair so it wasn’t empty? Now that was a novel idea! But nothing we tried could fill the emptiness of that chair. It just sat silent like a sentinel, waiting for something . . . or someone.
It took us many years of living with that empty chair, day in and day out, to finally figure out what to do with it. When we serve our meals, those chairs that would have been occupied by the assigned person (yes, we do assigned seating at our house) can be filled by other family members or guests. You get to use the sterling silver napkin ring with that person’s name on it, and if you are lucky, that person has not lost a knife or fork or spoon over the years, so you will have a complete place setting of silverware. You must endure listening to tales about the person whose chair you are occupying.
It makes for some lively conversations and that way, even though you may not be with us for this occasion, your presence is still in our life. That works for our empty chair as well. It is a military custom to always set a place at the table for those who are not with us at this time, but whose lives are still within our hearts. So, we have a place setting, complete with silverware (all 6 pieces), dishes, crystal goblet, and napkin ring. Our empty chair is pulled up to the table and a single rose is placed on the plate, a symbol of everlasting love.
We join hands in thanksgiving, completing the circle with the empty chair within our family circle, for even though death may have come, love never goes away. That empty chair now represents all of us who ate not with us for this occasion but who live within our hearts forever. It is not a sad sight, because we know that empty chair represents a love we have known and shared, and with that gift, our family is forever blessed.
So, if your holiday table will have an empty chair this year, remember that it is not truly an empty space. That place is still occupied by the love and joy of the one who sat in it. Don’t hide that chair away. You may not wish to bring it to the table as we do, but take time this holiday season to remember the laughter, the joy, the love, the light of those who are no longer within hug’s reach, but whose love still fills us with gratitude. Join hands around your table, however small, and say a prayer of thanksgiving . . . for the love you have known and still hold deep within your heart. You are rich beyond measure for having had a chair fulfilled. Don’t let death rob you of the heart space that love keeps.
No one has sat in our little empty chair for twenty-five years . . . until this season. The table is still set with a place for all of those who are not with us on this occasion, but the empty chair at our house has been tilled with the tiny spirit of a new life as she found that chair to be, “just the right size, Grandma.”
We are a family circle, some chairs filled and others not, broken by death, but mended by love.
© Darcie Sims
Think Twice Before Getting the Swine Flu Vaccine
Note from Tom and Sandra: We rarely comment on something that is considered so mainstream and “safe” as a flu vaccine. However, after reading dozens and dozens of articles by researchers, we want to caution you to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of getting the “Swine Flu” vaccine (more appropriately called the H1N1 flu virus). We are not suggesting that you not get the H1N1 vaccine, but we do feel an obligation to make you aware of the concerns that exist and to do your own research and make an informed decision. Although some may consider some of the sources as “extremists” or “alarmists” they include:
· Dr. Russell Blaylock (a board-certified neurologist who serves on the editorial staff of the Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons and the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association); website: www.RussellBlaylockMD.com )
· Dr. Joseph Mercola, a licensed physician and surgeon in the state of Illinois, whose website, Mercola.com, is purportedly the #1 Natural Health site in the world.
· CBS New Investigative reports (see story below).
Again, please educate yourself so you can choose whether or not to be vaccinated.Return to Top
Swine Flu Cases Overestimated?
CBS News Exclusive: Study of State Results Finds H1N1 Not As Prevalent As Feared
CBS News, October 21, 2009, By Sharyl Attkisson
(CBS) If you’ve been diagnosed “probable” or “presumed” 2009 H1N1 or “swine flu” in recent months, you may be surprised to know this: odds are you didn’t have H1N1 flu.
In fact, you probably didn’t have flu at all. That’s according to state-by-state test results obtained in a three-month-long CBS News investigation.
The ramifications of this finding are important. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Britain’s National Health Service, once you have H1N1 flu, you’re immune from future outbreaks of the same virus. Those who think they’ve had H1N1 flu — but haven’t — may mistakenly presume they’re immune. As a result, they might skip taking a vaccine that could help them, and expose themselves to others with H1N1 flu under the mistaken belief they won’t catch it. Parents might not keep sick children home from school, mistakenly believing they’ve already had H1N1 flu.
Why the uncertainty about who has and who hasn’t had H1N1 flu?
In late July, the CDC abruptly advised states to stop testing for H1N1 flu, and stopped counting individual cases. The rationale given for the CDC guidance to forego testing and tracking individual cases was: why waste resources testing for H1N1 flu when the government has already confirmed there’s an epidemic?
Some public health officials privately disagreed with the decision to stop testing and counting, telling CBS News that continued tracking of this new and possibly changing virus was important because H1N1 has a different epidemiology, affects younger people more than seasonal flu and has been shown to have a higher case fatality rate than other flu virus strains.
CBS News learned that the decision to stop counting H1N1 flu cases was made so hastily that states weren’t given the opportunity to provide input. Instead, on July 24, the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists, CSTE, issued the following notice to state public health officials on behalf of the CDC:
“Attached are the Q&As that will be posted on the CDC website tomorrow explaining why CDC is no longer reporting case counts for novel H1N1. CDC would have liked to have run these by you for input but unfortunately there was not enough time before these needed to be posted (emphasis added).”
When CDC did not provide us with the material, we filed a Freedom of Information request with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). More than two months later, the request has not been fulfilled.
(Note from Sandra: On October 27, this news story’s author reported that she had received a reply from the CDC: “Two months after my FOI request, the CDC has yet to produce any of these easily retrievable materials. Sadly, this is of little surprise. This has become standard operating procedure in Washington. Today, I received a letter from the CDC Freedom of Information office, which even by the normal baffling standards, borders on the absurd. The letter is to inform me that my request for “expedited” treatment of my FOI request has been denied because CDC has determined the request is “not a matter of widespread and exceptional media and public interest.” First, it seems ill advised to allow the responding agency (which often doesn’t want the info released) to determine whether an issue is of media and public interest and, therefore, subject to expedited treatment. Further, the CDC may be the only agency on the planet to argue that testing and counting of swine flu cases is “not of widespread and exceptional media and public interest.” As for the CDC’s response to my Freedom of Information request? Their letter denying expedited treatment assures me they are “continuing to process” my request on a non-expedited basis.
Tick, tick, tick…” Attkisson Blogs: Freedom of Information Stalled at CDC )
We also asked CDC for state-by-state test results prior to halting of testing and tracking, but CDC was again, initially, unresponsive. While we waited for CDC to provide the data, which it eventually did, we asked all 50 states for their statistics on state lab-confirmed H1N1 prior to the halt of individual testing and counting in July. The results reveal a pattern that surprised a number of health care professionals we consulted. The vast majority of cases were negative for H1N1 as well as seasonal flu, despite the fact that many states were specifically testing patients deemed to be most likely to have H1N1 flu, based on symptoms and risk factors, such as travel to Mexico.
(CBS)
It’s unknown what patients who tested negative for flu were actually afflicted with since the illness was not otherwise determined. Health experts say it’s assumed the patients had some sort of cold or upper respiratory infection that is just not influenza.
With most cases diagnosed solely on symptoms and risk factors, the H1N1 flu epidemic may seem worse than it is. For example, on Sept. 22, this alarming headline came from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.: “H1N1 Flu Infects over 250 Georgetown Students.” H1N1 flu can be deadly and an outbreak of 250 students would be an especially troubling cluster. However, the number of sick students came not from lab-confirmed tests but from “estimates” made by counting “students who went to the Student Health Center with flu symptoms, students who called the H1N1 hotline or the Health Center’s doctor-on-call, and students who went to the hospital’s emergency room.”
Without lab testing, it’s impossible to know how many of the students actually had H1N1 flu. But the statistical trend indicates it was likely much fewer than 250.
CDC continues to monitor flu in general and H1N1 through “sentinels,” which basically act as spot-checks to detect trends around the nation. But at least one state, California, has found value in tracking H1N1 flu in greater detail.
“What we are doing is much more detailed and expensive than what CDC wants,” said Dr. Bela Matyas, California’s Acting Chief of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “We’re gathering data better to answer how severe is the illness. With CDC’s fallback position, there are so many uncertainties with who’s being counted, it’s hard to know how much we’re seeing is due to H1N1 flu rather than a mix of influenza diseases generally. We can tell that apart but they can’t.”
After our conversation with Dr. Matyas, public affairs officials with the California Department of Public Health emphasized to CBS News that they support CDC policy to stop counting individual cases, maintaining that the state has the resources to gather more specific testing data than the CDC.
Because of the uncertainties, the CDC advises even those who were told they had H1N1 to get vaccinated unless they had lab confirmation. “Persons who are uncertain about how they were diagnosed should get the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.”
That’s unwelcome news for a Marietta, Georgia mom whose two children were diagnosed with “probable” H1N1 flu over the summer. She hoped that would mean they wouldn’t need the hastily developed H1N1 flu vaccine. However, since their cases were never confirmed with lab tests, the CDC advises they get the vaccine. “I wish they had tested and that I knew for sure whether they had it. I’m not anxious to give them an experimental vaccine if they don’t need it.”
The CDC recommendation for those who had “probable” or “presumed” H1N1 flu to go ahead and get vaccinated anyway means the relatively small proportion of those who actually did have H1N1 flu will be getting the vaccine unnecessarily. This exposes them to rare but significant side effects, such as paralysis from Guillain-Barre syndrome.
It also uses up vaccine, which is said to be in short supply. The CDC was hoping to have shipped 40 million doses by the end of October, but only about 30 million doses will be available this month.
The CDC did not response to questions from CBS News for this report.
H1N1 Misdiagnoses Could Have Consequences
CBSNews.com report on H1N1
Weighing Possible H1N1 Vaccine Risks
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206807/Swine-flu-jab-link-killer-nerve-disease-Leaked-letter-reveals-concern-neurologists-25-deaths-America.html
©MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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DR. RUSSELL BLAYLOCK ON SWINE FLU
Dr. Blaylock has stated that there are two opposing forces feeding us information about the Swine Flu. On the one side are FEMA, Homeland Security, and the Government working in conjunction with the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the vaccines and on the other side are the virologists, epidemiologists, and the CDC.
Dr. Blaylock said: “We are getting two different stories. On one side we are getting a lot of panic talk using statistics like 50% of the American population or 150 million people will become infected. That 1.8 million people will end up in the hospital. … But when we talk to medical experts like virologists and epidemiologists we get a completely different story.” What the Center for Disease Control is saying is that swine flu is a rather mild seasonal flu. It is not as damaging as the previous seasonal flus and has a lower death rate and communicability (spreading through the community). Yet, the U.S. Government is reporting that 50% of the population may get infected-more than twice the number of the 1918 flu. Dr. Blaylock stated that the hospitalizations and deaths from swine flu are less than previous flu seasons.
The 1918 flu took place at the very end of WWI. These troops were concentrated, had poor nutrition, stressed from battle, had a high susceptibility, and many died from pneumonia. There were few antibiotics available then and virology did not exist in 1918 and no way to identify viruses. The big question now is whether mandatory vaccinations will be instated and whether Americans are becoming overly concerned.
Dr. Blaylock said that there is strong evidence that vaccinations offer no better protection than not having one. In a review of more than 51 studies involving more than 294,000 children it was found there was “no evidence that injecting children 6-24 months of age with a flu shot was any more effective than placebo. In children over 2 yrs, it was only effective 33% of the time in preventing the flu. Reference: Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2 (2008). Another 30-year study reported that vaccines do not reduce hospitalization or death rates in adults. “We are finding in the neurological community an explosion of neurological brain diseases and the doctors not know why they are occurring,” said Blaylock. “Asthma and Type-1 Diabetes are increasing dramatically. We believe that powerful vaccine adjuvants–substances added to a vaccine to improve the immune response so that less vaccine is needed, like the oil-based squalene, may be the cause of the rise in asthma, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.
According to Meryl Nass, M.D., an authority on the anthrax vaccine, “A novel feature of the two H1N1 vaccines being developed by companies Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline is the addition of squalene-containing adjuvants to boost immunogenicity and dramatically reduce the amount of viral antigen needed. This translates into much faster production of desired vaccine quantities.” Novartis’s proprietary squalene adjuvant for their H1N1 vaccine is MF59. Glaxo’s is ASO3. MF59 has yet to be approved by the FDA for use in any U.S. vaccine. Less actual swine flu virus is needed when you add adjuvants. Squalene is safe based on topical and oral tests, but Blaylock said it is dangerous when you inject it in muscle and vaccination is the most abnormal way to replicate natural infection. When the vaccine is injected it can cause brain inflammation, and loss of memory and coordination.
Another adjuvant is mercury, used as a preservative in vaccines that causes slow degeneration in the brain. Aluminum, the only approved adjuvant in the U.S. accumulates in the brain for a lifetime and can cause not only inflammation in the brain, but is thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)-a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS increased dramatically in soldiers forced to take the anthrax vaccine. Another concern is developing Guillain-Barre syndrome. GBS is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves. The peripheral nerves convey sensory information like pain and temperature from the body to the brain and motor (i.e., movement) signals from the brain to the body. GBS is characterized by weakness and numbness or tingling in the legs and arms, and possible loss of movement and feeling in the legs, arms, upper body, and face. Vaccines containing mercury and those containing aluminum can interact and worsen toxicity. Dr. Blaylock asks, “Can you imagine infants taking the MMR vaccine, which causes immune-suppression for weeks, and then the swine flu vaccine? This can increase the risk of dying from vaccine toxicity”.
The death rate from H1N1 has been less that 1%, but the Government says 10 to 20% will die or be hospitalized as Novartis continues to produce millions of doses of swine flu vaccine. “Millions of children will be guinea pigs,” said Dr. Blaylock, “They have no idea what will happen when they mix adjuvants. The worst case scenario is if they force vaccines.”
Note from Sandra: In my research of these issues, I found the following information:
· A study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that “significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting” examined.
· A study published in the Lancet several few months ago found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. Vaccination coverage among the elderly increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now, yet there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza or pneumonia.
· That Lancet study supports a similar study done five years ago, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which concluded that vaccination against pneumonia does not reduce your risk of contracting the disease.
· Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine last month also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.
· Last year, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”
· A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.
If you decide you would like additional information I have provided some links below. Please be aware that OHI is supplying this information for your review, we are not able to confirm that the contents are, in part or whole, based upon scientific evidence (the first 3 are from Dr. Blaylock, and the fourth one from Dr. Mercola):
www.pandemicfluonline.com/?p=1351
http://socioecohistory.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/dr-russell-blaylock-on-1976-swine-flu-and-current-outbreak/
http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2009/08/20/dr-russell-blaylock-harmful-effects-of-swine-flu-vaccine/ (Note: contains 3 videos)
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/26/Flu-Vaccine-Exposed.aspx
What to do to avoid complications from the swine flu vaccine
Note from Sandra: President Obama’s announcement of a “National Public Health Emergency” on October 24 has increased fears that mandatory vaccination programs may be put in place. His declaration authorizes Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass normal federal regulations so health officials can respond more quickly to the outbreak, which, allegedly, has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States. “As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic,” Obama stated, which the White House announced Saturday. It should be noted that Massachusetts has already passed a state law that allows the State to “quarantine” those who refuse to get the vaccination in “confinement camps” and charge a fine of $1000 per day (http://thebirdflupandemic.com/archives/1000-per-day-fine-and-30-days-in-jail-for-refusing-the-swine-flu-vaccine-in-massachusetts ).
In the course of doing research on the H1N1 vaccine – including information on the CDC’s website and CBS news – I learned that the Public Health Emergency Declaration announced October 24 was not legally initiated then. In fact, it was initiated months ago. There was no new legal action that occurred over the weekend, only an announcement about what some skeptics say is a questionable and unsubstantiated 1000 deaths in the US from H1N1 (see links above and below). The HHS Secretary has actually renewed that declaration twice, once on July 24, 2009, and more recently on October 1, 2009.
I also came across many skeptics who report that it appears to them that the US government has full intention of administering as many doses of swine flu vaccine as possible this season – despite many researchers’ reports that this influenza virus strain is milder than the seasonal influenza strains that have been circulating in the past few decades. If true (and again, OHI is not endorsing these statements, just passing them along!), one can only wonder the motivation behind this intention. Could it be that $7 BILLION dollars will be earned by the drug companies for the vaccines?
http://swineflu.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/27/Obama-Declares-Swine-Flu-Emergency.aspx
The Following was composed by Dr. Russell Blaylock as a method to reduce autoimmune reactions to the flu vaccines only. Do not use this if you have the flu itself. PLEASE NOTE: These are just general observations and not medical advice. I am including this information as I have received many requests for suggestions to decrease your risk of a toxic side-effect if you do receive the vaccine. You should work with your doctor for a specific program. I could not find any scientific data to support the use of these measures, but some are common sense for good general health (e.g., using fish oil, zinc, Vitamin D).
1. Place a cold compress on the site of the injection immediately after the injection and continue this as often as possible for at least two days. If symptoms of fever, irritability, fatigue or flu-like symptoms reoccur — continue the cold compresses until they abate. A cold shower or bath will also help.
2. Take fish oils — I recommend the Norwegian fish oil made by Carlson Labs — it has the correct balance of EPA and DHA to reduce the cytokine storm. The dose is one tablespoon a day — if severe symptoms develop — two tablespoons a day until well and then switch to one tablespoon a day. Children — one teaspoon a day.
3. Curcumin, quercetin, ferulic acid and ellagic acid as a mixture — the first two must be mixed with extravirgin olive in one teaspoon. Take the mix three times a day (500 mg of each)
4. Vitamin E (natural form) 400 IU a day (high in gamma-E)
5. Vitamin C 1000 mg four times a day
6. Astaxanthin 4 mg a day
7. Zinc 20 mg a day for one week then 5 mg a day
8. Avoid all immune stimulating supplements (mushroom extracts, whey protein) except beta-glucan — it has been shown to reduce inflammation, microglial activation and has a reduced risk of aggravating autoimmunity, while increasing antiviral cellular immunity.
9. Take a multivitamin/mineral daily (one without iron — Extend Core)
10. Magnesium citrate/malate 500 mg of elemental magnesium two capsules three times a day
11. Vitamin D3:
1. All Children — 5000 IU a day for two weeks after vaccine then 2000 IU a day thereafter
2. Adults — 20,000 IU a day after vaccine for two weeks then 10,000 IU a day thereafter
3. Take 500 mg to 1000 mg of calcium citrate a day for adults and 250 mg a day for children under age 12 years.
4. Vitamin D was also reported to help improve immunity and therefore decrease the likelihood of getting the flu, as well as helping with the symptoms if you contract the flu*
12. Avoid all mercury-containing seafood
13. Avoid omega-6 oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, canola and peanut oils)
14. Blenderize parsley and celery and drink 8 ounces twice a day
15. Take Jatoba tea extract (add 20 drops in on cup of tea) one day before the vaccine and the twice a day thereafter. (you can get it at http://www.iherb.com/Amazon-Therapeutics-Jatoba-1-oz-30-ml/14429?at=0) It is inexpensive.
Note from Sandra: As we are learning more and more about the useful benefits of Vitamin D, we are offering a 10% discount on both the 1000 and 5000 unit bottles – this is in addition to the 10% off ALL supplement purchases in November!
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BEWARE: Taking Tylenol with Flu Vaccine:
It May Actually Make You Worse
It feels like we’re rushing head-first toward a man-made major public health catastrophe. And unfortunately, recent research shows that common medical practices may aggravate the situation. According to a two Czechoslovakian studies, published in the journal Lancet on October 17, giving your child an analgesic to prevent fever when getting a vaccine could render them more prone to secondary infections.
Their studies showed that after vaccination, the immune response was lower among babies who were given acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), right after they received the shot.
The vaccines used in the study were for pneumococcal disease, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and rotavirus. No flu vaccines were included. However, it’s likely the effect would still be the same.
MSN.com quotes infectious disease expert Dr. Marc Siegel as saying that: “… the conclusion that Tylenol not only suppresses fever, but also decreases immune response is plausible. After all, what is an immune response? It’s an inflammatory response.”
The researchers also found that although fewer infants developed a fever after getting acetaminophen, they also developed significantly fewer antibodies against the disease they were vaccinated against. They believe the acetaminophen’s anti-inflammatory activity might interfere with your body’s immune system antibody response, which could explain why the vaccine was rendered less effective.
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14 Ways to Avoid Colds and Flu
Stephanie Silk
Are you avoiding your co-worker with that hacking cough, cold, or flu in the cubicle next to you? Do you draw your hand back from every doorknob? Have cold-and-flu phobia? Get a grip before the grippe gets you. We’ve consulted dozens of medical experts to bring you 14 ways to avoid colds and flu this season.
Every time you shake someone’s hand, wash yours: But don’t stop there. Wash them as much as possible, says Mark Mengel, MD, chair of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Running lots of water over your hands will dilute any germs and send them down the drain.
Keep your hands off: Touching your nose and your eyes may hurt you, Mengel says. Those are the most common places for germs to get in.
Go to bed: As if getting enough sleep on a normal basis isn’t hard enough, you need more Zs when you’re feeling under the weather. When you’re tired, your body isn’t fighting as hard, so Mengel suggests getting 8 to 10 hours a night.
Build up with healthy food: You may think it’s hard to eat healthy on a regular basis, but eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables supports your immune system, Robertson says. And that’s a lot easier than fighting off the flu.
Work out: Get those sweats on and exercise, says Ann G. Kulze, MD, CEO and founder of Dr. Ann and Just Wellness. Working out regularly enhances immune function, she explains.
Stay away: Keep your distance from people displaying symptoms like sneezing and coughing. While that strategy may seem obvious, it applies to more than just strangers and colleagues. Stay away from sick friends and family when possible, Robertson says.
Sanitize yourself: Keep sanitizing gel or alcohol-based hand wipes on you at all times. But read the label before you buy, says Robertson: Some wipes are not alcohol-based and won’t be as effective.
Another reason to quit: Smoking increases the risk of infections by making structural changes in the respiratory tract and decreasing immune response, according to a study of smokers and infection published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2004. In particular, Mengel says, smoking destroys cilia, the little hair-like fibers inside our noses; this can help increase infection risks.
Did you just double dip that chip? Beware of the dip. It may be harboring more than savory salsa. Double-dippers may be passing germs to those who eat after them, Mengel says.
Another reason to shop: Our purses pick up germs like we do, according to Joseph Brasco, MD, author of The Great Physician’s Rx for Colds and Flu, so you could be re-infecting yourself every time you pick up your handbag. His suggestion: Put away your cloth purse during the winter months and carry one made of easier-to-wipe-down vinyl or leather. Of course, you could always just buy more purses.
I hear your mother calling: Biting your nails may be hurting you, Brasco says. Germs get under your nails and nibbling is a fast way to ingest them.
Try to smile: New research has found that happiness may help you. Carl Charnetski, MD, professor of psychology at Wilkes University, found that sex, positive thinking, playing with a pet, and other pleasurable behaviors will boost your immune system.
You want me to sneeze where? It may sound strange, but when you have to cough and sneeze, do so into the crook of your elbow, not into your hands. Since your hands are a common source of germs, doing that will prevent them from spreading, Kulze says.
Already sick? Here are four things you can do to get better, according to Jeff Robertson, MD, and chief medical officer for health insurer Regence:
1. Take some alone time: This is the when you’ll want to shy away from company. Stay home and take care of yourself.
2. Watch your symptoms: If it goes from simple sniffles to raging sickness, contact your doctor. Your cold may have escalated to the flu.
3. Drink, drink, drink: Dehydration can easily occur (especially if you are running a fever or vomiting). If you’re unable to keep fluids down, contact your physician.
4. Now’s not the time to save up: Dispose of all used tissues. As easy as it is to grab whatever is on the nightstand (including crumpled Kleenex), don’t! You may be furthering the cold.
Find this at: http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20250939,00.html
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Sex: Question and Answer
Note from Sandra: As part of our focus on Healthy Relationships in 2009, we have decided to have a Question and Answer section in each newsletter. Now is your chance to – anonymously, of course, – ask any questions you may have about sex. Just email Sandra and you will get an answer to your question from either Tom or Sandra. We will answer every question, but will select one to appear in each newsletter. As I only had one question asked in last month that is all I have to answer in this newsletter. Please help me out and send in those questions!
Q: Dr. Cable has me using the testosterone gel and I wondered if applying it directly to the source (my testicles) would increase the physiological response.
A: I initially warned the client that pubic hair may interfere with absorption, and he responded that he chose to keep the area shaven. As such, I turned to Dr. Cable for the answer. He stated that there is no research that would suggest a greater response by applying the gel directly to the testicles as the gel is absorbed through the skin and the location is not relevant (although he does recommend applying it to thinner skin – such as the inner part of the arm). I also warned that applying the gel directly to the genitals (in either gender) could increase the chance of your partner absorbing the gel directly, creating excessively high levels. So – shave if you so desire (and can stand the itching!) – but please apply elsewhere!
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Note from Sandra: Given the serious tone this newsletter started out with – and the fact that we are all adults (and this is certainly tamer than our Sex Q&A), I thought I would include it! Just understand that I do NOT have data to support all the “facts” given below! (I received this as an email – with the usual warnings of dire consequences for not forwarding – however since these warnings are also humorous, I have included them). Enjoy!
The Irish Sex Fairy
Be sure to read the warning at the bottom. I didn’t change a word! I’m not messing with the Irish Sex Fairy!
1. Sex is a beauty treatment. Scientific tests find that when women make love they produce amounts of the hormone estrogen, which makes hair shine and skin smooth.
2. Gentle, relaxed lovemaking reduces your chances of suffering dermatitis, skin rashes and blemishes. The sweat produced cleanses the pores and makes your skin glow.
3. Lovemaking can burn up those calories you piled on during that romantic dinner.
4. Sex is one of the safest sports you can take up. It stretches and tones up just about every muscle in the body. It’s more enjoyable than swimming 20 laps, or jogging 20 blocks and you don’t need special sneakers!
5. Sex is an instant cure for mild depression. It releases endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and leaving you with a feeling of well-being.
6. The more sex you have, the more you will be offered. The sexually active body gives off greater quantities of chemicals called pheromones. These subtle sex perfumes drive the opposite sex crazy!
7. Sex is the safest tranquilizer in the world. IT IS 10 TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN VALIUM.
8. Kissing each day will keep the dentist away. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.
9. Sex actually relieves headaches. A lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.
10. A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever.
This message has been sent to you for good luck in sex. The original is in a room in the basement of the Dwight House Pub in Ireland. It has been sent around the world nine times. Now sex has been sent to you. The “Irish Sex Fairy” will visit you within four days of receiving this message, provided you, in turn, send it on.
If you don’t, then you will never receive good sex again for the rest of your life. You will eventually become celibate, and your genitals will rot and fall off. This is no joke! Send copies to people you think need sex (who doesn’t?). Don’t send money, as the fate of your genitals has no price.
Do not keep this message. This message must leave your e-mail in 5 hours. Please send ten copies and see what happens in four days. (I sent it to 122 people so, if you don’t hear from me for a few days you will know why . . .)
Exercise – JUST DO IT!!!
Exercise and cold weather: Stay motivated, fit and safe
Cold weather doesn’t have to mean putting outdoor exercise on ice. Here’s how to exercise safely — even when it’s 20 below.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Winter can frustrate the most motivated exercisers. And if you’re not so motivated, it’s all too easy to pack your workout gear away with your summer clothes. But keeping up your exercise routine in cold weather can be rewarding.
For one thing, outdoor exercise is a sure cure for cabin fever and the winter blues. And it increases energy, which can be sapped by gloomy weather. Exercise also bolsters your immune system — studies show that moderate exercisers get 20 to 30 percent fewer colds than non-exercisers do. And, you won’t have to scramble to get in shape for swimsuit season.
If you’re not looking forward to another winter of pounding endless miles on the treadmill or power walking the malls, the good news is that you don’t have to. With the right clothing and a little planning, cold-weather exercise can be safe, effective and, yes, fun.
Taking it outside
Here’s how to get the most out of your cold-weather workout:
· Check with your doctor. Experts say that almost everyone can exercise safely in the cold, including people with asthma and heart problems. If you have health concerns, get your doctor’s OK.
· Layer it on. One of the biggest mistakes cold-weather exercisers make is dressing too warmly. Exercise generates a considerable amount of heat — enough to make you feel like its 30 degrees warmer than it really is. At the same time, once you start to tire and the sweat dries, you can get chilled. The solution? Dress in layers that you can remove as soon as you start to sweat and then put back on as needed. Start with a thin layer of synthetic material such as polypropylene, which draws sweat away from your body. Avoid cotton, which stays wet next to your skin. Next, try fleece for insulation. Top this with a waterproof, breathable outer layer. A heavy down jacket or vest will cause most people to overheat. If you’re naturally lean, though, you’ll need more insulation than someone who is heavier. If it’s very cold (about 0 F or -17.8 C) or you have asthma, wear a face mask or a scarf over your mouth.
· Protect your extremities. When it’s cold, blood is shunted to your body’s core, leaving your hands and feet vulnerable to frostbite. Try wearing a thin pair of gloves under a pair of heavier gloves or mittens lined with wool or fleece. You might want to buy exercise shoes a half-size larger than usual to allow for thick thermal socks or an extra pair of regular socks. And don’t forget a hat or headband — 30 to 40 percent of your body heat is lost through your head.
· Choose appropriate gear. If it’s dark, wear reflective clothing. To stay steady on your feet, choose footwear with enough traction to prevent falls. Wear a helmet for skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling.
· Remember sunscreen. It’s as easy to get sunburned in winter as in summer — even more so if you’re exercising in the snow or at high altitudes. Wear a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of at least 15 or higher. Use a lip balm that contains sunscreen, and protect your eyes from snow and ice glare with dark glasses or goggles.
· Head into the wind. You’ll be less likely to get chilled on the way back if you end your workout — when you may be sweaty — with the wind at your back.
· Drink plenty of fluids. Drink water or sports drinks before, during and after your workout — even if you’re not thirsty. You can become just as dehydrated in the cold as in the heat from sweating, breathing and increased urine production.
· Pay attention to wind chill. The wind can penetrate your clothes and remove the insulating layer of warm air that surrounds your body. Fast motion — such as skiing, running, cycling or skating — also creates wind chill because it increases air movement past your body. When the temperature is 10 F (-12.2 C) and the air is calm, skiing at 20 miles an hour creates a wind chill of minus 9 (-22.8 C). If the temperature dips well below zero (-17.8 C), choose an indoor activity instead.
· Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite is most common on your face, fingers and toes. Early warning signs include paleness, numbness and loss of feeling or a stinging sensation. If you suspect frostbite, get out of the cold immediately and slowly warm the affected area without rubbing. If numbness continues, seek emergency care. If you suspect hypothermia — characterized by intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of coordination and fatigue — get emergency help right away. To help prevent problems, warm your hands and feet every 20 to 30 minutes, and know when to head for home.
· Stay motivated. When it’s cold outdoors, there’s no need to hit the couch. With a little knowledge and fortitude, you can meet the challenges — and reap the rewards — of winter exercise. For many people, the solitude and quiet alone are reason enough to brave the elements.
FRIGHTENING FOOD FACT:
Burial Grands
Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls with Icing are “Made with Cinnabon Cinnamon,” boasts the label.
If you have a Cinnabon nearby, you may be familiar with its cinnamon rolls on steroids. Each humongous 7.8 ounce Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll has roughly 800 calories, 8 grams of saturated fat, and 55 grams (13 teaspoons) of sugar. Plus there’s a bonus for your hardworking arteries: 5 grams of trans fat, the worst kind you can eat.
Pillsbury Grands! don’t quite measure up. Each 3.5 ounce roll has 310 calories and 2 grams of sat fat plus 2.5 grams of trans fat and 23 grams of sugar. It’s essentially a third of a Cinnabon with more than a third of the icing. Isn’t that grand?
Companies are dumping their partially hydrogenated oils left and right, yet Pillsbury still makes most of its rolls and biscuits with partially hydrogenated (soybean oil and cottonseed oil) shortening. Did the company get the oils at a fire sale?
No one thinks of cinnamon rolls as health food. To see what their refined white flour, oils, and six teaspoons of sugar do to your belly, just peel off the wrapper and watch the contents of the tube.
But 2.5 grams of trans fat in each roll? That may not sound like much, but in 2004, a panel of scientists advising the Food and Drug Administration considered recommending 2 grams of trans fat for an entire day.
“My heart to yours,” says the package. How sweet of the Pillsbury Bypass Boy to share.
Nutrition Action Healthletter – November, 2009
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Recipe of the Month
Low-Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin cheesecake can make a nice change from pumpkin pie. This version is richly spiced. The crust is thicker than the regular low-carb cheesecake, but if you want a thinner crust, the other one can be used. If you want a cheesecake that isn’t as rich, you can use lower fat cream cheese, though I haven’t specifically tested it with more than 1 package of the cream cheese being low fat.
Nutritional Info (per serving)*:
Makes 16 servings:
Calories: 285 Carbs: 4 g Sodium: ? mg* Fiber: 2 g
Fat: ? g* Sat Fat: ? g* Protein: 5 g Cholesterol: ? mg*
*Note from Sandra: The Nutritional Information is for full fat cream cheese and the fat and sat fat grams were not included (nor sodium or cholesterol grams). If you want to reduce the fat and sat fat grams, use either low-fat cream cheese, fat-free cream cheese, or a combination (I usually use 2 packages of fat-free and one package of full fat). To calculate the grams of fat and sat fat, add up all the fat gram and sat fat grams in each of the 3 packages (whatever combination you choose) and then divide by 16 (the number of servings). Beating the cream cheese until very soft will make for a smoother texture. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, as well.
Ingredients:
Crust:
· One and one-half cups almond meal (can find in specialty food stores or make your own by grinding in the blender)
· One-half teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon
· Four Tablespoons melted butter
· Four Tablespoons sugar substitute such as Sweetzfree*
Filling:
· Three 8-oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
· Two and one-half teaspoons cinnamon
· One teaspoon nutmeg
· Three-fourths teaspoon ginger
· One-fourth teaspoon allspice
· One-fourth teaspoon cloves
· One-half teaspoon salt
· One and One-half cups sugar substitute, or to taste (such as Sweetzfree)*
· One can (about 15-oz) pumpkin
· One Tablespoon vanilla
· 5 eggs, preferably room temperature
· One-half cup heavy cream
*Sweetzfree is a zero carb liquid sweetener made with sucralose (Splenda).
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare springform pan: It is recommended that you put a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of the pan — no need to cut it to size, just snap it into place when you put the tighten the sides. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in heavy-duty foil. You’ll be baking the cheesecake with the springform pan set in a baking pan half-full of boiling water, so you want to protect from leaks.
1) Combine ingredients for crust, and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown.
2) Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and beaters. This step will be repeated several times and is important. The mixture will gradually become lighter, and the denser stuff has a tendency to cling to the bowl. You won’t be able to incorporate it as well later, so keep scraping.
3) Add spices and sweetener. Beat again, scrape again.
4) Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat well, scrape.
5) Add 3 eggs. Beat well (about a minute), scrape.
6) Add the other 2 eggs and cream and beat another minute. Pour mixture into pan over baked crust.
7) Place pan in a baking pan and pour boiling water around the sides, about halfway up. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F. and bake for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often after an hour. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 150 to 155 F, remove from oven.
8) Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, or up to 3 hours. THEN remove sides from pan (if you remove from springform pan too early, the cake may collapse). Cover and chill, ideally for another 3 to 4 hours.
This recipe was found at: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbthanksgiving/r/pumpkncheescake.htm
Reviewers of the recipe suggested the following:
· Try using ground, roasted, pumpkin seed in the crust for a nuttier flavor
· Using powdered Splenda worked fine (in place of the liquid form)
· Graham cracker crumbs can also be used – just be aware of the change in nutritional profile (I would recommend low-fat graham crackers) – and you will lose the extra health benefits of almonds or pumpkin seeds
· One reviewer baked it without the crust and reported that it turned out fine (and obviously saved some calories)
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Supplement of the Month
5-LOXIN
Note from Sandra: We have recently started carrying 5-LOXIN, manufactured by Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI). The recommended dose is 2 capsules a day (each bottle contains 120 capsules or a 60-day supply). Each capsule contains 150 mg of Boswella serrata Extract (standardized for acetyl-11-B-boswellic acid (AKBA), minimum 30% (45 mg).
What is 5-LOXIN? 5-LOXIN is a special extract of the boswellia serrata plant (the plant used to make frankincense). The boswellia plant has been used for thousands of years in traditional Ayurvedic medicine in India, and recent studies have shown its benefits in promoting joint comfort, knee mobility and walking distance. It has been referred to as “the botanical version of Celebrex” (but without the side-effects). By applying modern science with historic knowledge, the most powerful boswellia compound, called AKBA was identified. Researchers have now developed a method to produce a boswellia extract that provides 30% AKBA, ten times more concentrated than ordinary boswellia.
5-LOXIN was shown to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) in a recent study published in Arthritis Research and Therapy. In the study, 5-LOXIN supplementation conferred clinically and statistically significant improvements in pain scores and physical function scores in OA patients at doses of 100mg and 250mg daily. Interestingly, significant improvements in pain score and functional ability were recorded in as early as 7 days after the start of treatment. Corroborating the improvements in pain scores in treatment groups, a significant reduction in synovial fluid MMP activity, enzymes which damage connective tissue, was noted. 5-LOXIN was found to be well-tolerated, with no safety concerns. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008, 10:R85doi:10.1186/ar2461.
The study was led by Siba Raychaudhuri, a faculty member of the University of California, Davis, in the United States. According to an interview with the journal, Dr. Raychaudhuri said, “The high incidence of adverse affects associated with currently available medications has created great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment.” Raychaudhuri continued, “AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that a Boswellia serrata extract with concentrated AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee.”
Seventy-five OA patients were included in the study. Divided into three groups of 25, the patients were given daily either 100 mg 5-LOXIN, 250 mg 5-LOXIN or a placebo for 90 days. Each patient was evaluated for pain and physical function by using standardarized measurement tools (e.g., VAS – visual analog scale, Lequesne’s Functional Index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) at the baseline (day 0), and at days 7, 30, 60 and 90. Additionally, the cartilage degrading enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) was also evaluated in synovial fluid of the knee from OA patients. There was no change in MMP3 concentration in the fluid from the knee in the placebo group. However, 5-Loxin significantly reduced MMP3 concentration (by 31% at the low dose and 46% at the high dose). The reduction in MMP3 with high-dose 5-Loxin was also significantly greater than with the low dose. There was no difference in adverse effects seen in the treatment or control groups.
According to the authors, “In this study, the compound was shown to have no major adverse effects in our osteoarthritis patients. It is safe for human consumption and even for long-term use.”And new studies show 5-LOXIN also helps inhibit the action of enzymes that break down cartilage and joint tissues.
During the course of the 90-day study period, some minor adverse events were noted: diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, mild fever (up to 99.5°F) and general weakness. The patients who reported these minor events were distributed evenly throughout the placebo and active treatment groups.
For additional information, see:
A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. (study abstract)
http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/4/R85 (full text)
Human genome screen to identify the genetic basis of the anti-inflammatory effects of Boswellia in microvascular endothelial cells.
For the month of November we are offering a 10% discount on 5-Loxin – this is in addition to the 10% off ALL supplement purchases in November! If you have any questions about 5-Loxin, please call Sandra or Tom.
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Referral Incentive Program
As a nontraditional medical practice, we are very dependent on word of mouth advertising. We need your help to get the word out about our philosophy of health care and the services we provide. We pride ourselves on comprehensive assessments and personal treatment plans. If you have found working with us beneficial, we would like to offer the following incentives for you to refer your family or friends to us for a similar experience.
Luncheon referral/tour – For every 5 people you refer to us who attend one of our Thursday luncheons, you can earn:
· a microdermabrasion treatment
or
· 2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil.
Microdermabrasion Series – For every referral who signs up for a 6-visit microdermabrasion series, you can earn:
· microdermabrasion treatment
or
· a 1-hour massage
or
· 2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil.
Hormone Evaluation Package – For every referral who completes our hormone evaluation and enters our monitoring/mentoring program, you can earn a combination of any two of the following:
· a microdermabrasion treatment
· a 1-hour massage
· 2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil.
Full Evaluation Package – For every referral who completes a full evaluation and enters our monitoring/mentoring program, you can earn all of the following:
· a microdermabrasion treatment
· a 90-minute massage
· 2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil
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HAPPENINGS!
GROUP WALK: the 3rd Wednesday of the month at noon. The next one will be November 18th We will meet at OHI for stretching first – feel free to bring your spouse or a friend (and don’t forget your water bottles!).
THURSDAY LUNCHEONS: Every Thursday we offer tours of Optimal Health Institute along with a healthy lunch with Tom and Sandra. We answer all health-related questions – from hormones to supplements. If you feel like you’ve benefited from our services, then please invite a friend or family member to join us for lunch. You are welcome to come and bring a friend or two, or give us the contact information and we will call and personally invite them to learn more about what we do.
HEALTHY CHANGE SUPPORT GROUP: Please join us for a forum to ask questions, provide feedback and get support from your fellow OHI members and Tom, Sandra and Jeff. The group will meet at 5:30 the 2nd Wednesday of the month (November 11th). Please RSVP, as the group will be cancelled if we don’t have at least 3 or 4 attendees.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK
You can submit your questions (anonymously, of course) to Sandra at slk@optimal-health.net Additionally, we still want you to brag about your successes – whether in the area of healthy lifestyle changes or just life in general. This can be anonymous as well.
As always, we wish you Optimal Health,
Jeff Sandra Tom
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