Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

WELLNESS: Fight for Raw Milk Heats Up in Wisconsin and Illinois Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamins, damages milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, and actually promotes the growth of disease-causing pathogens. The Illinois Department of Public Health is presently pushing for burdensome and restrictive rules on raw milk sales that would affect producers with even just one cow or goat. Raw milk bans have nothing to do with public safety, and everything to do with controlling the dairy market and eliminating competitive threats. Three years ago, Wise Traditions published research by Dr. Ted Beals MD,which reveals that you are 35,000 times more likely to get sick from other foods (most of which are processed) than you are from raw milk. CDC estimates an annual average of more than 63,150 Americans acquire diarrhea caused by food contaminated with E. coli. On average, just five of those are attributed to drinking raw milk.

IN THE NEWS: Low Selenium Levels Correlate with Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer The International Journal of Cancer recently published a study reporting that low selenium levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U. S., excluding skin cancers. It is estimated there will be 96,830 new cases of colon cancer and 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer in the U.S. for 2014. The investigators stated, "The findings indicate that selenium status is suboptimal in many and suggest an inverse association between colorectal cancer risk and higher serum selenium status, which is more evident in women." Lean meats, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, and nuts and seeds. Pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish, shellfish, and eggs contain high amounts of selenium. Some beans and nuts, especially Brazil nuts, contain selenium.

CONDITION OF THE WEEK:COLON PROBLEMS due to the nature of our food supply, with highly processed foods loaded with chemicals, it's no wonder we have so many colon problems in our society. What you might not realize is when the lining of the colon gets damaged things get absorbed into the bloodstream that should normally be eliminated. This can cause allergies, skin problems, toxicity issues, immune disorders, sleep problems and fatigue. Restoring nerve control with chiropractic adjustments and establishing a healthier diet with targeted nutrients to help prepare the lining of the colon can eliminate most colon problems.

FUNNY BONE:Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it's called golf.

American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has announced a national health care observance

National Chiropractic Month

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH A HEALTH PROBLEM OR IN PAIN?

INVITE YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO THE PARTY

Who do you know who is hurting? Who do you know that you have been trying to get started at Keefe Clinic?

Now is the time to get your spouse, or child started on the road to good health.

Complimentary

DIAGNOSTIC WORK UP DURING OCTOBER

Complimentary initial exam and one X-ray.

Tell someone today

Visit our web sites: keefeclinic.com&facebook.com/keefeclinic

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

 

IN THE NEWS:The Link Between Obesity and Cancer Obesity is a frequently overlooked factor that can contribute to an increased cancer risk. Less than 10 percent of Americans are aware of this link. The obesity epidemic is directly related to excessive sugar consumption, and this is also a major driving factor for the cancer epidemic. Obesity has been linked to an increased risk for about a dozen different cancers, including cancer of the colon, esophagus, kidney, breast, and pancreas, as well as a heightened risk of dying from the disease. Unless you are vigorously exercising, your body can only use about six teaspoons of sugar per day. Excess sugar is then stored as body fat, and leads to the chronic metabolic diseases we struggle with, including cancer. Once you’ve addressed your basic food choices, and cut your sugar/fructose consumption down to 25 grams/day or less, you can further boost fat loss by incorporating the principles of intermittent fasting.

WELLNESS: Study Warns That Losing Your Sense of Smell May Mean You May Not Live Much Longer People with an inability to smell (known as anosmia) were more than four times as likely to die in five years compared to those with a healthy sense of smell. Specifically, 39 percent of the participants who failed a smell test died in the next five years, compared to 19 percent of those who had moderate smell loss and 10 percent of those with a healthy sense of smell. Loss of sense of smell was a stronger predictor of death than even a diagnosis of cancer, heart failure, or lung disease. Loss of olfactory function may “serve as a bellwether for slowed cellular regeneration or as a marker of cumulative toxic environmental exposure”. People who exercise are less likely to lose their sense of smell with age than those who do not. Look to zinc if you lose the ability to smell.

CONDITION OF THE WEEK:SKIN Problems-skin conditions can be from multiple sources. Microorganisms, like yeast or bacteria due to a weakened immune system, faulty diet with too much processed foods. Not enough fluids or the wrong kinds of fluids, Granular problems or hormonal problems as well as allergies. A combination of chiropractic care to restore internal function and nutritional therapy and detoxification can make a huge difference in skin problems. Drink plenty of water!

FUNNY BONE:I tell you, women drivers are a hazard to traffic. Driving to work this morning on the freeway, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a Mustang doing 65 miles per hour with her face up next to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner! I looked away for a couple seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane. It scared me so bad I dropped my electric shaver in my coffee, and it spilled all over my cell phone!

American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has announced a national health care observance

National Chiropractic Month

 

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH A HEALTH PROBLEM OR IN PAIN?

INVITE YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO THE PARTY

Who do you know who is hurting? Who do you know that you have been trying to get started at Keefe Clinic?

Now is the time to get your spouse, or child started on the road to good health.

Complimentary

DIAGNOSTIC WORK UP DURING OCTOBER

Complimentary initial exam and one X-ray.

Tell someone today

Visit our web site: keefeclinic.com-facebook/keefeclinic.com

Alzheimer's disease was officially recognized a hundred years ago, but there's still no effective treatment for it. Now researchers at UCLA say they've developed a program that shows for the first time memory loss being reversed.

It's not a drug; it's not a procedure; it is a novel, comprehensive and personal approach to treating memory loss associated with Alzheimer's. UCLA researchers spell out exactly what can be done to reverse what the disease does to the brain.

In the report provided by UCLA, Dr. Dale E. Bredesen explains how Alzheimer's is a complex disease affected by sleep, diet, even exercise.

Ten memory-loss patients, some with brain-scan-confirmed patterns of Alzheimer's, participated in a small UCLA trial called MEND (Metabolic Enhancement for NeuroDegeneration).

In the UCLA protocol, patients made dramatic lifestyle changes. They avoided simple carbs, gluten and processed foods. They increased their fish intake, took yoga and meditated. They were instructed to take melatonin, get adequate sleep, incorporate vitamin B-12, vitamin D-3 and fish oil.

Within six months, nine patients saw a noticeable improvement in memory. One patient, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer's, did not show improvement.

UCLA researchers say the findings suggest at least early on, changing a person's metabolic processes can bring back memory and cognitive function.

Six of the patients of the patients in the study who had to discontinue working were all able to return to their jobs. Study authors say some patients were followed up to two and a half years and the memory improvements remained.

No single drug has been found to stop or even slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, and drugs have only had modest effects on symptoms. “In the past decade alone, hundreds of clinical trials have been conducted for Alzheimer’s, without success, at an aggregate cost of over $1 billion,” said Bredesen, who also is a professor at the Buck Institute.

 

Bredesen’s program, including:

• eliminating all simple carbohydrates, gluten and processed food from her diet, and eating more vegetables, fruits and non-farmed fish
• meditating twice a day and beginning yoga to reduce stress
• sleeping seven to eight hours per night, up from four to five
• taking melatonin, methylcobalamin, vitamin D3, fish oil and coenzyme Q10 each day
• optimizing oral hygiene using an electric flosser and electric toothbrush
• reinstating hormone replacement therapy, which had previously been discontinued
• fasting for a minimum of 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, and for a minimum of three hours between dinner and bedtime exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes, four to six days per week

 

Inflammation and tissue toxins are obvious contributors to Alzheimer's. The dietary recommendations and the nutritional support recommended tend to be directed towards reducing inflammation.

Following your body type diet is crucial in controlling inflammation. Also the latest research on sleep indicates this is how your brain detoxifies itself.

Spending time in meditation or prayer can have a calming affect on your nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments are a very effective way to reduce stress to the nervous system and maintain proper nerve function as well as organ and glandular function. Also regular chiropractic adjustments enhance immune function which can be important with Alzheimer's. Exercise is a way of controlling cortisol which is a stress and inflammation producing hormone from the adrenal glands.

 

Many Americans, at different seasons of the year, are plagued by symptoms of runny noses, watery eyes, congested glands, persistent coughs, and recurring upper respiratory infections, all due to allergic reactions.   Allergies can be simply defined as the body’s inappropriate response to certain substances, usually proteins (antigens).  These proteins can be ragweed, grass pollens, any plant substance found in the air, a particular food or a chemical that is ingested or inhaled.  These antigens can cause immune system responses, classically the congested, runny noses, watery eyes, congested sinuses and lungs; but allergic responses can also include depression, asthma, joint pain, diarrhea, constipation, and many other symptoms.

We call these responses inappropriate because everyone will breathe in the ragweed or grass pollen, or eat certain foods, but only a certain percentage of the population will have reactions to these as antigens.  These reactions thus represent an inappropriate response to common substances.  In other words, the body interprets these common substances as invading organisms, and the immune system mounts a response as if it was being attacked.  However, the particular antigens usually do not cause any tissue damage under normal circumstances.  In fact, the damages (or symptoms that are produced within the body) are usually due to the body’s inappropriate immune system response to the substance.

It is this inappropriate response that needs to be treated - and not just the symptoms of the allergies.  The standard medical approach to allergies is to suppress the symptoms with dangerous antihistamines, cortisone preparations, and other medications that are designed only to repress the body’s responses.  This method is one that I term a “COVER-UP” method.  It does not help a patient with his or her allergies; it only artificially  covers up the symptoms of these allergies.  The question that needs to be asked is, “Why do these people have inappropriate allergy responses?"

The answer to this is:  the nervous system has an imbalance in the way it responds to certain proteins or other substances, and it is that response that must be corrected, not suppressed.
Below listed is the protocol which we have developed through trial and error over the years and with which we are currently  enjoying great success  at Keefe Clinic.

First of all, we understand that it is not the ragweed or any other antigen that is the problem, but it is the body’s response to it that is the problem.  Therefore, we look to the nervous system as the root cause, because the imbalance is within the nervous system, which then causes the abnormal reaction.

1) The first area of treatment is that of homeopathy.  Homeopathy is a system based on the principle of “like cures like”.  In the case of the allergies, the substance that would be used would be the antigen (the pollen, ragweed, food, etc) that produces the improper symptoms.  This antigen is diluted several times to form a product that will help the body adjust its inappropriate reaction to become an appropriate reaction.  By giving this antigen in a diluted fashion, and by diluting it enough that it will not produce an allergy reaction by itself, a slight response is produced that will gradually desensitize the body to the offending substance.

For instance, if you have an allergy to ragweed pollen, when you breathe it in, your immune system begins to fight the ragweed as if it was an invading bacteria or virus.  Thus, we would take ragweed pollen and dilute it down to a level where it will not cause that same immune response - indeed, at this level, it has been found that it will produce an opposite response.  In other words, it will re-calibrate the body in such a way that it will not react to this pollen as a foreign invader.  Over a period of time, by ingesting diluted antigens, the body will build up a resistance to this inappropriate response (allergic reaction). This strengthening of the body can lead to a permanent cure for this allergy.  The homeopathic treatment program is similar to the allergy injection program practiced in the United States.

In fact, when an allergist gives an injection of diluted pollens, he is practicing a crude form of homeopathy.  We say "crude" because the homeopathic physicians developed this technique in Europe over a hundred years ago, and they used very precise dilutions.  We are very happy to be able to offer homeopathic Allergy Mixes in our office which can be customized to your particular allergies- especially because we feel this is quite superior to the often painful injection process used by medical allergists.

Allergy mixes are liquids given by mouth in small doses on a regular basis - easily administered even to very small children.  These custom-made mixes represent the antigens (environmental, in foods, and chemicals) to which you might be sensitive.  These particular products sometimes require changing in potency in order to effect a permanent cure.  Most people start out using a 6x potency, and most will develop a permanent cure with that potency alone.  But some patients require the changing of potencies as they progress through the treatment program.  The potency can go from a 6x dilution all the way up to a 500x dilution, or higher,  before some are desensitized totally to a particular antigen.  Thus it is essential that a patient keep us informed on how he or she is responding to the treatment program in order for the allergy mix to be adjusted as needed.

2) The next approach in allergy work that we use is re-establishing a normal function of the nervous system in regard to these antigens.  For this we utilize Chiropractic care.  Chiropractic, of course, helps relieve nerve pressure and establishes normal nerve functioning within the body. Vertebra can lose their normal position and crowd the nerve root causing disruption of the normal control over the body.  Many disease processes have their start from subluxation complexes that were neglected because there was no pain and the person did not have his or her spine checked for problems.  Chiropractic adjustments are safe and effective for many of the most common health problems that we suffer.

3) It has also been found that particular antigens will disrupt certain electrical-type circuits within the body. In acupuncture, these circuits are called meridians.  Several points which show less resistance to electrical current are found along the meridians, and these points can be mapped out by use of electronic machines that register skin resistance in the body.  It has been found that there are twelve meridians that are found on both sides of the body, as well as two meridians that are found along the center of the body, both in the front and in the back.  These meridians are associated with certain functions, organs, muscles and parts of the body.  Each meridian has a particular name, e.g., the kidney meridian (associated with certain parts of the body, including the kidneys).  There is a liver meridian, a heart meridian, etc.  These meridians are electrical circuits that tend to be associated with these key organs and muscles.  It is found that certain antigens will disrupt these electrical circuits in the body and produce the allergy response.  Through the acupuncture-allergy technique, we determine which circuits are disrupted by a particular antigen, and then by a proper stimulation of the key points within the meridian, as a particular antigen is being held or placed on the body, we cause the nervous system to re-adjust how it responds to that antigen.  In a few cases, this can produce almost instantaneous reversal of the allergy response in the body.

This is a new technique, and promises to be a very effective way of re-programming the nervous system in its inappropriate response to antigens.  This treatment program can vary as to number of treatments required to produce a permanent cure, but a number of patients will respond within 1-6 treatments when we are dealing with a particular antigen.  Depending on the number of antigens with which we have to deal, we can schedule allergy acupuncture treatment sessions for each substance, as we determine the number of sessions we will have to do to develop a long-term cure for your allergies.

4) Nutritional therapy is another important part of an over-all program. Weak organs are involved in allowing the body to have an allergic reaction.  Giving nutritional support to these weak organs will help a patient recover his health, and allow him to end the cycle of the chronic allergy sufferer who normally has episode after episode of allergy symptoms.  Through the use of properly selected products, the allergic system can be returned to normal function.  Remember:   allergies do not represent a normally functioning body.  Proper nutrition can be an effective tool in returning the body back to health in most health care problems.

It is important to realize that the treatments I have outlined here are not done for the purpose of suppressing symptoms; they are not done to cover up your body’s response to the antigens.  They are done to re-adjust the body’s reaction to antigens back to normal.  These techniques are designed to develop a  CURE.

Not all allergies will respond as quickly in some patients as they do in others.  During the treatment program, symptom relief can be an important part of the overall treatment along with the corrective process. However, instead of utilizing strong, potent, and dangerous drugs to help relieve symptoms, we offer natural, herbal preparations and other natural products that can produce the same symptomatic relief without the negative drug effect that is seen in most over-the-counter and prescription medications used for allergies.  Thus, we do not overlook that need for symptom relief; however,  our goal is to correct the allergic response, not just to suppress it.

We believe that each person is unique and that each patient's program must be individualized. Not all the techniques we have spelled out will be used with each patient. After a complete exam and history is taken, we will work out a treatment program that will be specifically designed for each patient's particular needs.

For your sake, if you or someone you know suffer from allergies, seek a safe, effective solution to your problem; don’t just cover up the symptoms.  Seek a  natural solution to all of your health problems.

Give the Natural Approach to allergies a try!  Schedule an appointment at Keefe Clinic for Allergy Testing.  You may call 918/663-1111 to schedule. VISIT: www.facebook.com/KeefeClinic

Courtesy of:
John H. Keefe III, D.C.
(918) 663-1111

WELLNESS/PREVENTION: Vaccination detoxification - How to remove heavy metals and other vaccine toxins. Vaccine ingredients (adjuvants and preservatives) and substances used in the manufacturing process, including vaccine-production media that are present only in trace quantities, include: sucrose, fructose, dextrose, potassium phosphate, FD&C Yellow #6, aluminum lake dye, fetal bovine serum, sodium bicarbonate, monosodium glutamate, aluminum hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, lactose, aluminum potassium sulfate, peptone, bovine extract,  thimerosal(mercury), ammonium sulfate, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, bovine extract), calf serum, aluminum phosphate, aluminum hydroxphosphate sulfate, and ethanol. Drink Lots of fluids, exercise, and Hot & Cold Hydrotherapy. Most vegetables have some chelation properties, and eating combinations of vegetables increases their ability to chelate exponentially (this is true for all the health benefits).
Cranberry stevia lemonade, exercising, and hot & cold hydrotherapy can also be a huge help with detoxifying the body.

IN THE NEWS: US Soda Makers Pledge 20 Percent Calorie Cut by 2025  The American Beverage Association (ABA) announced that it will cut the number of calories consumed from sugary drinks by 20 percent in the US over the next 10 years ABA intends to achieve its goal of reduced soda calories, in part, by offering more zero or low-calorie drinks, but diet sodas are just as dangerous to your health (and perhaps more so) than regular soda.  Rather than educate consumers about the real health risks of soda, the industry has taken on a different marketing ploy by introducing smaller “guilt-free” sizes. Soda consumption is linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver damage, osteoporosis, acid reflux, and more.

CONDITION OF THE WEEK: JOINT PAIN- pain in the joints can happen for multiple reasons. The joints could be out of place and need to be re-aligned. The joints could be losing essential minerals and in need of nutrition to correct. The joint pain could reflect the general inflammation of the body which requires an overall dietary approach to correct. No matter what the cause of your joint pain we can help. Covering up the pain with drugs is not only dangerous but counterproductive. The joint problem will just get worse even if the drugs help with the symptoms. Find the problem and fix the problem.

FUNNY BONE: A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says, "That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!" The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her, "The driver just insulted me!" The man says, "You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you."

American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has announced a national health care observance

National Chiropractic Month

 

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH A HEALTH PROBLEM OR IN PAIN?

INVITE YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO THE PARTY

Who do you know who is hurting? Who do you know that you have been trying to get started at Keefe Clinic?

Now is the time to get your spouse, or child started on the road to good health.

Complimentary

DIAGNOSTIC WORK UP DURING OCTOBER

If they say you referred them and ask for the Oct. special they will get a

Complimentary initial exam and one X-ray.

Tell someone today

Visit our web site: keefeclinic.com&facebook.com/keefeclinic

Everyone knows about the flu and the flu vaccine. What people do not know is that flu vaccines are nearly useless in preventing flu, they will cause the flu, and they often result in nervous system damage that can take years for the body to repair. Other nations chuckle at Americans' infatuation with the flu vaccine. The joke would indeed be funny, if it weren't for the damaging effects caused by the vaccine.

   The history of the flu vaccine reads like one stumbling fiasco after another. Take an example. Ever wonder how the particular viruses are chosen for next year's vaccine? The answer could be drawn from a 1930s film noir of Shanghai villainy. Scientists kill migrating ducks in Asia, culture the viruses and put those in next year's vaccine, because they have seen an association between bird and pig viruses and the following year's human flu epidemics. Perhaps this desperate guesswork is responsible for so many years when the flu vaccine's viruses had nothing in common with circulating viruses. According to a CDC report of the 1994-1995 flu season, 87 percent of type A influenza virus samples were not similar to the year's vaccine, and 76 percent of type B virus were not similar to the virus in that year's vaccine. During the 1992-1993 season, 84 percent of samples for the predominant type A virus were not similar to the virus in the vaccine.

Here is a list of the most common side effects of the flu vaccine as stated by the CDC - fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and headache. Sound familiar?

The primary targeted population for flu vaccine is the elderly, yet the vaccine is notoriously ineffective in preventing disease in that population. According to the CDC, the effectiveness of flu vaccine in preventing illness among elderly persons residing in nursing homes is 30-40 percent (CDC, 2001b). Other studies have shown an even lower efficacy of 0-36 percent (averaging 21 percent). The CDC proudly notes that for those elderly persons living outside of nursing homes, flu vaccine is 30-70 percent effective in preventing hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza. Yet the Department of Human and Health Services found that, with or without a flu shot, pneumonia and influenza hospitalization rates for the elderly are less than one percent during the influenza season. Regardless of vaccination status, 99 percent of the elderly recover from the flu without being hospitalized. The ineffectiveness of flu shots in the elderly led the CDC in 2000 to begin recommending the shots for all persons age 50 years and older. The rationale being that one third of Americans have a risk factor or chronic disease that puts them at risk of increased morbidity from the flu.

Annual flu vaccination is recommended for those individuals with asthma and other chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. However, those people with impaired immune systems are the most likely to suffer adverse autoimmune reactions.

    Children are the next frontier for the lucrative flu vaccine campaign. Vaccination is currently recommended for children over six months of age with high-risk medical conditions, but is not recommended for healthy children. Experts in the field suggest that parents of children age six months to two years "be informed that their children are at risk for serious complications of influenza, and allowed to make individual informed decisions regarding influenza immunization for their children" (Neuzil et al., 2001). This statement was made by Marie Griffin (and others), the same author who was implicated in the flawed study that supposedly exonerated the pertussis vaccine of nervous system damage. She is also a paid consultant to one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers, Burroughs Wellcome. The children's market is the next big hope for vaccine campaigners. A 1998 working group began investigations to not only support, but also to "recommend" flu vaccine for young children. Research in the Journal of Virology found that the seasonal flu vaccine may weaken children's immune systems and increase their chances of getting sick from influenza viruses not included in the vaccine.

Research in the Journal of Virology found that the seasonal flu vaccine may weaken children's immune systems and increase their chances of getting sick from influenza viruses not included in the vaccine.

  The next big change in flu vaccines is the introduction of a live intranasal flu vaccine, a dose that is actually sprayed into the nose. This vaccine has already been tested on young children. Live intranasal vaccine was found 93 percent effective in preventing influenza in children age one to six years old (Belshe et al., 1998). Unanswered questions about the live vaccine include the possibility of transmitting other, more dangerous viruses through the vaccine, the possibility of enhanced replication of the attenuated virus in individuals with compromised immune systems, and the possibility of bacterial superinfection if the replicating live virus disrupts nasal membranes (Subbarao, 2000). This vaccine waits in the wings for its chance as the next big gun in the vaccine arsenal aimed at our children.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

In 1976 the flu vaccine was dealt a near fatal blow when reports appeared that the vaccine caused Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune nervous system reaction characterized by unstable gait, loss of sensation, and loss of muscle control. A mass vaccination program was mounted that year by the US Government, and 45 million Americans received the swine flu vaccine. Statistical studies have confirmed a causal relationship between the vaccine and GBS. During that year the rate of GBS in Ohio was 13.3 per 1,000,000 in vaccine recipients compared to 2.6 per 1,000,000 in nonrecipients (Marks & Halpin, 1980). A follow-up study also showed a significantly increased incidence of GBS during the first 6 weeks following receipt of the vaccine in patients residing in two other states. The rate of GBS was 8.6 per million vaccinees in Michigan and 9.7 per million vaccinees in Minnesota (Safranek et al., 1991). This episode, which became known as the swine flu catastrophe, left doctors extremely reluctant to administer flu vaccine, and shattered the public trust in the flu vaccine campaign.

   The association between GBS and flu shots was not unique to the swine flu. Earlier reports had also summarized cases of nervous system disorders occurring soon after the flu vaccine (Flewett & Hoult, 1958; Horner, 1958). More recently, an increased risk for GBS occurring in patients during the six weeks following the flu vaccine was revealed in the 1992-1993 and the 1993-1994 flu seasons (Lasky et al., 1998).

Pregnancy

One of the most bizarre twists on the flu vaccine saga is the CDC recommendation of 2001 that all pregnant women receive the vaccine in their second or third trimester. This recommendation even has doctors confused, since the vaccine remains a category C drug (unknown risk for pregnancy). No adequate studies have been conducted to monitor safety of the vaccine for mother and fetus. The only studies of adverse effects in pregnancy were conducted in the 1970s (Heinonen et al., 1973; Sumaya & Gibbs, 1979). Some flu vaccines still contain mercury as a preservative, despite a 1998 FDA instruction to remove mercury from all drugs. According to the CDC, two groups are most vulnerable to methylmercury¾the fetus and children ages 14 and younger. An article published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1999 stated, "the greatest susceptibility to methylmercury neurotoxicity occurs during late gestation" (Grandjean et al., 1999). How did CDC committee members determine that flu vaccines were safe for pregnant women? They did not. The committee, despite its own recommendation, states, "additional data are needed to confirm the safety of vaccination during pregnancy" (CDC, 2001b).

ACCORDING TO HUGH FUDENBURG, MD - the world's leading immunogenetisit and 13th most quoted biologist of our time (nearly 850 papers in peer review journals) - If an individual has had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970 - 1980 (the years of the study)  his/her chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease is 10 times greater than if they had 1, two or no shots. When asked why, Dr. Fudenberg stated that it is due to the mercury and aluminum buildup that is in EVERY flu shot (and in almost all childhood shots). The gradual mercury and aluminum buildup in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction. ALZHEIMERS is now expected to QUADRUPLE.

Dr. Fudenberg's comments are from his speech at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference, Arlington VA September, 1997. Alzheimers to quadruple statement is from the John's Hopkins Newsletter of November 1998.

BMJ News

Belief not science is behind flu jab promotion, new report says

BMJ 2012; 345 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e7856 (Published 19 November 2012)

Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e7856

Jeanne Lenzer Author Affiliations 1 New York

 An independent meta-analysis of vaccines against influenza has found that claims of benefit have been significantly exaggerated.

The report, released last month by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, was based on a comprehensive review of data published from 1967 to 2012.1

Evidence for “consistent high-level protection is elusive,” the researchers concluded. Although vaccination was found to provide modest protection from infection in young healthy adults who rarely have complications of flu, the authors found that “evidence for protection in adults 65 years of age and older [who represent over 90% of deaths from flu] . . . is lacking.”

The authors also analyzed recommendations issued by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which provides expert advice to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and which are “often considered the standard of practice . . . around the globe.” The report cited 30 instances in which its advisory statements “did not apply current standards of scientific rigor . . . and did not cite relevant work.”

The report’s lead author, Michael Osterholm, a former CDC consultant and an

internationally recognized expert on flu, told the BMJ that a Dutch study cited by the CDC as evidence of vaccine efficacy was seriously flawed and constituted a “sales job.”

Nevertheless, Osterholm said, the current jab does offer some protection and should be used until a more effective vaccine can be developed.

Joseph Bresee, chief of the epidemiology and prevention branch in CDC’s Influenza Division, told the BMJ, “I do not agree that CDC has inflated the benefits of influenza vaccine.” He added that he agreed with Osterholm that until better vaccines were available the current ones should be recommended.

That recommendation, however, has come under fire from the authors of a Cochrane analysis that also found little to no benefit from flu vaccination.2 Tom Jefferson, lead author of several Cochrane reviews, told the BMJ, “Based on more than a decade of Cochrane reviews in adults, children, [the] elderly, and healthcare workers, there is no credible evidence that the inactivated vaccines have any effect other than saving on average half a working day in healthy adults and avoiding symptoms in those who least

need it: healthy adults and adolescents. Depending on the season, you need to immunize 33 to 99 adults to avoid one set of symptoms.”

Osterholm criticized the methods of the Cochrane analysis, saying that the reviewers’ inclusion of studies that used serology titers rather than reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or cultures to diagnose flu meant that its results were highly inaccurate.

However, he acknowledged that the direction of bias caused by use of serology titers would be to make a vaccine seem far more effective than it was, a surprising bias for a meta-analysis that found no benefit for flu vaccines. The Cochrane reviewers also stated in their meta-analysis that the studies reviewed were “at high risk of bias.”

A growing number of healthcare facilities and states now require healthcare workers to be vaccinated against flu or face being fired or forced to wear masks and identification tags stating that they may be infectious.

A recent editorial in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association, CMAJ,

recommending mandatory flu jabs for healthcare staff triggered strong criticism, including a letter to the editor from Peter Doshi, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, and several Cochrane reviewers, who said that the recommendation was based on a misrepresentation of Cochrane data.3 4

Doshi opposes compulsory vaccination. He told the BMJ that health officials “risk losing credibility by continuing to promote the fiction that mandatory influenza vaccination policies are based on solid evidence. They are not, and it is time for healthcare institutions to do their own rigorous assessment of the evidence rather than continuing this dangerous game of follow the leader.”

Osterholm agreed that scientific evidence, not professional opinions, should guide policy. He told the BMJ, “I don’t think the data warrant mandated vaccine. If it was up to me, there are a hundred other things I’d mandate first, like mandating that sick healthcare workers don’t come to work. That is far more likely to be effective.”

Notes

Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e7856

Footnotes

bmj.com News: Bias alone could account for benefit attributed to flu vaccine, study

finds (2008;337:a1550, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1550); Observations: A jab in the dark

(2012;345:e5313, doi:10.1136/bmj.e5313)

References

1. ↵

Osterholm MT, Kelly NS, Manske JM, Ballering KS, Leighton TR, Moore KA. The

compelling need for game-changing influenza vaccines: an analysis of the influenza

vaccine enterprise and recommendations for the future. University of Minnesota Center

for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Oct 2012.

20 ways to sleep better every night

By Teresa Dumain

Published August 16, 2013

Prevention Magazine

Sound slumber results in increased energy and productivity, improved heart and immune system health, a better mood, even a longer life. And hey, you just feel so much better after a satisfying 8 hours of rest. But chances are, you're not getting it. "Sleep issues are epidemic among women today," said Michael Breus, clinical psychologist and author of The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan.

Not surprisingly, women tend to get less sleep than men do overall, said Dr. Marianne Legato, director of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University. Even if you don't have children, levels of sleep-promoting estrogen sink regularly during menstruation and then permanently in menopause. And symptoms related to both—cramps, headaches, hot flashes, and night sweats—also disrupt slumber.

But experts agree that these biological facts don't mean that sleep deprivation has to be your destiny. "Feeling tired should never be considered normal," said Breus. Yet there are no stock sleep solutions, either: Finding out what works for you takes some trial and error, but it's well worth it, said Dr. Lawrence Epstein, chief medical officer of Sleep HealthCenters. "Sleep is a basic biological necessity—just like eating—and it has an impact on every aspect of your health and your life," he notes.

Try these 20 ideas to find the sleep formula that works best for you.

1. Set a sleep schedule—and stick with it

If you do only one thing to improve your sleep, this is it, said Breus: Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning—even on weekends. A regular sleep routine keeps your biological clock steady so you rest better. Exposure to a regular pattern of light and dark helps, so stay in sync by opening the blinds or going outside right after you wake up.

Why are you tired all the time?  Find out here

2. Keep a sleep diary

To help you understand how your habits affect your rest, track your sleep every day for at least two weeks. Write down not only what's obviously sleep related—what time you go to bed, how long it takes you to fall asleep, how many times you wake up during the night, how you feel in the morning—but also factors like what you ate close to bedtime and what exercise you got. Comparing your daily activities with your nightly sleep patterns can show you where you need to make changes. For a sample sleep diary, go to sleepdoctor.com.

6 Health Problems to Never Ignore

3. Stop smoking

Reason number 1,001: Nicotine is a stimulant, so it prevents you from falling asleep. Plus, many smokers experience withdrawal pangs at night. Smokers are four times more likely not to feel as well rested after a night's sleep than nonsmokers, studies show, and smoking exacerbates sleep apnea and other breathing disorders, which can also stop you from getting a good night's rest. Don't worry that quitting will keep you up nights too: That effect passes in about 3 nights, said Dr. Lisa Shives, sleep expert and founder of Northshore Sleep Medicine.

4. Review your medications

Beta-blockers (prescribed for high blood pressure) may cause insomnia; so can SSRIs (a class of antidepressants that includes Prozac and Zoloft). And that's just the beginning. Write down every drug and supplement you take, and have your doctor evaluate how they may be affecting your sleep.

5. Exercise, but not within four hours of bedtime

Working out—especially cardio—improves the length and quality of your sleep, according to Shives. That said, 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise keeps your body temperature elevated for about 4 hours, inhibiting sleep. When your body begins to cool down, however, it signals your brain to release sleep-inducing melatonin, so then you'll get drowsy.

6. Cut caffeine after 2 p.m.

That means coffee, tea, and cola. Caffeine is a stimulant that stays in your system for about eight hours, so if you have a cappuccino after dinner, come bedtime, it'll either prevent your brain from entering deep sleep or stop you from falling asleep altogether.

4 Surprising Coffee Cures

7. Write down your woes

"The number one sleep complaint I hear? 'I can't turn off my mind,'" said Breus. To quiet that wakeful worrying, every night jot down your top concerns—say, I have to call my insurer to dispute that denied claim, which will take forever, and how can I spend all that time on the phone when work is so busy? Then write down the steps you can take to solve the problem—I'm going to look up the numbers before breakfast, refuse to stay on hold for more than three minutes, and send e-mails tomorrow night if I can't get through—or even I can't do anything about this tonight, so I'll worry about it tomorrow. Once your concerns are converted into some kind of action plan, you'll rest easier.

8. Take time to wind down

"Sleep is not an on-off switch," said Breus. "It's more like slowly easing your foot off the gas." Give your body time to transition from your active day to bedtime drowsiness by setting a timer for an hour before bed and divvying up the time as follows:

First 20 minutes: Prep for tomorrow (pack your bag, set out your clothes).

Next 20: Take care of personal hygiene (brush your teeth, moisturize your face).

Last 20: Relax in bed, reading with a small, low-wattage book light or practicing deep breathing.

9. Sip milk, not a martini

A few hours after drinking, alcohol levels in your blood start to drop, which signals your body to wake up. It takes an average person about an hour to metabolize one drink, so if you have two glasses of wine with dinner, finish your last sip at least two hours before bed.

10. Snack on cheese and crackers

The ideal nighttime nosh combines carbohydrates and either calcium or a protein that contains the amino acid tryptophan— studies show that both of these combos boost serotonin, a naturally occurring brain chemical that helps you feel calm. Enjoy your snack about an hour before bedtime so that the amino acids have time to reach your brain.

Some good choices:
• one piece of whole grain toast with a slice of low-fat cheese or turkey
• a banana with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter
• whole grain cereal and fat-free milk
• fruit and low-fat yogurt

11. Listen to a bedtime story

Load a familiar audiobook on your iPod—one that you know well, so it doesn't engage you but distracts your attention until you drift off to sleep, suggested Shives. Relaxing music works well, too.

12. Stay cool...

Experts usually recommend setting your bedroom thermostat between 65 degrees and 75 degrees—a good guideline, but pay attention to how you actually feel under the covers. Slipping between cool sheets helps trigger a drop in your body temperature. That shift signals the body to produce melatonin, which induces sleep. That's why it's also a good idea to take a warm bath or hot shower before going to bed: Both temporarily raise your body temperature, after which it gradually lowers in the cooler air, cueing your body to feel sleepy. But for optimal rest, once you've settled in to bed, you shouldn't feel cold or hot—but just right.

13. ...especially if you're menopausal

During menopause, 75 percent of women suffer from hot flashes, and just over 20 percent have night sweats or hot flashes that trouble their sleep. Consider turning on a fan or the AC to cool and circulate the air. Just go low gradually: Your body loses some ability to regulate its temperature during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, so overchilling your environment—down to 60 degrees, for instance—will backfire.

14. Spray a sleep-inducing scent

Certain smells, such as lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang, activate the alpha wave activity in the back of your brain, which leads to relaxation and helps you sleep more soundly. Mix a few drops of essential oil and water in a spray bottle and give your pillowcase a spritz.

15. Turn on the white noise

Sound machines designed to help you sleep produce a low-level soothing noise. These can help you tune out barking dogs, the TV downstairs, or any other disturbances so you can fall asleep and stay asleep.

16. Eliminate sneaky light sources

"Light is a powerful signal to your brain to be awake," explained Shives. Even the glow from your laptop, iPad, smart phone, or any other electronics on your nightstand may pass through your closed eyelids and retinas into your hypothalamus—the part of your brain that controls sleep. This delays your brain's release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Thus, the darker your room is, the more soundly you'll sleep.

17. Consider kicking out furry bedmates

Cats can be active in the late-night and early morning hours, and dogs may scratch, sniff, and snore you awake. More than half of people who sleep with their pets say the animals disturb their slumber, according to a survey from the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center. "But if your pet is a good, sound sleeper and snuggling up with him is comforting and soothing, it's fine to let him stay put," advised Shives.

18. Check your pillow position

The perfect prop for your head will keep your spine and neck in a straight line to avoid tension or cramps that can prevent you from falling asleep. Ask your spouse to check the alignment of your head and neck when you're in your starting sleep position. If your neck is flexed back or raised, get a pillow that lets you sleep in a better-aligned position. And if you're a stomach sleeper, consider using either no pillow or a very flat one to help keep your neck and spine straight.

19. Breathe deeply

This technique helps reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, releases endorphins, and relaxes your body, priming you for sleep. Inhale for five seconds, pause for three, then exhale to a count of five. Start with eight repetitions; gradually increase to 15. To see if you're doing it right, Breus said to buy a bottle of children's bubbles, breathe in through your belly, and blow through the wand. The smooth and steady breath that you use to blow a bubble successfully should be what you strive for when you're trying to get to sleep.

20. Stay put if you wake up

"The textbook advice is that if you can't fall back asleep in fifteen minutes, get out of bed," said Shives. "But I ask my patients, 'How do you feel in bed?' If they're not fretting or anxious, I tell them to stay there, in the dark, and do some deep breathing or visualization." But if lying in bed pushes your stress buttons, get up and do something quiet and relaxing (in dim light), such as gentle yoga or massaging your feet until you feel sleepy again.

Call KEEFE CLINIC if you need help sleeping 918-663-1111.

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

CONDITION OF THE WEEK: ALLERGIES can be annoying this time of year but how you treat them can make a big difference. Antihistamines might mask the symptoms of allergies but they don’t correct allergies. Side effects like clumsiness, convulsions, drowsiness, fast heartbeat, hallucinations, nausea and problems sleeping are just a few of the negative effects from antihistamines. The side effects from our allergy mix is less problems with allergies. By introducing dilute pollens that you’re allergic to the body reprograms the immune system not to react. Building the body’s immune system up and desensitizing your body to the pollens are the most effective way of addressing allergies long-term. It’s important that you continue on your allergy mix even after allergy season to develop a permanent immunity. It’s possible at one point you’ll not need to take the mix again because you will be permanently healed from your allergies.

 

DIET: LOSS 1-2 LBS. PER DAY NuMedica's hc3 Lifestyle Program is a comprehensive 30 day supply designed to help the body burn stored fat as its primary energy source without decreasing muscle mass. This program is centered around a triple approach to healthy body composition which incorporates diet, exercise and nutrition. It contains essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well as detoxification support and medium chain triglycerides to support optimal metabolic management. Included in the kit is a comprehensive program guide featuring sample menus and a progress chart. Feel great as you lose.

IN THE NEWS: STUDY AFTER STUDY SHOWS THE FLU SHOT IS A SCAM 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 2008 study published in the Lancet found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This also supports an earlier study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the elderly, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now. In 2007, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: 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 under 2. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

FUNNY BONE: My grandad has the heart of a lion and a life time ban from the San Diego Zoo. Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it's called golf.

Visit our web sites: keefeclinic.com&facebook.com/keefeclinic

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

 

DIET: Medicinal Plants You Can Use to Benefit Your Health Gingeris best known for its antinausea effects but also has broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-parasitic properties, to name just several of its more than 40 scientifically confirmed pharmacological actions. It is anti-inflammatory, making it valuable for pain relief for joint pain, menstrual pain, headaches, and more. Garlic has immune-boosting, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal effects. Many of garlic’s therapeutic effects are derived from its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, which are also what give it its characteristic smell. Peppermint offers benefits to the respiratory system, including for coughs, colds, asthma, allergies, and tuberculosis. In terms of digestive health, peppermint oil capsules have been described as "the drug of first choice" in IBS patients,⁷ and peppermint oil is an effective alternative to drugs like Buscopan for reducing colonic spasms. Thymeis also nutrient dense, containing vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, manganese, copper, and dietary fiber. When used in cooked dishes, thyme may also help inhibit glycation making thyme a potential preventer of heart disease and premature aging. thyme oil’s is antibacterial, antispasmodic, antirheumatic, expectorant, hypertensive, and has calming properties.

IN THE NEWS: FOODS TO HELP REDUCE GLAUCOMA RISK Consume abundant amounts of colorful fruit and vegetables. Avoid high intake of salt in patients with hypertensive glaucoma. Refrain from high-calorie diets (restricting fat) to avoid an increase in body fat. Consider eating fish or nuts rich in omega-3 PFA, which appear to reduce risk. Avoid drinking large amounts of liquid in a single take. It is preferable to drink small amounts in the course of the day. Consume moderate amounts of red wine, black chocolate and green tea.  Avoid coffee and caffeinated beverages into reduce increased blood pressure if you already have glaucoma.

CONDITION OF THE WEEK: LEG PAIN there can be different causes for leg pain. It could be due to muscle problems, alignment in the hip, knee, ankle or foot. A common cause for leg pain is pressure on the sciatic nerve coming from low back misalignments, and with those misalignments disk problems can contribute. The good news is chiropractic is one of the most effective treatments for leg pain. Covering leg pain with pain pills is dangerous on two levels: the problem with addiction and death, and then if you can effectively cover the pain with drugs you are allowing the underlying condition time to get worse. If you or someone you know suffers from leg pain tell them about chiropractic.

FUNNY BONE: I asked my North Korean friend how it was there, he said he couldn't complain.

Visit our web sites: keefeclinic.com&facebook.com/keefeclinic