Flu season is upon us! Which means a steady stream of ads and campaigns pushing you to run out and get your flu shot! As we all know, vaccinations are a very sensitive topic in the health industry.

We believe it is important for you to understand why you should consider backing away from the conventional flu shot and strengthen your immune system with natural remedies instead. This post is a compilation of a couple of our previous posts, but every year we think the information needs to be restated and to remind you of how resilient your own immune system can be.

First off, don’t wait until it’s too late! Most of us can sense when we are starting to get sick – scratchy throat, heavy/tired eyes, swollen glands, unusual fatigue, or body aches. If you find yourself starting to feel this way – call us! If you are scheduled for an appointment and are feeling a bit under the weather – don’t cancel, come in! We can help you get the proper supplements to handle the bug. Adjusting your nutrition program when you are feeling sick can be very helpful.

Secondly, we want to encourage you to really examine what the media paints as a picture of the “fearful”, “terrible”, “war-zone”, “flu-apocalypse”, and capitalize on your body’s own ability to handle this situation. You want to be skeptical when it comes to these media messages. We have seen a dramatic increase in the past few years in the media push and vaccination rates. In this brief video, Dr Susan Humphries, MD explains the false sense of security people have when it comes to vaccines as well as the scientifically proven impacts of having flu shots year after year.

According to the former Chief Vaccine Officer at the FDA, “There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza.” The CDC lists the effectiveness of flu vaccines for years 2005-2016 which never exceeded 60% and was as low as 10% in 2004-05, 20% in 2005-06, and 23% in 2014-15. While the government insists that everything is fine, and if you “just go get your flu shot you will be safe”, an overwhelming amount of evidence has shown us that in fact, this is not the case.

So why such a push to even get the flu shot?

It’s because vaccines are a huge business. Estimates show that the market will be worth almost $3 billion in the next 5 years! This means that the US will distribute approximately 166 million doses for the upcoming flu season! the mass amounts of people “dying from the flu” in most cases have actually gotten their flu shots and suffered the scary and harmful consequences that is has on the body.

Here is a list of some of the key reasons why you should re-think the flu vaccination this year:

Flu vaccines have a confusing history of effectiveness.

For example, in 2014 the nasal mist form of the vaccine, most commonly administered to children, was still given despite almost no results in actual prevention of the flu. In 2016 it was finally taken off the market.

The flu vaccine can contain a strain of mercury called Thimerosal.

Thimerosal a heavy metal that can contribute to memory loss, respiratory problems, digestive issues, attention deficiency disorder, oral health issues, etc. Other harmful ingredients found in the vaccine include detergent, formaldehyde, and other unknown ingredients that can cause serious neurological disorders and nerve damage.

The vaccine inserts a partial flu virus into your body along with many other ingredients, which can overwhelm your immune system.

This is especially harmful if you are already suffering from a suppressed immune system and have a hard time fighting off viruses. Getting a flu shot can put your body at dangerous risk by increasing your susceptibility to contagious diseases such as pneumonia.

Vaccines DO have a history and correlation to causing chronic health issues.

For example, in 2010, the World Health Organization found a link between the H1N1 vaccine and narcolepsy, a chronic nervous system disorder.  The government in Finland acknowledged this link and agreed to pay for a lifetime of medical care for 79 children who had permanent damage from the vaccine. As of October 1, 2018 the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has paid out $3,988,248,345 in damages. This program is funded primarily by taxpayer money as the pharmaceutical companies are not liable for vaccine injuries themselves. Clearly, vaccines are not as safe as we are led to believe.

Vaccines are not as strictly mandated as other drugs by the FDA.

Pharmaceutical companies have found a profitable loop-hole in approval of vaccines because of “public health concerns”. These drugs are less regulated and studied in order to get them to the market faster – unfortunately turning health consumers into experimental subjects. To make this even more surprising, most people aren’t aware that vaccines were ruled to be “unavoidably unsafe” by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011.

The CDC advocates anxiety, worry and concern among the population from the rising death numbers, despite the questionable sources of those death rates.

As described by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “pharmaceutical companies and public health officials vastly overstate flu cases and deaths in order to market influenza as a threat of great proportions”. Big Pharma knows that vaccines are one of their most profitable and un-regulated areas of making money and so continue to push this agenda year after year.

So what do you do if you start feeling sick?

Our immune systems are really the determining factor of our susceptibility to getting sick. Being exposed to environmental toxins, chronic stress, and nutritional deficiencies will result in a higher risk of influenza.

If your immune system is strong on the other hand, it will have the correct response to infectious challenges and symptoms will be mild or go undetected altogether. It is important to remember that much of our immune system lies in our gut and stomach, which means that what we feed ourselves is extremely important to strengthening it!

By strengthening your immune system, incorporating the right vitamins and minerals into your diet, and reducing stress, your body will be prepared to fight any virus that comes its way and reduce your risk of getting the flu. By being on a customized nutrition program, you are ensuring that your immune system is ready to handle a flu exposure.

General tips to avoid getting sick:

– Add more healthy Omega-3 fats to your diet (cod liver oil, salmon, sardines, flax and chia seeds)

– Incorporate oil of oregano and garlic into your diet, both of which offer protection against bacteria, viruses, and the protozoa in your body

– Vitamin D is an effective antimicrobial agent that can help kill bacteria, viruses and fungi

– Get a good amount of sleep and reduce stress

– Stay hydrated!

– Limit sugar! It’s no coincidence that the heart of the “flu season” is after Halloween and through Thanksgiving and Christmas

What if your symptoms come back?

If you are recovering from the flu or flu-like symptoms and feel like you are doing better, keep in mind that the virus can still be lingering in the background if you don’t handle it properly.

Oftentimes, small strains of the virus can accumulate in the sinuses, phlegm, and chest, which makes you more susceptible to catching it again when the bug comes back around. To prevent it from sneaking back in, make sure you don’t stop taking preventative measures to protect your immune system.

We tend to drop all of our immune-strengthening practices once we don’t have symptoms. The key is to continue to feed your gut antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods, pay attention to the amount of sleep you are getting, decrease stress levels, drink more water than you think you should, and come in and get tested with Nutrition Response Testing!  This can help target the organs of the body under stress that are suppressing the immune system and will therefore help determine the appropriate nutritional supplements for your body and what is needed to fully handle the bug.