It’s Flu Season ...
... And what are you going to do about it?
While this is completely anecdotal, I haven't had a flu shot since 1994, and I haven't had the flu since 1999. Since "cleaning" up my diet in 2007, I have had very few colds. Neil is rarely sick, and he's never had a flu shot. The girls do get sick every now and then, but they don't get the Mac Daddy illness that so many kids get. Martha did get what I figured was the swine flu a couple of years ago, but thankfully, she's none the worse for wear!
Eat clean, and your immune system will get stronger. My personal opinion is that if you limit pain reliever/fever reducer use in yourself, and more importantly, in your kids, you/they will be healthier overall.
Here's an interesting article from Dr. Joseph Mercola about flu vaccinations. I realize that Mercola is somewhat controversial, however he does bring up some good points that are worth digesting.
I want you to be educated, thinking adults with regards to your health and fitness. Exercise and nutrition are obvious aspects of that. There are other aspects that need to be considered. Just sayin'.
When you do notice any congestion at the onset of an illness, your best bet is to eliminate all sugar and dairy. Both bacteria and viruses (or vira if you're a Latin geek) feed upon sugar, therefore you should limit their food source. Dairy is a known mucus thickener, and you certainly don't want your mucus more thick than it needs to be while ill!
Here are a couple of other links that promote healthy flu treatment. Give it a whirl ... what have you got to lose?
7 Comments:
Influenza used to kill millions of people worldwide on a pretty frequent basis. The 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic killed 3-5% of the *world* population. It is rarely a lethal disease today (at least in industrialized countries). Does widespread use of flu vaccine, especially on more vulnerable populations, have anything to do with it?
– Brad on January 4th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Hey - comments were broken from yesterday! Well, yesterday I did another Rx- 8:44. Yay!
And, for the record, living with a health professional I am very pro vaccination.
– Doug on January 4th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Very few topics can inflame some folks like this one (vaccinations, broadly, not just flu). I’m very wary of vaccines given the horrendous state of the current pharmaceutical system (driven entirely by profit; FDA oversight is a joke).
A few years ago, after telling our pediatrician that we’d be having our son vaccinated at a reduced rate (getting all shots, but only one or two shots at a time instead of up to 5-6), he basically proceeded to tell me how ignorant I was and that I’d been “fooled by some inconsistencies in the media,” in a tone that indicated he gave me credit for pre-school level intelligence. He almost got his ass knocked out too. We didn’t go back to see him, and I thank God that we still have the right to choose our own vaccination “route” at the moment in this country (though not for long, if you don’t watch your votes).
The problem is that neither side will ever come around to the other en masse. As I mentioned, there are serious and well-documented issues with the current state of medicine (Vioxx, for example), but most of us were raised to view the doctor with reverence and complete trust and have difficulty shaking that line of thinking. As we’ve put our health in the hands of others instead of thinking for ourselves, look at the direction our country’s health has gone (down the shitter). The doctors, while well-intentioned, are groomed into a system that is not as altruistic as it’s credited with being, thus their intentions don’t really matter in some respects.
There’s my take. Not all shots are necessarily bad, but you owe it to yourself and your kids especially to truly look into it rather than just accepting Big Pharma’s well-funded advertising campaigns as the Gospel. Hard as it may be to accept (for myself as well), the best way to keep your family disease-free is through proper nutrition.
Sorry for the length, but I’ve thought long and hard about that issue over time. Had to put in my 2 cents. Hopefully I’ll be back in the box tomorrow!
– Daron on January 4th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
1st day back at the box in 4(?) mths—felt great to be back—now to just get back to where I was…
And, for the record (-;
I have never had a flu shot and can’t remember the last time I had the flu.
– Judy on January 4th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
I totally believe in herd immunity, and also do believe that a foundation of healthy living will result in less illnesses such as colds and flus. Now, I don’t know your stance (or my own, for that matter) regarding green/crunchy living and the prevalence of childhood illnesses and allergies, but I will tell you one thing: as the parent of a child with severe food allergies and immuno- and respiratory compromise, I sure do appreciate a flu shot. The year that Bubba could not get the flu shot due to a reaction to both a prick of the shot and the egg serum, he was hospitalized overnight for difficulty breathing. We were unable to break the cycle of wheezing even with 4 hour round-the-clock breathing treatments. He was 18 months, and that winter was very hard on him. We were treating his respiratory health with prophylactic breathing treatments daily, as well as emergency nebulization when wheezing arose.
So, I appreciate a flu shot. I know it’s not for everyone, but keeping Bubba’s close circle of caregivers and friends healthy and flu-free is important for his health.
On another topic entirely, today’s WOD was my second WOD ever. In November, I completed SU’s and 12” box jumps (some were step-ups—maybe about half total) in 10:01. Today was still SU’s, but I used a 16” box, and jumped every single one of them. I finished in 10:05. I think that’s an improvement.
On another unrelated note, I figured out how to adjust the length of my jump rope, but what am I supposed to do with the giant tail left over on the one side, since I’m such a shrimp?
– Kinsey on January 4th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Brad - good question. I am thankful that I live in the age that I do, with modern medical facilities around the corner and the resources to have access to those facilities.
Doug, remember that I too am (well, was really) a health care professional, and I am very not pro vaccination. If I were in a high risk category (compromised immune system, etc.) it would be prudent for me to get the flu vaccine. However, thankfully, I do not fall in that category. I also firmly believe that childhood diseases and regular illnesses “train” our immune system, so that when really big uglies come along, it’s ready to put up a big fight. Also, if we were to do some overseas traveling, we’d all be making an appointment to see the doctor!
Just the humble opinion of She Who Must Be Obeyed
– She Who Must Be Obeyed on January 4th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Amy- sorry, that sounded wrong when I re-read it. I should have said, my SWMBO has to report to CDC for infectious diseases in the population, and she’s in charge of what I get and don’t. That said, we haven’t had our shots this year either
– Doug on January 5th, 2012 at 8:50 am