Women who experience moderate to severe symptoms of menopause share a common desire: to find a safe and natural way to control or end the discomfort. While some home remedies that are based on folklore can bring some relief, there are better and more effective ways to treat the symptoms of menopause while avoiding the health risks and side effects commonly associated with hormone therapy. Here are some important facts that will help you find the best remedies for relief of menopause symptoms.

Common Menopause Symptoms

The first symptoms of menopause are irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, night sweats, and difficulty sleeping. In addition to these, PMS-like symptoms can occur including breast tenderness, bloating, cramps, headaches, and irritability. Some women will also experience memory loss, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and anxiety disorders such as nervousness or panic attacks. Thinning hair can also present as a symptom. Every woman can experience menopause differently. In fact, many women experience little discomfort. This is not the case, however, for everyone.

Causes Of Menopause Symptoms

Hormonal fluctuations are the leading culprit of nearly all menopause symptoms. As the ovaries shut down, estrogen levels decline. Since estrogen has played a significant role in most of the body’s processes up to this point, the lack of estrogen brings about physical changes within the internal workings of the body. Vaginal tissue may become more fragile and can atrophy, natural lubricants during sex may lessen, and painful intercourse can be the result.

Why Are Natural Supplements Superior To Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

Although hormone replacement therapy can be highly effective in relieving menopause symptoms, it comes with a high risk for side effects, long term damage, and even life threatening health complications. Natural menopause supplements, created from plant extracts, do not damage the body.

Phytoestrogens and isoflavones are compounds proven to be effective in relieving the symptoms of menopause. They help to restore hormonal balance within the body so it can function much as it did prior to the onset of menopause or perimenopause. There are few, if any, known side effects and no known long-term health risks associated with their use.

The plants that are high in these compounds include black cohosh, red clover, passionflower, wild yam, chaste berry, dong quai, flaxseed, and soybeans. Red clover powder is known for it’s amazing ability to deal with the mood swings that are so common in menopausal women.

Important Lifestyle Changes That Can Also Help Ease Menopause Symptoms

In addition to the use of natural supplements, you can help to reduce your symptoms by taking some common sense steps to improve the health of your body. This begins with eating regular, healthy, and balanced meals. This will provide the body with the nutrients that it needs for optimal functioning. Make sure that you exercise regularly. This along with eating healthy will help you to lose any extra pounds that you may have gained. Maintaining a healthy weight can also make a difference in reducing menopause symptoms. Limit or avoid excessive alcohol use, eating fatty foods, overeating and smoking. If you follow these guidelines, you will help to reduce some of the factors that can contribute to the intensity of menopause symptoms.

Conclusion

If you struggle with moderate to severe symptoms of menopause, there is a safe and natural alternative to HRT. Ensure that the natural supplements you use contain phytoestrogens and isoflavones, both of which can help to restore hormonal imbalance within the body. In addition to supplement use, you can make lifestyle changes that will help to eliminate some of the triggers that can make menopause symptoms more intense. Eating right, getting plenty of exercise and avoiding harmful habits such as excessive alcohol consumption, overeating and smoking are all lifestyle changes that will help to improve the body’s immune system and overall health. When you’re looking for remedies that always work, go natural and take charge of your health. You may be surprised at the results.

Many health fanatics are determined to live a healthy lifestyle. They monitor their eating habits and exercise routines carefully. While this is great, it isn’t always enough.

Even the healthiest eating plans – like the Paleo diet and veganism – might not be as great as you think. Many people suffer from nutrient deficiencies, and they don’t even know it.

Check out the three most common nutrient deficiencies. Are you at risk?

Iodine Deficiency

Iodine is a trace mineral. Its primary role is to maintain the health of our thyroid. Previously, iodine deficiency was believed to be a health issue that was confined to third-world countries. However, the deficiency is becoming more prevalent in developing countries too.

There are several symptoms of an iodine deficiency:

• Goiter – Iodine is tasked with thyroid development. If iodine levels drop, the thyroid’s health will be affected. Many times, the gland will expand, causing a visible lump.
• Hypothyroidism – Iodine is necessary for proper thyroid hormone production. Without iodine, hormone levels will dip. This usually causes weight gain, loss of hair, various skin conditions, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and much more.
• Cretinism – If pregnant moms don’t get enough iodine, the baby could be born with a neurological birth defect.

There are two main causes of an iodine deficiency. First, most people don’t eat enough iodine-rich foods. If you’d like to increase your iodine levels naturally, try cooking up some fish. Grilling retains more of the iodine than boiling. Also, egg yolk is a great source of iodine.

Secondly, many health nuts cut salt out of their diet. While this may, in theory, be a good idea, you are robbing yourself of a primary source of iodine – iodized salt.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

This is one of the most common – yet severely under diagnosed – nutrient deficiencies. Why is it prevalent and undetected at the same time?

Most people don’t go looking for a vitamin B12 deficiency. And fewer doctors routinely test for it. If you eat even a marginally healthy diet, it is assumed you are getting enough vitamin B12.

When symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, anxiety and depression start emerging, vitamin B12 levels might get checked. Usually, testing isn’t the go-to response until something major like dementia and autism spectrum disorder (in children) start showing up.

A vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the few deficiencies that cannot easily be “fixed” with the diet. Usually supplementation is needed.

If the nutrient is taken via oral pills, the body will have to first absorb it into the bloodstream before it can be used. The vast majority of the nutrient is actually lost during this process. On the other hand, vitamin B12 shots ensure the full dose is utilized.

Which populations are most susceptible to a vitamin B12 deficiency?

The first population is anyone who has another health issue that is impairing the body’s ability to absorb the vitamin B12. For example, Crohn’s disease or celiac disease make it nearly impossible for the body to utilize the consumed nutrient.

Another population segment that is commonly afflicted with a B12 deficiency is vegetarians and vegans. Since they don’t eat animal products (the only source of vitamin B12), they often need alternative sources.

Lastly, senior citizens are very susceptible to vitamin B12 deficiencies. As we age, our bodies struggle to produce intrinsic factor—a necessary ingredient in the B12 absorption process.

If you don’t mind eating animal products and your digestive system is functioning properly, try eating foods rich in vitamin B12 – like liver, salmon, or sardines.

Magnesium Deficiency

Studies show a mere 25% of all Americans reach the recommended daily intake of magnesium. This lack of magnesium consumption can lead to major health concerns like:

• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Heart issues
• Asthma and other respiratory issues
• Colon cancer

While the deficiency is still in the beginning stages, individuals can expect to experience:

• Severe headaches
• Restless leg syndrome
• Cramps
• Fibromyalgia
• Constipation

There are three main reasons why the general population suffers from a magnesium deficiency. First, our water is too clean! When purifying drinking water, magnesium is usually removed.

Second, there isn’t enough magnesium in the soil. Since magnesium is generally found in plant foods (not animal foods), the soil needs to be rich with magnesium in order to pass it along in the foods we eat.

Third, few of us eat enough magnesium dense foods. For example, when was the last time you sat down to a large serving of Swiss chard or spinach?! Fortunately, there are other sources, too – like nuts, seeds, espresso (yum!), dark chocolate (double yum!) and halibut.

Living a healthy lifestyle is admirable. But if you want to truly take care of your body, you’ll assess your eating habits and foods at the nutrient level.

Sources:

• Ancient Minerals – Magnesium Deficiency
• Do You Have a Vitamin B12 Deficiency? -Amino Pharmaceuticals 
• Iodine in Diet – Medline Plus
• How putting magnesium in tap water could help prevent hundreds of hip fractures each year – Daily Mail
• Cretinism – Wikipedia
• Micronutrient deficiencies – World Health Organization

Can you feel it? Here it comes, the holiday’s busy buzz of activities, parties, gatherings, and events galore. We all love to celebrate, but we sometimes feel exhausted and less excited than we’d like to be at this time of year (maybe even crabby to those we love). Why is it that these supposedly precious and magical times end up zapping all of our energy?

Could it be that our expectations are the root of this and perhaps our own expectations? I have decided this year will be different. I want to enjoy the time with my loved ones. I want to laugh and be merry without the stress. I want to squash those silly expectations of perfection and embrace the gritty goodness instead. Is it possible? Let’s find out.

What if we all just used gentleness with everything we do this season? I mean really love yourself up, spread on the inner love so thick that you are covered with it, that you drip the love everywhere. How would that change how you and I experience the next few months?

It’s simple. Just be gentle. Be gentle with yourself. So gentle and ginger, like you would treat a sick child or pet. Nurture yourself up and down again. Say the things you always want to say but don’t. Be the juicy, gentle spirit and make people wonder what you’re up to.

G.E.N.T.L.E

G: Gratitude

When you find yourself grinding your teeth at the thought of yet another social event or party on your schedule when all you really want to do is curl up on the couch, feel the gratitude instead. Just 3 minutes spent counting our blessing actually changes the permeability and structure of your brain. This gratitude thinking is a kind of meditation. According to a NY Times article, How Meditation May Change Change the Brain, studies have shown, “…there are structural differences between the brains of meditators and those who don’t meditate.” And now a new study shows that gray matter actually grows in meditation. How cool is that? NOT thinking actually grows your brain, too. You don’t need a special pillow or a half an hour. You don’t need to sit in a lotus position and chant to meditate on gratitude. I like to do my gratitude meditation as I’m moving through my day–when I’m in the shower, while brushing my teeth, when I pull on a soft and warm sweater in the morning, or as I pet my dog before I run out the door.

There are many ways to guide your gratitude meditation. Thinking about the people closest to you and what you love about them can be one way. Here are a few favorite affirmations I use when I’m feeling that inner Scrooge:

• I am blessed for all my gifts.
• I feel the support and love of my community.
• I am taken care of no matter what.
• I love how fresh our magical winter wonderland feels.

E: Enjoyment

This time of year is supposed to be fun but why is it that most people struggle with the blues and blahs during this time of year? In her Psychology Today article Dr. Teresa Aubele states, “Happy thoughts and positive thinking, in general, support brain growth, as well as the generation and reinforcement of new synapses, especially in your prefrontal cortex (PFC), which serves as the integration center of all of your brain-mind functions.” So, what we choose to think about, what we enjoy, and what we experience as fun is, well, actually good for us. So take that scrooge!

Also, less light affects your brain’s chemistry too, which can lead to feeling a bit down or low energy. You may just need to supplement with vitamin D3 when you are getting less sunlight.

N: Notice How You Feel

Is your jaw grinding at night? Are you shoulders permanently living at your ears? Does your stomach ache? Are you feeling rushed or irritated? Don’t try to fix it or manage it. Solve it. Just notice how it feels and be aware of it. By noticing and becoming aware, you create a shift. It’s normal to have feelings, emotions, and physical manifestations of stress. The question is, now that you are aware of them, what do you want to do?

Increasing your awareness does so many things. It allows you to be more open, more insightful, more connected, and to integrate all the parts of yourself (mind/body/spirit), which leads to a more balanced and beautiful you.

T: Take a Risk and Get Vulnerable

This time of year we are often around family and people we may, or may not, feel that close to. Letting our vulnerability show takes courage and feels scary at first, but it is really the only way to live. Take a chance this holiday season and do something that takes you outside of your comfort zone. Buy a stranger a coffee. Reach out someone you know who needs extra support right now with a phone call or lunch. Simply smile at someone.

You don’t have to know what you are doing. Take a tip from sociologist and researcher Brené Brown, one of the most admired people on the planet right now (for good reason). She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She encourages us to practice being vulnerable every day. If you haven’t seen her TED talk on vulnerability, check it out today. It will change your life.

L: Let love lead you.

“We need to go after love with all our might and act as if we cannot live without it!”

I love this quote by Joyce Meyer in her article on how “Love Changes Everything.” If you are not familiar with Meyer, she is a New York Times bestselling author researching and writing about finding hope and restoration through faith. She is a lead pastor who teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods, and attitudes.

When we let love lead us, it takes a bit of the self focus out of the way and brings a sense of play and whimsy to life. Everything comes down to this: love is what we are all searching for and want to experience. So when life gets a bit complex, or wildly busy and nutty, just reset your yourself with thoughts of love.

I think The Beatles said it best, “All we need is love.”

E: Energy Reboot

Lets be honest, more requires more. It is okay to call a time out and say so. Have a night in during this busy season of more socializing, more giving, more expression (more, more, more) for some self care and restoration. It is just what you need to reboot. Here are a few of my favorite things to replenish and refuel that tank:

• Bathe with essential oils (5 drops of lavender, 2 drops of ylang-ylang, 2 of rosewood)
• Drink a cup of tea (my favorite is Berry Detox by Yogi tea or the aveda comforting tea)
• Watch a ridiculous episode of 2 Broke Girls (stream for free on your laptop)
• Enjoy a massage or facial
• Read a great book and lose myself in it (The Rosie Project is my current fave)
• Play with my dog (she loves playing catch with her plush animals)
• Listen to some good tunes (Rocking on Gwen Stefani’s latest or Michael Jackson always does the trick)

What’s your go to thing? What do you like to do that you know will give you an inner glow of ahhhhh. Make a list and post it somewhere to remind you that there are so many ways to be gentle with yourself and reboot. Practice these things daily (one, or more, might be just what the doctor ordered). Not only does this essential self care give to us, it really is a gift to our whole community. When we feel better so does everyone around us!

Let me know how you showed your gentleness this season. It takes courage and love to do so, but you deserve it.

When you choose to do a cleanse or detox, your goal is to rid the body of as many toxins as possible. Pathogens, parasites, heavy metals, chemicals, and Candida are all targeted for elimination. A really good detox diet helps to cleanse the digestive tract, the kidneys, the liver, and the gallbladder, followed by the rest of the body. So what other actions can you take to help the process?

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of any health regime, and it is important during a cleanse or detox as well. Your health should dictate how hard you exercise. Obviously, a radical detox is not the best time to push yourself too hard. The focus is on healing, not fitness

Your lymphatic system needs movement in order to circulate. Rebounding is great for the lymphatic system. Walk, jump rope, yoga–all are great. Running also stimulates and detoxifies the lymphatic system and is a very natural exercise with tons of benefits.

Did you know squats can also help detoxify the body? They help stimulate your elimination organs and they produce beneficial hormones.

We release more toxins through our breath than we do through bowel elimination and urination combined. When the blood gets pumping, and we’re breathing heavily, the body is flushing itself. Sweating is also great for detoxing. But again, If you are healthy and you exercise vigorously on a regular basis, just listen to your body and take is slowly if need be. And if you’re not physically fit, or if you are considerably toxic and unhealthy, be careful.

• How to Breathe
• Seven Easy Exercises That are Key to Good Health
• Running Without Knee Pain

Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy

Hot and cold hydrotherapy really moves the blood through the body. Heat dilates the vessels, pulling the blood to the surface. Cold does the opposite, constricting the surface vessels and driving the blood deep into the body. Use a shower wand or stand in a shower to alternate hot and cold.

• Hot & Cold Hydrotherapy

Dry Sauna or Steam Room

A dry sauna or steam room makes you sweat, helping you eliminate toxins through the skin. Sweating is also great for your skin, as it opens your pores allowing dirt and debris to be washed away. Remember to hydrate after sweating. As you detox, you should be drinking large amounts of clean water. A gallon of cranberry lemonade will aid in your detox and rehydrate your body after sweating.

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Massage

Massage helps release toxins from the muscles and tissues, oxygenates the tissues, and moves the blood and lymph throughout the body. The movement of the two circulatory systems filters the blood, removing waste products from the cells and aiding the immune system in dealing with pathogens.

Massage can be therapeutic on other levels as well. Deep massage frees up muscles that have become held in place by scar tissue or sheathing after years of poor posture, repetitive movement, injury, or illness. This kind of massage can actually be quite painful, but the results are amazing.

• What We Should Know About Our Lymphatic System

Epsom Salts Bath

A proper Epsom salt bath pulls toxins from tissues and allows the body to soak up minerals. Make sure that you spend a full 40 minutes in the tub. The first 20 minutes pulls out toxins. In the second 20 minutes, the body soaks up magnesium and sulfates.

• The Health Benefits of Epsom Salt Baths

Turbocharge any Detox with Niacin

Niacin (B3) is an inexpensive way to boost the efficacy of a detox. Most doctors recommend starting with 100 mg. I weigh 220 pounds and I took 1,500 mg for three days. Don’t take it for more than a few days. Drink lots of fluid (like the cranberry lemonade) and sweat out the toxins. Niacin won’t do you much good if you aren’t flushing out the junk while you do it. It’s powerful. You’ll be itchy, hot, and flush red all over. The effects last about an hour. Most people without damaged seriously livers can easily handle 500 mg for a few days.

Perhaps 15 – 25 mg would keep first timers from screaming bloody murder, and allow for a more gentle, beneficial  experience.

A word about the process might also be appropriate, as in the patients where I worked for seven years did not appear to have a clue about how to best utilize this vitamin as a cleanse.  (Take a small amount to start, if no effects, i.e., the flush, observed, up the dose by the same increments, until it occurs.  Then stay at that dose until no more effects felt, followed by upping the dose until next flush.  Maintain until no more effect, then up the third time, repeating this process.  Three times through should then be put on hold for weeks to a month or two depending upon health status, before starting again.)  Hopefully, a side note or a foot note, will save beginners that pain and frustration from overdosing the first time around, i.e., a simple word of strong caution.  This note of concern is from one who has used this cleanse for many decades, as well as assisting others through the process.” – Richard

Cranberry Lemonade

Make a gallon of cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia. This will help balance the body’s PH, flush toxins, detoxify the liver and kidneys, flush all of the glands, and clean the blood.

• Cheap and Easy Detox – One Gallon Challange

In Conclusion

A cleanse or detox is a wonderful way to aid your immune system in eliminating waste, debris, pathogens, and parasites from the body. Using all available resources in addition to diet, will aid you in a more complete and rapid detox. The most important aspect of a good detox for most people is eliminating excess candida and balancing gut flora.

Our Detoxification Protocols & Information:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Doc Shillington’s Total Body Cleanse
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• How to Detoxify From Chemotherapy and Repair the Body

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Blood Detox
• SF722 – Thorne 
• Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse
• FloraMend – Thorne
• Niacin with Flush

Recommended Reading:

• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• How to Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem

A neti pot is a device to aid in nasal irrigation, a practice of using salt water to flush out the nose and sinus tissues along with excessive mucous, dust, debris, and pathogens. This practice can also reduce swelling of the sinuses and nasal passages.

While you can put water in your hands and sniff it up your nose, use a spoon, or use a bulb syringe, a net pot gives you more control and does not force water into sinuses – it merely flushes them.

To make your own saline solution, use 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to 16 ounces (2 cups) of warm water.

Be sure that you use the following:

• Distilled water or boiled water.
• Real salt. Sea salt is not a good choice because it might contain traces of algae. Make sure the salt is fine and has no additives (no iodine or flavorings).
• Baking soda without aluminum.

Heat the water until it is close to body temperature – around 98 degrees.

Irrigating the sinuses is a very old tradition of Ayurvedic medicine (2,000 – 3,000 years old), a daily practice for yogis. Though we do not recommend daily irrigation, the practice is very helpful at the onset of illness (along with gargling to reduce the number of pathogens in the throat) and throughout an illness if mucus is thick and is making breathing difficult.

To use the neti pot, simply lean over a sink, turn your face toward the hand holding the neti pot, place the spout in your upper nostril, and tilt the pot until the water runs in your nose. The water will run up your nostril and come out the lower nostril. You can direct the stream of water towards sinuses by how you tilt your head. Do both sides gently blowing your nose after each side is completed.

To purchase a neti pot, salt, solutions, etc. see Green Lifestyle Market.

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Herbal Snuff
• Neti Pot Starter Kit/Ceramic – Himalayan Institute
• Neti Wash Plus Daily Boost  – Himalayan Institute
• Neti Stik – Himalayan Institute
• Neti Mist Sinus Spray – Himalayan Institute
• Other Supplements for Sinuses
• Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula 

Further Reading:

• Natural Cures for Sinus Infections
• Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies
• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Doc Shillington’s Total Body Cleanse
• How To Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem

There’s no question our bodies were not meant to battle the number of toxins we are now exposed to each day. The rise in cancer rates is enough of a barometer to incite fear. We can also find warning in the rise of asthma, autism, ADHD, dementias, and auto-immune diseases. So how do we survive, and better yet, achieve optimal health?

What to eat in a toxic world

First and foremost, eat organic whenever possible. This is such a no-brainer. Why would you want to add herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides to your body?

If you eat meat or dairy, remember you are eating on top of the food chain. Organic is vitally important for meat and dairy foods. If you eat conventional, you are exposing yourself to all of the toxins that animal has accumulated, which include those above plus GMOs, antibiotics, and hormones.

Do not ingest artificial chemicals. In other words, do not eat any food with artificial flavorings, colorings, or preservatives. No BHA, BHT, MSG, GMOs, or trans fats. And if you want your immune system to work right, stay away from processed sugar – all processed sugars. The bottom line is this: eat real food – unprocessed, fresh, organic, whole, nutrient dense food. The best possible diet is for 80% or more of your diet to consist of raw produce, more vegetables than fruit.

Drink clean water -distilled or spring water is best. At the very least, filter your water.

Diet is the most important factor in our survival – it is the basis of good health. Even in a cesspool of environmental toxicity (Okinawa) a good diet results in low cancer rates. Yet these same people immigrate to the United States, adopt a Western diet, and their cancer rates mirror our own.

How to cook and store food

Don’t use a microwave and never cook in aluminum. Don’t use non-stick bakeware of any kind. There is a new breed of non-stick pots and pans, but why risk it? Use cast iron, glass, enamel, ceramic, and stainless steel. Cast iron is the original non-stick pan. If you season it right, cast iron is always easy to clean. Even if food is glued to it, a ten-minute soak in hot water is all it takes to completely loosen the food. A quick scrub and it’s clean.

Don’t cook with high heat, and don’t cook quickly unless you’re boiling, steaming, or using a pressure cooker.

Cook with whole herbs that have superfood qualities like turmeric, ginger, garlic, onions, and oregano.

Don’t cook so often. Prepare raw meals and eat lots of raw produce and big salad with the aforementioned herbs.

Store leftovers in glass, not plastic. Chemicals from plastics leach into food. And do your best to avoid buying food in plastic containers. Again, whole foods avoid the packaging issue so common to processed foods.

Don’t pollute your environment

Whenever possible, surround yourself with non-toxic furnishings, carpeting, paints, etc. But since we can’t always take control of what’s already built in to our environment, the least we can do is avoid adding to our home’s toxic load. Use natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons or purchase toxic free cleaners. Do not use air fresheners. If necessary, use essential oils or boil citrus peels on the stove to freshen the air.

Don’t add toxins to your body through your skin

Our skin absorbs any and everything we put on it. So choose organic skin products – soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shaving cream, lotions, and make-up. Use oils for lotions (like coconut oil or almond oil).

Kill Candida and detox at least twice a year

A bi-annual detox is a necessity, even when you are living as clean a life as possible. There are just too many toxins in the food, water, and air to miss this opportunity to cleanse the body. For more on detoxification, check out Balance Your Eco-system and The Cheap and Easy Detox.

Recommended Supplements:

• HM Complex – Pure Encapsulations
• Total Nutrition Formula
• Shillington’s Echinacea+
• MicroDefense – Pure Encapsulations
• Black radish
• Vitamin D
• Shillington’s Blood Detox

Further Reading:

• Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies
• Garlic – The Most Amazing Herb On The Planet
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Doc Shillington’s Total Body Cleanse
• 80% Raw Food Diet

Sources:

• Looking For Safe Cookware? Try Cast Iron – NaturalNews.com
• Environmental Toxins Typically Do Not Cause Cancer on Their Own – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• How to Clean Your Floors with Homemade Non-toxic Cleaners Instead of Store Bought Chemicals – Organic Lifestyle Magazine

Flu season is upon us. It’s time to decide if you or your children will receive a flu shot this year. After all, 23,607- 35,000 people die from the flu each year, right? You don’t want to be included in this year’s statistics! But are those numbers accurate?

You’re not going to find any clear answers from the CDC. If you start drilling down, searching for the actual numbers of flu victims, flu deaths, and the efficacy of the vaccine on their website, suddenly nothing is clear – except the fact that the vaccine industry is a big business and the CDC does a superior job of hiding actual facts and figures under a mountain of doublespeak.

What are the actual numbers?

No one knows. The CDC uses statistical projections to estimate the number of flu cases based on any illness that may be related to secondary infections caused by the flu.

Why?

• States are not required to report flu deaths in adults.
• Influenza is rarely listed on the death certificate as a cause of death when patients die of flu-related illnesses.
• Many deaths occur weeks after the initial flu infection due to a secondary infection or complications of an existing chronic condition, but most of these people were never tested for the flu!
• Tests for the virus must be administered within a week of onset with another test taken later.
• False negative test results are common.

So how do they determine the number of deaths due to influenza?

The CDC uses pneumonia along with respiratory and circulatory illness as a cause of death to guess at how many actually died from complications of influenza that was never verified in the first place.

And then, they lump pneumonia and influenza together as one of the top leading causes of death in the U.S.

There are no real facts or figures to tell us how many cause influenza, how many died from influenza, or how effective the flu shot is in preventing the disease.

It is time for the CDC to publish actual facts regarding influenza. They can do this by publishing the following:

• What strains of influenza were used for the annual flu shot?
• How many actual verified cases of every type of influenza were reported? ?
• How many patients were confirmed with each type?
• Of these patients, how many of the patients were immunized with the correct vaccine?
• How many in each category died?

If this information was readily available to the public, we could decide for ourselves if the risks of catching influenza was greater than the flu shot itself – that is if we were also told the whole truth about the ingredients and the number of vaccine related injuries and deaths.

If you choose to avoid flu vaccination and rely on alternative care for the flu, remember that alternative care for any disease starts with prevention – in other words, a healthy diet and lifestyle. A healthy immune system requires a healthy gut and adequate exercise to circulate lymph throughout the body. Yes, there are tinctures and home remedies to stop viruses in their tracks, but they work the best when you provide the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.

At the first sign of illness, gargle – gargle a lot. Apple cider vinegar is a great choice, but you may need to dilute it at first; it works better if you don’t. Even if you use salt water, gargling reduces the viral load. Eat raw garlic and drinks extra fluids. Avoid all sugar! Sugar feeds bacteria and viruses. Check out Bullet Proof Your Immune System and Detoxify from Vaccinations & Heavy Metals.

Further Reading:

• How to Detoxify from Vaccines and Heavy Metals
• Bullet Proof Your Immune System
• What’s Missing From the Vaccine Debate
• Vaccine Side Effects and Why You Shouldn’t Vaccinate