FLU ALERT – inefficient seasonal vaccine and its natural alternatives
January 20, 2015
FLU ALERT – inefficient seasonal vaccine and its natural alternatives
Dear reader,
According to the CDC and FDA [1], this year’s influenza epidemic is scheduled to start early, that is to say … NOW!
Something very serious should be known about this current flu epidemic: this year’s flu type does not match the strains included in the vaccine offered this year! They used two older stains picked up from past epidemics. [2] This year, the strain of H3N2 circulating most widely is not the one included in the vaccine. Oops!
What this clearly means is that the effectiveness of this year’s vaccine will collapse and a 15% excess mortality is feared!
Faced with this emergency, I offer you the following suggestions without delay.
Simple natural choices against flu
– To lower your risk of catching the flu by 50%, wash your hands regularly. If you do not have access to anti-microbial soap, a good quality soap is efficient enough.
– As soon as you get home, take your shoes off and store them away. They are a germ fest waiting to infect you.
– Disinfect your refrigerator, door handles, kitchen, bathroom and work desk surfaces regularly.
– Steam clean your carpet, sofas, couches and chairs.
– Change your AC/heating system’s filters at home, in your car and at work (when possible) before flu season.
These simple solutions will help you to avoid personal contact with the flu virus as much as possible. But when facing the upcoming flu epidemic, it is crucial to prepare and strengthen your body against microbial attacks. In other words, you need to support your own immune system.
Against influenza, energy is your best line of defense!
The best way to fight off the flu is to strengthen your immune system by providing it loads of energy.
– It starts with good cell oxygenation: recharge your energy by breathing better! Maybe you think that breathing is natural and intuitive, but in Asia, learning good breathing techniques is part of its culture. Same for top athletes, dancers or singers. Keep remembering to breathe deeply, hold your breath and blow it out thoroughly.
– Another one is to add diluted food-grade hydrogen peroxide to your drinking water.
– Recharge your body’s energy by choosing your food carefully. Prefer good quality fats like organic extra virgin olive oil, organic coconut oil, and grass-fed butter or ghee. Banish bad fats like overheated vegetable oils like corn, soy and regular commercial dairy (cream, butter, etc.)
– Ingest more omega-3 fatty acids (I already addressed this subject in a previous posting) and absolutely avoid commercially fried foods. They reduce your immune system defense.
– Since flu is a viral infection, think about taking antiviral foods like organic chicken soup, fresh citrus (orange, lemon, lime, etc. loaded with fresh vitamin C), fresh berries loaded with antioxidants, raw garlic and onions, ginger, cranberries, and apple cider vinegar.
– And don’t forget antiviral healing plants and herbs like astragalus, elderberry, olive leaf oil, licorice root, pau d’arco, St. John’s Wort, echinacea, cinnamon, clove, oil of oregano, Goldenseal, Oregon grape, lemon balm, and turmeric.
– Some vitamins and supplements can help support your immune system too: vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, colloidal silver, and probiotics.
– Don’t forget to see your homeopath to get his/her recommended remedies.
– Keeping in mind that your gut is your first line of defense, improve your gut microbiome and increase your friendly bacteria by eating naturally fermented foods like plain organic yogurt and kefir; even better, try soy, coconut or almond milk yogurts; organic apple cider vinegar; naturally fermented vegetables, cornichons and pickles; real sauerkraut and kimchi; organic miso and tempeh; fermented drinks like kombucha; other choices are seed cheese and rejuvelac, a grain-based fermented drink (avoid if you are allergic to wheat).
– To gain sufficient resources to defend your body, your white blood cells need magnesium. On average, Americans only receive half the recommended daily intake of magnesium, which is 400mg daily. In the war against the flu, it’s as if you went to war with a gun without bullets! Get tested without delay to see if you need to increase your magnesium intake.
– Best food sources of magnesium: Pumpkin seeds, spinach, Swiss chard, soybeans, sesame seeds, quinoa, black beans, cashews, sunflower seeds, and Navy beans.
– Avoid eating too much iron, especially red meat. Bacteria love iron. Also avoid dairy products while you are sick as they encourage mucus and viruses love that warm and humid environment.
Finally, there is a little known, yet very effective habit against the flu discovered there a few years by Japanese researchers.
Kakogawa’s secret
In 2007, researchers wondered why the inhabitants of the city of Kakogawa, Japan seemed immunized against influenza. After interviewing thousands of people, they eventually found the reason: Kakogawa is a large green tea production center and its inhabitants drink more than elsewhere in the country.
Specifically, green tea polyphenols are powerful antiviral. There are even as effective as the reference medicine flu: Tamiflu [3].
A Votre Santé – To Your Health
Chef Alain Braux
Sources:
[1] Influenza Virus Vaccine for the 2014-2015 Season
[2] CDC admits this year’s flu shot doesn’t work
[3] Kuzuhara T, Iwai Y, Takahashi H, Hatakeyama D, Echigo N. Green tea catechins inhibit the endonuclease activity of influenza A virus RNA polymerase. PLoS Curr. 2009 Oct 13;1:RRN1052.
Lee HJ, Lee YN, Youn HN, Lee DH, Kwak JH, Seong BL, Lee JB, Park SY, Choi IS, Song CS. Anti-influenza virus activity of green tea by-products in vitro and efficacy against influenza virus infection in chickens. Poult Sci. 2012 Jan;91(1):66-73.
Ling JX, Wei F, Li N, Li JL, Chen LJ, Liu YY, Luo F, Xiong HR, Hou W, Yang ZQ. Amelioration of influenza virus-induced reactive oxygen species formation by epigallocatechin gallate derived from green tea. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012 Dec;33(12):1533-41
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