The hitherto mild symptoms associated with H1N1 may have been replaced by what appears to be a mutated virus that actually seems to be killing many people. The virus is still under examination here in the UK and I’m hopeful that the results will be made public later this week.

The sad thing is that none of the treatments currently being purchased by governments at a cost of billions of dollars are either appropriate or effective. TamiFlu and other post infection treatments are seemingly ineffective and because this may be mutated virus it is highly likely that the vaccine that has been purchased will be completely ineffective.

There are however some very simple things that we can do to improve the performance of our immune system:

• increase vitamin D. intake to something in the regional 5000
• increase the amount of biologically active sugars we are consuming
• Add foods that are named to support the immune system i.e. garlic, only leaf extract, echinacea,

Prevention must be our first port of call but when this virus hits we need to have a well regulated immune system.

http://ukraineplague.blogspot.com

Most primary headaches are related to tension. The muscles that surround the skull are triggered to contract, causing a painful amount of cranial pressure. This can cause a severe amount of pain. Although the reasons for skull muscle contraction are difficult to ascertain, it is commonly seen as a result of emotional or physical stress. Significant emotional stress typically results in a contraction of the muscles, and therefore a tension related headache. Prolonged physical stress, such as extended manual labour, is also known to cause tension headaches. Migrane could be considered a primary headache, severe for many and with differing symptoms. There is no one cause for a migrane as it effects different people in different ways with different levels of pain. However, tension, tightening of neck and shoulder muscles causing cranial pain are a symptom.

Cluster headaches are a far rare occurrence, and typically only occur in a small portion of the population. Sufferers usually experience cluster headaches only for a small window of time, thus the name “cluster” headache. This can make prevention and treatment difficult. When a cluster headache occurs, it can be accompanied by severe pain that focuses behind the eyes. Water running from the eyes and nose are common with cluster headaches. Treatment should be undertaken as soon as possible to bring the pain under control.

Secondary headaches usually represent a more serious issue. This is much rarer than primary headaches. A secondary headache can signify a deeper neurological issue at work. Headaches that occur on a chronic basis should be cause for a check with the doctor. Secondary headaches can be quite painful, and may also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as sensory phenomenon.

I have two issues with Swine Flu:

• It is flu. Flu is everywhere. Globally there are over 1 billion cases of flu diagnosed each year. Swine or not, flu is an issue for a lot of people.

So is malaria. Over 1 million people die of it each year. Where is the crazy reporting about malaria. Or alcohol related deaths. Or those from smoking.

There were 13.4 alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 in the UK in 2006. This year there are 0.05 swine-flu related deaths per 100,000 in the UK. At the moment you are 278 times more likely to die of an alcohol related disease than swine flu.

Or would we rather head to the pub for a pint and a cigarette and have a chat about it instead?

This ridiculously alarmist reporting of ‘Swine’ flu is causing an obscene amount of worry, Government spending and panic in the general public.

Yes, it might be a problem for a very small number of the population, but how much more productive would it be to focus on prevention?

• The answer seems to be drugs & pumping people full of vaccines and antibiotics. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE FLU ALL YEAR ROUND. Every year. All the time. Why do we suddenly need to vaccinate everyone?!

Oh, of course, to earn Roche and GlaxoSmithKlein a healthy fat pocket.

Let’s focus on prevention rather than waiting and then drugging. It is really, really easy to give your body everything it needs to successfully fight flu. Swine or not!

The Real Swine Flu Picture

So the papers all picked up on the potential 64,000 cases story. Here is what one of the UK’s leading Flu experts makes of it all:

“A potential death rate of one in 200 cases has been mentioned but that is for the really serious cases. The real rate will probably be less than one in 1,000 and the people who are badly affected will be incredibly unlucky.

Many people won’t even realise they have swine flu – around 30 per cent of those who get it won’t have any symptoms at all.

Most people will only have mild symptoms – the body’s natural defences will take care of the flu and natural antibodies will prove to be the best prevention. But it’s worth remembering that seasonal flu can kill 10,000 people every year in this country, although they tend to be the weak or elderly.

Note:

• The body’s natural defences will take care of the flu – This is key – do all you can to support your own defences
• NATURAL antibodies will prove to be the best prevention
• Many people won’t even realise they have Swine Flu
• 10,000 people die from flu EVERY YEAR in the UK

10,000 every year. So far, in the 3 months since we’ve been hearing about Swine Flu, 29 people in the UK have died of H1N1 related illnesses. Not necessarily directly because of the flu strain itself, but they died while the strain was in their body.

However, that does not mean that there is no danger. I am not claiming us to all be invincible – BUT there are things we should be doing to prevent ourselves from contracting ANY SICKNESS OR DISEASE! Swine Flu, normal flu, heart disease, cancer, diabetes or any other sickness or disease.

There are 61,000,000 million people in the UK and 29 have died from Swine Flu so far. That gives you a 0.0000048% chance of dying from it so far. But I imagine that you are the sort of person who wants to have a strong immune system, loads of energy, strong bones, strong muscles, and a big strong heart regardless of this global obsession with one strain of influenza.

Steps to Protect Yourself From Illnesses (influenza included)

To really give your immune system a boost and protect yourself from illness you just need to do the simple things. The same simple things that will help you lose weight, have more energy, get rid of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, increase your mental clarity, lose the need for afternoon naps, clear your skin, clear your head etc.

You just need to start looking after yourself, properly.

1. Start hydrating. Really hydrating. Most people try to follow the Government advice of 8 glasses per day. Firstly, I really believe that this is nowhere near enough (even if you are really sedentary your body uses more than that each day just keeping you alive) and secondly most people only get to 3 or 4 glasses. You should be aiming for at least 2.5 litres per day, and potentially up to 4 litres. Make it good, clean, filtered water.
2. Start eating well. By ‘eating well’ I mean loads of greens, vegetables, salads, low sugar fruits, healthy oils, nuts, seeds, complex carbs etc. Give your body the simple tools it needs to look after you.
3. Stop eating sh*t. By ‘eating sh*t’ I mean chocolate, crisps, chips, sweets, sugars, caffeine, dairy, fatty meat, alcohol, excessive bread, pasta and other white stuff, biscuits, puddings, fried food, refined food, microwaved food etc. Stop polluting your body with crap. And cigarettes.Nothing suppresses your immune system like 20 Bensons, half a dozen pints and a packet of crisps.
4. Start exercising. If you don’t do a lot of it then start really light, but get out there, get some fresh air, get your body and your blood pumping. At least start walking. This gives your blood and lymphatic system a flush through and keeps your immune system nice and strong.

This is all common sense, easy stuff. Even if you only do this 50-70% of the time then you’re really moving in the right direction and giving your body everything it needs to keep you happy and healthy.

Here is a selection of his advice:

• This (Swine Flu) is a scientific illusion. Viruses do not kill, acids kill. All viruses are nothing more than dietary and/or metabolic acid. The word virus in Latin means poison or acid. All flu’s or acids by definition effect only the gastrointestinal tract due to acidic foods and drinks ingested – not viruses.
  • So the Mexican Swine Flu Virus that has been reported by the CDC to have killed over 1000 Mexicans is the result of an excess of gastrointestinal acid from the ingestion of acidic foods and drinks that have not been properly buffered by the stomach with alkaline salts or eliminated through the four channels of elimination – lungs, bowels, bladder and/or skin. For these unfortunate Mexicans or others in the US or around the world that have died, the cause of death was due to an excess of acidic foods and drinks, including Tequila, beer, beans, rice, corn, peanuts, yeast, soy sauce, high sugar fruit, processed sugar, artificial sugar, dairy products, chicken, turkey, beef and of course the biggest acid of all – SWINE. That’s right, the acids from PORK can kill.
  • So 1000 Mexicans did not die from a phantom Mexican Swine Flu Virus but they died from a dis-ease I call, “I Ate and Drank TOO Much Acidic Crap Disease.”
• The simple solution for protecting you from an excess of gastrointestinal acid from an acidic diet and lifestyle that can and does kill is to increase your alkaline buffering mineral salts. All flu’s or acid outbreaks can be prevented and reversed with sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium bicarbonate. YES, it is that simple! You can prevent gastrointestinal acidosis that can lead to stomach flu, vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea, constipation, and even death. No need to fear a pandemic, just the acidic foods and drinks you are ingesting. You can protect yourself and your family with the pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet I call, “Young Living.” That is why I created the products pHour Salts, puripHy salts, pHlavor salts and pHlush salts.
  • [note: these alkaline salts are heavily concentrated in green foods, vegetables, salads, low-sugar fruits etc i.e. alkaline foods]
• There is no such thing as a flu virus and therefore there is no need for a poisonous acidic flu vaccine made with chicken embryos, formaldehyde, mercury, detergent, and alcohol. The flu is the body in preservation mode increasing body temperature to activate the lymphatic system to remove excess dietary and/or metabolic acids in the tissues via respiration, perspiration, defecation and urination. The key to reversing the symptoms of the Flu is hydration with alkaline fluids and sweating with infra-red sauna or exercise.
• Antibiotics do not kill bacteria. Even the medical community realizes that antibiotics don’t do what they are supposed to do. We say with alarm that disease is becoming resistant to antibiotics. They are not “resistant” because they have never been operative or effective. Antibiotics are the acidic waste products of fermentation. To make an antibiotic, you need a yeast or mold and some sugar for the yeast or mold to ferment. The bi-product of the yeast or mold fermenting the sugar is the acidic antibiotic. The acids from antibiotics DO NOT KILL BACTERIA. They only force the bacteria to change. Into what does bacteria change? Into yeast and mold. That is why when you take antibiotics you end up with a yeast infection! That’s the antibiotic causing the bacteria to change from one form to another. I call this process of change “biological transformation” and the reason why you should NEVER take antibiotics.

He advocates living alkaline (surprised?) as a way to keep your body fit, healthy and strong – warding off flu (no matter what the media call it, swine, avian (remember that one?) alongside all other sickness and disease.

In particular, you need to make sure your body has got an ample supply of alkaline mineral salts to buffer the acids you consume, and that your body produces in it’s daily work. I’ve blogged extensively on this in the past (here is my favourite article) – if you read that article you’ll understand a lot more of what I am talking about.

I also think this extract from my interview with Ravi of sethigherstandards.com is useful here:

Your body HAS to keep the pH of your blood, cells and other fluids at just slightly alkaline (pH 7.365) and it will do ANYTHING it has to in order to maintain this pH balance. To do this, your body calls upon its store of alkaline buffers, which it draws upon to neutralize the acids we ingest or create through bodily processes. This store of buffers is very easily depleted because most of us eat and drink such strong acids. To put this in context, the pH scale is logarithmic – so pH 6 is 10x more acidic than pH 7, meaning pH 5 is 100x times more acidic than pH 7 and pH 4 is 1000x more acidic. Coke has a pH of between 2 and 3. So you can see how a diet filled with meats, dairy, fizzy drinks, alcohol etc would quickly deplete these buffers.

And when we deplete these buffers and still ingest more acids…what happens? The body is forced into drawing upon the alkaline minerals it has to buffer which causes havoc in the body – for instance, if the body is constantly drawing calcium to neutralize the acids we consume then the symptoms of osteoporosis emerge (hence the recent research articles linking cola consumption with osteoporosis).

This is just one example. Another outcome is that the body also hangs onto excess fat to protect our body/organs from the damage caused in an acidic state. Another outcome is that we ingest high levels of sugar, the sugar ferments in the blood, creating more acids, which creates acid wastes, which feeds the sugar which has fermented into bacteria, yeast, fungus which create more acid wastes etc and a vicious cycle of acid creation further depletes the alkaline buffers resulting in skin conditions, yeast infections, mood and emotional problems, diabetes and a whole heap of other symptoms.

By eating 70-80% alkaline foods we not only take this stress away from the body, but we also flood our body with vitamins, fiber, minerals, nutrients, good fats, proteins, antioxidants etc. which build the blood, cleanse our system and ultimately make us feel great.

Still, the simple explanation is the one I prefer – eat lots of great, fresh foods and treat treats as a treat.

And there it is…your blueprint for staying fit, healthy and vital. Eat your greens and look after yourself, and you’ll find that your body is pretty good at keeping you well. It’s how we’ve been designed.

Or put it this way. Were you worried about dying from flu this year anyway?

If not, then your chances have only slightly increased. The actual Government prediction that was less-news-paper-sales-worthy publicised is that there will most likely be 3,100 H1N1 flu-related deaths this year. A 30% increase on the normal 10,000 flu related deaths each year, sure, but out of the 61 million of us in the UK, I think you need to be MUCH more worried about looking both ways before you cross the road.

You should aim to keep yourself healthy regardless of any one particular illness. Look after yourself and protect yourself against ALL illness and disease! And keep smiling!

Robert O. Young, Ph.D., D.Sc.