Swine Flu Scare: Natural Healing and Prevention

With the recent Swine Flu Scare and titles such as the following sweeping the news:

Toddler's death is first U.S. swine flu fatality

Swine Flu Death Reinforces CDC's Prior Warnings

Obama Administration: Out With the 'Swine,' In With the 'H1N1 Virus'

Obama on Swine Flu: Urges 'Utmost Precautions' And Advises Schools with Cases to Close

Swine Flu Outbreak Escalates As California Declares State of Emergency

...I found it to be a great lead in to the reason epidemics such as this are so detrimental and wide spread to our seemingly "health progressive" country in the first place. With all our technological and pharmaceutical advancements why do we still remain so fearful of disease and epidemics?

I don't mean to simplify this problem by insenuating that there is only one solution or one aspect to solve, but I do want to address a major cause of our decreasing health in the face of such rapid pharmaceutical advancement...Declining Health Standards.

The CDC is recommending general steps to be taken for preventing the spread of swine flu:

• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.


• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water and use hand sanitizers when you don't have access to soap and water.


• Avoid spreading germs from your hands to orfices by touching the eyes, nose and mouth.
  

What about using this as a greenlight to REALLY make a difference in our health...from the CORE of the problem? Shouldn't we be trying to increase our natural immunity to disease through proper nutrition, healthy activity, detoxification, and dedication to mental health and well being? OF COURSE! Below i've begun the discussion on some tools we can use to really increase our NATURAL and INNATE defenses. Afterall, while pharmaceuticals have their place, they obviously are being relied on too much these days, and the state of our national health is a direct reflection of that...

Natural and Holistic prevention tools

MIND-BODY CONNECTION: to releasing any fears you may have about the swine flu, or disease in general. Fear and stress can be a direct detriment to your emotional and physical status, so don't let yourself get swept up in the panic. Some good tools to overcome stress and anxiety include:

• Yoga and Stretching


• Deep Breathing


• Neuro-Emotional Technique


• Light Exercise (brisk walk is great, especially with the great Spring Weather!)

Herbal and Whole Food Support: There are many great resources to bolster the immune system and serve as preventative sources for your health. Immune support herbs such as echinacea and goldenseal are popular to ward of the common flu and support the immune system naturally. Just be cautious that echinacea is not recommended for people suffering from seasonal allergies as it can act as an allergen. It is important to work directly with your holistic health care provider directly to make sure that the supplements and herbs you are taking are right for your body. Everyone is deficient in different things and taking 10000's of mg's of Vitamin C is not going to make you immune to everything. You are an individual, both in personality and in physical makeup so treat yourself with respect and get a consultation to decide what supplements will benefit YOU specifically. Make sure that your supplements are whole food or herbal and NOT synthetic, as your body will not process them correctly if they are not natural.

Nutrition: continue working on the basics of organic and seasonal nutrition and detoxification to reduce the toxin load of the body so it can be prepared to fight off any illness, including the swine flu.
You can find some excellent recipes both on my healthy recipes blog and on the detoxification blog under "detoxification recipes." Email me for questions on the Standard Process Purification Program.

Other medical modalities used to encourage the body's natural healing mechanisms include:
Acupuncture
Massage
Chiropractic

Please leave your comments on how you are keeping the swine flu and other diseases at bay below with natural remedies and nutrition. As always, I love to hear your feedback.

Swine Flu Scare: Natural Healing and Prevention

Update on Legislation from Senate Bill 287

Thank you to all the patrons who let their voices be heard. Below is a response we received from the NCCA on the ruling on Senate Bill 287:

Dear NCCA Members & Non-Members:

A special conference committee comprised of a select group of Senators and House Representatives met Tuesday evening for a final discussion of Senate Bill 287.

As originally proposed, the bill would have increased chiropractic co-pays under the State Health Plan to upwards of $70, virtually eliminating the chiropractic benefit for all state employees and teachers. In the bill's final version that will now go into effect July 1, chiropractic co-pays were reduced to $45 (Standard Plan) and $55 (Basic Plan) -- ultimately saving state employees as much as $25 per chiropractic visit.

This reduction in co-pays is a direct result of your grassroots efforts and the tireless work of the NCCA legislative team. Led by Legislative Chairman Dr. Michael Estramonte, NCCA leaders spent countless hours lobbying for chiropractic patients, developing communication materials, breaking down research studies, walking the halls of the legislature and organizing a statewide grassroots campaign. We want to assure you that this effort was not taken lightly.

The NCCA is hesitant to claim the bill's final verdict as a true victory. Going into Tuesday's meeting, NCCA efforts had resulted in an amendment to the bill that would have set chiropractic co-pays to the same rate as primary care provider co-pays ($25/$35). That amendment, which had already passed through the entire House of Representatives, was a HUGE victory for chiropractic patients. However, due solely to the directive of the special conference committee, the amendment was replaced with the new $45 and $55 co-pays.

So what does all that mean? There are still hurdles present in our fight, but it is hardly time to give up or weaken our resolve.

The odds were most certainly against us. We are, after all, in the largest budgetary crisis in the state's history and, unfortunately, committee members were forced to view this bill in black and white and without the quality care typical of what we provide our patients. Not to mention the savings we provide to both these individuals and the state.

Several legislators have informed us that there is still an opportunity to rethink our $45/$55 co-pay provision. A study commission bill will be set up to examine the entire State Health Plan. It will be integral that chiropractic's history of cost-effectiveness be evaluated so we can re-visit our patients' excessively high co-pays in the next legislative session.

We can assure you that your NCCA will not give up working for you and your patients.

If you are not a member of the NCCA, please join today.

If you did not actively participate in the NCCA's grassroots campaign, please step up to the plate next time.

The NCCA is only as effective as its members make it.

House Bill 14, which will make chiropractic co-pays (except under the State Health Plan) equal to those of primary care co-pays, could come up for discussion any day.

Please familiarize yourself with the message that we have to convey to our legislators -- the message that explains how chiropractic care SAVES the healthcare system money. Please visit www.affordablehealthnc.com or click here for more information.

If you have questions about the final results of Senate Bill 287 or if you'd like to join the NCCA, please contact Headquarters at 919.832.0611.


NOTE: Although we feel the $45/$55 co-pay is too high, the following House Representatives should be recognized for going above and beyond in their support for our patients' rights to have a reasonable co-pay: Rep. Nelson Cole (Placed the original amendment), Rep. Cullie Tarleton, Rep. Marian McLawhorn, Rep. Bruce Goforth, Rep. Van Braxton, Rep. Pryor Gibson, Rep. William Wainwright, Rep. Beverly Earle

Update on Legislation from Senate Bill 287

DETOXIFICATION Informational Session Tomorrow!

I just wanted to blog a quick reminder to all of you with a reminder of our upcoming Detox Bootcamp. The Informational Sessions will be held this Thursday at either 1pm or 6pm in the Stone Wolfe Cafe area across the hall from our office. Please join us to learn more and to get your products ordered.

here is a reminder of the benefits of this amazing program:

Due to the great success of our last Detoxification Bootcamp this Winter combined with the high demand for the program to return we have decided to reinstate our bootcamp. The foundation of this 21-day purification program includes eating whole, organic, and unprocessed foods; taking whole food supplements; and drinking plenty of water. You will eat vegetables and fruit from days 1-10, with select proteins added at day 11. It's simple, yet clinically HIGHLY effective for the following health issues:

Improved weight management results

Increased energy

Better digestion

Less bloating

Clearer skin

Shinier hair

Disappearance or lessening of past conditions

GO to this site for more information, recipes, and links: http://ccwwellness-detox.blogspot.com

If you are currently a patient of CCW you will only need to call our office (919) 845-3280 to sign up for the program ASAP and to order the product kit. Included in the price of the product kit (complimentary to) are 4-5 free group meetings with your support group and wellness coordinator, which will give you a chance to address any and all questions or concerns as well as to get helpful hints, recipes, and more to increase your success on this program. In addition, free one on one meetings with your Wellness Coordinator are always available through out the week for nutritional guidance and support.

If you are currently not a patient you will need to sign up for a New Patient Appointment with either Dr. Jennifer Greenfield or Dr. Thomas Young before we can include you in the bootcamp. After this meeting the cost will be the same as it is for existing patients.

DETOXIFICATION Informational Session Tomorrow!