Childhood Vaccines. All That Bad?

During the '80s, I got caught up in the low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets.  Not only did I learn to think that there was nothing wrong with eating breads--lots of them--platefuls of pasta, pizzas, rice, and cereals, but I actually believed that breads and pastas were the by-product of a healthier lifestyle.  My mind, as if only by consensus and without any real thought, analysis, or garnering of a second opinion, was made up.  I ate like this for about 15 years.  I exercised all the time-basketball, running, tennis, hiking, you name it, I was active.  Oh, yes, I ate meat.  Lean meat.  Chicken breast.  Steak with the fat cut off.  Cottage cheese.  Pork?  Blegh!  Just too fatty.  Pastrami?  Is that allowed?  I internalized the U.S. food pyramid.    

Then one day I consumed two tablespoons of olive oil and wow did I feel immediate relief from general tension.  Later that year, I tried two tablespoons of Norwegian Cod Liver Oil and experienced remarkable mental clarity.  It was something.  

So for me, food and exercise have really been the most beneficial medicine.  But with this campaign at looking at food as the remedy for all ailments, I do understand the task of sifting through some dubious claims and campaigns. One of those is the anti-vaccine campaign.  I've heard and read a lot of the literature about the disgusting ingredients in some vaccines.  Also read the connection of childhood vaccines to autism and other cognitive and functional impairments.  It sounds bad.  But I wonder if the anti-vaccine campaign isn't just another campaign as, say, the high carb campaign of the '80s where people are taught that the vaccines--all vaccines--are poisonous with only destructive results.  

Just tonight I came across a story from Amy Parker, a British mother of two, who claims that her parents did everything right with regard to her diet growing up--grass-fed meats, home-grown vegetables, plenty of exercise, lots of water, no refined carbs, you name it--and yet she still contracted some life-threatening diseases that could have been prevented with vaccines.  I thought that her article was interesting, which is why I am re-posting it here.  Slate magazine posted it, and truth be told I am a little biased against Slate.  Still, her story is compelling.  She compares the health of her youth with that of the health of her two children who were vaccinated.  And the difference is astounding.  In a positive way.  Here is one excerpt from her essay:

My two vaccinated children, on the other hand, have rarely been ill, have had antibiotics maybe twice in their lives, if that. Not like their mum. I got many illnesses requiring treatment with antibiotics. I developed penicillin-resistant quinsy at age 21—you know, that old-fashioned disease that supposedly killed Queen Elizabeth I and that was almost wiped out through use of antibiotics.*  


UPDATE, Feb. 12, 2014: After having read this article, it is hard to believe Ms. Parker's story above. Give a look as to the ingredients of vaccines:  

Here are just a few of the facts that I learned from 

Catherine’s book:

• There are secret ingredients that don’t show up on labels, like the kidney cells of monkeys, cells from aborted human fetal tissue, and genetically engineered insect viruses.
• Adjuvants in vaccines actually weaken our immune systems, making us more susceptible to illnesses.
• Heavy metal ingredients pass through the blood-brain barrier and can cause life-long neurological damage.
• Undisclosed ingredients given in vaccines to very young children can be at the root of the rash of severe life-threatening allergies that so many people suffer from these days.
• The comparison of American vaccine schedules with the schedules of other countries is mind-boggling.
• Even though schools will try to tell you otherwise, there are exemptions available n every state for your child to attend school without receiving vaccinations.

Garlic: Nature's Strongest Antibiotic

By far, the best remedy for any lung condition is garlic.  Break a clove from the bulb, peel it, then place the side or flat end of a knife over it, smash the garlic so that it breaks and releases the enzymes.  From here you can do a few things.  One, you can swallow that clove whole and chase it with olive oil to suppress the burn going down.  Or, you can place the smashed garlic cloves in a frying pan with butter and broccoli and sear all three for a few minutes for a great snack, side dish, or meal.

Have a lung infection?

Then eat garlic.  Lots of it.

Destroy Annoying Pests with Food

The bitter rind of cucumbers chases ants away.  Much better option than those toxic sprays can linger for hours and leave a nauseating air.

You can add other ingredients to cucumber rind to make the chase of the critters even more hurried.  Here are a few amazing takeaways from the article linked in the previous sentence:

". . . keep crawling pests, such as ants, out. These include garlic – grind it up with water and apply – cayenne pepper, cinnamon, powdered charcoal, bone meal, talcum powder or chalk. Keep in mind that different pests have different aversions, so you’ll have to see what substance works best with the ones trying to sneak into your home."

"Boiling water is excellent for ant control or if you see where they are creeping into your house, squeeze some lemon into the hole or crack."

"If you don’t want to spread sugar around your house, boric acid, about as toxic to us as table salt, is naturally occurring and is another way to kill roaches dead."  I've had great success with boric acid to shoo roaches.

"Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts is a good roach killer."

"Cloves smell better than moth balls and are a natural deterrent against winged pests."

"Grind rosemary leaves into a fine dust and sprinkle it onto your pet or its bedding to ward off fleas." And my guess is that their memory and temperament would improve as a result.

KALE HEALS KIDNEYS

Okay, I just figured out how to take care of the kidneys.  

Here's a story.  I eat a lot of meat, and I prefer meat with lots of fat.  It fortifies me.  The only problem is that in my case, I tend to put on weight.  I don't exercise like I should or like I did.  I used to play basketball three times week.  But a stress fracture in my foot caused that foot to swell into a football and it has been touch and go ever since.  So no more basketball.  I've always accepted that advice that plenty of protein will help you rebuild.  And it does. Cannot deny that.  Protein is also a great energy source.  I cannot and will not deny that.  But I tend to eat too much protein--cheese, steak, rotisserie chicken, spare ribs, bacon, eggs, raw milk--I love it all.  But my meals and my diet are not balanced.  And though I may only eat once or even twice a day, my diet is overloaded with protein.  And this make my kidneys tired and sluggish.  I don't eat vegetables with any regularity, or at least I didn't.  I do now.  And for the last week I've been eating raw kale, carrots, and Swiss chard.  I have been sluggish and overweight for a very long time.  For at least two years.  I've also been more sedentary during that same period because of a new kind of work.  It makes plenty of sense as I read it, process it, and learn it.  I have felt my kidneys laboring, pulsing in my lower back as though it were on its last pulse.  Blurp . . . blurp . . . blurp.  But in this past week from eating raw kale, carrots, and Swiss chard and drinking more water, I have for the first time in well over two years felt my kidneys working vigorously, pumping blood down to my feet and up into my head.  Over this period my feet have frequently felt numb.  I attributed it to getting older.  Same with my hands.  Numb at different times of the day and on certain parts of my hand.  Now I have greater sensation all across my body.  I love the incredible focus and energy and ease with which tasks and ideas come to me.  I am appreciative, but more than that is that I figured out how to solve a chronic condition.  At least for me!  The information below corroborates only what I've recently been doing with my diet.  It's worth a look.  A lot of people, including myself, are interested in the Paleo Diet.  But it doesn't mean eating all meat or mostly meat.  Oh, one other thing in my diet that I would consume regularly throughout the day is coffee.  I am giving that a break.

OTHER FOODS THAT HEAL KIDNEYS:

1.  Consumption of pure water is the delicacy of the kidney, as it helps remove harmful toxins and fats easily and without work. You should drink a day at least 2 liters of pure water, but if you eat high protein or salty foods, you must add two more glasses. If you don’t do this, your kidneys will be among the first to resent. If you want to keep your kidneys healthy, free of infections and diseases, drinking water is the base. People with more severe problems which can’t pee and are very swollen should avoid drinking water. If you have stones, drink bicarbonate water, which prevents the formation or enlargement of uric acid kidney stones, which cause cramps and other problems resulting from kidney failure.

2.  Watermelon: healing fruit and best ally of the kidney because of its high water content and its juice, which helps cleansing the tissues and blood. If you're going to eat watermelon, choose a cool and do not store more than two days as it often oxidize rapidly.

3.  Diuretic Foods: such as grapes, artichokes, apples, pineapple, etc. If you suffer from any condition of the liver, put on a diet one day eating only watermelon, grapes or apples and pure water. This diet helps fight stones.

4.  Carrot: an excellent vegetable cleansing, helps restore and nourish the kidney tissues.

PLANT THERAPY FOR THE KIDNEYS

5.  Dandelion is considered one of the best home remedies for the kidneys. 

6.  Parsley is an excellent remedy for the kidneys, strengthens and prevents the occurrence of stones. 

7.  Green nettle is also a very good remedy for the kidneys. Put a tablespoon of herb in a cup of pure water boiling and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off and let stand another 5 minutes. Strain and drink one cup fasting three days a week, you will feel great. 

8.  St. Nicholas (Chrysactinia mexicana): use the stem and leaves, is an excellent diuretic. 

9.  Horsetail (Equisetum robustum): is a plant stimulant and a diuretic for the kidneys, recommended for treating kidney stones, gallstones, inflammation and urinary tract infections and in case of fluid retention. These are generally all the problems of kidney and urinary tract. 

10. Stonebreaker: it has diuretic and tonic for the urinary bladder, helps to dissolve all kinds of kidney stones. 

11. Guazima flower (Pithecellobiun): its flowers have applications for liver and kidney. 

12. Arnica: if you have suffered a severe blow in the kidney and only want to help you recover from the injury, it is best arnica, either in cream or taking arnica tea infusions.

Powerhouse Greens: Swiss Chard, Kale, Collards, & Spinach

When it comes to your health you have to take a more serious, committed approach to regaining strength, energy, equilibrium, and vigor.  Eating sugars over time may have a deleterious effect on your immunity, on your energy, and on muscle integrity.  Fruits are one form of sugar.  But the anti-oxidant benefits of fruit outweigh the intake of sugars, right?  It depends.  Each fruit and fruit company have done an excellent job at marketing their product. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" so goes Washington state's apple industry.  We're told over and over again that you need and that you get your potassium from bananas.  Okay.  Why do we need potassium?  Energy?  To stave off radiation?  Not sure.  But I know we need it.  Because we were told that we need it.  And not only do you get Vitamin C from oranges but you also get sunshine, particularly from Florida oranges.  But perhaps the most powerhoused food would be dense green leafy vegetables.  We're told about Brussels sprouts, which are not a leafy vegetable but a cruciferous vegetable.  Vegetables like kale, swiss chard, collard greens, and spinach are powerhouse vegetables.  And you know this.  If you're looking to rebuild, then eat these powerhouse vegetables with fat and cholesterol and protein. 

Swiss Chard.  Consume this.

Kale.  Consume this.

Collard Greens.  Consume this.

Spinach.  Consume this.

Also note that that old stand-by, broccoli, is quite good at removing radiation from your body.  "In the 1950's and 1960's, experiments were done, particularly by the United States Army, showing that the consumption of broccoli and other dark green vegetables protects a body from radiation damage to a surprising degree. This led to further research into the most common factor of such vegetation: chlorophyll."

Annette Larkins, 70, who eats raw vegan is proof one of the benefits of eating raw vegetables. I have experienced and heard similar complaints about meats being unhealthy, yet I like my bacon, sausage, steak, fish, and chicken. But maybe there are times when cutting back or abstaining from meats periodically might actually be healthful and energetic. I know that when I eat a plate or bowlful of raw vegetables that my energy soars, my system gets cleaned out, and I am more alert. But you'll have to test and judge for yourself. But I definitely think that eating vegetables raw has benefits over eating them cooked. Eating raw vegetables means eating salads.