The Great Vaccine Debate

By Admin|2015-03-30T08:39:57-05:00March 22nd, 2015|Articles, General|

Over the last 10 years I have become more of a skeptic. Maybe it is because I bought a McDonald’s Happy meal 3 years ago and still have it – bugs won’t eat it and mold won’t grow on it. Or maybe it is because I bought Stevia in the Raw only to discover that it was neither stevia nor raw, but a bag of more than 51% genetically modified corn maltodextrin – which is not “natural” or healthy at all. Or maybe it is because after listening to hundreds of pharmaceutical drug ads, it dawned on me that more ad time was used to focus on potential dangers of the drug rather than the possible benefit from it. And maybe the icing on the cake was 10 years ago when I had a plethora of health problems while subsisting on the FDA Food Pyramid recommendations and Diet Coke with no idea that my diet had anything to do with being sick and tired. Much to my shock, my health was restored when I eliminated the grain and food chemicals and dramatically reduced sugar intake while adding in generous amounts of undamaged animal and plant fats. Yes, I believe we have good reason to be skeptical. It has made me sadly aware that big industry and government have no genuine interest in me, or my health, despite what they claim. So I must be responsible, educated and yes, skeptical.

Now I’m asking another question as I prepare for a Peru mission trip this summer. Should I get any vaccinations? I’ve grown up believing that vaccinations were in my best interest. A decade ago, I would have gone to a doctor to get every recommended vaccine, no questions asked. But today, knowing what I know, I can’t trust or assume that conventional “wisdom” was created in my best interest. This topic is complex, it is emotionally charged, and it is currently being hotly debated. I cannot begin to dig deeply into of every aspect of the debate, but I wanted to share some of what I am learning and the resources I have found interesting, compelling and helpful.

The healthy and necessary vaccination debate sprung out of a significant and growing number of parents who have witnessed serious side effects in their children immediately after a vaccination and/or now their children are chronically ill or disabled, diagnosed with learning disabilities, autism, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies, just to name a few.

As a nutritionist in a doctor’s office, I can’t help but think that our poor diets, damaged guts, use of prescription drugs, and toxic world, plus a lot of vaccinations, have possibly created the proverbial “perfect storm” for our children.

Dr. Suzanne Humphries, author of the book Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History, 2013, is a nephrologist who left her lucrative medical practice to examine the lost history of vaccinations after several of her patients had been perfectly healthy until they got a vaccination. She also began to question her long term beliefs about them when she discovered that her patients in the hospital were getting vaccinated upon admission, before she even saw them, and the hospital was putting her name on the order, even though she had not approved it. When she complained to hospital administration, she was met with resistance. This gave her pause and led her to ask about the history of vaccinations and how we arrived where we are today.

Vaccinations contain not only cells taken from the fetus and organs of dogs, cows, monkeys, chickens, and aborted humans, but also contain aluminum and mercury (both very toxic to tissues and the brain), monosodium glutamate, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80, yeast and detergents, to name a few. [i] I work very hard to avoid most of these things in my food and I certainly don’t want them injected into my body either. I won’t be getting a vaccination without asking what is in it ever again!

Were you aware that Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court have declared vaccines to be “unavoidably unsafe”[ii],[iii] yet they are still committed to recommending this aggressive vaccination program while completely shielding the drug companies from product liability? In 1986 Congress banned civil lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers when Americans are injured or die from federally recommended and state mandated vaccines, and the U.S. Supreme Court concurred in 2011. My skepticism can only ask “Really? We know they are “unavoidably unsafe” but we are going to recommend them, make more, require them, and then protect the makers of them?” If the vaccine manufacturers are not held accountable for product liability, what will motivate them to improve the horrific ingredients, or question safety and efficacy? There is nothing to lose, yet a lot of money to be made.

Government policy directs pediatricians to give children three times as many vaccinations today than children got 30 years ago. Today, the CDC recommends that within the first 18 months of a baby’s birth, the baby be injected with 27 vaccination doses. By age 6, children have had a total of 49 vaccination doses and by 18 years of age a total of 69![iv] So is more really better? Could cumulative effect from too many vaccines be creating serious problems? What is the limit? It occurs to me that before the invention of the first vaccination, the human species had perpetuated itself and no disease had destroyed mankind. Have we respected and understood the full capacity and intricacies of the human immune system? Based on my reading, very little was known when the first vaccine was introduced and much of the genetic, biological, immunological research today is turning conventional vaccine “wisdom” on its head. What are we thinking when we take a tiny newborn baby in all its wonder and think somehow that we are the wiser to impose 27 foreign viruses and toxic adjuncts onto this tiny, new immune system? Is there common sense or logic or even valid research to assure us that there is wisdom in this? Are we certain beyond certain that first and foremost this does no harm?

Could it be that any of this has to do with the fact that the current global vaccine market is worth $30 billion dollars? In ten years it is projected to be worth $100 billion dollars. [v] There is a public-private business partnership that has been forged between government and the pharmaceutical industry [vi],[vii],[viii],[ix],[x],[xi] with our tax dollars to develop hundreds of new vaccines. [xii]

And what about efficacy? Are vaccinations preventing outbreaks? According to GlobalResearch.org, they report candidly “the most highly vaccinated populations are also those with the greatest number of outbreaks for those same infectious diseases. This was especially the case for measles, mumps, rubella, polio and pertussis outbreaks.” [xiii] There are studies revealing how live virus vaccines actually create the potential for those vaccinated to be infecting others, both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

These comments are only the tip of the iceberg for this debate. I finish this article with more questions and fewer answers than when I started and am still very skeptical. I hope you explore further for yourself and your family. It is also important to know that there is a very strong lobby representing drug companies, medical trade associations, and public health officials who are trying to persuade legislators to strip all vaccine exemptions from public health laws which take away your right to informed consent and ability to get a vaccine exemption for you or your children.

Dr. Mercola at www.mercola.com has invested significant time, research and effort into discussing every side of this issue in his newsletters. He also addresses Dr. Donald Miller’s “user friendly vaccination plan”. I also carefully read the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at CDC.gov. which sheds light on the topic. The Weston A. Price Foundation at wapf.com and the film called The Greater Good, as well as insights on the topic from Dr. Campbell-McBride, author of The Gut and Psychology Syndrome have also been helpful to me. You may want to get the book by Dr. Suzanne Humphries, Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History as another helpful resource.

We aren’t telling you to NOT get vaccinated. We are presenting some facts and encouraging you to ask questions and educate yourself. You, as an individual, must weigh the benefits and risks for each and every vaccine as they pertain to your individual circumstances, such as your health, your job, and your travel.

[i] http://vaxtruth.org/2011/08/vaccine-ingredients/ and http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm

[ii]Supreme Court of the United States. Bruesewitz v. Wyeth. Feb. 11, 2011.

[iii] NVIC. National Vaccine Information Center Cites “Betrayal” of Consumers by

U.S. Supreme Court Giving Total Liability Shield to Big Pharma. Businesswire

Feb. 23, 2011.

[iv]http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/images/schedule1983s.jpg

[v]Businesswire. The Global Vaccine Market Is Expected to Surpass Estimated $100 Billion by 2015. Global Vaccine Market Pipeline Analysis June 27, 2014.

[vi]Grotton F. The Project Bioshield Act: Issues for the 112th Congress. Congressional Research Service Mar. 13, 2012.

[vii]Palmer E. Novartis in tax fight over vaccine plant that HHS helped pay for. Fierce Vaccines June 8, 2012.

[viii]Kirby TL. Licensing and Patenting at the NIH. Office of Technology Transfer, NIH: 2013.

[ix]Corby-Edwards AK, Redhead CS. Public Health Service Agencies: Overview and Funding. Congressional Research Service Nov. 12, 2013.

[x]FDA. Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA): PDUFA V: Fiscal Years 2013- 2017. FDA Dec. 26, 2013.

[xi]PhRMA. Statement on United States and China Public Private Partnership on Healthcare. Press Release: Jan. 20, 2011.

[xii]Clinical Trials.gov. New vaccines.

[xiii] http://globalresearch.org

Genetically Modified (GM) Foods

By Admin|2012-10-03T11:14:56-05:00October 3rd, 2012|Articles|

From Dr. Mercola’s Newsletter For an in-depth education on the many dangers of GM foods, I highly recommend reading Jeffrey Smith’s books, Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette. Smith documents at least 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds, including:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy show a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
• Male mice fed GM soy have damaged young sperm cells
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice have altered DNA functioning
• Several US farmers have reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffalos fed GM cottonseed products
• Animals fed GM foods have developed bleeding stomachs,potentially precancerous cell growth, damaged organs and immune systems, kidney inflammation, problems with blood and liver cells, and unexplained deaths
• Soy allergies have skyrocketed after the introduction of GM soy
• Genes from GM crops transfer to human gut bacteria, which might transform your intestinal flora into a living pesticide factory.
No one knows the full extent of what happens to the end product when you splice in new genes, and then eat that product for several generations. The only thing that is guaranteed is that it will create surprise side effects. However, according to Smith’s research, what we do know is that between 1994 and 2001 — the same time that GMOs flooded the market –food related illnesses DOUBLED. GMO foods can be:
• Allergenic
• Toxic
• Carcinogenic
• Anti-nutritional
It may also create brand new diseases that we’ve never seen before, in addition to spurring on the disease rate of some we already have, such as cancer. Moratorium Called on GM Foods! On May 19th, 2009, the The American Academy Of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) sent out a press advisory calling for Immediate Moratorium On Genetically Modified Foods and for physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible, and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks. They also advised that physicians should consider the role of GM foods in their patients’ disease processes. In their position paper, the AAEM states that several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM foods, including:
• Infertility
• Immune problems
• Accelerated aging
• Insulin regulation
• Changes in major organs
• Gastrointestinal changes and problems
The AAEM concludes, There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation, as defined by recognized scientific criteria. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies. Educate your doctor!
Many physicians are still completely unaware of this problem, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with handing them a printout of the moratorium, or suggesting they take a look at the research. The Institute for Responsible Technology also offers two full audio lectures on the dangers of GMOs. They’re free, and you’re even allowed to burn them onto CDs to give away. Why not give a copy to the members of your family, friends, and yes, even your doctor? Playing with Technology We Don’t Fully Comprehend Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) explains the heart of why GM foods are so dangerous: The genome is remarkably dynamic and fluid, and constantly in conversation with the environment. This determines which genes are turned on, when, where, by how much and for how long. Moreover, the genetic material itself could also be marked or changed according to experience, and the influence passed on to the next generation. But when genetically modified rogue genes are inserted into a genome, it cannot possibly mimic the complex processes – the dance of life — that’s necessary for survival in nature.
The rogue genes inserted into a genome to make a GMO could land anywhere; typically in a rearranged or defective form, scrambling and mutating the host genome, and have the tendency to move or rearrange further once inserted, basically because they do not know the dance of life. That’s ultimately why genetic modification doesn’t work and is also dangerous.
Four Ways to Avoid GM Foods As stated by Smith, there are four main ways to avoid GM foods:
• 1.Buy organic
• 2.Only buy products that carry a Non-GMO label
• 3.Only buy products listed in the non-GMO shopping guide
• 4.Avoid products that contain these at-risk ingredients: Soy, Corn, Cotton, Canola
The offspring of these products include items such as maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup. As for fresh produce, you’ll want to avoid some varieties of zucchini, crookneck squash, and papayas from Hawaii, as these are mainly GM. Other common GM-containing foods to avoid include:
• Milk containing rbGH
• Rennet (containing genetically modified enzymes) used to make hard cheeses
• Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Avoiding GM products in your diet means avoiding all of the foods and ingredients mentioned above, or choosing organic versions of them. If your diet consists largely of processed foods, you can be sure you’re eating about 70 percent GM foods, as the ingredients listed above (particularly corn and soy) are in a vast majority of all processed food products!
I highly recommend downloading the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, issued by the Institute for Responsible Technology. They also offer some helpful basic advice for how to avoid GMOs when eating in restaurants!

Aspartame – Tasty Poison

By Admin|2012-10-03T09:52:35-05:00October 3rd, 2012|Articles|

Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965. A chemist with the G.D. Searle Company was testing an anti-ulcer drug and discovered it tasted sweet. It was approved for dry goods in 1974, but was met with objections by a neuroscience researcher and the Consumer attorney prompting investigation of the research practices of the G.D. Searle Company. There are reports that the research was falsified to finally get FDA approval in 1981. The argument over the effects of aspartame has been going on for decades and continues today. When you do the research, however, there doesn’t seem to be much of an argument for aspartame.
Over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA are due to aspartame. These reactions include:
• headaches,
• migraines,
• dizziness,
• seizures,
• nausea,
• numbness,
• muscle spasms,
• weight gain,
• rashes,
• depression,
• fatigue,
• irritability,
• tachycardia,
• insomnia,
• vision problems,
• hearing loss,
• heart palpitations,
• breathing difficulties,
• anxiety attacks,
• memory loss and
• joint pain.
Often times it has been found that the excessive consumption of aspartame has been linked to worsening, triggering or mimicking the following illnesses: brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, birth defects, fibromyalgia and diabetes.
To understand these negative side effects of aspartame, you need to understand its components. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. The bond holding these together is very weak causing aspartame to breakdown into its components readily in liquids, during prolonged storage and when exposed to heat in excess of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The argument that these components are harmless because they are found naturally in food is irrelevant because they are bound to proteins or pectin in foods allowing them to be released slowly into the body.
Aspartic Acid makes up 40 % of aspartame. It functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain, facilitating the transfer of information from one nerve cell to another. Too much aspartic acid will produce free radicals causing brain cells to be damaged and die. This is known as an “excitotoxin” because it stimulates the nerve cells to death. When aspartame is ingested, aspartic acid is released quickly,
causing a spike in the plasma blood levels. As these blood levels rise, so do those of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This is a stress hormone affecting the brain where attention and impulsivity are controlled. Excessive amounts have been associated with anxiety, agitation and mania.
Phenylalanine makes up 50% of aspartame. Individuals with the genetic disorder PKU (phenylketonuria) are not able to metabolize phenylalanine. This causes a high build up of phenylalanine in the brain. There is evidence that ingesting aspartame along with carbohydrates can lead to excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain in persons not affected by PKU. Although phenylalanine is used in some instances as a treatment for depression, high amounts in the brain can cause the mood regulator, serotonin, to decrease, making depression worse. A decrease in serotonin levels may also result in carbohydrate cravings, explaining its ineffectiveness as a dietary aid. The build up of phenylalanine may also worsen schizophrenia and seizures.
Methanol makes up 10% percent of aspartame. It is a deadly poison that is released from aspartame at temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (in prolonged storage or inside the human body). The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) says due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed, methanol is a cumulative poison. The EPA only recommends a limit of consumption of methanol up to 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter beverage sweetened with aspartame contains around 56mg of methanol. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, NutraSweet contains seven times more than the amount allowed in any other product. Furthermore, methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde. That’s right – it breaks down into the same stuff used for embalming fluid.
So what about the research testing the ingestion of aspartame on rats? The tests done on animals do not accurately reflect the potential dangers to humans. Humans are more sensitive to the effects of methanol due to our lack of some key enzymes. We are 5 times more sensitive than rodents and 20 times more sensitive than monkeys to aspartic acid. This is because we concentrate it in our blood at much higher levels and for longer periods of time. There are no human studies on the long term effects of aspartame. It is ironic that G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, searched for a drug that would combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage (high levels of aspartic acid).
It is alarming how many foods contain aspartame. Next time you are grocery shopping you may want to go right on by the reduced calorie version of these products: Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals , Chewing Gum , Flavored Syrups for Coffee , Flavored Water Products, Frozen Ice Cream Novelties, Fruit Spreads, Sugar Free Gelatin, Iced Tea Powder, Iced Tea Ready to Drink, Instant Cocoa Mix, Jams & Jellies, Juice Blends, Juice Drinks, Maple Syrups, Meal Replacements, Mousse, No Sugar Added Pies, Non- Carbonated Diet Soft drinks, Nutritional Bars, Powdered Soft Drinks, Protein Nutritional Drinks, Pudding, Candy, Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup, Sugar Free Cookies, Sugar Free Ketchup, Table Top Sweeteners, Vegetable Drinks, Fat Free or Sugar Free Yogurt.
Don’t buy in to the clever marketing. This is not the safe alternative to sugar. There are actually safe, natural sweetners like Xylitol. If you want to know what you should be using, read our supplement of the month article. And if you think Splenda (Sucralose) is any safer than Equal (aspartame) or Sweet ‘n Low (saccharin), we dare you to Google it!
Most of the above information was taken from Mercola.com and “Aspartame: Killing Us by Degrees – Part II”, by Pat Thomas

Holistic Doctor in The Woodlands TX

By Admin|2022-10-10T15:31:55-05:00September 12th, 2012|General|

The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness

The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness is here to serve your entire family. The Institute’s holistic approach combines the science of traditional medicine with the wisdom of natural holistic approaches, wholesome nutrition, and healthy lifestyle choices.

Institute founder, Dr. Mila McManus, Sandra Caldwell PA-C, and Dyvette Warren PA-C are firm believers in functional and preventative medicine. They are passionate about helping the patients achieve optimal health and an improved quality of life, while avoiding the side effects and discomfort of prescription drugs and surgery.