Shot in the Dark

It's "Flu Shot" Campaign Season
... is a flu shot the right thing to do?
Since the 1st day of October arrives this Sunday, I thought I would address one of the most frequently asked questions this time of year: "Should I get a flu shot"?  As a health & wellness practitioner who cares deeply about human health, my answer is not a yes or no but "Maybe not, and here's why."

THE CAMPAIGN FOR PREVENTION
You will see and hear the messages everywhere: "Prevent the Flu, Get Your Flu Shot Today!".  Is this the best approach to staying healthy each winter? Here's where the "maybe not" comes in...

HOW DOES THE FLU SHOT WORK?
We have two immune responses to infectious illnesses like colds and flu. One is our “cell-mediated" response and the other is our “humoral" response.  Our cell-mediated response is largely responsible for immunity to cancer, auto-immune disease and other chronic conditions. A flu shot works by injecting various strains of viruses into our bloodstream then blocking our “cell-mediated" response - a crucial part of our immune system that allows our body to clear viruses, toxins and other pathogens. The humoral response then kicks in by making antibodies against the pathogens so they don't make us sick again. Since the flu shot bypasses our cell-mediated response, our body goes into a "humoral dominant" mode, leaving us with weakened immune function and no mechanism to clear our tissues of the various toxins contained in the vaccine (dead viruses, mercury, formaldehyde, aluminum, etc.).

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
A "humoral dominant" condition causes chronic inflammation as our bodies struggle to clear the dead viruses and other toxins, often leading to auto-immune disease where the humoral response attacks our own tissues. This assault on our immune system actually leaves us weaker and more vulnerable to illness, particularly when it happens year after year.  Getting the flu is not fun, but it actually makes our immune systems much stronger, building better immune function for flu prevention!

WHAT IS THE BEST PREVENTION?
You will need to judge for yourself regarding who you trust, but the fact-of-the-matter is, flu shots are a money-making business and they weaken immune function!  What I recommend for prevention always involves a healthy diet low in sugars, high in healthy fats. During flu season, I also advocate several immune-boosting supplements (contact me for more information on this). I believe the flu vaccine has far too many problems to recommend them for an illness that is relatively straight-forward to overcome for most people.  It all comes down to immune health!

Schedule an appointment and we will boost your immune system without a needle.

Happy October!
-Ashley Hathaway
San Francisco Nutritional Therapy

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