Let’s stop pretending: There’s no way in hog heaven these swine flu vaccines are safe.

Need more proof? Look north – at least one Canadian is dead and dozens of others are recovering from severe allergic reactions to the vaccine.

Many of those cases were linked to GlaxoSmithKline’s Arepanrix swine flu vaccine, which prompted a recall of 172,000 doses. But by the time word got out, all but 15,000 had been used.

If you already rolled up your sleeve in Canada – too bad. Just be glad you’re still alive to read about it.

Plenty of victims have suffered from anaphylaxis, a potentially deadly reaction that includes breathing problems, low blood pressure and swelling of the throat, tongue, lips and eyes.

Arepanrix appears to be especially bad — even by the low standards of poorly tested swine flu vaccines. GlaxoSmithKline’s own data shows that more that 1 in 10 patients experience pain, headache, fatigue, swelling, shivering, sweating, aching muscles and joint pain. And 1 in 10 will develop diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, fever, feeling sick, bruising and itching.

We’re facing a pandemic all right – but it’s not from the flu. If they succeed in poking everyone, the real health crisis will come from all those bad drug reactions.

Recently, I told you about the patients who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome after their swine flu shots, and some people who even keeled over after getting these “safe” vaccines. Click here to read ”Swine flu swindle in full swing.”

I mean c’mon – they’re playing us for saps, and we’re falling for it. So far, 22 million Americans have been conned into lining up for these dangerous needles like parents camped out at a store for a hot Christmas toy.

But at least we know the crummy economy won’t dampen the holiday spirits of one group of elites living high on the hog: Big Pharma fat cats and their accomplice docs who distribute these shots like candy canes at a Christmas party.

Merry Christmas, and a $15 co-pay, please.

www.backtoaction.com

Question: Is it really possible to eat something healthy that actually tastes good too?

Let’s face it. Eating right is hard. Temptations are everywhere and what do many less-than-nutritious treats promise? Flavor and lots of it. Ask any experienced dieter and they’ll tell you that as strong as the craving for food is the craving for flavor is as great. The good news is that our natural craving for flavor need not be unhealthy to satisfy. Let me explain…

• Scenario No. 1. You and your family have resolved to eat better and your brood is staring down a plain green salad. Before someone reaches for the calorie and fat-laden blue cheese dressing stop! Try adding a few kalamata olives and a few jarred, roasted red peppers all dressed with an olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
• Scenario No. 2. Nobody likes super-good-for-you steamed veggies when faced with French fries as an alternative. Instead of steaming veggies, wash, slice and brush with a little olive oil. Season with ground pepper and grill.

If you are really feeling decadent and wanting to get your family to eat asparagus, try this simple but nutritious take on this familiar vegetable. I guarantee this recipe will put the phrase “eat your veggies” in a whole new light!

BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH CHEESE

Take a bunch of fresh asparagus, trim or break off the ends and wash. Dry carefully. Mix half a cup of seasoned bread-crumbs with two or three tablespoons of grated cheese (I like Parmesan or Romano).

Layer asparagus in a glass dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mixture of breadcrumbs and cheese on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake in a hot oven till the breadcrumbs brown and the asparagus is soft. Yummy!!!

So we have a question for our dear readers: When’s the last time you’ve been in to re-energize your spine? If you haven’t visited a chiropractor for 90 days of more, now would be a great time to continue your great health progress. We don’t bite, I swear. Call us.(425) 670-2600 or schedule an appointment here. We’ll see you soon!

Home remedies, or natural medicines, have been used for treating illnesses since ancient times.  Natural medicines were the only types of medicines used by the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, China, and India.  In Colonial America, natural medicines were adopted as the major curative agents, largely due to influences from Native Americans.  For the majority of the settlers, food was medicine.

Home remedies were studied and known by Americans well into the early 20th century, but interest has declined steadily since.  With the advancement and modernization of civilization, people have forgotten how to take care of themselves.  Unfortunately, few if any Americans understand how to use natural medicines in the manner that their ancestors understood them.  It is important to realize that you don’t have to grow an herbal garden or forage in the woods for natural medicines:  they are as close to you as your local grocery store.

There are a number of health-enhancing foods which are found in the grocery store.  Most of these foods are relatively inexpensive and easy to find.  Certain of these foods are superior to others in their medicinal strengths.  Imagine shopping the produce aisle to select a medicine.  Today’s shopper has been programmed to only choose the pharmacy section, with its synthetic potions, for medicines.  Yet, there are a number of foods which possess medicinal powers which far superior to non-prescription drugs.  What’s more, they are safer, easier to use, and they taste better.

Please view the slide show presentation here:  5 Life-Saving Grocery Store Remedies

Back To Action Chiropractic – Dr. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore

As we all age, our discs may lose fluid and small cracks or lesions may form in the outer walls.  Spinal discs are the flexible, gel-like pads between your spinal bones (vertebrae) that give your spine it’s curves and flexibility.  Discs affect your height too – you are about 1/4″ – 1/2″ taller when you wake up than when you go to sleep due to the effects gravity has your spine.

This damage may be caused or accelerated by the vertebral subluxation complex, a spinal distortion chiropractors correct.  Your disc may bulge, irritate nerves and cause a lot of pain and discomfort.  In severe cases disc damage may affect sitting, standing, walking or lifting and cause pain when urinating, defecating, sneezing and coughing.

Is Back Surgery Effective?

Back surgery for herniation should only be attempted as a last resort.  Back surgery is a dangerous procedure with a high failure rate.  In many people the disc is not causing the pain; many people have disc degeneration with no symptoms.

The Chiropractic Record

For many years chiropractic has been able to save people from spinal surgery.  There are reports of an MRI or other imaging device revealing a disc herniation or protrusion in the neck or low back which has been reduced or completely reabsorbed under chiropractic care.  Had they not sought out chiropractic, many of these individuals undoubtedly would have had surgery.

How To Prevent Disc Problems

Why wait until a disc becomes “hot” before exploring chiropractic care?  Chiropractic has been a blessing to many sufferers of spine and disc problems, however it’s not a “treatment” for conditions, however it is care for your entire body.  Chiropractic care may help prevent your spine from deterioration and herniation.

Let Dr. Dreessen or Dr. Gilmore of Back To Action Chiropractic perform a simple chiropractic spinal checkup that may discover problems and prevent future operations.  You get your eyes, teeth and blood pressure checked, why not your spine?

November is American Diabetes Month, a time to communicate the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of diabetes prevention and control.  For years, the American Diabetes Association has used this month as an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease and its serious complications.

With nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States living with diabetes, and an additional 57 million Americans at risk, simple awareness will no longer suffice.  One out of every three children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue  Diabetes is not merely a condition.  It is an epidemic disease.

The Toll on Health

- The death rate from diabetes continues to climb.  Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45%, while the death rates due to cancer, heart disease, and stroke have declined.

- About 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage that could result in pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion, sexual dysfunction, and other nerve problems.

- The rate of amputation for people with diabetes is 10 times higher than for people without diabetes.

- Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.

- Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults.

- Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure.

Cost of Diabetes

– The total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the US is $174 billion.  Direct medical costs reach $116 billion, and the average medical expenditure among people with diabetes is 2.3 times higher than those without disease.  Indirect costs amount to $58 billion (disability, work loss, premature mortality).

- The cost of caring for someone with diabetes is $1 out of every $5 in total healthcare costs.

For more information visit:  www.diabetes.org

Also, please follow on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation

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Chiropractic can give your athletic endeavors an edge, improve your athletic ability by helping to keep you healthy and in top form and by keeping minor injuries from becoming major ones.

That’s why chiropractic has been used by champions:  LaDamian Tomlinson and Jerry Rice of the NFL, Tiger Woods of the PGA,  Lance Armstrong – world class cyclist, Ken Norton and Evander Holyfield of boxing and John McEnroe and Martina Navrratilova of tennis.  In all of these sports, chiropractors help keep the athlete on the field and help stop minor injuries without the use of drugs and surgery.

Better Reaction Time & Co-ordination

Athletes under chiropractic care were compared with a control group that received no care for agility, balance, power, speed reaction and hand reaction time.

After six weeks, the chiropractic group had a 10.7% improvement while the control group had a 4.5% improvement.  After 12 weeks, the chiropractic group’s improvement was 16.7%!  “The chiropractic athlete reacts faster, coordinates better, executes fine movements with improved accuracy and precision, amounting to an overall better athlete.”

Many amateur and professional athletes wouldn’t dream of competing without first getting a chiropractic spinal checkup.

Severe Trauma?
Athletes who are in trauma need chiropractic.  The orthodox medical profession specializes int eh management of fractures, torn flesh, ripped tendons, dislocations, blood and fluid loss, and other emergency attention.  However, victims of trauma leave the hospital with serious spinal subluxations from their accidents because M.D.’s are not trained to locate and correct this form of spinal damage.  This is the real of chiropractic care.

What Chiropractic Does

At Back To Action Chiropractic, Drs. Dreessen and Gilmore balance your spinal column and relieve stress on your muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves.  Sports injuries nearly always jar and misalign your spine and structures near it.  A trauma to anywhere in the body can damage your spine – a blow to the ribs, legs, feet, head, shoulder or torso can radiate to it.  If you play any sport you should receive a chiropractic spinal check-up to ensure that your spine is balanced and free from misaligned vertetrae causing “pinched” nerves (spinal subluxations).

To schedule an appointment for you free chiropractic check-up, call (425) 670-2600 or schedule online here.

It’s officially fall in the Pacific Northwest, which means rain, wind and increased darkness.  All of these factors can make driving more difficult and challenging and accidents unavoidable.  Much of the pain and suffering resulting from traumatic injuries may, in many cases, be avoided with chiropractic care.

Every trauma has the potential to cause vertebral subluxations – an area of abnormal stress in your spine that upsets body balance, impinges, “pinches”, stretches or compresses your nerves, and affects the health of your muscles, internal organs, discs, bones and brain.  A subluxation can cause pain, organ or system malfunction.

Chiropractic is a system of healthcare that specializes in correcting vertebral subluxations.  At Back To Action, Drs. Dreessen and Gilmore, correct the subluxations using safe, gentle, spinal “adjustment” techniques.

There may have been no broken bones or serious bleeding, but there was spinal damage.  The medical doctors may have said you were fine, but MD’s do not know how to analyze the spinal column for subluxations nor do they know how to correct them.  Millions of people leave emergency rooms unaware that they are carrying around hidden spinal distortions that can cause severe health problems at a later date.  Many people leave the emergency room with as much spinal damage as when they entered it.  For that reason chiropractors belong in every emergency room in the country.

Anyone who has either been in an accident or suffered trauma, whether mild or serious and no matter how long ago, should see a chiropractor to have their spinal column checked for nerve pressure caused by vertebral subluxations.  A chiropractic adjustment given by either Dr. Dreessen or Dr. Gilmore can make the difference between life and death, between life with pain, disability and sickness and life with full recovery, activity and health.

To schedule a consultation with the Doctors of Back To Action Chiropractic, please call (425) 670-2600 or schedule here.

It’s that time of the year again – Flu season. As we stuff our faces and enjoy the holiday parties, an estimated 15 million people will get the flu this month. Below are some intriguing Flu Facts that I bet you didn’t know until you read them here…

• The annual flu season actually begins in October and continues until May. Every year, between 5 percent and 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu. That means as many as 60 million get sick from the flu every year. Seasonal flu results in more than 200,000 hospitalizations and about 36,000 deaths annually.
• The media and some medical organizations recommend the flu vaccine for children under two years old and all adults over 50. However some health experts are screaming, “Don’t fall for it!” There are lingering questions about the effectiveness of the flu vaccination such as…

Those most at risk of flu complications probably share a higher risk of adverse reactions to the flu vaccine as well.

Flu vaccine is relatively ineffective in those patients most at risk of flu complications.

The vaccine has caused Guillan Barre Syndrome in recipients during several different flu seasons.

How can I fight the flu with nutritional supplements? The following supplements have the most research to back up their effectiveness in fighting the flu: Vitamin C, Zinc, and Selenium. The white blood cells are your immune system’s first line of defense against viruses, bacteria and other harmful organisms. These three supplements can aid in white cell production and activation. Finally, I read that one expert believes that sugar suppresses the function of these cells by 50% for several hours. Carefully limiting your sugar intake during the holidays could be very beneficial. If you have any questions, just ask! And don’t forget the power of chiropractic so boost your immune system during flu season.

The term “empty calories” refers to a group of foods that provide little to no nutritional value, yet still have calories in them.  That makes the term a bit deceiving, because the calories in these types of foods are actually anything but “empty”.  A typical selection of empty-calorie foods includes cakes, pies, beer, soft drinks, candy, french fries and many processed snacks.

Since you must get the 40 essential nutrients to maintain optimal health, your body needs you to take in a certain amount of calories each day.  However, if you eat more calories than your body can use, you will gain weight and may inherit all the well-known consequences that go along with obesity.

How to Eliminate Empty Calories From Your Diet :

1)  Go slow – slowly switch from consumption of empty calories to eating more nutrient-dense foods.

2)  Be smart when it comes to the food you eat – gradually eliminate all foods made from high levels of sugar and white flower.

3)  Your best friends are fruits are vegetables – fruits and vegetables are true miracle foods. Buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables.  Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal.  Keep fruits and vegetables at eye level in the refrigerator or on the counter.  Skip the potatoes.

4)  Replace soft drinks with water.

5)  Read all food labels very carefully.

6)  Breakfast calories are the most important – research shows that eating breakfast, particularly if it contains some protein, can hold off hunger for hours.

Top 8 Healthy Foods – Salmon, Blueberries, Broccoli, Red Beans, Almonds, Spinach, Apples and Sweet Potatoes.

A great way to supplement your fruit and vegetable intake is by using our product GreensFirst available on our website or at our clinic.

While October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the
www.NBCAM.org Web site is a year-round resource for breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the general public. We encourage you to visit our site in October and regularly throughout the year as we add updated breast cancer information and resources.

Q: What is breast cancer?
A: Breast cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that
carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and
women, although male breast cancer is rare.

Q: How many new cases of breast cancer were estimated in the United States in
2008?
A: According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 182,460 new cases of
invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States
last year. Approximately 1,990 new cases were expected in men. The ACS also reports
that an estimated 40,930 breast cancer deaths were expected in 2008 (40,480 women, 450
men).

Q: How common is breast cancer in the United States?
A: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, aside from skin cancer.

Q: Is mammography reliable as a screening tool for breast cancer?
A: Mammography screening remains the best available method to detect breast cancer
early. In 1992, the U.S. Congress passed the Mammography Quality Standards Act to
ensure that mammography facilities throughout the country are of high quality and reliable.
To lawfully perform mammography, each facility must prominently display a certificate
issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  For more information about mammography screening, please refer to the American Cancer Society’s website at:  www.cancer.org

Of course, employing chiropractic in your wellness regiment will help promote health and well being.