The Flu was spotted travelling downtown on the 6 train. It was also seen in a cab on 5^th Avenue. If you have listened to the media reports of late, you would think that the flu was literally travelling around Manhattan Island and the surrounding boroughs and suburbs. Well, we are all smart enough to know that this is just plain nonsense right? Oh you got the flu shot, oops sorry. Myself and other wellness advocates warned you of the false reporting delivered as advertising. Even “Oprah’s” doctor got into the marketability of fear. If we scare people enough they will take any action, let alone appropriate action.

“But my doctor told me to get it.” Which doctor? Are we there yet? Are we at the point where the health care professionals arrive at the realization that ultimately good health comes from the body and not from outside the body.

I purposely do not pay a lot of attention to the media; I will check traffic, weather and sports. But since I brought up the media let’s look at how they did with the latest flu stuff. From the NY Times…12/16/2009..Nearly a million doses of swine flu vaccine for infants may have been slightly less potent than required but should work anyway, federal officials said Tuesday in announcing a recall of the shots. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/health/16flu.html… Children Who Get Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk Of Hospitalization For Flu,  —The inactivated flu vaccine does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children especially the one with asthma. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519172045.htm

Next time a doctor starts quoting studies and data you should be prepared because the majority of the medical profession uses empirical data that is flawed as its guide.

So what should you do? How do you build a Titanium Immune system? Here it is plain and simple the recipe for Health and Wellness: Proper Nutrition of Fuel for the body, Exercise: Both cardiovascular/aerobic and resistance/muscle training for lean mass, Reduction and Avoidance of all medication, A Balance of stress and sense of Peace well functioning Nervous System

 Now, I eat pretty well and while I am not a vegetarian I do observe a fairly strict manner of eating. Some examples of my eating habits are: Very little sweets, no cow’s milk, mostly green vegetables, and organic grass fed beef when ever possible. I still do not get all of the necessary nutrients that my body needs. It is for this exact reason that everyday I take a multi vitamin( Douglas Labs Ultra Preventative X), Omega 3, pro-Biotic, and Wobenzyme. I also will take specialty supplements as needed.

During the months of November thru March I increase my vitamin C intake to 5,000 mg/day. Studies show that increased physical, chemical and mental stress will require increased Vitamin C needs. I will also periodically undergo an intestinal cleanse. I do not like any of the current so-called energy boosters. Most contain stimulants such as guarana or caffeine. If our energy is so low down, then we most likely are not getting enough rest and eating properly. Co-enzyme Q has proven to be a great energy booster and it actually helps asthmatics and boosts our immune system.  When my body is feeling run down such as when I do not get ample rest, or proper chiropractic adjustment; I will supplement with a reishii mushroom extract and immune formula.

So the obvious answer regarding Vitamins and supplements is we need to take them. If you currently do not supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals or would like to review your current protocol ask us and we will point you in the right direction. You may also see the web site which is now updated so that you may order via the web …   http://thewellnesscenterofny.com/what_is_wellness.html

Poland is the only country known to have refused H1N1 swine flu vaccines due to safety concerns

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wednesday, January 13th 2010, 11:17 AM

Sokolowski/AP

WARSAW, Poland — The decision seemed fraught with risk: a government refusing to import swine flu vaccines amid worldwide warnings of a spreading epidemic.

But Poland did just that, becoming the only country worldwide known to reject the vaccines over safety fears and distrust in the drug companies producing them - concerns international health experts reject as unfounded.

Now that the current outbreak appears to have peaked in much of Europe, many Poles feel their government has been vindicated: Countries with large stockpiles often saw low public interest in the vaccines and face financial loss from unused doses now set to expire. But Poland’s government didn’t spend a cent fighting the epidemic.

All along, the decision by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Health Minister Ewa Kopacz met with broad support. Even with 145 swine flu deaths in Poland to date, many Poles view the rejection of the vaccines as a laudable gesture of defiance against pharmaceutical companies, sentiment shaped by a strengthening anti-vaccine movement and conspiracy theories about the vaccines circulating on the Internet.

“I had the impression that the information about swine flu was manipulated in order to create a panic,” said Barbara Lazniewska, a 38-year-old architect who was among the many Poles to applaud the government’s stance.

Poles take pride in having a strong independent streak and many respect the government for defying the EU, the World Health Organization and other international groups that urged countries to implement vaccination programs - advice that smacked to some of meddling in internal affairs.

The prime minister described Poland as a country with the rare “courage” to refuse a vaccine that he believes has not undergone sufficient testing.

“We are making this decision only in the interest of the Polish patient and the taxpayer,” Tusk insisted in December. “We will not take part because it’s not honest and it’s not safe for the patient.”

The anti-vaccine movement argues it is untested or contains risky ingredients, like the preservative thimerosal. However, there is little difference in the swine flu vaccine’s formulation from the regular flu vaccine, which is available in Poland, and all evidence so far suggests it is safe and effective. The WHO says more than 150 million people have been vaccinated in more than 40 countries and that no unusual or dangerous side effects have been seen.

“The saving grace for Poland is that this swine flu pandemic is so far very mild. It would be a big scandal if this were a virus that would cause many deaths,” said Andrew McMichael, an immunologist and the director of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford.

Other conspiracy theories claim the drug companies making the vaccine secretly lobbied the WHO to declare swine flu a global epidemic to fatten their own pockets, a theory unproven but which some Europeans seem inclined to believe. Even the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recently recommended that the EU investigate WHO’s swine flu pandemic declaration to see if the body acted under undue influence.

In an e-mailed statement, WHO said its members “guard against the influence of any vested interests” but declined any other comment on the allegations, saying the group’s flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, will address them during a news conference Thursday.

WHO spokeswoman Karen Mah said the organization has no reports of other countries rejecting the vaccine outright. Some countries, however, haven’t launched vaccine programs because they lack the money.

Poland’s approach contrasts sharply with steps taken by countries such as the United States - where President Barack Obama and his family got swine flu shots to set an example - and European countries like Austria and Sweden that stockpiled enough for their entire populations.

Other eastern EU members have also embraced inoculation, with Hungary and Romania even producing their own domestic vaccines against H1N1, the official name of the current swine flu strain. Romania has seen a burst of interest in vaccines in recent days following the death from swine flu of a well known TV actor, 37-year-old Toni Tecuceanu, on Jan. 5. Over the weekend, 13,000 people got vaccinated in Bucharest alone, the Health Ministry said Monday - vastly more than previous weekends that saw a few dozen at most ask for the jab.

But no well-known Pole has died, and flu fears failed to take root in the country of 38 million people.

Only one leading official, Janusz Kochanowski, the ombudsman for civil rights, has waged a prominent public fight against the government over vaccines, condemning its stance as irrational and irresponsible. He vowed to sue the health minister for a symbolic 1 zloty (35 U.S. cents/25 euro cents) for what he describes as a human rights offense: unnecessarily risking the health of the population by refusing to make vaccines available or take any other steps to fight the spread of swine flu.

Kochanowski came down with swine flu himself over the Christmas holidays, a turn of bad luck he viewed as deeply ironic. During a recent interview in his office he sneezed into a tissue from time to time, and his voice was raspy as he strongly denounced the government.

“In a normal country the media would attack a government that doesn’t want to buy vaccines and which doesn’t give citizens the right to choose. It’s a basic right,” Kochanowski told The Associated Press. “The constitution obliges the government to counteract and prevent epidemics. But rather than attacking the government, the media are attacking me.”

Though there have been no recent opinion surveys on the matter, Kochanowski and several doctors say there is abundant anecdotal evidence showing that most Poles support the government’s approach.

“Unfortunately most people are on the side of the government,” Kochanowski said.

Kochanowski says he worries that the government’s luck in dodging massive problems with swine flu will only encourage it to ignore future epidemics as well.

“This flu will pass, but there is a new flu every year and the government should prepare every year. However, this government is not only not preparing, but it’s making a special point of not being prepared and then claims glory,” he said.

In Poland, doctors are deeply divided on the matter, but some are clearly critical of the government.

“It should be the patient’s rights to choose - that would be democracy in health care,” said Maria Ciesielska, a family doctor whose disapproval only intensified when her 7-year-old son was laid up for a week with swine flu in November. “Even Hippocrates said it’s not ethical to not offer a cure if you know that one exists.”

Dr. Fishel adds, “It will be interesting to chart the data on Poland and another Country that has a similar population.The data regarding vaccine effectiveness is usually underwhelming as to their success in warding off disease and death. Poland has a population of roughly 40 million people. Spain for example has over 45 million people. It should be noted that Spain and Germany have recently “returned” doses to their manufacturers due to lack of uptake; that is people are not opted to take the vaccines. This is mainly in part to the fact that this vaccine is optional in these Countries. It is optional here in the U.S. as well. Many other vaccines are not  optional.

The floor collapses beneath you!

Floor collapses at Weight Watchers meeting in Sweden

Members of a Weight Watchers group in Sweden have to find a new place to weigh in after the floor beneath their feet caved in at a post-holiday weigh-in Wednesday, a Swedish newspaper reported.

As about 20 members lined up to compare how many pounds they’d shed, they heard a bang as the floor came away from the walls of the room.

“We suddenly heard a huge thud; we almost thought it was an earthquake, and everything flew up in the air. The floor collapsed in one corner of the room and along the walls,” one of the members of the Weight Watchers group told the Smålandsposten newspaper.

DO YOU OR A FRIEND NEED WEIGHT LOSS HELP?

http://www.wellnesscenterofny.tsfl.com

Supplements   Vitamins Minerals:  What I Take and Why

                A question that comes up quite often is, “Doc what vitamins do you take and should I take vitamins?”

Now, I eat pretty well and while I am not a vegetarian I do observe a fairly strict manner of eating. Some examples of my eating habits are: Very little sweets, no cow’s milk, mostly green vegetables, and organic grass fed beef when ever possible. I still do not get all of the necessary nutrients that my body needs. It is for this exact reason that everyday I take a multi vitamin( Douglas Labs Ultra Preventative X), Omega 3, pro-Biotic, and Wobenzyme. I also will take specialty supplements as needed.

During the months of November thru March I increase my vitamin C intake to 5,000 mg/day. Studies show that increased physical, chemical and mental stress will require increased Vitamin C needs. I will also periodically undergo an intestinal cleanse. I do not like any of the current so-called energy boosters. Most contain stimulants such as guarana or caffeine. If our energy is so low down, then we most likely are not getting enough rest and eating properly. Co-enzyme Q has proven to be a great energy booster and it actually helps asthmatics and boosts our immune system.  When my body is feeling run down such as when I do not get ample rest, or proper chiropractic adjustment; I will supplement with a reishii mushroom extract and immune formula.

So the obvious answer regarding Vitamins and supplements is we need to take them. If you currently do not supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals or would like to review your current protocol ask us and we will point you in the right direction. You may also see the web site which is now updated so that you may order via the web  www.thewellnesscenterofny.com

It’s flu “season” again. Why will some of us “catch” it and others not. Over one hundred years ago Dr. D.D. Palmer wondered that same thing as he marveled at the medical approaches that were developing around him. Doctors were injecting foreign organisms into people to promote immune function. The result then as now was that you cannot trick the body into becoming healthier with serums and potions. In fact introducing foreign bodies into our own body may actually make us sicker.

So hopefully that answers the questions as where the flu vaccine enters our discussion. Let’s look at some of the data and in an effort to not bore you I will choose only one sampling of the thousands of studies that scientifically prove this point. I will give you the data on vaccinating children.

Do Flu Shots Work in children?

 In a review of more than 51 studies involving more than 294,000 children it was found there was “no evidence that injecting children 6-24 months of age with a flu shot was any more effective than placebo. (Reference: Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2 (2008).)

What’s in the Vaccine?

·         Egg proteins, including avian contaminant viruses

·         Gelatin, known to cause allergic reactions and anaphylaxis are usually associated with sensitivity to egg or gelatin

·         Polysorbate 80 (Tween80™), which can cause severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis

·         Formaldehyde: a known carcinogen

·         Triton X100: a strong detergent

·         Sucrose (table sugar)

·         Resin, known to cause allergic reactions

·         Gentamycin, an antibiotic

·         Thimerosal: mercury is still in multidose vials

“But the News has stories of people getting hosiptalized from the flu?”

The actual death rates from any flu including the current swine flu are very low.

To read more information: 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/19/The-Truth-about-the-Flu-Shot.aspx

The real question is who do you know that does not know what you know about Chiropractic?

Pass this information on and get them checked!

have them call 212.980.5444 and we will check them!

Calendar of Upcoming Events

5 Oct 2009: Weight Loss & Nutrition 101

19 Oct 2009: Kick Start your Fitness Routine

2 Nov 2009: Vitamins & Minerals

16 Nov 2009: Staying Slim for the Holidays

7 Dec 2009: You were Born to be Healthy

Location:  Quest Bookstore 240 East 53rd St. 

Time: 615pm

Guests are welcome!!

Call us at 212.980.5444 NOW to reserve a place at these FREE events.

I was once sitting in class and the professor stated, “Five Years from now what is considered on the fringe and alternative in healthcare will be considered mainstream.”

Dr. Andrew Saul made this simple declaration and fifteen years later it has proven dead on accurate. Dr. Saul was recently featured in a great documentary called Food Matters. http://www.foodmatters.tv/.  In this movie they discuss how our food supply is destroyed and as a result we have caused major interference to our overall health, thereby needing a chemical based approach (medications) to chemically induced diseases. Food Matters does not explore the physical and mental aspects to health, but it does recognize them to have a cause and effect response on our health.

My question today is this; Five years from now what will be considered mainstream?

Will the fact that medications have devastating side effects and the best cure is within the body be a wide spread paradigm?

Will it be the fact that all processed foods have deleterious responses by the body causing health dysfunction?

Will it be the idea that health and wellness is not merely about great exercise and nutrition but also an optimal functioning nerve system?

Will it be the idea that all over the counter medications has similar and devastating side effects to prescriptions?

Will it be the idea that the consumer/patient or in our case “practice member” is most responsible for their health and not a third party like a government or insurance company?

Choose one or all and let’s see how long this will hit the mainstream. The words written here are just information. I can go on and on… As to how cholesterol is not a problem, or arthritis is not because of your age bracket or you do not have high blood pressure solely due to genetics. In Missouri they say, “Show me.”  The only way I can show you is if you do and that requires action. The knowledge is in the doing. You will see it when you do it.

So five years from now will your body be functioning better? Yes! I understand that Five years from now we will all have aged chronologically by that time frame, however will our function be better? Five years from now can each of us act to be healthier than this moment?  Maybe you “know this” who does not know this? Lead them to know what you know so they may do what you do!

http://www.youtube.com/drfishel

ARE YOU ALL IN?

Card playing has become very popular lately and “All in” is a great way for card players to say I trust in this hand, so here I will lay all my chips on the line and bet my life on it. The message on the white board above the adjusting tables asks a simple question. What happens when you give a healthy person an over- the - counter or prescription medication? The answer is they get sicker. When an unhealthy person takes a medication they become even sicker. This is not even open for debate. Trust in this information, as it is the truth. (Healthy = an optimal state of function, not merely the absence of symptoms or dis-ease.)

Today’s healthcare world is evolving. Some people are moving forward toward this truth, while others are continuing to lose their way and go backward. For 11 straight years we have focused on a mission to transform, change and save lives. We are very serious about this. As a practice member here it means that you know and understand the level of passion and commitment that we bring to you and your loved ones.

We want you to know that we are all in. We not only bet our lives on it, but we also bet our families lives on it, and I don’t gamble! What does that mean? It means that we do exactly what we recommend to you. Our families live it and breath it. I cannot and will not shut it off. No, it never gets old because it can never be said enough. Right now people are dying at a higher rate then 11 years ago when we started. The 783,396 medical deaths each year is the equivalent of 6 jumbo jets going down every day (see The American Medical System Is The Leading Cause Of Death And Injury In The United States By Gary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD, Debora Rasio MD, Dorothy Smith PhD) Still with all the data, the Science and the know how, we make the incorrect choices.

Here is a simple question. Are you all in? Will you never take any medication again? (Only in true emergencies would a life saving medication or surgery make sense) If so, then go home get out a bag and empty all of your medications into a bag, bring them here and put them all in the big bottle on the front desk.(including the Advil, Tylenol etc. if you are serious) Next share this message with everyone that you come in contact with and inform them that taking meds whether prescribed or over the counter is not making them healthy. This is not irresponsible of us if we lead them to a lifestyle that enables them to make the changes in their health that are necessary to become healthy. All people are important to our success, to our mission. They do not know what you know. Get on a mission. Go all in. Help to change and save lives all over the world and right here in New York.

The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) has issued helpful holiday hints and recommendations to ward off health problems over the holidays. Overeating was of particular interest as it related to physical stress placed on the spine.  According to the release, “A bulging stomach can put pressure on your body support systems, including your spine and spinal nerves.  Every extra pound in the abdominal region could put 10 pounds more stress on the lower back.  This stress can last a short time, such as just after eating a heavy meal or lifting a package improperly.  It may also become chronic, as heavy eating during the holidays may lead to weight gain, and carrying extra pounds can put added strain on the supporting structures of the spine and nervous system.”

The release also notes that additional weight can force the pelvis and torso to shift and cause changes in spinal balance, leading to spinal misalignments (known as subluxations) and malfunction in the entire body.  The ICA has prepared several helpful tips to follow.  They are:

·         When lifting packages, firewood, or your frozen holiday turkey and other heavy items, lift with your legs, not your back.  When lifting, hold objects close to your body; rather than flexing forward, maintain a slight arch in your lower back and bend at the knees before standing up with the object.  That way, the lifting is done primarily with the strong muscles of the legs supporting the load.

·         When cooking or standing for an extended period, elevate one foot with a foot rest or stacked books, about six inches from the floor.  Alternately elevating each foot relieves tired back and leg muscles–similar to the function the foot rest serves for customers standing at a counter–and helps prevent bad posture habits that can lead to abnormal spinal curvatures.

·         When traveling by car or plane, place a pillow or folded towel behind the small of the back to help maintain the arch in your lower back and support the rest of the body properly.  This relieves the discs and joint structures of the spine from unnecessary pressure.

·         In addition to fastening your seat belt for car trips, adjust the head rest to align with your head, at least up to ear level.  This is important to support and protect the head and neck in the unfortunate event of a sudden stop.

·         Get enough rest.  Many health problems that occur with the holidays are simply due to fatigue.  By simply getting adequate rest, you can help prevent structural strain, emotional and cognitive imbalance, and general health problems.

 ON MONDAY DECEMBER 1st   6:15 WE WILL PRESENT NATURAL WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT AND IMPROVE YOUR NUTRITION–115 EAST 57TH STREET SUITE 1420–RSVP 212-980-5444

“Health care” is the largest expense U.S. businesses have today. The current economic climate will force individuals and companies to carefully evaluate their costs. The way most of Americans currently approach their health it is definitely an expense. The investments of today should appreciate(recent market flux notwithstanding)while the expenses will depreciate. For example, if you buy a car for $10,000 today it will lose its value very quickly – this is an expense. If you buy anything that loses value with time it is an expense. If you have health insurance, you or your company pay an average of $8,000/year for your health care – really for your insurance and not anything but that. Somewhere along the line we confused having insurance with being healthy. This approach to health should be viewed as an expense because it does not accrue any value. In fact the U.S. approach to health care is not only the world’s most expensive, but dollar for dollar the worst. Think about the model we use: we pay a third party (the insurer) so that they can invest this money, which used to be your money or your company’s money and earn huge returns (see health insurance profits) and than they may pay the doctor or hospital with your money.

Here is a better model. Imagine if every company or individual were using those dollars to invest in their health. You go to a health club (investment) eat healthy (investment), see a wellness based Chiropractor (investment), buy bottled water (investment), learn great time and stress management (investment). If we followed this model- would our health insurance costs go up or down? Do we still need catastrophic coverage in this model? Yes- in fact with this model the care at hospitals and emergency based care centers will improve - less people are coming in with non- traumatic emergencies in this model. The Wellness Center of NY promotes this brand of health care. Learn more at www.thewellnesscenterofny.com.

In his book “The Wellness Revolution“ economist Paul Zane Pilzer, says, “Wellness is not about a fad or trend, it’s about a new and infinite need infusing itself into the way we eat, exercise, sleep, work, save, age, and almost every other aspect of our lives.

http://thewellnessrevolution.paulzanepilzer.com/index.php
Pilzer succinctly articulates the difference between sick care and health care: “The sickness business is reactive. Despite its enormous size, people become customers only when they are stricken by and react to a specific condition or complaint…the wellness business is proactive. People voluntarily become customers — to feel healthier, to reduce the effects of aging, and to avoid becoming customers of the sickness business. Everyone wants to be a customer of this earlier-stage approach to health.”

When we sit down to figure out our budgets, we must ask ourselves the right questions as to what is an expense and what is an investment. Health care- the actual care and how we take care of ourselves is surely an investment and not an expense!

You will still hear people say: “Oh, I tried yoga- it wasn’t for me.” Or- yeah my core abs class incorporates a few deep breathing exercises.” This is some of the leftover residue of that fad phase.

I recently had the great fortune of meeting and spending some time with the people at Yoga to the People. Yoga to the People (YTTP) is about the principle. What principle: Giving, loving and serving.

They have a suggested donation of $10 for a class. This “trend” is a good one. They now have second studio in Berkley, California. Where is the NYC one, you ask? If I tell you, there won’t be room for me. I’ll tell you anyway. It’s on St. Mark’s and it is worth the trip from anywhere. Here’s the link: www.yogatothepeople.com