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Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath
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COVID-19 and coronavirus lies and statistics

30/3/2020

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Scientists can only make good conclusions and recommendations after testing or using good quality data from good sources. There’s an old IT saying of “garbage in, garbage out” – if you put garbage data into a program, it will give you garbage results!

Similarly, doctors, politicians and the general public can only make good decisions based on good quality data. But sadly the data we are seeing in this pandemic is not of good quality, and yet the governments of the world are making massive decisions (and many new restrictive laws) which have a significant impact on people, people’s health and stresses, peoples’ livelihoods, jobs, businesses, education, companies, our rights and freedoms, and the economy (which sadly seems to be a more important factor in their eyes).

In science, the data is everything! Or more correctly, the quality of the data is everything. Without good quality data, we are only guessing. Guessing is not good enough. We need accurate information in order to justify the decisions our politicians and medical experts are making.

Dr John Ioannidis, a Professor of Medicine and a world leading expert in health research and policy, has given the following statements:
  • “In the coronavirus pandemic, we’re making decisions without reliable data.”
  • “The current coronavirus disease, Covid-19, has been called a once-in-a-century pandemic. But it may also be a once-in-a-century evidence fiasco.”
  • “At a time when everyone needs better information, from disease modellers and governments to people quarantined or just social distancing, we lack reliable evidence on how many people have been infected with SARS-Co-V-2 or who continue to become infected.”
  • “The data collected so far on how many people are infected and how the epidemic is evolving are utterly unreliable.”
  • “If we had not known about a new virus out there, and had not checked individuals with PCR tests, the number of total deaths due to “influenza-like illness” would not seem unusual this year.”
  • “Adding these extra sources of uncertainty, reasonable estimates for the case of fatality ratio in the general U.S. population vary from 0.05% to 1%.”
There are many reasons why we cannot believe the statistics (ie data) about this pandemic:
  • China is a secretive communist country, and they didn’t give out accurate or realistic statistics of incidences and deaths when the infection broke out there. Their official data showed a nice linear growth rate of incidences and deaths, but as we know with the coronavirus, it has a much higher transmission rate than the flu, and infected people are transmitting the virus to 2-3+ more people, which actually causes an exponential increase in numbers, not a linear increase. We are seeing that now the exponential growth in the “official’ statistics, since the infection spread to other countries. China’s data sucked.
  • Other countries have different testing criteria, with some testing more people and some testing not many at all
  • In Australia, there is a specific criteria which is used to determine if you get tested or not. Testing isn’t being done on everyone who shows with a respiratory infection
  • There is a lack of test kits, or laboratory staff or equipment to process all the tests, which has lead to the restriction of those who can actually get tested
  • There is no central register of case incidences and mortality
  • Recording of cases is open to bias or assumption
  • People who die with one or more chronic health conditions are being classified as dying as a primary result of the virus and not of their existing health conditions
  • The COVID-19 PCR testing used to confirm infection isn't accurate!
Governments and health authorities have also made very basic (ie, pathetic IMHO) recommendations for reducing your risks of getting the virus and transmitting it, based on NO accurate scientific data whatsoever. They are only using the above inaccurate and biased reporting data.

Here’s some more data from Australian officials as at March 26 2020: (Australian Government Department of Health, 2020)

Australian NCOVID-19 Incidences             3966 (as at 29 March, 2020)
Australian NCOVID-19 Deaths                    16
Australian Mortality Rate                              0.4%

Are these statistics worth shutting down the entire country for?

Let's compare our statistics to that of the country with the highest mortality rate - Italy:

Italian NCOVID-19 Incidences     92,472 (as at 29 March, 2020)
Italian NCOVID-19 Deaths            10,023
Italian Mortality Rate                      10.8%

What did Italy do, or what other factors have lead to such a high mortality rate, compared to other countries?

A report by the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (2020) investigated the incidence and mortality rates in Italy compared to other countries and found a higher aging population (2nd highest in the world), a high prevalence of men who smoke (28% compared to 15% in UK), the highest rate of antibiotic resistance deaths in Europe, and how deaths are recorded. Their ministry of health reported that only 12% of deaths being reported as being caused by the coronavirus had any direct causality to the virus. Hence more people are dying WITH the coronavirus, but not OF the coronavirus.

But this situation is not new in Italy, with studies published on flu infections and mortality in previous years, showing that Italy (because of a high aging population) has a much higher mortality rate amongst the elderly compared to other European countries (Rosano, A. et al, 2019).

And lastly, since the medical authorities and governments of the world are making vast changes to laws and restrictions to your rights and freedoms to try and reduce your risk of the virus, why don't they know that the COVID-19 test is only 20% accurate?!

Yes, a recent published study shows that the COVID-19 pathology test is reporting up to 80% false positive results in asymptomatic people (those showing no symptoms at all) (Zhuang et al., 2020). In many cases, people have tested positive for COVID-19, but a day or so later, testing negative, then positive again. This shouldn't happen.

All this disruption to our personal and work lives, to our families, finances, companies and the economy, and more, are based on a VERY low mortality rate in healthy people, and on a test that is only 20% accurate, and data which is totally inaccurate...

If an infection, like this coronavirus, gives only mild symptoms in healthy people, then it is a MILD infection! If it causes more serious symptoms in some people, it's because of something else going on with that person. As we now know, those other reasons include having one or more chronic health condition which has already weakened their immune system and their body's ability to deal with the infection.

In short, the testing for coronavirus is inadequate as well as inaccurate, the reporting of cases is inaccurate, the reporting of deaths being too quick to lay blame at the virus, and therefore the overall statistics are essentially useless, but they make for great fuel for the fire that is the media coverage of this infection. Don't buy into the media scare campaign!

Heed the warnings, but do more to support your immune system as well, as per my previous articles.
​
Stay healthy!
 
 
 
References:
Australian Government Department of Health. (2020). Coronavirus (COVID-19) current situation and case numbers. Retrieved 29th March 2020 from https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-current-situation-and-case-numbers
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. (2020). Global Covid-19 Case Fatality Rates. Retrieved 29th March 2020 from https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/
Rosano, A. Bella, A., Gesualdo, F., Acampora, A., Pezzotti, P., Marchetti, S., Ricciardi, W., Rizzo, C. (2019). Investigating the impact of influenza on excess mortality in all ages in Italy during recent seasons (2013/14-2016/17 seasons). International Journal of Infectious Diseases 88: 127-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2019.08.003
World o Meter. (2020). COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic statistics. Retrieved 29th March 2020 from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Zhuang, G.H., Shen, M.W., Zeng, L.X., Mi, B.B., Chen, F.Y., Liu, W.J., Pei, L.L., Qi, X., & Li, C. (2020). Potential False-Positive Rate Among the 'Asymptomatic Infected Individuals' in Close Contacts of COVID-19 Patients. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi, 41 (4), 485-488. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112338-20200221-00144. 
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Why are there huge differences in coronavirus incidences & deaths between the northeRN and southern hemispheres?

26/3/2020

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​In a previous article I crunched some numbers on the statistics of coronavirus incidences and deaths, and identified a large disparity between the incidences of the infection in the northern vs southern hemispheres.

In many studies on respiratory infections like the common cold, flu, asthma and pneumonia, there is a significant seasonal fluctuation with most incidences being in the cooler and drier months of the year (Fagbo et al., 2017). The causative link of much higher respiratory infections in winter is due to a vitamin D deficiency. In fact, some studies have shown that a vitamin D deficiency is THE cause of epidemics of respiratory infections in winter (Cannell et al., 2008).

I have crunched the numbers again on the coronavirus statistics, again to look at the differences between the hemispheres. With more data available, I get a similar picture to before, but showing an even more significant outcome. My findings are:

                                                           North                    Equator                South
No. countries affected                  67.5%                    8.1%                      24.3%
No. COVID-19 incidences              96.8%                    1.7%                      1.4%
No. COVID-19 deaths                     98.8%                    1.0%                      0.22%   

Note the huge difference in incidences and deaths between the northern hemisphere and the south. Yes 88-90% of the world’s population live in the northern hemisphere, which can account for some of the difference, but certainly not all of it.

Some more statistics and more differences in the seasonal influence of coronavirus:

                                                    Northern Hemisphere                  Southern Hemisphere
Average mortality rate*      2.04% (range: 0 - 10.10%)            0.57% (range: 0 – 2.07%)
Australian mortality rate    0.39%

* Using data from countries with over 100 incidences (as at 26/03/2020)

There is a 400% increase in coronavirus mortality rates in the northern hemisphere compared to the south. And a 500% difference in the maximum mortality rates between the hemispheres. Australia's mortality rate is very low overall, and when compared to other southern hemisphere countries, and far less than those in the north.

Why is there such a difference between the north and south? The northern hemisphere is coming out of their winter, the traditional season of the highest seasonal respiratory infections, and into spring, another time for seasonal respiratory issues with asthma and hayfever. The attached table shows the differences in the amount of time needed in the Aus capital cities to make the same amount of vitamin D in winter vs summer!  In summer, there's not much of a difference, but a huge difference in time needed in the sun in winter to make vitamin D, especially the further from the equator you are located. This is the problem that the northern hemisphere countries are having.

Low vitamin D levels, from low sun exposure in the colder months, is a cause of low immune system function in winter, and a major cause of respiratory infections and outbreaks like we are seeing (Cannell et al., 2008). Vitamin D is THE key! Vitamin D is the key to prevention and treatment in this pandemic. Conversely, as we in the southern hemisphere are coming out of our summer, our vitamin D levels should be optimal (if we don't use sunscreen every 5 minutes and don't avoid the sun!) to keep us healthy and our immune systems strong going into the colder months. That's the ideal situation, but I see very low vitamin D levels in many clients, even in summer in Qld!

As I keep saying, in order to fix health issues, you must “FIND THE CAUSE AND FIX THE CAUSE”! Normally I would recommend getting your vitamin D levels tested first to check, and then see if you are deficient and need to supplement. At this time with pathology labs working overtime to do coronavirus testing and more on those in hospital, there’s a delay for waiting on pathology results. I don’t think you should wait – get more sun time daily (without getting sunburnt!) AND take a good quality vitamin D supplement daily. You need vitamin D3 (NOT vitamin D2, so check the product label) from a good source, in a capsule form, or oral drops or oral spray, or in cod liver oil! There’s very little harm or risk in taking a vitamin D supplement daily at the moment and continue this while this pandemic is still around or until after winter (for those of us in the southern hemisphere).

Keep up with good hygiene practices, but more importantly, support your immune system better to help it prevent and fight this or any other infection! If you have to isolate yourself, through government mandates or due to infection, DON’T just stay inside! Get outside in the sun in your garden! Get some direct sun exposure on your skin to make more vitamin D (remember that glass blocks the UV-B light needed to make it), as it is the most powerful immune system booster we have!

Stay healthy!
 
References:
Cannell, J.J., Zasloff, M., Garland, C.F., Scragg, R., & Giovannucci, E. (2008). On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal, 5 (29). DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-29
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Fagbo, S.F., Garbati, M.A., Hasan, R., AlShahrani, D., Al-Shehri, M., AlFawaz, T., Hakawi, A., Wani, T.A., Skakni, L. (2017). Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS-endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012-2013. Journal of Medical Virology, 89 (2):195-201. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24632
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Why the germ theory focus of coronavirus prevention is wrong

24/3/2020

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In the late 1800s, and earlier, the popular belief of the time was that diseases and infections were caused by evil spirits, or a "miasma" in the air. This was until Robert Koch, a German doctor, using a microscope found "germs" (ie, bacteria) in the blood of cows who died from anthrax. He suspected that these "germs" caused the anthrax, so he transferred them into mice, who then developed anthrax. Koch proved that these microorganisms were the cause of diseases (National Academy of Sciences, 2004).

Koch then developed his famous 4 "postulates" (MedicineNet, 2019), being:
  1. The microorganism must be present in every case of the disease (or infection)
  2. The microorganism must be isolated from the host with the disease and grown in pure culture
  3. The specific disease must be reproduced when a pure culture of the microorganism is inoculated into a healthy susceptible host
  4. The microorganism must be recoverable from the experimentally infected host.
Koch's postulates are still used somewhat today, despite having some limitations, in that they don't always apply to all types of bacteria or even for viruses.

This germ theory was not universally accepted even after the discoveries of Koch and Pasteur. One of the reasons was that, according to Koch's Postulates, a pathogen must cause the disease in EVERY case. But this doesn't happen! Some more recent experiments have been conducted and results published, after deliberately infecting individuals with a flu virus - even with a strain that was similar to the one which allegedly caused huge mortality rates in the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. In this study, researchers found less than 40% of those who inhaled the virus actually developed symptoms! And of those who did develop symptoms, they were very mild to mild, and none had any serious symptoms at all (Cannell et al., 2008). Other research investigating the transmission of respiratory viruses amongst people in close proximity, again where some human participants were deliberately infected with a flu virus, found that only 20% of people developed symptoms of an infection. Up to 80% of people who were exposed to the virus did NOT actually develop the infection (Cannell et al., 2008).

Results from this research and other viral infections show that there are many more factors involved in an outbreak than it just being caused by a virus. We are seeing this in the current pandemic too - of symptoms being very individual in severity and duration, and many people being exposed but not getting symptoms at all. There are many reasons for this that have been known for a long time (Stewart, 1968):
  • Genetic constitution - your inherited genes, and your how they are expressed (turned on or off) to contribute to your health or ill-health
  • Susceptibility - your existing health
  • Behaviour - including hygiene and lifestyle practices
  • Socioeconomic determinants - income and expenses, and how the income is spent.
All of these factors are host-based factors, meaning they are related to YOU, your body, your choices and your immune system.  However, the germ theory of disease believes that infectious disease is primarily caused by transmission of an organism from one host to another. This is a gross oversimplification. The germ theory has become a dogma because it neglects the many other factors which have a part to play in deciding whether the host person/germ/environment complex is to lead to infection (Stewart, 1968).

In this current coronavirus pandemic, the media scare campaign has everyone overly anxious and fearful about everything, but pretty much the only guidance from your elected officials and health departments have given you to date for the "prevention" of this virus has been to "wash your hands" more.
I said in a previous post that the recommended advice by these "experts" of just washing your hands was pathetic advice, in terms of all the other things you can do for prevention. Similarly, the belief that sanitising everything in sight, distancing yourself from others in schools, cinemas, shopping centres, restaurants and any other public place, again, may only slightly reduce your risks of getting this infection or reducing its severity. All of the current prevention strategies being recommended are trying to avoid or target the virus itself, when we can neither completely avoid all pathogens, and we certainly cannot kill them all with hand sanitiser or antibacterial wipes! Not to mention (again) that there is no evidence that washing hands, or using sanitisers or removing oneself from others, will actually reduce your risks of this particular infection. It's pure speculation!

Instead, or perhaps as well as improved hygiene, some better things you can do to prevent and reduce your risks of this pandemic are to work on your immune system! After all, as mentioned above and shown in studies, if your immune system is strong, it can deal with any virus without you developing symptoms or the infection. If for many reasons, your immune system isn’t so strong, then there are many natural things you can do regarding your food intake, lifestyle, environment, to quickly improve its function to protect you and reduce your risks of this infection. It's not too late to start!

I'm sure some readers will take this article the wrong way. I'm not saying to not wash your hands or not improve your hygiene. Keep doing this every day, regardless of whether there is a pandemic or not! But I'm also highlighting that the recent focus on killing the virus or attempted restrictions on movement or isolation is NOT ENOUGH! You MUST also work on your immune system defences to help prevent the virus getting into your body, and to help it fight any infection so that you can recover more quickly, without progressing to pneumonia that can be very dangerous.

Louis Pasteur, one of the leading figures in the early germ theory, said on his deathbed "The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything" - meaning that infections are nothing compared to the host or the body , or that an infection is more the result of host-based factors, and not the microbe. A strong immune system will prevent the infection more than any other factor. Antoine Bechamp, a rival of Pasteur, said to "treat the PATIENT, not the infection"! Just like Koch and Pasteur, the focus on prevention and treatment in this pandemic is wrong. It must be changed to help people and their immune systems instead.

Please refer to my other articles on the coronavirus prevention strategies for more information. You CAN improve your immune system function to better reduce your risks of this virus!

Stay healthy!
 
References:
Cannell, J.J., Zasloff, M., Garland, C.F., Scragg, R., & Giovannucci, E. (2008). On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal, 5 (29). DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-29

MedicineNet. (2019). Medical Definition of Koch's Postulates. https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7105

​National Academy of Sciences. (2004). A theory of germs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK24649/

Stewart, G.T. (1968). Limitations of the Germ Theory. The Lancet, 291 (7551): 1077-1081. Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(68)91425-6
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Coronavirus outbreak is affected by season and vitamin D

16/3/2020

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A few days ago I investigated the statistics of the coronavirus incidences and deaths around the world to check a suspicion. This article is based on what I found. You can use this information to help protect yourself during this outbreak.

Looking at the statistics of the countries with tested and apparently confirmed coronavirus incidences, there are:
  • 83% are in the northern hemisphere, and
  • only 17% is the southern hemisphere.
In addition to these stats, out of the countries with coronavirus deaths:
  • 91% are in the northern hemisphere, and
  • just 9% in the south or on the equator...
This is extremely significant, but why?

Well, the northern hemisphere countries are just coming out of their winter.

From past experience and reading relevant research, I know that the rates of respiratory infections like the common cold, flu and pneumonia are higher in the cooler and drier winter months, and not in summer. So it didn't surprise me to see the coronavirus taking hold during the 2019-2020 winter in the northern hemisphere.

But why do we see this seasonal variation of respiratory infections?

It's quite simple really! During winter, and especially coming out of it, it is very typical of most people to have low vitamin D levels! Vitamin D is made by our bodies from direct sunlight on exposed skin. In summer we are outside in the sun more, exposing more skin to the sun and making more vitamin D. In winter the reverse is true.

Vitamin D is a massive immune system booster! Vitamin D also reduces inflammation, reduces the rates of viral respiratory infections and influenza, and reduces lung conditions like asthma (Hossein-Nezhad & Holick, 2014; Martineau et al., 2017). Vitamin D can also offer antiviral and antibacterial actions as well as stimulating the innate immune system (which identifies and deals with unknown or new infections) (Martineau et al., 2017).

Our summer vitamin D levels should be good enough to keep our immune systems functioning well through winter and into spring when it warms again (then we start going outside with less clothes on again!). But I see more clients than not are vitamin D deficient even in summer in Qld, which is crazy!

Vitamin D deficiency, especially in winter, can be a major cause of respiratory infections (Fagbo et al., 2017) and a vitamin D deficiency amongst a large percentage of the population (which occurs in winter) is the cause of influenza respiratory infection epidemics (Cannell et al., 2008).

Flu and respiratory infection epidemics are caused by a deficiency of vitamin D! Regardless of whether you are located in the northern or southern hemisphere, get out into the sun (without getting sunburnt!) daily to make more vitamin D, and/or start getting onto your vitamin D supplements NOW for prevention! And also look at some of the other immune system supportive nutrients and herbals, and antiviral products too, as mentioned in my earlier articles!

References:
Cannell, J.J., Zasloff, M., Garland, C.F., Scragg, R., & Giovannucci, E. (2008). On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal, 5 (29). DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-29

Fagbo, S.F., Garbati, M.A., Hasan, R., AlShahrani, D., Al-Shehri, M., AlFawaz, T., Hakawi, A., Wani, T.A., Skakni, L. (2017). Acute viral respiratory infections among children in MERS-endemic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2012-2013. Journal of Medical Virology, 89 (2):195-201. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24632

Hemilä, H., & Chalker, R. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1: 1465-1858. 

Hossein-nezhad, A., & Holick, M.F. (2014). Vitamin D for Health: A Global Perspective. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 88 (7): 720–755. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.05.011

Leary, P. F., Zamfirova, I., Au, J., & McCracken, W. H. (2017). Effect of Latitude on Vitamin D Levels. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 117 (7), 433. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2017.089 

Martineau, A.R., Jolliffe, D.A., Hooper, R.L., Greenberg, L., Aloia, J.F., Bergman, P., Dubnov-Raz, G., Esposito, S., Ganmaa, D., Ginde, A.A., Goodall, E.C., Grant, C.C., Griffiths, C.J., Janssens, W., Laaksi, I., Manaseki-Holland, S. Mauger, D., Murdoch, D.R., Neale, R., Rees, J.R., Simpson, Jr, S., Stelmach, I., Kumar, G.T., Urashima, M., & Camargo, Jr, C.A. (2017). Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. British Medical Journal, 356: i6583. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i6583

Tamerius, J., Nelson, M.I., Zhou, S.Z., Viboud, C., Miller, M.A., & Alonso, W.J. (2011). Global Influenza Seasonality: Reconciling Patterns across Temperate and Tropical Regions. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119 (4). doi: 10.1289/ehp.1002383
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van der Mei, I.A.F.  Ponsonby, A-L., Engelsen, O., Pasco, J.A., McGrath, J.J., Eyles, D.W., Blizzard, L., Dwyer, T., Lucas, R., & Jones, G. (2007). The High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency across Australian Populations Is Only Partly Explained by Season and Latitude. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115 (8): 1132–1139.  doi: 10.1289/ehp.9937

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why is washing your hands not enough to prevent the coronavirus?

10/3/2020

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I've had a lot of questions about what would I recommend people do to reduce their risks of either getting the coronavirus, or treating it. I will give more advice here!

As I've said in my previous articles on the topic, our medicines and supplements regulator (the Therapeutic Goods Administration or TGA) has warned all health practitioners to not recommend any products or therapies or make any claims that they can either prevent or treat the coronavirus, unless there is published evidence of their effectiveness against this specific virus.

But of course with this virus being very new, there is NO evidence of any therapy, either natural or pharmaceutical, that can claim to prevent or treat this infection. There is NO evidence that washing your hands will prevent this coronavirus! Yet the TGA, and health departments and doctors are happy to be hypocrites and recommend this and basically nothing else, because they have nothing else to help you.

I find their lack of advice to you, and the public in general, to be pathetic and next to useless. Their lack of acceptance of natural preventatives or treatments based on PAST evidence on all other types of coronaviruses, is insane and likely to cost a lot more people their lives. They SHOULD be recommending more preventative strategies based on past evidence. But they aren't...

Since I can't apparently give you advice or recommendations, I will tell you what I would do!

But firstly, since there is no vaccine for this new virus, you are totally dependent on your immune system for protection, prevention and recovery for this infection. Your immune systems have developed over millennia to protect you 24/7 from any and all known and unknown infections. Your immune systems are amazing! They know exactly what to do whenever a new bacteria or virus comes along that it hasn't seen before. That's why you need to help your immune system to do its job!

Washing your hands won't help much at all, especially when you can simply BREATHE in the virus from being in close proximity to others who are infected.
I started recommending strategies and products for immune system support weeks ago, when the virus first started making the news. I need to actively support my immune system, because if I don't, I can get infections easily. That's just my dodgy genetics combined with not looking after myself at times in the past!

The main strategies and products I use for prevention include:

• Vitamin C at a higher dose - vitamin C is a proven immune system stimulant, effective against most infections in research studies and including against other forms of the coronavirus (the common cold virus and SARS). However, a 100mg, 250mg or 500mg daily dose of vitamin C is nowhere near enough! This is a deficiency-preventing dose, not a therapeutic dose. I am taking at last 2000mg daily for prevention at this time.

• Vitamin D at a higher dose - Vitamin D is a huge immune system booster, anti-inflammatory, and many other benefits. Low vitamin D levels are the cause of seasonal flu outbreaks and other respiratory infections. We usually see such respiratory infection outbreaks in winter, when vitamin D levels are lowest! Many studies show improving vitamin D levels by supplementing in the cooler months can reduce incidences and severity of colds and flu! All the more reason to start getting onto this now that summer is over! I am taking 4000IU daily now.

• Zinc - I find that a large percentage of my clients are deficient in this essential mineral, which is needed for good immune system function against infections, and a lot of other uses and benefits. Dose - once daily (avoid zinc oxide products). I take 1x 25-30mg dose daily.

• Probiotics - Your probiotic bacteria in your digestive tract make most of your immune system proteins, hence its importance in improving your immune system function. A good quality multi-strain probiotic is good, or regular fermented foods, together with a healthy variety of foods can greatly help your immune system. I would take one capsule once daily to start.

• Herbal medicines - many herbal medicines have immune system boosting effects as proven in published research, as well as some having antiviral effects, even against other coronavirus species! One very well tolerated (and tasty) one is elderberry - which has immune stimulating actions as well as being an antiviral herb. Also, garlic has potent antiviral and antimicrobial effects! Both elderberry and garlic have been shown effective against other coronavirus strains in research. Licorice (the real licorice, not the sweet lolly form!) also has antiviral effects against other coronaviruses. There are a lot more herbs which can help your immune system and have antiviral effects. I can't recommend more here or their doses, as other factors need to be taken into account, such as medication interactions and personalised dosing etc. See me for more advice on these.

• Water intake - keeping up your water intake is very important! Sufficient water will keep your mucus membranes in your nose and respiratory tract nice and moist, which will trap and stop viruses and bacteria from infecting your cells there.

• Good hygiene - This is the only thing that you are being told to do - wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and stop touching your face, eyes and nose etc. Sneeze or cough into the crook of your arm/elbow, and not into your hand!

• Sleep quality and quantity - this is needed for cellular and tissue repair, detoxing, and immune system functions. So make sure to get sufficient quantity and quality sleep!

• Reducing stress - Stress not only depletes some essential nutrients needed for your immune system, but stress reduces your immune system function on its own. Hence reduce your stress exposure, or improve how you deal with stress. Exercise, meditation, breathing exercises, and more can help reduce the effects of stress.

• Improving your nutrient intake - your immune system is reliant on a variety of nutrients to make your white blood cells (your infection-fighting cells). Avoid sugary foods and drinks, as these can reduce your vitamin C levels, increase inflammation and weaken your immune system. Similarly, reduce intake of high carbohydrate foods, such as grain-based products like cereals, breads, pasta, bakery products and alcohol, as these have the same effects as sugar. Eat more vegetables, more protein and healthy fats too!

I'm not concerned about the coronavirus, because I have been doing the above to reduce my risks, as well as supporting my immune system. However, I am concerned for others who have chronic health issues who are much more at risk of this infection. But if you know friends or family who are at risk, getting them to use the above recommendations will greatly reduce their risks of getting this infection or reducing the severity of it.

The media are beating up this issue far more than necessary, causing much stress and panic. Remember that the infection has at least a 97% survival rate! We need common sense to prevail, not knee-jerk government reactions such as lockdowns or restrictions on rights and freedoms.

Buying more toilet paper won't prevent or treat this coronavirus! The above points can!

Don't rely on your government or health authorities to protect you, because they are next to useless at the moment on this issue.
​
Stay healthy!
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Is the coronavirus pandemic coming, after release of infected people?

24/2/2020

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One of the central news articles around the Coronavirus scare of late has been the Diamond Princess cruise liner, which has been moored in Japan for about 4 weeks after one initial passenger was confirmed with the virus, which then spread to many hundreds more.

The Diamond Princess liner was kept at its mooring to prevent passengers leaving and potentially infecting many others around the world if they were to go to their home countries and cities. The theory that the passengers would be kept in "quarantine" for 2 weeks. This is the concept that the Chinese government used in China - to lock down tens of millions of citizens in their homes to prevent the infection spreading. Unfortunately, this protocol will be remembered in future as what NOT to do.

It was clear that the virus infection had already spread far and wide in China by the time the "quarantine" lock-downs were implemented. As I've said in my earlier articles on this topic, self-imposed quarantine at home when you are sick is the right thing to do, to prevent more infections to people around you. If you have the flu, stay at home, rest and recover. Most other healthy people who live in the home will be away doing what they do as usual. But forcing healthy people to stay locked up in very close proximity to someone with a virus that has a very high infection rate was always going to have the opposite effect - of causing many more healthy people to become sick with this infection. This meant many more people becoming infected in their homes, more people trying to get help in hospitals, leading to overcrowding, draining hospital resources of medications and beds, and even more people becoming infected, including doctors and nurses. And many more people dying.

With the Diamond Princess liner, the Japanese health authorities and world media have been making out that the ship was "in quarantine", or that coronavirus-positive passengers were being kept isolated from others in the ship. Nothing could be further from the truth! Hospitals have specialised isolation units for true quarantine protocols. Keeping infectious people in close proximity to healthy people, while also sharing and breathing the same air systems in an outbreak of an air-borne virus, is NOT a quarantine!

This is why there have been 50-200 new coronavirus infections found EVERY DAY on that liner!

The Canadian and Australian governments have taken their citizens off the Diamond Princess liner back to their home country, and put into true quarantine for the next few weeks, because they realise that the ship was not properly quarantined. The US has told their citizens to not return home for at least 2 weeks.

Sadly, the Japanese government and health authorities do not understand infection control, and have released all remaining passengers into Japan or to return to their home cities and countries, as their self-determined "quarantine" period was up. This is despite reports that 79 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on that day. This means that the passengers were still being exposed to the virus on the ship, and still infecting each other. Many passengers are still harbouring the virus and not showing symptoms. But these asymptomatic virus carriers have now been released...

I know 2 Australians who were on the liner. They are now in quarantine in Australia, despite not having had any symptoms or testing positive. The Australian government sent a doctor to the ship to check on the Australian passengers and the infection control procedures, and they said they were "truly scared" as to the lack of infection control there. Even Japanese doctors who visited the ships said it was "chaos" and spoke out in public about the lack of procedures. They have since been silenced.

It seems that the Japanese taxi drivers are more knowledgeable than the health officials there, as so few of them turned up at the dock to take passengers away! No doubt for fear of being exposed to the virus.

Some strong questions need to be asked of elected officials and health professionals - such as:

• Why are they not following strict infection control procedures?
• Why weren't passengers taken into true quarantine in Japanese hospitals?
• Why were passengers prematurely released from the liner, when infections were still happening daily?
• Why weren't preventative measures used or recommended in China or Japan (or anywhere)?
• Are we about to see the start of a large-scale pandemic as a result of all these mistakes?
• And what knee-jerk reactions will we see our governments implement as a result of this, such as forced lock-downs, or mandatory vaccination programs?
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Keep on supporting your immune system, with recommendations in my previous articles, and practice good hygiene. Stay wary and be prepared, and be healthy!
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Cancer in children is increasing

17/2/2020

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According to a very recent study (published today) in the Medical Journal of Australia, incidences of childhood cancers have been rising dramatically over the past 30 years. In 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, childhood cancer rates have been increasing at 1.2% PER YEAR. The study estimates that childhood cancers are expected to rise by 40% in the next 20 years. The media only reported a 7% increase – no idea where they pulled that number from. These are truly shocking statistics.

Statistics in other developed countries are similar, with the USA finding one in 285 children being diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. This equates to 3.5%, and in both the USA and Australia, cancer is currently the biggest cause of child mortality (other than accidents).

The MJA study claims the causes of cancer in children is unknown, and that more research is needed. No, we know what the causes are, so I will save them time and research money…

Cancers arise from chronic inflammation which causes a low functioning immune system. As your immune system detects cancer cells and destroys them, the prevention of cancer is completely dependent on the effective functioning of your immune system.

What causes chronic inflammation? Lots of things, including:
  • Stress
  • Lifestyle factors – smoking, alcohol, drugs, low exercise, poor sleep etc
  • Nutrient deficiencies, or excesses of some foods
  • Toxins and chemicals in foods, water, the environment, and from other products that the body is exposed to
  • Medications – especially antibiotics, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, and other immune system suppressing drugs
  • Viral infections
  • Radiation exposure
  • Weight gain
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Other existing chronic health conditions
  • Genetics – only in 5-10% of cases.
These are your causes of cancer.

The medical and pharmaceutical industries are always after research money to find the ONE cause of cancer. They won’t find it when there are many causes of cancer, and the causes can also vary from person to person. This makes research very difficult to prove, and why they have no answer after decades and many billions of dollars of research.

To prevent cancers, you need to avoid the above root causes. To treat cancers, you need to fix the above root causes.

This is why I like specialising in investigating and treating chronic inflammatory conditions, immune system dysfunction, autoimmune conditions, and cancer too! I can get to the root causes of each person’s issues, and put a plan in place to treat the causes and reduce symptoms too.
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We all want our kids and family to be healthy and happy, and sometimes it’s difficult to know what actually is good or healthy for us or not, or what are the most effective treatments for long-term health. If your family are frequently sick with infections, or have chronic inflammatory conditions, then something is wrong with their immune system. That’s where I can help, by investigating the causes and fixing them!
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Coronavirus update and government censorship

17/2/2020

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News media around the world are regularly giving updates of the coronavirus situation in China and other countries. But are you just taking in this news with interest, or are you a little concerned, or are you taking this seriously?

Considering that we cannot trust the news media to tell the whole truth, as they are restricted by their owners, as well as your governments, to not want to cause panic or “misinformation” (also known as “censorship”), and other factors, we should take what the media says with some skepticism!

We also know that we cannot trust what the communist Chinese government says, as they for many reasons, would not want the world to know that:

1) The virus appears to be man-made in the BSL-4 rated (ie, in other words, a biowarfare lab) Wuhan Institute of Virology, where scientists there have published many papers on how clever they are in playing with the genetics of the SARS coronavirus, which is 96% similar to this new COVID-19 named coronavirus

2) The real numbers of people affected or died from the infection are not accurate. With so many people living in China and who were swamping hospitals in the early days, they do not have the resources to test everyone for a confirmed coronavirus infection, or even treat them. Hence the “official” numbers are very much on the very low end of reality. Leaked estimates of statistics have the infection rate at about 1.5 million and death rate at about 50,000

3) Cities with 10 million or more people are in complete military lockdown (aka “quarantine”), with no access to food, services, transport, or healthcare. A self-imposed quarantine at home when you are sick with a cold or flu can prevent you passing on the infection to others. But in an epidemic like this, a forced lockdown with potentially infected people can spread the infection far more

4) The true mortality rate is not 2-3% as was officially announced, but in fact is 11-15%, based on published studies done that I have read, one of which was published in the prestigious Lancet journal recently (Chen et al., 2020). This makes this infection a LOT more serious than anyone in the media or governments have publicly said. https://www.thelancet.com/…/PIIS0140-6736(20)3021…/fulltext…

All is not well in China, and they know it, and they are taking drastic measures to try and contain this virus. Other countries aren't.

Several recent studies have shown that coronavirus infections are more likely to affect males (up to 67%) who are older (55 years and higher), especially those with existing chronic conditions (55%) that cause weaker immune systems, which can result in severe and fatal respiratory distress. In this study, the death rate was 11%, which is far higher than the official figures of 2-3% from the secretive Chinese media. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32007143

The air quality in Chinese cities is not great, and most males in China smoke, which reduces their health, their lung function, and makes them more susceptible to chronic diseases and the coronavirus infection.

As I have mentioned in my earlier articles, if you are concerned about this virus, there are many things which you can do to improve your immune system function, to stay healthy, and reduce your risks.

Unfortunately, our regulatory authority (the Therapeutic Goods Administration or TGA, in Australia) has put out a public notice to all health practitioners to not provide any advice or recommendations directly or indirectly related to this coronavirus! They only want “official” methods and therapies recommended that have been scientifically proven effective against this specific coronavirus.

I guess the TGA has forgotten that, in times of a new health issue like now, that anecdotal evidence ALWAYS comes first, before any published, peer-reviewed evidence?! Published evidence takes too long. If they are only going to rely on published evidence as their "accepted" evidence, then potentially tens or hundreds of thousands of people will die needlessly. There are many simple and basic practices and treatments which have initially found in the past to be anecdotally proven effective against all previous infections, long before any study was published to "officially" prove it.

Such methods include washing hands, to improved hygiene practices, to higher dose vitamin C, antiviral or immune supporting herbal remedies, vitamin and mineral supplements that support your immune system to do what it already knows what to do against ANY known or unknown new infection.

So I can’t repeat or go into detail in this article some of the easy strategies and treatments for improving your immune system function… but read my previous articles!

I'm sure there are no published studies as yet proving that washing hands can prevent or reduce the risk of spreading this coronavirus, but the TGA and various health departments and hospitals around Australia and the world have this advice as very basic prevention step, based on anecdotal or past evidence!
To go hunting for practitioners giving simple preventative advice that is based on past evidence of effectiveness, but not yet "proven" against this coronavirus is disgraceful.

There's no official pharmaceutical medications that have been proven effective against coronavirus in published studies as yet either, but we know that such medications are being used, based on their PAST evidence! This is not a time to be denying or restricting what people can do to prevent and treat this virus, especially when we cannot believe the official infection and mortality rates from a secretive foreign government.

In a follow-up article I will provide suggestions which have worked against other coronaviruses (like the common cold virus or SARS etc), with referenced proof!

​Stay healthy!
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confirmed: the coronavirus was man-made!

2/2/2020

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The current coronavirus infection is still occurring, mainly in China, but due to recent infection control and quarantine procedures, it is only very slowly progressing in other countries. While the death rate from the coronavirus is much less than its sister virus SARS, it has caused more infections than SARS in 2003.

There has been a lot of speculation about the coronavirus such as where it originated, how it spread to humans, and was the large maximum-security biological laboratory, coincidentally located in Wuhan, somehow involved in this virus outbreak?

With some new information, it appears that this is indeed the case - that not only was the Wuhan laboratory involved in experimenting with the SARS coronavirus, they published scientific studies on it, AND appear to have created this new coronavirus by playing with its genetics to create a new and potentially more dangerous and deadly virus, before it was either accidently or deliberately released!

In a scientific study published in 2010, scientists at the Wuhan laboratory studied the SARS coronavirus to identify whether bats could be the natural host for SARS, and which bats are associated with this virus. Remember in the early days of the new novel coronavirus, that it was suggested in the media that bats may have been involved! The scientists published that there were indeed 2 species of bats that were susceptible to SARS, and may be the original host of the virus. (Hou et al., 2010) (study link here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00705-010-0729-6)

But now is the real shock...

Scientists in India have published a very recent study (on Jan 31, 2020), to look at the genetic sequence of the new novel coronavirus, to get clues as to its evolution and capacity to cause symptoms and disease. (Pradhan et al., 2020) (full study link here: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.30.927871v1.full.pdf)

The Indian scientists have found that the new coronavirus is based on the 2003 SARS virus but has 4 new genetic sequences added into it, that are not found in any other coronavirus. Interestingly, ALL 4 of these genetic sequences added to this virus' genetic code come from the HIV-1 virus!  Yes, the new coronavirus has had 4x HIV gene sequences inserted into it. The HIV virus has been depleting human immune systems since the 1980s, and is one factor which leads to a diagnosis of AIDS.

The Indian scientists published that the 4x HIV sequences in the coronavirus would not be possible in nature. Hence the new novel coronavirus is MAN-MADE.

And it was most likely made in the Wuhan laboratory to change the preference of the host from a bat to human, and then somehow released into humans, where it was able to start infecting from one human to another.

These new findings should really make people (and governments) question why scientists are "playing with" such viruses, how can they be allowed to create newer and more dangerous viruses, and how can these somehow escape from high security labs.

These new developments are all the more reason to support your immune system NOW with natural techniques and supplements as per my previous 2 articles on my website and FB page, for prevention, and continue the same (with higher doses) should you become infected. 

​Stay healthy!
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Coronavirus prevention (Part 2)

2/2/2020

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This article is part 2 of my coronavirus articles (see below for part 1) during this worldwide scare of the coronavirus, and is relevant to those who may have an immune system that may be low functioning, or anyone who is concerned about the coronavirus.

I have seen many clients recently with poor functioning immune systems, or recurrent infections. There can be many reasons for a low functioning immune system, but it is unusual for me to see so many people with a cold or flu in the middle of summer here in Australia!

If you get a cold or flu, or any other infection, then it means that your immune system defences are not strong enough to protect you from that infection. So you need to do something about this!

Your immune system strength and function relies on many factors:

1) a good supply of nutrients to make your white blood cells and other immune system proteins, and having good levels of vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D and other essential nutrients for immune system function

2) A working digestive system function - as you can have the perfect diet, but if your digestive system isn't working well, you may not digest and absorb the nutrients you need

3) good quality and quantity sleep, which can repair damaged tissues and your immune system

4) a well-balanced microbiome - of helpful and symbiotic bacteria in your mucus membranes, digestive tract and on your skin

5) a well functioning thyroid gland (which is the controller of your metabolism or ALL cells in your body)

6) drinking enough water, needed to make and keep your mucus membranes moist to prevent infections.

Hence these are clues as to what you need to focus on for prevention of infections, or strengthening your immune system! In addition, there are factors which can affect immune system function:

1) Stress, which triggers the "flight or fight" stress response, and in turn reduces your digestive system function and immune system function (and other "normal" body functions) as these are not deemed as "essential for short-term survival", hence they do not work optimally in times of stress

2) Inflammation, which can be from many causes such as food intolerances, obesity, imbalance of your microbiome, stress, chronic infections, autoimmune conditions, toxins and chemicals (such as with the poor air quality in China)

3) Other chronic infections or assaults such as EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus, which causes glandular fever, and causes very long-term symptoms and immune system effects), CMV, HIV, and many other viral infections, or having an autoimmune condition, or having any other recent infection or illness.

4) Medications, such as antibiotics, NSAIDs, corticosteroids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, immuno-suppressives and more. These all reduce or stop the immune system from working optimally.

Again, these are clues as to what to work on or reduce in order to having a well-functioning immune system!

There are many other things you can do to improve your immune system, for preventing or treating viral infections like coronavirus, such as:

1) nutritional supplements - to rectify deficiencies that affect immune system function, especially of vitamin C (with therapeutic doses being shown to be effective against coronavirus strains!), zinc, and vitamin D (a MASSIVE immune system booster, and when levels are low, this CAUSES colds and flu infections and outbreaks especially in winter!), and other nutrients too

2) probiotics - since your gut microbiome makes most of your immune system proteins, you can improve their production with an improved diet and specific probiotic strains

3) herbal supplements - many herbal extracts or supplements can not only boost your immune system, but can also offer anti-viral actions to directly kill the infection or stop it replicating or spreading around the body

4) practicing good hygiene - even washing of hands is very effective in killing microbes on your skin. Not touching your face, nose, mouth or eyes can prevent infection. 

I cannot recommend specific nutrient or herbal supplements in this article, as checks for interactions with any medications is essential, other symptoms or conditions may need to be taken into account, and dosing will be different for different age groups. However this is something I can help with in a personalised consultation, or see an experienced Nutritionist, Naturopath or Herbalist for advice.
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If you are concerned about coronavirus, or if you have frequent infections or a low immune system, there are many things you can do to improve your immune system function!
 
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soy products are not health foods

28/1/2020

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I often see clients who are consuming soy products because they believe that soy is good for their health. However, for most people who are interested in having the best of health, soy products are NOT what you should be consuming! Soy foods are not health foods! They are, in fact, highly processed foods, and should be treated like most junk foods, and restricted or even avoided in most cases!

Soy products such as the raw beans, tofu, soy milk, simulated meat products, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soybean oil, and soy baby formula and more are highly processed products that are known in research to be linked to breast cancer, thyroid disorders, intolerances, infertility, digestive complaints, and more adverse health effects.

Some might argue that Asians have been eating soy products for a long time and they have very long life spans. That may be true, but they don't eat very much soy, and when they do it's mostly fermented soy, a natural process which is needed to get rid of the anti-nutrients, oestrogen mimicking chemicals and natural toxins found in soybeans. Fermented soy products that are good to eat include tempeh, miso and natto. Also, Asian cultures have different genetics to many other cultures, and can perhaps handle soy better...

The problems with soy and soy products are many:

1) Unfermented soy products interfere with normal thyroid hormones (which controls metabolism), thus slowing down your metabolism making you put on weight as fat.

2) In most women. soy also enhances the effect of the oestrogen (ie female) hormone, causing a range of issues with the female menstrual cycle and therefore reproductive problems, infertility and an increased risk of female hormone related cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and more.

3) The oestrogenic (female hormone mimicking) effects of the phyto-oestrogens in soy have a greater effect In men, to also affect fertility, increase fat production and create man-boobs, cause enlarged prostate gland, and over time, prostate cancer.

Soy may only help a very small number of people - such as those with oestrogen excess, in women and men. In this case, its phyto-oestrogens can block some of the oestrogen receptors on cell walls, to have a reducing effect of having high oestrogen levels.

Over 95% of the world's soy is genetically modified to survive being sprayed with the RoundUp/glyphosate herbicide which would otherwise kill the plant. Hence the soy products contain this toxic chemical which is a "probable" carcinogenic, according to the World Health Organisation in 2015. There have been a couple of very high profile lawsuits against the Roundup manufacturer Monsanto recently, after victims proved that the herbicide caused their terminal cancers.
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In addition to the hormone-affecting issues, soy products can bind to many minerals in the meal to prevent the absorption of those minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese and iron! Frequent intake of soy products can lead to deficiencies in these minerals, which results in many health issues and symptoms.
 
As most processed or prepared foods found in the supermarket contain soy products, it's best to look at the product ingredients and also avoid those that contain soy.
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Is the coronavirus something to be concerned about?

27/1/2020

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You may have seen in the past day or so in the news of an alleged new virus doing the rounds in China, causing a handful of deaths and causing a huge health scare in the media and health authorities around the world.

Is this "new" virus something to really be scared about? No!

Is this "new" virus" something you can do something about? YES!

More on this later...

But first, some other interesting facts about this new coronavirus:

1) "Coronavirus" is actually a family of viruses that cause infections in some animals, including causing the common cold in humans. The current coronavirus scare is a particular strain of coronavirus.

2) The source of the first infections were in the Wuhan fish market.

3) Just across the river from the Wuhan fish market is a large maximum-security biological laboratory, designed to study the world's most dangerous pathogens (viruses and bacteria)! Very interesting indeed. Details here - https://www.nature.com/news/inside-the-chinese-lab-poised-to-study-world-s-most-dangerous-pathogens-1.21487

4) If the above wasn't enough, Wuhan also has 8 out of the top 13 top biopharmaceutical companies located there. Details here - http://www.fdi.gov.cn/1800000121_37_42197_0_7.html?fbclid=IwAR0JLoHmxf1OeqjbRKnbWzN8pvlkb4Jvqjh9Dtdy88Cmei9aleTMY6M9Wv4

5) In October 2019, a summit of government officials, health officials and infection experts met to discuss a simulation of a global infection pandemic, coincidentally based on a coronavirus outbreak! How did they guess that would happen?! I'll leave that for you to ponder... Details here - https://web.archive.org/web/20200126110537/http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/ and here - https://web.archive.org/web/20191106171718/https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/11/06/event-201-health-security/.

6) It is winter in China at the moment, and any infections or epidemics usually occur when people's immune system defences are low. This is why we see more colds and flu in winter. I have repeatedly written about before, that common cold and flu infections increase in winter, caused from low vitamin D levels in people due to low sunlight exposure when it's colder. So it is not surprising that this infection is spreading at the moment, among those whose immune defences are down or not as strong as they should be.

There is no vaccine for coronavirus, and won't be for at least 6 months unless one is "fast-tracked" (meaning it will have done very limited to no clinical trials for safety of efficacy), or could be years until such a vaccine is available. But that's not worth worrying about, as you and I are already protected from this virus, by our immune system!

We have always had our "innate" immune system which detects and destroys all known and unknown infective pathogens 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, for your entire life! Your immune system, quite literally, keeps you alive!

There are several main parts to your immune system:

1) Innate immune system - these cells protect you from all unknown infection-causing microbes, bacteria and viruses! They recognise what is "self" or safe and what isn't, and will attack and destroy any foreign invaders. This part of your immune system is how we have been able to survive for millenia without modern medicines or medical interventions! The innate immune system, when confronted by a new microbe or invader, learns from this and then trains the adaptive immune system for longer-term defence mechanisms.

2) Adaptive immune system - the adaptive immune system develops antibodies against each invader. Antibodies are then used by the immune system to more quickly respond to and stop infections in future!

3) Your microbiome - or the trillions of bacteria on your skin, in your mucus membranes, digestive tract, and other parts of your body. Your microbiome works to regulate and produce most of your immune system proteins to protect you from any pathogenic bacteria.
 
It's only when your immune system cannot defend itself quick enough or destroy the invading pathogens that you actually "get" symptoms of an infection.

Your immune system is affected by factors such as stress, a poor diet (ie, nutrient deficiencies or excesses), poor digestive system function, chemicals and toxins in foods and environment, poor sleep quality or quantity, and chronic (long-term) infections, medications (antibiotics, NSAIDs, anti-inflammatories, immunosuppressives, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, steroids, etc), and other factors. If any one of more of these are affecting your immune system, then it's not going to work as well as it should. Reduced immune system function can lead to longer and more severe infections.
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Hence the importance of supporting your immune system, not just to prevent and survive the coronavirus, but any and all infections! If your immune system is weak, or you get frequent infections, or want to protect yourself against coronavirus, there are many things that I can help with, by investigating all possible causes of a low functioning immune system and treating those, as well as immune supporting treatments and direct anti-viral actions too.
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Are essential oils good for your health?

11/12/2019

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With the rise of essential oils (EOs) in the past few years, there has also been a large rise in side effects, poisonings, allergies and even deaths. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it is safe to ingest!

A new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week found that calls to the NSW Poisons Information Centre have increased by 5% each year from 2014 to 2018. 63% involved a child being poisoned, 80% were accidental (including children drinking from the bottle), and other "therapeutic errors". Most cases were as a result of ingesting the EOs.

The spectacular rise in popularity of EOs has been mainly due to 2 main MLM (multi-level marketing) companies marketing EOs to home users and those who want to build a home business by selling these products at exorbitant prices (so their upline and the main company can  make a nice profit).

I've got nothing against making a profit! But I do have a few issues with these 2 main promoters of EOs, namely:

1) The resellers are not trained health professionals, yet they act like they are. Aromatherapists are professionally trained practitioners and prescribers of EOs and can treat health conditions. The mum and dad purveyors (aka, "wellness advocates"!) of EOs should not be treating health conditions, or making the many claims of health benefits, but they do. They are also not covered by insurances or a professional association for protection if they screw up and affect someone's health, and someone decides to sue them. Say goodbye to your house...

2) The two main MLM EO companies tell their resellers that ingesting EOs  are safe. They are not! The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia which regulates medicines and therapeutic claims, also regulates EOs. Their guidelines say that EOs are to be labelled as "NOT TO BE TAKEN" (ie, not to be ingested!). But we know that the resellers do not heed this advice, especially when their respective MLM companies explicitly tell them they are fine to be ingested.

3) Even Australia's largest professional association of Aromatherapists (IAAMA) recommends that EOs not be ingested, unless under the close supervision of a properly trained practitioner qualified in aromatic medicine (ie, an Aromatherapist). Most EO resellers are not qualified. The IAAMA says that EOs being promoted for ingestion is a significant safety issue. Both the TGA and Qld Health have advised the public against ingesting these oils, for safety reasons.

4) "But they are natural"! Well, sort of... the essential oils are extracted from plants in a number of ways. Some can be done with steam, or with high pressure, and others are extracted with chemicals. One drop of an essential oil, depending on the plant and which part of the plant is used, can be a highly concentrated extract of 1 kilo to dozens of kilos or even more of original plant matter. Therefore in a single drop, you are getting the concentration of a LOT of plant material. One drop of rose oil is the equivalent of 30-50 roses! Would you eat 50 roses to get one drop of oil for whatever benefits that is claimed for this? No, of course you wouldn't, because that would be too many to eat and would likely make you ill. The same for the oils.

5) Essential oils do have a medicinal effect - they can affect our bodies in either a positive or negative way, depending on the dose, the individual, and how the exposure occurred. Other plant extracts, such as herbal remedies that I use, are nowhere near as concentrated as EOs but still have great therapeutic benefits. So you do not need such concentrated forms to have a benefit. As little as 5ml (or less) can cause life-threatening toxicity in children.

6) I don't prescribe EOs, as I have no training in them, even as a Naturopath or Herbalist! So if I can't prescribe EOs (for ingestion or any other way) as an experienced practitioner who knows about the therapeutic use of plants, then how can untrained MLM "wellness advocates" do this (especially when they  are instructed by other untrained MLM advocates)?!

7) EOs, like medications, won't be good for everyone in all circumstances. I've had a client die from ingesting peppermint essential oil. She was diagnosed as being clinically dead while being rushed to hospital, after not knowing she had an anaphylactic allergic reaction to peppermint oil. She was resuscitated abd brought back to life 3 imes, and luckily she survived. Are the "wellness advocates" insured or prepared for this situation? Not likely.

8) I've also seen clients who are "wellness advocates" develop allergies to their EOs. When you don't know what you are doing, you can induce many adverse health effects from use of EOs because of their concentrations or how you are exposed to them.
9) I've also seen clients who have majorly damaged their gut lining or skin, or their digestive microbiome or skin microbiome by ingesting or topically applying EOs to broken skin. Many oils are highly concentrated antibacterials that obviously kill bacteria, but you need your microbiome to keep you healthy, to support your immune system, and protect you.

10) EO manufacturers make all sorts of claims about their products. The best one is from one which claims theres is the purest quality, with a Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) quality testing and rating. Sounds good doesn't it?! Except that the particular manufacturer creating this rating themselves! And they only rate their own products!

11) One MLM manufacturer claims their EOs are the best and "100% pure". Independent testing of their oils, and a resulting legal case (amusingly by the other of the 2 main MLM companies!), showed that their oils were not 100% natural or even pure, used adulterated (substituted) plants, contain unlisted ingredients, and even man-made synthetic compounds!

12) Many wellness bloggers and advocates of EOs recommend ingesting oils mixed in water or food. Well, a drop of oil in water does not actually mix! It stays as a drop of oil. If anyone says ingesting EOs is safe, and especially from representatives of the major MLM oil companies, ignore them as they are not allowed to say this, and their advice can be dangerous.

I like essential oils! I like the smell at least! But there's no way I would ingest any, and I certainly would not recommend ingestion for a child, or anyone in fact. Use them in diffusers for example and enjoy the smell! And make sure the oils are kept away from children. And perhaps look at good quality locally made Australian EO companies for much better value for money products! For using essential oils for health conditions, consult with a qualified and experienced Aromatherapist, not a "wellness" reseller. 

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The DAA promised to end industry influence but didn't

5/12/2019

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I have been very critical of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) in many articles. This is because they wrote the Australian food guidelines (under a tender from the NHMRC), which are decades out of date when compared with more current nutrition research, and because they make a lot of their money from corporate sponsorships from food companies. This is a conflict of interest, and it shows in their outdated advice.

In October 2018 I wrote that the DAA released a statement that they were going to stop accepting sponsorships from food companies, due to the frequent criticisms and perception that they are influenced by those sponsorships. I stated at the time that it would be a good plan for them to stop the sponsorships, but to wait and see how and when they were going to implement this change.
Well, they have, and it's just as bad, or even worse than before!

They are now offering food industry corporations to ADVERTISE with them instead, and advertise DIRECTLY to all registered Dietitians! So the unhealthy food companies that used to sponsor the DAA like Nestle, Kelloggs, Campbells, Arnotts, Sanitarium and more, can spam (aka"influence") all Dietitians in Australia, and those Dietitians cannot opt out of their garbage information!

What is worse is that the DAA are also allowing:
- Food companies to advertise positions vacant in their companies
- Food companies to advertise rooms to be available for Dietitians to practice
- Food companies to advertise in the DAA's events calendar
- Food companies to advertise in the DAA's peer-reviewed journal
- Food companies to advertise at the DAA annual conference
- and more...

Interestingly, the declarations which food industry advertisers must sign for approval, ask them to declare that their products are "not contrary to accepted scientific evidence"! This means that any company which perhaps has a product that is based on NEW (ie, more current) scientific evidence will not be able to advertise to Dietitians, because it would contradict the DAA's already outdated recommendations. How or when will anything ever improve?

Really, nothing has changed at all with this new funding policy! The DAA are now allowing all of their members to be directly influenced by food companies, as opposed to being indirectly influenced through the DAA!

If only the DAA would influence their members with current nutrition science on real food, rather than processed and packaged foods from biased food companies. After all, it should be about the health of all Australians, and not how much money the DAA can make.
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review of the vegan documentary "The Game Changers"

11/11/2019

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(I have not included all the text of this review here, as it's very long! I have added the introduction, some initial points, and the conclusion. For the full review, click on the PDF file link at the bottom of this article, to open or save the file and read the entire content!)

Being a Clinical Nutritionist and Naturopath means seeing many clients with a variety of health conditions and helping them to improve their health by reducing symptoms and enabling healing. In almost every case, there needs to be some improvements to their food intake in order to get the successful results that the client is looking for.

To help clients achieve their goals requires a lot of knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of all body systems, biochemistry, metabolic pathways, pathophysiology of many diseases, and all the interactions between these. I am very evidence-based as a practitioner, in order to make good recommendations of nutrients and/or products and advice to help the client. There is also an amount of anecdotal evidence being in practice too, which is evidence from personal observations as a practitioner and from the patient. While this is not considered as "scientific evidence" it is still very important, as not everyone is the same or has the same experiences with the same treatments, which is often not reflected in scientific studies.

I am fully aware of the seemingly conflicting advice and recommendations about foods and diets - which diet is best, or whether coffee, chocolate, red wine, dairy, butter, soy or grains are good for you this week or not! Then next week they are bad again... Hence I like to keep on top of the nutritional advice which is given to the public. Which is why I frequently review food-related news stories, articles and documentaries to see what recommendations they say, and whether they are in fact, evidence based.

This review is for the new "plant-based" documentary called "The Game Changers". The documentary is produced by James Cameron (also the producer of Titanic, and Avatar movies and others), Arnold Schwartzenegger, Jackie Chan (actor, martial artist), Lewis Hamilton (F1 driver), and mostly hosted by James Wilks, a UFC martial arts fighter. The trailer for the documentary showed short snippets of several sporting stars and athletes allegedly improving their performance on a "plant-based" (read as "vegan") diet. Even bodybuilder Arnold Schwartzenegger is in favour, despite him not actually being a vegan at the time of his greatest successes! He achieved that on a very high animal protein diet with a side of anabolic steroids! Arnold said in the trailer and in the movie: "the marketing at the time was that real men ate meat, and lots of it", and "but that was marketing. It's not based on reality".

The very same could be said about this documentary - it's not based on reality, certainly not a scientific reality!

By the way, the word "vegan" or description of a vegan diet recommended in this documentary is never used! It's as if the producers know that the word "vegan" has such negative perceptions that they deliberately didn't use this word because they were embarrassed to do so! And there's many good reasons why the word "vegan" has deserved negative perceptions, not least of which is the tendency of the cult-like followers to suspend logic and science in their arguments.

Instead of the word "vegan", they repeat the term "plant-based" on and on and on. If the producers and contributors to the film are so pro-vegan, they should use the term, and not hide behind the confusion of whatever "plant-based" really means. This confusion will  grow, particularly as some commonly promoted diets which prevent or improve health issues are "plant-based" but they contain meat and animal products, such as the Mediterranean diet! (Lăcătus, Grigorescu, Floria, Onofriescu & Mihai, 2019). Make no mistake, this documentary is NOT about a moderate "plant-based" diet with some animal products. It is talking about and promoting a VEGAN diet!

The main concept of the documentary is about protein, and that animal protein is not necessary for athletes to perform at the highest level. And that plant-based protein can not only help athletes, but reverse heart disease and diabetes. Or does it?!

As with my other food-related documentary reviews, this is a bit long. Very long, really! Sorry! But it needs to be, but will be very informative, scientific, with a more balanced point of view, and pointing out the errors or holes in their arguments with referenced articles and published studies!

The film quoted wisdom from the martial artist Bruce Lee:
  1. "Research your own experience
  2. Absorb what is useful
  3. Reject what is useless
  4. Add what is essentially your own."
This was Bruce Lee's way of life. And this is good advice, as we are all different!

Yet the aim of the documentary is the opposite - to get everyone to be the same.

This review might sound at this point to be anti-vegan. No it isn't! I am happy for people to look into this way of life and use it themselves, but what is missing in the documentary is balance! Or science. The documentary is extreme in its beliefs and information, and in many parts is completely lacking in good science on human physiology, metabolism, biochemistry and their effect on diseases. The purpose of this review is to perhaps fill in the holes or correct many aspects of science which were lacking in the documentary, and provide more balance, all fully referenced with published scientific studies.
 
The story
The documentary followed James Wilks and his journey to recovery after tearing ligaments in both knees after a sporting injury. In his search to finding ways to heal more quickly, he came across a book about the Roman Gladiators that found they had mostly a "plant-based" diet, which greatly surprised him. Researchers have found that the gladiators were referred to as hordearii or "barley men", because of their diet. Yet researchers analysed their bones and found them to be fairly strong, and seemed to recover from injuries quickly. So he set about looking into this more for a quicker recovery from his injuries.

My comments - Gladiators were slaves. They had short lives and were not fed well by their owners. They had very nutrient deficient diets, lacking in calcium that is needed for strong bones. Historical accounts showed that the gladiators downed vile brews of charred wood or bone ash or similar, to keep their bones strong. Gladiators were fed a lot of barley, because it made them fat! And they needed subcutaneous fat to protect them from cut wounds that would otherwise damage nerves and blood vessels! A skinny gladiator was "dead meat", and would not have made for a good show. So their plant-based and very high carb diet was done deliberately to make them fat (Curry, 2008). We know this today, that a high carb diet becomes blood sugar, which then gets turned into triglycerides or fat. A major point ignored in this film.

Protein for energy
A big assumption or belief throughout the documentary is the belief that we need protein for energy, and if you decide to go "meat free" as many athletes in the documentary have done, then people will ask "where will they get their energy from if they don't eat meat?!". And if one can get protein from plants, then we don't need meat!

My comments - Our bodies can use the macronutrients of carbohydrates, proteins and fats for fuel for energy. Depending on your typical food intake, the priority of which macronutrients get used first can differ. If you eat a typical Western diet or predominantly vegetarian or vegan diet that is high in carbs, then you will use these macronutrients in this order (Patton & Thibodeau, 2013):
  1. Carbs -> glucose
  2. Fats -> ketone bodies and glycerol
  3. Protein -> amino acids.
If you are on a more ketogenic diet and are "fat adapted", your body's order of preference of fuel will be different (Freeman, Veggiotti, Lanzi, Tagliabue & Perucca, 2006, p153):
  1. Fats -> ketone bodies and glycerol
  2. Carbs -> glucose
  3. Protein -> amino acids.
If you are an athlete, your body's order of preference of fuel can be different, depending on whether you are a distance athlete or a sprinter. Metabolising carbs is a quicker process, but not very efficient, and produces lots of lactic acid as a by-product, which makes muscles sore and burning during exercise, and you run out of energy or strength quickly. Metabolising fats for energy is slower, but MUCH more efficient in producing energy, but doesn't produce lactic acid, so you will have a lot more stamina and less sore muscles later. Hence for sprinters, a higher carb diet (not protein!) can be best for more explosive power in short events. For distance athletes, fats are the best fuel - not carbs and certainly not protein!

It is important to note that protein is always last in the order of preference for energy metabolism! This is important to note, as proteins have many more important functions, being used to make thousands of other proteins in the body, for repair of tissues and organs, and many other metabolic functions. Proteins are very important for your body, and your body doesn't want to "waste" protein to make energy, unless it has to. However, your body will use stored protein if you do not get enough protein in your diet. If you don't eat enough protein where will your body get protein from?

Your muscles.

Muscle tissue will be broken down to provide your body with the protein it desperately needs. You do not want this to happen. Especially if you are an athlete. Hence protein for energy is irrelevant. You need it for repair and recovery afterwards.

(see the PDF file link at the bottom of this article to read the full review content!)

 
Other issues with vegan diets
Due to the vegan bias in this documentary, there were no negatives of a vegan diet mentioned, so here is a little more balance to the reality:
  • Plant foods are high in "anti-nutrients" like TIs, oxalates and phytates, which bind to a lot of vitamins and minerals and other nutrients in the same meal, and prevent the body from being able to absorb and use those nutrients. Hence these plant anti-nutrients reduce the bioavailability of other nutrients, or in other words, the antinutrients can cause nutrient deficiencies
  • Many plant-based foods actually INCREASE inflammation in the body. Plant based foods such as sugar in sugary foods and drinks, processed foods, vegetable/seed oils (especially when heated), and grain products (and they chemicals they are sprayed with) all cause inflammation (de Punder & Pruimboom, 2013). As inflammation reduces the function of the immune system, and is the main driver of chronic disease conditions like arthritis, dementia, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, inflammation-causing foods should be avoided or reduced
  • Many people have undiagnosed or unknown intolerances or sensitivities to different foods. While this is not restricted to just plant foods, some of the biggest culprits include wheat, gluten in wheat, rye and barley, lectins in legumes, soy, and corn, although an individual can be intolerant to any food
  • Sadly, modern plant agriculture and farming relies on toxic agricultural chemicals, which often cover the plant foods exposed to them, and which doesn't come out in the processing of those foods, so you end up eating them and having these chemicals affect your health. Genetically modified (GMO) corn actually produces its own toxins in the plant (from a toxin-producing bacterial genes being spliced into the corn genes). So you end up eating these toxins and they have a terrible effect on your digestive system, microbiome and your health
  • There is a belief that all humans of all cultures and ethnicities are all the same. We are not. We do not have the same genetics, and hence there is no one diet which is ideal for each and every one of us.
 
Follow the money
As the old Russian proverb says, "When money speaks, the truth keeps silent". Or the more modern catchphrase "follow the money" to find the truth.

James Cameron, one of the directors and contributors to the film, wants you to buy into a plant-based protein eating plan because... he and his wife own many plant-based food industry companies, from which they want to make even more money from gullible people who believe what they see in this documentary, without really checking the scientific facts. The Camerons founded Verdient Foods, a US-based company, and have other similar plant-based food companies and joint ventures with other plant-based companies around the world. His opinion in this film is extremely biased as a result of his financial interests in these food industry companies (Bloomberg, 2019).

Dr David Katz is a medical doctor in the USA, and author of several books and many peer-reviewed studies, mainly on the topic of nutrition (Sboros, 2018). He was a contributor and interviewee in the film, possibly as he is well known as an outspoken voice on nutrition science in the USA. Yet he has faced controversy in his beliefs and articles, and even faced being sacked from some publications due to undeclared conflicts of interest. He was being paid by various companies and appearing to write articles on favour of those companies, and not disclosing his financial benefits from those companies, which would rightly be seen as a conflict of interest (Sboros, 2018).

Dr Katz has been caught out many times in previous publications with similar conflicts of interest, writing favourable reviews but not declaring a financial interest, biased writing, defending manufacturers of unhealthy or junk foods, or even writing favourable product reviews using a pseudonym. He has ties to many producers of sugary foods and drinks, and he promotes or defends their products, for a fee of course. He has denied these conflicts of interest (Sboros, 2018; Greene, 2019).

Other contributors to the documentary include:
  • Dr Walter Willet - a Harvard University scientist, who has a long list of affiliations and conflicts of interest with vegetarian and vegan groups (The Nutrition Coalition, 2019)
  • Dr Micael Greger - a medical doctor specialising in nutrition, but vegan nutrition only. He promotes veganism with a religious fervour and will cherry-pick studies promoting the benefits on plant-based diets while never saying anything positive about animal foods (Schwarcz, 2017).
Conclusion
The overall message of the documentary was good, that for athletes to get the best personal or team results, they must do more than just train and practice, but focus on eating healthy meals which provide all of the nutrients that their bodies need to:
1) provide energy for training and in events
2) provide nutrients for repair and recovery
3) provide the right nutrients needed for many metabolic processes
4) have a good digestive system function to digest, absorb and assimiliate the nutrients (this was actually completely missed in this documentary!)

The vegan bias of this documentary was particularly evident, with deliberately withheld information, incorrect assumptions or beliefs, misinformation, selective blaming of animal propducts when plant products cause the same issues, and in some cases, outright lies with regard to human physiology or biochemistry in favour of a plant-based approach vs. a healthy balanced animal and plant based diet! In particular is the completely wrong message in the film that protein is used for energy, when protein metabolism is the last resort for energy production!

Again, everyone is different! SOME people can do fairly well on a vegan diet (perhaps only in the beginning of a vegan diet, as mentioned above), while I see many (as clients) who do not do well at all due to the many inherent nutrient deficiencies of this approach. Athletes need to be very, very careful on a vegan diet to make sure they are getting even more of the nutrients they need. I would highly recommend that anyone considering a vegan diet to working with an experienced Nutritionist to make sure your nutrient needs are being met! As a practitioner, I have never suggested to a vegan to start eating animal products again to rectify any deficiencies which may be causing their health issues. I respect their decisions to be vegan, and I help them address their issues.

​There is a lot of blind faith, word of mouth or perception that a vegan diet is healthier, when scientific studies show that some vegans can be healthy (if their diet is done well), and omnivores can be healthy too! But conversely, there are a lot of vegans and omnivores who are not healthy. The problem is not which diet someone is following, but how that diet affects the individual! As we are not the same in our genetics, there is no one diet which is good for all of us. Find what works for you, and seek professional help from experienced nutritional medicine practitioners if any symptoms arise from any change of diet, as it means there is something not right. Having a blind faith in a vegan diet as being perfect for you isn't scientific, but is akin to following a new religion because it's trendy.

Similar to other vegan documentaries I've reviewed in the past, if the producers really want people to follow their way of life or see the health benefits that they claim, then they should at least tell the truth or the full story, and not repeat common misbeliefs based on poor quality science or old science to "prove" their arguments. None of the producers of the documentary have any scientific or nutritional background to completely understand the information they obtained in the making of this, nor were they able to look at the many health consequences of what they are trying to promote. But I guess that was their plan.

The documentary concluded with a disclaimer, "the information in this film is not intended to be medical advice". Yep, they got that right. Sadly too many will buy into the biased and incorrect information in this film, and not see this disclaimer at the end.

Even as a Clinical Nutritionist, and an evidence-based one at that, I have determined that being vegan is not for me. Not because I perceive it as being too difficult, but simply as I know my body better than anyone else. I know what it needs, how it reacts to various foods, and how it works. I am very aware of many quality published studies showing that a vegan diet is deficient in many nutrients, and the health consequences of these. And I'd rather just eat real food and not rely on supplements to get my daily requirements! If being vegan worked, no supplements should be needed, and I shouldn't see any vegans as clients, but sadly that is not the reality.

This more balanced look at this documentary should show that BOTH animal foods and plant foods are needed for a healthy body and healthy life! Too much of one or the other can cause health consequences. However of equal importance to the quanty of nutrients being needed, the quality of those nutrient sources is also as important, as well as other factors such as your own genetics and uniqueness, digestive system function, how foods are cooked, and more.

Wishing you the best of health!

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Your immune system finds and destroys cancer cells!

1/11/2019

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If you know me or have read some of my articles here, you may know that the topic of cancer comes up a lot, because it has been my main area of interest in natural health treatments for many years.I was initially drawn to natural cancer treatments because the general public believe that this is the biggest and baddest health problem, because a diagnosis of "cancer" fills people with such dread and fear, that it reminds people that we really are mortal. We shouldn't fear cancer at all, but welcome it, as it is your body giving you warnings and telling you that it is not liking what you are doing to it. It may take some time to change this perception of cancer, but we can start now.

My fears of cancer disappeared when I started reading cancer research over 12 years ago, when I found that your body's white blood cells, in particular the Cytotoxic CD4+ T-cells and NK (Natural Killer) cells, have a primary task every day in our bodies to find and destroy virus-infected AND cancer cells! Hence it is your own immune systems that CAN and DOES fight cancer every day!

I have linked a short video showing this - actual footage of your immune system cells attacking cancer cells and destroying them! Watch this video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntk8XsxVDi0

This information and this video highlights the importance of your immune system for the prevention and treatment of cancer!

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are NOT the only options for cancer treatment! These actually don't help you much at all, because both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (ie, chemical therapy and radiation therapy, respectively) actually CAUSE more cancer by poisoning the body and destroying the immune system - the main part of your body's defence against cancer! It just doesn't make sense to do this.

I still read a lot of cancer research, and I put this knowledge into practice with my clients. There is no one cure for cancer (and probably never will be) as treatment requires a holistic (whole body) approach using a combination of correct nutrition and avoiding some specific foods, supplementation, stress relief and management, detoxification, mindset, lifestyle, exercise and other treatments.
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If your immune system is not strong, or you get frequent infections or illnesses, or if there is a family history of cancer or autoimmune conditions, this is where I can help - this is what I do!
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Sunscreens are a major cause of skin cancers

1/11/2019

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Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of skin cancers in the world. But incidences are also rising in countries that are generally colder or not well known for having a lot of sunlight, such as the UK or in the Scandinavian countries.
There are several reasons for this, including the lack of the protective ozone layer in the southern hemisphere, and the increasing use of sunscreens as a result of government sun-safe campaigns.

From looking at the research into sunscreen ingredients and health, I would not recommend using commercial sunscreens as they are the main reason for causing skin cancers. When their marketing says they protect you from the sun, it isn't true. Sunscreens CAUSE skin cancer.

There are 3 ways sunscreens cause skin cancer:
1) Sunscreens block the production of vitamin D, required for absorption of calcium for healthy bones and teeth, and prevention of hundreds of illnesses and chronic diseases, from colds and flu to mental health disorders. Cancer risk is reduced by over 50% with having sufficient vitamin D levels in your body. Vitamin D is a massive immune system booster, and as your immune system destroys cancer cells when it is working well, you need to support your immune system to do this. See my other articles on sunscreens, vitamin D and cancer below.

2) Sunscreens block the UV-B radiation which protects you from the sun and prevents sunburn. But it's the UV-B light which is needed for your body to produce vitamin D! HOWEVER, sunscreens therefore allow you to stay outside in the sun longer (and not get burnt) to be exposed to more of the UV-A radiation, which is the one that causes skin cancer... Let that sink in - sunscreens give you a false sense of security to stay out in the sun longer and be exposed to MORE skin cancer causing UV-A light.

3) Many chemicals in commercial sunscreens (read the ingredients list again) include carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals and hormone-disrupting chemicals which can affect your whole body to negatively affect your health.

Even sunscreens promoted by the Cancer Council have very toxic ingredients including neurotoxins, or they affect fertility or cause DNA damage (ie cause cancer), or disrupt your normal hormones. Australia's Cancer Council's own brand sunscreen contains 5 cancer-causing chemicals, and 4 hormone-disrupting chemicals, in their ONE product! It also contains other chemicals banned in other countries and other damaging chemicals too.

Scientific research proves this:
One study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2000 (entitled: "Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma"), it showed that people who used sunscreens did NOT have a reduced risk of malignant melanoma, that they spent more time in the sun and got melanoma even if they didn't get sunburnt, and there was an increased risk of melanoma from sunscreen use.

An expert Dermatologist, Dr Bernard Ackerman, who has published 625 research papers on skin cancer says that there is no proven link between sun exposure and melanoma. And people with melanoma have it on less exposed body areas.

Sunscreens actually CAUSE more skin cancer than they prevent.

Please check your sunscreens, and do your research on the ingredients in them. For your family's health, be sun-safe by getting some sunlight on your skin in small doses regularly (but not enough to burn) and if you need to stay out in the sun for longer, cover up with clothes and a hat, or use a natural sunscreen that does not have toxic ingredients in it, from a health food shop.
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If you do not think you are getting enough sunlight to maintain your vitamin D levels (at around 5-10 minutes per day in spring or summer) you can opt for a good vitamin D3 supplement - ask me for details!​

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reflux and heartburn medications make your health worse

26/9/2019

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This article is a great example of the medicine roundabout that I see very often in my clinical practice, and the difference between allopathic medicine (GPs and pharmaceutical medications), and what I do in Nutritional and Naturopathic treatments.

In allopathic medicine, patients are prescribed medications which may reduce some symptoms, but introduce or cause other symptoms in the form of side effects. These side effects cause long-term (ie, chronic) complications which can be very serious, which then need further medications being prescribed, which in turn cause more side effects etc etc... all because of one or more simple, preventable and very easily treatable factors are the real root causes. But of course no GP ever looks for the root causes, nor recommends nutrient supplements or lifestyle improvements which can prevent and reverse the whole cascade of issues I mention below.

One of the most common issues I see is a client having one or more digestive system symptoms. The symptoms can include some or all of the following:

- frequent burping
- reflux, indigestion, heartburn
- bloating and gas
- constipation or diarrhoea
- nausea after eating some foods.

As a result, many people with these symptoms will visit their GP, who will prescribe various medications to reduce symptoms, such as Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) medications like Nexium, Somac, Zantac and others. BTW, Zantac was recently stopped from production due to it containing a cancer-causing compound...

PPI medications reduce the stomach's ability to produce stomach acid and enzymes, in an attempt to reduce heartburn and reflux. But your body naturally needs stomach acid and enzymes to be produced to digest your food properly. Sure, PPIs can sometimes reduce the reflux or indigestion symptoms, but they don't work most of the time as people with the above symptoms generally have LOW stomach acid already, because of nutrient deficiencies which are causing the reflux and indigestion.

If your stomach cannot digest food properly, the undigested food will mostly not be absorbed into your body to be used, which will lead to many nutrient deficiencies including:

- iron
- vitamin B12
- folate
- magnesium
- calcium
- and zinc.

The longer you use PPI medications for, the worse your nutrient deficiencies will be. In addition, the undigested food makes its way past the small intestine and into the large intestine where there are trillions of digestive bacteria! There's nothing they like better than undigested carbohydrates and proteins to feast on! And they do! Your gut bacteria will ferment the carbohydrates into gas and alcohol (in the same way as making beer and wine!), and putrify the meat proteins to cause lots of GAS, which causes BLOATING, which causes PAIN, and dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut bacteria), constipation and diarrhoea, a foggy brain or headaches (from the alcohol produced), nausea, and other digestive symptoms - all of those listed above. Are these symptoms ringing any bells with you, or someone you know?!

The nutrient deficiencies that PPIs cause, will result in more severe complications over time, including:

- Degenerative brain conditions - dementia and Alzheimer's disease
- Loss of bone density, weak bones, fractures, oesteoporosis and osteopenia
- Acute and chronic kidney diseases, which can be very serious
- Increased incidences of digestive infections - gastroenteritis, food poisoning, Salmonella, Helicobacter pylori infection, C. diff., Campylobacter, and others
- Muscle wasting (especially if taking an anti-inflammatory or NSAID medication)
- Anaemia - iron deficiency and pernicious anaemias
- Increased heart related events - increased blood clots and stroke risk, and heart attacks
- Other digestive system or systemic conditions - SIBO, gastritis, stomach and digestive system cancers, and more.

And if you are relying on the medical system for your health, then you will be going through a lot of medical imaging and pathology tests for these complications, being prescribed more medications to reduce these additional symptoms, which then cause even more side effects, and worsening health, unfortunately. This is the medical roundabout - one medication causes more health issues, which means more medications and more health issues. You need to break this cycle!

Or you can get someone to find the root causes of your reflux and indigestion, or other health issues! That's what I do!

Treating the actual root causes makes far more sense. It means there is no dependence on medications, no side effects or further symptoms, a reduction in risk of all complications, a more permanent resolution to the symptoms, and you can get your health back!

If you are currently taking PPI medications, it can be risky to just stop taking them, especially if your root causes aren't investigated and treated first. If you get lots of burping, reflux, indigestion, bloating, digestive pains, or other digestive symptoms, I can help relieve these symptoms quickly! I can find and fix the root causes of these symptoms, and prevent further complications, especially of PPIs and other medications which don't actually fix the problem, but simply make your health worse.

Avoid the medicine roundabout, and improve your health!
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Spring is the season of allergies which can be reduced!

15/9/2019

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It’s spring again (at least in Brisbane where I am!), which is the season of hayfever and allergies for many people. For these people, the new plant growth, grasses, flowers and pollen can be a very frustrating time. But it need not be…

Allergies and intolerances or sensitivities are abnormal immune system responses to foods or chemicals in your environment. Allergies to various foods and chemicals can be deadly in some people, and intolerances or sensitivities can be hard to identify, but all can be very detrimental to your health. Allergies can be very stressful for the sufferer as well as their families, as the allergen can be hidden in many foods or meals, despite their best efforts to avoid it.

Symptoms of allergies, intolerances or sensitivities can include frequent sneezing, coughing, rashes, itchy skin, sinus congestion and pain, headaches and migraines, congested throat and nose, digestive complaints of pains and bloating, and other symptoms. If you have these symptoms regularly, it is important to find the cause(s) and prevent worsening of symptoms or developing into more chronic health issues.

Some recent Australian research has been on trying to reduce peanut allergies, particularly in children. The new research is retraining the body’s immune system to develop a tolerance to peanuts using very small amounts and gradually increasing, in conjunction with specific strains of probiotic bacteria!

The new research into probiotics for allergies is very exciting, and again shows the importance of your digestive bacteria to your health! This is one reason why I use targeted probiotic strains for specific health conditions like allergies, intolerances or other conditions, but also together with other techniques and treatments such as herbal medicines and nutritional medicine, healing the digestive system and balancing the immune system, which all plays a part in reducing the effects of allergies and intolerances!

I  wouldn’t recommend you just take probiotics for your allergy, as the abovementioned research used tiny amounts of the triggering substance over an 18 month period (under medical supervision) to develop a reduced immune system response. Other aspects of treating allergies, intolerances and their symptoms are needed too!

Many allergies or intolerances/sensitivities can be hard to identify yourself, but I do have access to several pathology tests for checking your responses to 50, 96, or more foods or chemicals with a simple test from a blood spot or blood or even hair sample. This is the easiest and quickest way to identify what might be causing your symptoms.

If you have seasonal hayfever, now if a great time to start getting some help to prevent and reduce your allergy symptoms! I have been seeing quite a lot of allergies, hayfever, hives and other similar symptoms recently, and have seen amazing improvements in all cases!
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If you or someone you know suffers from allergies or intolerances, we would love to help you reduce your symptoms and improve your health! 
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Science, research, scepticism and the 50th anniversary of the moon landing!

21/7/2019

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So it's the 50th anniversary of the (alleged) NASA landing and walking on the moon!

At the time it was a massive scientific and technological undertaking, with computers really only in their infancy compared to what we have today! It was seen as a huge triumph of human ingenuity, scientific knowledge, and technical excellence, in the pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal!

However, despite the momentous achievement, there has been ongoing speculation and debate ever since - did it really happen?!

NASA claims that back in 1969, they were able to go 1000 times further in space (with manned spacecraft) than they have been able to go in more recent times, with technology that was 50 years older, at the very first attempt, using NASA's entire computing power that was one-millionth of the computing power in your mobile phone today, but no other country has been able to repeat the feat since.  An interesting summary video of some issues of the moon landing can be found here (45 mins long) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xciCJfbTvE4

Sure, I'm sceptical. I always have been on this and other topics of debate. And there's nothing wrong with being sceptical or questioning the popular beliefs of the day! That is exactly what science is about - challenging popular beliefs with sound theories and then investigating and proving them to be true or better than the current beliefs.

Yet in this day and age, one is seen as being a heretic or a "troll" to question "science", even when one is using published and peer-reviewed scientific studies against the popular beliefs of the day! And the abuse and vitriol against those who question "science" on platforms such as this, is just incredible. The keyboard warriors who hide behind technology to spew such abuse would never say the same things in person, because that's not acceptable. Yet via the interweb, everyone is fair game for their abuse, just because they have a different opinion...

Having rebels or independent thinkers in our society is how we have progressed in many areas of education, science, music, art, technology, and health etc. Suppressing this with  government policies or social media restrictions, or ridiculing others because they have a different belief, is a far worse problem, as eventually you will have no freedoms (of thought or speech) left either. Everyone has a right of their opinion because of their personal education and experiences. And we can have a friendly debate and that's fine! Abuse, violence, threats and bullying of others is not acceptable.

Science is never settled - that's how we again have progressed in our lives, with old beliefs being proven incorrect, and new theories come into being, and the cycle continues.

The same is in the area of health and medicine. Many of my articles are questioning government health policies or popular beliefs. Just because they are popular doesn't make them proven to be correct!

Sadly, much of medical science is corrupted, biased or completely wrong. There are many popular medical beliefs which have become standard treatments and even government policies that were based on poorly designed studies, deliberately manipulated data, fraud, biased or pre-conceived outcomes, being funded by the very company or industry that will financially benefit from a favourable outcome, or completely fabricated studies. Several research reviews have been published which found that up to 70% of health and medical procedures or medicines have no scientific basis! And ironically, the conventional medical industry demands high quality evidence of any competing products (such as from natural health treatments, modalities or products), yet much of what they promote or use isn't adequately proven.

I am sceptical about a lot of science, especially in the area of health and medicine. But I then investigate the studies on both sides of the argument, together with my personal and clinical experiences, to formulate my beliefs. I don't just believe what the media or government says! And I have references to back up my articles, so they are not just my opinion!

It's human to be "wrong", even if it can be amusing or embarrassing to find out that fact, especially with long-held beliefs. We have all been wrong on various beliefs and thoughts in the past. So what, get over it, move on and enjoy your life and you health! It's not worth the stress of worrying about being right or wrong! 
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