Swine Flu Outbreak

What is swine flu and how can humans catch it?
Updated Sun. Apr. 26 2009 12:33 PM ET
Angela Mulholland, CTV.ca News

What is swine flu?
Like humans, pigs get the flu. They develop a sudden fever, a barking cough, sneezing, lethargy and typically lose their appetite.
Pigs usually don't die from swine flu; their flu viruses cause high levels of illness but low death rates.
Swine influenza viruses circulate among pigs throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter, just like with outbreaks in humans.
Most swine flu viruses belong to the Influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes.

Can humans catch swine flu?
Normally, swine flu bugs don't infect people. When they do, it's been in people who have direct contact with pigs; historically, there's such a case every year or two in the U.S. between Dec. 2005 and Feb. 2009, there were12 human swine flu infections in the U.S. -- about four a year.
It's possible this uptick was due to improved reporting systems, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says "genetic changes in swine flu viruses and other factors might also be a factor."
Since March 2009, a number of confirmed human cases of a new strain of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in the U.S. and internationally have been identified.

Can humans pass swine flu?
Usually no. But what makes this new outbreak worrisome is that in all the recent cases, none had any direct contact with pigs.
Two of the new cases were among 16-year-olds at the same school in San Antonio and there's a father-daughter pair in California, said CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat.

Is this a new kind of swine flu?
Yes. The CDC reports that the virus in these latest cases is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans.
The influenza A H1N1 virus contains DNA typical to avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses.
Although it's called swine flu, this new strain is not infecting pigs and has never been seen in pigs.

Why would a new strain be worrisome?
Epidemiologists have been warning for years that it's just a matter of time before a new strain of the flu emerges that has the potential to kill millions. Flu pandemics have historically occurred about three times per century and the world hasn't seen one in more than 40 years.
If an influenza virus changes and becomes a new strain against which people have little or no immunity -- and this new strain is easily spread from person to person – many people around the world could become ill and die.
The World Health Organization estimates that in the best case scenario, the next pandemic could kill two to seven million people and send tens of millions to hospital.

Is there a vaccine?
There is a vaccine available that can be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. But there is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu.

I got the flu shot this year. Am I protected?
No. H1N1 swine flu viruses are very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food; you cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of our regular flu, with sudden onset of:
• Fever
• Lethargy
• Lack of appetite
• Coughing

Some people with swine flu also have reported:
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How is the virus transmitted?
Human-to-human transmission of swine flu is believed to occur the same way as seasonal flu, mainly through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus.
People also can become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Can we treat swine flu in humans?
Yes. Most swine influenza viruses have been treated with antiviral medications.
The virus from the most recent U.S. swine flu cases appeared to be resistant to amantadine and rimantadine but was susceptible to zanamivir and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

Have there been swine flu outbreaks before?
Yes. Most famously, there was an outbreak in 1976 at Fort Dix, N.J., among military recruits that grabbed big headlines at the time.
Worried that they had the beginning of a pandemic on their hands, U.S. officials ordered the manufacture of swine flu vaccine and the country launched a mass immunization program that saw about 40 million people vaccinated.
But the outbreak didn't turn into a pandemic and went away as mysteriously as it appeared.

Sources: The Canadian Press, Public Health Agency of Canada and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control

What Is Asthma?

Asthma (AZ-ma) is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts in childhood. In the United States, more than 22 million people are known to have asthma. Nearly 6 million of these people are children.

Magnesium: Opens the Airways

"If I had to recommend one nutrient for people with asthma, it would be magnesium," says Dr.Firshein. The mineral act as a natural bronchodilator, meaning that it relaxes and opens the bronchial tract, the airway to the lungs that becomes contricted during asthma attacks. He recommands taking a daily 500-milligram supplement of either magnesium aspartate or magnesium citrate. You can take this supplement every day for 6 months, he suggests.

Coenzyme Q10, CoQ10

Dear san ,

When I was in med school 25 years ago a small group of researchers were quietly laying the groundwork for a breakthrough that at the time sounded like science fiction.

Today it’s reality. People like you are keeping the power of youth into old age. I’ve seen it first hand.

Being one of the first board certified doctors in anti-aging medicine, I’ve had a front row seat for this remarkable discovery. The phenomenal nutrient I’m talking about is a brand new form of CoQ10 called Accel. It’s helping my patients make unbelievable gains.

The energy Accel supplies your major organs is so powerful; they just don’t seem to break down or get older. All the limitations we associate with aging are going out the window.

The inventor of Accel – Dr. Mae from Japan – showed me the test results when he stopped by for a visit. The mice taking Accel were the equivalent of 80-year old humans – and they were running around like teenagers.

During his visit, Dr. Mae gave me an exclusive look at his 15-month study testing Accel on mice. They split the mice into three groups.

One group of mice received a standard lab diet with no CoQ10. The second group received the same diet with the traditional form of CoQ10. The final group received the lab diet with the new form of CoQ10 – Accel.

At 12 months of age – the point that translates into late middle age for humans – the mice who took Accel aged at a rate 22% slower than those taking the regular CoQ10 and 51% slower than the mice taking no CoQ10.

The mice who received no CoQ10 were unresponsive and immobile. They had spinal and limb deformities, lesions in and around the eye and a discolored coat. Overall, they looked like dried-up corpses.

The mice who received the traditional form of CoQ10 had irritation around the eyes, a bent backbone and some discoloration of its coat. But in general, they looked a lot better than the mice who received no CoQ10.

Remarkably, the mice who took the new Accel, looked responsive and energetic. They had no physical deformities, no lesions and had a bright, glossy coat. They looked and acted like young, healthy mice. All of this in spite of the fact that they were actually very old – the equivalent of humans in their 80s.

CoQ10 has been around for years. And it’s been helpful. But there were major drawbacks to the old type of CoQ10. It was weak and expensive.

Accel makes a difference because it’s in its stronger reduced form… so much better absorbed. That means your blood levels stay higher, longer.

I remember when I had to tell some patients to take 400-mg of the old CoQ10 every 8 hours to keep their blood levels high enough. It worked but it was a very expensive option. They could easily go through a couple of bottles a week.

With Accel, most people can get all the anti-aging power with just one caplet a day. That makes the miracle of CoQ10 available to you at a fraction of the cost.

Traditionally, all CoQ10 supplements use the old style ingredient ubiquinone. But once this gets into your system, your body has to convert it into another substance called ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol is the form of CoQ10 that works miracles. And this is what you’ll find in Accel. But there’s a problem… Your body’s ability to convert the old style starts to decline after age 45. As a result, your body doesn’t get the full effect. And in many cases – if you’re 50 or older – traditional CoQ10 won’t give you the chance to stay young into old age.

But Japanese researchers – led by my friend and colleague Dr. Mae – recently discovered a reliable way to skip the conversion process. That means Accel gets into your blood at super high concentrations – with no effort on your body’s part.

The idea has been around for some time. But until now, no one could figure out how to make it stable enough to take on its own.

Accel gives you 8 times higher absorption and keeps your blood levels high over an extended period. High blood levels make all the difference. That’s what you need to delay the effects of aging.

What may be even more critical is how long Accel stays in your body compared to the old form. In one study using mice, the new Accel was present in the blood at a 3.75-fold greater concentration after 8 hours.1

This high concentration staying in your system for 8 hours is one of the keys to its age-defying potential. The same amount of traditional CoQ10 dropped to a low level after 8 hours – too low to have a powerful anti-aging effect.

Accel gives you a shot of CoQ10 up to 8 times more powerful than the old, weaker (and more expensive) kind of CoQ10.

Better absorption makes all the difference. It gets more CoQ10 power to your cells and keeps levels in your blood higher for longer.

But why does better absorption make miracles possible?

The answer is in the architecture of your cells.

Most people think of cells as a little blob of microscopic material. But their power and complexity is far more wondrous than you may imagine. Each cell in your body – and you have trillions of them – is like a tiny micro-city.

Each cell has its own work force… its own industrial complex… its own power grid… you might even say your cells have a kind of economy and political structure.

Of course, there are many different types of cells. Heart cells, brain cells, skeletal muscle cells, etc. But they all have the same basic architecture. And they all need HUGE amounts of fresh energy – every 24 hours. Especially your heart and brain.

Like the city you live in, each one of your cells needs energy to survive. Think of all the services you get in your city… electricity, cable, Internet, food, water, sewage, mail, gas for you car… the list goes on.

All these basic necessities rely on raw energy sources like oil, gas or electricity.

But what if your town lost access to its raw energy sources?

What if one day your toilet backed up because you lost your sewer services? What if you went into your kitchen and all your food was gone? What if you turned on your taps and nothing came out?

How could you function? How could you take care of your family?
Every cell in your body goes through the same horrific scenario when its source of energy starts to break down.

As you may have guessed… CoQ10 is your cell’s source of raw energy. CoQ10 is like the oil company, the gas company, the electric company and your local grocery store all rolled into one.
Now imagine that you magnified just one of your body’s cells… a thousand, million times… to the point where the cell was 20 kilometers in diameter. The size of a small city.

On the surface you would see millions of openings – like portholes. These are your cell’s receptors. They are constantly opening and closing. A continual stream of materials flows in and out of this remarkably complex city-like being.

If you went inside you would see an impressive sci-fi world of supreme technology and bewildering complexity. Miles of endless corridors would lead towards the center nucleus. Other networks would wind their way to assembly plants, processing units, power stations and other vital parts of the city.

The nucleus itself would be at least 1 kilometer in diameter. This dome-shaped memory bank holds miles and miles of coiled chains of DNA molecules – your own personal blueprint for life.
Part of this complex network of highways leads to and from your mitochondria. These are your cell’s main power plants. The energy flowing out of the mitochondria feed into every part of this vast metropolis.

Without power from the mitochondria the life of this city would suffocate and die. Just like the city you live in… if you don’t have enough raw materials, life can’t go on.

When you see the cell in this light, CoQ10 makes sense.

CoQ10 is the fuel that ignites the power plants in each of your cells. Without the power plants, the myriad of functions that happen inside your cells come to a premature end.

Now imagine Accel… it sends a powerful stream of pure energy to every cell in your body. The porthole receptors on the surface of your cells open up and accept the vast amounts of new energy coming in from just one caplet of Accel.

Instead of starving and going hungry – which is often the case in our modern, nutrition-poor world – your cells grow strong and vibrant. Instead of being slow and unproductive, your cells vibrate with life.

Remember… your cells work together to achieve a common goal. Billions of cells in your heart work together to pump blood and oxygen through your entire body. Billions of cells in your brain work together to think, speak, analyze, process and regulate millions of activities all at once.
When your cells are well fed they live longer. When they have the materials they need they work together with a power and efficiency that resembles early life. They act and feel younger. Pure and simple.

That’s why the mice in the test study were running around like teenagers.
Accel kept their organs powered up at the same levels they had when they were much younger. The mice were the equivalent of 80-year old humans – but they still had the life force of a teenager.

When your cells stay young, so do your organs. And when your organs stay youthful, you keep your vitality far into old age.

When you don’t get enough CoQ10, your cells struggle to survive. And when that happens you age faster. Early death comes easy.

Accel is anti-aging medicine made real. After decades of research we now have a concentrated nutrient that powers up your entire body and keeps it going far longer than you ever imagined possible.

And that’s the whole point of anti-aging medicine: To keep the power of youth into old age.
That’s why I take Accel everyday. It’s the one nutrient I plan to take everyday indefinitely.
I recommend Accel to anyone who will listen. I give it to my family… my staff… my friends and colleagues… I believe in it so strongly because I’ve seen it work. Hundreds of times, in fact.
The FDA limits what I can tell you about Accel in this letter, but I’ve had patients at death’s door who made full recoveries and went on to lead normal, happy lives. It’s happened countless times.

One time I had a male patient who was only 45 years old. His situation was so dire his cardiologist asked him if he had a will and suggested he put his assets in a trust for his family.
He was on numerous drugs and about 150 pounds over weight. When he finally made it into my clinic he had very little energy. He walked with a cane and shuffled around like an old man.
After 9 months on Accel he looked like a different person. His symptoms were about 85% gone. There was a look of hope on his face. He wore a big smile and talked about how happy he was to be closer to his family.

Not only did his health improve, his enthusiasm for life came back. He looked reborn.
Of course, I also taught him my PACE program and gave him some diet recommendations. Those helped too. But the real star was Accel. It made the turn around possible.
Some people come to my clinic after they’ve tried everything else. And they’re often the ones who make the most remarkable transformations.

Accel is very exciting. It’s the most potent anti-aging tool we have. It gives your body the power to take care of itself. And therein lies its most precious gift.

In spite of what you hear in the news and on TV, your body is not a machine. Your body is a sentient being with the ability to make decisions and respond to challenges. Your body knows how to take care of itself. It’s directed by nature.

When you give your cells the energy they need, they know what to do with it. They can use it to fix what’s broken and preserve the organs that keep you alive.

Nature didn’t design your body to be sick. As time goes by you age and get older… but your body has a natural way of achieving and maintaining balance. Optimum health is nature’s prime directive.

Let me ask you… How do you see yourself when you hit 80?

Do you expect to be bitter and angry… crippled and feeble-minded… stuck in a wheelchair…

It doesn’t have to be that way.

You have the possibility of reshaping your own future. You can look and act like a teenager even when you’re in your 80s. It’s simply a matter of giving your cells the energy they need to keep you fit and vital as you age.

Twenty years ago, this was unheard of… today it’s a reality. Join me on this remarkable journey of sustained youth.

Old age doesn’t have to be a chore. Depression doesn’t have to be part of the aging process. You can enjoy youthful optimism for the rest of your days. Starting today.
I take Accel everyday and will for the rest of my life…

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, M.D.

Mosquito Spray...Worth a try

I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and a little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it...

Re-boiled Water

Sin Chiew's article on re-boiled water......spells danger!

See Attachment in Chinese media.

Translated version as follows:-

THIS IS NOT NEW DISCOVERY BUT MANY OF US JUST IGNORE IT ALL THE WHILE!

A pharmacist report from Singapore that warning people NEVER keep boiling your drinking water!!

Report Summary: TOP harmful chemical named (Toxic Nitrate) was produced in water when keep boiling it!! This harmful substance hadbeen proved will increase the chances of intestines cancer and stomachcancer.

IF currently you like to use 'WATER DISPENSER with WARM / HOT WATER Functions' or 'Electric AUTO keep warm Thermos' for your convenience,STOP IT NOW otherwise you would suicide yourself slowly as well asyour loved one!!

NOWADAY, there are so many drinking water company that OFFER FREE WATER DISPENSER when you order drinking water from them! THINK WISELY before you order!

YOU might get FREE water dispenser but in fact would be paid out your OWN HEALTH!!

Lady Finger - Treatment for Diabetic

Last month in one of TV program I learnt of a treatment of Sugar(Diabetes). Since I am diabetic, I tried it and it was very useful and my Sugar is in control now. In fact I have already reduced my medicine.

Take two pieces of Lady Finger (Bhindi) and remove/cut both ends of eachpiece. Also put a small cut in the middle and put these two pieces in glass of water. Cover the glass and keep it at room temperature during night. Early morning, before breakfast simply remove two pieces of ladyfinger (bhindi) from the glass and drink that water.

Keep doing it on daily basis.

Within two weeks, you will see remarkable results in reduction of your SUGAR.

My sister has got rid of her diabetes. She was on Insulin for a few years, but after taking the lady fingers every morning for a few months,she has stopped Insulin but continues to take the lady fingers everyday. But she chops the lady fingers into fine pieces in the night, adds
the water and drinks it all up the next morning. Please. try it as itwill not do you any harm even if it does not do much good to you, but Uhave to keep taking it for a few months before U see results, as most cases might be chronic.

How to Stop Cough In 5 Minutes!!

How to stop cough in 5 minutes!!!

This is a must try...We have all been kept awake by our own or someone else's cough. Try this and pass it on.

The tip to stop the cough.

ANYTHING is better than antibiotics.

Even babies could benefit from this and the parents wouldn'tworry about the safety of their child. And of course, it is harmless and WOW! I was raised, and raised my kids with Vicks. How come I never knew this? I can't wait for my next cough. Amazing!READ IT ALL. It works 100 percent of the time, although the scientists at the Canada Research council (who discovered it) aren't sure why.

Treatment: To stop night time coughing in a child (or an adult, as we found outpersonally), put Vicks Vapor Rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime and then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about five minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. This works 100 percent of the time, and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. I heard the head of the Canada Research Council describe these findings on the part of their scientists when they were investigating the effectiveness an sge of prescription cough medicines in children, as compared to alternative therapies like acupressure. I just happened to tune in to a.m. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs, so I listened. It was a surprising finding and found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, and in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.. My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago, andit worked 100 percent! She said it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her. The coughing stopped in a few minutes, and believe me this was a deep(incredibly annoying!) every few seconds, uncontrollable cough and she slept cough-free for hours every night she used it.If you have children or grandchildren, pass it on. If you end up sick, trying yourelf and you will be absolutely amazed.

Banana

Bananas were cultivated in India 4,000 years ago. In 1482, the Portuguese found the banana on the Guinea coast and carried it with them to the Canary Islands. Spanish priests are credited with having introduced this fruit to tropical America when they arrived as missionaries in the sixteenth century. Now, the banana can be found in all tropical countries.

The first known species of banana is the plaintain, or cooking banana. The plaintain has a salmon-colored pulp, a cheesy, gummy texture, and a slightly acid taste. This fruit has been a substitute for bread or potatoes in many countries, and is slowly being introduced to the United States.

Bananas are usually harvested green, shipped green, and ripened by wholesale fruit jobbers in air-conditioned ripening rooms. The Gros Michel Variety is the most popular of the many varieties. It produces the largest and most compact bunch, which makes it easier to ship. The thick skin of the banana protects the soft fruit.