Failing School Lunch Programs:

Profits and Politics versus Children’s Health!

I had the opportunity to participate in a briefing for Congress on Capitol Hill last Thursday, March 18.  As a member and supporter of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), I was excited to be part of their Healthy School Lunch Program’s “Fighting Childhood Obesity with Food”.   The Healthy School Meals Act of 2010 (HR 4870) was introduced, being sponsored by Congressman Jared Polis from Colorado.  Co-sponsors include thirty six Congressional supporters.  Actress/advocate Scarlett Johansson is also a key supporter.  Actor/activist Tobey Maguire and his wife Jennifer Meyer are supporters for PCRM’s Healthy School Lunch Program…lots of other celebrities are involved too.

The expert/celebrity panel included Dr. Neal Barnard, president and founder of PCRM; actress/activist/author Marilu Henner; celebrity pediatrician/author/nutritionist Dr. Jay Gordon; Gary Petill, celebrated food service director San Diego Unified School District (he’s made some amazing changes in his district!); among others.   A wonderful, delicious vegetarian meal of ‘veggie’ soft tacos, ‘chicken’ nuggets, ‘veggie’ burgers and lots of fresh fruits and veggies with dips were served.  I watched with pleasure to see guests fill their plates with the healthy food and devour it and go back for seconds!  The chocolate soy milk was a huge hit!

As a nutritionist and mother of three children, I was both pleased and dismayed at the information being shared.  Pleased that many of us are making a difference, many are fighting the status quo, and pleased that some schools actually offer healthy choices!

Not so pleased however with this bad news:

• About 80% of our U.S. schools fall short on providing our children with proper nutrition and/or even offer a vegetarian option.
• About 35% of our children are overweight and/or obese.
• According to the latest research, children who eat school-purchased lunches are more likely to be overweight and obese, and less likely to eat enough fruits and vegetables.
• Schools are not required to offer nondairy milk alternatives to students who cannot or do not want to drink milk due to lactose intolerance, religious or ethical reasons. As a result, many children are left without key nutrients during the school day.
  And dairy is NOT your best source of calcium, which the dairy board and school nutritionists might lead you to believe! (For more dairy disasters and myths, search my blog or read “The China Study”.)
• Up to 70% of children and adults (African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Caucasians) are lactose intolerant.  So why do we force artery-clogging, cholesterol-laden cheese and dairy upon many who simply cannot tolerate it!  These children end up in the nurse’s office with complaints of stomach aches, diarrhea and other GI issues!  How do you expect a child to learn and participate in class when not feeling well?
• Schools struggle to meet the USDA nutritional guidelines; more than 70% of schools fail to meet the USDA’s standards for saturated fat and total fat!
• Children consume too much processed foods, too much fat, sodium and don’t get enough fiber, whole fresh fruits and veggies!
• Powdered instant ‘mashed’ potatoes with chemically-laden instant gravy are considered a ‘vegetable’ by the school nutritionists/USDA.
• French fries (yes, artery-clogging, devoid of nutrients ‘potatoes’) are considered a ‘vegetable’ by the school nutritionists/USDA.  How’s that for a cancer-fighter!?
• Fruit juices are considered a serving of ‘fruit’.
• Canned ‘pie filling’ can be considered a serving of ‘fruit’!

In fairness to school dieticians and nutritionists, their ‘rules’ are dictated by the USDA and out-dated research. And who do you think influences the USDA…wink, wink, nod, nod!   I’ve spoken with several school officials, dieticians, food workers and hundreds of parents…we all want change!  The Healthy School Meals Act will provide that change.

Here are some highlights of what this Act will do:

• Improve children’s eating patterns by encouraging inclusion of healthful plant-based options in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
• Introduce plant-based foods, increases their availability and affordability, and provide incentives for schools to provide healthful entrée options.
• Remove restrictions, like having a doctor’s note, to provide non-dairy milk alternatives, thus ensuring children receive vital nutrients.
• Direct USDA to conduct a 2 year pilot program to provide a representative sample of school districts with plant-based alternate protein products and non-dairy milk substitutes at no cost to determine which products children like and are easy to prepare.
• Provide more plant-based commodities.
• Provide incentives to schools that provide at least 2/3 of their students with plant-based entrée options and receive supplemental commodity assistance.
• Healthy ‘milk’ alternatives: schools will offer students who cannot or do not want to drink dairy milk a healthful substitute that meets nutritional standards; schools will be reimbursed.

For complete information, to get involved or to support HR 4870 Healthy School Meals Act, please visit: http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/legislative/hsma.cfm

Our children are our future…we hear this over and over.  What does our future hold if we have raised overweight, obese, cholesterol-lowering-medicated, heart-attack-waiting-to-happen, overly processed, undernourished, depressed children?  70% of our twelve year olds have the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries!  Three year olds already have fatty deposits in their arteries!  School-age children are on cholesterol-lowering meds, anti-depressants, Ritalin and many other medications that could be avoided by better nutrition.  What does this say about our country?  What does this say about our parenting skills?  Our government?  Our future?

Our children trust us with their health!  They cannot distinguish between commercial advertising (sugary cereals, a clown-selling hamburgers, celebs with white moustaches) and nutrition, that’s our job!  When they go through a lunch line and put food on their trays, they assume that WE are providing them the nutrients to help, heal, repair and nourish their bodies as well as prevent diseases.  Research shows us we are failing at the most simple, basic needs…to provide our children the nourishment for proper brain, organ and body functions.  How do you expect a child to perform while he/she is full of French fries, cookies, chocolate milk, sugary drinks, and heavy cheese?

I invite each and every one of you to go to a school in a lower-socio-economic neighborhood and eat lunch there every day!  See how you feel, see how you function, and see how depressed you become.  When your body is toxic…it will react…just as our children’s bodies (and brains) react!  It’s simply not fair to treat our children as ‘behavior problems’ when their bodies are overloaded and overwhelmed with toxins and processed foods!

Dr. Barnard made a comparison between what is being served at Sidwell Friends School (where the Obama’s children attend) and a DC area school a mile away.  What a stark comparison!  What a crime!  What a travesty!  Shame on us!  Each and every child in every school should have the same rights, the same healthy food options, the same chance for success and a chance for a healthy life!

I will continue to fight each day for the health of our children, our society, our nation and our world.  I hope you will join me!  Our children are worth it!  We are all worth it!

Wishing you all of you abundant and healthy blessings!

Your prevention pal and partner in health ~ Tami

While increasing your consumption of fruits, vegetables and soy helps reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, research also shows that high dairy consumption, and high consumption of animal proteins (yes that means all meat!) increases your risk.  You can search for more info on my blog.  Also I recommend reading “The China Study” by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, PhD, Professor Emeritus Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University; researcher and author of over 300 research papers.

More breaking news from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

Vegetables, Fruits, Soy Help Prevent Breast Cancer

Consumption of soy, fruits, and vegetables helps reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Postmenopausal women who consumed plenty of soy, fruits, and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer, compared with those who consumed relatively little of these foods. The research was based on 34,028 women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The longer the women had consumed these healthful foods, the less chance they had of developing breast cancer.

Butler LM, Wu AH, Wang R, Koh WP, Yuan JM, Yu MC. A vegetable-fruit-soy dietary pattern protects against breast cancer among postmenopausal Singapore Chinese women. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print February 24, 2010. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28572.

More reasons to eat MORE fresh fruits and vegetables and LESS or NO dairy, red meat and processed meats:

Breaking News from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

Vegetable Intake Increases Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates

Women with the highest fruit and vegetable intakes have better ovarian cancer survival rates than those who generally neglect these foods, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Researchers examined food patterns prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis in 341 Illinois women. They found that yellow and cruciferous vegetables, in particular, contributed to longer survival, whereas consumption of dairy products and red and processed meats shortened lifespan. The authors concluded that low-fat, plant based diets are not only beneficial for cancer prevention—they may also play a role in increasing survival time after diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States.

Dolecek TA, McCarthy BJ, Joslin CE, et al. Prediagnosis food patterns are associated with length of survival from epithelial ovarian cancer. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110:369-382.

Greeting friends!  What a wonderful start to the New Year!  I spent the holidays in CA with my adult children and friends.  Back home for the new year, more friends and family.  My youngest daughter, age 21 was here last week and we celebrated my birthday.  I’m really glad that 2009 is over!  It seems it was a tough year (professionally and personally) for many of my friends, colleagues and clients.  I was not immune to the year’s ups and downs.

Well, it’s a new year ~ rebirth!  I’m working diligently to get my book finished.  I’ve been trying to write a “War and Peace” version and realized that it can’t be done.  So, I’m starting back on my ’series’ of books based on my nationally recognized “Got Health?” series.  (Shorter easier-to-read versions with individual topics ranging from women’s health, children’s health/school lunches, men’s health, cancer, heart disease and more.)  I’ve realized that humor and humility, lots of love and passion, inspiration and encouragement serve the issues better that finger-pointing and judgment.  I’m now lovin my time with my laptop!

I just completed my first lecture for 2010, my hosts were the Richmond Vegetarian Society!  What a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the new year!  In receiving some wonderful feedback, kudos and gratitude from our guests, I realized how many people can be touched, inspired, embraced, educated, encouraged to WANT to become healthier!

You have several opportunities to LISTEN LIVE to some of my nutrition/wellness chats; PLUS a RADIO SHOW on January 19th.  You can LISTEN LIVE anywhere in the U.S. and should be on your computer, however it’s not necessary for the phone chats, but would be optimal and beneficial.

The radio show will be broadcast LIVE in So CAL at noon (PST) and you can listen at www.hometownstation.com; just log on a few minutes prior.  Topics include healthy weight loss tips; building a healthy immune system; negative ingredients to avoid…and more.

I’ve been asked to do some wellness/nutrition chats on January 13, 20, 27 EVES (6:30 PST/9:30 EST) and on January 14, 21, 28 DAYS (9 AM PST/ Noon EST).  Please call our office for the invitation flyer and log in info.  804 323-3222.  These chats will include a short video featuring some top healthcare professionals in the fields of internal medicine/family practice; biochemisty; cancer/radiation oncology; and pediatrics.  Some of these physicians are best-selling authors too.  I hope you will consider joining us!

February is right around the corner with HEART health on our minds.  I will be back in SO CAL for a series of health lectures in Malibu and Thousand Oaks (dates and other venues still pending).

March and April hold much promise for expanding my company’s work ~ I will be participating in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s celebrity gala event The Art of Compassion in Malibu.  I’ve been working on their national healthy school lunch program and am looking forward to working with members of Congress to get our Children’s Nutrition Reauthorization Act through this year.  Our celebrity spokesperson for the program is actor/activist Tobey Maguire.  He and his lovely wife Jennifer Meyer are on the honorary committee for the gala. For more info and list of other celebrities, please visit www.pcrm.org.

I wish you all many healthy, happy and prosperous blessings in 2010!

Thank you for allowing me to be your friend, colleague, and partner in great health!

Here are four separate pieces on cancer (2 good news and 2 bad news)…we like to start with good news and end with good news…the bad news stays in the middle…

Soy Boosts Survival in Breast Cancer Patients (The GOOD NEWS…)

Soy consumption improves breast cancer survival, according to a report in today’s (Dec 9, 2009) Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers found that women diagnosed with breast cancer that consume soy products, such as soymilk, tofu, or edamame, have a 32 percent lower risk of recurrence and a 29 percent decreased risk of death, compared with women who consume little or no soy. The report included 5,042 women in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, the largest population-based study of breast cancer survival, and followed them for a four-year period.

In the past, soy has been a controversial topic for cancer patients. However, an editorial accompanying this new study suggests that inconsistencies in prior research may be attributable to the comparatively low soy consumption in the United States, making beneficial effects harder to identify. In China, soy intake is higher and diets tend to include traditional food sources of soy, rather than soy supplements.

Also, here in the United States, we consume way too much animal protein, including dairy which has been shown to increase cancer. We eat too much processed foods, high-fat foods, too much sugar…all of which have been shown to increase cancer rates. We DON’T eat enough of the cancer-fighting and cancer-protecting foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, soy, beans, and legumes. (for more info on getting more fruits/veggies, see end of articles.)

Shu XO, Zheng Y, Cai H, et al. Soy food intake and breast cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302:2437-2443.

Ballard-Barbash R, Neuhouser ML. Challenges in design and interpretation of observational research on health behaviors and cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302:2483-2484.

CHEMOTHERAPY and RADIATION (The BAD NEWS…)

A Danish study published in the November 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who have undergone conventional breast cancer treatment experience pain long after completing treatments. Mastectomies, breast-conserving surgeries, radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and lymph node dissection were among the treatments women in the study had received.

More than 3,000 women were instructed to fill out questionnaires about whether or not they had any pain, the types of pain they were experiencing, where they were experiencing it, how often it was recurring, and how severe it was. Nearly 50 percent indicated pain in one or more areas and more than 50 percent of those in the pain group denoted moderate to severe pain.

Of all the women who experienced severe pain, nearly 80 percent experienced it on a daily basis. Among those reporting light pain, 36 percent suffered from it daily. Women under age 40 were more than three times as likely to experience chronic pain than were women over age 40.

Findings revealed that the areas around the breast, armpit, and on the sides of the body were where the women experienced such pain. Women who received radiation therapy were found more likely to have chronic pain than did those who underwent chemotherapy. Likewise, axillary (underarm) lymph node dissection resulted in more instances of chronic pain than did dissection of the sentinal lymph nodes, which is where cancer cells usually proliferate first.

Some specialists are suggesting that providing preventive treatments for women in the high risk groups should be utilized in order to lower the risk of these women developing chronic pain due to cancer treatments.

Building upon previous research into the topic, the study further pinpoints which procedures are most likely to cause chronic pain and in which age groups they are most likely to develop. Doctors and pain specialists have been aware of chronic pain resulting from invasive conventional cancer treatments, but many still claim ignorance as to why the pain lingers, often indefinitely.

Bombarding delicate areas of the body with toxic radiation, harsh chemicals, and invasive surgeries is sure to have lasting negative effects in those unfortunate enough to undergo such procedures. The best option in dealing with breast or any other cancer is to prevent it from ever occurring in the first place. By supplying the body with necessary nutrients, it will be able to defend itself from developing harmful cancers. When the body is in an alkaline state, cancer cells rarely proliferate.

A plant-based diet rich in fresh, fruits and vegetables, including soy have been shown to decrease cancer risk.

Sources for this story include http://health.usnews.com/articles/h…

…and RE: Radiation…

Young women who receive radiation treatment after breast cancer surgery are significantly more likely to later develop cancer in the other breast than women who did not undergo such radiation.

The findings come from a study, published online (May 2009) in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, on more than 7,000 women who were treated for breast cancer in Netherlands between the years of 1970 and 1986. All study participants were diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 71.

Among study participants in general, the risk of developing cancer in the opposite breast (contralateral breast cancer) after treatment in the first breast was three to four times higher than the rate for new cases of breast cancer. This risk only went up with a number of other risk factors, including family predisposition (which could be attributed to poor diet/lifestyle) or treatment with radiation or chemotherapy.

Researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center in Rotterdam examined the cancer risk in women based on whether they were treated with radiation after a lumpectomy (partial breast removal) or mastectomy (complete breast removal). They found that women under the age of 45 who received radiation treatment after a lumpectomy were 1.5 times more likely to develop contralateral cancer than women who received post-mastectomy radiation treatment.

Similarly, the risk of contralateral breast cancer among all patients under the age of 45 increased by 9 percent if they had received radiation treatment. Among women treated before the age of 35, the increase in risk associated with radiation therapy was far higher — 78 percent.

To date, many researchers have assumed that high rates of contralateral breast cancer can be mostly attributed to the risk factors that contributed to the original cancer, such as genetic predisposition. This study is one of the first to suggest that cancer treatment itself might also increase risk. So you see, it’s not only in your genes! You MUST express those genes (turn them on) or you can protect them by proper nutrition, good nutrition and lifestyle choices!

That family predisposition affects breast cancer risk is fairly well accepted by researchers, and scientists have identified two genetic mutations in particular (BRCA1 and BRCA2) that seem to play a role. In the current study, the highest risk of contralateral cancer was seen among women who had three or more relatives who had already had breast cancer. But such predispositions appear to have the greatest effect in the presence of environmental risk factors, such as DIET and LIFESTYLE. Genetics loads the gun; diet and lifestyle pull the trigger!

Breast cancer is the world’s second most common and fifth most lethal cancer. Women in the United States have the highest rate of the disease worldwide.

Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com.

CHEMOTHERAPY DIET – (THE GOOD NEWS…)
Fruit & Vegetables Boost Treatment Results

Apples, cherries, grapes, celery, parsley, artichokes, leeks, onions…these are among the top sources of apigenin, a plant compound which may boost cancer treatment. Fruits and vegetables have long been recognized as key components of a cancer-prevention diet, but they may also help enhance the effectiveness of cancer-fighting drugs, according to a new study (2008) at the University of California, Riverside.

Chemotherapy uses toxic chemicals to kill cancer cells, but unfortunately, when tumors survive this assault, patient survival suffers. While doctors regularly employ drugs to increase chemotherapeutic effects, this new research identifies apigenin as a naturally occurring antioxidant that activates tumor-suppressing proteins, causing 53% of the cancer cells to die off when used in conjunction with chemotherapy. In fact, the apigenin-chemo combo combated cancer just over two and half times more effectively than chemo on its own.

Fruit and vegetables play other important roles in sustaining cancer patients, maintaining blood antioxidant levels, enhancing enzyme activity in the liver and nourishing the body as it battles disease. They also help with weight maintenance, which lowers the risk of developing cancer in the first place, as well as improving the chance of surviving it after diagnosis.  *So eat more fresh fruits and vegetables!

*For those who can’t, won’t and don’t eat the recommended 9-13 daily servings of fruits and veggies ~ there’s Juice Plus+ a whole food fruit/vegetable concentrate. www.TheQueenofJuicePlus.com 866 313-8177 The most thoroughly researched nutritional in the world; research published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

By now everyone has heard of the Swine Flu and thousands are racing to get vaccinated, and thousands more have already received the vaccine. If you are still not vaccinated, you may want to reconsider. I will provide some important links at the end of this blog.

I personally have not received the vaccine, nor do I plan to do so. As a nutritionist and vegetarian, I’m doing all I can to keep my immune system strong by drinking lots of clean filtered, high pH water and/or organic green teas. I’m eating lots of raw fruits, berries, and vegetables, including garlic and onions, which contain anti-viral and anti-biotic properties. More recommendations, including supplementation are below.

Before I delve into this subject, I want to share with you that I recently did a segment for EXTRA TV’s Lifechangers on How Spooky is Your Halloween Candy? Although my piece was a lot longer than originally aired, I had also stated that sugar suppresses the immune system and gave some healthy tips. They did add Dr. Mehmet Oz to my piece and asked him to validate my sugar statement, which he did. I say we are not in ‘cold and flu season’ so much as we are in ‘sugar-suppressing-the-immune-system-season”. We are eating way too much of the wrong foods and not enough of the good healthy foods.

So back to the vaccine issue and the Swine Flu: What most people don’t realize is that we are not ‘vaccine-deficient’…many of our immune systems are not strong enough to deal with the virus. Our main stream medical community and our media outlets may be failing us by not providing Americans with beneficial information on how to strengthen our immune systems. We now see that up to 80% of the children that have died from this flu did have significant or severe underlying medical problems, including weakened or compromised immune systems. As a mother, this is heart-wrenching. Even if one death could have been prevented with proper dietary and nutrition advice, someone should be sharing that information with us! Your family’s health matters!

I recently attended a “healthy communities” day-long series of lectures, and not one healthcare practitioner dared mention the importance of good nutrition in preventing the diseases they were addressing. We had a ‘specialist’ MD who addressed the issue of the H1N1 virus and the current preparations and its ‘prevention’. So I sat with enthusiasm to await the part of his lecture where he was going to address the topic of prevention. My enthusiasm turned to disappointment when the “prevention slide” was basically about washing your hands, coughing into your sleeve and getting vaccinated. There was no mention on how to increase the immune system so as to fight and prevent the virus from taking a foothold. So of course when it came time for Q/A, my question began with some qualifying statements of fact about nutrition and prevention and went something like this…”So if we know that sugar suppresses the immune system, and we know that many children are consuming high amounts of sugar and processed foods, and we know that eating more fruits and vegetables increase the immune system and reduces the risk of many diseases, would it not be prudent to share this health and nutrition information with our community? Shouldn’t we be educating people on HOW to increase their immune functions and HOW to reduce their risks?” I also added some other tips like drinking high pH water, green herbals teas, getting adequate sleep, etc. were important in keeping our immune systems strong. The physician stood for a moment in silence, many in the audience were shaking their heads in agreement with me…and he finally spoke. He smiled and agreed with me, and said that basically his talk was about the current status, the state’s preparation and that he does tell his patients to ‘eat right’. That’s it for nutrition advice!?

So, here are some REAL tips to help your immune system stay strong during cold and flu season:

• Reduce your consumption of processed sugar; sugar suppresses the immune system! Sugar also feeds cancer cells. We eat way too much processed sugar. For a quick visual watch my CBS Morning Show segment at http://www.thequeenofhealth.com/rw-tv-radio/page7.html.

• Reduce your consumption of dairy and animal proteins as these cause the body to become acidic. Colds and flu viruses love an acidic environment, so do cancer cells!

• Reduce your consumption of processed meats, artificial flavors and colors, artificial sweeteners. These are known to have negative effects on the body.

• Increase your fresh, raw fruit, vegetable and berries consumption to include up to 10 servings per day. If you have a juicer, use this daily. This will help the body rid toxins, increase immune system functions, improve circulation and provide many health benefits. Fresh fruits, vegetables, berries and grapes also increase the alkalinity (which helps the immune system!) and reduces acidic environment.

• Include/increase water consumption, best to have a high pH (clean, filtered non-chlorinated too.) Add organic green teas for added phytonutrients and liquid intake.

• Get adequate rest, and reduce stress. Sleep is so vital for repair, aim for at least 7-8 hours each night. Drink some herbal bedtime teas. Take a bath in Epsom salts (good detox!) and add some lavender and/or eucalyptus oil.

• For supplementation: take at least 800 IU of Vitamin D3; take a high quality digestive enzyme/probiotics formula (a happy gut is a healthy gut!) ; add Juice Plus+ fruit and vegetable concentrate and the grapes/berries blend. Juice Plus+ contains thousands of phyto(plant)-nutrients that can never be replicated in a vitamin pill. I work with many physicians that are recommending and using it. (for medical info/ordering http://www.thequeenofjuiceplus.com )

These are only a few tips and most certainly not meant to treat, cure, diagnosis or mitigate any disease. As with starting any new program, please see your qualified healthcare professional for further information. Never stop taking medications unless you discuss with your doctor first.

For those of you considering getting the vaccine, here are some links that you might find useful.

http://www.drjaygordon.com (world-renowned pediatrician, author and guest of TV/radio)

http://www.naturalnews.com/027102_vaccines_H1N1_flu_shot.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19851782?ordinalpos=1&itool=Email.EmailReport.Pubmed_ReportSelector.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.naturalnews.com/swine_flu.html

http://www.NaturalNews.com/026866_swine_flu_flu_vaccine_swine_flu_vaccine.html

And from Pediatricians, Dr. William, Dr. Bob and Dr. Jim Sears:

With the threat of H1N1 flu, the government is recommending everyone begin their regular flu shots earlier this year, as in right now. The available brands are virtually identical to what they were last year (and the year before) as far as manufacturing and ingredients go (including mercury).

The most important thing for infants, children, and pregnant women is to MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING A MERCURY-FREE FLU VACCINE. Here is a list of this year’s available flu vaccines with updated info on mercury content:

FLUZONE shot

This is the only brand approved for all age ranges, from young infants to adults. It comes in four different formulations:
Pre-filled syringe for infants 6 through 35 months (contains ½ dose) – NO mercury.
Pre-filled syringe for children 3 years and older and adults – NO mercury.
Single-dose vial for children 3 years and older and adults – NO mercury.
Multi-dose vial for infants 6 months and older, children and adults – contains the full dose of mercury (25 mcg of thimerosal). Infants 6 thru 35 months would get a ½ dose of this form, all others would get a full dose.

FLUZONE is the only brand of flu shot approved for young infants and toddlers. BEWARE – the multi-dose vial has the full dose of mercury. You have to make sure you are getting a single-dose pre-filled syringe or vial, NOT the multi-dose vial to avoid mercury.

FLUMIST nasal spray

An alternative to the flu SHOT for young children is the FLUMIST nasal spray. There is no mercury in this formulation. It is approved for children 2 years and older and adults through age 49.

FLUVIRIN shot

This shot is approved for children 4 years and older and adults. It comes in two formulations:
Pre-filled syringe – has a trace of mercury (see below)
Multi-dose vial – has the full dose of mercury

FLUARIX shot

This is only for adults 18 years and older. It only comes as a pre-filled syringe with NO mercury (this is new this year: in past years, there was a trace of mercury).

FLULAVAL shot

This is only for adults 18 years and older. It only comes as a multi-dose vial with the full dose of mercury.

AFLURIA shot

This is only for adults 18 years and older. It has two formulations:
Pre-filled syringe with no mercury
Multi-dose vial with the full dose of mercury

TIMING THE FLU VACCINE WITH OTHER VACCINES

Because the flu vaccine is so reactive (likely to cause fever and flu-like side effects), I prefer to avoid giving it with other reactive shots (like MMR, Hep B, Chickenpox, or the H1N1 vaccine). I recommend at least one month between the flu shot and any of these. I would place the priority on the flu shot over the MMR, Hep B or Chickenpox; delay any of those until it’s been at least a month after the flu shot. I do think it’s ok to get the flu shot with any other vaccine on the same day. The teenage vaccines (Tdap, Meningococcal, and HPV) are also fairly reactive, so it would be better to get any flu shots at least one month apart from any of those as well.

As for the H1N1 vaccine, I won’t be recommending that anyone get it at the same time as the regular flu vaccine. So, if you anticipate that you or your child will likely be getting an H1N1 vaccine in October or November, I would get the flu vaccine now (if you are going to get it). Another option, wait until November or December, 1 month after you’ve gotten the H1N1. The flu is unlikely to hit until that time anyway.

Keep in mind that infants and children 8 years or younger need 2 doses of the flu shot the first year they ever get it. So, if this is your child’s first year of flu shots, you need to plan ahead and not get any other reactive shots during those two months.

NASAL SPRAY VERSUS THE SHOT?

The nasal spray is a great alternative for anyone who wanted the shot, but can’t find a mercury-free version. It seems that the nasal spray works a little better, but causes flu-like side effects more often. It also shouldn’t be used in anyone with asthma or a history of wheezing. The shot seems to not quite work as well, but may cause fewer side effects. I have a slight preference for the nasal spray, because it’s a more natural form of vaccination (it is given nasally, which is how the flu is naturally contracted).

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRACE AND FULL-DOSE MERCURY?

In trace mercury vaccines, mercury is added to the manufacturing process as a preservative, but is then filtered out at the end before being put into single-dose syringes or vials. A full preservative isn’t needed because this vial or syringe is only opened and used once, then discarded. The amount of mercury in vaccines that are labeled “trace” is less than 1 microgram. I believe that this amount is completely harmless (as opposed to the full dose).

In full-dose mercury vaccines, the mercury is not filtered out. The preservative is needed for these large 10-dose vials because many doses are drawn out, and the solution needs to stay sterile during that process. The amount of thimerosal in these large vials is 25 micrograms per dose (any infants through age 3 getting a Fluzone shot from the multi-dose vial with mercury would only be getting a half dose, so each shot would be 12.5 micrograms).

WHY NOT JUST MAKE ALL FLU SHOTS WITHOUT MERCURY?

The challenge is space and money. The five different companies that make the flu shot have to scramble every year to make enough. It costs more money and takes up more manufacturing time and space to put single doses of the flu shot into syringes or single-dose vials, compared to putting 10 doses into larger vials. In order to accommodate the demand, manufacturers have to make most of their product “in bulk”. In the future I hope that more companies will change to mercury-free formulations, or the almost-as-good trace mercury formulations.

INFANTS AND PREGNANT WOMEN – JUST SAY NO TO MERCURY

The debate over whether or not mercury in the flu shot is enough to cause harm continues to rage on, with no clear resolution yet. I believe it is prudent in the mean time to avoid giving any full-dose mercury shots to children under 3 and to pregnant women. What should you do if all you can find is a full-dose version? Just say no, and tell your doctor why. Maybe if enough patients do this, doctors will order and demand more of the mercury-free version for next year. For kids 2 years and older, get the nasal spray instead (this can’t be given to pregnant women).

NEW FLU SHOT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS YEAR?

The ACIP, AAP and CDC have decided that it would be beneficial for all children to get a flu shot every year until age 18. Previously the recommendation was for all children until age 5. They don’t know whether or not to push the new policy for THIS year, or wait until next year, because they don’t know if there will be enough flu vaccine to go around to immunize every child and teenager. They don’t want to make a new policy unless they have enough vaccine to cover it. But whether it goes into effect this year or next, it is now believed by medical experts that it’s best to get a flu vaccine for all children and teens every year.

As a speaker and member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I am sharing this information with my readers.  Please feel free to visit www.PCRM.org  for more info.

Burger King tells its customers, “Have it your way.” For a
Connecticut breast cancer survivor, having it her way would mean the
fast-food chain would post warnings in all its restaurants about the
carcinogen in its grilled chicken. Last month, she joined another
Connecticut resident in filing a class-action lawsuit against the
restaurant—as well as McDonald’s and Friendly’s—for failing to warn
customers about the known carcinogen.

The lawsuit, sponsored by the nonprofit Cancer Project, an affiliate
of PCRM, states McDonald’s, Burger King, and Friendly’s are clearly in
violation of Connecticut’s consumer protection law.

“At
all times relevant hereto, Defendants knew or should have known that
their grilled chicken products contain PhIP, a known carcinogen,” says
the Cancer Project in its legal complaint. “Despite that knowledge,
Defendants have elected to conceal that material fact from consumers.”

Coverage of the lawsuit included nationwide television and print stories, including ones in Bloomberg News and The Hartford Courant.

Independent
laboratory tests commissioned by PCRM show that grilled chicken from
Burger King and other fast-food chains contains PhIP, a chemical that
can increase a person’s risk of developing cancer, even if consumed in
very small amounts.

“Consumers deserve to know
that grilled chicken from McDonald’s and other fast-food chains can
increase your risk of cancer,” says Neal D. Barnard, M.D.,
president of the Cancer Project. “Even a grilled-chicken salad
increases the risk of developing some cancers, including breast and
prostate cancer.” 

PhIP is one of a group of
carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that are found
in grilled meat. In 2005, the federal government officially added HCAs
to its list of carcinogens, and PhIP has been on the California
governor’s list of chemicals known to cause cancer for more than a
decade. PhIP and other HCAs do not exist naturally in chicken; they
form when animal muscle is cooked to high temperatures.

Other fast-food chains are also feeling the heat on PhIP. In September, PCRM filed a lawsuit in California against Kentucky Fried Chicken
(KFC) for violating California’s Proposition 65. KFC failed to warn
consumers that the chain’s new grilled chicken product contains this
dangerous carcinogen.

To learn more about the dangers of PhIP, visit CancerProject.org.

Well the TV drama continues…just got great news from the producer.  The show is on tonight!

Dr. Mehmet Oz will open the segment.  I’m not sure if I get all of my material and nutrition info in the piece.

Please see previous post.

Thanks for all of your support.

TAMI FEATURED ON CBS TV MORNING SHOW & TWO RADIO SHOWS

NOW AVAILABLE ON THE LINKS BELOW! ENJOY!

http://www.wtvr.com/community/vtm/ “Halloween Health” with Tami Hulcher, The Queen of Health “How Spooky is Your Halloween Candy” Sugar demo/visuals; food dyes colors; immune system; cancer; cold/flu season; healthy options/solutions  (THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PIECE TO SHOW CHILDREN; ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS!)

http://hometownstation.com/images/stories/Podcasts/lifestylefitness-october20-2009.mp3

High Fructose Corn Syrup; Sugar; Immune System; Kids’ Health; Food Dyes Colors; School lunches; Cancer; Cold/Flu Season; Lead/Mercury in HFCS; HFCS damaging honey bees

http://hometownstation.com/images/stories/Podcasts/todayswoman-october21-2009.mp3

Flu shots (safety, efficacy); increase immune system; sugar/dairy; candy; kids health; women’s health; Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – Healthy School Lunches; processed meats and cancer; lactose-intolerant populations; politics of school nutrition; food additives; breast cancer prevention/genetics; health benefits/solutions!

Radio shows include commercials: you can move navigator bar ‘fast forward’ through them. Each radio show has about 5 segments each.  Please ENJOY!  And share with others!

My appearance on EXTRA TV’s “Lifechangers” for Oct. 27th will be available after airdate.  Be sure to visit www.extratv.com;  click on Lifechangers.

Happy Healthy Halloween from The Queen!