By Sherry Dell   PhD, CN

For acne, try these handy tips.
 
Your mother probably already told you this:  “Don’t touch!”  Touching spreads breakouts.  Squeezing causes inflammation and scarring.
 
Try ice.  As soon as you feel a pimple beginning, wrap an ice cube in saran wrap and hold it on the pimple for a few minutes.
 
Apply apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice on pimple sores at bedtime for 2 to 3 weeks.
 
A mix of tomato paste and non-fat powdered milk dabbed on pimple and left on for 10 minutes can reduce spot.
 
Diluted tea tree oil (1 drop of pure essential oil on wet cotton ball) dabbed on pimple can be very drying.  Don’t over do this dose.
 
For wrinkles and aging skin, try these handy tips.  Much more economical than a trip to the spa but the same ingredients they use.
 
Try a mask of aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil once a week.  Very healing.
 
Another good mask: egg whites, honey, red wine.  Mix well and leave on for 20 minutes.
 
One more mask recipe:  1 tsp kelp granules mixed with 1 tbsp aloe very gel.
 
One more:  fresh papaya rubbed onto your face provides great enzymes.
 
One more: whip egg whites and yogurt and apply as mask.

Contact: Barbara Haumann (413-376-1220)
Organic Trade Association (OTA) hails panel for empowering consumers with ways to reduce their cancer risk

GREENFIELD, Mass. (May 6, 2010)—. The President’s Cancer Panel Report released on May 6 exhorts consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers , antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer. Organic products avoid the use of these chemicals.

“Exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing, to the extent possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers…Similarly, exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feed lots can be minimized by eating free-range meat raised without these medications,” according to the landmark report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now,” submitted to President Obama by Dr. LaSalle Leffall, Jr., an oncologist and professor of surgery at Howard University, and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke, an immunologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

“Organic production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used on the farm all the way to our dinner tables,” said Christine Bushway, Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

Organic production is based on a system of farming without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) and synthetic fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food. In addition, animal confinement in feedlots is prohibited.

“Consumers should know that organic foods have the least chemicals applied in their production and the least residues in the final products. Thus, those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals and follow the recommendations of the President’s Cancer Panel can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop,” said Bushway.

“The American people—even before they are born—are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures,” the panel wrote in a letter to President Obama. It added. “The Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”

It added, “Many known or suspected carcinogens first identified through studies of industrial and agricultural occupational exposures have since found their way into soil, air, water and numerous consumer products…Some of these chemicals have been found in maternal blood, placental tissue, and breast milk samples from pregnant women and mothers who recently gave birth. Thus, chemical contaminants are being passed on to the next generation, both prenatally and during breastfeeding.”

“OTA is gratified to see a prestigious scientific panel recognize what the organic farmers and the organic community have realized about environmental health and organic agriculture for decades, and we applaud them for taking on this critical issue,” Bushway added.

The full report is available online.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).

Organic Trade Association (OTA) encourages consumers to choose organic fruits and vegetables

By Barbara Haumann, 413-376-1220

Following closely on the heels of the President’s Cancer Panel Report exhorting consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers , antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer, a study published in today’s issue of the journal Pediatrics concludes that exposure to organophosphate pesticides at levels common among U.S. children may contribute to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these children.

“Studies have increasingly shown the importance of minimizing young children’s exposure to even low levels of chemical pesticides. This study adds to that wealth of knowledge and arms parents with information that helps them reduce their children’s pesticide intake,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director, pointing out that the use of organophosphates is prohibited in organic production.

The article reported findings from a study examining the association between urinary concentrations of metabolites of organophosphates and ADHD in children ages 8 to 15. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers led by Maryse Bouchard, a researcher in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Montreal, analyzed the levels of pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children and found children with above-average levels had roughly twice the odds of being diagnosed with ADHD.

As the largest study of this kind so far, it reminds consumers that organophosphates were originally developed for use in chemical warfare because they are known to be toxic to the nervous system. Organophosphate compounds are used in agriculture to kill pests.

“Organic food production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used,” Bushway added. “Those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop.”

The abstract of the paper published in the journal Pediatrics is accessible online.

For more information on organic, go to OTA’s consumer web site, www.organicitsworthit.org.

By Kurt Perkins

I was asked to write a piece on keeping kids ‘prescription free’ for the summer.  Before we talk about the logistics, I have to make 2 disclaimers.  One, I’m not a parent.  I’ve been married just over 2 years with kids being planned for the future.  I do take care of and consult with a lot of kids in my private practice and coach parents on ways to optimize their health so they don’t have to be put on drugs.

Two, I’m not a medical doctor.  I’m a wellness expert with a background in biochemistry and genetics.  I cannot legally tell, inform, or instruct you to get off prescription drugs.  What I can say is that the body is intelligently designed to live an abundant life without the use of drugs, both legal and illegal. 

In my 6 years of practice, seeing thousands of families, I can honestly say that I have never had a parent enjoy putting a child on medication, no matter the condition, whether it’s ADHD, asthma, allergies, headaches, infection, and even cholesterol.  Parents want to feel like they have done their best and by putting a child on medication, many often times feel like they have failed. 

I want to make it loud and clear that you are NOT a bad parent for putting your kid on drugs.  What I can say is that you may be an uninformed parent.  You are constantly getting bombarded with messages from only one side of the scenarios regarding symptoms and treatment options to create ‘health.’

What I would like to challenge is the notion and belief that there is disease.  To explain this, I need to get a little sciencey and make you pull out your mental library of physiology; how the body works.  If you remember back to biology, in order for a cell to stay healthy, it must stay balanced.  To stay balanced, you have to provide good things and avoid the bad things. 

I will refer to the bad things as those that are toxic or deficient.  For example, if a plant is wilting, you know to give it sunlight, water, and nutrients.  If the plant was missing the appropriate amount of sunlight, it would be deficient, therefore causing it to wilt.  Your job as the plant keeper is to make sure it stays sufficient. 

Your other job as the plant keeper is to make sure your neighbor isn’t dumping diesel fuel on your lawn, poisoning the plants.  You could be doing a perfect job of creating sufficiency but if your neighbor is poisoning the plant, there will be problems.  You must create purity as well. 

The division in paradigm is that medicine calls those problems ‘disease.’  In my world of wellness physiology, I call them ‘intelligent adaptive physiology.’  If you address what is causing the adaptations, the cell (your child) will return to balance (health).  Medicine will label that problem with a diagnosis and most likely prescribe a chemical (a toxin) to treat that diagnosis.  Never in the history of the world has adding toxic chemicals to the human body, produced a being to be well.  In my world, I ask what the person is deficient or toxic in and address those. 

Forget about this summer, if you want to keep your kids drug free, you MUST learn to ask a different set of questions.  Instead of asking, “what does my kid have, how do I treat it?” ask “in what area is my child deficient or toxic?”

People will express that adaptive physiology differently.  In one kid, it could look like behavioral problems.  For another child, it could look like asthma.  And for another, it may be a acne.  The diagnosis or label doesn’t matter, it’s figuring out what you and your child are missing and creating purity and sufficiency. 

To figure out how to create purity and sufficiency, let’s go back to the plant analogy.  If your plant is wilting, you instinctively give it water, nutrients, sunlight, and avoid poisons to nurse it back to health.  But how do you keep a healthy plant healthy?  The exact same way.  You give it water, nutrients, sunlight, and avoid poisons. 

You and your kids are no different.  What we as humans require are the same for all humans.  There’s a physical component, a chemical component, and a mental/emotional component.  When we are not providing these in sufficient and pure levels, the body adapts.

If it’s hard to remember physical, chemical, and emotional, just remember health is based on how we move, eat, and think.  Summer is the perfect time to start these changes but for changes to occur in a child, it begins with the parent.  YOU MUST ROLE MODEL!!!  

To begin the journey of role modeling behavior, start by adding, never taking away.  Think of the fight you have when you take away your child’s favorite toy.  It’s a disaster and nobody is happy.

If you want your kids to eat vegetables, you must eat more than you feed them.  If you want your kid to get off the couch and go play outside, you must play more and more enthusiastically outside.  If you want your kids to say ‘thank you,’ you must thank them for all great actions they perform.  If you don’t want your kids to eat the cake and ice-cream, don’t buy it for yourself. 

How I start each morning is by adding.  I start with a glass of water.  Then I add my exercise.  Following my workout, I do my daily reading and then write in a journal for which I am grateful.  Don’t start your day by depriving yourself.  This type of change is fleeting.

For behavior to change, you must first change your beliefs.  To change your beliefs, you must learn to ask the right questions.  If you need help, contact me.  This summer won’t be your greatest because you accomplished a lot but because it’s the summer you made a decision to change for a lifetime of summers.  Have fun, be safe, and create purity and sufficiency.

According to Mayo Clinic, there is a new version of CPR that can be done on anyone who isn’t a drowning victim.

To do it

Ask if patient is okay – if they are conscious, don’t start CPR

Try waking them

If no response, place hand on sternum

Put other hand on top of first hand

Then push rapidly

I highly recommend watching the youtube video.  It does show how to place one’s hand and how fast to push.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5huVSebZpM

By Sherry Dell, CN

Shopping at the mall, sugar-fied diets and holiday cheer, all make for stress and close proximity to germs.  In this month’s article from Sherry Dell she gives 5 tips to maximize your health – from drinking water to changing your diet.  Yes, food does help or hurt your body.

Read Sherry’s suggestions to stay healthy and happy going into the new year.

Louis Pasteur, generally considered the father of germ theory, is quoted as having recanted his beliefs on germs on his deathbed, saying, “The germ is nothing.  The terrain is everything.”  What is the terrain?  To germs, the terrain is the world they live in; to us, the terrain is another word for our bodies.  In other words, Pasteur was telling us that bacteria and viruses are all around us at all times.   It is the status of our immune system or the internal “terrain” created by our body’s biochemistry that makes the difference between illness and health.

Right now, germs are the topic of the day.  Seasonal flu, H1N1, colds and all manner of respiratory distress are the leading story on the nightly news.  But is this really news?  Hasn’t your mother always told, “Wash your hands before you eat.  Keep your hands away from your face.  Stay warm.  Get your rest.  Eat right.  Drink your water.”  She and your mother’s mother and your mother’s mother’s mother, etc. throughout time immemorial have been saying these things, because there have always been germs to contend with.  And humanity has multiplied and thrived.

So on behalf of mothers everywhere, let me just remind you all, that there is a flu prevention diet.  And, there is a flu prevention lifestyle.  In fact, I bet you already know what it is.  It is pretty much the opposite of the current American lifestyle of too much stress, too little exercise, too little sleep, too much sugar, and processed food and alcohol and coffee, which all make our internal terrain a very happy home for any passing germ of the day.  The basics of the flu prevention lifestyle are managed stress, daily exercise, plenty of rest, whole food, and optimal hydration.

And here’s my version of the flu prevention diet.  If you can’t commit to this for the long run, try to hang with it through the cold and flu season and you will have a much better chance of missing all the fun of the infections that are scaring the pants off of everyone:   

1. Lots of non-chlorinated water each day (divide your body weight in half and drink that many ounces each day);
2. Three meals per day to include more high quality protein and much less simple carbohydrate (emphasize vegetarian protein such as legumes and nuts and seeds plus chicken, turkey, fish);
3. NO SUGAR;  NO COFFEE, NO ALCOHOL (somebody has to say it; these are the most acidifying components of our diets and an acid pH is what makes a good terrain for germs of all kinds)
4. Very limited dairy especially if you are in any way congested;
5. Very limited fried and other rancid or saturated fats –eat adequate amounts of good essential fatty acids such as those found in fish and fish oils and safflower and olive oils.

The other big topic in the news today of course is the swine flu vaccination.  My reading of the literature suggests that the effectiveness of the flu vaccine has not been well established.  In other words, getting the shot itself does not necessarily guarantee you protection against the flu.  Any flu. And they only have vaccination available currently for two types.  Please take a look at www.swineflu.mercola.com and www.russellblaylockmd.com  to get access to the detailed research.

by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN
As the debate on healthcare reform announces the staggering numbers of uninsured, the high costs of keeping everyone healthy, and the even higher costs of helping everyone to die, I have been nagged by that small, still voice in the back of my head.  It keeps asking me: why is everyone so sick?
And why are we so dependent on the medical system for all our care?
As a holistic nutritionist, I no doubt have a bias that you might be able to imagine. But to put it in a nutshell, I would say we have removed ourselves from our own food chain.  We have given away our rights and relationships with the quality and nature of our food.  We have accepted the notion that all food is created equal.  We have made these choices while lulled by the promises of convenience and cost savings.  Now, the job of seeing the connections between out-of-control healthcare costs, an epidemic of obesity that includes children, the government farm policy, and a crippling mental dependence on the doctor’s office seems insurmountable.
But let me quickly add, this is no reason to become discouraged.  Many people have perceived these connections and are working on unraveling them.  For an easy overview, rent one of these movies: Fast Food Nation, King Corn, or Food, Inc., or The Future of Food.  Or if you’re so inclined pick up one of Michael Pollan’s excellent books (click here to read a review I wrote last year on his “Omnivore’s Dilemma”).
In any case, what I really want to write about today is self care.  The old farm home remedies that I grew up with are so simple and effective (and cost effective), that they have become virtually un-used today.  Huh?  That sentence doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I do believe it is true.
Somewhere along the line, it would seem that we made a decision that unless it is dispensed by a doctor and costs a lot of money, it can’t be of any use.  Certainly there are occasions when modern medicine really does have heroic life-saving and crisis care services to offer.  But how often are we standing at death’s door?  The preponderance of daily health concerns are, of course, not life threatening. 
I have no recollection of being taken to the doctor’s office as a child.  My Dad tells me we did go, but very infrequently and only for the most serious problems.  Mother was our household doctor.  But more than that, the concept of relying on someone else for our wellbeing was absent in my parents’ consciousness.  Yes, like most those of their generation, they were greatly enamored and deeply appreciative to the medical community for saving lives with the heroic inventions of their times: antibiotics and vaccinations.  But that did not translate into the fear and doubt I see today in households with young children.
I believe that part of our “healthcare reform” needs to come in the form of re-learning the self care attitudes and strategies of our not-that-distant ancestors.  Somehow along the way, as we reaped the benefits of technologically advanced medicine, we decided to throw out the benefits of time honored, nature-based home remedies.
Not only did we put an enormous burden on the medical system, but more importantly, we gave up the independence and personal strength that comes with self sufficiency.  Maybe what we really need right now is a good cup of tea.

By Dr Janet Starr Hull

Colorado Springs is having an outbreak of shingles.  We are running information about shingles for our senior population.  Dr Hull’s article explains the connection between shingles, chickenpox and herpes.

Lately, I have been receiving quite a number of emails with questions about shingles. I remember when my mom and dad had “the shingles” over 30 years ago. All they did was “ride it out”, but they used old-fashioned treatments from their parents’ day to relieve the itchiness and the feeling of painful pin prinks under their skin.
The virus responsible for chickenpox is the Varicella zoster virus, and this is the same virus that causes shingles. For people who have had chickenpox, the virus may never fully clear out of the body; so, it can remain dormant in the nerve tissues. When severe physical or emotional stress occurs, or if toxic food chemicals (such as aspartame or long-term use of toxic medications) have saturated your tissues and nerve endings, the body’s immune system can weaken. If enough toxins build within your tissues, under the skin, or around the nerve endings, the chickenpox virus can re-activate and spread along the nerve fibers to the area of the skin that involves that nerve, or nerves.
Shingles (Herpes zoster)is an extremely painful skin rash. It is associated with the Herpes viruses, but is not the same as the Herpes simplex 1 and 2 viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes.
Very few studies have been done to connect the patterns and trends between chickenpox and shingles (other then the similarities in symptoms), but I wonder if a child who had a serious case of the chickenpox has a greater risk of a severe case of shingles? Does a person who never had chickenpox ever get the shingles? I also wonder if being inoculated for chickenpox exacerbates a case of shingles in adulthood, or if it helps prevent it? In any case, I look at shingles as an adult case of the chickenpox. And too little research has been done to answer my questions.
I am not a proponent of unnecessary inoculations for children, but if, and when, inoculated for chickenpox (or anything, for that matter), a child’s body weight should be at least 20 pounds, and I recommend that each of the vaccinations be split into 3 to 4 smaller doses and given to the child separately for each disease the vaccination is targeting.
Because chickenpox appears be the root cause of a later case of shingles, let’s take a naturopathic approach for preventing shingles by treating it as if it WERE chickenpox.
Chickenpox is very highly contagious, and can be easily passed between members of the family and school classmates through airborne particles and the fluid from the blisters or sores. It also can be transmitted indirectly by contact with articles of clothing and other items exposed to any fresh drainage from open sores. Chickenpox is commonly contagious for one to two days, but it can extend up to five days before, and five days after, the rash appears. When the sores have crusted over, it is usually no longer contagious.
The symptoms for chickenpox are the same as those for shingles, and this makes perfect sense since shingles is actually an adult form of chickenpox. If you have already had chickenpox, you typically cannot “catch” shingles from someone else, but you can develop shingles later in life from the virus that may have remained inside your tissues. If you never had chickenpox, you can “catch” shingles from someone else, just as a child can come down with chickenpox if directly exposed to another child. If you were vaccinated for chickenpox as a child and never had a case of chickenpox, little research has been done to determine if you are vulnerable to catching shingles or not.
The symptoms for both chickenpox and shingles appear around 14 to 16 days after initial exposure, but they can occur from 10 days up to 21 days after contact with the virus. A burning sensation on your skin typically appears before the blisters form, and adults can identify this more easily than a child.
Chickenpox is characterized by one to two days of mild fever up to 102 degrees F, but a fever is less common with shingles. If someone develops a fever with shingles, it may be because their body’s immune system is weak. Toxins in medications, food products, diet sweeteners, or from another disease can exacerbate a case of shingles.
Rarely will a person have the shingles, or chickenpox, without the rash. The rash typically develops in a cluster with raised red spots appearing first, progressing to blisters that burst, which then result in open sores before crusting over. The areas of the skin that are weakened from another health issue, such as diaper rash, poison ivy, eczema, sunburn or skin cancer, are the most susceptible to both chickenpox and shingles.
Many people feel it isn’t necessary to vaccinate a child against a “harmless” disease like chickenpox, and that a case of chickenpox may even “strengthen” their child’s immune system. Chickenpox can still occur even if vaccinated, even though this is less common. But if you were vaccinated for chickenpox as a child and you develop shingles, I don’t recommend getting re-vaccinated for the same virus, if this is suggested to you. If you did not get vaccinated for chickenpox as a child, and you develop shingles, getting vaccinated after the shingles has appeared may not help you, either; it may serve to suppress the already established virus and your immune system. Allowing the virus to run its course while building your immunity may be a healthier choice. (Much more uncomfortable, yet healthier.)
Taking medications for the pain is an option, but always avoid suppressing the rash from exiting the body through the skin. Pushing the virus back INTO the body may be one reason some people get a second round of shingles, or why their childhood chickenpox resurrected in their later years.
If you detox regularly every year, or several times a year, the virus responsible for chickenpox may never re-activate and spread along your adult nerve fibers as shingles.
If you feel that shingles may be coming on (this is typically felt as a burning under the skin followed by recent skin irritations, sudden weakness, and a possible fever), then begin a detox program immediately and try to flush the virus from your body before it spreads.
If it were me, and I suspected that shingles was coming in my direction, I would do every cleanse that I could! I would do the microbe cleanse (parasite kit), the French Green Clay cleanse, a colon cleanse AND a liver cleanse. If your body is healthy, you can do these cleanses at the same time, but if you are toxic or weak, they should be done one right after the other.
Your body will let you know if you are detoxing too fast and that you should separate each different cleanse. If the cleanses are successfully working for you, your skin irritation will typically worsen. This reaction is scary, unpleasant, and makes you think that the detoxing is NOT working, but remember what I always say: “Toxins inside your body are ugly and painful. They make you feel ill on the inside, so they will have the same effects as they come OUT of your body.”
If you ride this out as the virus (and any toxins it can attached to) DO come outside of your body, then you can cleanse this virus and disarm its affects on your immune system, once and for all.
Get on top of your shingles!

by: Michele E. Mukatis
was a bit tired last night when someone asked me to explain what antioxidants were. On the spot, I started to explain, but was with a friend who is a doctor who put it much more succinctly. This made me realize that for all we throw these words about, we don’t always really understand what we are talking about, so I thought I’d write a primer on antioxidants.

Toxic substances create free radicals in your body. Exposure to these substances oxidizes your cells, much as iron, unprotected from water, sun and air, will rust. Smoking, ultraviolet radiation from the sun,air pollution, and foods that are toxic to your system are some of the ways in which you can be exposed to free radicals.

Antioxidants are substances that protect your cells from this degradation, much as oil protects iron from rusting. Vitamins A, C, D, and E, some of the trace minerals, carotenoids and flavonoids, and many other substances are considered antioxidants. If you get these substances directly from foods, you are likely not going to be in danger of eating too much. However, if you take antioxidants in supplement form, there are certain things you should be know.

First, in supplement form, you may not be getting the most bio-available version ofthe beneficial item. A synthetic antioxidant (often found in supplements) is not always recognized by the body.Second, when the antioxidant is eaten in a food source, it’s in combination with other substances that allow our bodies to process it more easily. An example is that we now know vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium. Third, if you take too much of supplemental antioxidants, it can actually be harmful to your health.

In a recent study of men taking a regular does of vitamins E and C, it did nothing to diminish their risk of incidence of major cardiovascular events,
heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular mortality. It did, however, raise the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke. All this is to say, if you want to protect yourself from the ravages of free radicals, eat fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains! This will give you the nutrients and antioxidants your body needs. Choose produce from a farmers market or straight out of
your own yard because produce picked most recently has the highest nutrient content.

By Debra Frick
Are you wondering on how to prepare for an influenza pandemic?  You need to know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family.  This will affect not only your family; it will affect your neighbors, the people who run your utilities, and your local corner store. There is a good chance that places we take for granted ever day  will shut down or not be able to function – schools, gyms and churches.
Plan ahead!  Talk with family members and loved ones about how they want to be cared for if they get sick.  Will you need to care for them in your home or elsewhere?
We have all heard the dire predictions and estimated death tolls from this virus, if it does indeed becomes a pandemic . While it can be scary with a little thought we can all be prepared to survive. 
Here are some facts:
• Flu can cause fever, chills, headache, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and muscle aches.
• Unlike other common respiratory infections such as the common cold, influenza can cause extreme fatigue lasting several days to more than a week. 
• Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent.
• The illness that people often call “stomach flu” is not influenza. 

Here are some practical things you might have not thought of that should be necessary if we do have a flu outbreak and we find ourselves caring for many sick family members.

1. Where am I going to isolate sick family members?
The CDC recommends that all members with the flu be isolated to one room.  Keep the sick person in a room separate from the common areas of the house.  (For example, a spare bedroom with its own bathroom, if that’s possible.) Keep the sickroom door closed.  This makes sense in that you have all sick people together and can isolate germs.

2. How do I care for someone with the flu?
The sick person should not have visitors other than caregivers.  A phone call is safer than a visit.  If possible, have only one adult in the home take care of the sick person.  People at increased risk of severe illness from flu should not be the designated caretaker, if possible.  Unless the fever is over 101, do not take meds to reduce it.  Use cool clothes to bring it down.  Fever is the body’s way of fighting the flu.  Because of the fever, make sure you keep them well hydrated with water or fruit juice or fluids with electrolytes.   Hot teas such as spice or chamomile with lemon and honey are also good. There are anti-virals that can be prescribed by your doctor or use herbs from a naturopath or herbalist.

3. When should I get emergency medical care?
If you have any of these signs, seek emergency medical care right away:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Decreased or no movement of your baby
• A high fever that is not responding to Tylenol®

4 If I’m the caregiver, how do I keep from getting sick?
• Wear gloves if your hands will come in  contact with respiratory secretions (mucus) or other body fluids;  or contact with contaminated surfaces. 
• It can not be said enough WASH YOUR HANDS! When hands are visibly soiled or contaminated with body fluids, wash hands with soap (either plain or antimicrobial) and water. If hands are not visibly soiled, use an alcohol-based hand rub.  Use paper towels for drying hands after hand washing or dedicate cloth towels to each person in the household. For example, have different colored towels for each person. 
• Old button down shirts can be used as gowns to cover your clothes if you are going between sick rooms and don’t want to risk sharing germs.  If you are holding a baby or small child, wearing a gown is advisable it will protect you from being coughed or sneezed on.  If weather permits, consideration should be given to maintaining good ventilation in shared household areas (e.g., keeping windows open in restrooms, kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
• Facemasks and respirators may be purchased at a pharmacy, building supply or hardware store as can latex gloves.
5.  What steps should I take to help prevent the spread of germs and protect my health?
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or sneeze into your sleeve.  Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.  (If you are pregnant and living or having close contact with someone who has H1N1 flu, talk to your doctor .) Avoid close contact (less than about 6 feet away) with the sick person as much as possible.
• Have a plan to care for sick family members.
• Stock up on household, health, and emergency supplies, such as water, Tylenol®, non-perishable foods.

6.  How do I deal with household cleaning, laundry, and waste disposal during this time?
• Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash container lined with a plastic bag.
• Wash your hands after touching used tissues and similar waste.
• Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
• Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, AND importantly, these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
• Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating yourself.  Clean your hands with soap and right after handling dirty laundry.
• Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap.

7.  What to do I do if I have to go out?
Unless going for medical care or other necessities, people who are sick with an influenza-like-illness should stay home keeping away from others as much as possible.  This means:  do not travel for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone. (Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine). This is to keep from making others sick.
If persons with the flu need to leave the home, they should wear a facemask, and cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.  Have the sick person wear a facemask, if they need to be in a common area of the house near other persons.

8.  What to do I do if I am Pregnant?
If you are pregnant caring for the sick person. (Pregnant women are at increased risk of influenza-related complications and immunity can be suppressed during pregnancy).  Health care professionals don’t know if this virus will cause pregnant women to have a greater chance of getting sick or have serious problems. They also do not know how this virus will affect the baby. They do know that pregnant women are more likely to get sick than others and have more serious problems with seasonal flu.  These problems may include early labor or severe pneumonia.  They don’t know if this virus will do the same, but it should be taken very seriously.

9.  How do I plan for a pandemic?
• Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.  Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
• These are some examples of food and medical supplies that might be good to have on hand:
• Food:  Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal or granola, peanut butter or nuts, dried fruit, crackers, canned juices, fluids with electrolytes, canned or jarred baby food and formula, bottled water
• Medical items: Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment, soap and water, alcohol-based (60-95%) for hand washing and cleaning thermometers, medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, thermometer and sleeves, anti-diarrheal medication, vitamins – especially vitamin C, antacids such as calmcet, cough syrups, ingredients for plasters (mustard or onion plasters), cleansing agent/soap, face masks, old shirts to be used as gowns.
• Other non-perishable items: portable radio, flashlight, pet food, batteries, manual can opener, bottle opener, garbage bags, tissues, toilet paper, disposable diapers, vinegar, baking soda, bleach, Lysol or Basic H.

10. Will I have enough beds for sick family members?
Cots, camping and bunk beds can be found rather cheaply online or at your local sporting goods store.  Plus these are easier to sanitize than a mattress or boxspring. You are going to need extra blankets and pillows and sheets for these beds.  It is recommended that all these things be washable in hot water.  MAKE YOUR OWN. The Good will and Salvation Army sell blankets cheaply. Two sewn together or crocheted together make a nice warm blanket for that patient with the chills. Make your own pillows out of cotton fabric that can be pre shrunk or out of some old clothes. Large Skirts work well for this. Realize you will be having patients with muscle aches and pains.  Extra Pillows will be a god send.

11. What if I only have one bathroom?
Even though diarrhea and vomiting are not usually associated with the flu, you need to be prepared none the less.  There is no delicate way to put this. Yyou are going to have several people with the runs.  If you don’t have enough bathrooms, a portable toilet can be made with a five gallon bucket and a toilet seat attached. These will need to be emptied and cleaned with a strong bleach solution.  You are going to need extra water to flush your toilet.  Don’t use your drinking water.  So this summer set up a garbage to collect rain water for flushing the waste down the toilet.  (unless you are in the 2 states where this is illegal)  You can do this with out having to worry about breeding mosquitoes if you just squirt a little dish soap in the water every couple of weeks to kill the larvae. Remember when summer is over to move this into a indoor space to avoid freezing.  A Privacy screen can be made from a couple of bi fold doors hinged together.  Remember to stock up on toilet paper and Clorox wipes or make your own out of paper towels and 1/4 cup bleach to a gallon of water.

12.  Do I need a generator?
This is not a luxury item when you are wanting to keep your frozen food frozen while the power is out.  For about $300 you can save your food in your freezer.  It can also be used to run a TV, a radio or a computer. These can be bought at any hardware or online.  Some companies offer free shipping.  Summer time is the best time to find these on sale. Get a couple of gas cans and stock up on gas when the price is low.  These can be stored safely in a garage or shed until needed.  Remember metal cans are safer that the cheap plastic.  You can run your freezer for two weeks on 4 gallons of gas.  Plus you don’t have to run your freezer 24-7 you can run it for a couple hours at a time on and off to keep the food frozen.  This would maximize your gasoline consumption.
12. What do I do with our kids?
Flu can be very serious in young babies.  Babies who are breastfed do not get as sick and are sick less often from the flu, than do babies who are not breastfed. Breastfeeding protects babies.  Breast milk passes on antibodies from the mother to a baby.  Antibodies help fight off infection.  Do not stop breastfeeding if you are ill.  Breastfeed early and often. Limit formula feeds if you can.  This will help protect your baby from infection. Be careful not to cough or sneeze in the baby’s face, wash your hands often with soap and water. Your doctor might ask you to wear a mask to keep from spreading this new virus to your baby.  If you are too sick to breastfeed, pump and have someone give the expressed milk to your baby. 
Is it OK to take medicine to treat or prevent H1N1 flu while breastfeeding? Yes.  Mothers who are breastfeeding can continue to nurse their babies while being treated for the flu.
When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face. Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick.
Children, especially younger children, might be contagious for a longertime. 
Keep your kids home if they are sick.  This also applies for parents – if you are sick, STAY HOME!  Stock up on board games, card games and coloring books.  Older kids might like puzzles.  Extra Batteries for the game boy and wii; and maybe some new computer games stockpiled would be a good idea also.  Put aside some books or download ebooks.
If the electricity goes out, besides your freezer, you might want to invest in some old fashioned oil lamps to light your home. They provide more light than a candle and can be bought new for as little as four dollars at Wal-Mart.  You will need one for every family member and a couple extra just to provide additional light.
You also may want to hit the local farms market to get fresh vegetables to make homemade soups this summer that you can freeze for your sick ones this winter.  Chicken Noodle and a mild vegetable soup will be soothing and quick when you have hungry people to feed.
I truly don’t think that we need to go into Panic Mode about this flu pandemic thing.  I just believe if we are prepared more people will survive and that’s what we all want.