Are There Safer Ways to Vaccinate Our Children?

Are There Safer Ways to Vaccinate Our Children? Maureen McDonnell, RN “There are unanswered questions about vaccine safety. We need studies on vaccinated populations based on various schedules and doses as well as individual patient susceptibilities that we are continuing to learn about. No one should be threatened by the pursuit of this knowledge. Vaccine policy should be the subject of frank and open debate, with no tolerance for bullying. There ...

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What Can Be Done to Prevent Autism Now?

Although the mystery of the autism epidemic has not yet been solved, emerging science and reports from parents about specific treatments that have improved (or in some cases recovered) their ASD children have given us strong clues regarding ways to prevent and treat Autism Spectrum Disorders. Causation theories range from: it must be due to better diagnosis, (rather than a real increase); to maternal age at the time of conception; to ...

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What Do Cigarettes, Sugar and Vaccines Have in Common?

In 1958 the Center for Disease Control (undoubtedly influenced by Big Tobacco) announced: “Smoking does not cause lung cancer.” In the 1970’s, the Sugar Industry began its well-funded PR campaign to shift public opinion away from the health destroying effects of sugar. Documents have recently been unearthed from the archives at Colorado University’s library (1) revealing the strategy the industry took to make this happen. By financially supporting (pre-determined outcome) studies, manipulating ...

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Why Juice?

To Juice or Not to Juice?  To juice or not to juice is definitely “not” the question!  I don’t think there is much of a debate regarding the health benefits of consuming such a rich source of nutrients & cleansing elements, or how these organic, fresh-made drinks boost your energy and improve immune function.  But just in case you are not yet convinced of the advantages, here’s a quick review of ...

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The Relationship between the Gut and the Brain

Typically, gut specialists (gastroenterologists) and the brain docs (psychiatrists) do not function under the premise that their specialties are in any way related.  However, new understandings have emerged which show a wonderfully interwoven, codependent relationship between what goes on in the gut and how well the brain functions.  The relationship is so profound, that I and many practitioners in the integrative, functional medicine community often refer to the famous quote ...

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Flushing out the Toxins

We have all come a long way in our awareness of the role the 87,000 chemicals that have been created in the last hundred years (which are mostly untested and unregulated) play in conditions ranging from Infertility,  Autism, Cancer to Obesity.   As a result of our understanding of just how detrimental these substances can be to our health, most of us are now using “green” cleaning products, natural deodorants (without ...

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Letter to Senator Tarte re NC SB 346 to remove religious vaccine exemptions

March 23, 2015 Dear Senator Tarte, I have been a Registered Nurse in the field of Pediatrics for over 35 years.  I understand your proposal of SB 346 (requiring children in our state to receive all the vaccines in accordance with the CDC’s recommended schedule, and removing parental rights to a religious vaccine exemption) is intended to protect the public from communicable diseases. However, as honorable and well-intentioned as your goal may be, ...

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10 Facts about Vaccines

Important Facts To Know Regarding the Current Vaccine Debate We are the most heavily vaccinated country in the world. We give 26 vaccines to our babies during their first year of life and administer 36-45 before the age of 5.  300 new vaccines are currently being developed.    In 1986 Congress released vaccine manufacturers from any liability associated with illness or death from vaccines. The current Disneyland measles frenzy is uncalled ...

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The Pearls and Perils of the Paleo Diet

I know how emotionally-charged discussions about diet can get. So, with that in mind, (as well as the fact that for over a decade I was a vegetarian), I’ll be treading cautiously on this topic of the Paleo diet. Not only do I not want to add to the polarization that already exists in the “which is the perfect diet” debate, but because I’ve been around the health and nutrition ...

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