We have all heard about Tamiflu being a good product to take within a couple of days of getting symptoms of a flu including the H1N1 flu but as you ca nimagine there are many products out there claiming to be cures for the flu that have never been tested.

There is a real hysteria out there and a lack of vaccination shots available it seems so I am sure that I am not the only guy looking for an alternative to a flu shot that will protect me and this will always lead to a bunch of shysters trying to seperate you from your money using fear as their tactic.

Since May 2009, FDA has warned more than 75 Web sites to stop the sale of more than 135 products with fraudulent H1N1 influenza virus claims. FDA urges consumers to be cautious of promotions or Internet sites offering products for sale that claim to diagnose, prevent, treat, cure, or lessen the effects of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

This is a new term for me today but apparently I missed the memo that had to do with a cytokine storm and the flu. Actually the cytokine storm has more to do with health and seemingly healthy people dying of illnesses that their immune system should be able to fight but it is being brought up with the deaths of the H1N1 virus and it first came up with trying to figure out why so many seemingly healthy people died (maybe 100 million) from the H1N1 virus back in 1918.

A cytokine storm is when your body is overwhelmed by it’s fighting of a virus. One of the things that will happen when you get some kind of virus or infection is that your body will fight it with it’s immune system. What will happen is that your body will fight and you will get a fever and then everything is good and your body goes back to normal. During a cytokine storm what will happen is that your body will overfight the virus and in essense your immune system will go into overdrive and this will end up killing you. Read the rest of this entry »

Anderson Cooper over at CNN has a Q and A on the Swine Flu. I have looked at some of the questions and they are really great.

I am not sure when we will see the answers but hopefully they will be published instead of just being on the TV show.

WebMD also has a FAQ on the Swine Flu (hey at least it rhymes) and it is a bunch of questions and answers that are really great.

Finally, the CDC has a very detailed list of info about the Swine Flu. Some of the stuff seems to be more focused on giving complex info to doctors and health care providers but I found it great to read anyway.

There is a lot of information out there about H1N1 flu but quite often we are getting info that is either out of date or inaccurate. Here is some info that WalMart pharmacies have been giving out. Hope this helps you to understand the fact from the fiction about H1N1

What is H1N1 flu?
H1N1 flu is a respiratory infection of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. People can be infected with H1N1 flu. H1N1 flu can spread from pigs to people and from one person to another.

How is H1N1 flu spread?
It is thought that H1N1 flu spreads from person to person in a similar way to regular seasonal flu. Germs are released into the air through coughing and sneezing and the droplets enter the nose or throat of others. You may also become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth, before washing your hands. Read the rest of this entry »

Bacterial lung infections were common among 77 people who died because of the 2009 H1N1 flu, a finding similar to past pandemics, the CDC said.

In a subset of the 600 U.S. deaths associated with the current pandemic, 29% had a bacterial coinfection, the agency said in a early release from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Read the rest of this entry »

I have no idea if this is even a health or fitness article but Ifound it intriguing. Remember a couple or maybe 5 years ago when pole dancing was big and was not just for strippers but was actually considered a form of exercise? Gyms had classes, models had videos and guys and girls across America snickered?

Pole dancing has transcended the domain of strippers and go-go girls to become a bona fide competitive sport — now with $10,000 in prize money.

Last week was the first of what organizers hope will become an annual Pole Superstar competition in New York City, with six finalists from Florida, New York, California and Utah taking to the pole in what’s sure to be an acrobatic extravaganza. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night as I was flipping around the channels I ran across Larry King on CNN talking to Dr Andrew Weil about health and specifically about the Swine Flu.

For anyone that has not seen or heard Dr Weil, he is a very interesting guy. He is not a big fan of drug companies, is really interested in alternative medicines and therapies and has the research to prove his point. And he really has the hippy look to him.

Anyway Dr Weil mentioned that Astragalus is available in health food stores as a capsule and that he would be taking it starting soon to avoid the Swine Flu (H1N1). Also he was very clear that to avoid any flu that you should do the following:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after using it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you do get the flu (or any contagious illness, for that matter), stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Well the flu season is about to get started and this year we have a swine flu (also known as H1N1) instead of just regular flu to deal with. A recent story that hit that news is that less than half of Canadians say that the care about getting a swine flu shot and this kind of lack of interest is making the Center for Disease Control and other groups nervous about the uptake of the flu shot this year.

Will you be getting a flu shot?

The other story that hit the news in support of this is the head of the CDC, Thomas Frieden, saying that he will be getting his kids immunized this year (no info as to whether he has done this in the past) and is telling people on the news shows this morning that he is very nervous in the amount of swine flu with many cases of flu showing up already.

The stats over that last year seem to show that Swine Flu is most deadly to youngsters. We always look at kids and teens being most susceptible to getting the flu and dying from it. In the past 5 years between 40 and 60% of flu deaths were kids between 5 and 17 years old but this past year the number grew to 80%

Human Swine Flu Vaccine Testing?

I have been hearing rumors lately that the swine flu vaccine has not been tested on humans but this is absolutely not true GlaxoSmithKline which is the creator of the vaccine being used has started and continues to test the vaccine starting in August (last month)

This is a very serious health issue that will be coming at us fast. I know that the school that my kids go to has already been telling parents that they have a plan for if and when there is an outbreak of swine flu so please add your comments to this post and email this post to anyone that you know that may be interested or needs info on Swine Flu (H1N1) this fall

I have not been posting a lot lately being so busy with the move  so I missed telling you about a few interesting stories that I have seen lately. Here are just a few that seem to have been  underreported.

Cnet has reviewed their view of the top 5 iPhone apps. The iPod has long been a fitness mainstay and the iPhone is an extension of the the usability of the iPod except that you can download many applications to it. Cnet has done a good job of reviewing a few of the best apps for fitness for the iPhone.

More kids are getting hurt in gym class. The Diet Blog has the stats and the answers as to why more kids are getting hurt in gym class (hint: kids are not as coordinated as they used to be) The article was a real eye opener to me as I have a couple of kids that I push to exercise as much as possible but I worry that it may not be enough.

Fit Shack had a weight loss call that I missed. I was a day late in seeing this and maybe a couple days late in leeting you know. JoLynn at the Fit Shack had a free call where you could learn some weight loss secrets. I just checked and by signing up you can listen to a recording of the call (long distance charges may apply depending on where you are calling from), but the info should be really great.

How many fruits and veggies are enough? Pauls health blog has an article about why the USDA recommends 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Sounds like a lot but these are the key to a healthy diet

In the past the FDA has stood as a protector of the american people although sometimes slow to act and often without the full enforcement power of some other government branches.

This may soon change.

The new chair of the FDA Margaret Hamburg has spoken out lately and probably with the Obama administration has been given a bit more rein and ear to the Oval Office than her predecessors have had.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, vowed that the agency would be more aggressive in enforcing food and drug safety regulations and quicker to act when a company breaks the law. Read the rest of this entry »