INGREDIENTS:                                                                                                                     SPICES: 2-3 T. coconut oil               1 bunch of asparagus                                                          Salt                            Mild green salsa 1 dozen eggs                         1-2 handfuls cherry  tomatoes                                        Pepper                      Baking powder 1 onion or leek                    1 handful  fresh spinach                                                     Basil 1-2 cloves  of garlic           1 handful mushrooms                                                        Italian seasonings 1 bunch of broccoli           Parmesan or Asiago cheese                                             Chili powder 1 red pepper

SERVES 6-8

DIRECTIONS:

Use a 3-4” deep non-stick pot, preferably one that will go from stove-top to oven.  Saute onions (or leeks) and garlic in coconut oil (medium heat).  Start chopping your veggies into small to medium chunks while onions cook slowly.   This is a great time to recruit hungry family members to help chop and stir.  Add broccoli, asparagus,  and red pepper to pot and stir until hot.  Do not overcook.  Add chopped spinach, give a quick stir.  Put 1 dozen eggs, salt, pepper, basil, Italian seasonings, chili powder, ¼ tsp. baking powder, and whatever spices you like in the blender for a about 1 minute.  Poor egg mixture into pot on stove-top, still on medium, and stir all together.  Let egg/veggie mix cook several minutes until the bottom and sides start to set.  Then loosen egg/veggie mix from the sides with a spatula, lift the mixture slightly from the bottom of pan and tilt pan, allowing the runny egg from the top to flow to the bottom of the pan.  Repeat all the way around until the top of mixture is not runny.  Put sliced tomatoes and mushrooms on top and add more spices if you like.  Add Parmesan or Asiago cheese.  Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.  The more veggies you use and the smaller your pot, the longer it will take.  Serve with green salsa as desired.    If you do not have a pot that will survive the oven, you can add egg mix to sautéed veggies and bake in casserole dish for approximately 1 hour instead.

This dish is great because it is fast and easy, a great source of high quality protein, and loaded with healthy fresh veggies and anti-oxidants.  It also gives you multiple meals, great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  I make this the beginning of every week, and my husband and I eat it for days.  It tastes great re-heated too.  Use whatever vegetables you like.      Note:  While you’re at it, chop extra onions, garlic and maybe some celery and onions, and cook with lentils or a pot of beans to go with the egg bake for several great meals.  Make the most of your time in the kitchen.

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

An M&M sold in the United States (left) contains food dye that makes it brighter compared to its European counterpart.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Is it possible that artificial colors added to our food could be causing behavioral problems in children?

Concerns about synthetic food dyes led many manufacturers in Europe to stop using then. But as CBS 2’s Mary Kay Kleist reports, the dyes are used here in everything from cereal to crackers to toothpaste.

Doctors diagnosed Kendall King with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, last year and put her on powerful drugs.

But her mother, Kelly King, says, “It just didn’t feel right to me.”

The Kings heard about a possible connection between food dyes and hyperactivity. Within weeks of taking dyes out of her diet, Kendall no longer needed medication.

“We’ve had amazing results,” Kelly King says. “She’s like a whole new child and she’s herself again.”

Food manufacturers in the U.S. can use nine dyes in all. Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 make up 90 percent of the market. You see them everywhere, listed on a bright cereal box or a pickle jar. The colors are used in everything from cough syrup and toothpaste to waffles and crackers.

“They’re really ubiquitous in this food supply that we’ve created,” says Dr. David Wallinga of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

He says more than two dozen studies point to problems with the dyes. But, do we know if changing a child’s diet dramatically improves ADHD?

“The effect is generally very small,” Dr. Mark Stein of the University of Illinois says. “It’s about a fourth as large as the effect of an ADHD medicine.”

The FDA voted against putting warning labels on foods, but it believes more research is still needed. Still, some grocery chains, like Whole Foods, won’t sell synthetic dyes.

Warning labels are required in much of Europe. American companies like Kellogg’s, General Mills and Kraft did away with the artificial dyes overseas. So, some foods in Europe, like M&M’s, just aren’t as bright.

Kelly King would like to see the synthetic dyes eliminated in the U.S.  “Our house is just a much calmer place to be,” she says.

A statement from the FDA says it does not believe that artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity in children in the general population. However, the FDA says food dyes may exacerbate problems in susceptible children diagnosed with ADHD because they may have a unique intolerance to them.

The FDA is now reassessing safety studies relating to food dyes. Here is the agency’s full, unedited statement:

“Based on the data reviewed in the body of scientific literature, FDA last year concluded that a causal relationship between exposure to color additives and hyperactivity in children in the general population has not been established.

However, for certain susceptible children with ADHD and other problem behaviors, the data suggest that their condition may be exacerbated by exposure to a number of substances in food, including, but not limited to, artificial food colors. Findings from relevant clinical trials indicate that the effects on their behavior appear to be due to a unique intolerance to these substances and not to any inherent neurotoxic properties.

FDA’s Food Advisory Committee (FAC) (a group of advisors from outside the FDA) met on March 30-31, 2011 to consider available relevant data on the possible association between the consumption of certified color additives in food and adverse behavioral effects in children. The committee was asked to advise FDA as to what action, if any, is warranted to ensure consumer safety from the use of these color additives in food. After receiving information from FDA, experts, and stakeholders, the FAC (1) found that existing data supported FDA’s conclusion that there is not an established link between consumption of food dyes and adverse behavioral effects in children, (2) voted against the need for additional information on the product label of foods with color additives, and (3) recommended that additional safety studies be conducted. The FAC also recommended that a rigorous, comprehensive dietary exposure assessment of certified color additives be performed.

FDA currently is collecting data on the levels of color additives used in food. These data will be used to estimate dietary exposure for various populations, including children. Regarding the need for additional safety studies, FDA has begun a reassessment of the numerous safety studies conducted on certified color additives that are available in its files. Based on this evaluation, FDA will determine whether additional safety studies are needed.”

—-

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

A recent story in the news has my head buzzing. Did you know there is a shortage of ADHD drugs out there. The problem is not a manufacturing issue, it is supply and demand. We as a society are demanding more and more of these mind altering drugs to function in our lives. Is anyone other than me disturbed about this fact? The mainstream media is not.

The United States buys and uses 90 percent of the world’s Ritalin!

I have been scouring the web looking for someone to wave a flag that says “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!”  I have seen noone do that. Plenty of concern for those poor children yet where are the bigger questions? Below I am reprinting an article from 1999 that talks about the long term affects of these drugs on our children.

Did you know that the spree of school shootings were done by children that were prescribed these psychotropic drugs? Both the shooters at Columbine were on drugs.

All I am saying is someone needs to be asking bigger questions than …”Where are my drugs?!”  Enjoy!  Dr. Stephanie

Though shocked by bizarre shootings in schools”, default”, few Americans have noticed how many shooters were among the 8 million kids now on psychotropic drugs.

INSIGHT Magazine

June 28,1999 Kelly Patricia O’Meara

Though shocked by bizarre shootings in schools, few Americans have noticed how many shooters were among the 6 million kids now on psychotropic drugs.

Just three weeks after Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on their April 20 killing spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., President Clinton hosted a White House conference on youth violence. The president declared it a strategy session to seek “the best ideas from people who can really make a difference: parents and young people, teachers and religious leaders, law enforcement, gun manufacturers, representatives of the entertainment industry and those of us here in government.”

. . . . There was, however, complete silence from the president when it came to including representatives from the mental-health community, whom many believe can provide important insight about the possible connection between the otherwise seemingly senseless acts of violence being committed by school-age children and prescription psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin, Luvox and Prozac.

. . . . There are nearly 6 million children in the United States between the ages of 6 and 18 taking mind-altering drugs prescribed for alleged mental illnesses that increasing numbers of mental-health professionals are questioning.

. . . . Although the list of school-age children who have gone on violent rampages is growing at a disturbing rate — and the shootings at Columbine became a national wake-up call — few in the mental-health community have been willing to talk about the possibility that the heavily prescribed drugs and violence may be linked. Those who try to investigate quickly learn that virtually all data concerning violence and psychotropic drugs are protected by the confidentiality provided minors. But in the highly publicized shootings this spring, information has been made available to the public.

–April 16: Shawn Cooper, a 15-year-old sophomore at Notus Junior-Senior High School in Notus, Idaho, was taking Ritalin, the most commonly prescribed stimulant, for bipolar disorder when he fired two shotgun rounds, narrowly missing students and school staff.

–April 20: Harris, an 18-year-old senior at Columbine High School, killed a dozen students and a teacher before taking his own life. Prior to the shooting rampage, he had been under the influence of Luvox, one of the new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI, antidepressants approved in 1997 by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for children up to the age of 17 for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.

–May 20: T.J. Solomon, a 15-year-old at Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga., was being treated with Ritalin for

depression when he opened fire on and wounded six classmates.

. . . . Two other high-profile cases from last year show a similar pattern:

–May 21, 1998: Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore., murdered his parents and then proceeded to school where he opened fire on students in the cafeteria, killing two and wounding 22. Kinkel had been prescribed both Ritalin and Prozac. Although widely used among adults, Prozac has not been approved by the FDA for pediatric use.

–March 24, 1998: Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, opened fire on their classmates at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark. Johnson had been receiving psychiatric counseling and, although information about the psychotropic drugs that may have been prescribed for him has not been made public, his attorney, Val Price, responded when asked about it: “I think that is confidential information, and I don’t want to reveal that.”

. . . . A great deal has been written about all of these cases. There have, however, been no indications that all of these children watched the same TV programs or listened to the same music. Nor has it been established that they all used illegal drugs, suffered from alcohol abuse or had common difficulties with their families or peers. They did not share identical home lives, dress alike or participate in similar extracurricular activities. But all of the above were labeled as suffering from a mental illness and were being treated with psychotropic drugs that for years have been known to cause serious adverse effects when given to children.

. . . . At the top of the list of so-called “mental illnesses” among children is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, which is diagnosed when a child meets six of the 18 criteria described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, published by the American Psychiatric Association, or APA.

. . . . ADHD was determined by a vote of APA psychiatrists to be a “mental” illness and added to the DSM-IIIR in 1987. By definition, children with ADHD exhibit behaviors such as not paying attention in school, not listening when spoken to directly, failing to follow directions, losing things, being easily distracted and forgetful, fidgeting with hands or feet, talking excessively, blurting out answers or having difficulty awaiting turn. The most common ADHD remedy among pediatricians and representatives of the mental-health community is, as noted, Ritalin.

. . . . First approved by the FDA in 1955, Ritalin (methylphenidate) had become widely used for behavioral control by the mid-1960s. It is produced by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, the United States buys and uses 90 percent of the world’s Ritalin. A U.N. agency known as the International Narcotics Control Board, or INCB, reported in 1995 that “10 to 12 percent of all boys between the ages of 6 and 14 in the U.S. have been diagnosed as having ADD [attention-deficit disorder, now referred to as ADHD] and are being treated with methylphenidate.”

. . . . But opponents are concerned about evidence they say confirms a close relationship between use of prescribed psychotropic drugs and subsequent use of illegal drugs, including cocaine and heroin. While the United States has spent more than $70 billion on the war on drugs, says Bruce Wiseman, president of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a California-based organization that investigates violations of human rights by mental-health practitioners, “if you think the Colombian drug cartel is the biggest drug dealer in the world, think again. It’s your neighborhood psychiatrist … putting our kids on the highest level of addictive drugs.”

. . . . This complaint is not new and there is a lengthy list of government agencies connecting the prescribed psychotropic drugs to use of illegal substances.

. . . . Twenty-eight years ago the World Health Organization, or WHO, concluded that Ritalin was pharmacologically similar to cocaine in its pattern of abuse and cited Ritalin as a Schedule II drug — the most addictive in medical usage. The Department of Justice followed the WHO by citing Ritalin in Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act as having a very high potential for abuse. As a Schedule II drug, Ritalin joins morphine, opium, cocaine and the heroin substitute methadone.

. . . . According to a report in the 1995 Archives of General Psychiatry, “Cocaine is one of the most reinforcing and addicting of the abused drugs and has pharmacological actions that are very similar to those of Ritalin.” In the same year the DEA also made the Ritalin/cocaine connection, saying, “It is clear that Ritalin substitutes for cocaine and d-amphetamine in a number of behavioral paradigms,” expressing concern that “one in every 30 Americans between 5 and 19 years old has a prescription for the drug.”

. . . . Despite decades of warnings about the potential for abuse of Ritalin, experts continue to argue that the benefits far outweigh the consequences. Yet the INCB has reported that “Methylphenidate’s [Ritalin] pharmacological effects are essentially the same as those of amphetamine and methamphetamine. The abuse of methylphenidate [Ritalin] can lead to tolerance and severe psychological dependence. Psychotic episodes [and] violent and bizarre behavior have been reported.”

. . . . These are, in fact, some of the same symptoms exhibited by Eric Harris.

. . . . David Fassler, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and chairman of the APA group on Children, Adolescents and Their Families, says he is unaware of any research to suggest a correlation between the recent cases of violent behavior in school-age children and the widespread prescription of psychotropic drugs. Fassler argues that the number of school-age children suffering from mental illnesses such as depression is “more than earlier believed and it is important that there be a comprehensive evaluation by a mental-health clinician trained in this area.” He stresses that “treatment should be multimodal — not left to medications alone.”

. . . . Mike Faenza, president and chief executive officer of the National Mental Health Association, the country’s oldest and largest mental-health group, notes that “there is little known about how the drugs affect brain function.” Faenza adds that “we do know that a hell of a lot of kids commit suicide because they aren’t getting the help they need. It’s irresponsible not to give them the help just because we don’t know what causes the mental illness.”

. . . . Opponents are quick to capitalize on this admission. “There is no such thing as ADHD,” declares Wiseman. “It’s not a deficiency of ‘speed’ that makes a kid act out. If you look at the criteria listed in the DSM-IV for ADHD, you’ll see that they are taking normal childhood behavior and literally voting it a mental illness. This is a pseudoscience, entirely subjective. Unlike medical conditions that are proved scientifically, with these mental illnesses the only way you know you’re better is if the psychiatrist says you’re better. That’s not science.”

. . . . Pediatric neurologist Fred Baughman not only agrees that there is no such illness as ADHD, but says: “This is a contrived epidemic, where all 5 million to 6 million children on these drugs are normal. The country’s been led to believe that all painful emotions are a mental illness and the leadership of the APA knows very well that they are representing it as a disease when there is no scientific data to confirm any mental illness.”

. . . . Peter Breggin, a psychiatrist and director of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology and author of Talking Back to Prozac, Toxic Psychiatry and Talking Back to Ritalin, for years has waged a war with the APA about what he regards as its cavalier diagnoses of mental illnesses. “Psychiatry has never been driven by science. They have no biological or genetic basis for these illnesses and the National Institutes of Mental Health are totally committed to the pharmacological line.” He is concerned that “there is a great deal of scientific evidence that stimulants cause brain damage with long-term use, yet there is no evidence that these mental illnesses, such as ADHD, exist.”

. . . . Breggin points out that the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, admitted as much at their 1998 Consensus Development Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Thirty-one individuals were selected by NIH to make scientific presentations to the panel on ADHD and its treatment. The panel made the following observations and conclusions: “We don’t have an independent, valid test for ADHD; there are no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction; existing studies come to conflicting conclusions as to whether use of psychostimulants increases or de-creases the risk of abuse, and finally after years of clinical research and experience with ADHD, our knowledge about the cause or causes of ADHD remains speculative.”

. . . . If so, there is little evidence to support a scientific basis for classifying ADHD as a mental illness. On the other hand, there is an abundance of evidence that stimulants such as Ritalin can produce symptoms such as mania, insomnia, hallucinations, hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. And the DEA’s list of potential adverse effects of Ritalin includes psychosis, depression, dizziness, insomnia, nervousness, irritability and attacks of Tourette’s or other tic syndromes.

. . . . While Ritalin is the drug of choice for treating ADHD, other mental illnesses such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, from which Columbine shooter Harris suffered, are being treated with new SSRI antidepressants. Harris’ autopsy revealed that he had used Luvox (Fluvoxomine), an SSRI, prior to the shooting spree. And days earlier he had been rejected by the Marine Corps because he was taking the psychotropic drug.

. . . . Luvox, a cousin of Prozac, has been approved by the FDA for pediatric use, although research shows that a small percentage of patients experience adverse effects such as mania, bouts of irritability, aggression and hostility. But many physicians still prescribe it to children.

. . . . More disturbing to those who believe sufficient evidence exists that prescription psychotropic drugs may play a role in the violence being carried out by school-age children is the response of physicians to the issue. Rather than erring on the side of caution by reducing the number of kids on mind-altering drugs, physicians instead are prescribing psychotropic drugs even to infants and toddlers. The warning label states that “Ritalin should not be used in children under 6 years, since safety and efficacy for this age group has not been established” and “sufficient data on safety and efficacy of long-term use of Ritalin in children are not yet available.”

. . . . A report in the July 1998 issue of the Clinical Psychiatric News revealed that in Michigan’s Medicaid program, 223 children 3 years old or younger were diagnosed with ADHD as of December 1996. Amazingly, 57 percent of these children, many of whom are not yet capable of putting together a complete sentence, were treated with one or more psychotropic drugs including Ritalin, Prozac, Dexedrine, Aventyl and Syban. Thirty-three percent were medicated with two or more of these drugs.

. . . . But it is Ritalin that is being prescribed to 6 million American children. Children’s Hospital in Washington has been running television advertisements expressing concern. According to its spokeswoman, Lynn Cantwell, the ads were part of a series covering many medical issues. “We wanted to advocate that children get a comprehensive evaluation because we are finding that children were coming in who were taking Ritalin who actually did not have ADHD.”

. . . . Wiseman has suggested that the only way to gain control of the situation is to expose widespread “fraudulent diagnoses” of psychiatrists. “Without the diagnoses, you can’t get the drugs,” he says. Baughman’s answer isn’t too far from Wiseman’s. He says, “A big-time class-action lawsuit needs to be filed.”

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

Enjoy an article about me written in 2010 that is equally as relevant today!

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 12, 2010 -

Chicago – New Year’s resolutions, love them or hate them, bring new energy to people’s yearning to improve their health. In her book, You Can Be Well, Dr. Stephanie Maj focuses on helping people with these changes to aid them in recapturing the health and vitality that has slowly been eroding away people’s lives.

“I have always used New Years to help my patients set health goals.” Dr. Maj said. “It amazes me that people are so unhealthy that on all the Top 10 Resolution lists, health related items account for over half the resolutions.”

This general lack of health in our society is one of the reasons she wrote the book; to help people find the critical steps necessary for success. There are thousands of books on wellness yet Dr. Maj has found all these books are missing the most vital step of all.

“It is the elimination of nerve interference that NO ONE is talking about and I feel can no longer be ignored. As a chiropractor, I focus on removing the interference in the nervous system, the master controller of all the organ systems of body. Without removing this nerve interference, no other steps will get the patient to their desired health goal.”

“I find that people misunderstand what health and wellness really are to them. Most people want to be healthier yet have no idea what health really is and exactly how to go about achieving it.” In her book, Dr. Maj talks about the 5 critical steps to wellness, four of which are action steps that every self-help health book talks about: Eating right, stress relief, exercise and eliminating toxins.

Dr. Maj has noticed that others are out there speaking and writing about wellness and what it means and yet fail to address the interference in the nerve system that Chiropractic corrects. The reason this is so important is that the body is a self-healing organism and the nerve system is what controls that healing. When there is interference in the nerves, there is interference in the body’s ability to heal properly or fight disease (like cancers and viruses). Chiropractic removes interference in the nerves so the body’s own natural defense systems can be restored.

Research shows that when you have interference in the nerve’s function at the spinal level, this leads to a cascade of harmful results. Some of those results include: Increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, increased triglycerides, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), increased stress hormones, decreased immunity (cancer & infections), decreased sense of well being and a decrease in complex learning abilities.

“I understand that achieving health and wellness is not as simple as only getting a Chiropractic adjustment. I address other steps in my book, “You Can Be Well.” Eating right, exercising, combating stress and eliminating toxins are needed as well.”

Dr. Maj states, “The mission at Community Chiropractic is to check as many people as possible for hidden health problems and to save them from a life of drugs and surgery. We do this in Chicago everyday yet if you aren’t in my practice; there is no way of knowing these vital steps.”

The biggest promise I have for people is that You Can Be Well, too!

Dr. Stephanie Maj is the clinic director for Community Chiropractic, a full service wellness center offering family health care, acupuncture, massage, orthotics and nutritional counseling. Dr. Maj has been practicing in the Lakeview area for 14 years. Her book You Can Be Well, can be purchased on Amazon.com or on her website, youcanbewell.net.

A new study adds more reason to why our bodies employ fevers as a defense against sickness.

Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute found that a higher body temperature can help our immune systems to work better and harder against infected cells. The finding was published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

“Having a fever might be uncomfortable, … but this research report and several others are showing that having a fever is part of an effective immune response,” John Wherry, Ph.D., deputy editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, said in a statement.

Before, researchers thought that fevers worked by hindering dangerous microbes from multiplying, Wherry said.

But “this new work also suggests that the immune system might be temporarily enhanced functionally when our temperatures rise with fever,” he said in the statement, though he noted that the finding should only prompt people to reconsider how they treat mild fevers, and not fevers that are dangerously high.

The secret is in a kind of immune cell, or lymphocyte, called a CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell. This kind of lymphocyte is able to destroy cells infected with viruses and even tumor cells, researchers said. Researchers found that a higher body temperature (like one achieved in a fever) raises the number of these CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells, which means a greater body response against infection.

To find this, researchers injected mice with an antigen and saw how the CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells activated to react to the antigen. Then, they raised the body temperatures of half the mice by 2 degrees centigrade, while leaving the temperatures of the other = mice alone. They found that the mice whose body temperatures were raised had more of the CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells than the mice without raised body temps.

The rise in mouse’s body temperature is “similar to that that happens in fever,” study researcher Elizabeth Repasky told the Toronto Star.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center clinical associate professor Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, who wasn’t involved with the study, told MSNBC that the finding shouldn’t mean a fever should never be treated because too-high fevers can lead to brain cell damage. Parents should still take care to lower fevers in children, particularly if the fever is above 102 degrees Fahrenheit, since high fever can lead to seizures, Adalja told MSNBC.

Adalja also warns it”s also not worth the risk to your own health if you have heart disease, have suffered a stroke or endure other medical complications. “This is not a blanket recommendation,” he says. “Secondary consequences to the fever can cause other conditions in the patient to occur or worsen. If someone has a persistent fever of 104, it’s a sign of infection, and it”s not just some viral thing you are going to get over.”

This is certainly not the first research to suggest that fevers ramp up our body’s immune responses. Discover magazine reported in 2007 on another Roswell Park Cancer Institute mouse study, which showed that mice that were heated up produced more immune cells to fight disease than mice that weren’t heated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/fever-immune-system-cells_n_1074445.html

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

Ever year my patients ask me to re-post my letter on the Flu Shot so here it is:

Hello Everyone!  I hope you all have had a wonderful summer season.  It is flu season approaching and I have been compelled to write my flu shot letter to all of my patients.  The news recently said that new recommendations came out telling parents to have their children, from ages 6 to 23 months, to get a flu shot.  They are then recommending that they have one each year for the rest of their life.

The calls and questions are beginning to start – “Should my child get a flu shot?  Should I get one too?” I wanted to write a letter addressing these questions.

Your medical doctor will tell you that flu shots are 100% safe.  This is absolutely false! And as to the effectiveness of flu shots, that is another question altogether.  The truth is that flu shots are notoriously ineffective and can actually be dangerous.  They cause untold cases of flu each year and last year, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) came out and admitted that the flu shot being given had NONE of the strains that were actually erupting all over the country.

Perhaps the most insidious of all problems with flu shots is their mercury content (it’s also called thimerosal).  An average flu shot contains 25 microns of mercury.  And one micron is considered toxic.  Mercury is a brain toxin already indicated as a causative agent in autism, dementia and Alzheimer’s.  Statistics show that if you have had 5 consecutive flu shots, that you have ten times the odds of getting Alzheimer’s as compared to a person who has had 2 flu shots or less.  This information is according to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, one of the world’s leading immunogeneticist – with 850 papers published in peer-reviewed journals.  Did your doctor mention the chances that you or your child might get the flu, be crippled, or even lose your mind from consecutive flu shots?  I doubt it.

Mercury-free flu shots are loaded with another harmful metal -ALUMINUM- which is shown to be an equally dangerous neurotoxin!

Our state has an act which strictly limits the amount of mercury in children’s vaccines.  The act states that shots made with mercury are a danger to your children.  Some manufacturers are starting to supply flu shots without thimerosal but these are not readily available and not given unless requested.   Remember also that the other ingredients aren’t much better:  aluminum, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), phenol, benzethonium, methylparaben.

There is a better way!  So, my answer is, “AVOID THE FLU SHOTS LIKE THE PLAGUE!”  These flues affect only the immune compromised.  There are many ways to boost your immune system without subjecting yourself to these harmful shots, like:

1. Eat whole fruits and vegetables.  Limit sugar and processed foods.
2. Get exercise and fresh air.
3. Drink pure water – 2 quarts a day.
4. Quit smoking.
5. Get enough rest.
6. Take a potent multivitamin (we also have immune support supplements in the office).
7. Take hot salt baths.

And, finally, GET ADJUSTED! As you know, my ‘immune buster’ adjustment focuses on the areas in charge of your immune system.  Yes, your spinal nerves control immune function!  The healthier your nervous system, the healthier your immune system will be.  So, a stressed nervous system equals a stressed immune system.  Make Chiropractic part of your health and wellness choices this “flu season” for your family.

Have you had your kid’s spines checked? Building healthy immune system habits when kids are young will lead to healthier bodies throughout their lives.  My techniques are gentle, safe, and effective in keeping healthy kids healthy without drugs or harmful antibiotics.

I know this letter is direct.  The truth is that I care about the health of your kids and you.  My goal is to make you informed about the choices you are making, to give you options that are more holistic, and to work with your body to make you stronger.  So please call the office and make an appointment for you and your family to get your spines checked.  You will be happy you did.

Yours in Health!

Dr. Steph

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago since 1996. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

Family Health Week is THIS WEEK – August 8th – 13th. Bring family in for check-ups and scoliosis screenings on us!  Below is a story about the importance of scoliosis screenings for kids.  Over 75% of my patients have a scoliosis when we x-ray them. These curves start when they are young. Prevention and early detection is key!

“Bend over and touch your toes” are the directions given to adolescents during a scoliosis screening. Unfortunately, this is usually the ONLY spinal exam most children have and has been shown to be ineffective in the best medical journal on the subject, “Spine!” What is equally upsetting is that over 75% of adult patients that come to our clinic have some form of abnormal spinal curvature that developed in childhood.

This toe touching screening test (Adams Test) is inadequate to detect abnormal spinal curves and is only as good as the examiner. In these school screenings, once a child is suspected of having scoliosis, further diagnosis is needed.   Most children are referred to an orthopedist. Unfortunately, lack of compliance, false-positive and  false negative tests, lack of conservative treatment options; all lead to the ineffectiveness of school spinal screenings for improving the outcomes of children with idiopathic scoliosis.

Over 75% of adult patients that come to our clinic have some form of abnormal spinal curvature that developed in childhood.

Scoliosis is the most common bony abnormality in the body, and is present in approximately 50% of the population in varying degrees (obviously higher with Chiropractic issues). Scoliosis is known to run in families.

Children-especially daughters-of women who have scoliosis are at increased risk for having scoliosis.

Girls are seven times more likely than boys to have a significant curve that requires treatment. Also, those that have spinal alignment issues and/or a short leg are also at increased risk.

Some of the more obvious signs of a significant scoliotic curve in the spine include; unevenness of shoulders and/or hip height, visible “crookedness” of the spine when viewed from behind, and a noticeable hump in the rib cage on one side. The complications from scoliosis, when advanced, include heart and lung disorders, degenerative spinal arthritis, muscular fatigue and joint dysfunction syndrome. The adolescent growth spurt (12-16 years) is the period when the curvature has a greater tendency to deform more rapidly.  Once a child has started their growth spurt, little can be done to arrest or reverse the development of scoliosis.  This is why early detection (BEFORE THE SPINE CURVES) and treatment is essential!

The Chiropractor is the only health practitioner qualified to handle the early diagnosis and prevention of scoliosis. A specific spinal exam, performed by a doctor of chiropractic, along with a safe and efficient surface EMG scan, is a better predictor of a child’s spinal health.  The surface EMG detects  abnormalities in the nerve system that can cause  imbalances in the pulling of the musculature, PRIOR to the spinal curvature.  X-ray is used in a limited basis to assess the initial curvature(or if the curve is even present) as well as a computerized postural assessment.

If our spines were visible from the outside, like our teeth, we would attend our spine regularly like we do our teeth. Unfortunately, some choose to ignore the parts of their body they can’t see. However, if we took better care of our spine, with regular chiropractic checkups, we would be in better health as we age!

Dr. Stephanie Maj is the author of the book, You Can Be Well! How to Improve Your Quality of Life Through a Healthier Lifestyle. She has been coaching families to a healthier lifestyle for over 16 years. Dr. Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Check out her blog at www.drmaj.com.