ASKDOCTORANCA

With the cold season already here , we should pay more
attention to the immune system- the most complex and dynamic
of all our systems.

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Garlic, recognized for its healing powers in ancient times,
is now being rediscovered by medical scientists, who have
new evidence of its efficacy against cancer and heart
disease. Read the rest of this entry »

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Child receiving an oral polio vaccine.

Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (the
vaccine) to produce immunity to a disease. Vaccines can
prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by a
pathogen. Vaccination is generally considered to be the most
effective and cost-effective method of preventing infectious
diseases. The material administrated can either be live but
weakened forms of pathogens (bacteria or viruses), killed or
inactivated forms of these pathogens, or purified material
such as proteins. Smallpox was the first disease people
tried to prevent by purposely inoculating themselves with
other types of infections; smallpox inoculation was started
in China or India before 200 BC.[1] In 1718, Lady Mary
Wortley Montagu reported that the Turks had a habit of
deliberately inoculating themselves with fluid taken from
mild cases of smallpox, and that she had inoculated her own
children.[2] Before 1796 when British physician Edward
Jenner tested the possibility of using the cowpox vaccine as
an immunisation for smallpox in humans for the first time,
at least six people had done the same several years earlier:
a person whose identity is unknown, England, (about 1771); a
Mrs. Sevel, Germany (about 1772); a Mr. Jensen, Germany
(about 1770); Benjamin Jesty, England, in 1774; a Mrs.
Rendall, England (about 1782); and Peter Plett, Germany, in
1791.[3]
The word vaccination was first used by Edward Jenner in
1796. Louis Pasteur furthered the concept through his
pioneering work in microbiology. Vaccination (Latin:
vacca—cow) is so named because the first vaccine was
derived from a virus affecting cows—the relatively benign
cowpox virus—which provides a degree of immunity to
smallpox, a contagious and deadly disease. In common speech,
‘vaccination’ and ‘immunization’ generally have the same
colloquial meaning. This distinguishes it from inoculation
which uses unweakened live pathogens, although in common
usage either is used to refer to an immunization. The word
“vaccination” was originally used specifically to describe
the injection of smallpox vaccine.[1][3]
Vaccination efforts have been met with some controversy
since their inception, on ethical, political, medical
safety, religious, and other grounds. In rare cases,
vaccinations can injure people and they may receive
compensation for those injuries. Early success and
compulsion brought widespread acceptance, and mass
vaccination campaigns were undertaken which are credited
with greatly reducing the incidence of many diseases in
numerous geographic regions.

News flash: Mom was wrong!
When she told you to cover your mouth when you cough, she
thought she was telling you how to keep your virus from
spreading. Read the rest of this entry »

ATTACHING MEANING TO METRICS
mcg (one microgram)
mg (one milligram)
g (one gram)
Read the rest of this entry »

We all take vacations (or at least we should) from work to
relax, recharge, and gain new perspectives on our life.
So, why not take occasional breaks from food?
Fasting occurs naturally when we find ourselves not wanting
food when we are sick; this is a natural response and should
be honored because the body needs all the energy to heal,
not to digest food. Fasting is a useful therapy for so many
conditions and people, especially those who tend to develop
congestive symptoms; congestive acidic conditions include
colds, flus, bronchitis, mucous congestion, and
constipation.
Breaking the habit of eating 3 meals a day is a challenge
for most people, but as anything new, it is only challenging
at the beginning or the first time it’s done.
When we stop eating, all that digestive energy gets
re-directed into regenerating the intestinal organs and our
body goes into an elimination cycle. During sensible
fasting, the body produces new healthy cells to replace
tired, toxic cells. The toxins stored in our fat cells and
organs are rapidly released during a fast.
Many people opt for a liquid-only day each week, which
brings 52 days of cleansing to the body each year. Others
choose to do 3 days fasts each month, which give the body 30
days of fasting each year.
The best liquid to use for your fasting days is a juice
made of therapeutic herbs along with vitamins and minerals
from fruits and vegetables. The herbs can have specific
detoxifying effects while the nutrients from fruits and
vegetables can strengthen the elimination organs. To learn
more of this kind of juice used in my favourite
detoxification program, visit here

Used originally in most cultures for ceremonies, caffeine
has become the most ubiquitous drug in the western world.
Most negative effects of caffeine are not necessarily a
concern for the occasional user, but do occur with regular
use of over 100 mg daily, also depending on the
individual’s sensitivities. Read the rest of this entry »

It is believed that Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine,
used only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar. Read the rest of this entry »

Normally, the body has its own internal de-cluttering
system, continually detoxifying, pollutants, cellular by-
products, harmful chemicals and toxic waste. Here’s how. Read the rest of this entry »

　
October to April is flu season, when the influenza virus
causes infection in the airways. Every year, countless
otherwise healthy Canadian adults and children miss work and
school due to the flu. Read the rest of this entry »