Don’t Let The Winter Blues Get You Down!

How To Combat SAD, or the Winter Blues

The "winter blues" is something that affects many of us and sometimes we aren’t even aware of it.  Symptoms like tiredness, lethargy and stress are often attributed to ‘the weather’, or ‘having an off day’, but winter depression is a recognized condition.  This is also known as the ‘winter blues’, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and it is caused by a lack of sunlight during the winter.  The condition is very common in the northern hemisphere.

Good Nutrition Breaks Through Depression

A good diet and nutritional routine is important all year round, but fighting off the winter blues requires a little bit of extra nutritional attention.  First of all, never skip meals.  Breakfast is essential if the brain is to work correctly; it cannot do so without fuel.  Having lunch gets you through the afternoon sleepiness and can reduce dinnertime over-eating.

A whole food diet which includes fruits and vegetables of all colors, nuts and fish, will supply B vitamins and amino acids which keep the body and brain in good working order during winter.  Fast food, although comforting and convenient at times, often contains far too much fat, carbohydrates and sugar, and will not give the body that ‘feel good’ factor for very long, and will in most cases leave behind an even worse feeling of lethargy and poor nutritional fullness.

Vitamins Can Fight Depression

Stress and depression use up huge quantities of vitamin C within the body.  Many animals make their own supply of this vitamin, but humans cannot.  For example, the goat can alter its rate of vitamin C production according to the amount of stress it is under, or its general health.  Humans need to increase vitamin C intake during times when the body is under stress.

Vitamin C can also stop viruses from dividing inside cells, so it helps the fight against things like the common cold and ‘flu’.  These viruses tend to attack when resistance is low, so it is essential to replenish vitamin C supplies daily.  Fresh fruits and vegetables and supplements are beneficial here.

B vitamins are also depression fighters.  Scientists found that people with depression do better when they had high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood.  B-complex vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being.  They cannot be stored in our bodies, so we depend entirely on our daily diet to supply them.  B vitamins are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine so it is no surprise that many people may be deficient in these.

Sunlight is something the body needs.  It helps our bodies generate Vitamin D.   And studies show that vitamin  d deficiency provides a compelling explanation for seasonal variations in mood.  Make sure and supplement your Vitamin D if you are not getting much sun.

Tips for Lifting The Winter Blues

Apart from attention to diet, there are a number of other ways that can help to relieve the winter blues.  Keeping a good sense of humor and try to have a little fun, (not always easy to do!), and rest and relaxation also play a big part in combating the blues.  An active mind and body, usually results in a health mind and body!

Time should be made available for hobbies and talking to friends, and simplifying daily life as much as possible to stop things from mounting up and adding to the pressure and stress.  We know it’s tough but, just taking the time to look around and see your surroundings can be spiritually lifting.

Alcohol, nicotine, or other non-prescription and even over use of prescription drugs, may seem to give some relief, but this is only temporary and cannot stop depression.  In addition, these can rob your body of important vitamins. In addition, caffeine can have the same effect on the body as high levels of stress, so it is advisable to lower intake of caffeine products.

Most importantly, if the sun comes out from behind the clouds in that wintry sky, go outside. Tests have shown that just twenty minutes of winter sunshine can help lift the moods and alleviate the symptoms associated with he winter blues.

So do your best to get regular exercise and nutritional supplements.  I know when I stick with my vitamin routine and excercise even 30 minutes – I do in fact feel better about everything.

We hope this helps,

CAOH

The need of sleep!

The need to sleep!

Do you get enough sleep? Many of us actually do not get enough sleep, and we aren’t even aware of it. We have just adjusted to it without even realizing that we are not getting good sleep.  We just think the energy level that we have is "normal".

The fact is that we are not getting the real rest that we need, and if we did,  we would notice a difference in our morale/mood, energy level, and alertness that would shock most of us.  But the big issue is that the lack of sleep can affect your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness.  Sleep is, after all, when the body can take the time to heal.

In addition most of us also don’t realize the impact that the foods we eat have on our sleep.  Of course we know that caffeine keeps us awake. So, clearly we want to avoid anything that has caffeine in it at least six hours before bedtime. But just as caffeine is something that keeps us awake, there are many foods that actually help us get better sleep. Any food that contains tryptophan is a ’sleeper’ food.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that produces melatonin in the brain. Melatonin slows down the traffic in the nerves and helps our brains rest. The brain, of course, is the body’s central control center. When it’s active, so is the rest of the body – but when it rests so does the body.

You’ve heard of having a warm glass of milk to help you sleep. The ‘warm’ part really has no nutritional effect on sleep. But it is a psychological trigger that soothes us from our baby days, when our mothers fed us warmed milk or baby formula. however, the nutritional components of milk actually does promote sleep, because milk has calcium and tryptophan.

Calcium actually helps the brain use the tryptophan in a more productive way, making it produce melatonin faster, which relaxes our brains enough to let us fall into a deep, relaxing sleep.

Again, this is because of the calcium. Not only does this calcium help the brain produce melatonin, it also reduces pain and stiffness, helps decrease leg cramps, restless legs, and muscle spasms that many people experience during the night that keep us awake.

FYI – magnesium can also have the same effect.  Some people need calcium, some magnesium and some need a combination of both.  In fact, one of our customers mentioned to us that if he has any trouble sleeping, he just gets up and takes some of our Coral Calcium, and sleeps like a baby within a short time.

The nice thing is that taking one or the other will not harm you.  They are just natural minerals and the also have other great nutritional aspects for the body as well. 

Here is a recent email we got from one of our customers:

February 8, 2010

Dear CAOH,

I would like to thank California Academy of Health, and share with you that Calm has restored my sanity.  I was at my wits end after having suffered through six months of insomnia at this time last year.  I didn’t want to go on prescription medication and had tried multiple over-the-counter sleep aids, none of which helped.  I have ordered Goji Berries from www.caoh.com for a couple of years now, and was browsing your on-line product catalog.  I was interested enough in the name of the product to read the description.  I ordered a bottle of Calm, and that $20 provided instant relief of my insomnia.  I take one capsule after lunch and have slept like a baby for the past year.  That’s six months of sleep for $20!  And it’s all natural.  I don’t know why more physicians and OBs don’t recommend absorbable magnesium to their patients, especially those in peri- and menopause.   

Thank you CAOH!

Cathy
Philadelphia, PA

Here are some products that can help with sleep:

Absolute L-Tryptophan 120 Capsules – 500 mg – Vegetarian Calm High Potency Magnesium – 180 capsules Liquid Calmag Liquid high potency calcium/magnesium w/ Vitamin D

Calmag Plus High potency calcium/magnesium softgels Coral Calcium Capsules 90 day supply – 2:1 calcium/magnesium Coral Calcium Liquid Calcium and nutrient complex – 32 oz – vegetarian

Vision Health

Integrative Vision Care And Nutrition
Author: Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac.

Edited by: CAOH

Click here for definition of Integrative Medicine.

Mind/Body medicine is based on the fact that our health and well-being depends on all the individual parts working together effectively. So it should come as no surprise that healthy eyesight is also dependent upon our total well-being, which is affected by our genetic makeup, the food we eat, our work environment and exposure to airborne toxins, as well as our general belief systems about ourselves and the world we live in.

Each of us is unique, and we literally take the world in through our senses, primarily through our vision. Many believe the way we take in the world is, to some degree, a reflection of who we are and which symptoms we might manifest. The integrative approach evaluates the person's lifestyle, habits, diet, exercise routine, and stress management, along with the family history, in determining a therapeutic approach. It attempts to bring in the patient as an active partner in the program to improve or maintain eye health. Specific habits have been identified in studies to be very damaging to eye health, including smoking, excessive alcohol, coffee, excess sugar and refined foods, and hydrogenated oils (like margarines).

Nutrition and nutritional supplementation could play a key role in helping to prevent vision loss and keeping our bodies strong. More and more peer review studies are identifying specific nutrients that are lacking in patients with eye conditions such as the following:

GLAUCOMA:

Vitamin C – in parts of Europe and Asia, vitamin C is considered part of routine treatment for glaucoma. It lowers eye pressure through a combination of decreasing fluid production and improving the outflow of aqueous humor. It also improves collagen metabolism which may be one of the underlying reasons for the development of glaucoma. Nutritional sources include citrus fruits, red peppers and tomatoes.

Recommended Dosage: 3000 mg per day

Omega 3 fatty acids – these may help reduce the chronic inflammatory processes that is found in many patients with glaucoma. Fish and unrefined fish oils are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that Eskimos, who have a high intake of Omega 3, have a very low incidence of open-angle glaucoma. Some studies on animals further indicate that fish oil can reduce fluid pressure within the eyes. The best sources are the flesh of cold water fish (example; salmon, mackerel, cod) as well as black currant seed oil, and flax seed oil. Consider eating fish three times a week.

Recommended Dosage: 1500 mg per day

Ginkgo biloba – may increase the circulation of blood to the eyes. It has been shown in some cases to help lower intraocular pressure in the eyes. There is no natural food source. It is directly derived from the ginkgo tree.

Recommended Dosage: 120 mg per day – Note: if using blood thinner reduce by 40 mg

Magnesium – is a mineral that relaxes smooth muscles, which regulates the outflow of aqueous humor from the inner eye. Natural sources include most nuts, seeds, vegetables, seafood and soy products.

Recommended Dosage: 500 mg per day  Magnesium should be taken with calcium in a 2:1 ratio (calcium to magnesium).

 

MACULAR DEGENERATION:

Lutein/zeaxanthin – these two carotenoids have been shown to be low in people with macular degeneration. Increasing intake of Lutein/zeaxanthin either by foods or by supplements has been found to prevent and even improve macular degeneration in many cases. Natural sources are green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and collard greens.

Recommended Dosage: 6 mg per day, optimally in a sublingual (under the tongue) form. It should be taken with a little fat, such as vitamin E to increase absorption.

Bilberry – strengthens the structural integrity of blood vessels throughout the body and promotes healthy circulation, particularly to the small capillaries that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the eyes. Bilberry also helps prevent free radical damage to the delicate structures within the eye. Natural sources are blueberries and huckleberries.

Recommended Dosage: 240 mg per day

Taurine – this amino acid is important for the regeneration of worn out tissues of the retina. Taurine helps protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation. Natural sources include eggs, meats and fish.

Recommended Dosage: 1000 mg per day

Zinc – the macular can degenerate when zinc is deficient. It is found naturally in meats, oysters, and whole grains.

Recommended Dosage: 30 mg per day

CATARACTS:

Vitamin C – the normal healthy lens of the eye contains a higher level of vitamin C that any other organ of the body except the adrenal glands. Studies have shown a decreased level of vitamin C in the aqueous humor as well as in the overall body when cataracts are forming. Vitamin C has also been shown to control sugar imbalances that often play a role in cataract formation. Natural sources include citrus fruits, red peppers and tomatoes.

Recommended Dosage: 3000 mg per day

Glutathione – could be very effective in preventing cataract formation, and is crucial in possibly altering free radical damage. Some studies have shown that many lenses with cataracts contain approximately 1/5th the amount of glutathione as compared to normal lenses. Glutathione is produced by the body and is composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid. All the following nutrients could help increase glutathione levels: N-Acetyl Cysteine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, vitamin C, selenium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, zinc, and other nutrients. Natural sources include eggs, broccoli, avocados, garlic, onions and cauliflower.

Recommended Dosage: 500 mg of N-Acetyl Cysteine, 100-200 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid, 1500 mg of vitamin C, 200 mcg of selenium, 400 I.U.’s of vitamin E, 50 mg of vitamin B2 and B6, 30 mg of zinc.

However, nothing replaces a positive, healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, daily meditations or walks in nature and a healthy diet. The rapid pace of our lives often interferes with us taking the time to really take care of ourselves. Caring for ourselves helps to keep our bodies healthy, and maximizes the mind/body's inherent healing potential.

Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac., optometrist and licensed acupuncturist, has been helping people preserve their vision in his private practice for over 20 years. He is the co-author of Natural Eye Care – An Encyclopedia (Keats, 1999) and Greater Vision – A Guide to Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Clarity in Everyday Life (McGraw Hill Publishers, 2001). Dr. Grossman is currently the Eastern Region Director of the Optometric Extension Foundation program, and lectures internationally on natural eye care, nutrition and Chinese medicine.

Liquid Power, Magnesium and Reduced Blood Pressure

Question: Hello,

My husband was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and I now need to confirm that none of the supplements he currently takes will aggravate or contribute to this condition.  Can you please let me know if ANY of the ingredients that are in your Liquid Power Ultra Complete Daily Multiple will increase blood pressure in users.  (Note: I had read that men who’ve had heart attacks should not take L-Arginine, – Liquid Power lists the amino acid Arginine – but I don’t know if that would also affect those with high blood pressure.)

Separately, we are trying to find natural remedies to help with his high blood pressure condition.  We’ve currently started a daily regime of CoQ10, OPC, Hawthorne and Garlic, which seems to have had some preliminary success in lowering his numbers.  Can you tell me if there is a specific product by CAOH that we might look at for his condition?

Sincerely,

A. Sandoval

Answer: AS,

Nothing in the Liquid Power will raise his BP. The only other supplement I would add is magnesium (very important). Start w/one a day and work up to two a day. Reason is that magnesium in some people can have a slight laxative effects a la Milk of Magnesia. I take 3 and have no problem, most people don’t until they get to 3 or 4.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc

Reply back: Dear Dr. Ettinger,

I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to send me your response below.  My husband and I are both very happy to hear that we can continue to use the Liquid Power product without interruption … and also, thanks to your recommendation regarding the magnesium, my husband’s BP numbers have been significantly reduced!  Thank you for that information.

Sincerely,

A. Sandoval

Holistic Medicine – An Outline of What It Is!

What is Holistic Medicine?

Holistic medicine is the art and science of healing that addresses the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.  The practice of holistic medicine integrates conventional and alternative therapies to prevent and treat disease, and most importantly, to promote optimal health.  This condition of holistic health is defined as the unlimited and unimpeded free flow of life force energy through body, mind, and spirit.

Holistic medicine encompasses all safe and appropriate modalities of diagnosis and treatment. It includes analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, spiritual and lifestyle elements.  Holistic medicine focuses upon patient education and participation in the healing process.

The Principles of Holistic Medical Practice

Holistic physicians embrace a variety of safe, effective options in the diagnosis and treatment, including:

1. Education for lifestyle changes and self-care.
2. Complementary alternatives; and
3. Conventional drugs and surgery.

• Searching for the underlying causes of disease is preferable to treating symptoms alone.

• Holistic physicians expend as much effort in establishing what kind of patient has a disease as they do in establishing what kind of disease a patient has.

• Prevention is preferable to treatment and is usually more cost-effective. The most cost-effective approach evokes the patient’s own innate healing capabilities.

• Illness is viewed as a manifestation of a dysfunction of the whole person, not as an isolated event.

• A major determinant of healing outcomes is the quality of the relationship established between physician and patient, in which patient autonomy is encouraged.

• The ideal physician-patient relationship considers the needs, desires, awareness and insight of the patient as well as those of the physician.

• Physicians significantly influence patients by their example.

• Illness, pain, and the dying process can be learning opportunities for patients and physicians.

• Holistic physicians encourage patients to evoke the healing power of love, hope, humor and enthusiasm, and to release the toxic consequences of hostility, shame, greed, depression, and prolonged fear, anger, and grief.

• Unconditional love is life’s most powerful medicine. Physicians strive to adopt an attitude of unconditional love for patients, themselves, and other practitioners.

• Optimal health is much more than the absence of sickness. It is the conscious pursuit of the highest qualities of the physical, environmental, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of the human experience.

This is from the American Holistic Health Association (AHHA).

Nutrition vs Alzheimer’s

Nutritional drink and Alzheimer’s

Scientists have developed a drink called Souvenaid that is a “medical food”, meaning it’s taken under the guidance of a physician to manage a specific condition. The drink has three components — uridine, choline, and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA — that, working together, help restore synapses, said Dr. Richard Wurtman, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of the study. Uridine is a molecule used in the genetic coding for RNA, choline is in the vitamin B family, and DHA is found in certain fish and fish oils.

You can read more about this article from CNN here (link). But what we wanted to point out is this statement in in the article: “These nutrients are already found in the human body and have been shown to be safe, he said. But taking a supplement of any one of them will not have the same beneficial effect, he said. Together in the right proportions, the cocktail increases the production of fatty constituents and proteins needed for synapses…..“

These nutrients are abundant in fish oils, whole foods like tomatoes, seaweeds, phytoplankton and our Liquid Power Multi-V™ and Ultra Omega 3-6-9™.

JAMA Study on Ginkgo biloba Not Quite Clear?

JAMA Study on Ginkgo Biloba Effects on Rate of Cognitive Decline ‘Still Misses the Boat’ – “in fact it may not be in the same ocean.“

The study population should have been one situated closer to the onset of cognitive decline – meaning younger people! 

A study released on Tuesday in the December 23/30 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that adults who used the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba for several years did not have a slower rate of cognitive decline compared to adults who received placebo.  The researchers analyzed results from the 2008 Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study to determine as a secondary outcome if G. biloba slowed the rate of cognitive decline in older adults who had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at the beginning of the study.

The Natural Products Association has previously issued comments on the GEM study, which was originally released in November of 2008, questioned the benefits of Ginkgo biloba on preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), saying the study “missed the boat entirely” because the universe of people studied was too limited to make broad statements about the benefits of the popular dietary supplement. [New JAMA Study on Ginkgo Biloba and Alzheimer's 'Misses the Boat Entirely', NPA Member Update, November 18, 2008]

“As we stated in our comments regarding the GEM study last year, the boat has left the dock and this study isn’t on it,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the Natural Products Association. “When one considers that age-related cognitive decline may initiate in healthy adults as early as their 30s, it would seem that if the authors were indeed serious about investigating prevention as a secondary outcome, they would have selected a population that was situated closer to the onset of cognitive decline instead of one where its effects most likely have already taken hold.”

One, it looks exclusively at people almost 80 years old who are far more likely to have Alzheimer’s, while ignoring those in middle ages, where the risk for developing the disease rises quickly and prevention could best be analyzed. Two, it excludes completely any consideration of the strong and established role that family history plays with Alzheimer’s. You can’t do a study on the weather without looking at wind and rain,”

It’s is always interesting to us (CAOH) that many studies looking at the benefits of herbal and nutritional supplements never take into account long term use and prevention.  There is never a magic bullet, pill or potion.

Power Vision Formula and Liquid Power For Eye Health

Question: Do you have any products that can help with cataracts or glaucoma?

Thanks.

Leon

Answer: Leon,

Our Power Vision Formula is a comprehensive support formula for vision and the eye. I wish I could promise that it’s exactly what you need but I can’t. I can tell you it’s a very comprehensive and well thought-out formula.

When combined with our Liquid Power Multi-V, you will be covering all bases to help prevent, ” Age Related Eye Disease.” (see study link below)

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc

The AREDS Formulation and Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Are These High Levels of Antioxidants and Zinc Right For You?

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) – sponsored by the Federal government’s National Eye Institute – has found that taking high levels of antioxidants and zinc can reduce the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by about 25 percent.

"Friendly" Bacteria!

 

Probiotics harm germs, aid immune system!

By Dr. Richard Beliveau

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that play an essential part in maintaining good health. A recent study suggests their positive role could be the result of the bacteria’s ability to physically interact with the intestine’s mucous membranes.

It’s become so common to associate microbes with illness that a lot of people are horrified when they find out our bodies contain 10 times more bacteria than human cells.

The bacteria that live in the lower section of our intestine, the colon, likely are the best example of the central role these microorganisms play in our health. The intestine is the part of the body most exposed to foreign pathogens. As a result, it contains the majority, about 75%, of the body’s immune cells.

The large number of intestinal bacteria (up to 10,000 billion per gram of content) plays a crucial role in the development and repair of the immune system.

In order to do its job well, the intestinal flora must be made up mostly of beneficial bacteria that take up the most space possible to stop the harmful effects of pathogens, or germs.

Among the “friendly” bacteria, probiotic bacteria are considered to have the most positive effect on the composition of intestinal flora.

In an environment without oxygen such as the colon, these bacteria are able to use lactic acid to break down food fibre, thereby acidifying the intestine and slowing the spread of several pathogens, which prefer to multiply in less harsh conditions.

So how does a probiotic bacterium decide to make the intestine its home? A multidisciplinary research team in Europe found that probiotic bacteria had genes that helped produce pili, the hair-like appendages that are essential to probiotic bacteria’s ability to attach themselves to the intestinal wall, and the reason they choose the intestine.

The discovery of pili specific to probiotic bacteria is all the more interesting since previous studies showed these appendages stimulate the immune system.

This research shows the positive effects from probiotics aren’t a random occurrence, but are directly tied to the intrinsic ability of these microorganisms to work with our bodies and influence our immune systems.

We have two really good products that offer the benefits discussed above:

Probiotic Flora-Health™ A combination of 8 different species of beneficial bacteria – Four (4) billion viable organisms. Includes FOS to assist healthy growth of acidophilus and bifidus organisms – Enteric coated, delivering its microflora directly to the small intestine.  Stable at room temperature – Requires no refrigeration. Click here to find out more!

Super Power Enzymes™ Our Super Power Enzymes™ contain a comprehensive blend of potent digestive enzymes plus HCl and pepsin. The pancreatin and ox bile are specially coated to allow for release in the intestines where they are needed most for the digestion of fat and starches.  All the other components are  allowed to dissolve in the stomach promoting almost complete pre-digestion of proteins. Click here to find out more!

White House report predicts 30,000 to 90,000 H1N1 deaths.

Remember these two important datums:

1. An ounce (inexpensive/quick) of prevention is worth a pound (expensive/long duration) of cure.

2. You are either at cause over a situation or you are the effect of that situation. Which do you choose?

Dr E.

If you have questions or need more info, please do not hesitate to drop me a note at askthedoctor@caoh.com

White House report predicts 30,000 to 90,000 H1N1 deaths.

By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY 8-24-2009

The global flu pandemic expected to return to the USA this fall may infect as much as half the U.S. population, flooding hospitals with nearly 2 million patients and causing 30,000 to 90,000 deaths, according to the first official forecast of the scope of the flu season now getting underway.

The report, released Monday by the White House, was prepared by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. It offers the forecast as the most plausible of a range of scenarios that reflect the potential impact of a new form of H1N1 flu, known as swine flu, which the report calls "a serious health threat to the United States."

"While this is not the 1918 flu pandemic, it infects younger people more, and serious complications do occur," says panel co-chairman Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, warning that infants and children, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses are at special risk of serious complications.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 2 million people nationwide have been infected with the virus and 522 have already died. But flu experts worry that cases will mount as youngsters return to school and as cold weather drives people indoors. "We think it's very likely cases will increase," says David Marens of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

One of the council's goals was to use scenarios drawn from experience to identify critical health concerns and guide the government's response. The report concludes that the coming flu season will more likely resemble 1957, which killed 70,000 people, or 1968, when 34,000 died.

"There's great uncertainty about what we're going to be seeing as this develops," says White House Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan.  "We're trying to find a way to deal with various scenarios." The report calls for the government to intensify efforts to track infections and hospitalizations and to advocate common-sense prevention measures (This does not include any natural health methods or dietary modifications Dr. E).  Among them: making sure that sick people can get refunds to sporting events and that sick children who rely on school lunches can get them without infecting classmates.

The science advisers also urge the government to press vaccine makers to speed production by one month, by beginning to fill and distribute vials before clinical trials are completed.  Without accelerating vaccine production, they say, the first doses may not become available until after the swine flu season peaks (the first vaccine shots will be available in late October but a person's immunity to the virus will not take effect for an additional 5-8 weeks Dr. E).  In response, the government has asked manufacturers to put vaccine in vials "as soon as they are ready," the administration says.

The report asserts that an influx of flu patients may clog hospital emergency rooms and intensive-care units (ICUs).  "It's possible that at a time of peak demand from 50% to 100% of ICU beds in an area might be used for influenza cases.  They're often close to capacity without influenza," Lander says.

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