1. Awesome goal someone shared with me this week…
A patient was heading to the park with her two young sons after her appointment in our office. We talked about how good it was for kids to get outside. She said that she has a goal of spending 1,000 hours outside with her kids this year. I thought that was AWESOME! And they had already hit 300 hours outside. What was even cooler was that the 1,000-hour number, she said, came from the fact that kids under 7 years old spend an average of 1,000 hours in front of screens each year. YIKES!!! I LOVE her thinking, motivation, and commitment. A lot of you count your steps each day… how about tracking the hours you spend outside? Thanks, Nadia C., for sharing!
2. Interesting and important (but not surprising) study I saw this week…
A new bombshell study just came out of The Cleveland Clinic showing that this year’s influenza vaccine was not only INEFFECTIVE, but that those getting vaccinated had a 27% HIGHER RISK OF GETTING THE FLU. WOW! Super concerning data that flies in the face of the high-pressure messaging we get blasted with in the media and from doctors. This was a “large-scale prospective cohort study” involving 53,000 Cleveland Clinic employees. I have long been critical of the flu shot. Why? Because I believe the benefits are over-hyped, and the risks under-reported. (This study proves that.) According to the CDC, the flu shot is only 40-60% effective. It was only 19% effective in 2014-15 and 30% effective in 2022-23. I also do not like that most flu shots contain formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen), all multi-dose bottles still contain thimerosal (mercury), and there are other questionable ingredients. You are free to make your own choices, but it helps to have the most current, up-to-date, and accurate information when making any decision–especially those that affect your health. Of course, this study is being criticized by some, saying the data has not yet been peer-reviewed, that the study participants were “relatively healthy,” which is not representative of the general population, and that it did not measure the flu vaccines “primary benefit,” which is to “reduce risk for severe illness, hospitalization, and death.” Those selling flu shots will ALWAYS have reasons for you to continue to get these shots… no matter what the data says. The good news… if you want to get the shot, get it… if you don’t want to get it, don’t. The choice is yours. You can see the study here.
3. Inspirational clip I saw this week…
I saw a clip from the show Survivor this week that was pretty powerful. There’s a moment between two contestants, Joe and Eva. They are on opposing tribes, but were originally on the same tribe. Eva is autistic, is struggling after a challenge, and Joe, despite being on the opposing tribe, goes over, hugs Eva, and calms her down. It’s a great moment on so many levels. Definitely worth watching. I love what Joe did… and loved what he said… “She was in need, and I would want someone to treat my daughter that way.” A great moment of compassion and human connection! Watch the clip below…
