H1N1: Was it exaggerated?

Many of you may be friends on my personal Facebook page.  If so, you'll know I blogged the bejesus out of H1N1 hype, fact, stastistics, and most importantly, shed light on the H1N1 vaccinations.

Have you heard any recent doom and gloom about H1N1? No.  That's right, because there isn't much.  So now, Monday morning quarterbacks are starting to criticize. Some of it is very valid, and some of it.... eh, I think we needed a kick in the pants!

Article: Did the WHO exaggerate the H1N1 Flu Pandemic's Danger?

This URL is an article written about over-hyping H1N1.  Here's my take.

Each year the flu kills hundreds of thousands of people. This is a known fact that repeats itself every year.  This is not new news. Instead, news teams added extra hype to this figure by making it sound like new news! That was a problem. We were receivingVALID statistics, but with lots of alarming emotion without qualifying the "why"!
Flu season happens every year.  Every year, we should expect to witness a different flu strain, or one that's become "trendy" again. That's just how it goes.  Next year won't be any different!

But the silver lining that statisticians (nor media) can't capture is how we've learned better ways to keep our germs to ourselves, or avoid infecting ourselves in the firstplace, aka hygiene.  For example, how many of you have reinvented the sneeze?  Instead of sneezing into your hands, you sneeze into the inside of your elbow.  I do.
Or how many of you have washed your hands consciously after touching public doorknobs, etc? 
I believe this H1N1 hype has served a great purpose!  It has created AWARENESS!  Hygiene Awareness!
This is why Super Body Care created the I love Swine flu campaign! Swine Flu has created awareness and the need for great products like ours, that don't use any harsh antibacterial chemicals, yet still are effective against bacteria. In fact, check out some independent test results that demonstrates Super Body Care wipes have antimicrobial properties against MRSA (staph) and e.Coli. Test Results

Now, I do believe that some pharms, gov't, and other stakeholders had money on their minds when H1N1 pandemic gained momentum and fear over the summer.  And now that there are 50+ million unwanted doses or canceled orders, it does make me sneer a bit that someone's going to be eating those costs that were caused by fear. 

Are you waking up yet America?  :)
I love you!

cheri

Spreading "the word" at LA FIT EXPO

Super Body Care just attended LA FIT Expo this past weekend, Jan 22 & 23, at Los Angeles Convention center.  Special thanks to Tracy and David for their help this weekend!!!   THANK YOU for making it a success!!! 
We handed out samples all weekend long of our Wipes, Shower gel, Walnut scrub and Soap bars.  People were forming a line around our corner booth to make sure they got samples!  It was truly exciting! Clearly, people are getting smarter and smarter about the use of chemicals on their skin, and avoiding the commercial-based antibacterial ingredients.  People even tried their samples on Saturday night and came back on Sunday to take advantage of event pricing and make their purchases.  We even had a repeat customer come back from an event in San Diego in December to tell us he was the only one is his gym who didn't get staph!  He bought 5 big bars on the spot! 

What's great is the timing couldn't be better for some recent monumental news that confirm the validity of testimonials just like that!!!  Recently, we tested the antimicrobial effectiveness on MRSA (staph) and e. Coli.  The results were successful, so certainly all weekend long, we bragged and showed people the report demonstrating antimicrobial properties!!!

What do people find valuable when talking with us?  Facts. Awareness. Products that prevent.
There were several good conversations with customers. 
What helps are these really "cute" but really evil bacteria and fungi that we have on display. They make great conversation starters, like......

30% of the population carries colonies of staph in their nose or other nooks and crannies.
1% of the population carries colonies of MRSA in their nose or other nooks and crannies.
Staph multiplies at the rate of every half hour, therefore, it's imperative to cleanse after skin to skin contact or using equipment.
Athlete's Foot is the same fungus as Jock Itch.  ;)

We  made friends with lots of great people from the military, cell biologists, The Green Expo, MMA, body builders, athletes, power lifters, teachers, navy, those with sensitive skin, actors,  screen writers (after all, we were in LA!), and people who look for products made as natural as possible!  

Please check out our new Super Body Care website.  It's been redesigned to provide jam packed info and monthly specials. This month you have until January 31st to get 23% off,  8 oz Shower Gel for $9.99. 

With every purchase made online at SuperBodyCare.com, we will include samples of our other products.

How is MRSA different from Staph? Why is it a Superbug!?

MRSA never existed until the 1960's. Even then, it was an infection usually contracted in the hospital.  Now, MRSA has hit locker rooms, schools, and MMA gyms, to name a few. 
Statistics state that IF you've ever been treated for a staph infection any time previously, there is a higher likelihood that you'll get MRSA.
MRSA stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus.  What does that mean? It's a particular strain of staph that cannot be treated with a large spectrum of antibiotics. Originally , staph mutated and became resistant to penicillin.  So in 1959, the lab scientists created methicillin antibiotic, and staph mutated once again making it resistant.  As it stands now, MRSA can only be treated by a couple antibiotics, so technically, it's REALLY Multi-Resistant Staph Infection, which some people call now. That also assumes your Dr. is skilled in identifying that you're not responding to the antibiotics that treat a standard staph infecton. 
Why did MRSA not exist before? 
MRSA was just staph before it evolved into MRSA.  MRSA happens when a patient affected with a staph infection doesn't complete the entire round of antibiotics a Dr. prescribes. For example, we've all done it where we feel healed from a sinus infection, but you don't take the remaining pills.  We may think the infection is gone but there are some stronger bacteria remain.  Those bacteria that survive , become EVEN stronger, in the case of Staph, it mutates to a resistant form of staph, and so there you have MRSA.
This is why the statistics are higher for someone who's been treated for staph infection before.  The odds are, it's possible not all the antibiotics were completed, there will be resistance in future infections. 

Here's some interesting stuff...
Starting 25 years ago, Norwegian doctors prescribe fewer antibiotics than any other country, so people do not have a chance to develop resistance to them.   Because of that, they have almost a zero incident rate of MRSA.  Norway MRSA article
This should demonstrate to you, how antibiotics open Pandora's box of disease. 
What should you take away from this?
Consider taking antibiotics as a last resort. Do not take antibiotics as a first measure. Your first line of defense is bed rest and healthy diet.   But if you do have to take them, consume ALL of them.

We promote our Super Body Care wipes as method of prevention of staph.  After training, you should immediately wipe down all areas of the body that come in contact with any other people, equipment, or gear (like pads/protection).  Make your hands a priority to clean often as they spread bacteria like wildfire to not only other people; yourself!!

Stay clean!!  Stay safe!

Former WEC champion, Escoveda's semi-paralyzing bout with MRSA - he's ok

Avoid the pain, sickness, and interruption to your lifestyle by staying clean!

Cole Escoveda got a staph/MRSA infection in 2007.  It took him out of the sport for about 2 years and nearly cost him his mobility. A well developed MRSA infection caused a blockage in his spine that required surgery.  Today he's got a nasty scar and enough luck to find himself back in the cage.

Face it. You love your sport, career, lifestyle but skin infections are the risks that come with it. 
MRSA is a little scarier because only a few antibiotics exist that can treat MRSA effectively.
MRSA is the result of an evolved or mutated staph infection.  It occurs when staph is exposed to standard antibiotics but not annihalated completely (due to the patient not taking ALL the antibiotic).  The staph bacteria left exposed but not killed by the antibiotics; mutate, become resistant, and the result is (drumroll pls) MRSA!

Avoid it! staph and e. coli are some of the most common bacteria on the skin and gym equipment.  Assume everyone has it, including yourself.  Wash your hands (and your face if possible) before training, and most importantly, after training do "D" all of the above: wash face, wipe entire body down, wash hands.

If you don't have many options,  make washing your hands a priority b/c hands make great tools at spreading bacteria both on and off the mat.

And have a product with you, in your gym bag, that gives you free access to wiping down before and after training; like Super Body Care wipes, available as individually wrapped or in bulk canisters!

Avoid the pain, sickness, and interruption to your lifestyle by staying clean!

Nogueira still fighting a staph infection!!!!

Folks - here's a champ, Nogueira, both UFC and Pride that is out of the game for an unpredictable amount of time. Not only is he not able to do what he loves, but he's also losing out on money by not being able to fight.  It seems Nogueira keeps getting staph infections.

That's a problem.

The places that he is training may have sub-standard cleaning of the equipment and mats. And/Or he's not cleansing immediately after rolling.
I understand why this happens which is why I'll ask you the following...

Do you frequently sit and talk with your friends after training?
Do you spend time getting something to eat after training?
Do you work out in the morning and then speed off to school or your job w/o showering?

Answering YES to any of the above puts you at high-risk for getting something: staph, ringworm, MRSA, etc.

Why?  Staph multiplies at the rate of every half hour! It's very agressive! Going for 4+ hours w/o showering may leave you open to an infection.

                                Prevent IT!

If you don't have a shower available, use something to cleanse your body like Wipes from Super Body Care! We sell individual Body Wipes (a BIG wipe for an entire body), or canisters of 220 sheets! 
Fighters who have used our wipes EVERY time after training have said they were the ONLY ONE TO NOT GET STAPH in a gym-wide breakout of staph.
Our wipes are ONLY 30% alcohol, and include Vitamin E to moisturize the skin. Like all of our products, they contain the formula of natural ingredients: Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Tea Tree!

Ask around to fellow fighters! Ask around on the forums! Our products work!  And they don't do the damage to your external immune system like harsh chemicals and formulas that contain 70-90% alcohol! If you can't pronounce the ingredients, they are harsh!  

Our motto
"Use living on living, and synthetics on synthetics"

Leave the chemicals to the mats/equipment and use ingredients derived from living plant material for living beings like YOU!

Super Body Care at Grapplers Quest Dec 12 2009 Las Vegas

'Tis the holidays to stock up on all great Super Body Care products for you and yours!  And that's exactly what attendees at Grapplers Quest did!

What keeps us motivated to be an ambitious company is the success stories we hear! If you have a story, we'd love to hear it!
Suzette from Phoenix told us her grand daughter had a skin condition that the Dr. said would never go away, but fluctuate from time to time.  When we saw her in May she bought 2 bars of soap, used them on her grand daughter and the blisters and boils went away!  So she bought two more 8 oz bars of soap at GQ and thanked us!
Other fighters came up and told us, "Ever since I've been using your products I haven't had any skin infections."
It's been 1.5 years now since we launched Super Body Care. We've come a long way and have heard some wonderful testimonials.  It's proof that our products are effective and that natural ingredients are as tough, if not tougher than the harsh chemicals used in other hygiene products for bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Other highlights of the evening were purchases of the Wipes Canister (220 ct.), Shower Gel and Walnut Scrub, by individual fighters like Jeff Glover and Bill "the Grill" Cooper.
We had several repeat customers stock up for the next 6 mos and purchase 10+ bars of our 8 oz BIG Soap bar with loofah bits!
And our best seller was a promotional package of every product: Soap Bar, 5 Body Wipes, 2 oz Shower Gel and 2 oz Walnut Scrub. It sold so well, we might just make it available online. 

Buy some Super Body Care

on to non-handwashers!

Here’s something I’ve learned since I’ve been selling Super Body Care products at Grappling events. Stereotypically speaking, most guys don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom. At the events, I would put soap bars on the sinks for everyone to try.  This means at least once, EVERYONE will SEE the soap and a Super Body Care flyer. Later, when guys visited the Super Body Care table, I’d ask if they used the bathroom today. They would all say Yes of course so I'd say "Okay, did you get a chance to try out the soap bar?" Then, I’d get the look like they were a deer caught in headlights. This very odd and funny behavior happened repeatedly until after doing about 3 shows, I realized what was happening. First, they looked dumbfounded because these guys thought to themselves that they didn't go near the sinks after doing their business. Secondly, they were at a loss now because they had to quickly come up with a lie about why they didn’t see it on the sink. Here’s what’s worse…all these fighters, hundreds of them, who are not washing their hands; then compete with one of you.

What can you do? Wash, wash, wash your hands before/after every match. If all you have is normal soap, it’s 100 times better than nothing. If you have Super Body Care wipes, immediately wipe down all exposed areas of your body starting with your face first, then your hands and other parts. The problem is not necessarily that you get infected by your grappling partner. The problem is that your hands pick up ALL kinds of wonderful germs from grappling, the mat, and any other high touch areas like door knobs, etc. Then infection takes place by (accidentally) touching your face, your mouth or your eyes, or touching a wound that may or may not be visible to the eye. By cleansing your hands you will be reducing your risk of skin infections and colds SIGNIFICANTLY.

Cleanse your hands before you grapple.
Cleanse your hands after you grapple.

Fighters who have used Super Body Care wipes IMMEDIATELY after training every time have avoided staph infections while those around them in the same gym have gotten it. It pays to take care of yourself!
Additionally, several customers tell us that they have not had infections of any type since using Super Body Care products regularly.

Super Body Care Products - Buy some now!