Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
You know you're supposed to do a breast self-exam once a month and see your doctor yearly. You eat right. You exercise. There's no way, you think, that you could have cancer. Think again.
There are a number of warning signs that women miss each day. Sure, you might just be coming down with the flu, but if the following symptoms persist, you might want to call your doctor.
1) Stomach troubles. You should be on the lookout for stomach or ovarian cancer if you're constantly full, have an upset stomach and experience abdominal bloating or pelvic pain.
2) Flu-like symptoms. Many cancers are linked with persistent coughs and chest pain as well as fevers, infections, swollen lymph nodes, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath, weight loss, weakness and fatigue.
3) Breast changes. Red, swollen and sore breasts are linked to breast cancer. Nipple changes are also a warning sign.
4) Bruising and bleeding. If you have more bruises than usual or cuts that are not healing, you might want to get a blood test. These are leukemia signs.
The diet, similar to the traditional Greece and Southern Italian diet, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish and cereals. It limits red meat consumption, allows small amounts of wine and uses olive oil as the main fat.
According to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adopting the diet lowers the risk of gastric cancer by 33 percent. Researchers also discovered that the more strictly one adheres to the diet, the lower his or her risk of developing cancer. Gastric cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death worldwide.
"The results add to the evidence for the role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing cancer risk and add further support for the need to continue to promote the Mediterranean diet in areas where it is disappearing," said lead researcher Carlos A. Gonzalez of the Catalan Institute for Oncology in Barcelona.
New Year's Resolutions don't stick if you can't think of a good reason to keep them. Getting fit to feel better, have more energy and be healthy will leave you more likely to lose weight than struggling to get back into your skinny jeans.
This year, if you're still looking for a way to improve your life, why not try to actively lower your cancer risk? Here are three simple tasks to prevent cancer:
Quit smoking. If you're prone to lighting up, give yourself a deadline and determine the best way for you to quit. You can try patches, gum, support groups or quitting cold turkey. Just as importantly once you quit, remember what activities used to trigger smoking whether it's drinking or hanging out with friends who smoke. Then try to avoid the situation. Regulate how much alcohol you drink or join your smoker friends only when they are participating in smokeless activities like dinners out.
Avoid too much time in the sun. If you're a beach bum, melanoma is a serious problem for those who spend time in the sun. Major risk factors include severe sunburn and childhood exposure. You can't undo the damage you've done, but in the future: apply generous amounts of SPF 15 sunscreen; wear protective sunglasses, pants and broad-rim hats; avoid the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and avoid tanning salons.
Improve your diet and exercise. Antioxidant-rich foods can help you fight cancer by preventing cell damage. Maintaining a healthy weight will also keep you feeling better longer. If you do develop cancer, being in shape can make the treatments easier for your body to handle.
Novozymes is launching Acrylaway, an enzyme called asparaginase, that can reduce acrylamide in food products by up to 90%. Acrylamide is formed when starchy foods are baked, fried or toasted at high temperatures.
According to Peder Holk Nielsen of Novozymes, many food manufacturers have shown interest in the product. In late 2006, Novozymes received a consent letter from the US FDA regarding the "generally recognized as safe status" of Acrylaway. This sounds like a great product and it will be interesting to see if it gains widespread use in the future.
It's not necessary to travel all the way to Tucson, Arizona or Lenox, Massachusetts for a little health enlightenment -- although I highly recommend it. Canyon Ranch professionals are not stingy with their health secrets. They offer a website for all to view, complete with all sorts of diet and fitness tips and and even an opportunity to sign up for an e-newsletter. In a binder I brought home from my trip to Tuscon in May, I've found even more resources, these specific to cooking. Take a look.
Recommended Magazines Cooking Light (www.cookinglight.com) Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com) Fine Cooking, (www.finecooking.com)
Recommended Cookbooks
Canyon Ranch Cooks (1-800-726-8040) Canyon Ranch Cooklets (available at canyonranch.com)
Salad & Appetizers
Soups
Fish & Seafood
Poultry
Vegetables & Vegetarian
Desserts
Mexican
The LPGA Cooks with Canyon Ranch
The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison & Edward Espe Brown Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver How to Cool Everything by Mark Bittman
Meg Wolff survived cancer -- twice. First she had bone cancer and lost her leg to the disease. Then she had breast cancer and was given little hope from doctors who thought traditional treatment could not save her. Maybe it couldn't. But Wolff found something that did save her -- a macrobiotic diet.
Life is all about balance, says Wolff who authors a website rich in content about the connection between diet and a healthy lifestyle. She offers up-to-date information on her blog, links to recipes and resources, a calendar of events, and a look at her very own book, titled, Becoming Whole, The Story of My Complete Recovery from Breast Cancer.
Wolff says that by changing her diet, she has changed her destiny. She is alive and well and thriving. Give her a visit and see for yourself.
It is well-known that older, heavier adults have lower blood levels of vitamin D. A new study from Tufts shows that a lack of sunshine does not seem to be responsible.
The researchers analyzed information on 381 men and women age 65 or older and found no difference in sun exposure among groups based on body fat percentage. The team did find that those with the highest percentage of body fat had 20 percent lower blood levels of vitamin D.
According to Dr. Susan S. Harris, one explanation could be that vitamin D is getting trapped in fat tissue and therefore not available to the blood. It seems that heavier people may need more vitamin D, whether from the sun or supplements.
Although Vitamin C is a great thing to have in your system at regular daily intervals, it can be used to actually promote the formation of cancer-causing chemicals when there is too much fat in the stomach, according to a recent article in the journal Gut.
The interaction of vitamins and minerals in the body (synergy) can have a strong impact on the effectiveness of many of them, but this seems like an odd one to me. Nevertheless, lipid and ascorbic acid interaction was studied in terms of possible cancer contributions to the upper stomach area (which is sensitive to cancerous issues and tumor development).
The problems revolved around nitrites, which could be converted into cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines if there was too much fat in the gut when ascorbic acid was present. The term "nitrite" may be familiar to you -- it's what makes processed meats look red when they're really "dead."
Now I advise everyone to take all food-related recommendations with a grain of salt, because what first may appear healthy may not be in the long run -- and what is once deemed unhealthy may one day turn into a health food, like coffee.
Now, here's something new to think about:
It turns out the average mushroom may have healing powers. A new study out of Tufts University found that white button mushrooms help boost the body's natural immunity against tumors and viruses.
We know it's best not to miss breakfast. It's the meal that gives us energy for the day, increases metabolism, and helps our bodies burn fat faster and better. Since breakfast comes at the time of day when most of us are rushing and hustling to get going for the day, it becomes pretty easy to skip this power meal. In the spirit of putting breakfast back into your schedule, here are some simple Canyon Ranch ideas for getting the boost you need during the start of your busy days.
Cottage cheese and fruit. Grab some low-fat cottage cheese and top with fresh fruit. Add your favorite nuts and seeds and some ground flax seed for a nutty flavor and a burst of omega-3. Add flax to any of the following ideas too.
Scrambled egg or tofu with spinach and scallion in a whole wheat wrap.
Whole grain bread with one tablespoon nut butter.
Plain yogurt with fruit, cinnamon, or berries.
Hot oat bran cereal or oatmeal (not instant) with cinnamon, dried figs or other fruit, and nuts.
Smoked salmon with tomato and onion on whole grain bread.
If any of this sounds like too much to accomplish in the early morning, try preparing some items ahead of time so all you have to do is grab and go.
I'm dizzy, light-headed, over-heated and just plain worn out after my workout this morning. Why? Because I overdid it.
I've been so focused on running from cancer by eating right and strenuously exercising -- research says it take five hours of vigorous exercise per week to keep breast cancer away -- that I drove myself to depletion this morning. It hit me when a wave of dizziness came over me in the midst of my outdoor workout. My body felt heavy, my strength disappeared, and it took every ounce of energy I could muster to put one foot in front of the other so I could get home. I suspect it was a combination of dehydration -- I didn't take water with me -- and heat -- it's really hot here in Florida -- and pushing myself too hard. The fact that I feel a bit under the weather didn't help either, I'm sure.
My body spoke to me today. And it's got my attention.
David L. Katz, MD, responds to a reader in the September 2007 issue of The Oprah Magazine about the merits of eating soy in relation to preventing cancer. His response causes me to pause even more about jumping on any diet bandwagon.
Katz says we should eat soy foods -- just not too much because the evidence linking soy to breast cancer, for example, is mixed.
In comparing soy-eating Japanese women with American women who eat very little soy, researchers find lower rates of breast cancer in the Japanese women. But in a test tube, soy's plant estrogens can speed cancer cell growth. Maybe soy behaves differently in the body than it does in a tube. Or maybe soy has both negative and positive effects on breast cancer. Perhaps it's not soy at all. It could be that the populations eating soy are benefiting from not eating something else, like meat -- the saturated fat found in red meat has been linked to higher cancer rates. Replacing steak with something else may be the protective key.
As time flies by, more and more progress is made in the fight against cancer. Over the years, new and better screening methods have emerged, cutting-edge technologies have surfaced, successful treatments have saved lives that may have otherwise been lost, and awareness has been raised about all sorts of cancer-related issues. It's amazing really, because in so many areas, we are not making progress.
According to research published in the March/April 2007 issue of WebMD: the Magazine, the per capita consumption of corn sweeteners in 2004 was 78.1 pounds in the United States -- up from 35.3 pounds in 1980. In 2005, the per capita consumption of candy by Americans was 25.7 pounds. We are pumping our bodies full of junk -- our rates of obesity in this country prove it.
When I think about our trend of over-eating and over-indulging, I gain a better appreciation of how far we've come medically. Not only have researchers, scientists, and medical experts made strides in the prevention and treatment of disease, they've done it against the odds. Just think how much more progress we'd make if we all did a little better at living healthy lives. Why not start now?
Let's face it, there is no "secret" to losing weight. It's simple -- bank less calories than you spend and the weight will come off. You don't need to take pills or buy into the latest diet craze. Common sense is all you need.
I spoke with my oncologist the other day about my own weight loss -- I have lost nearly 14 pounds since the beginning of May, thanks to a no-sweets, low-sugar, low-fat, water-only diet with an emphasis on high fruit and veggie intake. Now this is no temporary diet. This is for life. My goal was never to lose a bunch of weight and then go back to eating junk -- I just wanted to shed a few cancer treatment-induced pounds while embracing a brand new healthy lifestyle.
My doctor was proud of my progress and shared his too -- he's lost eight pounds by cutting 500 calories from his diet each day. It sounds like a lot but this can be accomplished by cutting down on portions, giving up soda, and ditching high-calorie snacks. Observing the physical changes we both had made, he announced to the medical students in the room with us at the time that weight loss is not so hard -- well, maybe mentally hard, but not physically. He talked with his students about how to advise overweight patients -- surely a large percentage of people they see -- and reminded them of this formula: take in less than you spend. They nodded in agreement. And we moved on to other topics. There really was nothing more to say. Simple, I tell you. Give it a try.
According to the organization, many Americans still cling to ideas that they have to fatten up for winter and view Labor Day as an excuse to indulge. Historically, the harvest festival was a celebration of the fruits of summer before winter, but now, accordring to AICR nutritionist Sally Wally, "Compared to those who came before us, every day's a harvest festival. But this pattern of eating has long-term repercussions on obesity rates and on rates of chronic diseases like cancer."
I agree that we should all take a second look at our party foods and try to find healthy alternatives. However, I' m not sure that people are eating fatty foods on Labor Day weekend in an attempt to "fatten up for winter." Such fatty foods are just easily available and have positive associations for people in terms of celebrating the holiday.
The organization recommends trying some healthy dishes instead. You can see some of these recipes at The Recipe Corner on their website.
Novozymes is launching 
It's not necessary to travel all the way to Tucson, Arizona or Lenox, Massachusetts for a little health enlightenment -- although I highly recommend it. 
Meg Wolff survived cancer -- twice. First she had bone cancer and lost her leg to the disease. Then she had breast cancer and was given little hope from doctors who thought traditional treatment could not save her. Maybe it couldn't. But Wolff found something that did save her -- a macrobiotic diet.
It is well-known that older, heavier adults have lower blood levels of vitamin D. A new 
Although Vitamin C is a great thing to have in your system at regular daily intervals, it can be used to actually promote the formation of cancer-causing chemicals when there is too much fat in the stomach, according to a recent article in the journal Gut.
Now I advise everyone to take all food-related recommendations with a grain of salt, because what first may appear healthy may not be in the long run -- and what is once deemed unhealthy may one day turn into a health food, like coffee.
We know it's best not to miss 
I'm dizzy, light-headed, over-heated and just plain worn out after my workout this morning. Why? Because I overdid it. 
David L. Katz, MD, responds to a reader in the September 2007 issue of The Oprah Magazine about the merits of eating soy in relation to preventing cancer. His response causes me to pause even more about jumping on any diet bandwagon.
As time flies by, more and more progress is made in the fight against cancer. Over the years, new and better screening methods have emerged, cutting-edge technologies have surfaced, successful treatments have saved lives that may have otherwise been lost, and awareness has been raised about all sorts of cancer-related issues. It's amazing really, because in so many areas, we are not making progress.
Let's face it, there is no "secret" to losing weight. It's simple -- bank less calories than you spend and the weight will come off. You don't need to take pills or buy into the latest diet craze. Common sense is all you need.
The 
