For those struggling with weight fluctuations, it helps to have a support group cheer you on and lift you up when you need a boost. Eric is working hard to make this happen. Please read his post and join in!
You Want Me to Buy a What Maker? ?
Something is happening to our baking, frying and dough shaping skills! :(
we can't cut dough into round that puff up when cooked, so we need a doughnut hole baking gadget. Seriously? I learned that eggs need to be fried in circular molds in an Egg cooking gadget so they look like uniform flying saucers.
I want my fried egg to be slightly asymmetrical, with fluted wings around the perfect golden center.
fried eggs
And if you don't like the gooey middle cuts of my Brownies...well, boo you!
I don't need a rice cooker because I AM a rice cooker!
The only 'gadgets' I own and use enough to warrant having them, are my Crock-pot (God Bless it's hard-working soul), and my new BOSS (I bow to its oil-less creations).
I own the perfectly acceptable and necessary kitchen electrics... a high quality mixer, a food processor, a toaster oven, a masticating juicer, waffle maker and a powerful blender.
And who has room for all those extra Novelty Baking doodads? Do they last more than 2 years before they fall apart? Are you really still cooking with Teflon coated cookware? I threw mine out 2 years ago, and that was rather belated.
I feel it's honoring the skills my mother taught me to knead, roll, cut, stuff and crimp dough. No one is going to rob me of the pleasure I get from doing so.
My son and his cousin were 14 when we sat around our kitchen table, and I taught them how to stuff grape leaves. They did a marvelous job. In 15 years if someone decides we need a grape-leaf-stuffing-and-rolling gadget, I hope those two refuse to buy it.
I hope they remember the day we sat together joking about the juices squirting all over as they rolled each leaf, and my telling stories about helping my mother make fabulous dishes that took 2 or 3 hours to complete. I hope they remember the pride they felt when I served our family the grape leaves at dinner, and praised the boys for a job well done.
Den 0311
And when they sit around their kitchen table teaching their children how to crimp a spinach pie or stuff grape leaves, maybe they'll have a story to tell about me.
Here's to being old-fashioned! Yes? ♥
Whimsical Eats
In my Appealing to the Eye post, I mentioned how visually appealing food just tastes better! And if not better, well it sure draws you to want to try it. Getting children or finicky eaters to try something new or eat something 'healthy' is a challenge I'll bet each one of us has faced at one time or another. But with just a little bit of creativity, they seem to be willing to override their objection if the food looks fun.
When my children were young, I told stories to distract them while eating, created faces on their sandwich bread by gluing pieces of fruit or cheese with peanut butter, or cut veggies in fun shapes.
Don't you think your picky eater might be tempted to eat a flamboyant hat, earrings, and a bow in the shape of a heart and wings....and what if you expressed exaggerated distress as each item disappeared?
breakfast face
~ Kawabunga! ♥
That Cheeky Curcumin (aka Turmeric) is in the News
I love how frequently the foods we secretly know are excellent for preventing several serious illnesses, due to overwhelming testimony over decades of use, get 'discovered' by the news media, and featured. It may take the rest of the world a while to catch up with us, but the war is won a small battle at a time. :D
*~*~*~*~*
Curry may help to boost the chances of fighting bowel cancer, according to researchers in the UK.
Laboratory tests suggest curcumin, a compound found in the yellow spice turmeric, can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and has traditionally been used as an alternative remedy for a host of illnesses.
Now early test results suggest it may be able to reduce the development of bowel cancer.
The studies began after it was noticed that British Asians -- referring to Indians and Pakistanis -- were significantly less likely to develop the disease than non-Asians.
Now a two-year trial by scientists from Cancer Research UK and the University of Leicester aims to recruit for further tests about 40 patients with bowel cancer that has spread to the liver.
"We are very hopeful. You don't often see results like the ones we have had in the laboratory," chief investigator Professor Will Steward said.
"Certainly it is very, very promising and we are cautiously optimistic that we might see an improvement in outcome not just in terms of treating the cancer, making people live longer, giving people a better quality of life but also possibly reducing some of the nasty side-effects of chemotherapy."
Researchers hope that within three years they will have established once-and-for-all that one of our favorite curry ingredients is helping to prevent bowel cancer.
Hoda says: Why wait?? Eat more curries and stews with turmeric now!
Garbanzo Bean and Kale Salad Thai Yellow Curry PasteRead more here.
~ Be Well. ♥
Wake Up Call - Pesticides, Natural Chemicals and Our Health
When I read information like the following Abstract, I'm stunned that we wait for someone to "prove" what we have enough evidence to "suspect" is the cause of illness. We wait until it's too late to do anything about it...instead of immediately thinking, "My life is too precious. If there is a 'possible link I am not going to take a chance. I can live without xxxx in my life."
Pesticides and cancer: Dich J, Zahm SH, Hanberg A, Adami HO.
Abstract
"Epidemiologic evidence on the relationship between chemical pesticides and cancer is reviewed.
In animal studies, many pesticides are carcinogenic, (e.g., organochlorines, creosote, and sulfallate) while others (notably, the organochlorines DDT, chlordane, and lindane) are tumor promoters. Some contaminants in commercial pesticide formulations also may pose a carcinogenic risk.
In humans, arsenic compounds and insecticides used occupationally have been classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Human data, however, are limited by the small number of studies that evaluate individual pesticides.
Epidemiologic studies, although sometimes contradictory, have linked phenoxy acid herbicides or contaminants in them with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and malignant lymphoma; organochlorine insecticides are linked with STS, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), leukemia, and, less consistently, with cancers of the lung and breast; organophosphorous compounds (About 70% of the insecticides in current use in the United States are organophosphorous (OP) pesticides, a total of around 90 million pounds per year) are linked with NHL and leukemia; and triazine herbicides with ovarian cancer.
Few, if any, of these associations can be considered established and causal. Hence, further epidemiologic studies are needed with detailed exposure assessment for individual pesticides, taking into consideration work practices, use of protective equipment, and other measures to reduce risk. "
Source: Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute and Radiumhemmet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
_ _ _
And here is a summary from the EPA's website:
Pesticides and Food: Health Problems Pesticides May Pose
Laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time. However, these effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is and how much of it is consumed. Some pesticides also pose unique health risks to children.
For these reasons, the Federal Government, in cooperation with the States, carefully regulates pesticides to ensure that their use does not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. "
What is "unreasonable risk"? Is there such a thing as "reasonable risk" when it comes to our health? Who decides? People you know nothing about....or YOU?
YOU are in Charge of Your Health and the Health of Your Children
Were bombarded with pollutants from vehicle emissions, manufacturing plants, dry cleaner chemicals, lawn mowers, those darn awful leaf blowers that make me cookoo, and pesticides sprayed everywhere. It's a miracle our liver functions at all. Then add pharmaceuticals, artificial coloring, sugar, lotions with Parabens and EDTA, and deodorants with things we can't spell much less pronounce, and no wonder we're walking hot beds for the development of Alzheimer's, Cancer and a host of other ailments.
Get in the driver's seat. You are wise. Don't wait 10 years until the FDA or the EPA has enough 'clinical' data. By then you could be one of the subjects they're studying, God forbid!
I have thrown away my Teflon pans, I don't let plastic wrap touch my food (I place a small square of parchment paper or was paper on the food before I wrap it), I never put Aluminum Foil against any sauces or acidic foods (you know the acid eats right through the foil...yes?), and I told my gardener not to use pesticides on any weeds, and to hand rake my leaves.
Love your life and your children's lives enough to sacrifice convenience for caution. It's a different world...we have to think defensively. Some things we can do little about, like air pollution, so do what you can with things you have control over.
~ In Good Health. ♥
Make it Colorful!
Breakfast Buzz
The best possible plate of food is a ColorFULL one. The more the colors (and I don't mean food coloring sneaky peak) the better for you.
I posted a Breakfast Idea that included vegetables a few days ago, and mentioned that in Mediterranean countries the lack of fresh veggies at the table is unheard of. Tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mint, parsley, olives, radish, and yes, even pickles are a common feature.
Since I am off dairy completely(with the exception of Whey Protein which has anti-tumor benefit), I eat Rice or Almond Cheese.
To the right is the yummy and healthy Flour-less Flaxseed Pancake! I sprinkled mine with cinnamon (anti-oxidant power) and Stevia.
My big bunch of Dandelion greens called me this morning, and they are so good wrapped around an Olive and stuffed in a pita bite that I happily included them on my plate.
Fresh Tomatoes sprinkled with dried mint (I make my own), and half an Avocado with salsa and lemon juice (more anti-oxidant power).
Here's a tip..
Bright and vividly colored vegetables—such as the ones used in salads and salsas—are rich in carotenoids, powerful plant pigments that reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and cataracts. But here's a little-known secret: To fully benefit from these disease-fighting compounds, you need to eat them with fat. In fact, Ohio State University researchers found that people who ate a salad topped with half an avocado absorbed five to 10 times more beta-carotene and lutein—carotenoids found in carrots and spinach, respectively—than those who had salads sans the fatty fruit. And eating avocado with salsa boosted the absorption of lycopene—a carotenoid in tomatoes—by almost five times.
"Fatty acids are needed to help carotenoids dissolve in the intestines," says lead study author Steve Schwartz, Ph.D. "These lipids are also an essential part of creating lipoproteins, which transport the carotenoids in the bloodstream."
~ Ye-haw! ♥
Are You a Bean? or ... the Lentil Love Affair
Da Facts
The lentil (Lens ensculenta) is a legume that grows in pods containing one or two lentil seeds. They are believed to have originated in central Asia.
Lentils have been eaten by humans since Neolithic times and were one of the first domesticated crops. In the Middle East, lentil seeds have been found dating back more than 8000 years.
In the Old Testament, Esau gives up his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of lentil soup. The Greek playwright Aristophanes called lentil soup the "sweetest of delicacies." Lentils have been found in Egyptian tombs dating as far back as 2400 BC.
In India, the lentil is known as dal or daal. For many centuries, lentils were considered to be "the poor man's meat." In Catholic countries, those who couldn't afford fish would eat lentils during Lent instead.
There are many varieties and colors of lentils, including brown, yellow, black, orange, red and green. Beluga lentils are black and one of the smallest varieties of lentils, having an appearance similar to caviar.
French green lentils are small, delicate, and flavorful and hold their shape after cooking better than many other types of lentil. The most common lentils used in the United States are green and brown, since these varieties are best at retaining their shape after cooking.
The optical lens is named after the Latin word for lentil, lens. Unlike most other beans, lentils don't need to be soaked before cooking.
More Facts
With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp. Proteins include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine , and lentils are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world which have large vegetarian populations.
Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cysteine. However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cysteine.
Lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%). Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods. Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish.
References:
Randy Sell. "Lentil". North Dakota State University Department of Agricultural Economics. Archived from the original on 2009-06-21. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
Raymond, Joan (March 2006). "World's Healthiest Foods: Lentils (India)". Health Magazine.
Da Story
As a child and up to now, lentils have been one of my favorite beany legumes! There are two traditional Lebanese lentil dishes that Mom made quite often, and that I devoured... 1) Mjaddara : a lentil and rice mash that is better than chocolate fudge; and 2) Shawrabit Adas: 'Lentil Soup' with Swiss Chard and Cumin.
Both dishes were on the Top of my Comfort Foods list. On wintry days when I visited my Uncle Yusef's house where Tehta (Grandma) lived, we'd huddle around their kerosene stove in the 'winter room', sitting on long cushions that bordered the wall, and eat bowls of Mjaddara with pita bread, pickles and shredded cabbage salad. My 3 cousins and I would listen to the adult conversations, poking fun at whoever was featured in each story, or play silly word games.
Lentils are versatile. You can add them to salads, to chilies, and soups.
Click on the Recipe Names to go to the recipes.
~ Sahtein! ♥
Home
Sitting on the living room floor upstairs White veil folded over the top of her head
She holds in her lap a large round tray
Full of lentils,
Her right hand pushing each wavy row at a time
Up towards the top of the tray
Inspecting them for debris.
She wears a navy dress with white polka dots
And every grandchild knows that dress.
She’s recounting another story,
Always full of every possible detail
Often mimicking the players
In perfect adaptations,
While we sit listening.
Lentils picked through ...the tray
Is taken to the kitchen by the maid,
Downstairs she follows onions beckoning
To be chopped into perfect small dice
Excited to enhance the fledgling soup
Sautéed in green-gold olive oil
They wait to turn a luscious brown.
The telephone rings
Her youngest sister calling to say she’s coming by
One of my round aunts clad in black
White veil clinging to graying hair
Rosy face and twinkling eyes,
Three kisses on two cheeks
And a pinch of the chin.
The thick soup bubbles on the stove
Melding the flavors of crisp onions
And brown lentils with a hint of cumin,
A quick stir with the wooden spoon
Between lines of conversation
The latest family gossip
Floating around the room.
Arabic coffee is brewing next to the lentils
Thick, dark, rich its heady aroma
Vying for space between the airborne words
A quick boil, a resting minute for grounds to settle
Then into tiny flowered porcelain cups
A hint of sugar sprinkled, and quickly stirred
More news, laughter and plans for a visit
To an elderly friend who recently lost a husband...
The stone house on the corner
Above Abu Salim’s grocery store
A basket dangles from the balcony
Waiting to descend into his hands
And be filled and hoisted up again.
A sheik in black with a blue striped vest
Manicured mustache curled
A white cotton cap on his head,
He walks along-side his doe-eyed donkey
She, carrying baskets of honeyed figs
From the orchards at the top of the hill
Weaving down the winding streets to market
.
‘Ahlan Yousef’ a greeting meets him
The source sits on a wooden chair
In front of the inviting barber shop
Sipping coffee from a gold-rimmed demitasse
A backgammon table laid out
Waiting for participants
On this sunny mountain day.
A hand touching his forehead in response
Donkey and master are closer to market
A taxi honks to get by the pedestrians
Tangling in the streets
Each shop with its own bouquet of people
Talking, kissing, catching up on the events
Since 10pm the night before.
Long straight hair at the skilled hands of hairdressers
Flow down slender shoulders
Framing lovely dark eyes,
As young women walk arm in arm in pretty skirts
Snacking on toasted melon seeds from crumpled paper bags
Avoiding the glances of young men
In tight shirts and store windows.
Each mother tows more than a child
Pretty frilly socks and matching ribbon in curls
Adorning chubby faces
Or shining black shoes and knitted sweaters
On a future man of the village
Who now holds a cone dripping with
Mango, peach and pistachio ice cream.
Stray dogs make their way to the back of butcher shops
Patiently waiting for today’s scraps
While the owner haggles with the woman
Veiled and gesturing at a piece of meat
Which he holds in his hand
20 lira is not what she pays for that very same
At Abu Amin’s shop across town.
A policeman’s whistle at a gray car double parking
The man in a blue shirt, his wife and children
In the back seat leaning out of windows
“Bas takki” he shouts at the officer
‘Just one moment’ and he’ll be gone
Just long enough for Sameera to run into the pharmacy
For father’s medication.
The incomparable Fairuz sings over the noise in the square
Her rich voice idealizing her country
,
Comes from a radio on the balcony
Above the fabric store
Where Im Ali sews dresses for customers
While her children are in school,
Colors streaming from hangers.
‘Hey, ya Kamaaaaal’, call a group of young men
Leaning against a Mercedes
Turning the head of another making his way
Across the street to Ziad’s bookstore
Whistles and hand clapping when he hears
Laughter at his distraction as he finally sees
The goateed chins that beckon him.
Hugs go around the now circle of friends
Plans for an evening stroll after dinner
And hints at who they might run into
To spice the night’s ritual
A clasp of hands before Kamal returns to his path
A mental note to complete homework
Before the stroke of 9.
Dotted along the streets grey taxis
Usually a 6-year-old Mercedes
Carries six passengers tightly squeezed
Back from a day of work in the sun.
Skin darkened, sporting darker mustaches
Looking forward to joining family for dinner
Displayed in six or seven flowered dishes
Meals are an invitation to share good fortune
To catch up on the day’s news
To show generosity towards friends and family..
Mothers and grandmothers in their long dark skirts
Many wearing the white flowing thin veil over their hair
Spend the afternoon together preparing the evening meal
Always Turkish coffee at the ready.
Children play on the large verandas
Or on the street corners
Looked after by older siblings, cousins,
Or cheerful shopkeepers who too are friends..
No neighbor in this village is a stranger
No one keeps to themselves for this is a Community
Of family overflowing with love and concern.
Their hearts like their houses are close,
Like the winding alley ways
Their lives wind around one another
No one hesitates to ask for aid.
Nabeel skips morning chores to take Aunt Im Jamal to the doctor
Lena walks to town for a spool of brown wool
To mend upstairs’ Abu Fady’s jacket.
Between these snug two and three-story stone buildings
Serving as houses and shops…
Stray slender pine trees and fragrant flowery bushes
Winding narrow stairways and alleys
Sprinkled with cats and people
Busy with the day’s work
Acknowledging each other.
Where the spaces between structures grow larger
Stand houses capped with red tile roofs
Sit upon hill crescents offering dizzying views
Of tree green valleys and mountains
Gentle sloping land down to the shimmering
Blue waters of the warm Mediterranean
Its shores outlining modern cities.
There the men and women have a brisker pace
There the shops are shinier
The cars polished carrying fashionable passengers
The buildings taller, the streets wider
The pace faster, but still allowing friends to linger
Over coffees and sweets and late lunches
In the outdoor Cafés dotting every corner.
The cheeks here are red with premeditated color,
The shoes and handbags from twin material,
The conversations in three alternating languages
At each dining table, in each bunch of students
At Chez Michelle’s Salon and George’s Boutique
The dresses shorter, the makeup brighter
The flirting noticeable.
Her white head-cover now exchanged for a black one,
She makes her way to the city in the white Mercedes,
Kameel, the driver, in white starched shirt and long pinky nail
Making polite conversation...
Visits to Daoud the tailor, Kabé the jeweler,
And Abu Talal... the wholesale grocer,
Before returning home to the mountains.
A little something for me and my sister
Dad’s favorite fruits, dried beans and rice
To last a few weeks..
A bunch of fresh dates from Arabia
And ripe, orange, fleshy mangos from Egypt.
All congregate in the large kitchen
To help with parts of the bountiful evening meal.
~ Hoda A.© 2009
Turkey Tail Mushrooms (PSK) - a Miracle?
Because of Chinese and Japanese research and use, there is more documentation on Asian medicinal mushrooms than on almost any other CAM product.
Actions: Anti-tumor, Anti-microbial, Immunomodulating, Anti-oxidant. Also recently discovered to be anti-malarial.
Coriolus versicolor(turkey tail) mushroom is particularly interesting because it contains the protein-bound polysaccharide K (PSK). There are 600+ articles in PubMed on this topic, including 60+ clinical trials and 40+ RCTs. PSK is approved as an adjunctive cancer treatment in Japan.
PSK is said to fight cancer and halt tumors by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and “stimulating a host mediated response.” PSK also promotes the body’s own “Natural Killer Cells” to strengthen and kick-start the immune system.
PSK is frequently combined with chemotherapy to increase cancer survival rates.
A $2.25 Million NIH Study Confirms Turkey Tail Mushrooms’ Power Against Breast Cancer
Recently, the National Institute of Health (NIH) approved a $2.25 million-dollar study conducted jointly with Bastyr University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Washington. Researchers analyzed the impact of Turkey Tail mushrooms on the immune systems of patients with breast cancer.
Dr. Cynthia Wenner is one of the principal investigators on the NIH study. In an interview with Bastyr University’s Bastyr Magazine, she said, “As an overall goal, we’re trying to discover if this mushroom will help stimulate the human immune response to breast and prostate cancers.”
The study — which used mushrooms provided by Stamets’ company, Fungi Perfecti, LLC — confirmed that the mushrooms definitely stimulate the immune system and can even correct deficits in the immune systems of patients, all without the toxicity and side effects that are so common with more traditional treatments.
In a large trial published in the British Medical Journal in 2004, the addition of PSK increased the effectiveness of tegafur, a 5-FU ‘prodrug,’ on colorectal cancer. ( A ‘prodrug’ is an agent that is metabolized into an active drug in the human body.)
The overall five-year survival was 72.1 percent in the chemo-alone group vs. 81.8 percent in the PSK-added group. Among stage III patients, disease-free survival was 32.1 in the chemo alone group vs. 60 percent in the PSK-added group. Overall survival was 46.4 percent in the chemo-alone group vs. 74.6 percent in the PSK-added group (a gain of 28.2 percent).
PSK was found to prevent the recurrence of lung metastases. Adverse effects were mild. PSK capsules taken with this oral form of 5-FU “reduced recurrence in stage II and III colorectal cancer, and increased survival in stage III.”
Cancer-Killing PSK
Paul Stamets : In June of 2009, Stamets received shocking and distressing news from his mother: her right breast was 5 times the size of her left, due to 6 walnut-sized lymph nodes. The swelling and the enlarged nodes turned out to be caused by cancer. By the time of her examination and diagnosis, Stamets’ mother already had stage IV breast cancer, and it had already metastasized to her liver.
The oncologist at the Swedish Breast Cancer Clinic at the University of Washington said that Stamets’ mother had the second worst case of breast cancer she’d seen in 20 years of practice. After predicting that Stamets’ mother had only 3 to 6 months to live, the oncologist told both mother and son about an intriguing new study using Turkey Tail mushrooms to cure cancer.
Stamets’ mother tried the mushrooms (along with the drug Ariceptin). Fast forward 7 months later… Paul declared, “As of February 2010, she was virtually cancer-free”.
There arenumerous other articles in the peer-reviewed literature on this topic. Even the conservative Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center acknowledges the utility of PSK. Yet, inexplicably, this excellent natural product remains little known to most oncologists in English-speaking lands.
Bottom line
For people with cancer, there is little reason not to add PSK to their regimen. One reputable version comes from JHS Natural Products. Their PSK is a dehydrated hot water extract, which is 36 percent beta 1-4, 1-3, 1-6 glucan (i.e., the protein-bound polysaccharide with the greatest anticancer potential).
References:
~ Be Well. ♥
Music to Lift Your Heart
Sometimes a melody can lift us above everything, enabling us to look down and gain perspective, and be glad that in fact there is light in the world, we have to choose to see it and embrace it. This instrumental is such a melody... it lifted my heart and focused my mind on golden light... the kind that penetrates every cell with a healing vibration, reminding us that Love is our essence.
Enjoy.
~ In Love. ♥
Re-Think Breakfast
It's somehow foreign to us to think of eating vegetables at breakfast, and yet in many parts of the world a breakfast without fresh vegetables or herbs is incomplete.
Having grown up in a Mediterranean country, we always had a plate of freshly sliced tomatoes, cucumber, onion (yep), and some parsley and fresh mint at the table. A bowl of mixed, brined olives and strained yogurt (Labneh) were also part of the main cast.
It's time to embrace that thinking. Nutritionists tell us that half our plate should be 'green'...well breakfast is no exception.
When I cook veggies I make enough to last 3-4 days. They keep well, and then I don't have to work at making breakfast healthy.
This morning I tossed some green beans and a smattering of kale cooked with onions, garlic and sumac on my plate... a little romaine and tomato salad dressed in a lemon vinaigrette, add a scrambled Omega-3 egg for protein and a high fiber piece of toast... and Voila!
My cup of Dragonwell green tea with a hint of black pepper (for super antioxidant benefit) is the cherry on top.
- Get creative.
- Keep enough cooked or raw veggies on hand to make breakfast a no-brainer.
- Brew 4-5 cups of green tea at a time so it's there when you want it. ♥
Help with Chemotherpay Side Effects - Glutamine
Glutamine powder is recommended during Chemo. It may inhibit the usual nausea or diarrhea, and after surgery it accelerates healing. Seacure® is a trusted supplement with Glutamine. Founded in 1994 by Dr. Donald Snyder and headquartered in Reading, Pa., Proper Nutrition, Inc. is built on a record of innovation stretching back to the early 1960s, when Dr. Snyder, as the head of a U.S. Department of the Interior Fisheries Research Laboratory, led the charge against world hunger.
Dr. Snyder, as a member of a special committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, was instrumental in developing an economically feasible method of providing protein to the world’s hungry.
A breakthrough came in the form of revolutionary FPC (Fish Protein Concentrate) technology, which allowed quality protein, retaining all of its original nutritional value, to be delivered to the body in a highly absorbable form. FPC was made available to the World Health Organization of the United Nations to aid in famine relief.
Today, Dr. Snyder and Proper Nutrition, Inc. offer revolutionary dietary supplements, including Intestive®, available directly to consumers; and SEACURE® and SEAVIVE®, professional products available for distribution by healthcare practitioners and retailers. Proper Nutrition supplements offer proven alternatives for the support of the gastrointestinal tract and the promotion of immune system health.
Seacure® (click to read more) is rich in glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid (protein building block) that is the preferential fuel source for the cells that line the digestive tract. Just as the brain loves to use glucose for energy, the cells that line the digestive tract love to use glutamine for energy. In fact glutamine helps the cells that line the digestive tract to deal with stress more effectively.
So why are the cells of the digestive tract stressed?
Well, these cells divide rapidly just like cancer cells. The lining of the stomach completely renews itself every 4 days! Unfortunately, chemotherapy hits the cells of the digestive tract just as hard as it hits the cancer cells. This is why chemotherapy medications so often produce nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Seacure® strengthens the cells of the digestive tract so that they can handle the stress of being hit by chemotherapy medications without interfering with chemotherapy's effects on cancer cells.
Scientific research has found that when glutamine is given with chemotherapy or radiation, it not only protects the individual receiving the treatment from the side-effects of these therapies, it also increases the selectivity of the therapy for the tumor. Click here Scientific Reference if you would like the details of this research which was conducted in 1996.
So why not just supplement with glutamine instead of Seacure®?
The glutamine in Seacure® is better absorbed by the digestive tract than pure glutamine supplements. Why is this? Studies on human digestion have found that the digestive tract preferentially absorbs protein in the di-peptide (2 amino acids joined together) and tri-peptide (3 amino acids joined together) form.
The Antioxidant Capacity of Veggies, Fruits n' Spices
This table shows the anti-oxidant potency, ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbant-capacity) value of the listed foods.
An intake of at least 8,500 ORAC is recommended, and yet most of us only get around 1,800 units per day.
>> People with high oxidation levels (athletes, runners..) may need 10,000 units or more to maintain a healthy immune system.
Diet is the preferred way to increase your levels, as opposed to supplements, but most people don't seem able to fit 7 -8 servings of these fruits and vegetables a day. That's why taking pharmaceutical-quality antioxidants is critical. I can guide you in selecting trusted brands, and the top hitters.
Organic foods with deeper, darker colors have higher anti-oxidant levels. Commercially raised, sprayed produce offers much less, and actually taxes your immune system.
The Antioxidant Capacity of Fruits and Vegetables
| Blueberries | 1 cup | 3240 |
| Cinnamon, ground | ¼ tsp | 2675 |
| Pomegranate juice | 5 ozs | 2450 |
| Pomegranate juice | 5 ozs | 2450 |
| Blackberries | 1 cup | 2932 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 2288 |
| Figs | ½ c. | 2124 |
| Oregano leaf, dried | ¼ tsp. | 2001 |
| Prunes | 4 pitted | 1848 |
| Pomegranate | ½ pomegranate | 1654 |
| Turmeric | ¼ tsp | 1592 |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 1510 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 6 | 1236 |
| Green Tea | 1 teabag, steeped 5 mins | 1200 |
| Raisins | ¼ cup | 1019 |
| Spinach, steamed | ½ cup, cooked | 1089 |
| Kale | ½ cup, cooked | 1150 |
| Oatbran | 1/2 cup | 992 |
| Orange | 1 | 982 |
| Plum, dark purple | 1 | 949 |
| Cabbage, purple | ½ cup | 924 |
| Cranberries | ½ cup | 831 |
| Broccoli Florets | ½ c. cooked | 817 |
| Parsley, dried | ¼ tsp. | 743 |
| Beets | ½ cup, cooked | 715 |
| Spinach, Raw | 1 cup | 678 |
| Basil leaf, dried | ¼ tsp | 675 |
| Cantaloupe | ½ melon | 670 |
| Beans, baked | ½ cup | 640 |
| Plum, red | 1 | 626 |
| Grapefruit, pink | ½ | 580 |
| Pepper, Red | 1 med. Pepper | 540 |
| Watermelon | 1/16th, 10” diameter | 501 |
| Kiwi | 1 | 458 |
| Cherries | 10 | 455 |
| Asparagus | 8 spears | 900 |
| Beans, Kidney | ½ cup, cooked | 400 |
| Eggplant, with skin | ½ cup, cooked | 386 |
| Onion | ½ cup chopped | 360 |
| Corn | ½ cup cooked | 330 |
| Yam or sweet potato | ½ cup cooked | 301 |
| Pumpkin | ½ cup mashed | 301 |
| Apple | 1 medium | 300 |
| Peas, frozen | ½ c. cooked | 291 |
| Ginger, ground | ¼ tsp. | 288 |
| Banana | 1 | 252 |
| Applesauce | ½ cup | 250 |
| Mango | 1/2 cup | 246 |
| Potatoes | ½ cup cooked | 244 |
| Cauliflower | ½ cup cooked | 234 |
| Tomato | 1 medium | 233 |
| Zucchini | ½ cup, cooked | 230 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 222 |
| Leaf Lettuce | 10 leaves | 200 |
| Tofu | ½ cup | 195 |
| Squash, yellow | ½ cup, cooked | 183 |
| Grapes, red | 10 | 177 |
| Apricots | 3 | 175 |
| Carrots, cooked | ½ cup | 160 |
| Tomato sauce | ¼ cup | 149 |
| Avocado, Florida | ½ | 149 |
| Peach | 1 medium | 137 |
| Green beans | ½ cup cooked | 125 |
| Melon, honeydew | 1/10th | 125 |
| Lettuce, iceberg | 5 large leaves | 116 |
| Carrots, raw | ½ cup | 115 |
| Grapes, white | 10 | 107 |
| Cabbage, white | ½ cup | 105 |
| Celery | ½ cup, diced | 60 |
| Cucumber | ½ cup, sliced | 28 |
Berry Lemon Zest Pancakes - High Fiber
What better way to start the weekend than with a treat. I don't often indulge in a mostly carb breakfast, but once a week, a high-fiber-carby-yummy treat is good for the soul...and that's good for the body.
I chopped some of the strawberries into the batter...added 1 Tbs. of flax-seed to the already hi-fiber buckwheat mix, an egg, the blueberries and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest.
Oh, and instead of milk I use Almond milk.
Oops! I forgot to show you the bar of 85% dark chocolate! Well, that's in the next photo...but I used 1 ounce to melt on and between the hotcakes.
Add the green tea with pepper and probiotics sprinkled on the rest of the strawberries, and you're ready to soothe the beast within!
P.S. If you like your cakes a little sweeter, use Farmer John's Maple Syrup made with Xylitol.
~ Cheers! ♥
Lower Blood Sugar with These Foods
Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with inflammation, tumor proliferation, decrease in immune function, and angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis plays a critical role in the growth and spread of cancer. A blood supply is necessary for tumors to grow beyond a few millimeters in size. Tumors can cause this blood supply to form by giving off chemical signals that stimulate angiogenesis.
Thankfully, there are many foods that help lower our blood sugar. There are also tactics you can use to keep your blood sugar in check:
1. Avoid refined, low fiber carbs and sweets
2. Choose whole grain foods that offer more than 1-gram of fiber for every 10-grams of Carbs (the Good Carb Formula.)
3. Avoid eating carbs alone especially on an empty stomach! Add a protein or healthy fat to balance blood sugar (almond butter, coconut oil, sardines, light meat tuna, almond cream cheese,etc.)
Eat more of these. . .
- Apples, Red with Peel
- Apple cider vinegar
Avocados- Barley
- Black Beans
- Blueberries
- Chamomile tea
- Chard
- Cherries
- Cinnamon
- Flax-seed Meal
- Garlic
- Goji Berries
- Green tea
- Leeks
- Lemon
- Parsley
- Nuts
- Oat Bran
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Raspberries
- Seeds
- Sweet potato
- Yams
~ Cheers! ♥
PowerUp Cereal n Berry Breakfast, Good Carb Formula
Good morning! This is a lazy day I can tell. Sleep played hide-n-seek with me last night, so feeling mellow.
I poured 1/2 c. of high fiber cereal into a bowl, sliced organic strawberries, chopped a two inch strip of organic lemon rind and tossed it in, poured almond milk over all and then sprinkled freshly ground flax-seeds to top it off.
That is a bowl full of nature's magic!... high fiber, healthy fat from flax seeds and more fiber, super anti-oxidant berries and lemon peel, and healthy fat in almond milk.
Note: When you shop for cereal make sure it has less than 4g of sugar per serving. Also, it's critical that you calculate the Fiber to Carb ratio. You don't want to spike your blood sugar...that's the critical consideration when eating carbs.
Good carb formula: Multiply the fiber by 10. It should exceed the carb count. For example Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal (that's what it's called!) has 23g of carbs and 9g of fiber per serving. That means the ratio is (9x10 to 23) 90 fiber to 23 carb! An excellent choice.
If it had 3g of fiber the ratio would have been 30 fiber- 23 carb, kinda ok but not so great.
~ PowerUp! ♥
Breast Cancer Diet - Do's and Dont's
The following is a preview of the recommended diet for people who are currently overcoming breast cancer, or who are survivors and wish to stay cancer free. This is based on the suggested diet I received from the integrative therapy professionals I discussed in 'My Journey Part I' post under “About”.
I feel it is important to think of our diet as a treatment, just as you would chemotherapy or any other therapy...don't tamper with foods on the No list, don't think it's OK to cheat for a day or two. Think of this as your long term cure. So, give it respect and it may give you life!
That's my intuitive understanding of our mind-body work. What you wholeheartedly believe, your mind will believe, and it will work to bring that belief into reality. If your mind-body feel you lack faith in what you're doing or thinking, you lose the majority of the beneficial effect, if not all.
After a couple of weeks it will become easier to stop thinking about missing this or that food. Think of cravings as your old ignorant cells talking. If you have or had cancer treatments, your body is transforming. Many cells that were part of your body have been shed, and you are creating fresh, un-programmed ones as you move towards new health.
I feel we are reinventing ourselves on more than one level during a healing process. And wouldn't it be interesting if that's the role of cancer in our lives? By creating a fresh new c
ellular structure, it enables us to let go of old habits and beliefs that were programmed in them, and pushes us to new heights and depths of understanding...and challenge us to stay there!
I know my thinking has undergone a shift, and my body and the way I think of it sure have as well.
Below is a starter list of Yes and No foods for breast/prostate cancer. If you'd like a comprehensive list with menu ideas, please write to me.
ellular structure, it enables us to let go of old habits and beliefs that were programmed in them, and pushes us to new heights and depths of understanding...and challenge us to stay there!
I know my thinking has undergone a shift, and my body and the way I think of it sure have as well.
Below is a starter list of Yes and No foods for breast/prostate cancer. If you'd like a comprehensive list with menu ideas, please write to me.
YES Foods:
- All Vegetables except white potatoes: every color, raw or lightly cooked
- Legumes/Beans: garbanzo, adzuki, black, lentil, kidney, lima beans, green beans...
- Whole grains: barley, oats, rye, whole wheat...
- Animal Protein: Omega 3 organic eggs, 4 oz. organic white meat chicken, 3 oz. grass-fed beef, all wild-caught cold water fish, very little organic butter (not heated)
- Dairy substitutes: Almond or Rice milk, soy milk in moderation (especially if you have estrogen based cancer)
- Spices: all of them
- Nuts/Seeds: All except peanuts and cashews. Make sure you only buy dry-roasted nuts
NO Foods:
- All Dairy except Whey protein
- Non organic vegetables and fruits
- Processed foods
- Sweeteners: Sugar, artificial sweeteners, honey, agave..
- Simple carbs: white flour, rice flour, white potatoes, starchy food, rice, cornmeal (unless mixed with high fiber flour for baking), most boxed cereals (choose low sugar, high fiber)
- Beverages: sweetened drinks, drinks with food coloring, caffeinated beverages (teas are an exception)
- Fried foods
Cinnamon - The King of Antioxidants
Cinnamon has the highestanti-oxidant strength of all the food sources in nature!
1/4 tsp. of Cinnamon provides 1/4 of the antioxidants you need in a day.
Although there are four main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon are the most popular. Ceylon cinnamon is sometimes called true cinnamon. It is more expensive and has a sweet taste. Ceylon cinnamon is sold in specialty stores. Most cinnamon sold in supermarkets in North America comes from the less expensive variety, Cassia cinnamon.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Cassia cinnamon is used for colds, flatulence, nausea, diarrhea, and painful menstrual periods. It's also believed to improve energy, vitality, and circulation and be particularly useful for people who tend to feel hot in their upper body but have cold feet.
In Ayurveda, cinnamon is used as a remedy for diabetes, indigestion, and colds, and it is often recommended for people with the kapha Ayurvedic type.
- The active compounds in cinnamon are known to have anti-diabetic, anti-septic, local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon-sticks has been found to have anti-clotting action, and may help prevent stroke and coronary artery disease.
- This spice may increase the motility of the intestinal tract.
- It contains vitamin A, niacin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine.
- Cinnamon is an excellent source of flavonoid phenolic anti-oxidants.
Cinnamon may help or treat:
- Type II Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Ulcers
- High Blood Pressure
- Stroke
- Polycystic ovarian Syndrome
- Yeast infections
- Food Poisoning
Sprinkle on toast, cereal, soups, and berries. Add to stews and rice dishes.
~ Tastefully yours ♥
Health and Wellness, and Preventing Disease
Maintaining health and wellness and preventing disease are major priorities for integrative medicine. Currently, the majority of our health care dollars are spent after a person is in crisis, when it costs the most to intervene and when the possibilities for full recovery are the slimmest. A recent study found that of the 7 million deaths from cancer worldwide in 2001, an estimated 35% were attributable to nine modifiable risks factors, all of which are controllable and most of which are under an individual’s own sovereignty.
Based on this and other scientific evidence, integrative medicine recommends lifestyle modifications—changes in diet and nutrition, physical activity and exercise, adopting stress management methods, and strengthening one’s social networks—to lower an individual’s risk of specific diseases and improve overall health.
The Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, under the leadership of Dean Ornish, MD, offers a comprehensive approach to lifestyle modification for people who are at high risk for or diagnosed with conditions such as coronary artery disease and prostate cancer. The program’s core components are a low-fat, whole foods diet; moderate aerobic exercise; stress management; and group support. This program, which has been approved by Medicare, is used in hospitals and clinics around the country.
Because the food we eat plays such an important role in maintaining health, nutrition has been a key focus for research—not only what to eat but also how to grow and buy the right food and how to prepare it in a healthful way.
“As a rule of thumb, try to include foods in your diet that have less than three grams of fat per serving. Stock foods in your refrigerator that you want to have on your diet. If it’s not right in front of you, you’re less likely to eat it. Cleaning out your refrigerator can be a nice metaphor for cleaning out your body and organizing your life in the way that you want it to be,” advises Dean Ornish, MD.
“Even simple choices can make a powerful difference. For example, two tablespoons of most salad dressings have as much fat as two scoops of premium ice cream. When in a restaurant, ask for the dressing on the side; just dip the tips of your fork in it with each bite, and you’ll get a fraction of the fat that you would otherwise.”
Forward-thinking hospitals have now begun to promote healthy food. Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health plan, opened its first farmer’s market on the grounds of the Oakland Medical Center in Oakland, California in May 2003. Today, a total of 26 Kaiser-Permanente facilities have established on-campus farmer’s markets, which enable the facilities to offer better food choices to both employees and patients and promote awareness about good nutrition.
These and other integrative approaches to maintaining a healthy lifestyle may prevent serious illness and challenging medical treatments. In his book, 8 Weeks to Optimal Health, Andrew Weil, MD wrote, “Many of the common complaints that people have these days respond much better to simple adjustments in lifestyle than to taking medicine.”
Read more here.
Baked Salmon, Veggies and Hummus
I enjoy mixing cuisines and this plate is certainly an example: Wild Caught Salmon broiled over mixed veggies (you only need 3-4 oz. of protein per meal), and Authentic Homemade Hummus. Add a smattering of organic Persian Cucumbers and a slice of high fiber Flax-seed bread for an amazingly wholesome meal.
~ Sahtein! (To your health) ♥