Turmeric (Curcumin)

  Turmeric:  is a bright yellow spice that has an anti-inflammatory effect and demonstrates anticancer as well as antioxidant properties.

 Its primary active ingredient, curcumin, may be useful in the prevention and treatment of stomach, intestinal, colon, skin, and liver cancers. It has been found in studies, that curcumin blocks the growth of human tumors and prevents tumor angiogenesis which basically deprives the tumor of a nutrient source.

Turmeric may be quite useful in colon cancer because of its ability to reduce the levels of COX-2, the enzyme responsible for production of inflammatory molecules.

A teaspoon of turmeric added to soup, salad, or oatmeal is a quick and easy way to increase your curcumin intake. I will also post some dessert recipes (yes, ones that are in harmony with this diet) that use turmeric.

It should be noted that the body’s absorption of the curcumin increases by 2000% when you add black pepper!

The best Curcumin and the one used at M.D. Anderson is: Super Curcumin C-3 formula with bioperene.

On the Internet you can find 120 x 1,000 mg caplets sell for about $30.00, which is pro rated to 25¢ apiece. If you took six of these per day (3 doses of 2 caplets apiece) this would cost $1.50 per day.

~The new Mellow Yellow! ♥

Moqueca - Brazilian Spicy Fish Stew

I modified the recipe to meet the breast cancer diet recommendations.

You can turn down the 'heat' by using half the amount of chili peppers in the recipe. Remember that we don't want to saute in HOT oil.  Overheating oil turns it into a carcinogen.  Only use medium heat and add ingredients to the oil before it is hot or reaches its burn point.  The food should not 'sizzle' when you add it.

Although this method won't cause the usual browning, recipes are still tasty and so much better for you.

Tip: Whenever a recipe calls for cooking oil I use a 50-50 combo of olive and coconut oil...this boosts the burn point of the olive oil.

Moqueca

6-8 servings

• 2  lbs. Wild Cod, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 c. roughly chopped organic Onion, plus 1/2 cup julienned Onion
• 2 c. roughly chopped organic Tomatoes, and 2 Tomatoes cut into 1/4" rounds
• 2 cloves Garlic, and 1 Tbs. minced Garlic
• 5 Tbs. chopped fresh organic Cilantro
• 2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 3 Tbs. fresh-squeezed Lime juice
• 1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or coconut oil, or blend 50-50)
• 1/4 c. Piri Piri, recipe follows
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can Coconut milk

Place the fish in a large glass or plastic mixing bowl. In a blender, combine chopped onion, chopped tomato, the 2 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbs. of the cilantro, 1 tsp. of the salt, and lime juice. Blend until smooth, then pour directly over the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil. Wait 1 minute (do not allow to reach sizzle point).  Add the julienned onions to the pan and sauté, stirring, about 4 minutes.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Pour the fish and the marinade into the pan and add the remaining tsp. of salt, the Piri Piri, and the coconut milk.  Stir to combine.

Cover pan until the liquid comes to a slow boil.  Place  the sliced tomatoes on top and cover again.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the flesh starts to flake, about 10 minutes.

Remove the cover from the pan and sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons of cilantro over the fish. Serve accompanied by cooked barley or whole wheat Bulgar.

Piri Piri:

• 1 Tbs. plus 1/2 c. extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, crushed with 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 3 Cayenne Chile peppers, chopped; stems, ribs and seeds removed (or substitute hot red peppers)
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed Lemon juice

Place a small pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Wait 1 minute and add the garlic and peppers.

Sauté, stirring often, until the edges of the garlic are barely golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan, and remove from the heat.

Place the contents of the pan in a blender and add the salt. Puree until mostly smooth. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil through the feed tube of the blender, processing as you do. Let cool before using. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Yield: 3/4 cup

~ In good health! ♥

Egg, Veggie and Complex Carb Breakfast

Breakfast idea 1

Here is an example of a healthy and tasty breakfast that follows the breast cancer diet guidelines: no dairy, no sugar, no simple carbohydrates and healthy omega3 fats.  Aim to make 1/2 your plate full of color (veggies), 1/4 protein and 1/4 complex carb.

Spinach cooked with a smattering of onions and seasoned with black pepper, salt, a touch of allspice and dry mint. I sprinkle probiotics on two of my meals to get 1/4 tsp a day.  Our tummy needs help processing foods properly many months after treatment.

Sprinkle a little black pepper or squeeze lemon in your green tea (4 -5 cups a day) to explode the antioxidant benefits! Also, freshly ground flax seeds sprinkled on your cereal or on foods is highly beneficial... per our list of Fantastic Foods.

Coconut oil has become my bread spread of choice.  Recent studies are astounding on the benefits of coconut oil.  Click here for more info.

~ Bon Appetit! ♥

Four Cornerstones of Healing and Good Health

I can't think of a time when listening to our intuition and participating in our healing is more critical, than after being diagnosed with cancer.

During the first few weeks, while you adjust to the news it is important to choose an ally, someone close to you who is positive and available, to go to appointments with you and take notes, and to be your cheerleader.

Trust me... you will forget much of what is discussed while your mind sifts through a deluge of information and complex emotions.

It is also important to ask questions and go with your intuition when treatment or surgery recommendations are made.  Get a second opinion and research your options... contrary to what you may be told, you have quite a few.

I believe wholeheartedly that our reactions, our actions and our attitude have just as much, if not more, to do with our progression to good health than any other factor.

There are several links and post on this site that address the need to control our mind-body connection in a way that promotes recovery.

Over the past few years I have done considerable research on Complimentary and Alternative Cancer therapies.  My own experience with cancer led me to contact some of the leading respected CAM medical and nutrition practitioners in the country.

I consulted with several on Integrative approaches, since I believe that our body has immense capacity to aid the healing process if we help and allow it to.

'Allow it to' means to have faith in its wisdom, give it the nutrient support it needs to function optimally, enhance its repair processes by remaining positive and focused, listening to its prodding to make necessary changes or its warning about others.

The protocols suggested to me by the 5 CAM practitioners/researchers I had discussion with, had several things in common. Based on these fundamental suggestions, I worked out a diet/nutrition/lifestyle regimen that worked for me.

At first it was challenging to make the changes necessary, but I had the determination and willpower to keep at it until I found a rhythm that worked. Since I am an avid cook and ran a catering service for many years, coming up with recipes that met the nutrition guideline became a happy challenge!

If you go this route, you must believe in your heart that your protocol is as powerful as the medical therapies you may also receive.  In some cases exercise and diet changes offer patients greater benefit than traditional treatment.

If a body is not strong it will struggle to weather the toxic effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation, so it's important to know which supplements and foods will help counteract those effects, before, during and after treatment.

Clinical studies funded by the NIH have demonstrated that some spices, like Cinnamon, can help with Type II Diabetes and actually enhance the benefits of Chemotherapy. And in the case of Cinnamon .. be more powerful in tumor cell death than Chemo drugs!

•  Cinnamon and Health
•  Cinnamon extract induces tumor cell death
•  Cinnamon in Type II Diabetes

The four cornerstones of optimal health are:

1. Diet / Nutrition / Lifestyle

2. Stress Reduction

3. Mind-body health

4. Supplements / Homeopathy

Read about each by clicking on the titles.

~ Be Well. ♥

Stop Sugar Cravings with These Two Trace Minerals!

A friend of mine sent me the link to this website, where I found this wonderful tip for curbing sugar cravings. 

Even though I am 'sugar-free', I still get a craving for chocolate or something sweet now and then, and have to whip up something healthy to satisfy it... berry compote with Xylitol, or flax-seed pancakes with cinnamon/Stevia topping.I am only addressing the symptom and not the cause!

Stop Sugar Cravings with These Two Trace Minerals

by: Danica Collins

If you frequently crave candy bars, doughnuts, cake, or other sugary foods — and you thought your cravings were just something you were born with, or a condition to which you are naturally or genetically predisposed, there is hard scientific evidence that suggests how you can stop sugar cravings.

There is a condition called pica, which triggers the cravings — and it is caused by mineral deficiencies.

An example of pica in the animal world is seen in young calves that are raised for veal. These calves are deficient in iron. They are put into cages soon after birth and purposely fed a diet that is iron-poor so that they grow to be anemic. Anemic calves produce the pale, tender meat that makes veal desirable to food enthusiasts. The iron-starved calves have been known to seek, lick and chew on the iron nails of their cages in an effort to satisfy their hunger for iron. (Although we do not support such cruelty to animals, this example is presented merely to illustrate the nature of pica in animals.)

In humans, an extreme example of pica is seen in pregnant women, who often crave things like ice cream or pickles, and especially non-food items like laundry starch, clay or dirt. This is because the fetus inside a pregnant woman absorbs much of the minerals from the woman’s body causing her to have a craving for something that will satisfy her mineral deficiency.

Pica has become such a common condition primarily because our demineralized soils yield mineral-poor produce. Additionally, food processing robs food of important nutrients, and this contributes to the prevalence of pica — especially among people with unbalanced diets such as dieters, vegetarians, meat eaters, teenagers, children and seniors. The cravings are a symptom of mineral deficiencies in the diet.

How to stop sugar cravings with minerals

When you crave sweets, eating highly sweetened food such as doughnuts and chocolates may temporarily satisfy your sugar cravings — but it does very little to alleviate the mineral deficiency, which is the underlying cause of the cravings. Studies show that sugar cravings are linked to a deficiency in the trace minerals, chromium and vanadium.

It is scientifically proven that both chromium and vanadium help in normalizing blood sugar. Both trace minerals have been shown to be essential for normal glucose metabolism. This is the reason why they have also been used to prevent and cure diabetes (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

A chromium deficiency has been shown to not only cause cravings for sugars or starches, but also contribute to poor muscle tone, which makes weight loss even more difficult. To help curb sugar cravings, many health practitioners prescribe a daily intake of both chromium and vanadium, preferably taken in ionic/water-soluble form for maximum absorption. Many health food stores carry ionic minerals. You can also type the keyword “ionic minerals” on any search engine to find online retailers, such as the WaterOz company, which manufactures high quality chromium and vanadium formulations.

Chocolate cravings, in particular, are curbed by magnesium supplementation. Magnesium is also contained in commercially available ionic/water-soluble mineral formulations.

Read more:

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/stop-sugar-cravings-with-two-minerals#ixzz223jMm3Wd