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! ♥

How do We Know if the Antioxidants We Ingest are Protecting Us?

I've often wondered how one really knows how much of the antioxidants we ingest help us. We assume that the foods we eat have the purported amounts of minerals and vitamins and phytonutrients, etc. and that the supplements we take are doing something. But how do we really know? I stumbled upon the answer 10 days ago!

A friend of mine introduced me to a small machine called a BioPhotonic Scanner.  It's made exclusively by a company called Pharmanex which manufactures personal care products and nutritional supplements.

The machine provides a non-invasive, fast way to determine one's antioxidant status, so you can tell if your supplements or the foods you eat are actually protecting you.

I simply placed the palm of my hand against the scanner's low-level blue light, and in just a couple of minutes got a reading! Happily my score was a whopping 66,000 which is terrific. YAY for my supplement regimen!

The Anti-oxidant scale is 10,000 (very poor) to 50,000+ (very good).

Being a doubting Thomas, I attended an informational seminar about the company and the science behind their supplements, and was impressed with the data.  I met the head scientist, and had the chance to ask him a couple of nagging questions I had.  His answers cleared them up.

The head of Integrative Oncology at one of the prominent Bay Area Hospitals was there, and talked about resisting their salesperson, but finally giving in and trying their products.  He now uses their supplements with his cancer patients, and relies on the BioPhotonic Scanner to track their antioxidant levels.

Well, I am hoping to have access to one of these machines, and the Pharmanex line very soon. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and would like to have your antioxidant level checked, contact me!  It's only $20 for the reading.

They claim their products are highly bio-available since they're created using nanotechnology.  They have two major products 1) a pack that includes antioxidants, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids and will increase your Carotenoid Score. 2) A vitality enhancing product that targets physical vigor, mental acuity and sexual health,  by promoting healthy Youth Gene Clusters.

This latter product is the result of a study done with mice (what else..) that tracked their 'gene expression' as healthy young mice vs. aging mice. What I learned was that our genes are not what determines our longevity and health (even if grandma lived into her 90's), but how those genes 'express' themselves in our life, based on our lifestyle and nutrition, that counts.

I met a few people who felt a change in their energy, their skin and hair health, and even their vision or hearing, within 1 - 2 weeks of being on this product.  I am giving some to two family members with aging issues, and will report back!

If you'd like more info on these two supplements, I'd be happy to send that to you.

I have been taking 28 different supplements, separately, so have to swallow 6 - 10 pills at each meal.  Their pack contains about 7 pills that combine what I take plus a few more things like select mushrooms, which we all know contain vital nutrients, albeit at lower doses, but they are getting fantastic results.

~ Onwards and up! ♥

Don't forget your children's health! What fun!

For those of us.. like me.. who just can't seem to join a gym, here is a fantastic way to throw in a workout at the park.

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.

Ömer Faruk Tekbilek ♫ Aşk

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.

I loved this article.

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

The Reasoning for Seasoning*!

Abstract: The activation of nuclear transcription factor κB has now been linked with a variety of inflammatory diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, diabetes, allergy, asthma, arthritis, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, psoriasis, septic shock, and AIDS.

Extensive research in the last few years has shown that the pathway that activates this transcription factor can be interrupted by phytochemicals derived from spices such as turmeric (curcumin), red pepper, cloves , ginger, cumin, anise, and fennel, basil and rosemary, garlic, and pomegranate (ellagic acid).

For the first time, therefore, research provides “reasoning for seasoning.”*

Suppression of the Nuclear Factor-κB Activation Pathway by Spice-Derived Phytochemicals: BHARAT B. AGGARWAL^*, SHISHIR SHISHODIA.

Article first published online: 12 JAN 2006 - DOI: 10.1196/annals.1329.054

Sugars and Sweeteners - Glycemic Index

It's not easy to shop for foods by glycemic index unless you know what that is.  Once you have the ratings you can incorporate them into your shopping list before you leave the house.  With this in hand, and soon in your head!, you will be able to make intelligent choices about what is 'healthy'. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a numerical scale used to indicate how fast and how high a particular food can raise our blood glucose (blood sugar) level. A food with a low GI will typically prompt a moderate rise in blood glucose, while foods with a high GI may cause our blood glucose level to spike above the optimal level.

An awareness of foods' Glycemic Index can help you control your blood sugar levels, and may help you prevent heart disease, improve cholesterol levels, prevent insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, prevent certain cancers, and achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Note: A study tracked participants for year and found that overweight people on a low-carb, low-glycemic-index diet lost just as much weight -- 8% of their original weight -- as people on a reduced-fat, high-glycemic-index diet. So as long as you stick with healthy fats (Coconut and Olive oil), your focus should be on the GI of the foods you eat.

Artificial Sweeteners N/A Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. They should be avoided. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it's essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison).

Stevia 0 Best Healthy Sugar Alternative Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. Please note that Stevia and Truvia are not the same thing.

Xylitol 7 Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables which can cause bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence with initial consumption. It's said to be safe for pregnant women, and is said to possibly treat ear infections, osteoporosis, respiratory infections, candida, and is it even helps fight cavities. In fact, in Finland, virtually all chewing gum is sweetened with xylitol.

Agave Nectar 15-30 * Although it has a low-glycemic index, Agave syrup is made from the Blue Agave plant by the extraction and purification of "sap" from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the mono-saccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%).

* Agave nectar is 90% fructose. If excessive fructose is causing our obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome epidemic, then agave might be worse than high fructose corn syrup (55% fructose) and worse than table sugar.

Fructose doesn’t stimulate insulin release and as a result, doesn’t stimulate the release of another hormone that makes us feel full. Plus, fructose goes to the liver to be broken down, and there it is converted to fat, which can raise cholesterol and triglycerides.

Furthermore, much of the Agave Syrups sold in stores are made from fructose and have little or no actual Agave sap in them.

Fructose 17 Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition. Refined fructose puts an enormous strain on the liver.

Brown Rice Syrup 85 It is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar.

Raw Honey 30 A Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a super-food by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey.

Coconut Palm Sugar 35 Originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm , the date palm or sugar date palm (Phoenix sylvestris). It's also made from the sap of coconut palms. With a relatively low glycemic index, Coconut palm sugar is the new rage among health nuts. It's often called "coconut nectar sugar" or "coconut sugar".  BUT.. The composition of coconut sugar (also known as gula kelapa, jaggery or gur) obtained from three locations in Indonesia was determined using HPLC. Sucrose was the major component of all samples (70-79%) followed by glucose and fructose (3-9% each).

Apple Juice 40 Fresh apple juice is good for you, though we recommend eating fresh raw whole apples. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is closer to refined sugar than fresh apple juice.

Barley Malt Syrup 42 Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder.

Amasake 43 This is an ancient, Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It's not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar.

Sugar Cane Juice 43 Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation.  Sugar cane juice has many nutrients and other beneficial properties and is said by some health practitioners to be almost as medicinal as raw honey. The use of this substance (in moderation of course) has not been associated with any negative side effects or dangerous medical conditions.

Organic Sugar 47 Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has not been processed to the degree white sugar is processed).

Maple Syrup 54 Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April. It is refined sap and is therefore processed.  It has a high glycemic index, and though it is much more nutritious than refined table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are better choices.

Evaporated Cane Juice 55 Evaporated cane juice is often considered unrefined sugar, but juicing is a refining process, and evaporating refines further. Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener.

Black Strap Molasses 55 White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body.

Turbinado 65 Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar.

Raw sugar 65 Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. There are many variations of raw sugar with names depending on how refined it is.

Cola (and most other sodas) 70 Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body inside a can of soda (not to mention we should avoid drinking out of aluminum cans!).

Corn Syrup 75 Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided.

Refined, Pasteurized Honey 75 The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar.

Refined Table Sugar 80 Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties, many health advocates believe that refined sugar is one of the two leading causes (high fructose corn syrup is the other) of nearly every health ailment known to man (or woman or child). Not only does it have a high GI ranking, but it also is extremely acidic to the body causing calcium and other mineral depletion from bones and organs (sugar is alkaline but has a very acidic effect on the body).

High Fructose Corn Syrup 87 Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose.

Glucose (AKA Dextrose) 100 White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100.

Maltodextrin 150 Foods that have maltodextrin often say "Low Sugar" or "Complex Carbohydrate", but this sweetener should be avoided!

*~*~*~*~*

  ~ To Your Health! ♥

Low Sugar Fruits to Enjoy

I've mentioned that glucose is the choice food for cancer growth and nutrition...so watching our intake of glucose intense foods is critical. Spikes in blood sugar levels is what we are trying to avoid.  By combining high-fiber carbs that we eat with a protein or fat, lowers the likelihood.   (If you're craving a piece of toast, have it dipped in virgin olive oil, or topped with hummus or almond butter.)

Here is a list of fruits that are low in sugar that you can enjoy without thinking twice. Recommended 1 - 3 servings /day.

Choose fresh, ripe, organically grown fruits.  Frozen is OK when fresh is not available.

• Apples
• Bananas (on the green side, no brown specks on skin at all, otherwise high in sugar)
• Berries (fresh not dried) (blackberries, blueberries, cherries, gooseberries, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries)
• Papaya
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Peaches (not over-ripe)
• Plums
• Rhubarb

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! ♥

And What About Copper?

I have to watch my intake of copper, and take 2 supplements to keep it in check. I have been advised to avoid Shellfish, Peanuts, Cashews and other copper-heavy foods. I don't use copper utensils for food.  I recently tossed out my water kettle because I realized it has a copper bottom! Every 3 -5 months I have a Ceruloplasmin blood test to check my copper level. Why? you may ask. Well, here are two sources with a little more information, and links to the full articles.

1. The Role of Copper in the Angiogenesis Process - from: cancerprotocol.com

Copper is believed to be the switch that turns on the angiogenesis process in tumor cells. It has been observed that abnormally high serum copper levels are found in patients with many types of progressive tumors.

According to the University of Michigan Oncology Journal, many studies have shown copper to be an obligatory co-factor in the process of angiogenesis. Growth factors in angiogenesis require binding to copper in order to function properly. As stated in Steven Brem's research at the Moffitt Cancer Center, linked below, "copper-binding molecules [ceruloplasmin, heparin, and tripeptide glycly-histadyl-lysine] are non-angiogenic when free of copper, but they become angiogenic when bound to copper."

On January 21, 2000, the University of Michigan reported that researchers had "successfully stopped the growth and spread of cancer by depriving the tumors of the copper supply they need to form new blood vessels." Dr. George Brewer used an inexpensive compound called tetrathiomolybdate (TM) to lower the serum copper levels in patients with cancer.

This study was done with a group of 18 patients in hospice with 11 different types of metastatic cancer. The goal of the study was to reduce ceruloplasmin to 20% of baseline for at least 90 days. The treatment achieved this goal in 6 patients, and 5 of those patients have seen no tumor growth or new tumors for more than 2 years. The other 12 patients could not achieve the target copper levels, suggesting that it can take more than a month to reduce copper levels to target, during which time the cancer may progress rapidly." -  Read full article here.

2. What is the evidence?  -  from : http://www.cancer.org

Copper is a trace mineral that is needed for many important body processes. Animal studies have shown that copper is useful in maintaining antioxidant defenses. Antioxidants block the actions of free radicals, which are activated oxygen molecules that can damage cells. While the role of copper in the cancer process is still unclear, copper complexes have been shown to have anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies.

Other laboratory and animal studies suggest that high copper levels may be linked to liver cancer and brain tumors. More recently, many studies have shown that patients' blood copper levels are higher in several types of cancer and other diseases. To add to the confusion, blood tests can show high copper levels even when there is little copper in the tissues. These high copper levels may be due to injury, disease, or inflammation. Because copper levels in the blood do not always reflect nutritional status, it's hard to design or find good studies of copper.

Copper is needed to form new blood vessels, and because cancer needs new blood vessels in order to grow, some researchers are lowering copper levels to see if it will help slow tumor growth. In effect the researchers are trying to use low copper levels to starve the tumor of nutrients by keeping it from building new blood vessels (anti-angiogenesis). One group of researchers looked at whether a copper-lowering drug, tetrathiomolybdate (or TM), could help patients with advanced kidney cancer. Some patients' cancer stopped growing during the 6-month treatment period. A few people had low white blood counts during treatment, requiring that treatment be stopped until they recovered. This was a small study, and further research is needed to find out whether copper can help more people with advanced cancer -  Read the full article here.

~ Be Well! ♥

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! ♥

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 ♥

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 cellular 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

~ Get creative! ♥

5 Things You Can Do Now to Improve Your Health

Many illnesses, including many cancers, cannot thrive in an alkaline environment. The American diet is extremely acidic...commercially raised red meat, coffee, sugar, fried foods and simple carbs... those make up the overwhelming majority of what we eat.

The components of what you put in your mouth and on your skin has to processed by your liver. This much abused organ is already working overtime to rid your body of toxins that you breathe and get on your skin ...household cleaners, register tape, etc..

FYI - 40 percent of cash register receipts printed on heat-activated paper have been found to contain the dangerous chemical Bisphenol A (BPA)!

I'm going to take just one from a very long list of dubious ingredients that we are commonly used in lotions, deodorants and makeup, namely: castor oil.

Castor oil and its derivatives are used in the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and polishes, nylon, pharmaceuticals and perfumes.

The castor seed contains ricin, a toxic protein.  Allergenic compounds found on the plant surface can cause permanent nerve damage, making the harvest of castor beans a human health risk. India, Brazil, and China are the major crop producers, and the workers suffer harmful side effects from working with these plants.

This is ONE of many, many ingredients we don't take the time to research, trusting that no company would manufacture and sell a product that contained toxins.  I wish that were so.

Parabens are another ugly story.  Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, including deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and from the gastrointestinal tract and blood.

"Measurable concentrations of six different parabens have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors (Darbre, 2004). The particular parabens were found in relative concentrations that closely parallel their use in the synthesis of cosmetic products. They increase the expression of many genes that are usually regulated by estradiol and cause human breast tumor cells to grow and proliferate in vitro."

• Has anyone blown the whistle on cosmetic manufacturers?
• Do you still believe some government agency is really looking out for our health?

So on top of the hundreds of chemical substances our liver has to deal with, we pile on sugar (a toxin itself) and artificial sweeteners and hormone-filled animal protein, and preservatives.

We neglect the care this vital organ needs until it causes us pain or gets sluggish enough to cause alarming symptoms. Please don't wait that long.

Here are the 5 things you can do today to improve your health;

1) Eat Organic

2) Cut out sugar and white flour

3) Refuse to use products with ingredients you can't pronounce or don't recognize

4) Squeeze lemon juice in every glass of water you drink (lemons alkaline our bodies, making them inhospitable to most disease

5) Choose wild-caught, cold water fish (never farm raised) or organic free-range chicken as your animal protein of choice.

~ Be Well. ♥

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.