8 Great Family-Friendly Foods that Help Fight Cancer

The following article was found on WEB MD http://blogs.webmd.com/health-ehome/2009/06/8-great-family-friendly-foods-that-help.html

by Sheryl Crow

Being diagnosed with cancer was a life changing experience for me, as it is for anyone. One of the most significant shifts has been in the way I look at my body and what I put in it. When I was undergoing radiation, I began working with Nutritionist Rachel Bellar in order to eat foods that would help boost my immune system.

After working with her, I learned how to eat "defensively." I had never understood before how vital food was for protecting the body from sickness and disease. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, serious diseases that are linked to what we eat are the culprits in three out of four American deaths each year. And, recent research estimates that 35% of cancer deaths could be prevented through improved nutrition.

We truly are what we eat and what we put in our bodies matters to our long-term health. Rachel taught me this and I am so grateful to have worked with her. Her in-depth knowledge of how certain foods and spices are vital to promoting wellness throughout the body has become an integral part of my lifestyle after surviving cancer.

Even more importantly, having cancer made me re-think and re-define family - resulting in my greatest joy, my son Wyatt. As parents often joke, kids don't come with instruction manuals. Parenting is a constant challenge of self-education. One thing I do know, though, is that Wyatt is benefiting from what I learned from Rachel. And, I feel like I am giving my son one of the greatest gifts a mother can - the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

Here are some of our favorite foods that pack enormous nutritional value (including anti-cancer benefits), and the ways we make them fun and tasty for both of us. Truly, toddler tested, mother approved.

1. Whole Grains

• What to look for: whole grain breads, pastas, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, etc.
• How to make it: quinoa crusted chicken fingers, whole grain pita personal pizza, steel cut oatmeal cookies, vegetable barley soup

2. Beans

• 

  Photo: pizzodisevo
  What to look for: garbanzo, navy bean, kidney beans, lentils, etc.
• How to make it: hummus (use whole grain pita or raw veggies for dipping), puree navy beans and add to mashed potatoes, black bean nachos

3. Berries

• What to look for: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
• How to make it: whole grain berry muffins, yogurt berry parfait

4. Tomatoes

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  Photo: The Ewan
  What to look for: tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice (cooking releases the cancer-fighting lycopene)
• How to make it: pasta and pizza sauce, creamy tomato soup

5. Cruciferous Vegetables

• What to look for: cabbage and members of its family including cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts
• How to make it: steam it and serve warm or cold (in funny shapes for tentative toddlers), also good in stir fry, and soups

6. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

• What to look for: spinach, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, kale, leaf lettuce
• How to make it: use to wrap favorite cheese or chicken, chiffonade and toss into pasta or pizza sauce, toss into green smoothies

7. Grapes and Grape Juice

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  Photo: artslyz
  What to look for: red or purple grapes (the dark colored skin is the main source of nutrition)
• How to make it: Enjoy as is, frozen grapes are a great summer treat (but can be a choking hazard for small children)

8. Walnuts

• What to look for: whole, natural walnuts without additives or preservatives
• How to make it: add walnuts and bananas to oatmeal, crush and toss into pastas and salads, mince and add to muffins and pancakes

However you decide to fix your food, eat a healthy, diverse diet. And remember, real foods, not supplements, are best for your body. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends that at least 2/3 of your plate should be filled with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans. Start your children young and let them reap the rewards of healthy eating habits for a lifetime.

Ear Wax, Body Odor: Breast Cancer Link?

Researchers See Clues for Breast Cancer Risk in Underarm Body Odor and Wet Ear Wax

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

June 5, 2009 -- A variation in a gene already associated with breast cancer risk is also linked with especially unpleasant underarm body odor and wet ear wax, according to a team of Japanese scientists.

The discovery is not meant to make women with either condition anxious, says Toshi Ishikawa, PhD, professor of biomolecular engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the senior author of the study. Rather, he says, "we do strongly hope that our study will provide a new tool for better prediction of breast cancer risk" by using a new method of finding the variation developed by his team.

Having wet ear wax or excessively smelly armpits does not mean a woman is destined to get breast cancer, Ishikawa says. "To be clear, I should strongly mention that the [specific gene variation found to link body odor, wet ear wax, and breast cancer risk] is one factor that increases breast cancer risk," Ishikawa says. "And it might have to work in tandem with something else -- such as environmental factors and mutations of tumor suppressor genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, p53, and so on."

Ishikawa's team extracted DNA from blood samples provided by 124 volunteers at Nagasaki University in Japan.

They studied a gene called ABCC11, discovered by them and others in 2001. Variations in the gene have been found to be associated with increased breast cancer risk. These variations, called SNPs ("snips") or single nucleotide polymorphisms, occur when a single nucleotide or molecule in an individual's genome sequence changes. SNPs are common in the population.

While many SNPs don't affect the way cells function, experts think that other variations may predispose people to specific diseases such as cancer or affect the way they respond to a medication.

In this study, Ishikawa monitored the activities of a protein created by the ABCC11 gene, finding a distinct link between the ABCC11 gene and having extremely smelly underarm odor and wet, sticky earwax.

Then they figured out the cellular mechanisms that control wet ear wax, excessively bad underarm odor, and breast cancer risk.

They developed a rapid method of typing this SNP in the DNA sequence associated with the higher risk for the three conditions. It can be done in 30 minutes.

The study is published in The FASEB Journal.

Armpits, Ear Wax, and Breast Cancer

Women shouldn't get anxious about the research, says Christy Russell, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, who reviewed the study for WebMD. "At this point the research is very early and women should not be concerned about body odor or earwax as a clue that they may have a higher risk of breast cancer."

"Having ear wax and body odor are normal physical processes that all women go through," she says.

To put the research in perspective, she says, the researchers are looking for common gene abnormalities in glands that secrete mucus, sweat, or wax that may be linked with breast cancer risk.

The researchers managed to figure out the exact cellular level mechanisms which lead to all three conditions, says Gerald Weissmann, MD, editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal and research professor of medicine and director of the Biotechnology Study Center at New York University.

"I think this is a groundbreaking study which combines human genetics, human anthropology, and first-rate molecular and cell biology," he says. The development of the rapid SNP typing method, he says, promises to help predict who might be at higher risk for serious conditions such as cancer by looking at "trivial observations such as smelly armpits and wet ear wax."

This information was taken from the following website: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20090605/ear-wax-body-odor-breast-cancer-link?ecd=wnl_can_062309

Preventative Medicine

Prevention is the best aresenal in winning the battle our society is facing against cancer today. Recently I found out about a doctor in the St. Louis area who is practicing preventative medicine that at least three friends have said has changed their lives. Several of these people have had cancer. Here is the website:

Although her website does not list cancer treatment as one of its specialties, I have heard she is a favorite for some cancer patients. Among their listed specialties are allergies, diabetes, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, digestive disorders, depression, heart disease, hormonal imbalances, mood disorders, thyroid disorders, weight issues and women's health.

http://www.preventivemedicinestl.com/index.php

Breakthrough

Recently someone told me their doctor recommended this book by Suzanne Somers, which documents, as her website states:

"interviews with the most progressive doctors in the field of antiaging medicine, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author and trusted health advocate Suzanne Somers uncovers enlightening, lifesaving information. Spending the time that you just won't have with your own doctor in today's challenged medical environment, she shares the 8 STEPS TO WELLNESS formed from the extensive research she's done with these physicians practicing "Breakthrough" medicine.

Discover how to:
Balance hormones through bioidentical (not synthetic, cancer-causing) hormone replacement
Fix thyroid problems
Sleep 8 to 9 hours each night without drugs
Improve memory
Detect diabetes early
Prevent and manage cancer
Restore hearing
Preserve eyesight
And much more!"

This book can be ordered from her website at:

http://www.suzannesomers.com/Product2.aspx?ProductId=1867&CategoryId=8

I hope to get a hold of a copy of this book and read about it. I have heard some good things about it, though I know that some of the information on biodentical hormones is controversial. I hope to research this topic some more.

Focus on Breast Cancer

Several weeks ago the Oprah show featured Dr. McAndrew, who gave some helpful information about Breast Cancer. Here are some of the highlights of what she said on the show:

Most breast cancers are not inherited, but if there is a gene or family history, there is a risk.

The lifetime chance of getting breast cancer is 87% in those who carry the breast cancer gene BRCA Mutation.

The lifetime chance of getting ovarian cancer is 40% with this gene.

Someone who doesn’t have the gene, and gets it in one breast, has a 2-10% chance of getting it in the second breast.

For those who have dense breast, a mamogram may not be enough to find breast cancer. A breast MRI is the method of choice. Insurance doesn’t pay usually. In dense breasts it is harder to see what is going on. When you go in for your mammogram, your radiologist can tell you if you have dense breasts or not. Women of all ages and all sizes can have dense breasts. The MRI however will miss certain things, so it is good to use all methods, including self-exam and mammograms. Mammograms can pick up on calcifications.

You should get yearly mammograms starting around the age of 35-40.

Some women should consider an MRI, using 3-d:

1) If you carry the gene

2) If you have dense breasts

3) If you had radiation to your chest as a teenager

4) If you ever had silicon breast implants

Ultrasound is used if they cannot see well on the mammogram.

It is important to be your own advocate.

1of 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Of those, around 70% will not have a historyof breast cancer. 85% of those will still be alive after 10 years.

One of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk besides getting annual checkups is to make important changes in your diet:

Lifestyle issues: 25% reduction in cancer spreading on low-fat diet.

Exercise has decreased risk of developing it.

There is an increased risk of breast cancer around pregnancy. The later in life the pregnancy, the higher the risk. When pregnant, breasts change anyway, so it is confusing. Examine breasts regularly during pregnancy, note any changes in lumps and present these changes to your doctor.

Increased risk around pregnancy, the later, the higher risk.

To listen to the aftershow, go to the following website:

http://www.oprah.com/media/20080911_tows_ats

Mayo Clinic's recommendations

Cancer prevention: 7 steps to reduce your risk

Small changes in your everyday life might help reduce your risk of cancer.

By Mayo Clinic staff

You've probably heard conflicting reports in the news about what can or can't help you in terms of cancer prevention. The issue of cancer prevention gets confusing — sometimes what's recommended in one report is advised against in another. What you can be sure of when it comes to cancer prevention is that making small changes to your everyday life might help reduce your chances of getting cancer. Try these seven cancer prevention steps.

Cancer prevention step 1: Don't use tobacco

All types of tobacco put you on a collision course with cancer. Rejecting tobacco, or deciding to stop using it, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's also an important part of cancer prevention.

Smoking has been linked to several types of cancer, including:

• Bladder
• Cervix
• Esophagus
• Kidney
• Lip
• Lung
• Mouth
• Pancreas
• Throat
• Voice box (larynx)

Chewing tobacco has been linked to multiple types of cancer, including:

• Esophagus
• Mouth
• Pancreas
• Throat

Inhaled chewing tobacco (snuff) may increase the risk of cancers, including:

• Esophagus
• Mouth

Even if you don't smoke, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Being around others who are smoking may increase your risk of lung cancer.

Cancer prevention step 2: Eat a variety of healthy foods

Though making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can't guarantee you won't get cancer, it may help reduce your risk.

The American Cancer Society recommends that you:

• Eat an abundance of foods from plant-based sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, eat other foods from plant sources, such as whole grains and beans, several times a day. Replacing high-calorie foods in your diet with fruits and vegetables may help you lose weight or maintain your weight. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of cancers of the colon, esophagus, lung and stomach.
• Limit fat. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-fat foods, particularly those from animal sources. High-fat diets tend to be higher in calories and may increase the risk of overweight or obesity, which can, in turn, increase cancer risk.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Your risk of cancers, including mouth, throat, esophagus, kidney, liver and breast cancers, increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly. Even a moderate amount of drinking — two drinks a day if you're a man or one drink a day if you're a woman, and one drink a day regardless of your sex if you're over 65 — may increase your risk.

Cancer prevention step 3: Stay active and maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly also may play a role in cancer prevention. Being overweight or obese may increase your risk of cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, stomach and uterus. Physical activity can help you avoid obesity by controlling your weight. Physical activity on its own may also lower your risk of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate and uterus.

Try to be physically active for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. Once you achieve that goal, adding more exercise to your day may reduce your risk of certain cancers further.

Your exercise sessions can include such low-key activities as brisk walking, raking the yard or even ballroom dancing. Safe exercise programs are available for just about everyone. Your doctor or physical therapist can help design one for you.

Cancer prevention step 4: Protect yourself from the sun

Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer — and one of the most preventable. Although repeated exposure to X-rays or contact with certain chemicals can play a role, sun exposure is by far the most common cause of skin cancer.

Most skin cancer occurs on exposed parts of your body, including your face, hands, forearms and ears. Nearly all skin cancer is treatable if you detect it early, but it's better to prevent it in the first place. Try these tips:

• Avoid peak radiation hours. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Minimize or avoid being outside during these hours.
• Stay in the shade. If you go outside, minimize your sun exposure by staying in the shade.
• Cover exposed areas. Wear light-colored, loosefitting clothing that protects you from the sun's rays. Use tightly woven fabrics that cover your arms and legs, and wear a broad-brimmed hat that covers your head and ears.
• Don't skimp on sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
• Don't use indoor tanning beds or sunlamps. These also can damage your skin. There's no such thing as a healthy tan.

Cancer prevention step 5: Get immunized

Certain cancers are associated with viral infections that can be prevented with immunizations. Talk to your doctor about immunization against:

• Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can increase your risk of developing liver cancer. Vaccination is recommended for all babies in the United States. Certain high-risk adults also may need to be vaccinated.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine that protects against two cancer-causing types of HPV is recommended for girls ages 11 to 12. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the HPV vaccine be given to girls and women ages 13 to 26 who haven't completed the full vaccine series.

Talk to your doctor about whether you would benefit from immunizations to reduce your risk of cancer.

Cancer prevention step 6: Avoid risky behaviors

Reduce your risk of certain cancers by avoiding risky behaviors that can lead to infections that may increase your risk of cancer. Viruses transmitted sexually or by sharing contaminated needles include:

• HPV. HPV is most often associated with cervical cancer. But HPV may also increase the risk of cancers of the anus, penis, throat, vulva and vagina. The more sexual partners you have in your lifetime, the more likely you are to have HPV.
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). People with HIV or AIDS have an increased risk of anal cancer, cervical cancer, liver cancer, lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma. People with multiple sexual partners and intravenous (IV) drug users who share needles have an increased risk of HIV.
• Hepatitis B and C. Chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection can increase your risk of liver cancer. Both forms of hepatitis can be passed through sexual contact with an infected person or sharing needles with an infected drug user.

Reduce your risk of these cancers by avoiding risky behaviors. Abstain from sex or use condoms and limit the number of sexual partners you have. Never share needles. Seek help for your addiction if you use drugs.

Cancer prevention step 7: Get screened

Regular screening and self-examination for certain cancers may not prevent cancer, but it can increase your chances of discovering cancer early — when treatment is more likely to be successful. Screening should include your skin, mouth, colon and rectum. If you're a man, it should also include your prostate and testes. If you're a woman, include cervix and breast cancer screening on your list. Be aware of changes in your body — this may help you detect cancer early, increasing your chances of successful treatment. If you notice any changes, see your doctor.

This information was taken from the Mayo Clinic Website at:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-prevention/CA00024/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Can Plastic Water Bottles Cause Cancer?

The Birmingham News (Alabama) featured this article in January, 2009 discussing the kinds of plastics that are potentially harmful:

Animal research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is resurrecting cancer concerns about a plastic additive commonly used in consumer products, including baby bottles, water bottles and the linings of cans.

Coral A. Lamartiniere, a top toxicologist and senior scientist at UAB's Comprehensive Cancer Center, said low levels of bisphenol-A, BPA, given orally to rodents caused tumors and genetic changes consistent with early stages of cancer growth.

Much of the research, performed over the past six years, is being prepared for review and publication, but a key paper on BPA was published last week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

"The inference here is this compound could predispose humans toward breast cancer," said Lamartiniere, who led the study.

The U.S. National Toxicology Program raised public concern about BPA on April 14, reporting that high dose levels of the compound created health hazards in laboratory animals. The agency said some concern was warranted for human fetuses, children and girls approaching puberty.

But the agency noted that the threat was only possible and not certain. Critical evidence was missing, including good studies showing the impact of low doses of BPA on lab animals and humans, the agency reported.

Shortly thereafter, the Food and Drug Administration reassured the public that products containing BPA were safe, but noted that alternative products without BPA were available.

In testimony before Congress in May, the spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, an industry organization, said only traces of BPA could be found in products, and the compound has been used for decades and widely studied for safety.

"Recent media attention has created public concern and confusion about some of these chemicals," Steven G. Hentges, a scientist with the council, told a Senate subcommittee.

Lamartiniere said there was no doubt about his study results, and animals were tested at concentrations of BPA similar to exposures experienced by people.

"In fact, it's below the concentration that the EPA deems safe," he said. "With BPA we're finding changes that are consistent with oncogenisis, or cancer causation."

In the study published last week, Lamartiniere and colleagues gave female rats with nursing litters oral doses of BPA. The result: The baby rats matured with higher levels of breast cancer.

Beyond cancer
The issue of plastic additives and health goes far beyond cancer, and into a new scientific frontier created by technology allowing researchers to view genetic changes caused by chemicals.

"It's amazing how every compound has a genetic signature," said Dr. Jose Russo of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, a close colleague of Lamartiniere and co-author of the paper published last week.

The research is the product of an ongoing, multisite study originally conceived to find causes of breast cancer and funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.

Russo said researchers are looking at two types of plastic additives that have raised red flags in animal studies - phenols and phthalates.

BPA is a phenol, and researchers suspect that girls exposed to these compounds before puberty could become more susceptible to breast cancer. Hormonal activity later in life - during puberty, pregnancy or menopause - may trigger this susceptibility.

Researchers suspect phthalates may cause genetic changes in girls that predispose them to obesity.

The research is far from conclusive.

"We need to be very careful," Russo said. "Don't go crazy."

Russo said human studies are under way in New York, Ohio and California that should produce more definitive results about relative risks.

Data likely in 2 years
In one of those studies, Dr. Frank M. Biro of Cincinnati Children's Hospital said his team of researchers has recruited 378 young girls in the Cincinnati area. The girls have been tested for exposure to phenols and phthalates. Researchers have also tested the girls for exposure to phytoestrogens - natural compounds that occur in plants such as soy and also are believed to cause changes in hormonal cycles.

"We're looking for girls with a particular exposure profile," Biro said.

Using cutting-edge genetic technology, Biro plans to compare girls with little or no exposure to any of these compounds to girls with heavy exposures.

"Our hypothesis is there are certain genes that get turned on earlier, that get turned on harder," he said. "So it's either a time issue or a strength issue."

As Biro's work progresses, Lamartiniere intends to compare the genetic profiles of the girls with the genetic profiles of the exposed lab animals and see whether there is a connection.

Biro believes his team will have meaningful results from the research in two years, although he has examined some early data.

"Give our studies another couple years and there is going to be conviction about some of these chemicals," he said. "We may not have the definitive answers, but we'll be able to ask better questions."

This article can be found at:

http://blog.al.com/living-news/2009/01/

do_common_plastics_raise_cance.html

I did some research into non-plastic water bottles, and it seems there are a plethora out there of choices which are BPA-free. I found the cheapest ones so far at Target. Here is a picture:

There are also several online at a very low cost at this site:

http://www.ameripromo.com/bpafree-water-bottles-lp.html?
gclid=CP_Ts5yN_poCFSQMDQodeEoGew


For BPA-free Baby products, here is a good link:

http://safemama.com/2007/11/22/
bpa-free-bottle-and-sippy-cup-cheat-sheet/