Nature's Answer to Cancer

RX for Healthcare - Tax! What about prevention?

Soft drinks and other beverages loaded with sugar should be taxed as a public health hazard, much as cigarettes are, a group of prominent medical researchers says.

Ludwig is one of the authors of the sugar tax proposal, published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine. He states that give the massive budget deficits we have, this is a great way to raise money.

Oh.....I didn't realize that medical professionals were more concerned with increasing federal revenue than reducing the risk of disease!

While I'm not against a junk food tax, I'd love it if the NEJM would come up with some other kind of program: how about required nutrition and pathophysiology classes at all medical schools?

Until we get to the core of the health care crisis here in America (too much food, too little movement and too much emphasis on "take this drug to fix what ails you") no fancy food guide pyramid or tax is going to make a dent. The time is now for all health care professionals to stand up and do what's right: spend time talking to patients about how to change the course of their health one bite at a time.

One doc who gets it: David Katz, MD, MPH, of Yale University, said the next step might be to "link measures of nutritional quality to the costs of foods, so that costs come down as nutritional quality rises."

"In general," Katz said, "I prefer the idea of providing a financial incentive for those making a good choice to a disincentive for those making a bad choice."

Kim Dalzell,  PhD, RD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Soy - another isolate(d) problem

Soy protein extracts showed no evidence of preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women in two placebo-controlled trials, researchers reported at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research meeting.

In one trial with 224 participants, very similar declines in lumbar spine and hip bone mineral density (BMD) were seen after three years in postmenopausal women taking the soy pills and those taking placebo.

The other study found that levels of a biomarker of bone resorption were virtually identical after two years of high-dose soy extracts versus placebo.

"I think we can close the door on this issue," declared the first study's leader, D. Lee Alekel, PhD, of Iowa State University in Ames.

Previous studies had yielded conflicting results as to whether the isoflavones in soybeans prevented bone loss. A retrospective Chinese study reported in 2005 had found a strong preventive effect in women who had consumed large quantities of soy foods.

 

Dr. Kim's comments: Here is yet another study to show that isolates (in this case, of soy foods - called isoflavones) are not disease protective. Researchers usually start this kind of study after observing population studies whereby food sources are consumed. To make things easier in the lab, isolated are compounded....but the results do not yield the same outcome. This should really be no surprise by now. Isolated nutrients are NOT a whole food. And only whole foods provide the balance of nature that our bodies need for optimal health.

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

 

Are you really healthy?

A whopping 71 percent of Americans think they are in excellent or good health – and only a quarter of survey respondents said they have been diagnosed as, or think they are, obese or overweight.

Senior analyst at Mintel Krista Faron told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “I think there is just a tremendous amount of self-deception. At the core, very few people want to admit they are not healthy.” And health statistics have clearly established we are a nation full of heart attacks just waiting to happen. Our children are not immune either—70% of 12 year olds have the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries!

I’ve experienced the same responses during my wellness talks around various communities. People tend to be like ostriches with their heads in the sand when it comes to health. It’s time to recognize our lifestyle limitations, accept responsibility and make new and improved diet and exercise changes.

I realize that can be difficult with the barrage of messages out there…we are overwhelmed with often conflicting research on healthy eating. But come on, folks, I think we all know that eating Twinkies and Snicker’s bars are not good for us.

It’s time to take some self-responsibility, don’t you think?

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Is there such a thing as a "bad" apple?

Not on this list...but when it comes to fruits and veggies, there are some varieties that you need to watch out for! Of course, I am a huge proponent of this colorful group of food....after all, the recommendation for intake is 9-13 servings a day! And most Americans consume far less, averaging only about 2.5 servings daily.

 

Here's a list of the Dirty Dozen - these plants are typically grown with large amounts of pesticides. So eat organic versions of these fruits and veggies and remember to consume local, seasonal produce as often as possible.

 

Fruits

·         Apples

·         Cherries

·         Grapes, imported (Chili)

·         Nectarines

·         Peaches

·         Pears

·         Raspberries

·         Strawberries

 

Vegetables

·         Bell peppers

·        Celery

·        Potatoes

·        Spinach

 

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

 

Why Rye?

A new study from Sweden reveals that if you want to feel full, skip the traditional whole wheat bread and choose rye instead.

Eating a high fibre breakfast from rye may increase feelings of fullness and lead to reduced food intake later in the day. Researchers found that consuming rye in the morning suppressed appetite over the following 3 hours more than when subjects consumed a wheat breakfast.

Satiety (or feeling full and satisfied) is really the key when it comes to battling against obesity.

Two quick tips for satisfaction and all day energy:

1) Rye bread for breakfast

2) Add some protein (an egg or egg white, natural peanut butter spread, or slice of cheese - not the processed cheese in a can, please!)

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Breast Cancer Recurrence - the need for soy?

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a very low dose of estrogen might help women whose breast cancer has recurred after treatment.

Even though most treatments are aimed at stopping estrogen from fueling tumors, the researchers said after years of this therapy the body may need some of the hormone to fight them off.

Dr. Kim's comments: I believe this finding supports the concept that taking moderate amounts of soy foods (which contain weak plant estrogens) may be beneficial to stave off estrogen-sensitive cancers. Current recommendations are 1-3 servings of soy FOODS per week; still avoid any isoflavone supplements or powders.

Kim Dalzell,PhD, RD, LD nutrition and cancer expert

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Move over Trans Fatty Acids

There's a new kid on the block and he's turning out to be quite a bully. With all the focus on LDL (bad) cholesterol, a ‘virtually unknown’ form called oxycholesterol may pose the biggest heart health threat, say Chinese scientists.

Scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that the main sources of oxycholesterol in the diet come from fried foods.

"Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and the heart-healthy high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) are still important health issues," said lead researcher Zhen-Yu Chen, PhD.

"Our work demonstrated that oxycholesterol boosts total cholesterol levels and promotes atherosclerosis ["hardening of the arteries"] more than non-oxidized cholesterol."

As nutrition science continues to evolve, we continue to receive verification that whole foods from nature - not processed by man - are the way to go for optimal health.

Dr. Kim Dalzell, cancer nutritionist

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Muscle, not just Fat, linked to Cancer

To reduce risk of cancer recurrence, especially in hormone-dependent cancers, I have recommended that my patients maintain a regimen of regular aerobic exercise such as jogging or cycling. Now, I think I’m going to also discuss adding weight lifting and resistance training.

A new study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, suggests building up muscle strength has anti-cancer benefits.

A team of experts, led by scientists from Sweden's Karolinska Institute, tracked the lifestyles of 8,677 men aged between 20 and 82 for more than two decades and researchers monitored how many developed cancer and subsequently died from it.

The results showed men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle strength were between 30 and 40 per cent less likely to lose their life to a deadly tumor. Even among volunteers who had excess tummy fat or a high body mass index, regular weight training seemed to have a protective effect.

This finding is pretty profound considering the fact that belly fat is metabolically active and correlated to hormone deposition.

So while there is no need to become Arnold Schwarzenegger, it is important to incorporate flexibility, strength training and aerobic movement into your daily routine.

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Girl, 10 years old, gets breast cancer

They say it's a rare cancer.....but it's not. It's just that it rarely happens in females as young as Hannah Powell-Auslam, a fifth grader in California.

Hannah was diagnosed with breast cancer, at the age of 10, had a double mastectomy and now the cancer has recurred.

While most would be shocked at the news, some would say it is expected. Nutrition and lifestyle experts have been warning for years now that if our children don't change what they are eating now, they will be diagnosed at younger ages with diseases that usually affect older Americans. Kids the age of 12 have the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries and women as young at 17 years old have been stricken with breast cancer. And now a 10 year old girl.....

It is my sincere hope that the family of this girl realizes that external factors (diet, exercise, environmental toxins) may be contributing to Hannah's "growing environment for cancer" and that they support Hannah to make changes in what she eats and how she lives. In addition to traditional cancer treatment, it's time to take out all the tools of the healing toolbox.

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Drugs in Your Cereal!

Trying to keep kids away from drugs just got a bit tougher. Turns out, Cheerios is an "unapproved new drug" under FDA regulations.

General Mills has noted on the Cheerios box that its cereal lowers cholesterol. Here are direct statements from the box: "Did you know that in just 6 weeks Cheerios can reduce bad cholesterol by an average of 4 percent? Cheerios is . . . clinically proven to lower cholesterol. A clinical study showed that eating two 1-1/2 cup servings daily of Cheerios cereal reduced bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol."

According to the FDA, the wording of these statements indicates that Cheerios is intended for use in the prevention or treatment of high cholesterol.

I’m sure there will be more to come on this issue and I believe that the American public is being taken advantage of with all these packaging claims. Case in point: I saw a banana with a “seal” that stated NO CHOLESTEROL. We aren’t really that naive, are we?

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com