Nature's Answer to Cancer

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

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

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

Burned Meat increases Pancreatic Cancer Risk

If you like your meat charred….you’re setting yourself up for an increased risk for pancreatic cancer.

Researchers presented these findings at the American Association of Cancer Research: People who regularly eat burned or charred red meat, like that cooked on a grill, have a 60 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer.

The finding is one of the strongest yet linking very well-done meat, especially red meat, to cancer. Previous studies indicate that risk of colon cancer may increase as well.

You can reduce your risk of charring meat (and reducing the development of HCAs – cancer causing amines) by:

·       Marinating your meats before placing them on the grill

·       Precooking meats to reduce the time on the grill

·       Adding citrus juice to the basting sauce

Bon Appetit!

Kim  Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Brown Fat, White Fat, Bad Fat, Good Fat

There's a good fat…and I’m not talking about omega-3 fatty acids!

Three new studies in the April 9th New England Journal of Medicine show that adult humans have brown fat, an energy-burning type of fat previously thought to be found only in animals and human babies.

White fat cells store energy in the form of lipids, but brown fat cells burn energy and give off heat. Human babies have pads of brown fat on their backs that help maintain body temperature but the brown fat disappears with age.

So what a surprise to researchers when they found that brown fat is common in adults and may be important for regulating body weight and blood sugar. But the fat isn’t where people expected to find it. In adults, brown fat is found in the neck, above the collarbone, around the spine and in the abdomen.

Individuals with the most brown fat include people younger than 50, people with healthy blood sugar levels and in lean people.

Finally…we know that some fat inside our bodies is good for us too!

Kim Dalzell,  PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Anti-Cancer Citrus News

Next time you peel an orange or tangerine, think about leaving on some of the white stuff…the underside of the peel, called the albedo,  In addition to being a source of soluble fiber, this layer also has a variety of plant chemicals (called flavones) that have anticancer benefits, particularly for hormone-sensitive tumors like breast or prostate cancer.

These flavones, specifically known as nobiletin, tangeretin and sinesetin, make up an orange’s defense system against fungi, pests and predators. For humans, these plant chemicals also have activities that counter high cholesterol, prevent cancer, fight fungus and reduce inflammation.

While this news may tempt you to eat the rind and all, one bite and you’d change your mind. The albedo is very bitter (and the rind is just plain out of the question) and you’d need to consume a lot of white stuff in order to get the anticancer benefits.

The solution? Eat a diet rich in all the citrus fruits on a consistent basis. Snack on slices of oranges, lemons, limes, and tangerines and remember that they make a beautiful contribution to an entrée, sauce or chilled glass of water.

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Food Fitness from a New Friend

I ran across the below article written by a colleague - Becky Kolar and enjoyed her writing style so much I asked her if I could reprint. Here it is:

I'm sure that you've heard eating a variety of foods with different shades is good for your health, but exactly why is eating a rainbow of natural colors important? Many necessary nutrients are associated with different colors and if your diet doesn't contain a healthy mix of all of them, then you're almost certainly lacking vital nutrients.

For example, if you often get stomach aches, you're probably deficient in green vegetables which are necessary for healthy digestion. If you seem to always be sick, you are most likely not getting enough orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Let me go through the rainbow of colors and let you know why they are all important for your health.

I'm going to start with the most important color when it comes to eating health: green. Green fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious, with dark leafy green vegetables topping the list. Spinach, kale, and kiwi are some examples of green fruits and vegetables. These green fruits and vegetables are extremely important for digestion, fighting cancer, and improving the immune system.

Red fruits and vegetables are excellence sources of phytochemicals, which are essential for fighting cancer. Great sources include cherries, apples and tomatoes. Red fruits and vegetables also decrease blood pressure and cancer risk.

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are usually lumped into one category. These fruits and vegetables are associated with beta carotene (vitamin A), which is necessary for vision, skin health and immune function. Sources include carrots, sweet potatoes and mangos.

One common blue fruit is blueberries, which are extremely important for improving your memory and decreasing your risk of heart disease. Some other important blue fruits and vegetables include grapes, eggplant and prunes.

Lastly, I am going to talk about white vegetables. Although white isn't a color of the rainbow, eating white vegetables is also important. Some examples include onions, cauliflower, and dates. These white fruits and vegetables balance hormone levels and they provide powerful boost to your immune system.

Although you probably aren't consuming all of these colors on a daily basis, it is a good idea to consume them as often as possible. Those who don't eat fruits and vegetables regularly might feel fine, but the truth is that their body is not as healthy as it should be. It can take years for a vitamin deficiency to outwardly show. Once the deficiency is visible, there has already been an incredible amount of damage within the human body. Instead of being at a high risk of cancer and heart disease, take care of your body and taste the rainbow.

Becky Kolar has a B.S. in nutrition and is a personal trainer. You can learn more: http://nutricise4u.blogspot.com

Dr. Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Spicing Up Your Health

Dr. Keith Scott, the author of Medicinal Seasonings: The Healing Power of Spices, has done one better: created VitaSpice (www.medspice.com).

VitaSpice is a dietary supplement that contains 22 of the most important whole spices—providing over 100 antioxidants as well as countless other important phytonutrients.

I’ve been a proponent of whole foods supplementation for quite a while…and to me, adding a diet rich in spices offers a whole array of cancer-fighting and other health promoting plant chemicals. Just a few years ago (2006) the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that indicated spices have the highest antioxidant activity of all foods in the USA. Weight for weight the first five of the top 50 antioxidant foods are spices. Clove heads the list but is closely followed by oregano, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger.

So spice up your life. Whether you eat curried foods chock full of turmeric, add cinnamon to your oatmeal, or supplement with “spices in a capsule”….it’s a good thing!

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

High Fructose Corn Syrup - No, It Isn't a Vegetable!

 

Another win for consumers….first the use of trans fats in commercial food  were targeted by consumer watchdog groups…and now, high-fructose corn syrup is on the chopping block.

This highly refined sugar has come under renewed fire for its possible links to a host of medical problems. Just recently, the sweetener had won a reprieve from a number of sources, including a special supplemental issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in which the bottom line was that there are few metabolic differences between the high-fructose corn syrup and standard table sugar. Then the American Medical Association weighed in that there's no scientific proof that high-fructose corn syrup is more to blame for the obesity epidemic than regular sugar or caloric sweeteners.

But not everyone is convinced of the all-clear. Many still see a link between fructose and obesity, since the sweetener is quickly metabolized into fat and interferes with leptin to increase appetites. My stance has always been that the further from nature a food is, the more detriment it will cause. And just because something is derived from a plant doesn't make it healthy. So, no, kids....HFCS is not a vegetable!

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Sugar is the Cancer for our Kids

With the knowledge that childhood obesity and weight-related health issues (hardening of the arteries, asthma and diabetes) are escalating because of our current lifestyles, I was a bit disturbed to read the latest from researchers at the University of Washington and Monell Chemical Senses Center.

 

Mostly, because I know how these kinds of studies tend to be interpreted by the media and general public.

 

The study, carried out in the US, found a direct link between children's growth and their preference for sugary drinks.

It showed that kids who preferred the sweetest drinks were the ones that were growing the fastest. The scientists tested urine samples from the children for a chemical associated with bone growth and found that children with a high preference for sugar also had higher levels of this chemical—concluding that there is a direct link between sugar intake and bone growth.

 

''Kids love sweets; they'll put sugar on frosted flakes. But that love seems to decline with age," said Susan Coldwell from the University of Washington, who led the study.

 

Okay….right about here I feel the need to comment. My fear is that people will read about this study and say to themselves, “See, even though little Suzy is eating candy for breakfast, it’s really okay…she will outgrow it.”

 

We know children who are given limited sweets and encouraged to eat naturally sweet foods – carrots, 100% juices and fresh fruit are less likely during childhood to select highly sugared foods. Their palates change and adapt to a healthier diet. These changes provide the foundation for better health long-term and create habits of “best choices” when it comes to eating better.

Why wait until we are older and are forced (because of a diagnosis) to start eating right? The time to begin to invest in your health is as early as possible. When you teach your children about good nutrition, you set up a potential legacy for cancer prevention and wellness for generations to come.

 

 

Kim Dalzell,  PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com