Author avisha Categories Blog, cancer, Cancer Coaching, Food & Nutrition Posted on 2 Comments on What is a probiotic?

What is a probiotic?

Probiotics have become a common supplement in many people’s daily health plan.  But what exactly are probiotics?  What are their benefits and how do we know which one to choose?

The term probiotic is derived from the Greek language meaning “for life” but for our purposes I will use the definition as per the World Health Organization.

WHO defines probiotics as:

 

live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.”

For clarification, ‘live micro organisms’ are beneficial bacteria. ‘The host’ is you.

Now what exactly qualifies as live also needs to be clarified. In a scientific space, ‘live’ refers to ‘survivability’.  Survivability through the harsh environment of the stomach, through the small intestine and in to the colon.

Of great importance also, is the fact that the beneficial bacteria that we consume when taking probiotics do not colonize in the gut.  They confer their health benefits but within days of stopping use, the probiotic it is no longer found in the gut. This means that these bacteria are transient.

Benefits of Probiotics

The studied benefits of probiotic are many.  There is strong and increasing evidence supporting beneficial effects of probiotics to:

  • improvement of intestinal health
  • enhancement immune response
  • reduce levels of serum cholesterol
  • prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea
  • cancer prevention

Within the cancer sphere, the exact mechanisms are under investigation.

studies have demonstrated that certain members of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. decrease the levels of carcinogenetic enzymes produced by colonic flora through normalization of intestinal permeability and microflora balance as well as production of anti-mutagenic organic acids and enhancement of the host’s immune system.

In vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that probiotic bacteria might reduce the risk, incidence and number of tumours of the colon, liver and bladder.

Now if you have taken the foray in to the world of probiotic supplements it can be a confusing arena.

First let’s take a look at the naming of probiotics.

Probiotics are named according to Genus, Species and Strain.  In this example Lactobacillus Gasseri M58820, “Lactobacillus” is the genus, “Gasseri” is the species and “M58820” is the strain.  This is commonly abbreviated to L. Gasseri M58820.

Now that we have naming aced let’s consider what goes in to you purchasing the right probiotic.

3 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Probiotic

What are you taking your probiotic for?  

Different probiotics will be beneficial for different health conditions.  In one study for example a group of people who took a combination of Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 and Bifidobacterium longum MM-2 showed decreased inflammatory markers after 3 weeks of use.

Determine the health reason that you want to take a probiotic for and research the strains best suited to help you.

Is the supplement company reputable?

There are many reputable supplement companies with good quality probiotic products.  Some offer many strains of bacteria in their supplements.  Some may offer single strains.  Some companies offer both.  Many are research backed and offer novel delivery methods.

Check out the company. Read their research and settle upon a company that resonates with you.

Is the strength appropriate for the strains used?

The strength of a probiotic is the number of Colony Forming Units or CFU’s found on the label

Some probiotics may be effective at dosages of 1–2 billion CFU per day, while others may require at least 20 billion CFU to achieve the desired effects.

The number of colony forming units that you need really depends on what you are using the probiotic for.

For general good health, experts recommend between 6 to 10 billion CFU’s each day.

For minor health problems 20 to 30 billion may be adequate.

For more serious health problems, professionals may recommend higher doses. VSL#3 for example could be recommended for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis.  It contains over 100 billion CFU’s.

Do your research.  Ask these questions and you will find what works best for you.

___________________________

References:

https://seed.com/probiotics-101/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045285/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20187714/

https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-probiotics#how-to-start

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25909149

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author avisha Categories Blog, cancer, Food & Nutrition Posted on 0 Comments

5 Reasons to Use Fermented Foods in Your Cancer Fighting Diet

The process of fermentation is a metabolic one that converts sugar into acids, gases or alcohol. Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lacto-fermentation where natural bacteria feed on the sugar in the food creating lactic acid.

Cultures around the world have been eating fermented foods for years, from Sauerkraut in Germany, Kimichi in Korea and beer and wine just about everywhere.

The benefits of fermented foods are noted in many studies pertaining to cancer care and prevention due in great part for their ability to improve intestinal tract health, enhance immunity and to synthesize and  enhance the bioavailability of nutrients.

The beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods have been shown to be effective for suppressing colon cancer and may also inhibit cancers of the breast, liver, small intestine and other organs.

Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid created when microbes ferment dietary fiber in your gut, has been shown to induce programmed cell death of colon cancer cells.  Cultured milk products may reduce your risk of bladder cancer by about 29 percent.

5 Reasons to Use Fermented Foods in Your Cancer Fighting Diet

Probiotics

Fermented foods contain probiotics. Probiotics are important to intake daily as they improve digestion, aid in our immune function and balance our intestinal bacteria.

Enhances Digestion

digestion

Fermenting foods is like partially digesting them before they are consumed.  This means that there will be less work that the body has to do to break them down. Due to this benefit it is interesting to note that many people who are lactose intolerant will be able to tolerate kefir, a fermented milk product.

Enzyme Production

Enzymes break down the food that we eat enabling nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream.  The probiotics in fermented foods produce digestive enzymes that are essential when breaking down our food.  This helps to make the nutrients in food more bioavailable for absorption.

Increases Nutrient Content of Food

Fermenting foods improves the quantity, availability and digestibility of some dietary nutrients. Fermentation of food with lactic acid bacteria increases folic acid in yogurt.  Niacin and riboflavin levels in yogurt are increased with fermentation.
fermented foods

 

Supports our immune function

immunity

It is estimated that approximately 80% of our immune system is in our gut. Fermented foods enable better digestion and healthy gut flora, which in turn supports immune function. Fermented foods are also rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which help to strengthen immunity.

 

 

Here is a wonderful recipe for Fermented Quinoa Breakfast Bowl:

https://www.cathybiase.com/fermented-quinoa-breakfast-bowl/

References:

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/02/13/fermented-foods-anti-cancer-diet.aspx

https://draxe.com/fermented-foods/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00578/full

 

 

 

Author avisha Categories Blog, cancer, Cancer Coaching, Lifestyle, Reflection Posted on 0 Comments

Cancer Taught Me to Embrace Normal

It’s a rare occasion when I sit down at 7:30 am in the morning, flip on the television and watch a Netflix documentary.  But after 4 straight days of early morning rises, this is what I did.  I invited Brene Brown into my family room to join me in my day.

Now if you have had the good fortune to watch The Call to Courage on Netflix I am sure we share, at the very least, an admiration for her stage presence.  Beyond that I can only reflect upon my personal admiration for her work, her research and her word.

To itemize all of her insights would be a total spoiler for you.  But there was one that I would like to expound upon because it resonated so deeply with me.

Appreciating Normal

I was totally qualified to lead the line of the great many of us who go through life mechanically.  I tended to the daily tasks that needed tending to.  I said ‘have a great day’ without thought as someone left the house in the morning.  And I grudgingly tackled the nuisance of the daily dinner menu.

This was how I did the normal of my everyday life.  I did normal mindlessly.  Until I got cancer.

In no way, shape or form do I consider this disease, my disease, a blessing of any kind contrary to those who have offered up to me the notion that some form of clarity is tied to a cancer diagnosis.

What going through cancer did do was steal my normal.  Those aspects of mundane in my life were replaced with appointments, tests, results, recoveries and fears.

I found myself searching for normalcy and it was in that search that I found gratitude.  Yes, in the midst of it all, I became grateful.  Grateful for hearing the garage door slam because I knew that someone made it home safely.  Grateful for a dish breaking because people were eating together.  Grateful for kids fighting because those children are mine and they are well and they are near.  Grateful for my sleeping husband because he is my best friend and most avid supporter.

So Now…

As life moves forward from cancer and with the grace of God that I am still living it, I have gratefully settled back in to my normal.  It’s not, nor will it ever be perfect.  But I have made a commitment to practice gratitude daily which helps me to breathe and accept some nuances of my normal that will never quite be appreciated.  Case in point is the danger zone marked by the 75 pairs of shoes piled in my back hall for instance.

So here is to Normal!  Normal is where I live most of my life.  Normal is that sweet spot between the highs and the lows.  And normal is right where I want to be.

 

Author avisha Categories cancer, Cancer Coaching, Lifestyle Posted on 0 Comments

Does Sleeping in on the Weekend Make Up for Lack of Sleep During the Week?

Sleep is our reward at the end of the day that allows our body to regroup, repair and restore.  But what happens if we don’t get enough sleep?

In the short term the effects of not getting adequate sleep can include:

  • Lack of alertness
  • Impaired memory
  • Moodiness

Chronic lack of sleep can have a severe impact on your health leading to serious health issues such as:

  • high blood pressure
  • diabetes
  • heart issues
  • obesity
  • depression

And research has shown that long-term sleep disruptions may raise the risk of some cancers including prostate cancers and breast cancers.

https://www.cathybiase.com/sleeping-cancer-fighting-powerhouse/

So now that we know, in broad sweeps, the importance of getting adequate sleep,  how much sleep is enough sleep?

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), along with a multi-disciplinary expert panel recommends that adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.

So let’s do the math.  If we take the average of required sleep time to be 8 hours per night then multiply that number by 7 days a week, that works out to 56 hours of sleep a week to hit the desired target.  And when we get less than our needed amount of nightly sleep, this results in what scientists call a ‘sleep debt’.

So here is the question, if we fall short of the average 7-9 hours of sleep during the week, can we repay this sleep debt by sleeping in on the weekend?  Many of us assume yes but research suggests otherwise.

In this study researchers enlisted 36 healthy adults age 18 to 39 to stay for two weeks in a laboratory.  Their food intake, light exposure and sleep were monitored.

Volunteers were divided into groups. One group was allowed to sleep 9 hours each night for 9 nights. The second was allowed 5 hours per night over that same 9 day period. The third group slept no more than 5 hours nightly for 5 days followed by a weekend when they could sleep as much as they liked before returning to 2 days of restricted sleep.

Both of the sleep-restricted groups snacked more at night, gained weight and saw declines in insulin sensitivity during the study period. While those in the weekend recovery group saw mild improvements (including reduced nighttime snacking) during the weekend, those benefits went away when the sleep-restricted workweek resumed.  According to Christopher Depner, lead author of the study

In the end, we didn’t see any benefit in any metabolic outcome in the people who got to sleep in on the weekend

Getting a good sleep on a nightly basis is something many of us need to work on.

Here are some tips to help the Sandman come your way.

Tips for better sleep:

  1. Turn all electronics off 1 hour before bedtime
  2. Do not eat 3 hours before bedtime
  3. Sleep in a cool, dark room
  4. If you must have electronics in your room, keep them 2 feet away from your bed
  5. Be consistent with your bed time aiming to go to bed around 10pm

Sleep well friends!

Here is a very interesting and informative interview that I did with Dr. Garcia-Rill entitled “Why Do We Sleep?”

Have a listen:)

 

References:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30098-3

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/22/5/872

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763417301628

 

 

 

Author avisha Categories Blog, cancer, Cancer Coaching Posted on 0 Comments

What is a Cancer Coach?

Cancer Coaches are Health Care Professionals that work to fill a void in cancer prevention, treatment and recovery.  Cancer Coaches believe in healing the whole person, not just the disease.  Many Cancer Coaches themselves have been through a cancer diagnosis, myself included.

To be honest, I am a Cancer Coach now because I was a cancer patient before.  As a cancer patient I incorporated both conventional and complimentary approaches into my treatment plan therefore I have an intimate understanding of how both the allopathic and integrative worlds can work together.  And I understand the emotions tied to a cancer diagnosis.

Because of our unique professional backgrounds, each Cancer Coach will have a different spin on their answer to “What is a Cancer Coach?” however we all hold the same core truths.

Here are 5 of them.

Cancer Coaches can help you work through the shock of a diagnosis 

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can often leave people feeling scared, overwhelmed and confused.  We spend time talking with you about your disease, understanding your proposed treatment plans and researching relevant topics pertaining to your protocol.

Cancer coaches can prepare you for treatments

Focusing on your health, we work to strengthen your body in preparation for treatment.  The healthier you are going in to treatment the greater chance that you will complete treatment and withstand side effects.

Cancer coaches can educate you on complimentary therapies that will help to improve treatment outcomes and mitigate side effects

Understanding the possible side effects of treatments allows us to initiate strategies to help mitigate or avoid them.  Acupuncture, meditation and yoga are 3 examples of complimentary therapies that could be employed in situations and are complimentary therapies endorsed by American Society of Clinical Oncology for breast cancer patients.  For more information on approved therapies you can read my blog post “Oncologists Endorse Integrative Therapies for Breast Cancer Patients”

Cancer coaches work with you to personalize the nutritional and lifestyle aspects of care relevant to your cancer and through all phases of protocol including treatment, recovery and prevention

Proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are widely recognized as key factors for both fighting and preventing cancer.  Therefore we work with you to optimize your nutritional plan and to implement healthy lifestyle strategies throughout all aspects of your cancer journey.

Cancer coaches are a vital part of your wellness team

We work to empower you and to motivate you. To give you the tools to become active participants in your own cancer protocols. And to give you the confidence and faith that the path you have chosen is the right one.

1 2 3 4 5