Michael Greger, MD FACLM from NutritionFacts.org fills his is quick videos with science backed information on many subject matters.
As he reports in this video, daily low dose aspirin may help prevent some forms of cancer. But there could be gastrointestinal side effects. The solution many be found in food.
Watch here for full details.
I had a few people ask me for my gazpacho recipe so I thought that I would post it for you.
The weather has been so hot that simple recipes like this one requiring no cooking and little prep are a blessing.
For me it actually wasn’t the heat that I got the inspiration from rather it came from the extra tomatoes I had in the garden. I don’t have a lot of space to grow veggies but the few plants that I do have are doing well.
As mentioned gazpacho is not cooked. I veered a bit from the traditional Spanish inspired recipe and substituted the vinegar with my homemade Kombucha. I never pass up a chance to add gut friendly fermented food to meals that I am preparing. And the fact that it is a small amount ensured that the flavour would not be over whelming.
Now down to the serious business. The ingredients in the soup contain phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that aid in cancer prevention.
To highlight a few:
Lycopene from the tomatoes is a carotenoid and gives tomatoes their red colour. Studies have shown that it may be beneficial as a chemo protective agent.
Bell peppers also contain carotenoids such as lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin and are high in vitamin C and folate. As with the garlic and onions in the recipe, bell peppers have sulfur containing compounds used for detoxification.
Kombucha is a fermented drink containing B vitamins, enzymes and probiotics promoting gut health and cancer prevention.
Gazpacho
(This recipe yields about 1 litre or 4 cup)
4-5 large ripe tomatoes
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and cut into small chunks
1 English Cucumber, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 red onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic
1 Jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
1-2 tsp unflavoured Kombucha
Directions
In a blender or with a hand held blender combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, red onion, garlic and jalapeno until smooth. With blender running slowly add olive oil. (Depending upon your blender, you may need to strain liquid to remove any solids. Do this before adding olive oil.)
Stir in salt and kombucha.
Chill and serve.
Enjoy!
I am a Holistic Nutritionist, a certified Professional Cancer Coach and I am a breast cancer survivor. In my protocol for treatment I used both the medical path and the alternative path. So going toe to toe with the medical profession is not a road I wish to travel. But every once in a while I read an article that points my inner compass in that direction.
Recently I read an article entitled “Yet another woman with breast cancer lured into quackery by Ty Bollinger and “holistic” medicine advocates” by David Gorski, a surgeon who publishes under the name ORAC. He takes aim at Ty Bollinger and the film series he created called “The Truth About Cancer”. I am not going to speak to this aspect of his prose. Rather my issue is with his broad-brush swipe of alternative therapies painting a negative hue on their validity in cancer care. I cannot vouch for all holistic practitioners, only to those in the circle in which I practice. We look to oncologists as primary care and offer research based adjuvant therapies to support medical treatment such as acupuncture[i] [ii] for pain management, supplements to reduce various side effects of medical treatment i.e. glutamine[iii] to reduce the severity and duration of stomatitis, and lifestyle strategies such as meditation[iv] to mitigate the stressors of a cancer diagnosis and to positively influence cortisol and blood pressure levels. Our goal is to work with the medical team to offer the best overall protocol for cancer patients. Gorski offers no place for complementary therapies in cancer care as noted in this excerpt:
“Irritatingly, though, both used the example of… to promote their “integrative oncology” programs—and regular readers know that both Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic are heavily into “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) and “integrative” medicine and that both are very active at “integrating” quackery with conventional medicine”
It is my very strong opinion that to dismiss alternative therapies as a whole in cancer care as “quackery” is an irresponsible swing of the pendulum in the opposite direction of his target Ty Bollinger.
Although not taken on in Gorski’s article, the importance of nutrition within a comprehensive cancer protocol is also undervalued. Working within my own scope of practice, I find it particularly irresponsible when cancer patients are advised that their diet is of little consequence in fighting their disease. I have encountered this in clinic with cancer patients that I have seen. To avoid cachexia, or excessive weight loss, some patients are misguided and misinformed by the notion that any calorie is a good calorie so mowing down on cookies and chocolate bars are within reason. Without going in to the argument of whether or not processed sugar is a fuel source for cancer, let’s just agree shall we that it has minimal if any nutritive value and dare I say may actually be detrimental to overall health.[v] [vi] [vii] And that processed foods are really not a recognized nutritive food group, offering little to no positive health value during a time when the body needs proper fuel to fight and repair.
So let’s flip the mat then and talk about macronutrients shall we:
Along with the macronutrients, the well-studied importance of vitamins, minerals, plant polyphenols and the like draw a straight line to the conclusion that yes, diet does matter. Why then would any doctor throw open the doors and say eat anything that makes you feel just fine? As I draw on my personal experience, I surely had a progressive oncologist then who told me to avoid soy products and limit my red meat intake. He saw some validity of dietary influence.
I strengthened my body prior to treatment using many “complementary” therapies including diet modification, yoga, meditation, supplementation and exercise. I maintained most of my routine during treatment and with the consent of my oncologist. And I continue to incorporate complementary therapies along with my medical therapies today as my prevention path.
Please do not throw the baby out with the bath water. Build a team of responsible practitioners who understand the importance of working together and with you to build the best possible protocol for your disease. Complementary therapies do have a valid, important place in cancer care.
[i] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26977172/?i=6&from=acupuncture%20pain%20cancer
[ii] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26853524/?i=11&from=acupuncture%20pain%20cancer
[iii] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9762946
[iv] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26963792/?i=5&from=meditation%20stress%20cancer
[v] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9020271?dopt=Abstract
[vi] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18326601
[vii] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/6/1455.abstract?ijkey=ad2ca9646513cd58a5e03142c5db3b95bdb63c45&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
Once you are strong enough, detoxifying your body after cancer treatment is an essential part of your healing journey. Chemotherapy and radiation can overload your system with excess toxins as can the residue of dead cancer cells. Here I have listed what I feel are the key first steps in the detoxification process.
Eliminate junk food and eat a whole foods diet
Not only is this the essential element of any detoxification process, it is the first place to begin when rebuilding your immune system, the key to remaining cancer free. I strongly suggest eating an all-organic diet. To begin the process of converting to an organic diet, refer to the “Clean 15, Dirty Dozen” which lists the foods most and least affected by pesticide contamination.
Maintain Hydration
Consuming water greatly aids in the detoxification process after treatment. Ensure that your water is filtered to eliminate possible toxins that your water may contain. Herbal teas are also wonderful to help the cleansing process. Examples include Dandelion Root tea that aids in liver detoxification and Green Tea. Green Tea contains the catechin Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) as well as other polyphenols which help rid your body of free radicals.
Juicing
Consuming fresh-pressed juices floods your body with easily digestible nutrients that help flush away toxins and heal damaged tissue. When it comes to diet, juicing may be the most beneficial food for detoxifying. It is important to gradually introduce juicing in to your diet. As mentioned, juicing floods the system with nutrients that can be very detoxifying. Gradually introducing juices allows your detoxification process to run smoothly by not overwhelming your system.
I would like to note that although the benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables are great, juicing does eliminate the bulk of fiber content from these foods
Maintain adequate fiber in your diet.
Exercise
Exercise stimulates your body increasing blood flow rate and aiding lymphatic circulation. This in turn aids in detoxification. Exercising also helps to keep weight within an ideal range. Excess fat may harbour unwanted toxins. Rebounding, walking, yoga and Tia Chi are examples of good exercises to take part in after treatments as you build back your strength.
Detoxifying Baths
A detox bath is one of the easiest and most enjoyable therapies to encourage the body to eliminate toxins. A simple recipe is one part Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) with 2 parts Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) added to warm running water.
Sleep
During sleep the body repairs, rejuvenates and detoxifies. Aiming for 7-8 hours of good sleep each night will greatly aid the detoxification process.
Detoxifying your Environment
Skin care products and household cleaning products are laden with toxins. Consider replacing these with natural products. Remember that toxins enter our system in many ways including through breathing and by penetrating our skin. I also highly recommend replacing your plastic storage containers in favour of glassware.
Try incorporating as many of these detoxifying tips in to your healing protocol as they will help to relieve many symptoms of toxic load including fatigue, digestive issues and headaches.