Filed under: supplements | Tags: anit-aging. aging. polyphenols, breast cancer, resveratrol, tumors
About a year and a half ago (six months after my dad’s cancer diagnosis) I was getting my annual physical with my ob-gyn. I asked her to check on a lump I had felt for the last several weeks that was about the size of a marble. She agreed that she felt something too and sent me off for a mammogram and ultrasound. By the end of the diagnostic procedures I had the recommendation to see a surgeon to get this lump removed, “just to be safe.” They were pretty sure it was benign but you don’t know for sure until it gets tested.
It was removed under local anesthetic and I watched the procedure in the reflection of the lamp (there is a lot of my dad in me…he watched his biopsy of his liver tumor). The surgeon said he was pretty sure it was benign and the lab results confirmed the informal diagnosis. It got me to thinking about how these “things” start growing uncontrollably, whether they are cancerous or not and what is going on inside our bodies often takes decades to come to fruition. I noodled on that for a while and in the meantime scheduled an appointment with my regular doctor, a holistic M.D.
I asked Dr. Linkner about benign breast lumps and if there was anything he thought could prevent them. (The other doctors had said no, there was nothing to prevent them.) Dr. Linkner said that some of the research coming out appears that we may be missing certain vitamins or minerals in our diet that are causing these mutations. He did some bloodwork and I began taking my vitamins and minerals regularly.
Since then I have continued thinking about our cells and what they need to be healthy and productive. I remember my parents cautioning me against eating “empty calories” like candy and potato chips when I was a child and teenager. Even into my 20’s I remember grappling with the concept of what an “empty calorie” was and why it should be avoided. There was a part of logic in my brain that said, “Your body needs so many calories a day to stay alive, you may as well take in whatever calories are available.”
I’m sure many of you understand the flawed logic that is at work there in the mind of someone who has not fully developed their brain. Part of it was also education. I didn’t yet understand that my body requires certain nutrients and substances to stay healthy and functioning. Things like vitamins, fiber, water, essential fats, minerals; these are all the building blocks of a healthy body.
Conversely, those “empty calories” are more like “toxic calories” because empty makes them sound harmless when in fact they usually add damaging components to our bodies that wreak havoc on everything from our pancreas and blood sugar levels, our digestive system, our heart and cardiovascular health, and pretty much every area of our bodies. They are even linking many behavioral and mental challenges to be at least partially influenced by diet and nutrition.
So consider what you consume. Is this helping your body to be more healthy or less healthy? Is it an empty or toxic calorie or something to really nourish you and create long-term health and wellness? Our cells need good building blocks to help us to each achieve a long and healthy life.
In my next blog I will tell you about a remarkable substance that has been found to REPAIR cells and assist each of us in undoing some of the damage we have done to our bodies.
Filed under: Healthy Nutrition, supplements | Tags: diabetes, diabetes prevention, healthy diet
Happy Holidays one and all!
We had a quiet Tennessee Christmas yesterday on Keith’s parent’s 165 acre farm. Keith and I spent most of the day with his parents and we had a big dinner with them. Relaxation with people you love is a great way to increase your overall health and lower your blood pressure. Studies have found that people with a strong community around them live longer and happier lives.
I found a great way to get my cardio workout and work off some of those calories from our feasting. We took Jewel on a lovely romp through the hills and hollers which she greatly enjoyed, as did I. It is always a pleasure to have it be warm enough to be outside yet cool enough to not need to worry about ticks and their blood borne diseases.
Yesterday we went up to see Keith’s Uncle Pat for a brief visit. He is hanging out at the local “Assisted Living Center” while his son and daughter-in-law are visiting their children for the holidays. It is really nice that there is a service like that so Uncle Pat’s medicines and meals are taken care of while they are gone and we have been very impressed with both the facility and their staff. Uncle Pat is a diabetic and he recently went through surgery on his own digestive system.
Anyway, we showed up right at supper time so we visited with him while he ate. It occurred to me that the meal they served him was not necessarily the best for a diabetic with some digestive issues. It was a white bread sandwich with mayo, bacon, and processed cheese with a side of macaroni and cheese. Not a single vegetable or fruit and I would guess only a gram or two of fiber.
I have been going through an education on diabetes, both prevention and treatment, because of Keith’s partnership with Mr. Diabetes, Andy Mandell. You can go to his website at www.defeatdiabetes.org and learn all kinds of interesting things. One of his issues is that so many of the nationally known diabetes organizations are not about finding a cure, they are about treating diabetes through drugs and “managing” the disease rather than finding a cure and truly preventing this terrible disease.
Did you know that over 54 million Americans are currently pre-diabetic? That means if they don’t change their lifestyle (and 95% of those cases can be prevented) they WILL develop diabetes in the next ten years. Diabetes isn’t just about watching out how much sugar you consume. It is a disease that has been shown to take ten years off the average person’s life and to greatly decrease quality of life. There are so many related issues that would all be prevented if the person didn’t develop diabetes in the first place.
So here are a couple things you can do to not become a statistic:
1) Exercise regularly
2) Eat a high quality diet, avoiding processed foods (including “sugar free” drinks and snacks ~ I’ll discuss those another time)
3) Minimize carbohydrates and when you do consume them, eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice
4) Make sure you are getting 25-30 grams of fiber in your diet per day with 2 oz of water per gram of fiber (50-60 oz per day)
5) When you do eat carbohydrates, pair them with a quality protein like soy which aids your body in processing the carbohydrates and prevents your pancreas from overworking
What is really remarkable is that the five tips listed above also help with general health and well-being. What a bonus. Many cancers, heart disease, strokes, even colds and flu, can be greatly reduced by those simple steps.
Healthy living is a choice we make each day, each moment, each time we open the fridge or place our order at the restaurant. You may not always make the best choice each day (I had french fries two days ago) but you want to make conscious choices that you are willing to live with. I happen to really love sugar but knowing that sugar causes such problems with diabetes AND cancer (not to mention dental health and weight issues) I have decided to greatly reduce my intake of sugar, especially processed sugar. In just a few weeks I have noticed a difference in my craving levels and how much sugar it takes to feel “satisfied” when I do decide to indulge.
Maybe choose one of the five areas to focus on this week and see what a difference you can make in your own health.
Here’s to your health!
Filed under: Healthy Nutrition | Tags: diabetes, healthy food, moderation, pre-diabetic, reducing sugar
I am often being asked for advice about making healthy food tasty. Sometimes it seems like people anticipate healthy food not being tasty, maybe you can relate to that.
There is a lot of press about being healthy and it feels like every other report contradicts the last one. Eggs are healthy, eggs aren’t healthy, egg whites are healthy, the whole egg is healthy if it comes from a chicken that gets to forage. What is a person to do?
I think we know a lot of what we are supposed to do already.
- We are supposed to eat natural foods that don’t have added sugars
- We are supposed to get a good amount of fiber in our diet each day
- We are supposed to drink mainly water
- We are supposed to eat a balanced diet containing protein, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates
One of the simple ways I think of a healthy diet is eating foods that are “close to the source.” In fact for me, I have a general rule that if a food looks like you would find it in nature I can eat as much as I want of it. If it has been modified in any way (except for being cut by a knife) that rule no longer applies. So for example, plain avocadoes, I allow myself to eat as many of them as I would like. Same goes for apples or oranges.
Think about flours, the same rule doesn’t apply because they don’t look like they do in nature. They have been processed. The farther away from its source that a food is, the less I allow myself to consume.
If that “rule” works for you feel free to borrow it.
Did you know that over 54 million Americans are pre-diabetic? WOW! That means that in the next ten years, if they don’t change their ways, they will develop the disease.
The next WOW is that 95% of these cases are preventable with a long-lasting lifestyle change.
You may have heard the statistics of Type 2 (often described as “Adult Onset”) has been diagnosed in children that are not even teenagers yet. This is a new development which is related to other unhealthy trends we are seeing.
Our goal at Quest is to save 20 lives this year. One way I will encourage you to make sure you are not in the “pre-diabetic” category is to consider your diet and if there are areas that you know are unhealthy, make a change for the better.
Try not to substitute unhealthy natural choices with man-made chemicals. For example, I recently stopped using sugar in my coffee. I no longer put ANY sweetener in my coffee because I have a mistrust of artificial sweeteners based on everything that I have read and heard about.
My father died of cancer this past June as you may know. Cancer grows on sugar and sugar has long been a weakness of mine. I have decided recently to greatly decrease my sugar intake. So far, so good. I am pleased with my progress. Having fresh oranges has really helped as they are in season right now and make a great evening snack.
I’m going to sign off for today. Consider your diet and think of one area that you would like to improve. Make a commitment today to do so. There is no need to wait.
Filed under: Healthy Nutrition, mental health | Tags: boundaries, enlightened selfishness, holidays, mental health, self care
What a hustle and bustle so many people are feeling these days with the holidays rapidly approaching. On top of that there has been lots of news around the economy, the environment, and human tragedy (like war). How does a person stay sane and perhaps even grow in such an environment? Here is my answer…
Change your environment.
I don’t mean move to a mountaintop and meditate for five hours a day. I mean consciously choose your environment. Turn off the news. Don’t read all that bad press in the newspapers or on-line. Worrying does nothing to benefit your life. Let’s face it…the more you are exposed to bad news the more real it seems. Instead, focus on what you CAN control (your thoughts, how you spend your time, the words that come out of your mouth, what foods and drinks you put into your mouth).
On that note, here are a couple thoughts to support you in having a less stressful holiday season…
1) Know your limits. Whether budget or how many events you can cram into one weekend, know when to say when (wasn’t that from a drunk driving commercial?). I think it is really true though.
2) Speak your limits, kindly but firmly. You know when you are getting too stressed out. Be in partnership with your friends, family and business associates to let them know where your limits are. (“I would love to help you out with your project and if I can manage the time after I finish ___, I will. I should be able to let you know where I am at by noon on Wednesday. Does that work for you?”)
3) Take care of yourself. Go to bed on time. Give yourself time and space to decompress. Know what nourishes you and give you a special treat at least once a week. I’m not talking about a full day at the spa. I’m talking about a hot bubble bath or lunch with a friend; a treat to look forward to. One of my personal favorites is a mug of steaming hot tea, whatever flavor seems most appealing at the moment. A fellow tea drinker once shared that a cup of tea in the middle of a stressful day can be like a mini-vacation. Use it as a time to meditate on the flavor, the scents, the warmth. Take five minutes to be in the moment of drinking the tea. This leads me to my next point…
4) Be in the moment. One of the worst things about news is that it is discussing (negatively for the most part) things that we can do nothing about and that pull us into worry. Instead, focus on the here and now. When you are shopping, BE shopping. Focus on that task so you can be thorough, not miss anything and be efficient. When you are eating a meal, EAT the meal. Focus on the foods, nourishing your body, chewing thoroughly. When in a conversation, be IN the conversation. Pay attention to what the other person is saying. Bring resolution in that conversation if at all possible so there doesn’t need to be a bunch of follow up which makes it harder to plan our lives.
There of course is a ton more great ideas. I’ll save the rest for another day.
In the meantime if you have questions or concerns you would like me to address, please feel free to post a suggestion or comment. Thanks for being part of my cyber-world!
Welcome to my blog! Donna has entered the 21st Century. Thank you for joining me in this cyber-world.
Some of you may be a lot more comfortable in this world than I so please feel free to give suggestions of what you like and don’t like so I can make improvements (both to the look of the site and the content).
I have heard a lot of people say recently that with the holidays it is so much harder to have self-discipline. Most people were referring to diet choices but I also see it in finances, getting to bed at a decent hour, and taking time to recharge.
How about if we all commit to support others in not overdoing it this holiday season? If someone you know is struggling with time management or eating healthy, give them your support to make the choice that in the long term is going to be the best for them.
At Quest we speak about “Enlightened Selfishness”. The concept is that you can’t be good for others if you don’t take care of yourself. Sometimes taking care of yourself is saying, “No thank you, I don’t want another piece of pie.” or “I appreciate the honor of you asking me to chair the committee however it isn’t going to work for me this time.” or “My family, I love you all so much however I need some time alone to recharge so I can be a better mother/father/sister/daughter/cousin/uncle to you.”
I myself have been feeling some anxiety this week with a rush to get several projects finished before the holidays. My husband, Keith, mentioned that he was feeling like we weren’t having fun in our businesses and he was right. Now I don’t think that all of life is about fun. But I do think that I can go into the world each day with a centered, peaceful, and fun attitude that makes it a better place for me and those around me to participate in.
So before I wear myself out on my very first post I am going to finish it and post again soon.
Thanks for your support in this new world for me.
Blessings on your head and all your family,
Donna
