Fighting Cancer

Eating Vitamin C Prevents Colds

November 10, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

Yes, you read that right. A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, August 2011, found that women who ate Vitamin C rich foods on average 60 times per month – that is twice a day – had a 45% lower risk of developing an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (cold, flu, bronchitis, etc.) Yes, their risk was cut almost in half!

There was no significant reduction in risk with supplements of Vitamin C in women. In men it was the opposite, and the researchers’ theory is that the intake of Vitamin C from food in the men studied was so low that only large amounts from supplements helped. It seemed too few ate enough Vitamin C rich foods to make a difference.

Why was food better than supplements for women? If you’ve been hanging out here for a while, or if you have taken my Cancer Class, you know why. Smarties! Vitamins, especially the antioxidant ones like A, C and E, play better with others. Meaning, the foods rich in these vitamins are also rich in complementary nutrients that make the vitamins work better, and you just don’t get all those complementary nutrients in a supplement.

So which foods are rich in Vitamin C? Veggies can be eaten cooked or raw, fruit can be fresh or frozen. They are all good.

Asparagus
Bell peppers – all colors, especially orange and red
Berries – again, all kinds
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Citrus fruits and juices
Kale
Papaya

I’ve made a handy checklist for you to put on your fridge, or wherever you like. Download it here.

You may notice that these foods are also high in other nutrients. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Work two of these foods into your diet each day, and you will see more healthy days this Winter. There is also some evidence that you will recover faster if you do catch a cold if you eat plenty of Vitamin C rich foods.

Another bonus: these foods will make your skin look fantastic since they are also high in other antioxidant vitamins, not to mention very figure-friendly.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, General, Health, Healthy Weight, Research News Tagged With: colds, healthy eating, preventing colds, preventing flu, vitamin c

Race for the Cure

October 20, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I had the opportunity to be volunteers at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Newport Beach. As always, it was an inspiring event, and I was so happy to be able to introduce my girl to the power that comes from people joining together in a positive way to accomplish something. Our job was to make sure racers stayed on the correct course, but really our job was to cheer the racers on, encouraging them and making the experience fun and memorable.

The racers we saw made us cheer, cry, and gave us so much hope for the future. In this tough economy, and negative political climate we were reminded that there are a lot of good people in the world; all of us want our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and friends to be healthy.

We cheered children pushing their mothers in wheelchairs

We cheered survivors, supporters, memories on signs and shirts

We cheered husbands, fathers, brothers and friends

We cheered every race, color and creed

We cheered women in headscarves

We cheered some very fancy dogs (this is Southern California)

We cheered funny slogans (Save Second Base!) and deeply moving memorials

We cheered every person who gave up their Sunday morning (and many who also gave up Saturday night) to raise money, awareness and compassion for the women fighting this horrible disease.

The next time the Race for the Cure comes to your town, take part. Walk, run, volunteer, or just go and cheer everyone on. You will be moved and leave full of hope.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, General, Happiness

Monday Swap it Up #2

October 17, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

Well, here it is, we’ve got ourselves a weekly thing. Here’s Swap Number Two:

Add beans to your salad instead of chicken.

I don’t know about you, but if I see one more skinless, boneless chicken breast I just might lose it. Both chicken and beans provides protein, B vitamins and iron, but beans add fiber, antioxidants, calcium (!), and other minerals too. For fewer calories and less money.

Canned beans are fine, just rinse them off before using them. They will keep in a ziploc or bowl in the fridge for several days at least. One can usually makes about three salads for me. Here’s how I do it:

Quick salad:

Greens – romaine, baby spinach, arugula, mixed greens, whatever you’ve got

Cherry tomatoes – no chopping required – or dice up a regular tomato

Goat cheese or feta – just crumble a spoon or two

Nuts – unsalted taste best in salad, use whatever you have, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.

Veggies – whatever you’ve got, like broccoli slaw or grated carrots

Cannellini beans

Oil and vinegar dressing, I like balsamic (2 Tbs.) and olive oil (3 Tbs.) with salt and pepper – makes enough for 3 salads

Easy, filling and really good.

Taco Salad:

Greens, crunchy ones like romaine work best here

Cherry tomatoes, onions, peppers – you can use pico de gallo from the deli section if you like

Diced avocado – 1/4 per person

Kidney, black or pinto beans (refried works too – sounds crazy but the creamy texture is good)

Pepitas – raw pumpkin seeds – about 1-2 Tbs. per person

Salsa or oil and vinegar dressing – lime juice (2Tbs.) and canola or olive oil (3 Tbs) with salt and pepper – enough for 3 salads

Roasted Vegetable Salad:

Leftover roast vegetables (onions, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, etc.) or ratatoulli

Cannellini or Garbanzo beans

Feta cheese or goat cheese, about 1 Tbs. crumbled on top

Add some of the balsamic dressing above if the salad is dry

I roast extra veggies just to have this for lunch the next day

You will be full, satisfied and healthy with these salads. And have some extra money in your pocket.

If you want to cook dried beans, they are even cheaper and will taste exactly the way you like. Soak them in water and some salt the night before, then drain the water and give them a quick rinse. Put into the pot, cover with water, add a bay leaf and and simmer until tender. Add salt and any seasonings you like about halfway through. The beans will keep, either in the broth or drained and in a ziploc baggie, about a week in the fridge. To find heirloom beans and great recipes, check out Rancho Gordo. They rock.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, Fun in the Kitchen, General, Health, Healthy Weight, Monday Swap, Recipes

Monday Swap it Up #1

October 10, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

A friend who is very smart said to me the other day: “If you did a weekly switch this for a healthier that type of post, I’d be all over it.” So the Monday Swap it Up was born – although it was hoping for a jazzier name.

We’ll start with the one you hear lot: swap sweet potatoes or yams for regular white potatoes. Yes, the humble yam is getting the glorious first spot. I do love me a good sweet potato. In fact, you could call me a Sweet Potato Queen if you like, although its not official.

Anyway, this is a great swap. Sweet potatoes and yams don’t raise your blood sugar as much as regular potatoes do. They are great sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants like Beta Carotene, along with wonderful fiber. And they are delicious, even without the marshmallows. Seriously, they really are. The lighter colored ones are similar to Yukon Golds in color and texture, and can fool those people who think they don’t like sweet potatoes. I pulled this over on my grandfather last year, and was not the least bit sorry when he had seconds.

The deal is, sweets or yams have more moisture than a regular Russet or red potato, and you need to cook them a little differently to get the results you want. This is the part they don’t tell you in those cute magazine articles. Store sweet potatoes and yams in the pantry where they can get some air and be in the dark, they will turn mealy in the fridge.

Baked Sweet Potatoes or Yams:

1. Line your pan with foil – you will thank me later

2. Heat oven to 400 F, a little hotter than with a regular potato

3. Scrub your spuds, then prick all over with a fork, and rub them with a little oil – canola or olive, doesn’t matter

4. Bake for about 44 – 50 minutes, they are done when a knife slips in and out easily

5. Cut an “X” in the top and push in the ends, they will open like a regular potato and be fluffy

Season to taste with salt, pepper and butter (a little goes a long way)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Yams:

1. Brush sheet pan or pans, depending on how many potatoes you are roasting, with canola oil (you can also use a paper towel to spread the oil, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per sheet pan

2. Preheat oven with sheet pans inside to 400 F – hot pans make a crisper crust on the potatoes; if you forget, they will still be delicious just not as crispy on the outside

3. Scrub potatoes and slice into wedges, about 8 per potato

4. Toss potatoes with a Tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper (I like kosher or sea salt for this)

5. Place on preheated pans and roast until potatoes are golden brown, about 30 minutes, turning them over about halfway through (sometimes I skip turning them over, but they are better when you do)

If you are short on time, or just want some basic fries, the frozen sweet potato fries are great – make them in the oven using the directions on the bag, I usually find they need an extra few minutes to get as crispy as we like them in our house.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Yams:

For 4 servings, 2 pounds of potatoes

1. Scrub, peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch dice (approximately, I’ve never actually measured a dice in my life)

2. Add potatoes to 2 Tbs. milk (1/2 and 1/2 or cream if you are having company) and 2-4 Tbs. butter, 1/2 tsp salt and a teaspoon of brown sugar in a medium saucepan (you should have 2-3 layers of potatoes in the pan).

3. Cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender

4. Mash in the pan, adding salt and pepper to taste

Trust me, this is one swap you won’t be sorry you made.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, Fun in the Kitchen, General, Health, Healthy Weight, Monday Swap, Recipes

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Calcium and Vitamin D Fight Melanoma

July 19, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

Many of you have heard of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study currently going on. Its a long term study of tens of thousands of women, focusing on their lifestyle and what may influence any health problems they develop. One of the benefits of these big studies is that scientists can pull out pockets of data and analyze them, giving us a lot of different information without conducting whole new studies.

One very interesting connection was found when looking to see if calcium + vitamin D supplements reduced rates of hip fracture and/or skin cancer: calcium and vitamin D supplements were associated with a 55% reduced rate of melanoma in women who had previously had non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Most of these non-melanoma cancers are basal-cell cancers, those buggers the dermatologist slices off seemingly every time you go in to see her. (Or maybe that’s just me.)

The headline on this analysis you are most likely to hear is “Calcium and Vitamin D do NOT reduce the rate of melanoma!” Here’s why: for people with no history of NMSC, there was no reduction in melanoma rates between those taking the supplements and those who did not take them. But since this study was so large, the researchers could break it down further, and look at those who are most at risk for melanoma: those who have had prior skin cancers.

This is why I write and post here: the headline rarely tells the whole story. And I want you all to be in the know.

Now, calcium supplementation has come under fire recently and deservedly so. We were all told to take lots of calcium for our bones before much research came back on the effectiveness of this supplementation. It made sense, calcium is the main building block of bone, so we need to get more of it. But building bone is more complex than that, and there are some problems with taking large amounts of calcium in supplement form. The recommended amounts of vitamin D have also just been revised, with 600 IU a day the new norm (800IU for people over 71).

The study dose was 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU (international units) of Vitamin D, the standard recommendation when this study was started over 7 years ago. It was tested against a placebo in a double-blind design. A new study is starting with revised supplement dosages – but we will not have the data on that for several years. In another analysis of this study, those women with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood at the start of the study had higher risk of developing melanoma.

So here’s the bottom line: if you have had skin cancer, or are at high risk of skin cancer, taking a calcium + vitamin D3 supplement would be prudent (unless of course your physician advises against it for other health reasons). If you get a fair amount of calcium from food, meaning if you eat some form of dairy on most days and get your leafy greens on most days, then a supplement with 600mg of calcium (the new norm for most pills) and 400 – 600 IU of vitamin D3 is a good place to start. It is my opinion that we will see the same results with this level of dosing, and maybe even more impact with more vitamin D.

If you do not eat any dairy and leafy greens are not your thing (say it aint so!), then 1,000 mg of calcium plus the 400 – 600IU of vitamin D is fine. The RDA is 1,000 mg per day for women under 50 and men, and 1,200 mg a day for women over 50. Most of the concern is with supplement dosages over 1,200 mg of calcium per day, so keep your level under that unless you are specifically instructed to take more by your physician. If your vitamin D levels are low, then take the amount recommended by your doctor and factor in any vitamin D in your calcium supplement to your total for the day. If you take these nutrients in separate pills, then take the pills at the same time to get the most benefit. Long story, you’ll have to trust me on this one.

It is ironic, isn’t it, that we go into the sun to get more vitamin D, but then get skin cancer from too much sun, which is then prevented by having enough vitamin D. One big ball of confusion. Or one big ball of global warming/ozone layer/pollution. Anyway, the best we know right now is to use sunscreen, take a few vitamins, and (even though it is the most humbling experience ever) see our derms for a skin check every year.

Knowledge is power.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, Health, Research News

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

July 1, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

In the spirit of Independence Day, here is a fabulous salad that will make you most popular at your next potluck. Yes, it seems strange to put tomatoes and watermelon together, but the result is divine. And full of lycopene, which will protect your skin from all that summer sun. It is also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and very friendly to the waistline.

It originally came from Alex Guarnaschelli on the Food Network, and I just changed it up a bit to make it the way I like. And to make it a little easier since I am awfully lazy during the summer.

Here’s how to make it:

Dressing

1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I add about 1/2 a lemon’s worth)

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 – 1/2 cup olive oil – depends on how much juice came out of the lemon, taste to see what you like

Salt and pepper

Makes enough dressing to serve about 8 people

Salad:

About 2/3 tomatoes to 1/3 watermelon, enough to fill your salad bowl

A few strawberries if there are still any good ones at the market

2-3 Tablespoons of fresh basil; you can use 1 Tbs of fresh tarragon if you prefer

1-2 tsp of sugar

1. Mix lemon juice and vinegar, whisk in olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper, set aside

2. Chop large tomatoes into bite-size pieces, halve cherry or grape tomatoes, and place them all on a sheet pan cut side up

3. Sprinkle the tomatoes with some salt, pepper and sugar (taste to see how much sugar they need), then drizzle with a little dressing – do not refrigerate if you can help it

4. Cut the watermelon into bite-size pieces and put into the refrigerator to stay cold – you want the cold watermelon to contrast with the room-temp tomatoes

5. Chop the strawberries, if using, into small pieces and slice the basil into thin ribbons

6. Just before serving, mix the tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries and basil together and toss (gently) with enough dressing to lightly coat it all

7. Enjoy and accept all the compliments coming your way

This salad isn’t really a make-ahead one, but you can have the dressing ready and the ingredients chopped early and just toss at the last minute. Optional add-ins would be some feta or goat cheese and pistachios.

Here’s the link to the original: Tomato and Watermelon Salad by Alex Guarnaschelli. All of her recipes I’ve made so far have turned out fantastic; and while many are indulgent, some are healthy without trying to be (that just happens to be how they taste the most delicious.) Any cookbooks in the works, Alex?

Have a safe and delicious Holiday, everyone!

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, Fun in the Kitchen, Gluten Free, Health, Healthy Weight, Recipes

How to cook greens 1

April 12, 2011 By Denise Leave a Comment

Swiss chard in my garden

Hello all. We are in the middle of summer planting here, and I am looking at my fabulous Swiss chard plants from last year which are still going strong. This green is so easy to grow, looks great in the garden, and produces all year long here in Southern California. Even if you live in a cold place, you’ll get good greens all through the late Spring, Summer and Fall. The tops of beets are also delicious on their own, and of course spinach is always a winner. These tender greens can be eaten raw in a salad, let them sit in the dressing for a little bit to slightly wilt, or you can cook them like this:

Ingredients to serve 2 people:

1 generous Tbs. Olive oil

1 clove of garlic, smashed and peeled

1 pound tender greens, such as spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens and escarole; thick stems removed (if you are using chard, dice the stems and saute them in the oil before adding the greens – they are delightfully crunchy and beautifully hued)

Juice from ½ a lemon

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat
Add garlic, and let it get just golden
Remove garlic clove with a slotted spoon or tongs, discard
Add greens to skillet, toss with tongs to coat with the oil
Saute greens until wilted, when done take off the heat and add lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

My favorite additions:

About ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, added to the oil with the garlic (leave them in)
A chopped shallot or small onion, added after you remove the garlic, let it get translucent then add greens
A slice of chopped bacon or pancetta, brown in the oil before adding the garlic

You can also add anything chopped tomatoes, garbanzo or cannellini beans, olives or a tapenade, or chopped nuts.

Cooked greens are delicious on their own, and add body and flavor to soups, stews, whole grains and egg dishes. They are full of vitamins (Bs, C, E, K, folic acid, carotenes) and minerals including iron, potassium and calcium. Not to mention fiber and antioxidants. In fact, they are some of the most potent cancer fighters in the grocery store. All for about 40 calories a cup (cooked).

I can’t go more than a few days without some good dark, leafy greens – you’ll start to love them soon too. Nothing like food that loves you back!

Click here for a pdf printable version of this recipe.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, Fun in the Kitchen, General, Health, Healthy Weight, Recipes

Research made cows happy

October 11, 2010 By Denise

We finally have some real answers to how the Atkins-style high animal protein/low carb diets effect our health in the long term. This took so long because, unfortunately, to find out how diets effect our health 20 years down the road, we actually have to wait 20 years for the study to be finished. I’m sure some hotshot young scientist will find a way around that soon, for now we have to do this the old-fashioned way.

This research was published in the September 7 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Catchy title, huh? (Yes, I have a preteen in the house.) Anyway, two large studies, spanning from 20 to 26 years and including both men and women, came to the same conclusion:

Animal-based, low-carbohydrate diets were associated with a 23% increased risk of death from all causes, a 14% increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes, and a 28% higher risk of death from cancer. Yikes.

Happy cows, indeed. Not to mention the happy pigs. And some sad carnivores. I think that is why these studies did not get more attention in the mainstream press – we all want to think we can have bacon every day and still be healthy.

Now, for the sunny side:

Diets that were high in plant proteins, such as those found in nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables and soy but still defined as “low-carb” were associated with a 20% reduction in all cause mortality, and 23% reduced rate of death from cardiovascular causes.

This kind of low-carb is really low-sugar, low refined, processed grains carbs. Not low veggies, fruit and reasonable amounts of whole grain carbs.

Over 120,000 people were included in these studies, and all were free of heart disease, diabetes and cancer at the start of the study. Information about their diets was gathered, analyzed and put into a category of high carb, low carb/animal protein based, or low-carb/vegetable protein based. Results for the higher-carb diets will hopefully be published soon. They had a slightly lower rate of all-cause mortality, but I need more details.

One important thing to remember: when these researchers use the term “low-carb” they mean carbs from added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, refined white flour, etc. They look at percentage of calories from each category (carb, protein, fat) rather than the total amount of food. Since vegetables have so few calories, even eating a lot of them makes up a smaller percentage of the total calories consumed. So while called “low carb,” this diet pattern really does consist of a lot of what we would call “carbs.” Pastry, on the other hand, can become a large percentage of total calories consumed pretty quickly.

A diet low in refined carbs with most of the protein coming from plant sources, and thus a lot of the fat coming from plant sources, can look a lot like the super-healthful Mediterranean Diet. Or the super-healthful Okinawa/Japanese diet.

I will go into more detail on how to eat this way in my next post. For now, try a vegetarian meal this week, using lentils or beans for protein. Cows everywhere will thank you.

Filed Under: Fighting Cancer, General, Health, Healthy Weight, Research News

Green tea magic

August 26, 2010 By Denise 56 Comments

I was looking through an old (February, 2010) issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition and found an article I had marked to read “later.” And yes, miracle of miracles, “later” actually came. See what good things can come from finding an excuse not to mop the floor?

Anyway, this research study is too good not to share. Green tea can help us lose weight and improve our blood cholesterol levels. Yes, on its own, without diet or exercise. This study was one of three that have shown this wonderful property of green tea. Hooray for a drink with superpowers. No wonder it has its own ceremony.

Here’s me getting all sciency on this for you:

While the study was small (35 people), those who drank 4 cups of green tea per day lost on average 5.5 pounds more than the placebo group in eight weeks, and those who took green tea supplements lost an average of 4.2 lbs. more than the placebo group. Weight loss for the placebo group was not significant. The subjects in the study were clinically obese; if you only want to lose a few pounds your results might not be as dramatic. But hey, for something so easy to do, a boost of a couple pounds lost is great.

The tea used in this study was Bigelow Decaffeinated Green Tea; four bags were steeped in four cups of boiled water for 10 minutes (I know, don’t tell any of your English friends!) – no sugar or milk was added to the tea, artificial sweetener was used by each participant as they desired. Each person in the green tea group had four eight-ounce cups each day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon (6-8 hours later). One large mug usually holds 12 ounces, so a cup with a warm-up is a good amount.

The extract supplements used were made by Solaray, and contained 230 mg of EGCG in each capsule (the bottle says 250 mg, but the lab says 230 mg). Each person in the supplement group took two capsules total each day, spaced 6-8 hours apart, for a total of 460 mg of EGCG and 870 mg of total catechins (another superpower weapon) per day. Bigelow tea is available at most supermarkets and Solaray supplements are available at most health food stores and natural grocery stores. Both are available online here (Amazon gives me a small thank you if you purchase through these links):Bigelow Green Tea

Solaray Green Tea Extract

The people (I think participant sounds kind of creepy) in this study were instructed to not change their diet or exercise habits during the eight weeks. Permission not to diet or exercise, and they probably got paid a little somethin-somethin. I know, how do we sign up for this? Other studies that included dietary modification and exercise along with green tea showed even more benefits. Those studies lasted an average of 12 weeks.

So there you go, as close to a magic potion as we have gotten so far when it comes to weight loss and health. Many researchers think green tea consumption is the reason breast cancer is so rare in Japan (along with their love of vegetables and fruit), and the compounds in green tea have been shown to have many anti-cancer properties. There really is no down side that we know of right now to drinking reasonable amounts of green tea. See, superpowers.

If drinking four cups of tea does not fit into your daily routine, the capsules are a great alternative. The results weren’t quite as impressive, but then again, no one had to boil water or dirty a cup. The bottom line for me is that I now drink a lot of green tea and have started taking capsules as well.

It seems 1.3 billion Chinese people can’t be wrong, after all…