While the survival numbers are getting better, more and more people are getting cancer each year. Talented scientists are coming closer to finding cures, but prevention will be the key to overcoming this frightening disease.

My husband George’s death from colon cancer 13 years ago started me on this nutrition journey; my sister-in-law Vivian’s death from cancer strengthened my resolve; my grandmother’s death from lung cancer, my little doggy’s lymphoma, and too many friends’ lost battles have kept me in the fight. Even when it gets overwhelming and scary.

And everything about cancer can get overwhelming and scary. So I made nutrition during cancer treatment the focus of my Thesis paper in grad school; and have made nutrition and cancer prevention a focus in my work. And there is a lot of good scientific research that has been done. The power of this knowledge makes cancer a little less scary.

We absolutely can lower our risk of developing cancer, and good nutrition is one of the strongest ways to do it. Right behind quitting smoking. Just sayin’.

So, to do my part in this fight, I am reworking my Nutrition and Cancer class. Making it more comprehensive. While that is happening, the written portion of my last class is available for you to download, at no charge. These handouts are in a newsletter format, and while the design is old, the information is comprehensive, powerful, and practical. It’s all scientifically based – what really works to lower our risk of developing cancer.

The sign-up form is in the sidebar at the right, or you can click here. I’ll send you a quick note to let you know when the new class is open, and how you can join.

All I ask is that you let me know what was the most helpful thing about the materials, and what I need to improve. Send me any questions you have so I can include them in the next class. And lastly, let me know if you are interested in a live, call-in teleclass on the topic. Those are a lot more fun than just hearing my recorded voice!

Knowledge is power you can use to lower your risk of cancer. Share this site with anyone who needs it. Together we can win this fight.

Other related posts:

Cancer and Sugar

Most cancer cells lack mitochondria, which is the part of the cell that takes fat and breaks it down into usable fuel (Remember the Kreb’s Cycle from chemistry class?). They can only use glucose, which gives much less energy per molecule.  So they need a lot of glucose to keep dividing and wreaking havoc. Kind of like teenagers. And they get hungry just as fast.

So, how do we get the fuel we need and starve cancer cells at the same time? We can’t avoid all carbohydrates – our brain and blood cells use glucose for fuel too.  We don’t want to starve our blood and nerve cells – it makes them really cranky. There is a solution, and here’s how it works:

Cancer cells have glucose transport (GLUT) channels in their cell membranes, like most cells. Theirs are very sensitive to insulin, which means that to become active they first need to be stimulated by insulin entering the cell. In fact, cancer GLUTs are more insulin-sensitive than in other tissues, and have a lot of GLUTs just waiting for the signal. In contrast, our cells that only use glucose for fuel, like red blood cells and our brain tissue, have GLUTs that do not rely on insulin to become active. They take in glucose in a regular stream, to maintain healthy function and keep us alive.

Insulin stimulating glucose receptors inside a cell.

Muscle and fat, the main storage sites for glucose, have GLUTs that are sensitive to insulin so they can take up extra glucose and store it for future use. When our blood sugar is high, it gets channeled into these cells to keep our blood glucose level healthy and not waste energy. Brilliant, isn’t it? And we can use this to our advantage.

By keeping our blood sugar levels at the lower end of normal, we can literally starve any cancer cells in our bodies. By eating in a way that releases glucose into our bloodstream slowly, only a little insulin is released, and cancer cells only get a little of the glucose. Glucose only provides a little bit of energy per molecule, and gets used up fast. So the cancer cell is left with GLUTs that need insulin to work and very little insulin in your bloodstream. Which all means less fuel for cancer cells to use to divide and grow.

How do you keep blood sugar at the low end of normal? See this blood sugar post for a good start. Eating whole foods, plenty of vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits and whole grains. It is very important to not avoid all carbohydrates – hypoglycemia (too-low blood sugar) doesn’t help anyone. Our brain tissue, nerve cells, and blood cells need glucose to function properly. Just avoid the white flour and sugar: white bread, cookies, cakes, crackers, pretzels, candy, chips, french fries, you know – the junk. Does is surprise you that cancer cells thrive on junk food? I am guessing not so much.

On an interesting side note, cancer researchers are studying the use of insulin to make chemotherapy more successful. The theory is to link chemo to glucose, flood the body with insulin, and get more of the chemo into the cancer cells. Yes, some will go into the muscle and fat tissue, but since they are not quickly dividing cells they will be less damaged. A good portion of this research is being done at MD Anderson in Houston.

Please remember that fighting cancer with nutrition is most effective when it is done along with your medical treatment. Eating well in incredibly important but is no substitute for the treatment recommended by your physician.

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Beautiful sleep

My dogs have no guilt about taking a nap whatsoever. Right in the middle of the day. Heck, in the middle of the morning. The warm spot on the couch or chair, in the sun, snoring away with abandon. And while yes, they are lazy, they are also intuitive and smart. Just like they know clothes do not make the man, they know that sleep is essential for us to function.

No significant physical change can happen in our bodies without enough sleep. There. I said it. This crazy “I only need four hours of sleep!” as some sort of bragging right needs to stop. There is no moral superiority for those who manage to get by on less sleep, and research shows time and again that they are no more productive, actually they are less productive, than those who get enough. Whew.

When I look at research about sleep, the cut-off for sufficient sleep is seven hours. That’s right. Less than seven hours a night is officially sleep deprivation. People who get less than seven hours a night get sick almost three times as much as those who get eight hours or more. Yes, that’s three times, an increase of 300%.

Why? Good question. Sleep is when our body heals itself, repairs tissue damage from the day, and detoxes itself. Sleep is when our neurons organize that happened to us during the day and file it into long-term memory. Sleep is when our stress hormones are turned off and our metabolism resets itself.

When it is dark our bodies produce the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant, fighting chronic inflammation and repairing damage to our cells’ DNA so that when those cells divide they make new healthy cells. Damaged DNA leads to cells becoming cancerous. Chronic inflammation leads to heart disease and diabetes. Melatonin also helps protect nerve tissue in the brain from the protein damage that leads to Alzheimer’s Disease. It can also prevent headaches from forming the next day.

So why don’t we just take melatonin in a pill and get on with staying up half the night? It doesn’t work that way. Researchers are not sure why, but getting the melatonin in a pill helps us for only about three months, then it stops working so well. And while melatonin is a powerful hormone, it is not the only benefit of sleep.

We crave carbohydrates throughout the day when we are tired. We all know what this means to our waistlines, not to mention our blood sugar and cholesterol. The stress that causes our bodies to hold onto fat in case we need to flee or survive a famine is turned off when we are asleep. Most of us desperately need this, especially if our days allow for very little de-stress time. And our failing memories need sleep. We need to remember our stories so we can tell our grandchildren.

Our over-caffeinated, sleep deprived bodies need us all to go to bed. There is no honor in not sleeping, only a lack of creativity and good judgement. Did you know that if you get less than six hours a night you will be impaired when driving your car? It’s like driving under the influence of alcohol. Sorry if I seem a little preachy – I’ve got a bee in my bonnet.

If you think you can’t possibly leave something undone, stop it. Lots of us lead perfectly happy lives with a few dust bunnies under the couch and our clothes a little wrinkled. Look over your day, and there will be things that don’t have to be done, or at least don’t have to be done by you.

If you are trying to change your eating habits for the better, and start an exercise habit, sleep is essential. Changing our habits is hard, and tired brains do not do it well. Neither do tired bodies. And getting sick? It doesn’t help anyone.

So go to bed early tonight, and find a way to sleep as late as you need to at least one morning a week. Try to get at least 7.5 hours a night – that’s five complete 90-minute sleep cycles. A few days of this and you will be amazed at how productive you become.

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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.

1. Asparagus
2. Bell peppers – all colors, especially orange and red
3. Berries – again, all kinds
4. Broccoli
5. Brussels Sprouts
6. Cabbage
7. Cauliflower
8. Citrus fruits and juices
9. Kale
10. 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.

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.

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.

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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.

Also, dig the new look of my site! Victoria Keale made this happen, and has more goodies in store. She’s fabulous, so check her out, too.

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.

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!