Vitamin D and Breast Cancer: Can It Help in Prevention?
Vitamin D may help you prevent breast cancer or a breast cancer recurrence. It is a wonder vitamin every women should have in their healthy cancer diet plan (updated March 2021)...
Vitamin D may help you prevent breast cancer or a breast cancer recurrence. It is a wonder vitamin every women should have in their healthy cancer diet plan (updated March 2021)...
When it comes to cancer-fighting fruit we all should eat, berries are at the top of the list, with science-based evidence to back this up. Those of us in the United States are can easily find these berries any time of the year: strawberries blueberries blackberries red raspberries cranberries However, globally, people are known to eat chokeberries, lingonberries, black currants and bilberries in addition to the above berries. These fruits are packed with natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, folic acid, phenols such as flavonols (anthocyanidins) and ellagitannins, and carotenes (alpha, beta, and lutein). While you may not be able to pronounce all these words, just know that these compounds are good for you. Berry The Amazing Superfruit We all love berries because...
Note: The companion ebook for this blog post, 7 Action Steps to Take After a Cancer Diagnosis, can be downloaded here A client recently told me that whenever she thought back to her doctor delivering her cancer diagnosis, saying the words “I’m sorry Ms. ____, you have cancer,” she felt as if someone kicked her in the stomach. It took several weeks for her to begin to come back to normal. She admitted to being in this weird space between day-to-day reality and horrible visualization of dying a long slow death. Asking her doctor questions was the last thing on her mind. Yes, it's hard to gather your thoughts after receiving a cancer diagnosis. However, there are important questions to ask your doctor when you have cancer and...
NOTE: Our instant download "7 Natural Cancer Fighting Tips" is a great companion to this article. Everywhere I go I hear genuine concern from people about what appears to be an increasing rate of cancer. Most of the concern centers around why younger people and African American women seem to have higher rates of cancers. In the end, I'm always asked what can be done to combat this. So many factors go into cancer development but growing scientific evidence shows more fruits and vegetables, especially cancer fighting vegetables, are key to preventing cancer. What Are the 10 Cancer-Fighting Vegetables? So what exactly are these vegetables? The 10 vegetables listed below are in the cruciferous vegetable family (pronounced crew-sif-er-us) also known as Brassicaceae, and they cause changes in the body that...
We’ve all probably smoked a cigarette, or been exposed to cigarette smoke, during our lives, therefore, lung cancer prevention is important. And if the following stats don't scare you into putting down the cigarettes I don't know what will: 80% of lung cancer in men is due to cigarette smoking 50% of lung cancer in women is due to smoking Watercress is a potent cancer-fighting vegetable in the cruciferous family. In a previous post we discussed why cancer patients, cancer survivors, and those that want to prevent cancer should be eating cruciferous vegetables every day. Well for those tobacco smokers here is a compelling reason to eat watercress every day for lung cancer prevention: Watercress contains PEITC (phenethyl isothiocyonate) and PEITC protects the lungs from the harmful effects of...
The Mediterranean Diet is all the rage. I'm sure you’ve seen those eye-catching, colorful, plant-based food bowls on social media. Some may throw a small portion of lean meat on the side. Noticeably absent is bread, pasta, dessert. So this diet is heavy on plant-based foods, minimal meat, and very little white flour and white sugar. Which makes the Mediterranean Diet great for cancer prevention. The Science-based Cancer Prevention Diet There are hundreds of studies that have looked at how the Mediterranean Diet prevents a wide variety of cancers. A recent study called a “meta-analysis” (it reviews many other studies, combines the data and analyzes it) found that the Mediterranean diet has the potential to prevent certain cancers. (Reference: L. Schwingshackl’s, et al., “Adherence to the Mediterranean...
How many cancer drugs can one find in nature? Well according to recent reports, approximately 60% of cancer drugs get their start from a plant, with 84 anticancer drugs isolated from Brazil’s Amazon forest [1]. The Lapacho tree, also known as the herb pau d’arco, is one of them, having been hidden to those outside of the Amazon for centuries, perhaps millennia, with historical uses in indigenous medicine for the following: Bacterial infections Cancer, several types including breast, lung and leukemias Fever Fungal infections Inflammation Malaria Stomach ailments Viral infections In recent years the ingredient that gives this tree its healing properties was discovered and coined beta- (β) lapachone, a natural quinone compound. If you’re a malaria survivor, or familiar with the disease, then you’ve heard...
Can We Trust the Reports on Cancer Prevention? I just came back from a relaxing and enjoyable weekend in suburban Boston getting trained on yoga for breast cancer patients and survivors. The focus was on reducing the side effects of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation with gentle yoga. Our breast cancer yogini was Camille of exclusive yoga, and she did a fantastic job of not only demonstrating the movements, but also on the science behind benefits of yoga. The added bonus of this training was learning about how to read the statistics of scientific studies. Camille expertly explained that reports of the latest drugs for treating breast cancer may overly state the benefits. Could that be true for healthy eating studies focused on cancer patients? I went back...
Last week I had a consult with a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Besides her fear of the diagnosis, which is understandable, she expressed concern about the treatment options given to her by her doctor. It seems that she was offered an extremely long course of radiation therapy. She expressed to me that she remembered hearing a story on NPR some months ago that there were shorter treatment options for women with early-stage breast cancer. I assured her that she was correct, there are shorter courses of radiation treatment. Mastectomy vs. Lumpectomy For women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, breast-conserving therapy is the standard of care that should be offered to every woman. What does this treatment entail? 1) Breast-conserving therapy means just that: the breast is...
What exactly does “cancer awareness” mean? After years of being conditioned into thinking that it has to do with finding a cure for cancer, we can now say the exact opposite to be true. Based on recent statistics, 14 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2012 resulting in 8.2 million cancer-related deaths (National Cancer Institute (NCI); available at: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/statistics. Accessed February 23, 2016). Despite the millions of dollars raised during various cancer awareness months, it seems that this does not translate into cancer prevention. And with February being cancer prevention month, it's a good idea to highlight ways the public can prevent certain cancers. We all know someone who's been affected by cancer. And for those with a family history, there may be a heightened...
If you're a breast cancer survivor, you'll want to check out our new video on 5 ways to naturally prevent a breast cancer recurrence. Lots of information on integrative oncology and how a holistic lifestyle can help prevent a breast cancer recurrence....
In a previous post I explained how during a recent doctor’s visit with one of my prostate cancer clients I asked the question if supplementation with Vitamin D could slow the progression of disease. The healthcare provider said it could be helpful in lowering risk of disease, however, there were no human studies that showed it benefited men with low-grade disease on active surveillance. Well, I pulled out my tablet and did a quick search of the medical literature while the doc and patient (my client) continued discussing other topics. I came across an interesting study, which is discussed below. Do high doses of vitamin D slow progression of prostate cancer? 43 Men diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer, and on active surveillance, had a biopsy to remove portions...