Commenting about Obama and Health Care

Let's forget about politics for one minute. There is a lot of drama going on these days surrounding health care. The details of the various ideas are almost impossible to wrap my head around.

There is one thing that needs to happen in my opinion. Regardless of the health care plan that gets passed, it has to be delivered with a message of healthy lifestyles. America's health care costs are so high because we need so much health care. If America could all try diet and exercise to improve our general health, it would be much cheaper to provide health care to everyone.

The country should use this time when we are exploring universal health care to promote healthy living through healthy diet, exercise, and quitting smoking!

Figuring out Turmeric

When reading the studies about Turmeric, you would think it is some sort of wonder drug invented by a super pharmaceutical company. However, it is just another plant that resembles the more popular ginger root. Many studies have shown the anti-cancer properties of Turmeric. One example is below:

The study injected mice with human breast cancer cells, a batch of cells grown from a patient whose cancer had spread to the lungs.

The resulting tumours were allowed to grow, and then surgically removed, to simulate a mastectomy. The mice either got no additional treatment; curcumin(in Turmeric) alone; the cancer drug paclitaxel, which is sold under the brand name Taxol; or curcumin plus Taxol.

Half the mice in the curcumin-only group and 22 per cent of those in the curcumin plus Taxol group had evidence of breast cancer that had spread to the lungs.

But 75 per cent of animals that got Taxol alone and 95 per cent of those that got no treatment developed lung tumours.

It has also been shown that the absorption of turmeric is enhanced 1,000 times if consumed in the presence of black pepper!

I have struggled the most to include turmeric in my daily diet. Mostly, I put a tablespoon in soups or sprinkle on top of salad and of course include the black pepper. But because I don't eat soup or salad everyday, it has been tough to do. I'm currently looking for more ways to include this daily!

Red Wine and Resveratrol

Red wine has long been shown to help in the fight and prevention of cancer. Researchers say the antioxidant found in grape skins, known as resveratrol, appears to work by targeting the cancer cell's energy source from within and crippling it. This is from a study published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

The results showed that resveratrol had a variety of potentially valuable anti-cancer effects, including:

• Making the cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy by hampering proteins that resist treatment
• Triggering cancer cell death (apoptosis)
• Injuring the cancer cell's energy source and decreasing its potential to function

I never used to drink red wine, but after changing my lifestyle, I began to drink red wine almost on a daily basis. Usually, it will be just one glass in the evening. It's important to know your limits. It is very easy to go beyond a single glass a day.

Adding Citrus to Green Tea Increases Antioxidants

A recent study at Purdue university has found that adding a little Citrus fruit to your green tea increases the chances of cancer fighting antioxidants to remain in our bodies. A copy of the article can be found at Purdue's website here.

I recently started adding lemon to my tea every morning. I bought a couple lemons and sliced them up so they are ready to go in the fridge. I squeeze off a couple wedges in my tea now every morning and let the wedges float in the hot water. It tastes great!

Green Tea Keeps Cancer Away

Conclusive studies have shown that Green Tea contains a high level of antioxidants, much higher than found in Black tea. Antioxidants are important to preventing cancer because they allow the body to scavenge oxidants (aka free radicals). Free radicals are long thought to have been a cause of cancer.

It has been shown that antioxidant levels in green tea are highest if tea is steeped for five minutes or longer. Based on my own experience, green tea typically tastes best if it is only steeped for two minutes or so, but I have gradually gotten myself used to the taste of a hot cup of tea steeped for about 8 minutes.

I've found the easiest way to include green tea in my daily diet is to fill a small reusable coffee mug with hot water and then throw a tea bag in and head out the door. It steeps on my drive to work and I usually finish the tea before I arrive at the office.

I use a Cuisinart water filter on our counter top to make hot water. It just takes a few minutes to warm up water.

My Approach

When I initially read books on cancer fighting foods, I thought to myself that I already eat these foods. It was true, I already ate most of these foods, but not proactively. For example, I like blueberries, and will eat them anytime. However, I realized that I probably only ate blueberries once every few months. That was the problem.

So I actively set out to try and eat these foods on a regular basis. What I found out, that in the quest to eat all of these foods, I stopped eating some other foods that I know are not good for me. For example, when going out to a bar, instead of the usual Jack Daniels and Coke, I opted for the Red Wine. Instead of the bar burgers as an appetizer, I ordered the Edamame.

I also found myself at the grocery store buying things that I never really bought before such as cabbage, grapefruit juice, and turmeric.

Ultimately, my approach has been to try to include some of these foods in every meal, whether its made at home or eaten at a restaurant.

Now, since it is impossible for me to tell whether this is working or not, it is important to have the attitude of "it can't hurt". There is a wealth of information on the positive effects of these foods both as cancer fighters and as foods that help other conditions, such as high blood pressure. There is very little information out there that states any of these foods are bad for you. So, I concluded, it really can't hurt, and can only help.

The Hot List!

Right off the bat, here is a list of foods that are supposed to be cancer fighters or cancer inhibitors. Please be careful and do your own research as some of these (such as grapefruit) can interact with certain drugs.

1) Brussels Sprouts, Collard Greens, Kale, Watercress, Turnips, White or Red Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bok Choy
2) Garlic, Onions, Leeks, Shallots, and Chives
3) Soy - Soybens or Edamame, Miso, Soy Sauce, Dry Roasted Soybeans, Tofu, Soy Milk (the less sugar kind)
4) Turmeric - Add a teaspoon to soups, salads, or pasta. If you combine Turmeric with Black Pepper, you enchance its effectiveness by 1,000
5) Green Tea, particularly Japanese Green Tea. Look for the Sencha Type. It is way more effective as a cancer fighter if brewed for 10 minutes. Anything less than 10 hurts the effectiveness.
6) Berries - Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries and Cranberries. Cranberries are considered way better than Cranberry Juice
7) Omega 3 Fatty acids - Sardines, Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, Rainbow Trout, freshly milled flaxseed.
8) Tomato Paste, Spaghetti Sauce, Ketchup, Tomato Sauce,
9) Oranges, Grapefruits, Lemons, Mandarins
10) Red wine - 1 to 2 glasses a day for women and 2 to 3 a day for men.
11) Dark Chocolate - must be 70% Cocoa