Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Straight up vegetables
So I'm getting a little jump start on my healthier lifestyle. I've eaten just one too many doughnuts to justify eating "anything I want". I'm feeling the flab and I'm not happy about it. So over the weekend I went to a market to buy only fruits and vegetables. Since I am not used to eating just vegetables I am not really going by any recipes quite yet. I'm just throwing whatever sounds good together. So today it was a bowl of radishes and then I cooked some sweet potatoes with shiitake mushrooms. That's it and that is all I plan on eating for the day. Sounds bland and boring but it is a start.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Coffee Conflict
I love coffee. Maybe it's a Seattle thing. But I am fully addicted to it. I drink it in the morning and at times I find myself being offered a cup during the day. I drink that too. With turning to the "cancer fighting foods" concept I am getting mixed messages. A few websites attribute coffee to fighting cancer like this one:
http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/coffee.html
It claims the following:
"Coffee contains:
Ok, more research is needed. So I don't consider this source as being bold faced truth to being an anti-cancer consumable.
However, another source points out that theobromine, theine, and tannin are alien to the blood and forces the liver and kidneys to work overtime to detoxify the blood. It throws tea under the bus as well. However, in this excerpt from "How to Fight Cancer and Win" it does not mention caffeine specifically.
That still leaves me wondering, should I really eliminate coffee?
For me I think that because there is no hard line for or against coffee specifically I will ween myself off of it and switch to tea exclusively. I usually drink tea throughout the day anyways. I just have to switch to something I will feel is coffee-like. I can blend Chicory in with an Assam tea to make a faux coffee.
While Chicory is not listed in the anti-cancer lists I've come across, it does have other benefits including aiding in digestion and weight loss.
http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/coffee.html
It claims the following:
"Coffee contains:
- Chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant compound that is the major phenol in coffee
- Quinic acid, a phytochemical that contributes to the acidic taste of coffee
- Cafestol and kahweol, compounds that are extracted from the beans' oil during brewing. Unfiltered coffee, such as French press or boiled coffee, contains these compounds
- Caffeine, a naturally occurring stimulant that affects the central nervous system
- N-methylpyridinium (NMB), created by roasting, may make the antioxidants more potent
Ok, more research is needed. So I don't consider this source as being bold faced truth to being an anti-cancer consumable.
However, another source points out that theobromine, theine, and tannin are alien to the blood and forces the liver and kidneys to work overtime to detoxify the blood. It throws tea under the bus as well. However, in this excerpt from "How to Fight Cancer and Win" it does not mention caffeine specifically.
That still leaves me wondering, should I really eliminate coffee?
For me I think that because there is no hard line for or against coffee specifically I will ween myself off of it and switch to tea exclusively. I usually drink tea throughout the day anyways. I just have to switch to something I will feel is coffee-like. I can blend Chicory in with an Assam tea to make a faux coffee.
While Chicory is not listed in the anti-cancer lists I've come across, it does have other benefits including aiding in digestion and weight loss.
Friday, May 17, 2013
I like books
I just recently acquired a copy of "How to Fight Cancer & Win" by William L. Fischer
I know that PVNS is not considered cancer but because it acts like it I figure in my experiment I will treat it as such. Thankfully I wasn't diagnosed with cancer but you never know, they might determine that I do. I won't worry about that. I think I would rather have PVNS than cancer. I don't like either of them.
What is interesting already in this book is that it claims that 35% of cancer deaths were attributed to dietary factors. It was the highest rated. I do agree that many of the "foods" available to the general public are really just glorified poison. I already try to eat healthy and make good food choices. But there are times when I am faced with temptation to eat those things I know have hidden ingredients or just straight up chemicals. Additionally it claims that diet and nutrition are factors in 60 percent of cancers in women.
There is a long list of dietary recommendations from the National Cancer Institute.
1. Calcium-Rich Foods - stick with non-fat or low-fat varieties.
2. Virtually all fruits, vegetables, and most fish (later it says no shellfish because of nuclein content).
3. Eat less empty calories and more fiber.
4. The Maitake mushroom from Japan. It's rare, football sized and grows in rural northern Japan. Has been shown to stop the growth of certain cancer-tumor cells and even the HIV virus. Of course the FDA doesn't support that claim. They don't let many healthy things claim they are healthy. Which leads me to #5.
5. Greet Tea. Extensive studies have been done to prove that Green Tea has multiple health benefits. I should know this because I am in the tea industry. Go to www.mynecessitea.com for more information.
6. Beta-Carotene. Claims to be a powerful anticancer. Looks like carrots are my new best friend.
And then there is the recommended list of things to avoid.
1. Fat - the saturated and polyunsaturated kinds.
2. Cholesterol - this is found in most every animal cell. Meat-eaters beware.
3. Commercially Processed Fats - they are basically referring to margarine here. But also many cooking oils are highly processed and rendered unsuitable. The book recommends cold pressed oils such as; flax, pumpkin, soy, and walnut oils.
4. Nitrosamines - these are your smoked, salt-cured, and nitrate-cured meats. Ham, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs are off the menu. And jeryky too. Also it mentions that beer and whisky also contain nitrosamines. It says vodka and gin are better choices if I have to drink. And finally it throws pickled foods along in this category. I'm curious how nitrosamines get in the pickle. But until I find out I will be staying away from pickles and saur kraut.
5. No more BBQ! Aw, now that is going to be hard. The carcinogens that the meat absorbs from the smoke is bad, real bad.
6. Smoked foods. Including smoked salmon. That's another bummer. Cheese is out of the question anyways (refer to #1). So smoked gouda or cheddar will be off the menu too. Also smoked foods have added sodium nitrate as a preservative.
7. Carcinogenic mutagens. Found in cooked, smoked, roasted, and browned foods. Mutagens are agents that are able to cause a change in the basic structure of genes and have the ability to induce a genetic mutation. Foods listed to produce mutagens by cooking dairy products, cereals, potatoes, meat, fish, and baked goods. Like toasted bread and carmelized sugar. The WU Center for the Biology of Natural Substances found mutagens in coffee (roasted), hamburgers (from fast food establishments), and many commercially processed foods. Now coffee I was wondering about. I might just to have to accept coffee is out of the question. That will be difficult to give up. Also fluoride is a carcinogen and dumped into our tap water. I will be switching to bottled water, preferably with large refillable bottles.
8. Apple Juice (the glucose count is too high)
9. Distilled Water - They didn't give a reason, they just quoted the U.S. National Research Council
At the end of the list of mutagens, they list foods that are anti-mutagens;
Wheat Sprouts
Leaf Lettuce
Brussel Sprouts
Mustard Greens
Cabbage
Broccoli
Spinach
And finally it goes in much detail over many other subjects. But it specifically goes over the following:
Wheat grass
Flax seed oil
Fish oil
Bee pollon/Royal jelly
Ginseng
Gotu Kola
I know that PVNS is not considered cancer but because it acts like it I figure in my experiment I will treat it as such. Thankfully I wasn't diagnosed with cancer but you never know, they might determine that I do. I won't worry about that. I think I would rather have PVNS than cancer. I don't like either of them.
What is interesting already in this book is that it claims that 35% of cancer deaths were attributed to dietary factors. It was the highest rated. I do agree that many of the "foods" available to the general public are really just glorified poison. I already try to eat healthy and make good food choices. But there are times when I am faced with temptation to eat those things I know have hidden ingredients or just straight up chemicals. Additionally it claims that diet and nutrition are factors in 60 percent of cancers in women.
There is a long list of dietary recommendations from the National Cancer Institute.
1. Calcium-Rich Foods - stick with non-fat or low-fat varieties.
2. Virtually all fruits, vegetables, and most fish (later it says no shellfish because of nuclein content).
3. Eat less empty calories and more fiber.
4. The Maitake mushroom from Japan. It's rare, football sized and grows in rural northern Japan. Has been shown to stop the growth of certain cancer-tumor cells and even the HIV virus. Of course the FDA doesn't support that claim. They don't let many healthy things claim they are healthy. Which leads me to #5.
5. Greet Tea. Extensive studies have been done to prove that Green Tea has multiple health benefits. I should know this because I am in the tea industry. Go to www.mynecessitea.com for more information.
6. Beta-Carotene. Claims to be a powerful anticancer. Looks like carrots are my new best friend.
And then there is the recommended list of things to avoid.
1. Fat - the saturated and polyunsaturated kinds.
2. Cholesterol - this is found in most every animal cell. Meat-eaters beware.
3. Commercially Processed Fats - they are basically referring to margarine here. But also many cooking oils are highly processed and rendered unsuitable. The book recommends cold pressed oils such as; flax, pumpkin, soy, and walnut oils.
4. Nitrosamines - these are your smoked, salt-cured, and nitrate-cured meats. Ham, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs are off the menu. And jeryky too. Also it mentions that beer and whisky also contain nitrosamines. It says vodka and gin are better choices if I have to drink. And finally it throws pickled foods along in this category. I'm curious how nitrosamines get in the pickle. But until I find out I will be staying away from pickles and saur kraut.
5. No more BBQ! Aw, now that is going to be hard. The carcinogens that the meat absorbs from the smoke is bad, real bad.
6. Smoked foods. Including smoked salmon. That's another bummer. Cheese is out of the question anyways (refer to #1). So smoked gouda or cheddar will be off the menu too. Also smoked foods have added sodium nitrate as a preservative.
7. Carcinogenic mutagens. Found in cooked, smoked, roasted, and browned foods. Mutagens are agents that are able to cause a change in the basic structure of genes and have the ability to induce a genetic mutation. Foods listed to produce mutagens by cooking dairy products, cereals, potatoes, meat, fish, and baked goods. Like toasted bread and carmelized sugar. The WU Center for the Biology of Natural Substances found mutagens in coffee (roasted), hamburgers (from fast food establishments), and many commercially processed foods. Now coffee I was wondering about. I might just to have to accept coffee is out of the question. That will be difficult to give up. Also fluoride is a carcinogen and dumped into our tap water. I will be switching to bottled water, preferably with large refillable bottles.
8. Apple Juice (the glucose count is too high)
9. Distilled Water - They didn't give a reason, they just quoted the U.S. National Research Council
At the end of the list of mutagens, they list foods that are anti-mutagens;
Wheat Sprouts
Leaf Lettuce
Brussel Sprouts
Mustard Greens
Cabbage
Broccoli
Spinach
And finally it goes in much detail over many other subjects. But it specifically goes over the following:
Wheat grass
Flax seed oil
Fish oil
Bee pollon/Royal jelly
Ginseng
Gotu Kola
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Omlet
Even though I am eating what I want, I am also eating what I need. So future-wise this would be something I would eat. I tend to open the fridge and just start throwing ingredients together. This is what I came up with today. I chopped shiitake mushrooms and cilantro and threw them in a pan with coconut oil. Then I threw about a teaspoon of chopped garlic in there. I scrambled up 2 eggs with coconut water. Mixed it all together and voila! A healthy omlet. I was going to toss in sunflower seeds but either forgot or was just too hungry to add more to it.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Lifestyle changes coming
It is so great to have a support system. I found a page on Facebook called "PVNS is Pants" and it has been nothing but awesome. Especially when I post questions and get quick responses. Having only starting my journey, it is encouraging to get feedback and hear stories of seasoned PVNS sufferers.
I've been terrible at keeping up with an exercise regiment because I feel so disabled, it discourages me. I can no longer do many of the activities I used to be able to do. I feel quite bummed when I see people in their jogging gear and think to myself, "I can't do that". But I know I need to change my tune when it comes to being active. I can still do things, just not everything. So I started getting up earlier to do sit ups and leg lifts. At least I can do that. That is a start and I will continue to seek exercise activities that I can do pre-op. I need to get into that habit long before I commit to all of the changes I anticipate.
I have not yet got any acupuncture sessions planned but I have a few places I am thinking of going to. That is still a ways off. I was in a debate yesterday of whether or not acupuncture is a viable source of healing. I believe it is because it has worked for me with other things. My friend suggested it is just a placebo. Yet, he has never tried it so I'm sticking to my plan.
My argumentative friend also pointed out that if I am to change my diet and commit to it, I am crazy for currently eating everything under the sun. I explained the process I am taking with regards to what I eat. This month I am eating anything that is offered. Fish and chips, yes. Ice cream, yes. Cookies, yes. But when I am eating them. I am slowly savoring the initial taste and enjoying it. Then as I am finishing consuming I change my thinking to, "what is so great about this?". I start thinking about how much sugar or fat I am consuming and then declare the flavor is not all that great either. I am psyching myself out so that when I am confronted in the future about these same edibles I will think, yes that is gross. And therefore I won't be tempted to eat them after June 1st. That is the day I chose to commit to my new diet so that it won't be such a shocker when I am post-op June 12th.
I've been terrible at keeping up with an exercise regiment because I feel so disabled, it discourages me. I can no longer do many of the activities I used to be able to do. I feel quite bummed when I see people in their jogging gear and think to myself, "I can't do that". But I know I need to change my tune when it comes to being active. I can still do things, just not everything. So I started getting up earlier to do sit ups and leg lifts. At least I can do that. That is a start and I will continue to seek exercise activities that I can do pre-op. I need to get into that habit long before I commit to all of the changes I anticipate.
I have not yet got any acupuncture sessions planned but I have a few places I am thinking of going to. That is still a ways off. I was in a debate yesterday of whether or not acupuncture is a viable source of healing. I believe it is because it has worked for me with other things. My friend suggested it is just a placebo. Yet, he has never tried it so I'm sticking to my plan.
My argumentative friend also pointed out that if I am to change my diet and commit to it, I am crazy for currently eating everything under the sun. I explained the process I am taking with regards to what I eat. This month I am eating anything that is offered. Fish and chips, yes. Ice cream, yes. Cookies, yes. But when I am eating them. I am slowly savoring the initial taste and enjoying it. Then as I am finishing consuming I change my thinking to, "what is so great about this?". I start thinking about how much sugar or fat I am consuming and then declare the flavor is not all that great either. I am psyching myself out so that when I am confronted in the future about these same edibles I will think, yes that is gross. And therefore I won't be tempted to eat them after June 1st. That is the day I chose to commit to my new diet so that it won't be such a shocker when I am post-op June 12th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)