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Anti-Cancer: Spice and Everything Nice

February 22nd, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Renowned surgeon *Mehmet Oz*, MD had quite a number of appearances on The Oprah Winfrey show. In one particular episode, he presented actual healthy and damaged human organs to show what happens to the body when we continuously eat the wrong kind of food, smoke a pack of cigarettes deliriously, and drink liquor like there is no tomorrow. The results were diabolically life-altering. Hundreds of viewers testified that after watching Dr Oz briefly go from one organ to another, they shuddered in their seats and couldn’t believe that those organs could as well be theirs. You could also check out the Discovery Health Channel hit, Second Opinion, and read his bestseller, You: The Owner’s Manual. Whether he is on television or speaks through the pages of his books, he advocates a healthy and practical change in everyone. His medical methods and layman approach to disease, specifically cancer and cardiovascular ailments, have challenged people from all over the world to finally take the reins and be the boss of their own body. And the simplest way to gain control is to be mindful of what we eat and drink.

Nowadays, medical professionals are more focused on with the objective to fight the disease even before it starts. More and more people are diverting their attention to the importance of daily nutrition and the choices that they are making with regard to their lifestyle, such as quitting smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation. Most of these studies claim that the use of natural substances can actually help prevent the disease.

One of the most highly advertised anti-carcinogenic substances is lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family which includes beta-carotene and other compounds found naturally in food. It is commonly known as the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color. What some people don’t know is that it is also a free radical-fighting antioxidant responsible for warding off damaging matter that disrupts normal cells and cause disease. It has also been proven to boost the immune system. It is shown to be better consumed when the tomatoes are cooked and mixed with a little healthy fat. For the sake of convenience, lycopene has also been made into a dietary supplement. However, studies show that taking it other than its natural form is not as effective as eating real tomatoes because it works better together with other phytochemicals found in the vegetable but not necessarily present in the pill. The combination of these bioactive compounds may be needed to provide optimum protection from cancer. This encourages people to eat tomatoes from pasta sauces, pastes, and freshly squeezed juices.

Capsaicin, the stuff found in chilly peppers that make them hot, could be the next line of defense in modern . Studies show that daily consumption of hot peppers may actually fight off some kinds of cancer. In certain parts of the world, cases of intestinal, stomach, and are considerably low compared to the United States. Experts believe that the low cancer rate in South America, for instance, may be tied to their frequent intake of japaleno peppers and hot cayenne, both of which contain capsaicin.

The latest trend in mentions the health benefits of flavonoids. One can find a vast array of flavonoids in a diet composed of various fruits, vegetables, and spices. Flavonoids from citrus fruits such as oranges are said to have antioxidant polyphenols that contain anti-cancer elements. A number of studies also show that red wine and green tea drinkers have a low risk of esophageal, lung, and stomach cancers. Another good source of flavonoids is dark chocolate. Medical experts say that cocoa has a much greater amount of antioxidants compared to red wine and green tea and dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other kinds of chocolate. The production of chocolate sometimes disrupts 50% of the flavonoids but manufacturing companies are now learning to make chocolate to retain as much of the good stuff as possible. While dark chocolate has its health benefits, consuming more than enough (around 1 oz a day) can also be dangerous. It may be packed with flavonoids that fight cancer but it still contains a significant amount of calories. Always remember that a balanced diet and a healthy exercise regimen are still the key to good health.

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Prostate Cancer: Prevention and Lifestyle Changes

February 17th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Prostate Cancer: The Male Equivalent of Female Breast Cancer

Over 30,000 men will die this year from . Not only that, but it has been quoted that over 200,000 new cases are reported each year in men as well. While is fairly treatable if it is found in it’s earliest stages, it still is a major concern for men, especially men over the age of 40 when you consider the fact that one in six men are diagnosed with this cancer.

What can you do to prevent this disease, and what are the measures for ensuring the cancer goes into a permanent remission?

The Diet/Prostate Cancer Link

While there is much speculation about this, there have been studies to strongly suggest that diet has a profound impact on of all types, not just . Further, the regulation of one’s blood sugar may play an even bigger role than we think in suppressing the growth of cancer cells, and slowing or completely stopping the growth of existing cancer cells.

One such diet used in the prevention and reversal of cancer is the macrobiotic diet, which is a very restrictive diet based in
sea vegetables and whole grains. The food groups of dairy and most fats is eliminated, and sugars are strictly forbidden. Microwaves are not used to cook foods, and minimal cooking of foods is advised to maintain their nutritional and antioxidant value as much as possible.

This diet actually originated in Japan, and has gained a lot of notoriety over here in the states for having particularly therapeutic value in the and prevention of cancer and other diseases. If you are thinking about going on a diet like this, that promotes and helps to prevent , I would encourage you to read about this diet online and see if it sounds like something you could do.

Other than that, common sense seems to prevail in diet guidelines for prevention. The usual guidelines include staying away from sugars, eating an abundance of leafy green veggies, the darker green is even better, and avoiding processed and prepared foods.

Another good guideline is to eat organic whenever possible. Organic foods are free of pesticides, chemicals, preservatives, and hormones that are common contaminants of most foods sold in grocery stores. Try to stick to unprocessed, raw foods whenever it is feasible to do so, and drink filtered or distilled water whenever possible.

Be Active, Stay Active: Health is a State of Mind

Maintaining an active lifestyle is beneficial for almost any type of cancer. Active people tend to stick to healthy diets, and tend to maintain a healthier outlook on life and health. Don’t let anyone tell you there is not a huge mind/body connection, because there definitely is.

The evidence is pretty stunning to anyone when it is viewed as to how profoundly diet and lifestyle is related to the prevention and even reversal of many kinds of cancer, and is no different.

Visit spoozer.com Spoozer: Men’s Health, Music, Technology, Internet and Men’s Humor for great leisure reading and the latest scoop on men’s health, cars, music, technology, webmastering and even beer. Danna Schneider is the founder of primeratecredit.com Credit Cards and Mortgages Advice and Info.

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Does Green Tea Offer the Prescription for Beating Cancer?

February 17th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

With early detection, cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. However, an initial diagnosis still brings with it a host of questions: What is the best course of treatment? Are conventional approaches best? Or are non-traditional therapies preferable—particularly if the cancer does not seem to respond to and radiation.

In recent years, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on unconventional therapies for cancer. For instance, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Elizabeth Kaegi of the Task Force on Alternative Therapies of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative discussed the fact that cancer patients are trying a number of intriguing therapies, including Essiac, Iscador, hydrazine sulfate, vitamins A, C, and E, and 714-X. But perhaps one of the most popular therapies that has been tried is green tea. In fact, go to your local convenience store and you may find jug after jug of green tea in assorted flavors. Still, you may be wondering what makes green tea so special—and if it really can help to combat cancer.

Green Tea—The Basics

Green tea is produced by steaming or frying the leaves of the shrub known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves, which are not fermented, are then dried. For 5,000 years, families in China and Japan have hailed green tea as a valuable stimulant and an effective remedy for stomach ailments. You can even purchase green tea in capsule form now, although the actual medicinal benefits from such capsules have yet to be established.

Dried tea leaves are far more complex than you might think. Specifically, they are made up of phytochemicals, plant alkaloids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, phenolic acids, and minerals. Of course, the exact composition of the leaves varies, depending on when the leaves are harvested and how they are processed. You should also be aware of the fact that the composition of green tea varies from that of black tea, since black tea has fewer polyphenols because of the fermentation process.

Side Effects

Green tea can contain anywhere from 10 to 80 milligrams of caffeine—the actual amount depends on how it has been produced and stored. Since caffeine is a known stimulant, green tea may lead to a racing heart rate and insomnia. As a result, heart patients, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should ideally drink no more than two cups of green tea a day.

Cancer Prevention

Numerous scientific studies have explored the use of green tea as a cancer preventative. According to Kaegi, digestive cancers appear to be particularly responsive to green tea. In fact, such tea appears to somewhat decrease the risk of experiencing cancer of the digestive tract. Given the fact that such conclusions are the result of a number of epidemiological studies, it appears that the idea that green tea can has some merit.

News from the Lab

But what about treating cancer? Can green tea be as effective in treatment as it is in prevention? There has been some limited lab work investigating the possibility that green tea can be used as an alternative form of . However, at this point, there have only been a few animal studies and no human studies. The results of these studies are, at this point, inconclusive.

Yet, it should be noted that one study showed that, if extracts of green tea are applied to mouse skin, it appears to stop the development of when known carcinogens have been applied to the skin. Other research indicates that green tea can stop the growth of tumors or decrease the number of tumors in animals that have been exposed to cancer-causing agents.

In some animals, green tea and tea extracts prevented cancer cells from metastasizing. There are also indications that green tea extracts can prevent chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to cancer, as well as reduce the size of breast and prostate tumors.

The Magic of EGCG

Green tea contains an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This substance appears to inhibit enzymes which are responsible for cell replication, stop the adhesion of cells, and disrupt the communication pathways which enable cell division to occur. However, EGCG seems to be most critically important as an antioxidant.

Final Conclusions

Researchers believe that there is evidence to suggest that green tea can be used to treat cancer. However, scientists add that additional research is absolutely essential in order to determine the full range of treatment that green tea might provide. For instance, researchers must determine which cancers are most likely to be abated through the use of green tea or green tea extracts.

Since there is also evidence to indicate that green tea can as well, drinking green tea is not only safe—it’s also highly recommended by some medical experts. Therefore, green tea may not just be a thirst-quencher—it may also be a key ingredient of a healthy diet.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current

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How to Prevent Prostate Cancer By Eating A Healthy Diet

February 15th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Prostate cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer among men. In recent year, the number of affected male is on the rise, and has become a very serious problem to be noted. Fortunately, our diet can play an important role in preventing .

The symptoms of can include frequent urination, difficulty in initiating urination, pain and discomfort during urination, blood in the urine and lower back pain. These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have , but it is very important for all men over the age of 50 to have a thorough prostate examination every year to detect any signs of occurrence of cancer. The earlier the discovery of any problems, the better it is for full recovery.

In order to prevent , it is important for one to eat healthily. It is crucial for men to understand that red meat, such as meats like lamb, beef and pork, are thought to increase the risk of . That is perhaps red meat contains high levels of saturated fat. Dairy products too have high levels of saturated fat, and hence they have been suspected to cause higher risk of as well.

It is also important to help prevent by changing diet. When it comes to using diet to help prevent , the biggest problem seems to be saturated fat and the lack of fiber. Cases of tend to be at their highest levels in countries where levels of saturated fat in the diet are the highest.

We just need to make a small change in our diet to prevent . We can try things like changing saturated fat to unsaturated fat, or consume less meat and eat more vegetables in our diet. These changes are important, especially to those men who are at increased risk for .

Theses dietary changes can do much more than help prevent by eating healthier. It can also have other important health benefits, such as reduced risk of diabetes and obesity. Start today by eating a higher number of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetable are rich in nutrients, low in fat, and delicious, so they should be a major part of any healthy diet.

Of course any major dietary change should be discussed with your doctor to find the most suitable diet that fit your body best. Your doctor can help you make the most out of your dietary changes, and can help guide you and monitor your progress. So start making changes and prevent yourself from getting today!

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Breast Cancer Prevention

February 15th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Have you ever wondered why so many women and men get ?
After much research there are 3 main reasons why and how people get it.

1. At the cancer institute they discovered that 100% of all patients, none of them have iodine in their systems. The most enriched form of Iodine is seaweed. With all of the sushi sales in the past few years more and more people are eating seaweed so that will help a lot.

2. Deodorant is a major factor also. Try to only buy deodorants that contain no aluminum. You are rubbing aluminum into your arm pits daily, and that metal is good for no one ever! Only get deodorants that say deodorant and if it says antiperspirant then never buy it.

Try not to cook with aluminum, throw away any Teflon pans that you own - and only use iron pans.

3. If you get pregnant then please nurse your baby if you are able. Try to nurse for at least 6 months. It is healthy for the baby and it will greatly reduce your risk for getting . Studies show that longer you nurse the less likely you are to get it.

So take care of your body and eat right. Drink lots of water at least 8 glasses a day, and no sodas. Try not to let your body get too stressed out and all will be well with you. And most importantly eat as much sushi as you can keep down- yummy!

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