Holistic Preventation of Breast Cancer, Anti-Aging Foods, & More - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog

Be sure to check out my informational blog on breast cancer:

One of the scariest diagnoses for a woman to receive is breast cancer.
As an integrative practitioner, the labels that are placed on people
serve as a guidepost which explains how their body has been led off the
track of optimal health. With the emergence of nutrigenomics, the healing power of food, functional diagnosis, and the Naturopathic philosophy of the body’s own innate wisdom, there exists powerful, holistic tools that can provide the body with support when pathology seems to be winning. This is even true with cancer.

Dr. Mercola recently interviewed Dr. Horner, a board certified
plastic surgeon regarding the topic of breast cancer. Dr. Horner
discussed how her journey of treating breast cancer shifted from
conventional surgery to a more integrative focus. As Dr. Horner found
herself operating on younger and younger women, she made the realization
that environmental risk factors had to be at play. Below I highlight
some key points she discussed in this 90 minute interview:

The Community Cure: Your
Relationships, Your Health

In a previous
blog, I presented some studies that demonstrated the important link
between the quality of relationships and health. Specifically, even when
controlling for all other physical contributors such as cholesterol levels, inflammatory
markers, diet, and exercise, social connections were the biggest predictor of
overall mortality and cancer risks:

According to Dr. Dean Ornish’s book, Love and Survival: The Scientific
Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy:

·In 1985, Dr. Berkman at California Department of
Health Services studied 7,000 men and women living in Almedia County.

·Those who lacked social and community ties
were 1.9 to 3.1 times more likely to die during nine year follow-up period
independent of age, gender, race, SES, smoking, alcoholic beverage
consumption, overeating, physical activity and utilization of preventative
health services.

·Those who lived longest had close social ties
and healthful behaviors

·In additional 8 year follow-up: those who
were socially isolated or who just felt isolated had higher risk of dying of
cancer

Dr. Hyman recently revisited the importance of assessing the whole
person amongst society, vs. just looking at an organ system or only physical
factors:

Who you spend time with and the
quality of your relationships not only says a lot about who you are as a
person, but it has a tremendous impact on your health. A now classic study
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that–even
after controlling for risk factors like smoking, poverty low socio-economic
status, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and obesity–lack of social
relationships, personality dispositions, and acute stress, including the stress
of racism were better predictors for increased risk of death and disease. [i]

Other studies have shown that you are
more likely to be overweight (and suffer from all of the resulting health
consequences) if your friends are overweight than if your parents are
overweight. And we are now learning that when you join together in community to
lose weight and heal you are far more likely to succeed. The Look Ahead Study,
a 13-year study of 5,000 people funded by the National Institutes of Health,
compared an intensive group lifestyle change program for diabetes prevention to
regular medical care with individual visits to the diabetic educator,
nutritionist, and doctor. To date, the group lifestyle program has proven
remarkably more effective in lowering weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, and
blood pressure than conventional medical care.[ii] Once this study is
completed, it will completely change our way of thinking about how to treat
disease.

We get better together. The community
is the cure.

Source: Dr. Hyman.Relationships, Menopause, & Health. January 14, 2012. http://drhyman.com/relationships-menopause-and-health-8155/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman%20newsletter%20issue%20#50&utm_content=Get+the+story

What to Eat for
Longevity?

I’ve
discussed ad nauseam how food is medicine, but as mentioned above,
so are relationships. Why not combine both!

One way our culture forms bonds is through meals. Meeting for a
business dinner is not just about food, but about the conversation and experience
of slowing down to something that has intrinsic value of comfort and pleasure.
On one level, a partner may hope sharing in such an intimate event will form
loyal partnerships that lead to more connections. On another level, the food
itself can provide an enjoyable distraction for the bored dinner.

Food also brings people together for emotional bonding,
togetherness, and tradition. Family gatherings are sprinkled with memories of
what was served for generations on special days.

Therefore, why not add in some favorable foods to enhance the
healing, health, and longevity of your relationships. Click here to view a
slide show that reviews the power of food. Here are some highlights that go
with the theme of cancer prevention from this week’s blog:

People living near the Mediterranean
regularly incorporate olive oil, fish, vegetables, whole grains, and an
occasional glass of red wine into their meals. Instead of salt, they rely on
spices and herbs to flavor their foods. This “Mediterranean diet” can
be beneficial to heart health, can reduce the risks of mild memory impairment,
and may ward off certain cancers.

Veggies contain fiber, phytonutrients,
and loads of vitamins and minerals that may protect you from chronic diseases.
Dark, leafy greens contain vitamin K for strong bones. Sweet potatoes and
carrots contain vitamin A, which helps keep eyes and skin healthy and protects
against infection. In one study, men eating 10 or more servings of tomato
products per week saw a 35% decrease in their risk of prostate cancer.

Source: WebMD.
Slideshow: Eating for a Long Life. Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
on October 13, 2011. http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/nutrition-world-2/slideshow-nutrition-longevity?ecd=wnl_dia_012412

Wine & Breast Cancer

What goes better with a little laughter and food, than a good
glass of wine? How many times have we touted the excuse of drinking wine for
our heart? Who doesn’t love scientific studies that prove our discretions could
be our saving grace?

1 in 2.6 deaths in women are lost to heart disease vs. breast
cancer which is 1 in 30. I’ve discussed
above how relationships can mitigate these effects. I’ve
also spoken on foods in the past that support the heart. My blog this week discussed what to eat for
breast health, but what about what to drink?

There are mixed reviews in if alcohol modulates the risks of
breast cancer. Craig Wetherby reports the conflicting evidence. I believe
the difference is related to SNPs and biotransformation and antioxidant
absorption.

Certain grape polyphenols found in red
wine – isoflavone phytoestrogens, flavones, and procyanidins – are known to act
as “aromatase inhibitors” which means that they prevent the conversion of
androgens (“male” hormones) to estrogen. In fact, aromatase-inhibiting agents
are used to treat breast cancer, because they raise testosterone levels and
lower levels of various forms of estrogen: estradiol, estrone, and sex hormone
binding globulin (SHBG).

The Cedars-Sinai study affirms the
idea that red wine exerts aromatase-inhibiting effects … at least in
premenopausal women. As the authors wrote, “These data suggest that red wine is
a nutritional AI [aromatase inhibitor] and may explain the observation that red
wine does not appear to increase breast cancer risk.” (Shufelt C et al. 2012)

The researchers called their
findings encouraging, saying women who occasionally drink alcohol might want to
reassess their choices. “If you were to have a glass of wine with dinner, you
may want to consider a glass of red,” said study co-author Chrisandra Shufelt,
M.D. “Switching [from white wine or other alcoholic drinks] may shift your
risk.” (CSMC 2012) Importantly, the investigators said the change in hormone
patterns suggested that red wine may stem the growth of cancer cells, as has
been shown in test tube studies. As co-author Glenn D. Braunstein, M.D., said,
“There are chemicals in red grape skin and red grape seeds that are not found
in white grapes that may decrease breast cancer risk.” (CSMC 2012)

Source: Wetherby, C. Red Wine May Reduce a Key Breast Risk.
VitalChoice Newsletter. January 16, 2011. http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article002324837.cfm?x=bkwvG5l,b1h0JlRD

The Lectin-Health
Connection

Gluten, dairy, sugar free….still symptoms? Watch this
video to find out why you may be reacting to foods you don’t normally
view as a problem. What I find in
clinical practice is that
every diet is an individual endeavor and my clients appreciate the fact
that no foods are off limits, but knowing what may produce symptoms and what
can heal is empowering! We discover what a perfect diet for
them through their health history, blood work, current diet, digestive
health, ethnicity, cravings, traditions,
and more.

Source: Lectin Lock – A
Natural Defense Against the Hidden Cause of Food Sensitivity – Chris Meletis ND.

The Community Cure: Your Relationships, Your Health

What to Eat for Longevity?

Wine & Breast Cancer

The Lectin-Health Connection

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The Community Cure: Your
Relationships, Your Health

What to Eat for
Longevity?

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