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Important stuff
What a great day, we spent in Johannesburg at the Perfect Health Conference. There were close on 200 people who were motivated and raring to take back their health. A huge 'thank you' to Sue & Gordon Burnham-King for all their very hard work. I think they have the formula right for these talks, so if you would like a similar event in your city, contact her on suebk@telkomsa.net. I have appointed her my 'talks co-ordinator' here in South Africa. Another big thank you to Denyse and Stephen Cross, Samantha and Colin Crane, Deidre van Staden, Anila Somla and Bev Wium for all their hard work and commitment. Your all worked tirelessly for little reward and I pray God blesses you with wisdom, strength and grace. I of course always enjoy meeting so many of you and hearing your questions and feedback. PLEASE send me all those wonderful success stories, they are so inspiring to everyone! I am including this wonderful blog on our latest book, Perfect Health – The Natural Way, from Hannelie. Check our her blog below.
And at last the much waited for Prostate Article – it is long, but I think worth it!
Good Stuff
Dear Mary-Ann
I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with your new book, /Perfect Health: The Natural Way/. I have all your books and was waiting for this one to be released in South Africa. It was worth the
wait!
Towards the end of last year I lent my dad my copy of The China Study. He phoned me a few days later, in total shock at the misconceptions about diet that are out there. By that time my mom was reading it too
and they asked me if I could recommend a "plan" so that they could implement the principles.
I immediately ordered two copies of /Perfect Health: The Natural Way/ - one for them for Christmas and one for me! They love you book and have both lost over 5 kg since Christmas. My mom has stopped using most of
her anti-depressants and tranquilizers and both of them have discontinued their statin drugs. They feel great!
As for myself, after a long absence, I'm back on the The Natural Way and doing well. I've had my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tested and will do so again in about two months time. I'm exercising
pretty hard, but I have all the energy I need from my Natural Way diet. Where previously I'd gone cold-turkey, this time around I'm much more patient with myself and concentrate on improving all the time. I've
lost 4kg since the beginning of January, which is amazing! This is the
year that I am finally preparing my body for pregnancy (I'll be 40 in September).
I have a blog where I write about my journey (and a series of post about getting fertile naturally, called Fertile Friday). Most of my readers are American and are also trying to lose weight and get healthier. To help them along, I wrote a review of your book
(http://www.fertilehealthy.com/blog/2009/01/07/book-review-perfect-health-the-natural-way/)
and it was very well-received. After the review I contacted Benbella books and asked for a copy each of /The China Study/ and /Perfect Health: The Natural Way /to give away to a two lucky readers. They very
graciously complied and I hosted a contest where my readers had to read the reviews I wrote of both books and tell me which book they would like to receive and why. You beat Dr. Campbell by a huge margin! Quite a
few of my readers have indicated that since they didn't win, they're going to order your book anyway, so it seems that the word is spreading...
Thank you again for the wonderful work you do. You have changed so many lives... Let me know when you're at the Riverclub again!
Regards.and.blessings
Hanlie.Blewett
www.fertilehealthy.com/blog
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Serious Stuff
Prostate Cancer
I have compiled some research on ‘prostate cancer’ – I hope this goes some to answering the dozens of emails that I receive on this issue. (My comments in blue italics below)
- · Prostate Research Campaign UK
· Testosterone, the male hormone, does not cause prostate cancer but is known to feed its growth. Therefore, some prostate cancer treatments are aimed at blocking the body's production of testosterone. This would indicate a link to the hormonal system, the system that controls just about everything else in our bodies. Hormones are upset by too much animal protein, caffeine, alcohol, refined and processed sugar and other foods, heated and fried fats, artificial sweeteners, lack of sunlight and exercise and stress.
· Age
· Men over age 50 are at risk for prostate cancer and risk increases with age. As studies into aging continue, scientists may find that the aging process produces biochemical reactions that contribute to abnormal cell growth. This is an area of intense research. Age does not mean you are going to get cancer of any type, it just is an indication that your body is fed up with the way you feed it and can no longer function efficiently. If you look after your body with the right diet and exercise, prostate will be avoided.
· Heredity
· If a man's father or an older sibling has had prostate cancer, he is at increased risk. Also, African American men are at increased risk.
· Scientists are looking at genes that may be responsible for inherited prostate cancer. The genes under investigation are called Hereditary Prostate Cancer Genes 1 and 2 (HPC1, HPC2) and HPCX.
· It is not yet known to what degree these genes are responsible for prostate cancer. It may be that genetically acquired prostate cancer develops differently than cancer from other causes, but more research into this theory is needed.
What we tend to inherit and is seldom referred to is, our diet and lifestyle
· Genetics
· Researchers are finding that genetic flaws are responsible for many cancers. Recent research has shown that a genetic defect may keep some men from developing a certain enzyme. This enzyme could mount a defence against cells vulnerable to cancer-causing agents in the environment.
The only thing that will protect you against cancer is a healthy immune system; and a healthy immune system is achieved with a diet high in raw fruit and vegetables and healthy habits such as exercise, sunlight and relaxation.
· Diet
· Some studies have found that a diet high in animal fat may increase a man's risk for developing prostate cancer, while a diet high in fruits and vegetables (especially tomato-based products) may decrease the risk
· Environmental factors, such as cigarette smoking and diets that are high in saturated fat, seem to increase the risk of prostate cancer. Additional substances or toxins in the environment or from industrial sources might also promote the development of prostate cancer, but these have not yet been clearly identified.
· A diet high in red meat is and animal fats and low in fibre, fruits, and vegetables has long been associated with increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and certain cancers.
· Most people set an upper limit on the quantity of food that they consume on an average day. This means that for every extra bite of meat that's eaten, there's a bite of vegetable that's going uneaten. One contributing factor to the link between the Western diet and cancer might therefore simply be the lack of a positive effect of fruits and vegetables.
· But is there something more than just the lack of a protective effect of the "good" foods? Is there something in red meat and other sources of dietary fat that can actually increase the risk of developing cancer?
· In studying the effects of dietary fat and red meat on prostate cancer, two possible mechanisms have been offered: one focusing on the type of fat and the other focusing on the cooking method. Although the data are still preliminary in both of these areas, results to date suggest that dietary fats and red meat can negatively influence the growth of prostate cancer cells and therefore deserve attention.
· The Skinny on Fat
· Before we start to look at how different types of fat might affect prostate cancer risk, let's review what fat is, where it comes from, and what it does.
· Fat is one of three main types of nutrient molecules used by the body in its everyday processes. (The other two are carbohydrates and proteins.) After fat is ingested, the body breaks it down into smaller components, uses what it needs, and stores the rest for future use.
· Although saturated and trans fats have been targeted in the fight against cardiovascular disease, more studies in prostate cancer have zeroed in on omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in fatty fish, fish oils, and certain vegetable oils, including walnut and canola oils. Here I have found flax oil and flax blends to be the most beneficial. Click here for research
· A number of years ago, the omega-3 fatty acids were studied for their beneficial effects on memory and depression, and particularly on the risk of cardiovascular disease. While the effects on memory and depression are not yet proven, the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in minimizing heart disease seem to have held true, and the American Heart Association continues to promote omega-3 fatty acids as "heart healthy."
· In studies of prostate cancer, however, the equation is not so simple.
· Using blood samples collected during one study, researchers found that men with the highest levels of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) in their bloodstreams were three times as likely to develop prostate cancer compared with those in whom the fatty acid could not be detected. Similarly, another study found that men who consumed the highest amounts of ALA were nearly twice as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer. In both of these studies, as in the typical American diet, the primary source of ALA was animal and dairy products, particularly red meat.
· At the same time, however, consumption of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), two omega-3 fatty acid derivatives found mostly in fatty fish, was associated with a lower risk of developing advanced prostate cancer. In fact, eating the equivalent of 3 servings of fish per week cut the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer in half.
Eating red meat high in ALA can increase the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, but eating fish high in EPA and DHA can decrease the risk
What is not clear from these studies is whether it is something else in the red meat that is not in the fish or whether it is a fact that people that eat more fish and less red meat are known to be more likely to eat more fruit and vegetables, to exercise regularly and to not smoke and consume less alcohol. All factors that would help prevent any type of cancer.
· ALA is an essential fatty acid, meaning it cannot be synthesized by the body, that is used as the building block for certain cellular processes. Therefore, eliminating it from the diet cannot be recommended. Nevertheless, replacing red meat with fatty fish one or two times a week would seem to be a good way to swap out some of the "bad" fat and replace it with some of the "good" fat. And before going off to the health food store to increase your intake of DHA and EPA, keep in mind that the benefits did not extend to those men who were taking fish oil supplements.
The Drawbacks of Grilling Meat
For the average South African, American and Australian, it's nearly impossible to think about red meat without picturing a barbecue grill. Unfortunately, the charring caused by this quintessential sunny climate pastime has been linked to a host of cancer-causing substances, or carcinogens.
HAs (heterocyclic amines), a group of carcinogens identified first in the 1970s, were added this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the list of substances "reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens."[42] The HA known as PhIP is found in grilled beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and fish, and was estimated to comprise about two thirds of the daily HA intake in a study of over 25,000 people conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It remains unclear whether PhIP can directly cause human prostate cancer, but researchers have been looking at strategies to reduce the amount of PhIP in the diet. Because carcinogens are formed through direct contact with an open flame, one group of examined whether reducing the amount of charring can reduce the amount of PhIP. Although the amount of PhIP in the meat patty increased as the grill temperature increased, significant reductions in PhIP were noted when the patty was flipped multiple times, presumably because the patty was less charred.
A second group of researchers explored the possibility of reducing the effects of PhIP in the body by increasing the intake of cruciferous vegetables, which have been shown to help clear out carcinogens from the body before they can wreak havoc. At the end of each of the three 12-day phases of the study, the enrolled men ate a well-done steak, but during second phase, they also ate Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Examination of the urine at the end of the second phase showed an increase in the amount of PhIP excreted, indicating that the cruciferous vegetables helped to clear the carcinogen from the body before causing long-term harm. Unfortunately, the benefit was limited, and the amount of PhIP excreted rose again during the third phase when the vegetables were absent.
What else is known is that dark green leafy vegetables contain 2’-0-Glycosylisovitexin, and this together with an enzymes called peroxides have been shown to be anti- carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic. Peroxides actually breaks down and neutralizes Try-P1 and P2 a carcinogen in grilled meat and fish and 3-4benzypyrene, another carcinogen in tobacco. The food containing the highest levels of this have been found to be the barley leaf.
Therefore people who smoke or eat cooked animal products would reduce their risk of cancer. In fact anyone with cancer or trying to avoid it would do well on BarleyLife order from the Aim company directly at the wholesale price contact any of our consultants on our website at www.mary-anns.com/Consultants/Lifestyle%20Consultants.php
Although the role of dietary fat and red meat in the fight against prostate cancer remains somewhat unclear, findings to date seem to indicate that limiting the intake of red meat might decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer. Start experimenting with new methods for cooking lean red meat—stewing, roasting, or even broiling—and begin to incorporate more fish into your diet. Keep in mind, however, that fish at the top of the food chain, such as king mackerel, tilefish, shark, and swordfish, have high levels of mercury and should therefore be eaten in moderation. Mercury is neutralised by chlorophyll, which is found in high levels in BarleyLife
Dietary changes that try to eliminate charred and grilled meat completely are unlikely to prove realistic in the long-run for many. Therefore, when you barbecue, be careful to minimize charring of the meat by flipping the meat multiple times, or by scraping off the charred portion before eating. Lower the flame and grill at a lower temperature, but don't undercook the meat in your zeal to reduce carcinogens caused by the heat.
Keep in mind that the goal, as with all dietary and nutritional approaches, is not to impose harsh restrictions on your daily life. Radical dietary changes tend to be difficult to sustain over long periods of time, so their potential benefits are often not realized. Rather, you should work with your doctor or qualified nutritional counsellor to formulate a plan that incorporates a wide variety of different types of healthful foods and that attempts to eliminate, as much as possible, those foods that might adversely affect your risk of developing prostate cancer. Our 100 days to health program available at www.mary-anns.com will help you do this relatively painlessly.
Follow the basic 5 Natural Way steps which I clearly lay out in my books and on our website and which I help you do slowly on the 100 days to health program and you should find you avoid cancer of any type. However if you already have been diagnosed with cancer either recently or in the past and even if you are in remission, you would do better to follow a vegetarian diet as laid out in chapter 3 of The Natural Way and chapter 4 of Perfect Health (USA only) option 2 is fine for maintenance and option 3 ideal to get rid of the cancer.
I would take BarleyLife and Aimega as they contain all the correct nutrients to help your body protect and heal itself of any cancer.
Contrary to some people selling fish oil, the Alpha linolenic Acid (ALA) in flax oil is no where near what you find in red meat and salad dressings. Red meat and salad dressings contain heated ALA or Omega 3 or derivatives thereof. Some unscrupulous people claim that flax oil causes prostate cancer, based on research published in the American Journal of Clinical nutrition of July of 2004. The research clearly sates that the fats were from salad dressings and red meat and further states that fish oil consumption showed no benefit in preventing or reversing prostate cancer, however eating fish more often indicated lower levels of prostate cancer. Again this points to the fact that the people who eat more fish are less likely to smoke, eat more fruit and vegetables and exercise more. All factors that shown to lower your risk of prostate cancer.
The cancer risk aside, an enlarged prostate can result in frequent and painful urination, sexual dysfunction, blood in the urine, general pain in the lower back and prostate area, chills, fever, and testicle pain.
AIM ReAssure® contains a pollen mix that aids in men’s health. According to Dr. James Balch, a urologist, “If a man wants to stay out of the operating room and avoid cancer of the prostate, he needs to go full blast—to avoid the high-fat junk foods and environmental toxins that contribute to prostate problems and to start a wise nutritional program that includes the basic supplements that affect the prostate.”
AIM ReAssure® is a pollen extract product, the kind of supplement referred to by Dr. Balch. The key pollen is gathered from the rye plant in Sweden. Pollens have been used for years in Europe and Asia to help in maintaining prostate health. The AIM ReAssure® pollens, in combination, provide three mechanisms to assist with prostate health—a smooth muscle relaxant to aid the prostate area in functioning properly, anti-inflammatory properties to aid with healing, and as an antioxidant to help counteract free radicals (molecules that can damage healthy cells) in the body.
While both pollen extracts and saw palmetto are beneficial in dealing with prostate enlargement, AIM ReAssure® uses pollen because it is faster in response to the problem than saw palmetto and it is more generally active against many other conditions where pollen extracts and saw palmetto are recommended, according to a study at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
While a pollen-based supplement can aid with prostate health, it is also important to maintain a proper weight, drink plenty of water, exercise, and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods. All of the above fall under the general heading of a good lifestyle.
Saw palmetto extract is an extract of the fruit of Serenoa repens. It is rich in fatty acids and phytosterols, and has shown promise in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia[1].
Native Americans used the fruit for food, but also in the treatment of a variety of urinary and reproductive system problems. The Mayans drank it as a tonic, and the Seminoles used the berries as an expectorant and antiseptic.[2] The European colonists learned of the use of saw palmetto. It was used as a crude extract for at least 200 years for various conditions including asthenia (weakness), recovery from major illness, and urogenital problems. For instance, the Eclectic physician H. W. Felter wrote of it, "Saw palmetto is a nerve sedative, expectorant, and a nutritive tonic, acting kindly upon the digestive tract...Its most direct action appears to be upon the reproductive organs when undergoing waste of tissue..."[3]
The Eclectics knew saw palmetto as more than a prostate herb. King's American Dispensatory, in 1898 claims:
It is also an expectorant, and controls irritation of mucous tissues. It has proved useful in irritative cough, chronic bronchial coughs, whooping-cough, laryngitis, acute and chronic, acute catarrh, asthma, tubercular laryngitis, and in the cough of phthisis pulmonalis. Upon the digestive organs it acts kindly, improving the appetite, digestion, and assimilation. However, its most pronounced effects appear to be those exerted upon the urino-genital tracts of both male and female, and upon all the organs concerned in reproduction. It is said to enlarge wasted organs, as the breasts, ovaries, and testicles, while the paradoxical claim is also made that it reduces hypertrophy of the prostate. Possibly this may be explained by claiming that it tends toward the production of a normal condition, reducing parts when unhealthily enlarged, and increasing them when atrophied.[4]
In modern times, much research has been done on extract made from the fruits, which are highly enriched with fatty acids and phytosterols. This research has been the subject of a thorough meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and has been shown to be effective for the treatment of men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlargement of the prostate) compared to placebo and the two major categories of drugs used for men with this condition.[1] There are also small, positive clinical trials published on the use of saw palmetto extracts topically and internally for male-pattern baldness[citation needed]. In 2005, a long-term, placebo-controlled trial showed that a combination of saw palmetto fruit and nettle root extracts were effective in treating urinary tract symptoms in older men.[5] However, in February 2006, a large, blinded placebo-controlled study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed no reduction of symptoms from enlarged prostate by taking saw palmetto, as compared to placebo.[6] Designers of the latest study questioned whether the differently-flavored placebos in previous studies were adequately blinded. Critics of the latest study questioned whether a sufficient dosage of active ingredients was given.[7] An earlier single case study on saw palmetto concluded that searching for information on a herbal medicine using MEDLINE alone was insufficient, and expanded their search to "alternative" databases, including AGRICOLA, EMBASE, IBIS, and Cochrane, plus a manual search of unindexed herbal journals.[8]
Other research has shown that the herb works by multiple mechanisms, including inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase, interfering with dihydrotestosterone binding to the androgen receptor, by relaxing smooth muscle tissue similarly to alpha antagonist drugs, and possibly by acting as a phytoestrogen.[9][10]
Because the fruit is the part used and because a prolific quantity is produced by an adult saw palmetto plant, this herbal medicine is considered ecologically sustainable.
Kitchen stuff
(Recipes from week 27 of “100 Days to Health)
Baby spinach and sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup sun dried tomatoes softened
1 punnet sweet baby tomatoes cut in half and lightly grilled
1 packet baby spinach
1 punnet fresh asparagus lightly steamed and cut
½ cup Parmesan cheese shavings
Dressing
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 cup fresh basil chopped
1 tsp. raw honey
freshly ground black pepper
Mary-Ann’s Garlic & Herb or Herb salt to taste
Arrange in layers on a platter, topping with the parmesan. Combine dressing, pour over and serve.
Baked sweet potato, with Chili Pesto
8 Sweet potatoes – baked at 180oC until soft (about 45 min)
Slit open, lengthwise and spread generously with Chili Pesto (recipe from 100 days to health) or tomato pesto and sour cream, with a sprinkle of fresh chili
Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander
Spiritual Stuff
Proverbs 12 vs 1
WHOEVER LOVES instruction and correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is like a brute beast, stupid and indiscriminating.
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