Green Super Anti-Oxidant Rich Smoothie

Green Super Smoothie - dedicated to my husband who is beginning a journey of which no one wants to embark. Rich in anti oxidants - free radical erradicator!  He is not well, and we are determined he will conquer the battle inside with help from a plant based diet.

Place following in order listed, into a blender. 
8 oz purified water
2 scoops Arbonne vanilla protein
1 scoop Arbonne fiber
2 handfuls of organic spinach or kale
1/2 organic granny smith apple
1 T. Health by Designs Paleo greens unflavored
1 NOW brand Curcumin capsule, opened and powder added (650 mg)
2 Jigsaw Health Magnesium SRT capsules
1/2 dropper Source Naturals Ultra Collodial Silver (use 10 days only)
1 T organic cold pressed coconut oil
1 tsp. organic cinnamon
4 oz purified water
2 ice cubes (optional)

Blend until smooth. Becomes a healthy blue green algae like color. The ingredients in this shake have a approximately an ORAC equivalent to approx. 14 servings of vegetable and fruit

I choose Arbonne products as a base for their nutraceutical formulation and purity - it is very rare to find a protein powder that contains ZERO ppm of any trace toxic metals. Low glycemic is also very important, and these products are certified low glycemic, as well as having an alkaline base. Cold processed and better than organic...it is a near perfect food, per Molly Geil, in a recent "bootcamp" training. Molly is a former child psychologist, Independent Arbonne Consultant, athlete and sits on the Arbonne nutrition advisory board.

Health by Designs super green food supplement was selected because it was recommended by my friend, Dr. Geil, who knows her stuff...and I know has the same high standards as myself. There is 4% RDA of iron in the formula, which may cause concern for those aware of the connection between iron and cancer. However, per Russell Blaylock, MD, a plant based iron source does not build up in the body to create toxicity, as an animal based protein can do.

NOW brand Curcumin is the brand chosen by our local Green Earth health store...and I know the owner does her research. Amazon reviews were also excellent. Curcumin is anti inflammatory and helps to stop angiogenesis... the process by which cancer cells grow. Blaylock recommends 1500 mg of curcumin a day; however another respected MD with the gift of healing serious illnesses, told me that if one is battling cancer, one needs to realize there is a difference between prevention/maintenance mode and "conquering cancer" mode. In other words, one may wish to amp up the curcumin.

Dr. Russell Blaylock recommended Jigsaw SRT Magnesium  ...a man I have respected throughout my own journey to regain my health. Magnesium is critical for muscle strength (often weakened by cancer), nerve function and hormonal balance, to name a few.

Source Naturals Collodial Silver is used for immunity support...it is nature's anti-biotic without the side effect of killing off good gut flora. It should be used as directed on the bottle - and should only be incorporated into a smoothie recipe for 10 consecutive days before ceasing to add to the above recipe.

When juicing gets to be too much work and you need a break, and need a simple meal - this shake is not only tasty - it is going to benefit your body in many ways. An anti-oxidant rich diet is the most effective way to erradicate those free radicals to Kingdom come!

To your health!
Rita S.

Do You Want to Lose Weight AND Lose Your Mind?

Recent reports on toxins and trace metals in popular, and trusted, protein  powder brands have been mind blowing.  Some not so surprising, but for Beach fans, this report may be shocking. I have long been of the mindset that although expensive, this brand was of very high quality because the company does avoid artificial ingredients and visible ingredients were beneficial.  Purity of a product, however, is not something that can always be seen. Manufacturers are not required to add trace metal PPMs to their labels, yet, these metals do affect our well being, and long term memory.
More surprising is what Dr. Oz lists as "safe" protein powders. Safe by whom? The manufacturers who produce them? Apparently Consumer Labs is  missing the mark, citing proteins with acceptable trace metals but not taking into account other ingredients that contribute to alzheimers, dementia, heart disease and more.
Reviewing the ingredients of the supposed safe powders you will see hormone disrupting ingredients such as soy, inflammatory ingredients such as carrageenan, and GASP!!  artificial sweeteners such as ASPARTAME and SUCRALOSE!!
Really OZ?  I recommend Dr. Oz click his heels together and invite Dr. Russell Blaylock on to his show so that his viewers can be educated not only about immediate benefits of losing weight, but the longstanding benefits of having mental health. As you age certain ingredients build up in our system, which in turn takes a toll on brain heatlh. Avoiding these ingredients is just as important as avoiding trace metals.
Health Ranger Mike Adams is doing a great job of informing consumers about trace metal toxicities in not only protein powders, but processed foods as well, such as Wheaties. Mike recommends a whey protein, but for me personally - I want to ensure I am consuming primarily an alkaline diet to allow my cells to retain oxygen (fuel for life).
After much research I settled on a vegan protein shake for my family that contans NO lead, mercury, tungsten, cadmium or aluminum. Even though it is vegan it provides all BCAAs, scoring 100% on the amino acid profile. Raw organic/non GMO foods are tested for purity before cold processing. The company has been in business for 34 years and the research and development department is cutting edge, using ingredients for years that are just recently making news as being beneficial.
We have been using this protein shake brand for 4 years. It is pure, safe and beneficial for not only myself, but I trust my children's health with this brand, too. Best of all - they love the taste!
We have all become much more healthy - no Rx or OTC in our home any longer. If you would like to learn more about the brand we have come to trust for our dairy and gluten free needs, give me a shout.

To your health,
Rita S.

30 day Healthy Living Challenge Biggest Loser

I am so very proud of my AB 30 Day Healthy Living Challenge team!
Team TnT lost a total of 76 INCHES in the month of January - with 12 people it averages to 6.333"/person. Thats\'s the AB Advantage!
Three people really carried the team - and were close in numbers, with the BIGGEST LOSER, my sister Diane, losing a total of 12" and 20 lbs., 2nd place was Sheila, having lost 11 inches, and third place, and so close, was Kelly with a loss of 10.5 inches. KUDOS to these amazing ladies!!
I am proud to introduce my sister, Diane, of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Diane held true to the 30 day Healthy Living Challenge plan.  Although she had plenty of opportunities, she held fast and true to the plan and although she WAS not tempted by elimination  foods on the list to "avoid" - she did not give in and chose instead to be transformed!
Because Diane was so successful I asked her to share what her protocol had been through the challenge, which began January 2 and ended January 31. Diane writes:

I used the Arbonne protein shake and fiber booster every morning for breakfast. I had a strawberry or blueberry vanilla Arbonne protein shake. (which means she added berries to her vanilla shake.)
For lunch I had a salad and protein .... usually leftover chicken, hardboiled egg, turkeyburger (no bun etc). Except those few days I ran out of greens when I just took leftover dinner. My salad usually had sunflower seeds and homemad raspberry vinegrette dressing.(the vinegar used was Bragg's organic apple cider vinegar.)

For dinner, I had more variety.
I only had red meat twice... roast beef 1 night and beef hamburger another night.
I had things like turkey chili, chicken and a vegetable - like broccoli or cauliflower, chicken brown rice soup (Recipe from the official 30 Day plan - although I ran out of broth so it turned into more of a goulash, but quite yummy). My favorite dish was brown rice pasta with turkey burger and marinara sauce.
In addition to cutting out gluten, dairy etc, I cut way down on the carbs.  Sometimes at dinner I just had protein and vegetable... other times I had brown rice pasta or brown rice.
As far as exercise, I started up again, but nothing really regular until halfway through the month as it is so hard to always find the time after work, and I really hate exercising first thing in the morning.  So halfway through the month, I came up with the idea of doing my 10 min. ab routine every morning before work (haven't missed a day of it yet) and since it only involves laying on a mat, I don't mind doing it in the morning.  Then my husband and I tried to work out after work together, but it wasn't every day.  Sometimes it was Tony Horton's 10 minute workout (believe it or not, it still makes you pretty tired).  Sometimes it was the easy 24 min. workout we have, I rarely got the 47 min workout in at all.  I still need to improve here.

I also used Prolief (days 12-26) this month... most days twice a day, but sometimes I forgot and it was 1 x a day. And I used the 7 day body cleanse wks 2, 3, and 4 couple days each week. I believe that was about it.

Diane said her family is definitely making some permanent changes to their eating plans, which is really the purpose of the 30 day plan to begin with - it is about making life changes. She and her family  had discussions about greens so they would get the kind everyone was willing to eat (aka mixed greens were chosen over spinach), less gluten and carbs in their future, etc.
I will note that in addition to her eating plan Diane incorporated Prolief - a natural bio-identical progesterone cream into her weight loss plan.  Progesterone is a hormone that counters the effects of estrogen, and many women are estrogen dominant in relation to progesterone once they pass the age of 35.   Because progesterone is both anabolic and thermogenic, it converts fat to energy; and I personally give Prolief much credit towards my own 85 lb. weight loss a couple of years ago.  For the 30 day challenge I did not follow the plan to a T, gave in to temptation, and only managed to bring my overall weight loss to 90.  I was hoping to hit 100 - but I still have not figured out how to find time for exercise in my life of two jobs.

I am so proud of all TnT team members. Keep on blasting away at those pounds TnT - transformation not temptation!!
I hope you feel great, look great and live great - and if not, let me help you transform!

To your health, 
Rita

Heated Protein Dangers and Colon Cancer

An article on Dr. Joe Mercola's website today is QUITE the eye opener - and I feel very important, possibly life saving and a must to share.  It almost makes me want to become completely vegetarian, and never eat cooked meat again. I am glad we have reduced our meat consumption, and I now realize the importance of COLD-PROCESSED protein powders as well as consuming the required daily minimum of fiber each day. We're told 25 mg., but for colon cancer prevention 30-50 is a greater preventative measure. A year or so ago I created a post specifically geared towards colon cancer prevention and need for much fiber in the diet, of which most Americans do not intake.
The main focus of the article below talks about what happens to proteins when exposed to heat. My particular interest was regarding protein isolates found in protein shakes - as the majority of brands found in the market are heat processed. Proteins that are already an acidic base become even more so when exposed to heat in processing.

Article: The Innocent Cooking Mistake that Could Cause Cancer
Excerpted conclusions from the article are below (link is below the points for the entire article)

-Avoid eating roasted or fried proteins and melted cheese – yes, this includes grilled meat or fish, fried chicken, roast beef, barbeque, and pizza. To be on the safe side, avoid all kinds of carmelized sugar, toasted starch and roasted nuts.

-If you still choose to eat grilled, roasted or fried food, try cutting off the burned or browned outer layer part.

-Time under heat is a crucial factor. Short pasteurization is safer than long pasteurization – the longer a protein is heated the more degraded and toxic it gets.

-Make sure your protein product does not include thermolyzed casein – which has shown to be the most carcinogenic among all other thermolyzed food.

-You can still enjoy eating most of your protein foods warm if you cook them in a broth. This will limit the cooking temperature to a 100º Celsius threshold, which has shown to be quite safe and presents minimum health risk. Cooking, stewing or poaching fish, meat or eggs in a broth can be your alternative to frying, grilling or roasting. But note that cheese must be eaten raw. Heating destroys fragile peptides and amino acids in cheese so to be on the safe side, avoid all kinds of pizzas and melted cheese treats.

-Avoid protein powders which are exposed to ultra heat or heat/acid treatment. These often include protein isolates such as casein and whey isolates as well as soy, hemp and rice protein isolates.

-Avoid whey proteins derived from ultra pasteurized milk. If the whey manufacturer fails to provide you with a certificate of conformity (CoC) which clearly declares that their whey is manufactured from raw milk, then most likely the product is ultra pasteurized.

-Increase your fiber consumption particularly in your protein meals. Note that protein supplements formulated with digestive resistant fiber are more digestible, and safer.

This entire article can be found here. If colon cancer in particular is of concern in your family - it is very important to read. I feel strongly that we can only make better choices for our health when we read and educate ourselves, as this is not information the "meat industry", for example, is going to publicize.
I have to admit, for quite some time, having friends who are paleo eaters, I have wondered how much meat is comprised in the paleo diet versus vegetables and fruits.  Is it 20% protein, 75% produce and 5% fats (random figures thrown out), or is the meat protein to vegetables and fruit ratio more like 50/50?
I wonder about this primarily out of concern, since it is becoming well known that cancer thrives in an acidic body, and cannot survive in a body that is properly pH balanced.  Meat is low on the pH scale, meaning it is acidic. Whereas vegetables are alkaline based, with a pH higher than the neutral point of +/-7.
Processed meats, in particular, are unhealthy. Certainly a steak from a grass-fed beef animal or free-range chickens should be the meat of choice if one is concerned for cancer prevention or wish for aging in good health.
Dr. Russel Blaylock devoted two consecutive newsletters to the link between "iron toxicity" and cancer - which is becoming more evident.  As Americans, in particular, he states we eat too much meat. As an example, we should consume no more than 8 OUNCES of red meat per week. The week I read that two days later we were out for dinner, and I was having a 12 oz organic rib-eye. Glad for it to be from grass-fed animal, but it was more than my entire week's allowance at one setting, per Blaylock. Of course, I split it and took home a box of food as I always split my meals when we eat out at the start of the meal, so I am not tempted to overeat.  Ever since learning of iron toxicity it has caused me to be concerned about those important to me, that seem to really enjoy an abundance of meat consumption.
Vegetable protein is much easier to digest than animal meat, and therefore does not tax our body's proper functioning in the same manner.  As I alluded to at the start of today's post - I am not a vegetarian, although my lifestyle food choices probably includes about 15% meat, 50% vegetables, 10% fruits, 15%  gluten-free grains such as brown rice and quinoa, and the balance in good fats such as coconut oil and Extra Virgin Olive oil and nuts.
I'm not going to invest in a paleo cookbook - so for those of you who have and are - please do comment and clue me in on your diet and the meat to vegetable/fruit ratio.  I have concern, but perhaps it is unfounded. My perception may be more of what I feel I am seeing at a gathering vs. what the true paleo enthusiast consumes on a daily basis.

To your health, 
Rita S.

Food Pyramids - Go Green!

People want to know, "what did you do to lose weight and keep it off?"  Quite simply, I made a LIFESTYLE CHANGE.  Diet is not in my vocabulary.  I did not eliminate all carbs, nor did I pump up, and plump out, on enormous amounts of meat.  I did not become a vegetarian, nor did I head to the south beach.
COMMON SENSE.  That's really it, in a nut shell. (Nuts are GOOD FATS, by the way!)  I did not read a diet book, join a club, or a program in which I had to weigh in weekly or pay a fee to have someone tell me what I should and should not eat. I DID NOT count calories, and the health newsletters I read would totally agree with that.   We need calories - but there are good calories, bad calories.  Our bodies NEED FUEL - good energy.    Green food is fuel for your body, consume lots of brown food, sugars, simple carbs and you may as well be pouring battery acid in. Okay, maybe that's an extreme analogy - but acidic food is TOXIC food and promotes ill health and disease.
Check out the Healthy Living Cheat Sheet below. If you need a jump start to healthier living this guide has helped 100s of people.  Most of us have addictions, and we don't even know it. We are addicted to sugar - no less a drug in our body than perhaps a weed. Caffeine, akin to alcohol. Simple carbs - another word for "joint pain".  Artificial sweeteners - have you seen the commercial of the egg frying on hot pavement "this is your brain on drugs?" - well, don't be fooled by your diet sodas - it is pretty much an equivalent to frying your brain cells!
You may think this a little harsh, but the truth can be just that.  I am not saying you need to curb all your addictions at once...I backed off more slowly, 50%, then 75% and now I would say I eat alkaline about 85-90% of the time. I did not do a 30 Day Detox until I had already lost 62 lbs, and at the end of those thirty days I had lost 16 more!
For some - a jump start - cold turkey on all the allergenic foods in Step 1 are the only way to go. Those with serious addictions will likely experience headaches by day three. BUT if you stick with it, by the end of the first week you are going to feel SO MUCH BETTER!
If you can eat clean and green you may not need to incorporate a vegan (pea. brown rice, cranberry) protein shake - whch is pH correct for your body, into your lifestyle. For myself, I needed a convenience button and the Essentials shake fit my needs, not to mention I made up some pretty delicious concoctions! Dessert for breakfast-  I like that very much! (LOL)



I did not create the plate diagram above, but I do want to clarify the protein section. This does not mean an 8 oz steak every day, taking up 1/4 of your plate is acceptable! Dr. Russel Blaylock stated, in one of his newsletters, that  12 oz of red meat is all we need in ONE WEEK! Research is showing that iron toxicity is prevalent in almost all forms of cancer. And if you are not eating grass fed, organic beef....well then, forget it if you think you are eating healthy. Paleo people - be warned that excessive amount of MEAT is acidic and cancer cells thrive on an acidic state of being. There are plenty of low carbers out there who also think they can eat meat to their hearts desire and not have ill effects. Yes, you may lose weight initially, and perhaps permanently if it keeps you off the sugars and simple carbs, but people who eat healthy get cancer, too. I would almost be inclined to say that vegetarians perhaps have it down right, regarding healthy eating. But unbeknownst to many of them - SOY is not a HEALTH FOOD.  Not by the time it goes through American processing (which makes the end product acidic). GMO is an entire issue with soy, and even organic soy absorbs more trace metals from the ground than any other plant in the plant kingdom.

More than 50%, I would even suggest to make 75% of your plate GREEN. Healthy nut choices can be included in that. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on your salad. Cut up half a lean chicken breast to go with your salad, and add some fresh fruit to your salad to brighten the flavors. It is amazing how vibrant and delicious a salad becomes when you add a variety of toppings to your dark green GREENS (iceburg lettuce is NOT a health food - avoid it as it equals empty calories).

And for the record, unless I am detoxing I treat myself...if you have behaved all week long, made healthy choices and stuck with it - by all means go out and treat yourself to a mocha, a scoop of ice cream, or a couple pieces of dark chocolate.  Depraved people have been known to eat an entire quart of ice cream or bag of chips in one sitting - don't do this to yourself.  Rewards - it's all about feeling better, having  more energy, and going GREEN!

To your health,

Rita S.

What's In Your Health Drink?

In a few days I will be sharing a talk on taking care of your liver - or more importantly, loving on your liver. We each only have one. The liver is the body's filtering system. Just as you would not let your furnace filter get totally clogged, nor would you want the city water treatment plant to not be operating to par - we need to ensure the filtering system that God created for our bodies - the LIVER, is loved on and not taxed, which leads to disease and illness.
Come to learn more on Sunday at Crossroads Coffeehouse from 3-5 pm as we kick of a community group - Vitality 2012.

Today is a couple thoughts about beverages...now, I am referring to health drinks. Not soda, and not even energy drinks, as both are the opposite of health drinks.
This is a complete cut and paste, and wish I could remember from whom I found this - but I do believe it was Dr. Mercola's web site although I JUST downloaded 4 Myths- Sick, Tired, Fat by Dr. Kresser (another web site I just subscribed to) and he reiterates the same thing.
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4 health drinks to avoid

Here are 4 of the top so-called "healthy" offenders:
NUMBER 1: 100% "Natural" fruit juice
Surprised?
Ok. Yes. Fruit juice is a better choice than drinking fake high-fructose corn syrup juice … but … it's still a truck-load of calories per ounce of liquid.
On top of that, it has almost all of the blood sugar regulating fiber stripped out of the fruit—this means the natural fruit sugars will trigger insulin surges and send your blood sugar soaring into the diabetic range!
NOT what you want at all.
This is a BIG one because most parents think fruit juice is a "healthy" choice for their children … but … the science shows it's definitely not.
In a study* of 4 to 12 year old children researchers from Deakin University found children who drank more than two glasses (500ml) of fruit juice/drinks per day were more likely to be overweight or obese.
"These odds increased as the amounts of fruit juice/drink consumed increased," Dr Sanigorski said. "Children who drank more than three glasses of soft drink (three quarters of a litre/750ml) or 4 glasses of fruit juice/drinks (1 litre) on the day in question were more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese compared with children who did not drink these drinks."
So the best thing to do is keep fruit juices far out of the hands of our children.
But it's not just the kids who fall prey to these health wrecking Trojan horses—adults fall for it too!
In fact, one particular juice is extremely dangerous for ANY man to consume …
Can you guess what it is?
100% Pure Orange Juice.
Why?
Orange Juice is rich in IRON … which is potentially toxic if your blood levels become too high.
The reason men have to worry about consuming too much orange juice (as little as two big glasses each day) is because we men don't menstruate each month … … And that means we lack an efficient method of clearing excess iron from our blood each month.
Yes.
The "healthy" glass of orange juice you're having at breakfast not only spikes your insulin levels into diabetic ranges (which … along with your energy … will come plummeting down later in the morning) …
… But if you're a man it can also be loading your body with a potentially dangerous heavy metal.
Not good.
So with all this in mind …
It's a much better idea to EAT fruit the way nature intended, with all of the fiber intact, and use a whole foods base multi-vitamin/antioxidant supplement to get enough of the super-nutrients contained in fruit juice.
Let's move onward …

NUMBER 2: Soy Milk
This used to be an often recommended "healthy" alternative to milk …
The truth is:
Most soy products these days are heavily processed with little nutrient density… and … this includes most soy milk you see at the grocery store.
Without question, most soy milk has become too sugary and is controlled by the same food and beverage giants that are still manufacturing and marketing other products that promote degenerative disease.
What's more: high levels of soy consumption have been linked with un-naturally high levels of estrogen production in both men and women …
For men this is death to your sex drive, decreased sperm production and could cause problems such as gynecomastia (abnormal enlargement of men's breasts) …
… For women, even though estrogen is considered a "female sex hormone" … like most anything … too much of it is also bad.
Estrogen dominance has been linked to thyroid disruption, a host of autoimmune diseases and some research questions the connection to hormone sensitive cancers such as breast cancer.
Your best bet? Just avoid it.
And whatever you do, if you are raising a small child, do not feed your child soy-based breast milk replacement products …
… Hopefully, the potential dangers of this commonly accepted practice are evident now.
That said, not all soy is bad …
The only soy based food I have found that is in it's fairly natural state is edamame (green vegetable soypods found at most high-end Japanese restaurants).
Keep in mind I still eat it VERY rarely if I'm dining out or added to a healthy stir fry using walnut, macadamia nut or grapeseed oil.
Speaking of dining out … here's one to REALLY avoid …

NUMBER 3: Crappuccinos
Ok, I mean Cappuccino, but I'm really referring to those high priced gourmet coffee drinks.
While black coffee can help you burn fat because the caffeine content gives your metabolism a slight boost, these tempting coffee calorie hogs can hide up to 1,000 calories!
In one drink!
YES … you are correct … that's insane!
Still craving one of these gourmet coffee drinks?
You can make your own fat-burning version pretty easily:
You'll start by spooning sugar-free, nonfat vanilla yogurt in an ice cube tray and freezing it into cubes overnight.
Then you'll add them to a blender with a splash of organic fat-free milk, a teaspoon of instant coffee crystals, and a scoop of natural vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder.
Lastly, just sprinkle on some cinnamon to add a little fat-burning kick. If you want to cut down on the caffeine, just use decaffeinated instant coffee instead.
This will taste so good that you'll swear it isn't good for you, but it definitely is … and … it's much lower calories than those commercial brands!
Plus, the added protein will give your metabolism a good nudge and help to power your muscles throughout the day.
And last but not least, here is …

NUMBER 4: Zero Calorie Flavored Waters
The good news is these are 0 calories.
That's where the good news stops though …
… most of these still use questionable artificial sweeteners which have been shown to inhibit fat burning, increase appetite, and block the absorption of nutrients into your body in a variety of studies.
Don't be too bummed out though…
A couple of 0 cal flavored drinks use the all-natural stevia plant as a sweetener, include Zevia (a stevia based soft drink), and the 0 cal varieties of Sobe Lifewater for example.
So your best bet?
If you need a little more taste than water every once in a while—look for one of the brands I just mentioned …
… Or … you could always squeeze some lemon in water and maybe add a natural sweetener like stevia to satisfy your taste buds.
So now that you know some top diet drink disasters to avoid … and … you know a few good alternatives to popular "health" drinks.
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I hope you found that information helpful. Today, for the first time ever I drank more than half my body weight in ounces! I drank a 32 oz bottle of body cleansing solution mixed with water and was done by 10 am! I then managed two more 32 oz bottles during the day. At bible study I drank a large mug of detox tea, and two protein shakes. I should be floating!

I do feel more skinny and my pants are loose - celebrating my little moment in the spotlight as the top person in a privage Biggest Loser challene I am a part of.

to your health!
Rita S.

Colon Cancer Prevention – Part 1

Colon cancer makes me nervous…not only is it coined “the silent killer”, but according to the American Cancer Society it is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. (Moving up from third place in 2007.) Some of my family members have had concerns which keeps this cancer gnawing at the back of my mind. I have been reading quite a bit about this particular cancer, and am taking the stance of prevention for myself.

Dr. Robert Russell of Tufts University School of Medicine states that one half the risk of colon cancer is diet related. Changing one’s diet can significantly reduce the risk. I thought I would share some of the steps I have learned one can take to hopefully avoid Colon Cancer. By the time I finished reading from my various sources, this blog post became so long that I feel I must break it up in to two parts.

So first, some thoughts on causes….

Hormones? In many cases, colon cancer arises from what is known as a polyp, a growth in the colon. I have suspected for a year now that colon cancer could be related to hormones. Afterall, if excess estrogen causes cysts in the ovaries, fibroids in the breast, and enlarged prostrate – all forms of excess cell growth, it makes sense to me that excess estrogen also causes the growth of a polyp. I am still researching this and finding some who substantiate these thoughts, but not finding enough affirmation to say “it is so”. Still, I think it is worth mentioning, because let’s face it…we don’t want those other forms of cancers either, do we? I am a believer in the benefits of using a bio-identical progesterone cream that counters excess estrogen in the body.
UPDATE NOTE OCT. 2011 - In reading Dr. Michael Platt's book - The Miracle of Bio-Identical Hormones, he also concurs and adds colon cancer to the list of cancers in which too much of the estrogen hormone and too little progesterone play a part. I have increased my Prolief progesterone cream usage upon hearing this.
Inflammatory Diet: Dr. Russell Blaylock states, “As with all cancers, chronic inflammation and free radical generation are the ultimate causes.” Those with inflammatory bowel conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease,and Type 2 Diabetes, the latter of which results in high levels of free radicals in the body, have high association with colon cancer risk.”

Lack of Sunshine? Studies show that those who live in the northeastern portion of the U.S. have higher incidence than those who live in the south. Why is this? Vitamin D3 deficiency. Studies show that vitamin D3 inhibits many types of cancer, including colorectal cancers. How do you get your D3 – spend 15 min. a day out in the sun without sunscreen! Tanning bed users beware…it is not the same thing!

Calcium deficiency is another mineral shown to dramatically reduce colon cancer. However, per Dr. Blaylock, don’t replace your water intake with milk (which substantially increases the risk of prostrate cancer, and even heart attacks). The almond milk I drink every morning in my yellow pea, brown rice and cranberry based protein drink contains 45% of the daily recommended allowance for calcium, as compared to 30% for skim milk. Also, a calcium supplement (look for calcium citrate for absorbability) that also contains Vitamin D and Magnesium necessary for the body to utilize the calcium, would be supportive in colon cancer prevention. I was in Costco and noted the highly marketable chocolate chew form of a calcium supplement (geared towards women of course, who usually take a calcium supplement when older) and I noticed that the product did not contain magnesium. So yes, it may taste good, but your body would not be able to make use of the calcium without magnesium present. Most Americans also have a magnesium deficiency, which is a greater problem than we realize.
I have a Calcium Plus product that contains all of these nutrients, and the ORAC value is 10,000! (Which means the actual absorption of the product is phenomenal!
Okay, so now we know we need some sunshine, avoid inflammatory foods (wheat, gluten, and dairy are especially inflammatory), eat vegetables rich in calcium, or supplement, and strive to balance our hormones, either with diet or utilizing bio-identical supplementation (which is not the same as HRT by any means! If you have been reading this blog a while you are aware, and if not, check the topic cloud at the upper right to learn more.) What else can we do to help thwart the “silent killer”? Check the next post for some specifics on prevention.
To your health,
Rita S.

Doc Gives Overview of Protein Shake

I came across this video on YouTube - this doctor taught me something about the protein shake I enjoy each morning. She explains an ingredient that helps prevent sugar craving. It sure explains why I haven't been getting hungry or having  a desire to snack and eat sweets when I follow my morning routine of protein shake and healthy salad for lunch!
One day this week I took a sub to work for lunch - Jesse had a meeting Tuesday night and they sent some remaining subs home with him. That morning I had oatmeal (which is good for me) and by mid-morning I was feeling hungry. When I have a protein shake I can often go until 1 pm before I feel hungry. The day I had that sub for lunch ...I felt like I was starving when I left work that day and I know I ate a larger portion of food for dinner that night. Wednesday was not a good day.
Without further ado...Dr. Wesley shares her experience with AB products.