Jessie is one of the many breast cancer survivors I've met on the walks. How could I not keep walking after what she said? Over the five years and 15 days that I've walked so far, what strikes me the most is the hope and belief I've seen over and over among so many walkers, volunteers, crew, and supporters, most of whom are breast cancer survivors, know breast cancer survivors, or lost someone dear to breast cancer. Belief can work magic. If belief were the only treatment available, this walk has already treated many, many people. Imagine what a difference belief and the right nutrition could make!

I’m proud that I've raised over $16,000 to help prevent and/or manage this disease. If you would like to contribute, you can make a tax-deductible donation here: http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2013/SanDiegoEvent2013?px=1758790&pg=personal&fr_id=1818. 

You’ve probably noticed a lot of my recent posts have been about breast cancer, and that’s because October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In today’s post, I want to talk about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, because on the weekend of Nov. 15-17, I will walk in my 6th Susan G. Komen 60 mile, 3-Day Breast Cancer walk to help support breast cancer prevention, treatment, and research. By the time I finish this walk, I will have walked 360 miles (plus all the training walks) on behalf of breast cancer!

I’d like to tell you a little about the Susan G. Komen story. And to be clear, while Susan G. Komen for the Cure has helped many women facing breast cancer, I still believe that prevention through eating a whole, plant-based diet is the absolute best weapon we have to fight breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen was a woman who fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and committed to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure, having invested nearly $1.5 billion since inception in 1982. They are now the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Komen for the Cure has contributed to some real victories around breast cancer:

• More early detection – nearly 75 percent of women over 40 years old now receive regular mammograms, the single most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early (in 1982, less than 30 percent received a clinical exam).
  
• More hope – the five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when caught early before it spreads beyond the breast, is now 98 percent (compared to 74 percent in 1982).
  
• More research – the federal government now devotes more than $900 million each year to breast cancer research, treatment and prevention (compared to $30 million in 1982).
  
• More survivors – America’s 2.5 million breast cancers survivors, the largest group of cancer survivors in the U.S., are a living testament to the power of society and science to save lives.
  

While these are all real victories in the fight against breast cancer, the biggest victory of all would be to never even get the disease. We know that can be done by consuming a whole, plant-based diet. Dr. Campbell found compelling evidence from doing The China Project, which many consider to be the definitive epidemiological study of the relationship between diet and disease.  

My challenge to you is to simply add one whole plant-based food to your daily diet and at the same time, remove one food that is high in fat, or better yet, animal-based.

It could be as simple as adding a piece of your favorite fruit (apple, banana, strawberries, blueberries, etc.) or vegetable (try some baby carrots or have a fresh green salad with dinner). Skip that bag of chips with lunch and instead go for a side salad or some crisp celery. Try using nut, soy, or rice milk over your cereal instead of cow’s milk.

After you’ve done that for a week or so, do it again with something else. If you continue to add more whole plant-based foods while removing the high-risk foods, before you know it, you will be consuming significantly more whole plant-based foods and making your body that much healthier!

What substitutions could you make?

I heard a great joke tonight at a seminar about blogging. How do you know who loves you more, your husband or your dog? You lock them both in the trunk of your car, let them out 15 minutes later, and find out which one is happy to see you.

I got home from the seminar to find my two dogs so ecstatic to see me that they about bowled me over, with their tails wagging so fast that I could barely see them! There’s nothing like the unconditional love you get from your pets, no matter how late you come home. And walking in to that made me think about how those happy creatures melt away my stress and bring so much peace and joy into my life.

Pets can be the perfect antidote for stress. For example, going for a walk with your dog not only helps alleviate stress through exercising, having your dog with you makes it a lot more enjoyable, which relaxes you even more. On the other hand, sometimes just sitting with your pet can bring a calmness over you and help you get centered. And sometimes your pet does something really funny to make you smile or laugh, which also helps relieve your stress.

I love to get down on the floor with my dogs and play with them. They love to roll and do silly things that always make me laugh. When I’m on the floor, Kona likes to put her head and shoulders on the ground while standing on her hind legs with her rear end up in the air. Sena is quite a “talker”, and likes to roll on the ground and make all kinds of funny noises. They are both so funny and I can always count on them to make me laugh, which of course, always makes me feel better.

Leave a comment telling us how your pet(s) help you relieve stress.

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I would like to continue the discussion of diet and breast cancer risk as presented by T. Colin Campbell in his book “The China Study”. Here are some more interesting observations pointed out by Campbell. Ken Carroll, professor at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, showed a very impressive relationship between dietary fat and breast cancer. His data shows that breast cancer is associated with animal fat intake, but not with plant fat. In China, dietary fat mostly comes from animal-based food consumption, and as animal-based food consumption goes up, breast cancer also goes up. Findings from rural China showed that reducing dietary fat from 24% to 6%, meaning less consumption of animal-based food, was associated with lower breast cancer risk.

Migrant studies of people who migrated from one area to another and started eating the typical diet of their new area assumed the disease risk of that new area to which they moved. These studies strongly implied that diet and lifestyle are principle causes of the diseases and that genes are not necessarily that important. In a summary of many of these studies that was presented to the U.S. Congress, Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto, both of the University of Oxford, concluded that only 2-3% of all cancers could be attributed to genes.

Touching and expanding upon what was discussed in yesterday’s post, higher dietary fat is associated with higher blood cholesterol, which along with earlier age of first period (menarche) and higher female hormone levels, are associated with more breast cancer. The average age of menarche in rural China is 17 years, compared to the average age in the U.S. of roughly 11 years. The strong association of a high-animal protein, high fat diet with reproductive hormones and early age of menarche raise the risk of breast cancer. Furthermore, consumption of a diet rich in animal-based food causes hormone levels to remain high throughout the reproductive years, deferring menopause by three to four years and extending the reproductive life by a total of about nine to ten years, thus increasing the lifetime exposure to female hormones. Other studies have shown that an increase in years of reproductive life is associated with increased breast cancer risk.

Multiple observations, tightly networked into a web, show that animal-based foods are strongly linked to breast cancer. Individual parts of this web were consistently correlated and in most cases statistically significant, and this effect occurred at unusually low intakes of animal-based foods.

Resources

• Campbell, T.C., and Campbell, T.M. The China Study, Dallas, BenBella Books, Inc., 2006, p. 84-89.
  

I’d like to share the risk factors for breast cancer and how they relate to nutrition as discussed by T. Colin Campbell in “The China Study”. There are at least four important breast cancer risk factors that are affected by nutrition. Risk of breast cancer increases when a woman has 1) onset of periods at an early age; 2) late age of menopause; 3) high levels of female hormones in the blood; and 4) high blood cholesterol. Women who consume a diet that’s rich in animal-based foods and poor in whole, plant-based foods reach puberty earlier and menopause later, and have higher levels of female hormones throughout their lifespan.

Campbell cites the work and words of some of the leading breast cancer research groups in the world: “there is overwhelming evidence that estrogen levels are a critical determinant of breast cancer risk.” Estrogen directly participates in the cancer process and tends to indicate the presence of other female hormones that play a role in breast cancer risk. Increased levels of estrogen and related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets, high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fiber.

Earlier onset of puberty and later onset of menopause adds eight or nine reproductive years of blood estrogen exposure to American women compared to Chinese women, who have only one fifth rate of breast cancer of American women. The idea that breast cancer is centered on estrogen exposure is profound because diet plays a major role in establishing estrogen exposure. This suggests that the risk of breast cancer is preventable if we eat foods that will keep estrogen levels under control. 

In other words, eating a diet that's rich in whole, plant-based foods with little to no animal-based foods reduces risk of getting breast cancer.

Resources

• Campbell, T.C., and Campbell, T.M. The China Study, Dallas, BenBella Books, Inc., 2006, p. 159-161.
  

You greatly increase your chances of survival with early detection of breast cancer. So here are the three most common methods used for early detection of breast cancer:

• A breast self-examination (BSE) involves checking your own breasts for lumps or changes that may require medical attention. When doing a self-exam, you use your hands and your eyes to observe the feel and appearance of your breasts. In doing so, you become familiar with what is normal (it’s normal for breasts to feel a little lumpy and uneven) and inspect for any changes. There's disagreement within the medical community as to the effectiveness of BSEs for preventing deaths due to breast cancer. Once believed that many breast problems were first discovered by doing a BSE, many experts now believe there can be more harm than benefit caused by doing BSEs. According to WebMD, most breast problems or changes are not due to cancer. Pregnancy, aging, menopause, menstrual cycles, or birth control pills can also cause changes. Finding a change is often stressful and can cause fear and worry as well as unnecessary biopsies. So the BSE is no longer specifically recommended for breast cancer screening. However, many women still choose to examine their own breasts. To learn how to do a BSE, I recommend that you Google “Breast Self Examination”. There are many sites with written or video instructions, and you can select one or more that you find most helpful. 
  
• A clinical breast examination (CBE) is similar to a BSE, except that a CBE is physical exam performed by a health care provider (physician, nurse practitioner, or other medical professional) during your regular medical exam. According to the National Cancer Institute, some cancers may be found by a CBE that cannot be detected by a screening mammogram. However, while CBEs can be helpful in finding tumors, it is not a substitute for regular mammograms in women over 40. CBEs are beneficial for women under 40 years of age who do not yet get regular mammograms.
  
• A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. A screening mammogram is a tool that screens for breast cancer when there’s no sign or symptom of the disease. Tumors that cannot be felt or tiny deposits of calcium (microcalcifications) that may indicate breast cancer can be detected in the x-ray images. Mammograms are recommended annually for women age 40 and over. This includes women who have breast implants. Be sure to let the facility know if you have implants because they can hide some breast tissue and special care can be taken to assure that as much breast tissue as possible shows up on the mammogram. 
  

According to the National Cancer Institute, the best way to detect breast cancer as early as possible is to get a high-quality screening mammogram and a clinical breast exam on a regular basis.

Resources

• http://women.webmd.com/breast-self-examination
  
• http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/ClinicalBreastExam.html
  
• http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/mammograms
  

As promised yesterday, I am going to tell you how you can greatly reduce your risk of getting breast cancer. It’s simple: by eating a diet that predominantly or entirely consists of whole, plant-based foods, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes, and nuts and seeds. Here’s why: plants have more cancer-fighting antioxidants and other nutrients, more fiber, and less fat than any other food, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, and processed foods. The less that plant-based foods are processed, the better because processing strips away the nutrients.

Whole plant-based foods help strengthen your immune system, which helps your body fight off cancer as well as other diseases. A study in the U.K. of 61, 566 people studied over 12 years that was published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2009 found that vegetarians are less likely to develop cancer than carnivores. This is in part because meat lacks nutrients with cancer-protective properties as well as fiber, and meat is loaded with saturated fat, which has been linked to higher cancer rates. T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. clearly and reproducibly demonstrated in studies with rats that animal protein is an on-off switch for cancer: cancer was initiated, or if cancer was already present, propagated when rats were fed a diet with 20 percent of the calories from animal protein; cancer was not initiated, or if cancer was already present, halted or even reversed when rats were fed a diet with only 5 percent of the calories from animal protein. He and his collaborators observed the same correlations in humans in the largest epidemiological study to date, The China Project.

The best way to get cancer protection is by eating a colorful variety of foods. According to the Rainbow of Nutrition at www.CancerProject.org:

• Foods that are red including tomatoes, tomato products, watermelon, and guava contain lycopene, an antioxidant, which reduces risk of cancer by neutralizing free radicals.
  
• Foods that are orange including carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, mangos, and pumpkins contain beta-carotene, which supports the immune system and is a powerful antioxidant.
  
• Foods that are orange-yellow including oranges, lemons, grapefruits, papayas, and peaches contain vitamin C and flavonoids, which inhibit tumor cell growth and detoxify harmful substances.
  
• Foods that are green such as spinach, kale, collards, and other greens contain folate, which builds healthy cells and genetic material.
  
• Foods that are green-white such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower contain indoles and lutein, which eliminate excess estrogen and carcinogens.
  
• Foods that are white-green including garlic, onions, chives, and asparagus have allyl sulfides, which destroy cancer cells, reduce blue cell division, and support immune systems.
  
• Foods that are blue such as blueberries, purple grapes, and plums have anthocyanins, antioxidants that destroy free radicals.
  
• Foods that are red-purple such as grapes, berries, and plums contain resveratrol, which may decrease estrogen production.
  
• Foods that are brown such as whole grains and legumes are loaded with fiber, which like “scrub brushes for your intestinal tract, remove carcinogens. 
  

Try adding more whole, plant-based foods to your diet. The more, the better. It’s your best protection against breast cancer (or any cancer).

Resources

• http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_cancer_prevention.htm
  
• http://thekindlife.com/blog/2013/06/dr-neal-barnard-pcrm-preventing-cancer-with-a-vegan-plant-based-diet/
  
• http://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jul/01/vegetarians-blood-cancer-diet-risk
  
• http://www.pcrm.org/pdfs/health/ffl/2009RainbowPoster.pdf
  
• The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II, M.D.
  

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s face it, we all have breasts and need to keep them healthy. That goes for men too. You’ve probably noticed pink ribbons everywhere, the international symbol for breast cancer awareness. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.

Breast cancer touches many lives. Given the statistics, it’s likely that you or someone you love either has or will have breast cancer. That’s because one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2013, it’s estimated that there will be close to 300,000 new cases of breast cancer among women and close to 40,000 breast cancer deaths. Among men, there will be over 2,200 new cases of breast cancer and around 400 breast cancer deaths. This weekend will be the second memorial I will attend for a friend who lost her battle with breast cancer.

The great news is that through awareness and services made available to everyone, regardless of income, breast cancer is detected and treated early, so the survival rates have gone up significantly.

Detecting breast cancer early is great, but wouldn’t it be even better to prevent it in the first place? Check back tomorrow and I’ll tell you how you can greatly reduce your risk of getting breast cancer.

Resources

• http://www.nbcam.org/
  
• http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Statistics.html#US
  

Oranges are coming back into season! Oh, how I’ve missed sweet, juicy oranges! The oranges I’ve been getting over the past several months have been dry and somewhat lacking in flavor. And that includes oranges from my local farmer’s market. Probably because with the exception of Valencia oranges, most other oranges are not in season over the summer months. I bought a 10-pound bag of oranges today from my local farmer’s market today, and they are the sweetest, juiciest, most flavorful oranges I’ve had in a long time!

For under 70 calories, a medium-size orange has a full day’s supply of vitamin C and about 1/3 the calcium of a glass of milk. Plus it’s loaded with fiber and has lots of other vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, including vitamin A, folate, thiamin, and potassium.

The soluble fiber in oranges absorb water and form a gel-like substance that moves slowly through your intestinal tract, slowing down absorption of the sugars from the orange, a benefit you don’t get when you drink orange juice. The slow-moving gel lowers cholesterol by picking up and eliminating cholesterol as it moves through and out of your system.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which helps protect cells from oxidative damage caused by free radicals (to learn more about free radicals, see my post “What You May Not Have Known About Free Radicals” from July 25, 2013). Antioxidants such as vitamin C lower the risk of chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease by neutralizing free radicals.

Potassium is an electrolyte that helps maintain normal heart function as well as fluid levels in and around cells. Vitamin A contains a group of compounds called carotenoids, which in addition to giving oranges their orange color, also protect your eyes and help you maintain good vision. Folate, needed for proper functioning of the brain, contributes to a healthy heart and has been shown to slow the effects of aging. Thiamine aids in proper functioning of the digestive tract and promotes the health of the liver, eyes, nervous system, mouth, skin, and hair. Plus thiamine, known as the anti-stress vitamin, helps the body withstand stress.

And, don’t forget the sunshine! I know I can’t wait to bite into my next sweet, juicy orange!

Not eating enough fruit and/or veggies and know you need more? Here are some easy ways to get more:

Have a target of how much fruit and veggies you should eat every day. Add one extra fruit or veggie and keep eating one extra fruit or veggie every day until you get used to it, then add one more fruit or veggie. Keep building up until you’re eating at least your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of fruits and vegetables. And remember, more is even better! You can go to the fruit and vegetable calculator* to find out your RDA based on your age, gender, and activity level.

Too much hassle to eat fresh fruit and vegetables? Make it easy on yourself by purchasing pre-cut and prepared fruits and veggies. You can find many fruits and veggies all cut up, packaged, and ready to grab and go. You can also find many great prepared fresh salads and frozen veggie mixes that make it easy to throw together a great stir fry.

Make your veggies into a spread to go on sandwiches or crackers. Mashed avocados make a great spread by adding just a little salt or some lemon (or both). Surprisingly, so does kale. Steam a bunch of kale and process it in a blender with some walnuts, water, and a little salt. You won’t believe how good this is, and it’s loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants!

Don’t want to mess with a juicy piece of fruit? Blend your fruit into a smoothie. It’s delicious and satisfying. You can also green it up by adding a little spinach or other leafy green vegetables. Think it sounds bad? Try adding a little spinach to your next fruit smoothie. You’ll get all the benefits without even being able to taste it!

Getting tired of eating the same old two or three fruits or vegetables day-in and day-out? Mix it up by trying different fruits and vegetables. You can even mix fruits and vegetables together. Try adding some grapes, berries (any kind), or mango to your salad. If you usually eat spinach, try some kale or collard greens. Tired of the same old apple? Try a peach or some kiwi fruit instead. Go to the produce section and use your imagination.

If eating plain, raw veggies seems too boring, try dipping them into hummus or a bean dip for some extra fiber and protein. Or how about using a fresh tomato-based salsa as a dip? Or try smearing some peanut butter on an apple.

Roast or grill a mix of veggies such as eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. Coat the veggies lightly in olive oil and throw in the oven at 350 °F or on the grill until done. Then either serve them immediately (I’ll bet you can’t eat just one) or store them in the refrigerator and add to any meals, sandwiches, salads, or eat as snacks.

Don’t like the texture of veggies? Cook veggies in with your sauces and soups or add roasted or grilled veggies, then puree the sauce or soup to get a thick, smooth, rich sauce or soup that has all the flavor without the pieces. Another way to sneak veggies into foods is by finely grating them, then mixing them in. For example, you can finely grate zucchini or carrots, then mix them into soup, stew, or chili. You won’t have to puree it and won’t be able to tell it’s there.

*Fruit and veggie RDA calculator:
 http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/fruitsvegetables/howmany.html