Avocados may protect against oral cancer

Filed under: Oral Cancer

Avocados have the ability to find and destroy oral cancer cells according to researchers at Ohio State led by Steven D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. According to D'Ambrosio, the compounds of interest found in avocado target only the precancerous and cancerous cells, and not the normal cells.

Researchers are not sure how the compounds in the avocados do this, but they suspect it has something to do with phytonutrients found in the food.

Avocados are loaded with all sorts of good things, and here is one more reason to eat them.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]

Questions of cash: 'Why did my insurer turn down my claim?'

"There are clear, unequivocal warnings on our application forms and we believe that they give customers every opportunity to fully disclose their medical history."

Q. I am 30 and was diagnosed with testicular cancer two years ago. I had a critical illness policy with Legal & General, which refused my claim for 125,000 on the grounds that I had previously had minor keyhole ... via The Independent

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[Source: Testicular Cancer News]

New enzyme to reduce acrylamide in baked goods

Filed under: Prevention, Diets

Novozymes is launching Acrylaway, an enzyme called asparaginase, that can reduce acrylamide in food products by up to 90%. Acrylamide is formed when starchy foods are baked, fried or toasted at high temperatures.

According to Peder Holk Nielsen of Novozymes, many food manufacturers have shown interest in the product. In late 2006, Novozymes received a consent letter from the US FDA regarding the "generally recognized as safe status" of Acrylaway. This sounds like a great product and it will be interesting to see if it gains widespread use in the future.

In the meantime, recent studies have shown that although acrylamide at high levels is known to promote cancer growth in mice and rats, no human studies to date have found a link between dietary levels of acrylamide and cancer risk, including breast, colorectal, bladder and kidney cancers.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]

People with cancer say what they want from support groups

Filed under: Alternative Therapies, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Pre-vivors

A new study finds that many people with cancer, over sixty-five percent according to this particular study, said they would be interested in attending a support group. However, only a small minority actually join one.

Study participants said that they wanted practical medical information promptly after diagnosis and about twice as many wanted medical information over emotional support. Eight-two percent wanted groups to include discussion of spiritual issues, however, Allen Sherman, Ph.D, the lead author from the University of Arkansas, said that this may be influenced by the fact that the participants mostly came from the Bible Belt.

The study also found that people prefer drop-in groups as needed and do not mind if the group contains people with different types of cancer.

Recent studies suggest that support groups do not increase survival time, but they do improve coping skills and mood. As always, with any sort of support or counselling, it is wise to use your gut. If you're getting something out of it, that is great. If not, it's best to move on and find the support you need elsewhere.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]

Worthy Wisdom: Resources for healthy living

Filed under: Diets, Worthy Wisdom

It's not necessary to travel all the way to Tucson, Arizona or Lenox, Massachusetts for a little health enlightenment -- although I highly recommend it. Canyon Ranch professionals are not stingy with their health secrets. They offer a website for all to view, complete with all sorts of diet and fitness tips and and even an opportunity to sign up for an e-newsletter. In a binder I brought home from my trip to Tuscon in May, I've found even more resources, these specific to cooking. Take a look.

Recommended Magazines

Cooking Light (www.cookinglight.com)
Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)
Fine Cooking, (www.finecooking.com)

Recommended Cookbooks

Canyon Ranch Cooks (1-800-726-8040)
Canyon Ranch Cooklets (available at canyonranch.com)

• Salad & Appetizers
• Soups
• Fish & Seafood
• Poultry
• Vegetables & Vegetarian
• Desserts
• Mexican
• The LPGA Cooks with Canyon Ranch

The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison & Edward Espe Brown
Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver
How to Cool Everything by Mark Bittman

There you have it -- a good start for getting started on healthy and light cooking. Enjoy.

Thanks, Canyon Ranch, for sharing your resources.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]

Meg Wolff blogs about a life in balance

Filed under: Breast Cancer, Bone Cancer, Diets, Cancer prevention foods, Blogs, Books, Cancer Survivors

Meg Wolff survived cancer -- twice. First she had bone cancer and lost her leg to the disease. Then she had breast cancer and was given little hope from doctors who thought traditional treatment could not save her. Maybe it couldn't. But Wolff found something that did save her -- a macrobiotic diet.

Life is all about balance, says Wolff who authors a website rich in content about the connection between diet and a healthy lifestyle. She offers up-to-date information on her blog, links to recipes and resources, a calendar of events, and a look at her very own book, titled, Becoming Whole, The Story of My Complete Recovery from Breast Cancer.

Wolff says that by changing her diet, she has changed her destiny. She is alive and well and thriving. Give her a visit and see for yourself.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]

Thought for the day: Telling our cancer stories

Filed under: Thought for the Day

The universe is made of stories, not atoms. -- Muriel Rukeyser

Our cancer stories may be stories of our own or of our loved ones. Of beating cancer. Of loss and grief. Of finding new meaning in life after a cancer diagnosis. Or maybe not finding any meaning in it all. Of realizing just how strong we really are, whether we knew it or not.

I wrote about my experience of losing someone I loved to cancer here.

Some of us share our stories with the world through blogs or books or poetry or music or film or art or activism. Some of us may write our stories in personal journals. Some of us recite them in our heads and hold them in our hearts.

How do you tell your story?

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]