Vol. 25 No.8. AUGUST2010
online magazine of the Cancer Support Association
wellness news
Patron – His Excellency Dr. Ken Michael AC, Governor of Western Australia
environment, wellness and healing
REDEFINING NORMAL
CSA MEMBER KAREN LEIBOVITCH SHARES HER JOURNEY WITH CANCER AND INSIGHTS IN A NEW BOOK
UNIVERSAL HEALING PRINCIPLES
IN 4 EASY STEPS
HERBAL HEALING
HERBS AND NATURAL PLANT COMPOUNDS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER
HAVING GREAT FRIENDS
CAN HELP SHRINK CANCER TUMOURS
RAW FOOD DELIGHTS
CREAMY, SULTRY RAW FOOD CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Cancer Support Association of WA Inc.
editorial...
when you look for beauty in the world around you, then even the weeds in your garden are wondrous and amazing!
wellness news monthly online magazine of the Cancer Support Association of Western Australia Inc.
Wellness News e-magazine is published online and distributed free to members of the Cancer Support Association. Wellness News magazine is dedicated entirely to environment, wellness and healing. The magazine is for people with cancer or serious health issues; for people who are well and want to maintain their good health naturally; and for complementary, alternative and integrative health professionals. Please enjoy your Wellness experience!
news team... Editor Mandy BeckerKnox editor.wellness@yahoo.com.au Editorial Consultant Dr. Peter Daale
online at...
www.cancersupportwa.org.au
beauty is everywhere Dear Readers, In recent years I have cultivated a beautiful little garden of succulent plants and cacti. I’d never seen any of these plants in flower, but still considered them interesting in their own right. Just the other morning I went out to water this little garden and to my amazement the smallest of the cacti had quite suddenly produced three perfect white flowers which majestically towered above the tiny plant. The beauty of these blooms was astounding, particularly as they lasted onlya day, then disappeared from the planet, and the little cactus was again merely a little cactus. What a moment – I could easily have missed it. It reminded me that life is truly beautiful. Just when we forget, just when we have started to believe the stories of suffering, wars and terrible events, just when we think everything is hopeless or start to think ‘what’s the point?’, life presents us with such a moment of pure beauty which somehow captures the essence of what life is all about, and instantly reawakens our faith and connection to the world we live in, restoring our enthusiasm for life. It is these moments strung together which make a life. It is our perception of these moments which determines our happiness. There are potentially many beautiful pictures in life, yet in all our busyness and preoccupations it is quite likely that we walk right by without even noticing. In every moment of our lives we are unconsciously choosing to see certain things, for example, we can see the problems in the world
MEETING THE CHALLENGE!
one day cancer wellness workshop
NEW CSA members can attend free!
and feel despair, or we can see the beauty in nature and feel joy. How we perceive the world and how we respond to it is largely up to us. This explains how two people can observe the same thing but ‘see’ something completely different! It is not indulgent or myopic to focus on what is beautiful in the world to the exclusion of the horrible stuff. It is okay to be happy even if others are not! It is okay to have faith in ourselves and humanity when others are cynical and disbelieving. It may even be essential for our health and healing to look for the beauty within ourselves, within others, within every moment! Beauty has the potential to heal on many levels. Our mere gaze has so much power. Turning it in on ourselves and seeing the beauty within helps us cultivate self-acceptance and an inner tranquillity. By looking for the beauty in others we are affirming what is good and lovely in them, giving them the confidence to realise their potential. By admiring the beauty in nature we are helping to heal our wonderful planet. Be careful where you cast your gaze, use the power of it for good, look for beauty in the world, and pause to appreciate life’s precious moments – you will be amazed at just how beautiful life can be! I hope you find this issue of Wellness News inspiring on your journey to wellness. ✦
Love and peace this month, Mandy
Cover and inside cover images: thistle seed, by Omsel.
Life Changing Information for people with cancer presented by Dr. Peter Daale, Paul Alexander & Michael Sandford One day seminars for people living with cancer and their carers with a special focus on accessing key cancer information online, nutrition, and meditation. Held on the first Friday of every month. Upcoming 2010 dates: 2nd August, 5th November, 3rd December from 9.30am-4.30pm.
To book phone CSA 9384 3544
in this edition... features NEW NORMAL CSA member Karen Leibovitch has written 6 THE a book which chronicles her journey with cancer, relationships, depression and the long, rocky road to recovery and healing
10
UNIVERSAL HEALING PRINCIPLES IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS
12
HERBAL HEALING The use of herbs and natural plant compounds in the fight against cancer
18 20 22 24 28 31
WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN BITE BACK A MORNING WALK
HAVING GREAT FRIENDS COULD HELP CANCER TUMOURS SHRINK OR DISAPPEAR! INITIATING A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH YOUR FOOD THREATENED BY CANCER? Meditation does help!
WELLNESS IS...
regular 2 EDITORIAL Beauty is Everywhere THE NEWS House-proud women cancer risk; Many unaware 5 INexercise is cancer fighter [9]
25 26
FOOD NEWS Parsley as a Natural Vitamin and Mineral Supplement RECIPES Raw Food Delights: Beautiful, healing food for people with cancer
My Brilliant Image One day the sun admitted, I am just a shadow. I wish I could show you The infinite Incandescence
Rumi
That had cast my brilliant image! I wish I could show you, When you are lonely or in darkess, The Astonishing Light Of your own Being!
Soulful singing trio ‘AKANNA’ at CSA We were honoured to have the female ensemble ‘AKANNA’perform at our recent cocktail party fundraiser held on Friday,16th of July in the Sun Room at CSA. The event was attended by 50 CSA members and friends who enjoyed the beautiful music of AKANNA as well as hors d’œuvre and champagne by candlelight. CSA would like to thank AKANNA for contributing to the success of the evening. We also thank other sponsors including St. Anne’s Florist for the stunning floral arrangement, the Albion Hotel and the Ocean Beach Hotel for drinks, and Mt Lawley Bakery, the Boatshed Bakery and Temptations Catering for the delicious food which was enjoyed by all. If you would like to book AKANNA to perform at your special event contact Petrina Bishop on 0409 12 72 82 . You will delight in this singing female trio and be taken through a voyage of music. A collection of repertoire travelling through the maze of genres. You will be spellbound by the perfect harmony between emotion and skill.
CSA weekly program... MONDAY Meditation Made Easy .................................................................................10.00 – 11.30am Ongoing Lessons with Bavali Hill. FREE FOR MEMBERS (non-members $5) No bookings necessary.
About the Cancer Support Association of WA Inc The Cancer Support Association of Western Australia Inc is a nonprofit charitable organisation which was established in 1984. CSA’s key intention is to help people become informed, empowered and supported on their cancer and wellness journeys. CSA encourages an integrative, well-informed understanding of health and treatment options and strategies, and is committed to supporting all people, regardless of their treatment choices. CSA supports individuals who are living with cancer, their families, carers and the wider community through the services we provide, as well as through our widely distributed publications and unique cancer information website. CSA’s workshops, courses, groups, and complementary therapies are advertised throughout this publication and are held at CSA’s premises in Cottesloe unless otherwise stated.
TUESDAY Yoga with Sydel Weinstein ($10 / $5 members) ...................................... 9.30 – 10.30am Wellness and Healing Open Support Group ............................... 10.00 – 12.00noon with Dr. Angela Ebert Carer’s Wellness and Healing .............................................................. 10.00 – 12.00noon Open Support Group (when required) Reiki Clinic .....................................................................................................12.15pm – 1.30pm
WEDNESDAY Reflexology with Udo Kannapin ..................................................................10am – 2pm (appointments available between10am – 2pm) Laughter Yoga with Kimmie O’Meara ($3.00) ...................................11.00am – 12.00pm Chinese Medical Healthcare Qigong ($10/$5 members) .........12.30pm – 2.00pm with Master Andrew Tem-Foo Lim
THURSDAY Grief and Loss Open Support Group ................................................... 1.00pm – 3.00pm last Thursday of each month
FRIDAY Meeting the Challenge 1 Day Seminar ................................................9.30am – 4.30pm 1ST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH with Dr. Peter Daale (and others). PLEASE NOTE: MEETING THE CHALLENGE WILL NOT TAKE PLACE DURING SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER.
DAILY Wellness Counselling and Information Sessions with Dr. Peter Daale ........................................................................................... by appointment General Counselling with Dr. Angela Ebert .................................................. by appointment Phone direct on 0414 916 724 or 9450 6724 or email a.ebert@murdoch.edu.au
Please phone CSA on 9384 3544 or check our website for further information. We can help you with information packs, course prices, confirm course times and make bookings.
Program Change Qi Gong with Master Alex Lim will be held at the new time of 12.30pm-2pm every Wednesday
August 2010
in the news...
WELLNESS NEWS 5
House-proud women cancer risk General use of cleaners doubled the risk of breast cancer in women who used them the most, experts
found. Among the different kinds of products, air fresheners and mould and mildew removers had the strongest association. In contrast, mothballs, pesticides and insect repellents had little impact on breast cancer risk. US researchers conducted telephone interviews with 787 women aged 60 to 80 years old in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with breast cancer and 721 healthy women also in that age range. The women were asked about their use of cleaning products and pesticides, and split into four groups ranging between high and low users. Cancer rates for the different groups were then compared. Study leader Dr Julia Brody, from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, said: “Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use. Use of air fresheners and products for mould and mildew control were associated with increased risk. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on cleaning product use and risk of breast cancer.”
House-proud women who like to keep their homes clean and
Air fresheners were found to double breast cancer risk among women in the highest-use group, as did weekly use of mould and mildew-removing agents. Many pesticides, household cleaners and air fresheners contain ingredients known to trigger breast cancer in animals, said the researchers. Some were also made with endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that could theoretically affect the growth of oestrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells. Hormone-disruptors such as synthetic musks and phthalates were commonly used in air fresheners, said the scientists. Air fresheners may also contain chemicals called terpenes which can react with ozone in the air to form cancer triggers such as formaldehyde, benzene and styrene, they added.
fragrant may be at greater risk of breast cancer, research suggests. Scientists found significant links between
“Although exposure levels may be low and EDCs are typically less potent than endogenous hormones, limited knowledge of product formulations, exposure levels and the biological activity and toxicity of chemical constituents alone and in combination make it difficult to assess risks associated with product use,” the researchers wrote.
the disease and women’s
The scientists acknowledged that their results might be swayed by “recall bias” because they depended on answers to questions. For instance, women who blamed chemical pollutants for their breast cancer might be more likely to report high usage of cleaning products. However, Dr Brody said it was also true that women with cancer, who thought a lot about the likely cause of their disease, may be more likely to recall their use of cleaners accurately.
air fresheners and mould
use of cleaning products, removers.
Such uncertainty could be avoided by a “prospective” study which followed the fate of a study group over a period of years. “Because exposure to chemicals from household cleaning products is a biologically plausible cause of breast cancer and avoidable, associations reported here should be further examined prospectively,” the researchers concluded. ✦ Australian Associated Press, 20th July 2010
All Enviro products are based on the highest quality natural ingredients, vegetable extracts & minerals, organic where possible and sourced from local suppliers. Enviro products are highly concentrated, reducing the need for useless ‘fillers’, so are economical to use – often cheaper than their toxic, imported competiitors. Any new environmental issues pertinent to our range are researched and incorporated.
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of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
In the early stages of cancer Karen Leibovitch Leibovitch’s Karen longed for the ‘normal’ life she had before journey from cancer diagnosis. It didn’t take long to realise this was an impossible dream. Cancer had changed her deeply, changed her family, her relationships...and changed her definition of ‘normal’.
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 7
THE NEW
“NORMAL”
CSA member Karen Leibovitch has written a book which chronicles her journey with cancer, relationships, depression and the long, rocky road to recovery and healing By Mandy BeckerKnox It may seem a remarkable achievement to have written a book while undergoing treatment for oral cancer, but for Karen Leibovitch writing was an essential part of her recovery. For many months it was her main form of communication. Not that she wrote with a view to it being read publicly – most of her writing was in the form of emails to her counsellor and this correspondence formed the basis of her book Two Years to ‘Normal’ A Journey with Cancer which has recently been published by Longueville Books. Karen describes herself as an ‘accidental author’. She didn’t intend to publish a book, especially one so deeply personal and revealing – but based on the positive feedback from renowned author Sally Morgan and others, and her innate desire to help others, it was almost inevitable. With eight offers from publishers nationwide it wasn’t long before the few hundred email transcripts were compiled into a compelling novel-length narrative about cancer, relationships, depression, and the long, rocky road to recovery and healing. Before cancer, Karen was a busy mum with a counselling practice. The diagnosis of oral cancer was a shock and turned her family’s life upside down as she underwent treatment which involved the removal of part of her tongue which left her unable to speak. ‘Two Years to Normal’ is written in a conversational, friendly style and Karen’s sense of humour and generosity of spirit shines through the pages making it a compelling pageturner. It is an honest account of the ups and many downs of her journey with cancer. It is a book which will most likely be very helpful to others with cancer offering subtle but powerful tips on how to bring joy back into life after being diagnosed and treated with cancer.
It was this ‘false’ positivity which proved to be the ultimate obstacle to connecting deeply with family and friends as it masked her true feelings of helplessness and despair. People would offer help and assistance but Karen was initially incapable of receiving it which left her feeling isolated. According to Karen, one of the core messages in the book is that it’s okay to accept help and even to ask for help and that this is an important part of the cancer journey. “People have a need to give. People feel valued and needed when you ask them for help and indeed when we allow them to give it to us”. An inability to receive help can stem from feeling guilty about having a disease and the pressure it puts us all under. Cancer impacts heavily on family with treatment and trauma and care required. In my experiences, I think people ordinarily find it hard to ask for help let alone when trauma is upon us. We tend to be conditioned to give help but struggle receiving it.” Because Karen so deeply understands the difficulty of reaching out to loved ones and the need for non-judgemental, supportive counselling, every book purchased supports the Cancer Council Helpline to help ensure the continuation of quality counselling in times of desperate need. Karen believes so passionately in the importance of counselling and support that she is currently exploring the idea of setting up an online oral cancer forum where people can communicate freely using the written word. People with oral cancer are likely to be upset and frustrated at the inability to speak and an online forum is the ideal place to express those thoughts and feelings which would otherwise remain bottled up inside.
“The point is,” says Karen, “this is not really about me. It is about sharing a story, revealing weaknesses and inspiring others to share their stories too so they won’t feel as lost and alone as I did. As a counsellor, I find it humbling to be able to connect with and help many people”.
Two Years to Normal is an important book because it looks deeply at the emotional impact of cancer and how relationships dramatically change simply because of the disease. Karen found that one of the worst things about cancer was the way some people treated her – as if she had lost her intelligence as well as her voice!
Karen is a naturally vivacious and cheerful person who had always been conditioned to be ‘positive’. Even during the pain and trauma of cancer she maintained a positive demeanour, until the deep, debilitating depression which had been brewing under the surface overtook her completely.
Through the counselling process, Karen learnt to reframe her experiences, rediscover her joy and relearn how to live effectively with confidence. Acquiring a pet dog and lavishing it with love and attention was also an important part of her recovery. Some of the life lessons which helped her beat depression were: continued on next page...
of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
8 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010 ...from previous page
Here is a synopsis of the book from Karen’s website: karenleibovitch.com “In 2004 Karen Leibovitch was a busy mother of three young children, running a small counselling practice from home. But a routine visit to her GP led to a diagnosis of oral cancer, and within a matter of weeks Karen’s life was irrevocably changed. Surgery saved her life but left her with many challenges and a distressing sense of emotional disconnection from the family she loves. Desperate to find her way back, she is told it will take two years to regain what she has lost. The phrase two years to ‘normal’ becomes a barometer against which she measures her journey towards recovery. A loving and inspirational memoir written with honesty, insight and a self-deprecating sense of humour, Two years to ‘Normal’ will reassure those facing similar circumstances that they and their families are not alone in their experiences.” Two Years to Normal is available from the CSA Wellness Shop, Cancer Council outlets/ online, Karen’s website karenleibovitch. com, Kmart, Myer, David Jones and all good bookshops. RRP $32.95.
• It’s not what we get in life but how we react which is important. • Be flexible – don’t cling to rigid ideas. • There’s no use resisting inevitable change so accept it and create a ‘new normal’. • Stop wishing and focus on living. • Don’t continually ask ‘‘Why Me?”. Instead ask “Well, why not me?” So what does Karen’s new normal entail? With the publication of her book Karen has appeared on the 6PR Late Show, The Circle on Channel 10, Channel 10 News and so far been featured in the Sunday Times, West Australian, Western Suburbs and Post newspapers. She is a public speaker for the Cancer Council and Fitness First gymnasiums. She has had book signings in airports and bookshops across the nation and is well and truly on the Australian public speaking circuit – quite an achievement for someone who relearnt to speak just a few years ago! ✦ For Karen’s upcoming workshops and events go to her website karenleibovitch.com.
KAREN’S TOP TIPS FOR COPING WITH CANCER Ask for help when you need it. Accept it graciously when it is offered. We’re all part of the same community and we all want the same things. Treat people with kindness and never judge others because of the way they look or sound. Stay in the present. Live for Today. Hope for Tomorrow. Appreciate every day. Never Give Up. Keep taking small steps forward. There is always a door. Don’t Fight It. Treat cancer like a dangerous friend! “Fighting” consumes your energy. Hold onto your energy to enjoy life.
Laughter Yoga at CSA with Kimmie O’Meara Wednesdays 11am-12pm Come and experience the therapeutic benefits of laughter.
See you there! www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 9
in the news...
Many unaware exercise is cancer fighter M
ost Victorians don’t know that failure to exercise can increase their risk of developing cancer, according to a survey released by the Cancer Council Victoria (CCV). CCV said one-third of deaths from cancer in Victoria each year – or 3000 people – were preventable but people were unaware of the cancer risk factors. Cancer Prevention Centre director Craig Sinclair said people tended to believe that their risk of developing cancer was down to fate or family history. In reality, less than one in 10 cancers were caused by known faulty genes, he said. “While messages are getting through about quitting smoking and being sun smart, people need to understand that cancer risk can be reduced by limiting alcohol intake, having appropriate screening tests, being active and keeping body weight under control by eating fresh fruit and vegetables rather than high-energy foods,” he said. “However, when surveyed, only 19 per cent of Victorians volunteered that leading a healthy lifestyle is a step that can be taken to reduce cancer risk.” The findings are contained in the Council’s most recent population survey, in which more than 3000 Victorian adults were surveyed by telephone in 2007. The findings were released on Tuesday to coincide with the launch of a website to help educate the community about cancer prevention. The website, Cut Your Cancer Risk, helps people calculate their cancer risk and set goals to reduce it. According to the survey, just 49 per cent of those surveyed believed lack of exercise was an important cancer risk factor. And only 55 per cent of Victorians know that being overweight can cause cancer. When asked to identify ways to reduce cancer risk, only 4 per cent said controlling weight. Cancer Council research shows that a waistline of over 100cm for men and 85cm for women significantly increases the risk of some types of cancer, including cancers of the bowel, breast and oesophagus. Mr Sinclair said it was also concerning that the link between alcohol and cancer was not well known. While more than 1300 people died from cancer due to excessive alcohol consumption in Australia in 2005, 94 per cent of Victorians failed to mention limiting alcohol intake as a way to reduce cancer risk.
“People need to understand that cancer risk can be reduced by limiting alcohol intake, being active and keeping body weight under control by eating fresh fruit and vegetables rather than high-energy foods”
The website is: cutyourcancerrisk.org.au. ✦
From ABC Science: www.watoday.com.au, 3rd August 2010
of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
10 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
Applying
in 4 Simple Steps By Kal Sellers
Today you might find a vast array of healing options before you. How do you decide what to do with all these options? What can you do to ensure success in healing or getting the results you are seeking? In fact, no matter what your healing approach, you are going to be using one or more of the four steps outlined in this article.
If you are just beginning on a healing path, you might already be using one of these steps. If you have been working on a wellness strategy for a while, you will most likely have considered all four.
It has been suggested that any disease can be cured naturally, using the remedies nature provides freely. What is secretly attached to that statement, though, is the individual need for variance. Even for one person, the need from issue to issue can vary widely. You might, for example, heal your high blood pressure by Dr. James A. Duke’s simple blood pressure juice remedy which consists of the fresh juice of 4 stalks of celery, 2 buttons of garlic, 1 dime-sized bundle of parsley and 2 carrots with a healthy pinch of cayenne pepper. The juice is consumed every day as a one-for-one replacement for blood pressure medication. On the other hand, you might have another chronic condition, such as arthritis, which may require a far more involved healing regime than just consuming juice to become symptom-free. It is just not readily obvious what an individual’s healing needs are. Because of this, modern healers have developed a 4-part template which can be utilised to begin your healing journey and take it to whatever level is needed to create complete healing of any condition of body or mind.
The four-part healing template 1. Reduce the burden 2. Use specific medicine 3. Change the image in your mind 4. Heal your life Each of these needs some qualification and explanation.
1. Reduce the burden
This step may include cleansing, doing a juice fast or a cleansing fast, eating raw plant food, eating vegan food, practising proper food combining, changing your circumstances to eliminate a social or physical burden, eliminating a bad habit, reducing caloric intake, having regular bodywork or massages, getting a chiropractic adjustment or acupuncture, etc. This part could also include using electromagnetic therapies, which function largely to eliminate wastes and compression on the adjacent tissues. The list of possibilities here is endless. You could do some internal cleansing, go on a healing, transformational diet and begin changing your thinking to cultivate peace, optimism and gratitude in your heart.
2. Use specific medicine
This step involves targeting a particular issue or illness with specific medicine. In the herbal medicine system this would involve using an herb which goes to a specific area, such as ginkgo which goes to the brain. The herb used may be combined with something which will accelerate healing in that area, such as combining carrot tops with ginkgo to heal the glands in the brain. This step may also includes specific nutritional strategies, using dried animal parts, homeopathic preparations, essential oils, enzymes or an almost unlimited array of medicines, therapies and technology. The idea is to target the area with healing energy and food.
www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 11
3. Change the image in your mind This step is less generic than the previous two. Nevertheless, any person on a healing path needs to be able to visualise an image of the area in the body or the situation needing healing as it is when it is perfectly well. This involves transforming patterns of thinking which are negative into ones which are positive. Frequently, I have my clients hold an image of the area of the body in question for just a fraction of a second. They see it as totally well – not in a process of becoming well, but complete in that moment. Then they immediately let it go and they do not think about it again until they are reminded to do so by pain or something thought or sensation. They do this 20-30 times per day and take no more than a second or two to do the whole process. Louise L. Hay’s book “Heal Your Body A-Z” gives specific thought patterns associated with the various parts of the body or diseases.
4. Heal your life
This step might require opening up to an almost endless sea of possibilities. A commitment to healing may mean simplifying your life to a manageable level – clearing the inner and outer clutter eliminating your those things which cause worry and concern. . It involves living cleaner and neater, taking better care of yourself (usually in ways that do not involve money), forgiving someone, forgiving yourself, liking yourself, loving yourself and serving others more with more sincerity. Healing your life might involve some major changes. Often it involves taking a look at how spiritually congruent you are (meaning how well you live your ethical and moral standards and ideals). Kindness and service towards others plays a major role in this step.
A commitment to healing may mean simplifying your life to a manageable level – clearing the inner and outer clutter, eliminating your those things which cause worry and concern.
This is the four-step template. It works for anyone and everyone. Apply the principles of this universal template to begin the journey towards healing your body, mind and soul. ✦ Kal Sellers, MH currently operates KalsSchool.com and teaches a 2-year curriculum for Natural Medicine. Kal is a Master Herbalist and holds several other certificates and licenses for hands-on healing modalities.
The Gawler Foundation 12 Week Cancer Self-Help Programme
Cancer, Healing & Wellbeing
Facilitated by Cathy Brown. Starts: Wednesday, 15 September 2010. 10am to 12.30pm weekly at CSA
“Cancer is a challenge – something you can conquer. Use it to make changes in your life – the things you have always been going to do. Do them now and change them now. Be open to things you may never have explored before.” ON THE PROGRAMME YOU WILL LEARN TO: • • • •
Activate your potential for healing Relax effortlessly and meditate deeply Develop and sustain a positive state of mind Understand the role of nutrition and healthy diet for healing • Develop strategies to manage pain and fear • Find meaning and purpose in life
WEEKLY TOPICS INCLUDE: Week 1: Introduction and Meditation 1 Week 2: Meditation 2 Week 3: Mind Training 1 Week 4: Food 1 Week 5: Food 2 Week 6: Pain Management Week 7: Healing
Week 8: Causes and solutions for cancer Week 9: Mind Training 2 Week 10: Living and Dying Week 11: Healthy Emotions Week 12: Health and Wellbeing
Cost: $350 per person. Limited Places. Contact CSA to book. of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
12 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
in the fight against cancer By Alan N Hopking MA MNIMH MRCHM FINEH
As few as seven per cent of all cancers are inherited. However,
expert medical opinion teaches us that all cancers are generic, that is, they develop because something in a cell’s genes makes mistakes during the copy of each cell’s entire blueprint of the person. This is frequent throughout our lives; however, the mechanisms that repair these mistakes get less efficient with age. It is estimated that within every eighteen months the entire cellular structure of our bodies is replaced. There have been considerable advances in cancer drugs designed to help the body repair these generic mistakes. For instance, Herceptin in breast cancer recurrence; Glivec for leukaemia, Avaslin for metastatic colourectal cancer has led to a major increase in survival, and likewise, Velcade for myeloma, Tarceva for lung cancer, Aldara for basal cell skin cancers, Gardasil for early cervical cancer, among others, all appear to have contributed to survival rate increase. Meanwhile the Cancer Genome Project at the Sanger Institute near Cambridge, England, has reported it has already identified over 100 gene mutations that may lead specialists to be able to detect cancer, or increased risk of cancer, long before people become ill with the disease. There are also new developments in discovering clues (biomarkers), detectable as traces of protein produced by rogue genes through testing the blood, urine and saliva which can give early diagnosis of the onset of cancer. However, even with these recent pharmaceutical developments such drugs shouldn’t be regarded as ‘magic bullets’. Furthermore, these new cancer therapies have a serious thorn in their side: There is often generic blueprint reversion. This means that the cancer cells usually develop resistance to such drug treatment, (just as bacteria in the body do), according to Professor Paul Workman of Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Cancer Therapeutics. So despite all the advances in pharmaceutical medical science there is something in our body that has a natural reversion to old type-models.
Rather than imposing repair to the blueprint that is not sustainable with drugs, there needs to be a complete shift in lifetime health management. This is where both therapeutic holism in general, and herbal medicine in particular, have a strong voice in the prevention and treatment of disease and cancer. And, let us be clear: both conventional drugs and complementary therapies aim, in their own way, to eradicate not only cancer but all diseases.
HERBS: TRADITIONAL MEDICINE In the United States, herbal medicine is regulated not as medicine but under the category of Dietary Supplements. There is no recognition of herbal medicine as a clinical practice nor that the herbs themselves have any legal or regulatory framework as a healthcare profession. On the other hand, herbal medicine (phytotherapy) in Europe is legally recognised as a legitimate healthcare system under ‘Traditional Medicines’ and the UK Medicines Act 1968. A traditional medicines category for herbs is important for two reasons. It legitimises the obvious fact that herbs have medicinal value (whereas in America and the EU medical claims are not allowed for dietary supplements) and it also asserts that valid evidence and support for efficacy and safety derives from traditional use over many years. Traditional use evidence does not replace scientific or clinical trial data, but is a unique category of evidence, which separates herbs with many years of medicinal use from modern, synthetically engineered products that are promoted as ‘natural’ dietary supplements. For example, antioxidants in capsule form have come under fire recently in the New Scientist magazine. In her article, Lisa Melton writes that studies show that antioxidants, from beta-carotene to vitamin E to grapefruit extract in tablet or capsule form, simply do not work when taken into the body, and that only whole fruits, vegetables and herbs give us the huge antioxidant benefit when eaten.
www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 13
With chemotherapy, whilst it attacks the rapidly dividing cancer cells, it also acts in a harmful way upon the structure and function of normal cells, tissues or organ systems of the body. The resultant side effects are all too familiar – mouth and throat soreness with metallic taste, loss of hair, poor appetite with nausea, weight loss, bowel dysfunction, and so on. Here lies the fundamental difference between herbal medicine and chemotherapy. In chemotherapy the chemicals act on the body, causing harm to the body, actively disrupting the vital processes, interfering, interrupting, impairing, in a dynamic manner whereas, in contrast, the body acts on herbs resulting in the restorative, curative and yet passive influences of herbal medicine.
HERBS V POISON Poisons are ubiquitous in the environment and food chain, and are detectable in large numbers in our bodies. Meanwhile food, or at least much of what is sold as food, can arguably be categorised as poison in terms of industrial processing, synthetic additives, colourings and preservatives, pesticide residues, and a nutrient composition emphasising bad fats and simple sugars and lacking in beneficial minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients. Many plants have furnished modern medicine with drugs that are used in cancer therapy as cytotoxic agents. Plants are the original source of most pharmaceuticals, one of the earliest examples being William Withering’s use of the cardiac glycosides from foxglove for dropsy in 1785. Well-known modern examples include Taxol that is used for breast cancer (which gets its active constituents from the Pacific Yew tree) and the vinca alkaloids used for leukaemia (from the Madagascar Periwinkle). These compounds, unlike the chemopreventive compounds, are effective as anti-cancer agents by virtue of their nature as poisons that disrupt the cell cycle. Their destructive action as poisons is clear. But this can blur the distinctions between two very different kinds of agents – medicines and poisons. It is uncontroversial to conclude that regular medicines (that is modern pharmaceutical drugs), have become a major killer and are quite properly defined as poison, and are a leading cause of death among US citizens. Herbs are inherently curative; chemo and drugs in general are inherently destructive. Notwithstanding, both chemotherapy and specific medicinal herbs can be valuable partners when taken together in the fight against cancer.
“If it is the highest and the greatest that you seek, the plant can direct you. Strive to become through your will, what without will, it is.” ~ Goethe
NATURAL COMPOUNDS IN CHEMOPREVENTION Botanical medicines are complex mixtures of natural pharmacological agents, simultaneously exerting influence on different phases of cancer via diverse mechanisms, but which are harmonious with the body’s functions. As they are similar to dietary or food ingredients, such medicinal herb compounds can assist the stabilisation, arrest and even reversal of cancer. By contrast, pharmaceutical drugs are classically single synthetic compounds, ideally interfering or disrupting a single specific mechanism, whilst minimising collateral damage, (i.e. side effects). However, this ideal model is rarely achieved. Chemoprevention was originally defined by Sporn in 1976 to be “the pharmacological enhancement of mechanisms (physiological or pharmacological) whereby progression of preneoplastic lesions can be stabilised, arrested or reversed”. Retinoids were the earliest compounds investigated for their potential to prevent the development of epithelial cancers. Recently, numerous reviews of plant derived chemopreventive compounds or phytopharmaceuticals have identified their potential role in the treatment of cancer. These chemo preventative compounds are dietary ingredients which, being food derived, are considered pharmacologically safe. These dietary ingredients contain a wide range of different molecules such as organosulphur compounds from garlic, polyphenols in green tea and curcumin in turmeric. Basic scienctific research is confirming that many chemopreventive dietary compounds are active at precisely the molecular targets that drug designers seek to affect with the newer generation of targeted drugs, typically the monoclonal antibody (MCA) agents. Worse, the latter have significant side effects, as reported in Lancet Oncology and icon. Yet despite massive investment in time and money, only a handful of such drugs have been licensed to date – such as Herceptin and others mentioned above. Of these, probably Herceptin is the only drug that has proven itself of significant benefit, yet it is so expensive that new breast cancer patients in England are not routinely given it, leaving nothing to attack the very same molecular targets that have been identified by cancer research scientists attempting to formulate these smart drugs. continued on next page...
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14 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010 With an established safety record and a fraction of the cost of conventional chemotherapy, plant compounds for cancer treatment represent an enormous resource that is virtually untapped. Frequently research papers in professional journals conclude by suggesting that chemopreventive plant compounds are potentially the most important therapeutic breakthroughs to come. It is already understood that such botanic compounds support the treatment of all phases of cancer. Moreover, very often chemo preventive dietary compounds interact with several of these targets simultaneously and often synergistically. For example, green tea polyphenols can influence signal transduction factors, inhibit COX-2, promote cell cycle arrest, increase cancer cell death (apoplosis) and disable multi-drug resistance pumps; and curcumin from turmeric has been found to influence over 60 such molecular targets in the cancer process.
THE TWO TYPES FOR HERBAL CANCER TREATMENT
“People (like soil, bears, butterflies and monkeys) have made their medicine by percolating water through plants, eating them whole, soaking them in water for teas, or rubbing them on their skin... for we, like all other life, have long been inextricably interwoven into the fabric of the plant world ~ Stephen Buhner
A common misconception among the general public is the oversimplified idea that stimulating the immune system will eradicate a cancer. Cancer evades most immune system surveillance because of the low immune system response capacity (immunogenicity) of the patient developing malignant tumours. Thus, many patients with advanced malignancy have poor resistance due to their lowered levels of innate (Th1) immunity, the branch of the immune system whose cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells, directly combat and destroy tumour cells. From the point of view of herbal medicine, two therapeutic requirements are essential when treating cancer. These are the Immunomodulating herbs, and the Adaptogenic herbs. A large number of herbal medicines and plant compounds directly stimulate this innate immune response. These same agents can also be used for instance to help protect bone marrow against the myelosuppressive effects of conventional chemotherapy. The two most important classes of herbs in this group are the immunomodulating herbs that enhance the immune system function, such as the medicinal mushroom Shiitake, and the adaptogens that enhance the body’s capacity to respond to the immune system enhancement. This includes many well-known herbs such as Korean Ginseng, Astragalus, Pau D’Arco, and many others (see the names of these herbal medicines in the reference section at the end of this article). The capacity of herbal medicines like mushroom polysaccharides to influence the level of immune function can be regarded as a direct expression of the way in which botanicals enhance the natural protection in the body. Similarly, adaptogenic herbs enhance the body’s capacity to respond to these increases in immune system demands (also called the allostatic load) via multiple pathways mainly due to nervous stress, extra hormonal activity and the enhanced burden on the immune system itself. This too is clearly an effect mediated by the body’s own intrinsic vital energy as opposed to a suppressive drug-based anti-disease action. The fact that plant medicines have no equivalent among pharmaceutical drugs is known to both pharmacognocists (scientists who study plants for their medicinal action) and medical herbalist practitioners. What’s more, botanical adaptogens have a wide range of beneficial interactions with conventional chemotherapy and radiation. This is because herbal medicines used for this purpose raise the standards of the whole body’s resistance, both to the cancer itself and to the suppressive action of the chemotherapy. To date, there is not a single case report in the literature of any harmful interaction between a botanical and conventional cancer treatment. For practitioners of botanical medicine, negative and uninformed quotes and articles issuing dire warnings about adverse interactions between herbs
Make Tuesday yoga day...come along to CSA and experience the cancer healing benefits of yoga classes with Sydel Weinstein on Tuesdays...
in the Sun Room at CSA A gentle, holistic, relaxing class with Sydel Weinstein Tuesdays 9.30 – 10.30am. Suitable for beginners. www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 15
and chemotherapy are sadly all too predictable. For cancer patients, this causes unnecessary fear and confusion, which often inhibits patients from seeking to use herbal medicines.
tissues. Research has shown that there are some herbs and foods like citrus pectin that provide lectins that compete with this glue and prevent cancer cell adhesion.
However, the use of herbal medicine in the treatment of cancer is an important tool to support overall cancer treatment methods whilst also having in its own right the ability to influence and enhance positive therapeutic results.
The modern use of herbal medicine in abnormal cell formation treatment relies on painstaking research. For example, scientists have identified compounds in herbs that protect the watch-dog genes from damage. There are also herbal remedies that stimulate the immune system.
It is as well to remember that our bodies have co-evolved with plants, both as food and medicine, for millions of years. There is a deep connection between humans and plants at many levels, from the intuitive and instinctive to the subcellular. It is this connection that medical herbalists seek to tap into for the benefit of cancer patients. It is irrefutable that within the many integrative strategies available for the treatment of cancer the huge benefits of botanical medicines top the list.
A healthy diet and lifestyle along with herbal medicine treatment work against abnormal cell formation and help prevent such cells from establishing themselves in new tissues. In the treatment of cancer formation herbal medicine is best used as part of a comprehensive regime of health treatment. Herbal treatment can make the taking of harsh but necessary chemotherapy or radiation therapy easier and more effective, as noted above.
HERBAL SYNERGY AND TRIGGERS
HORMONALLY DEPENDANT CANCERS
Specific immunomodulating and adaptogenic herbs are combined to work together as one powerful therapeutic agent for cancer treatment. This is called synergy. Such a combination is found in the botanic medicine called HerbShield Tonic12, which is recommended by therapists and many websites and in books on natural cures of cancer, e.g. Healing Cancer by Simon and Enrida Kelly. Herbal medicines of this kind have a synergistic action that boosts the defences of the body against the development of abnormal cells. Other well-known multi-herbal medicines used almost exclusively as cancer-support remedies are Essiac-ACT13 and ABC Daily Herbal NutriPowder Plus14.
The occurrence of breast and reproductive cancers are, as recognised by Susun Weed in her book Breast Cancer, usually aggravated by excess oestrogen. However, Weed states, on page 44, that “to date, no increase in breast cancer rates has ever been associated with the use of phytosterol-rich herbs (with the possible exception of liquorice), there is, however, a strong correlation between consumption of phytosterol-rich foods (such as yams and soybeans) and decrease in breast cancer rates.”
There are many types of cancer but the multiherbal action derived from taking such formulations helps protect and eliminate such cells. This is achieved by the herbal synergy activating each person’s unique combination of defences against the development and progress of such abnormal cells. It is already recognised that herbal medicines are prescribed to help to protect tissue cells against viruses, toxins, radiation and bacterial invasion. Herbal medicines like HerbShield support the cells to perform their normal functions and resist turning cancerous; likewise, herbal medicines can so enhance cellular normality that cancer cells can be destroyed. There is a need to protect the body against cancer triggers (caused by a long-term intake of all sorts of chemical toxins – air pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides in foods, colourants in drinks, taste enhancers, etc) initiated in injured cells which can cause mutation and result in malignant abnormal cell formation. Herbs can be prescribed, for instance some containing immune-enhancing quercetin flavonoids found in herbs, berries, onions, and other powerful nutrients, that resist the spread of cancer cells or provoke the tumour to form its own blood vessels (carcinogenesis stage of angiogenesis). A healthy diet that includes regular eating of anthocyanins found in fresh fruits and vegetables, plus herbal medicines, regular exercise and good sound sleep, are just some of the ways to restore health.
HERBS THAT STOP ADHESIONS Studies have shown there are certain medicines and foods containing specific compounds that activate the watch-dog genes that turn off the cell mechanisms that make rogue cells. In addition, most cells have an address, specified by adhesion proteins, that glues cells into their proper position. For a cell to spread its abnormal form and function, it must have DNA instructions that allow it to break the bonds of that glue and to make new adhesion proteins before entering other
One anti-oestrogenic constituent, lignan, is found in high concentrations in the urine of human populations who follow high vegetable or soy-based diets, and is considered to be partially responsible for low breast-cancer rates in those same populations. The two primary mammalian lignans found are enterodiol and a product of its oxidation, enterolactone, both of which are formed in the intestinal tract by bacteria after ingestion of foods such as unrefined grains, beans, seeds, peas, and legumes. Interestingly, the same populations also excrete very high amounts of isoflavonoids, particularly genistein and daidzein. There is evidence that suggests that both lignans and isoflavonoids are protective with regard to hormone-dependent cancers such as breast cancer, and that isoflavonoids may be protective with regard to prostate cancer. It seems that a typical Western diet elevates plasma levels of sex hormones and decreases the Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) concentration, increasing the availability of these steroids in the body. It is believed that such compounds (diphenolic) affect hormone metabolism and production, along with cancer cell growth, resulting in the possibility of a role in hormone dependent cancer protection. It has been shown in many studies that a low SHBG level means a higher metabolic clearance rate and uptake of sex hormones in many tissues including the liver. Postmenopausal women with breast cancer have frequently shown low SHBG levels. Studies performed by Herman Adlercreutz et al. suggest that isoflavonoids and flavonoids may all act synergistically, inhibiting cell growth in malignant cells via the type II binding site, also called the bioflavonoids receptor, or by inhibiting specifically the protein tyrosine kinase, the enzyme mediating the activity of many growth factors in the cell. Adlercreutz concludes that lignans and isoflavonoids may influence sex hormone metabolism and cancer by influencing plasma SHBG levels, resulting in lower uptake and less biological activity of these steroids, and thus inhibiting growth and continued on next page...
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16 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
HerbShield Cancer Herbs Allium sativum (Garlic bulb, Da Suan) Alpinia officinalis (Galangal root) Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) Astragalus membranaceus (Astragalus root, Huang Qi) Bupleurum falcatum (Thorowax root) Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower flower) Codonopsis lanceolata (Codonopsis herb) Commiphora molmol (Myrrh) Coptis chinensis (Golden Thread root, Huang Lian) Curcuma longa (Turmeric root, Jiang Huang) Echinacea angustifolia (Purple Cone Flower root) Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian Ginseng) Galium aparine (Cleavers tops) Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo leaf) Lentinula edodes (Shitake mushroom) Linum usitatissimum (Flax; Linseed) Oldenlandia diffusa (Bai Hua She She Cao, whole herb) Olea europaea (Olive Tree Leaf) Panax ginseng (Ginseng root, Ren Shen) Psoralea corylifolia (Psoralea fruit, Bu Gu Zhi) Pfaffia paniculata (Suma root) Rheum palmatum (Rhubarb root, Da Huang) Rumex acet (Sheep sorrel) Rubus ideus (Raspberry leaves) Sanguinaria canadensis (Blood root) Schisandra chinensis (Schisandra berries, Wu Wei Zi) Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin, Baikal root) Tabebuia impeteginosa (Pau D’Arco, Taheebo bark) Thuja occidentalis (Thuja, Arbor-Vitae leaves and stems) Trifolium pratense (Red Clover flowers) Triticum sativa (Wheatgrass fresh) Uncaria tormentosa (Cat’s Claw, Peru; inner bark) Urtica dioica rad. (Nettle root) Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry fruit) Vinca major (Periwinkle tops) Viola odorata (Sweet Violet leaves and flowers) Viscum album (Mistletoe leafy twigs) Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha root)
proliferation of hormone-dependent cancer cells. Such examples do not necessarily prove conclusively that phyto-oestrogens consumed as whole plant medicine tinctures or extracts are protective against breast cancer. A variety of factors may be responsible for the protective role that nutritional foods and medicines seem to play. Resveratrol from grapes, quercetin from onions, prunetin from plums and cherries are just a few lignans from plants that change the way oestrogen is metabolised. It goes from a form that promotes cancer growth to a form that does not. Flaxseeds, used as an herbal medicine concentrate, which contains high levels of lignans, stop the growth and metastasis of human breast tumours. Whole flaxseed extract can reduce the size of breast tumours in rats by 50%. The lignans in virgin olive oils may be responsible for the anti-cancer effects of the Mediterranean diet. Plant oestrogens (phytoestrogens) have many benefits. Most phytoestrogens are not oestrogenic. They prevent proliferation of oestrogen-driven cancer cells. They down-regulate oestrogen receptors. They increase bone mineral density. They lower cholesterol and triglycerides. They increase HDL (‘good’ cholesterol). They inhibit the growth of cancer cells, both oestrogen receptors, positive and negative. They reduce the synthesis of oestrogen through aromatase. They lower the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers, up to 40%. They intervene against VEG-F, a factor that enables the spread of cancer. Isoflavones from soya, including daldzein and genistein, enhance immunity by activating natural killer cells. Anticancer effects of genistein and other isoflavones have been demonstrated against prostate, lung, head-and-neck, breast, colon and bladder cancers.
CONCLUSION Cancers can develop for a number of reasons including inherited conditions, toxic build up in the organs from environmental pollutants or contaminants in water and foods, prolonged stress and hormonal imbalance resulting in lowered immune system resistance. But highest on the list of causes appears to be something within our own genetic blueprint that establishes and perpetuates an irreversible deterioration in the day by day regenerative copies of our cellular make-up. Some drugs can repair or destroy these genetic mistakes. But reversion is common, causing cancer to return. Scientific research shows that the health-promoting benefits of whole herbal medicines and organic fresh foods can both considerably improve an immune system that has little resistance to cancer, and also be of great benefit when taken alongside regular chemotherapy. There is evidence that side effects are reduced and that the combined treatment, chemo and herbal medicine, far from negating or neutralising each other, brings about enhanced results. It is a fallacy that these two medical models have either a harmful interaction or a neutralizing one. It is a fallacy spawned by the ignorance of cancer specialists and made worse by media hype that in turn damages public confidence. Cancer drugs may work to stabilise, arrest or even reverse the progress of cancer; however, herbal medicines found in remedies like HerbShield and Essiac-ACT have their own natural constituents many of which have been shown to improve the immune system’s capacity to directly combat and destroy tumour cells. Herbal medicine must be prescribed by a qualified herbal practitioner. HerbShield Tonic, mentioned in this article, has been recommended as part of a natural cancer treatment regime. Herbs included in HerbShield Tonic are listed at left. ✦ This article by Alan N Hopking was originally published in icon magazine, Issue 3. Alan graduated from the School of Herbal Medicine (England ,UK) as a herbal practitioner in 1981 and was accepted into membership with the oldest professional body of practising herbalists in the world, the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK). In 1991 after two years of post-graduate training, Alan graduated from the London School of Chinese Herbal Medicine, and was elected to Membership of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (UK), MRCHM. Alan has been in continuous practice as a professional herbal practitioner since 1981. He established Godshaer ABC which has become one of the UK ‘s leading herbal health care centres and is dedicated to the best of health and wellbeing through the use of herbal medicine and natural therapy. His comprehensive website is one of the oldest and most respected herbal information sites on the web: www. godshaer.co.uk.
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August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 17
REFERENCES 1. Workman, P. 2006, March. Winning the War on Cancer, Readers Digest, p. 64. 2. For the full report see © New Scientist 5th August 2006. 3. Chen C, Kong AN. Dietary cancer-chemopreventive compounds: from signaling and gene expression to pharmacological effects. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2005;26:318-326. 4. Lazarou J, Pomeranz BH, Corey PN. Incidence of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients: a meta- analysis of prospective studies [see comments]. Jama 1998; 279:12001205. 5. Bagchi D, Preuss H. Phytopharmaceuticals in Cancer Chemoprevention. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2005. 6. Sporn MB. Approaches to prevention of epithelial cancer during the preneoplastic period. Cancer Research, 1976; 36:2699-2702. 7. Bagchi D, Preuss H. Phytopharmaceuticals in Cancer Chemoprevention. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2005. See also: i) Dorai T, Aggarwal BB. Role of chemopreventive agents in cancer therapy. Cancer Lett 2004; 215:129-140. ii) Conney AH. Enzyme induction and dietary chemicals as approaches to cancer chemoprevention: the Seventh DeWitt S. Goodman Lecture. Cancer Res 2003; 63:70057031. iii) Aggarwal BB, Takada Y, Oommen OV. From chemoprevention to chemotherapy: common targets and common goals. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2004; 13:1327-1338. iv) Chen C, Kong AN. Dietary cancerchemopreventive compounds: from signaling and gene expression to pharmacological effects. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2005; 26:318-326. 8. Treasure, J. 2005:10. Food, Medicine, Poison & Molecular Vitalism – Novel Conceptual and Clinical Tools for the Botanical Treatment of Cancer. http://www.herbological. com/cancerandherbalmed.html 9. Milner JA. Molecular targets for bioactive food components. J Nutr 2004;134:2492S-2498S. Also, see: Bode AM, Dong Z. Targeting signal transduction pathways by chemopreventive agents. Mutat Res 2004; 555:33-51. 10. Ibid. 11. Sparreboom A, Cox MC, Acharya MR, Figg WD. Herbal remedies in the United States: potential adverse interactions with anticancer agents. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:2489-2503. 12. HerbShield Tonic – is a herbal medicine available by consultation. Telephone 0044 1202 488122 or visit www. godshaer.co.uk/herbshield.php. 13. Essiac – ACT (Alcohol-free Concentrated Tincture) – Organic; is a herbal medicine available by consultation. Telephone 0044 1202 488122 or visit www.godshaer. co.uk/essiac.php 14. ABC Daily Herbal NutriPowder Plus is a powder made from nutrient-rich whole herbal powders. It has the full complement of vitamins, minerals, microelements and amino acids so as to support and enhance all the body’s organs to fight disease and promote health. In that it is made from whole herbs, it has a greater range of action than extracts in capsules and tablets. Telephone 0044 1202 488122 or visit www.godshaer.co.uk/daily-nutritionalherbal-powder.php
an immune boosting, cancer fighting herb Astragalus is a traditional Chinese herb that has been in use for two thousand years or so. In Chinese medicine it is an important part of the treatment of cancer. This brought it to the attention of several Western countries and recently they have studied it extensively. After intensive study in the University of Texas, Houston, researchers have reported that cancer patients receiving Astragalus have twice the survival rate of those only receiving placebos. In China it is used as a general tonic as well as a specific immune system enhancer. It is known as ‘Huangge qi’ (qi or chi being the word for energy) as it is used to build a patients’ defensive energy. Traditional Chinese medicine records Astragalus as having benefits in cases of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and respiratory infections. Its apparent benefits with cancer sufferers have provoked the most attention in the West, although its immune system and energy boosting benefits are also being studied in connection with AIDS. Original Chinese studies dated back to 1981, when a study by Hou et al showed that Astragalus taken orally induced greater quantities of interferon and leukocytes in the blood stream. It is often used in conjunction with other herbs. In a 1994 Italian study (Morazzoni, Bombardelli) breast cancer patients were given a combination of Iigustrum and Astragalus. Patients given this mix showed a decline in mortality from 50% to 10%. In another study of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer all undergoing chemotherapy, the group taking the dual herb mix showed an average life span increase of 130%. Astragalus doesn’t merely enhance interferon levels; there is strong scientific evidence that it benefits liver function (often impaired in the cancer sufferer). In China, Astragalus is widely used in the treatment of hepatitis. It seems to reduce toxin levels significantly, boost interferon levels and inhibit viral protein expression whilst having little or no effect on normal DNA. (Zhang, Fan 1996) In the West some herbalists routinely provide chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients with Astragalus, and apart from boosting the immune system (which of course both medical treatments are damaging) it also seems to stop the spread of malignant cancer cells to secondary healthy tissues. Researchers at the University of Texas, Houston have studied the herb in great detail. They have identified a number of anticancer ingredients, notably choline, bioflavenoids and a polysaccharide Astagalan B, concluding that Astragalus stimulates the immune system, controls bacterial infections and protects against a number of toxins including viral toxins. Astagalan B seems to de-stabilise ‘rogue’ cells (be they viral or cancer cells) binding to the surface and inducing weakness, which allows the strengthened immune system to overpower the invaders. In recent studies Astragalus seems to increase the number of white cells and, in particular, the searching and identifying T cells, which scour the body for rogue cells and encourage the immune system to attack them. It is also reported to double the effectiveness of radiotherapy and improve results in chemotherapy. But in particular, it can be used during and after both to restore, as rapidly as possible, a depleted immune system. From all the research, even though much is in its infancy, it does appear that Astragalus has a definite role to play for the cancer sufferer. ✦ From icon magazine: www.iconmag.co.uk. icon magazine is the publication of UK charity Cancer Active. Their site provides detailed evidence-based information on many integrative cancer therapies.
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18 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
By Susun Weed
HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVOURITE EDIBLE WEEDS: • Burdock (Arctium lappa) Roots of nonflowering plants harvested after frost make a vinegar that is deep, and richly flavourful as well as a world-renowned tonic. Petioles of the leaves and the flowering stalk are also edible; for recipes see my book Healing Wise. • Chickweed (Stellaria media) Young leaves and stalks, even flowers, in salads. Blend with virgin olive oil and organic garlic for an unforgettable pesto. Add seeds to porridge. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) Leaves eaten at any time, raw or cooked, but especially tasty in Autumn – not Spring! Roots harvested any time; pickle in apple cider vinegar for winter use. Dandelion flower wine is justly famous. • Garlic Mustard (Alliaria officinalis) Year-round salad green. Leaves used in any season, even winter. Roots are harvested before plant flowers. Seeds are a spicy condiment. • Lamb’s quarter (Chenopodium alba and related species, e.g. Chenopodium quinoa). Young leaves in salads. Older leaves and tender stalks cooked. Leaves dried and ground into flour (replaces up to half the flour in any recipe). Seeds dried and cooked in soups, porridge. • Purslane (Portulacca oleracea) The fleshy leaves and stalks of this plant are incredibly delicious in salads and not bad at all preserved in vinegar for winter use. • Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) Leaves add a sour spark to salads. Cooked with wild leeks or cultivated onion and potato they become a soup called “schav.” • Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) Young leaves cooked for 40-45 minutes and served in their broth are one of my favorite dishes. Seeds can be used in baked goods, porridge.
I
always say the gardener’s best revenge is to eat the weeds. I’ve been doing it for thirty years and can testify that my health and the health of my garden has never been better. Here are a few hints for gardeners who’d rather eat their weeds than hate them (and for non-gardeners who are adventurous enough to try out nature’s bounty). View your weeds as cultivated plants; give them the same care and you’ll reap a tremendous harvest. Harvest frequently and do it when the weeds are young and tender. Thin your weeds and pinch back the annuals so your weeds become lushly leafy. Use weeds as rotation crops; they bring up subsoil minerals and protect against many insects. “Interplant” (by not weeding out) selected weeds; try purslane, lamb’s quarters, or amaranth with your corn, chickweed with peas/beans, and yellow dock, sheep sorrel, or dandelion with tomatoes). And, most importantly, harvest your weeds frequently, regularly, and generously. Overgrown radishes, lettuces, and beans are tough and bitter. So are weeds that aren’t harvested frequently enough. Give your chickweed a haircut (yes! with scissors) every 4-7 days and it will stay tender all spring, ready to be added to any salad. If you forget a patch for two weeks, it may get stringy and tough and full of seed capsules. All is not lost at this stage. The seeds are easy to collect – put the entire plant in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and use the seeds that fall to the bottom of the bag – and highly nutritious, with exceptional amounts of protein and minerals. Unthinned carrots and lettuces grow thin and spindly, so do unthinned lamb’s quarters, amaranth, and other edible weeds. Wherever you decide to let the weeds grow, keep them thinned as you would any plant you expect to eat. Here’s how I do it: In early spring I lightly top dress a raised bed with my cool-method compost (which is loaded with the seeds of edible weeds). Over this I strew a heavy coating of the seeds of lettuces and cresses and brassicas (cultivated salad greens), then another light covering of shifted compost. Naturally, weed seeds germinate right along with my salad greens. When the plants are about two inches high, I go through the bed and thin the salad greens, pull out all grasses, smartweeds, cronewort, clear weed, and quick weed (though the last three are edible, I don’t find them particularly palatable) and thin back the chickweed, mallows, lamb’s quarters, amaranth, and garlic mustard and other edible wild greens Keep those annuals pinched back. You wouldn’t let your basil go straight up and go to flower, don’t let your lamb’s quarter either. One cultivated lamb’s quarter plant in my garden grew five feet high and four feet across, providing greens for salads and cooking all summer and a generous harvest of seeds for winter use. When a crop of greens has bolted or gone to seed in your garden, you pull it all out and replant with another crop. Do the same with your weeds. We eat the greens of garlic mustard all spring, then pull it out just before it bolts (making a horseradish vinegar from the choicest roots) – often revealing a generous crop of chickweed lurking underneath. ✦ From the book Healing Wise by Susun S. Weed. Susun is a herbalist and author of women’s health books. She hosts a comprehensive website with many pages to help you rediscover the Wise Woman Tradition, herbal medicine healing, and how to make home remedies. Website: www.herbshealing.com
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August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 19
Copper
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����‘Waterways’ CC1� ����������������������������� �������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������� ������������������������������ ������������������������������������� ����������������������������� ��������������������������������� �����������������
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��������������������� of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
20 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
The water flows with love,with purpose and with strength,as do you sweet sister,always remember. www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 21
By shaUna Owlsong
F
ull moon in Scorpio invoked my energy last night as I tossed and turned, the bluish hue of her mighty gaze shining on me and into me through my bedroom window. Each awakening bringing me awareness of tensions I hold, of hidden thoughts, and buried creativity. It awakens me and enlivens me and helps me to remember what is real and what is true. Arising at dawn to blue skies and sunshine I feel fully energized and a bit giddy, even with so little sleep…partly due to the lunar energy and partly due to my first spring feast of fresh nettle soup (Urtica dioca) last night. Also, today is a special day for me. I will spend the day doing whatever I am called to do. I rise to morning yoga, bathing, and breakfast. It is a perfect spring morning full of the splendor that this time of year brings. The sap is rising, some bulbs are blooming and others are sprouting. There is a single crocus in the lawn…good morning! As I descend the steps, my consciousness is altered, the sun kisses my cheek, the wind rustles my hair, and my feet touch the earth. It is good to be alive. I walk a few steps and notice the daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) stalks are already a few inches tall. I squat down and snap off a stalk flush with the earth. I peel the outer leaves off and nibble the inner stalk. So fresh and delicious, a wonderful addition to salad and soup. My house sits on a paved road. It is not very well traveled for which I am thankful. Across the road from my house there is a hill, lots of forest, and a stream. Along this stream I munch on daisy leaves (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), watercress (Nasturtium officinale), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), and dandelion leaves
(Taraxacum officinale). The daisy leaves are sweet, the watercress is spicy, the sheep sorrel is tangy, and the dandelion leaves are simply delightful and ever-so-slightly bitter. Wow, I have only walked a few hundred feet and feasted abundantly on the wild plants under my feet! I head further into the forest, up along the stream. Within moments violet (Viola species) greets me with her shiny heart-shaped leaves. I enjoy her slippery sweetness. I trot up the trail with my feline companion Shady (she enjoys hiking with me, she runs up trees and hops from tree to tree and chases leaves). I munch on hemlock tree needles (Tsuga canadensis) and pine tree needles (Pinus strobus). They are a refreshing snack and high in vitamin C. I make it up to a very special spot, a small waterfall with mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) growing on the banks. She is my plant ally this year. There is also a huge rose quartz rock gracing this spot. The fairies live here. They teach me and I listen: The water flows with love, with purpose and with strength, as do you sweet sister, always remember. I lay there listening and drift off to sleep, for how long I do not know…one never knows in fairy land... ✦ From: Weed Wanderings Herbal Newsletter, vol 4 no. 5: www.herbshealing.com.
A weekly group held every Tuesday at CSA 10am – 12noon. Anyone who’s life has been affected by cancer or other life threatening illnesses is welcome to attend. A Carer’s Support Group is held at the same time when required. of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
22 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
New research shows that changing your social environment can literally cure cancer by causing tumours to shrink or disappear. It’s almost as if having the right friends is a kind of “social cancer cure.” The findings could ultimately lead to advances in the way cancer and other diseases are treated – perhaps through environmental modifications that offer mental and social stimulation. “We’re really showing that you can’t look at a disease like cancer in isolation,”
If you or someone you know ever receives a cancer diagnosis, especially one that is labeled “incurable” or fatal, take heart in the fact spontaneous regression (remission) has been reported in the medical literature numerous times for virtually all cancers. Spontaneous regression has been documented most often in neuroblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, lymphoma and malignant melanoma. And, as Wellss news has previous reported, scientists have also discovered recently that some invasive breast cancers appear to simply go away on their own (Wellness News, February 2010, pp10-12). Now comes research from Ohio State University that could help explain what triggers spontaneous remissions. The new study, published in the July 9th issues of the journal Cell found that when mice with cancer were given enriched living conditions and a boost in their social life, their tumours shrank – and some of their cancers disappeared completely. That’s powerful evidence, the scientists say, that social connections and an individual’s mental state, play an important role in the way the body responds to malignancies. “Animals’ interaction with the environment has a profound influence on the growth of cancer – more than we knew was possible,” Matthew During, who headed the study, said in a statement to the press. The lab rodents were originally housed in groups of about five, given all the food they wanted and allowed to play all day. However, for the research project, mice with cancer were placed in an even better, enriched environment. They had bigger living groups with 15 to 20 other animals to interact with. They also had more space and extra toys, hiding places and running wheels. During and his colleague, Lei Cao, found that malignant tumours in animals living in this enriched environment started to shrink. In fact, tumours decreased by an impressive 77 percent in mass and decreased in volume by 43 percent, the researchers report. Moreover, five percent of mice with
www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 23
cancer showed no evidence of the disease at all after just three weeks of living in their new home. That seemingly spontaneous cancer cure never happened in control animals kept in standard housing. So what specifically is going on here that impacts cancer? Animals in a regular mice environment in the lab who exercised more didn’t experience improvements in their cancer, so the scientists say more exercise isn’t the total explanation. Instead, they think the complex social dimension in the new living arrangement was apparently the key. The enriched living environment appears to have sparked more, but apparently cancer-fighting, stress in the cancer-stricken mice. The animals showed higher levels of stress hormones called glucocorticoids. What this means, the researchers said in statement to the media, is that low levels of stress, or certain kinds of stress, are probably beneficial. “A lot of people think stress is bad, but our data show the animals aren’t just happy. Antidepressants won’t give you the same effect,” the scientists said in the press statement. “The goal isn’t to minimise stress, but to live a richer life, socially and physically. You want to be challenged.” In addition, the rodents had lower levels of a hormone produced by fat called leptin, indicative of a significant shift in metabolism. Their immune systems also appeared to be “ramped up a bit,” During said. During and his colleague pinned down an increase in a growth factor expressed in the hypothalamus called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the mice living in the improved mouse environment. Further study revealed that manipulations designed to increase BDNF levels also reduced tumour burden. If animals lacked BDNF, the benefits of an enriched environment were not apparent. The findings could ultimately lead to advances in the way cancer and other diseases are treated – perhaps through environmental modifications that offer mental and social stimulation. “We’re really showing that you can’t look at a disease like cancer in isolation,” During said in the media statement. “For too long, physicians and others have stuck to what they know – surgery, chemo, radiotherapy. Traditionally working on the area of lifestyle and the brain has been a ‘soft area’. This paper really suggests if we look at people more in terms of their perceptions of disease, their social interactions and environment, we could realize a profound influence on cancer...” ✦
“For too long, physicians and others have stuck to what they know – surgery, chemo, radiotherapy. Traditionally working on the area of lifestyle and the brain has been a ‘soft area’. This paper really suggests if we look at people more in terms of their perceptions of disease, their social interactions and environment, we could realize a profound influence on cancer...”
By S. L Baker. From: www.naturalnews.com, 28th July 2010.
In fond memory of those who have shared part of their journey with us... Elizabeth Tuettemann Tonia Howden Do not stand at my grave and we ep. I am not ther e. I do not sle ep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain...
of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
24 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
By Lisa Marie Bhattacharya (Whitaker)
W
hen consulting clients on a regular basis I regularly come back to this piece of advice and I want to share it with you too: reconnect with your food!
are spending much more time in our analytical mind than ever. When we do this, a disconnection occurs over time (picture an electrical or nerve pathway being interrupted).
There has been such a ‘disconnect’ in our culture from not only our food source, but the very food itself. We are eating for fuel, for survival, rather than pleasure and deep spiritual nourishment; as food is equally intended.
Our adrenal glands, responsible for the secretion of the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ (which initiates a ‘fight or flight’ response in the body), are typically over-stimulated. Consequently we forget things like; breathing deeply (as if we were relaxed and in control), to circulate blood flow adequately and therefore to ‘connect’ our mind and body as the synergistic entities that they are.
Look at the typical grocery store item and how it has evolved in the past, say 50 years. Where once a bag of rolled or steel cut oats was purchased, now a more likely purchase is one made for ‘convenience’, such as a granola bar. What is the difference? There are a whole slew of ‘new’ ingredients including artificial and highly refined ones. These convenience foods have been made in a fast-food sense without consideration for our health, our digestion and our mind-body connection. Are these convenience foods really convenient or just perceived that way? And what are the long-term effects? Another consideration is that our bodies do not evolve nearly as quickly as our food. Humans evolve gradually over hundreds of thousands of years or more. Our food has drastically evolved within a mere 100 years. Our bodies are suffering from the strain to keep up. Our genes are designed to recognise and therefore adequately digest and metabolize whole, natural foods; ‘as nature intended’. Our bodies are fantastic pieces of machinery that put up with our day-to-day abuses like poor nutritional choices, despite its need for better. But, when we eat something that has ‘foreign’ ingredients derived by way of chemical or mechanical separation or with the use of additives to preserve it (or make it look more appetising!), our bodies are faced with having to shift its gears. These added stressors cause problems; currently gastro-intestinal illness is at an all-time high and the number one reason for hospitalisation. In my opinion, our quality of food as well as our lack of mind-body connection, due to our high-stress lifestyles, is responsible. Only we can correct it in ourselves. When we operate our lives in our modern-day society many of us have a perpetual to-do list. We also have deadlines, longer work hours, family responsibilities, relationship issues… the list goes on. A lot of which is greater than ever for the average person. This is a major contribution to the disconnection of our mind and body. We
It’s inevitable that we will be disconnected at one time or another, if not always – how do we reconnect? First, buy foods with integrity as they energetically promote integrity in the body and mind (ie: local, sustainably grown, poison-free foods) Next, practice awareness of your food source; know how it grew and how it came to you and have gratitude for those who are responsible for growing/raising it. Then, prepare it with awareness; avoid multi-tasking; talking on the phone, using the computer, making the grocery list, arguing with loved-ones – while making your meal (and please: no microwaving!!) Be present and recognise the quality of the food you chose and paid hard-earned money for. Be aware of its colour and texture, its freshness and its vitality in all respects. Know that it’ll nourish you deeply – by not only the consumption of it but its preparation, too. Holistic Nutritionists can often be heard saying: “digestion starts in the kitchen”. The next step to digestion, as well as reconnecting, is chewing. When eating, take the time to chew thoroughly, noticing flavour and textural changes and how they morph the more you chew. Swallow your bites knowing your food was well-prepared and that you are consciously giving yourself nourishment on all levels. After eating, breathe mindfully and visualise proper digestion and absorption of nutrients and your overall wellness – and you’ll have it! Practice this at least one meal a day – it can mean as little as a 10 minute investment of your precious time each day but provide you with much more insight, peace of mind, nutrients and vigour than any other practice you do. Keep connected and nourished. ✦ From: The Healing Journal: www.thehealingjournal.com. Lisa Marie Bhattacharya (Whitaker) is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) who is passionate about whole, natural foods, as nature intended, for herself and her clients.
www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 25
Parsley as a Natural Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Vital Greens is a nutrient and enzyme-rich, complete “Superfood” which contains 76 nutrients essential to deliver optimal health, energy and vitality to every cell in the body.
About Vital Greens • Maximum absorption and bioavailability of nutrients in this form compared to tablets and capsules.
Many
people are familiar with parsley as the green sprig that decorates many restaurant meals. But the truth is: that little green sprig packs some powerful health benefits. In fact, parsley is packed with so many nutrients that eating it is almost like taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement – one that’s all natural and available at a fraction of the cost. Here’s some of what parsley can do: Parsley builds blood, aids in digestion, boosts energy, combats fatigue, helps the heart, dissolves cholesterol in the veins, supports the adrenals, strengthens teeth, builds bones, prevents birth defects, enhances nutrient absorption, eliminates bloating, reduces inflammation, and provides hormonal support. Parsley is well known for helping or solving most kidney problems and also provides general immune support. To boot, parsley is a high-chlorophyll blood purifier that aids in detoxification, particularly of the kidneys but also of the liver. And the herb packs in dense nutrients including: vitamin A, vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, potassium, folic acid, sulfur, vitamin K, and B vitamins 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Parsley is even rumored to contain trace amounts of B12. Parsley also contains unique volatile oils that inhibit tumours – particularly in the lungs. These oils are able to neutralize some airborne carcinogens, including some of those found in cigarette smoke and smoke from charcoal grilling. Neutralising these airborne poisons may be why parsley helps prevent lung tumours. To really get the immune building, nutrient fortifying, and detoxification benefits, you’ll want to take parsley in some quantity. To do this, it’s best to juice or blend it with other fruits or vegetables. With any fruit, you can also add a bit of stevia for extra sweetness. Here are some easy, delicious recipes to enjoy a healthy dose: Blend: 1 1/2 cups watermelon (seeded), 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 cup water and a bit of stevia. It’s a delicious, nutritious drink that even your kids will enjoy. Blend: 1/2 papaya, 1 banana, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 cup water and a bit of stevia. Juice: 3 apples and a 1/2 cup parsley. Juice: 4 carrots, 1/2 apple and a 1/2 cup parsley. Pregnant women should avoid taking parsley in quantity. ✦ From: www.nautralnews.com, 3rd August 2010. By Kim Evans
• Comprehensive, synergistic 76 ingredients. • Majority of nutrients are food sourced. • Certified organic ingredients. • Correct ratio of minerals and trace elements. • Enhances acid/alkaline balance.
Vital Greens works as a • Detoxifier/Cleanser – detoxifying and gently cleansing your colon, liver and working on every single cell in the body. The unique combination of nutrients will help your body progressively eliminate waste which builds up on the bowel walls, cleansing the liver which is the body’s main filter organ and emulsify fat helping to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels. • Energiser/Alkaliser – Vital Greens contains many superfoods to help give you more energy, feel more vibrant and less sluggish and stressed. Alkalinity is promoted which results in feeling more balanced and alive! • Well-Being Promoter – Vital Greens contains potent antioxidants, adaptogenic herbs boosting stamina, endurance and the immune system. Powerful phyto-nutrients building health from the very basics of the cell. There are no less than 2 pro-biotics in Greens. • Mental Acuity Sharpener – Vital Greens contains Lecithin, Rosemary and Co-Enzyme Q-10 which may help increase mental acuity, focus and concentration
Features • The essential nutrients include naturally occurring whole food source vitamins and both macro and trace minerals. Together with powerful antioxidants, pro-biotics for intestinal health, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids (both Omega 3 and 6), digestive enzymes, cell pigments, plant sterols and fibres. • The great tasting powder form ensures maximum absorption and enzyme activity. Up to 3 times more nutrients are absorbed this way compared to tablets and capsules. • All these nutrients combine synergistically to provide a true superfood; a balanced nutritional support from real food that’s alive instead of synthetically made vitamin pills.
of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
26 WELLNESS NEWS
August 2010
e l d i g d h o t o s f w a r
be
Email your healing recipes and food news to the editor: editor.wellness@yahoo.com.au
lthy food for cancer a e h , l u autif
Sultry Chocolate Mousse The beauty of this mousse is its ability to go from plain to fancy. You can create mini mousse cups, serving it up in a fancy party glass or eat it right out of the blender! The amazing flavour has hints of grandma’s spices.
Strawberry Spinach Salad With its combination fo delicate flavours and super food ingeredients this salad is fuel for your soul.
Strawberry Spinach Salad Ingredients 4 cups Baby spinach 2 cup Watercress leaves 1 cup green onions diced 1 cup walnuts, soaked and dehydrated, roughly chopped 1 tub strawberries washed, steamed and sliced vertically
Method Wash and dry all your produce. Place the greens into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Add dressing and serve. When mixing your salad take special care when tossing as not to brake the strawberry slices.
Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 cup flax oil 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons grated onion 1 teaspoon ground mustard 1/3 cup rapadura / cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons poppy seeds 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Ingredients
2 whole avocados, medium in size, seeded, peeled and quartered 1/4 cup raw almond milk 1 cup organic Yacon Syrup 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt 2 tsp apple pie spice (mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup raw cacao powder 1 tub blueberries, to garnish 12 whole mint sprigs, for garnish 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs, to garnish (if desired)
Method Place almond milk, cacao powder, agave, salt, vanilla, apple pie spice and avocados into blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Place mousse in a non-stick mini cupcake pan (removable bottoms make for an easy release!) or in whatever cup or glass you desire. If you’re making the small mousse minicups, you’ll want to evenly fill each cup and then press the mousse firmly down. Place pan in the freezer for 2 hours to set. If you’re placing it in a serving dish or glass, you can serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator before serving. Before serving, top with cacao nibs, Blueberries and mint leaves. Serves 6
Method Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Enjoy! Serves 8 Raw food recipes by Gourmet Raw Food Chef Tina Jo who graduated from the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in California. She offers coaching on getting started, menu planning, tools that are needed, cleansing for weight loss and maintenance, detoxing for health, traveling and maintaining your new lifestyle, stocking your pantry, juicing, and everyone’s favorite, her amazing guilt-free dessert recipes! With her weekly TV program “Splendor in the Raw”, Chef Tina Jo shows how to create delicious raw vegan recipes that will keep you from getting bored with raw foods. For more great recipes by Tina Jo and raw food inspiration go to: www.ChefTinaJo.com.
www.cancersupportwa.org.au environment • wellness • healing
August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 27
What is YACON syrup?
Yacon syrup is a sugar substitute native to the Andean region of South America. It is glucose-free, and does not increase blood sugar levels. Because of this, yacon syrup is often recommended as a sweetener to those suffering from diabetes or at risk for becoming diabetic.
Cashew Yoghurt Ingredients
The syrup is derived from the roots of the yacon plant, and according to some studies is a good source of antioxidants. The yacon plant tastes similar to jicama, but is biologically closer to the sunflower family. The component that gives the roots a sweet taste is Fructooligosaccharide, or FOS. The tuberous roots may be made of nearly 50% FOS, and are believed to be the greatest producers of the saccharide in the natural world.
Method
Because the body cannot process FOS, it passes through the system without leaving behind absorbable sugar compounds. It also is relatively low in calories, compared to most other sweeteners. The process to create it is vegan, and it can be used by vegans who are averse to regular sugar or honey.
Dairy not an option on a restrictive cancer diet? Here’s a fantastic nut yogurt to the rescue! This cashew yogurt is delicious – enjoy it anytime of day. 2 cups cashews (soaked overnight) 1 1/4 cups purified water 1/2 cup mixed berries
1 Start by soaking the cashews the night before you plan on preparing your yogurt. Simply put the nuts in a mason jar filled with water and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the nuts from the refrigerator and drain. 2 Place the nuts, along with the purified water, into a high powered blender (add more water as needed) and blend until it makes a nice and smooth mixture. 3 Empty the contents of the blender into a milking bag. Began squeezing the liquid from the bag into a bowl. 4 Stop once the milking bag is dry and all the liquid is removed. (You can use the nut pulp that remains in the bag for other recipes, like cookies!) 5 Drain the liquid into a glass jar and cover with a mesh cloth. Place your jar in a warm dry place for 8 to 12 hours in order to let it ferment. (Don’t worry if it has separated a bit after the fermentation process – this is completely normal). 6 After it has fermented, spoon the yoghurt into a bowl and top with the berry mix (or your very own favorite ingredients or fruit) and enjoy! 7 NOTE: With this recipe, I did not add a yoghurt culture because it is not necessary. However, if you prefer to add one, go right ahead.
Yacon syrup is often compared to molasses, caramel, or honey in taste, with a deep and rich flavour. It easily substitutes for maple sugar or molasses in recipes, and can be used to sweeten beverages. It is typically sold in jars like honey, and can be purchased online or at specialty food stores. If you are trying to cut down on harmful sugar intake, yacon syrup may be helpful in replacing sugar in your diet. Try swirling it into oatmeal or granola. It can be spread over fruit and complemented with chili pepper flakes for an unusual dessert. You can also easily stir a few drops into your morning coffee or tea. Remember that the sweetness is quite strong, and use sparingly in recipes. Some studies have suggested that yacon syrup may be beneficial to the body in moderate amounts. It contains and promotes healthy bacteria that aid in cleaning the colon and regulating the digestive system. In some countries, such as Brazil and Bolivia, the leaves of the yacon plant are brewed into a tea said to fight diabetes. The health benefits of yacon syrup have not been extensively tested, but information from the published studies suggests a mildly beneficial effect on the body. For diabetics, vegans and those cutting down on their sugar intake, yacon syrup makes a healthy alternative to synthesized sweeteners. For those looking to increase the amount of natural foods in their diet, it can also be a welcome addition. Many health food magazines and experts consider yacon syrup a newly discovered wonder food, but further studies must be conducted before truly determining the many claims of beneficial health effects.
of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
Reading Jacqui Dodds excellent ebook, “Threatened by Cancer? Meditation DOES Help”, brings to mind an old Tibetan saying: An old patient is more useful than a young doctor. While somewhat irreverent, this observation does point to the value of learning from those with direct experience. Theories are useful; knowledge, hopes and optimism have their place; but, in the end, what works in practice is most valuable. In ‘Threatened by Cancer? Meditation DOES Help!’, Jacqui brings to life six people’s stories whom she supported and researched as they dealt with their own particular cancers. The result is a great read. Engaging, informative, practical. A real insight into the real issues people with cancer face; and the bonus here is that real solutions are provided. Jacqui highlights key principles: how to keep the mind steady, the spirits up and how to access the body’s natural ability to heal. The real gem that is on offer in ‘Threatened by Cancer? Meditation DOES Help!’ is hope. There is genuine hope in page after page. Genuine hope based on the opportunity this ebook provides for you to not only be inspired by wonderful, personal stories, but to learn mind based techniques like meditation and guided imagery that I know from my own personal and clinical experience reliably lead to acceptance, new self awareness, love and healing at a deep and profound level. It is a pleasure to be able to recommend this book and my wish is that all of you who do read it go on to live long and happy lives. ✦ Ian Gawler OAM, BVSs, MCouns HS Author of “You Can Conquer Cancer” and “Meditation an In-Depth Guide” Yarra Valley, June 2010
By Jacqui Dodds Are you wondering what you can do to give yourself the very best chance of healing?
How can you compliment the treatments your doctor offers so that you can keep your mind steady, your spirit up and at the same time get in touch with your body’s natural healing ability? * I have worked for many years with people, like yourselves, who are facing a life threatening cancer diagnosis. * I have studied and practised healing meditations since 1982. I also teach meditation. You may be thinking, “I could never sit still for hours at a time... I don’t have the discipline for something like meditation!” Well, I’m not so sure! With a little help, most people can manage a few minutes to sit quietly and just watch what’s going on. It’s as easy as that! Or one can practice some helpful techniques when lying in bed, sitting in the garden or going for a walk. In my eBook “Threatened by Cancer? Meditation DOES Help!” I have combined my experience with the stories of six people (yes, six ordinary people) who took part in my research study into the use of meditation as a healing strategy for cancer. Lorna, Bernadette, David, Sylvia, Dee, Lillian and I spent many weeks together sharing their journeys and their experience of using meditation as a major part of their healing strategy. Note: Cancer research shows that meditation reduces stress, depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Meditation increases confidence and supports remission!
Ian Gawler Interview on EastWestWisdoms.com
An audio interview with Ian Gawler is featured on EastWestWisdoms.com. In this interview Ian talks at a very personal level about the role of meditation and spirituality in his own life and healing and shares his understandings on how meditation has been a key ingredient in the healing – at either the physical or spiritual and life-healing level – of the many people he and his staff have helped since starting his first cancer support group in 1981. His thoughts on our relationship to the inevitability of dying and death are of particular interest. ✦
Jacqui Dodds was a past counsellor and Client Services Director of the CSA between 1993 and 1998. She has written an ebook titled “Threatened by Cancer? Meditation DOES Help!” which is an edited and updated version of her Honours BSW research done with six members of the CSA, which gained her a scholarship for the PhD research she followed up with, also calling on CSA members. Her ebook is available for sale on her website EastWestWisdoms.com
Meditation Made Easy August 2010
WELLNESS NEWS 29
weekly meditation classes with Bavali Hill every Monday at CSA from 10am to 11.30am.
Learn to meditate in this ongoing and open class for both beginning and advanced Meditators, offering clear, non-religious instruction with weekly notes, individual attention and guided meditations. Learn easy to practice methods for meditating at home or in short breaks during the day. Participants have a chance to discuss the effects of each meditation and to raise questions as issues arise. Meditation promotes a deep relaxation of body and mind, an enhanced health and immune system, clarity of thought, greater efficiency and productivity, it helps access intuition and creativity, creates easier relationships and a heightened sense of well being as well as connection to one’s inner self. Bavali has 30 years Social Work experience and has been meditating since1972. She believes that meditation needs to be easy and relevant to those with a busy working and family life.
Cost: Free for CSA Members, $5 for non-members. Newcomers welcome. No bookings necessary. of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
A near new ACORN 120 StairLift worth $10,500 has been donated to the CSA. We are selling this item to raise funds for CSA. For more details or to make an offer contact CSA on 9384 3544.
TheCSA would like tothank Dr. Joan Eveline and Dr. Michael Booth for the generous donation of the Acorn Superglide Stairlift.
August 2010
Wellness is...
WELLNESS NEWS 31
knowing what your needs are and how to get them met; expressing emotions in ways that communicate what you are experiencing to other people; acting assertively, and not passively or aggressively; enjoying your body by means of adequate nutrition, exercise and physical awareness; being engaged in projects that are meaningful to you; knowing how to create friendships with others; responding to challenges in life as opportunities to grow in strength and maturity; rather than feeling beset by “problems”; creating the life you really want, rather than just reacting to what “seems to happen;” relating to troublesome physical symptoms in ways that bring improvement in conditions as well as increased knowledge about yourself; enjoying a basic sense of well-being, even through times of adversity; knowing your own inner patterns...emotional and physical... and understanding “signals” your body gives you; trusting that your own personal resources are your greatest strength for living and growing; and experiencing yourself as a totally Wonderful Person! By Scott & Elizabeth McGinn WELLNESS IS...
From: www.positivelyyoursinc.com. Positively Yours, Inc., is a Nonprofit Holistic Health Centre, founded in 1991, whose purpose is to promote spiritual and emotional growth
Reflexology Reflexology appointments with Udo Kannapin are available on Wednesdays between 10am – 2pm. The benefits of reflexology include the release of toxins, chemicals and hormones that, in effect, promote relaxation and overall well-being
Please book in advance 9384 3544
of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008 Cancer SupportMagazine Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au
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The Cancer Support Association of WA Inc is a registered charity and non-profit organisation, formed to help people affected by cancer. The Association relies on donations, bequests and member subscriptions to continue its services.
contact cancer support association... 80 Railway St, Cottesloe, Western Australia. PO Box 325 Cottesloe WA 6911 Australia Phone 08 9384 3544, Fax: 08 9384 6196. Email: csa@cancersupportwa.org.au Web: www.cancersupportwa.org.au
Wellness News magazine is published by the Cancer Support Association of WA Inc (CSA). Wellness magazine contains a diverse selection of articles and information on subjects related to cancer, wellness and healing. The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the CSA and should be not be construed as medical advice. CSA encourages readers to be discerning with information presented and when making treatment, dietary and lifestyle choices. © Copyright of all articles and images remains with individual contributors.