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Sometimes a melody can lift us above everything, enabling us to look down and gain perspective, and be glad that in fact there is light in the world, we have to choose to see it and embrace it. This instrumental is such a melody... it lifted my heart and focused my mind on golden light... the kind that penetrates every cell with a healing vibration, reminding us that Love is our essence.
Enjoy.
~ In Love. ♥
It's somehow foreign to us to think of eating vegetables at breakfast, and yet in many parts of the world a breakfast without fresh vegetables or herbs is incomplete.
Having grown up in a Mediterranean country, we always had a plate of freshly sliced tomatoes, cucumber, onion (yep), and some parsley and fresh mint at the table. A bowl of mixed, brined olives and strained yogurt (Labneh) were also part of the main cast.
It's time to embrace that thinking. Nutritionists tell us that half our plate should be 'green'...well breakfast is no exception.
When I cook veggies I make enough to last 3-4 days. They keep well, and then I don't have to work at making breakfast healthy.
This morning I tossed some green beans and a smattering of kale cooked with onions, garlic and sumac on my plate... a little romaine and tomato salad dressed in a lemon vinaigrette, add a scrambled Omega-3 egg for protein and a high fiber piece of toast... and Voila!
My cup of Dragonwell green tea with a hint of black pepper (for super antioxidant benefit) is the cherry on top.
Glutamine powder is recommended during Chemo. It may inhibit the usual nausea or diarrhea, and after surgery it accelerates healing. Seacure® is a trusted supplement with Glutamine. Founded in 1994 by Dr. Donald Snyder and headquartered in Reading, Pa., Proper Nutrition, Inc. is built on a record of innovation stretching back to the early 1960s, when Dr. Snyder, as the head of a U.S. Department of the Interior Fisheries Research Laboratory, led the charge against world hunger.
Dr. Snyder, as a member of a special committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, was instrumental in developing an economically feasible method of providing protein to the world’s hungry.
A breakthrough came in the form of revolutionary FPC (Fish Protein Concentrate) technology, which allowed quality protein, retaining all of its original nutritional value, to be delivered to the body in a highly absorbable form. FPC was made available to the World Health Organization of the United Nations to aid in famine relief.
Today, Dr. Snyder and Proper Nutrition, Inc. offer revolutionary dietary supplements, including Intestive®, available directly to consumers; and SEACURE® and SEAVIVE®, professional products available for distribution by healthcare practitioners and retailers. Proper Nutrition supplements offer proven alternatives for the support of the gastrointestinal tract and the promotion of immune system health.
Seacure® (click to read more) is rich in glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid (protein building block) that is the preferential fuel source for the cells that line the digestive tract. Just as the brain loves to use glucose for energy, the cells that line the digestive tract love to use glutamine for energy. In fact glutamine helps the cells that line the digestive tract to deal with stress more effectively.
Well, these cells divide rapidly just like cancer cells. The lining of the stomach completely renews itself every 4 days! Unfortunately, chemotherapy hits the cells of the digestive tract just as hard as it hits the cancer cells. This is why chemotherapy medications so often produce nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Seacure® strengthens the cells of the digestive tract so that they can handle the stress of being hit by chemotherapy medications without interfering with chemotherapy's effects on cancer cells.
Scientific research has found that when glutamine is given with chemotherapy or radiation, it not only protects the individual receiving the treatment from the side-effects of these therapies, it also increases the selectivity of the therapy for the tumor. Click here Scientific Reference if you would like the details of this research which was conducted in 1996.
So why not just supplement with glutamine instead of Seacure®?
The glutamine in Seacure® is better absorbed by the digestive tract than pure glutamine supplements. Why is this? Studies on human digestion have found that the digestive tract preferentially absorbs protein in the di-peptide (2 amino acids joined together) and tri-peptide (3 amino acids joined together) form.
This table shows the anti-oxidant potency, ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbant-capacity) value of the listed foods.
>> People with high oxidation levels (athletes, runners..) may need 10,000 units or more to maintain a healthy immune system.
Diet is the preferred way to increase your levels, as opposed to supplements, but most people don't seem able to fit 7 -8 servings of these fruits and vegetables a day. That's why taking pharmaceutical-quality antioxidants is critical. I can guide you in selecting trusted brands, and the top hitters.
Organic foods with deeper, darker colors have higher anti-oxidant levels. Commercially raised, sprayed produce offers much less, and actually taxes your immune system.
The Antioxidant Capacity of Fruits and Vegetables
| Blueberries | 1 cup | 3240 |
| Cinnamon, ground | ¼ tsp | 2675 |
| Pomegranate juice | 5 ozs | 2450 |
| Pomegranate juice | 5 ozs | 2450 |
| Blackberries | 1 cup | 2932 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 2288 |
| Figs | ½ c. | 2124 |
| Oregano leaf, dried | ¼ tsp. | 2001 |
| Prunes | 4 pitted | 1848 |
| Pomegranate | ½ pomegranate | 1654 |
| Turmeric | ¼ tsp | 1592 |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 1510 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 6 | 1236 |
| Green Tea | 1 teabag, steeped 5 mins | 1200 |
| Raisins | ¼ cup | 1019 |
| Spinach, steamed | ½ cup, cooked | 1089 |
| Kale | ½ cup, cooked | 1150 |
| Oatbran | 1/2 cup | 992 |
| Orange | 1 | 982 |
| Plum, dark purple | 1 | 949 |
| Cabbage, purple | ½ cup | 924 |
| Cranberries | ½ cup | 831 |
| Broccoli Florets | ½ c. cooked | 817 |
| Parsley, dried | ¼ tsp. | 743 |
| Beets | ½ cup, cooked | 715 |
| Spinach, Raw | 1 cup | 678 |
| Basil leaf, dried | ¼ tsp | 675 |
| Cantaloupe | ½ melon | 670 |
| Beans, baked | ½ cup | 640 |
| Plum, red | 1 | 626 |
| Grapefruit, pink | ½ | 580 |
| Pepper, Red | 1 med. Pepper | 540 |
| Watermelon | 1/16th, 10” diameter | 501 |
| Kiwi | 1 | 458 |
| Cherries | 10 | 455 |
| Asparagus | 8 spears | 900 |
| Beans, Kidney | ½ cup, cooked | 400 |
| Eggplant, with skin | ½ cup, cooked | 386 |
| Onion | ½ cup chopped | 360 |
| Corn | ½ cup cooked | 330 |
| Yam or sweet potato | ½ cup cooked | 301 |
| Pumpkin | ½ cup mashed | 301 |
| Apple | 1 medium | 300 |
| Peas, frozen | ½ c. cooked | 291 |
| Ginger, ground | ¼ tsp. | 288 |
| Banana | 1 | 252 |
| Applesauce | ½ cup | 250 |
| Mango | 1/2 cup | 246 |
| Potatoes | ½ cup cooked | 244 |
| Cauliflower | ½ cup cooked | 234 |
| Tomato | 1 medium | 233 |
| Zucchini | ½ cup, cooked | 230 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 222 |
| Leaf Lettuce | 10 leaves | 200 |
| Tofu | ½ cup | 195 |
| Squash, yellow | ½ cup, cooked | 183 |
| Grapes, red | 10 | 177 |
| Apricots | 3 | 175 |
| Carrots, cooked | ½ cup | 160 |
| Tomato sauce | ¼ cup | 149 |
| Avocado, Florida | ½ | 149 |
| Peach | 1 medium | 137 |
| Green beans | ½ cup cooked | 125 |
| Melon, honeydew | 1/10th | 125 |
| Lettuce, iceberg | 5 large leaves | 116 |
| Carrots, raw | ½ cup | 115 |
| Grapes, white | 10 | 107 |
| Cabbage, white | ½ cup | 105 |
| Celery | ½ cup, diced | 60 |
| Cucumber | ½ cup, sliced | 28 |
What better way to start the weekend than with a treat. I don't often indulge in a mostly carb breakfast, but once a week, a high-fiber-carby-yummy treat is good for the soul...and that's good for the body.
I chopped some of the strawberries into the batter...added 1 Tbs. of flax-seed to the already hi-fiber buckwheat mix, an egg, the blueberries and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest.
Oh, and instead of milk I use Almond milk.
Oops! I forgot to show you the bar of 85% dark chocolate! Well, that's in the next photo...but I used 1 ounce to melt on and between the hotcakes.
Add the green tea with pepper and probiotics sprinkled on the rest of the strawberries, and you're ready to soothe the beast within!
P.S. If you like your cakes a little sweeter, use Farmer John's Maple Syrup made with Xylitol.
~ Cheers! ♥
Angiogenesis plays a critical role in the growth and spread of cancer. A blood supply is necessary for tumors to grow beyond a few millimeters in size. Tumors can cause this blood supply to form by giving off chemical signals that stimulate angiogenesis.
Thankfully, there are many foods that help lower our blood sugar. There are also tactics you can use to keep your blood sugar in check:
Avocados
~ Cheers! ♥
Good morning! This is a lazy day I can tell. Sleep played hide-n-seek with me last night, so feeling mellow.
I poured 1/2 c. of high fiber cereal into a bowl, sliced organic strawberries, chopped a two inch strip of organic lemon rind and tossed it in, poured almond milk over all and then sprinkled freshly ground flax-seeds to top it off.
That is a bowl full of nature's magic!... high fiber, healthy fat from flax seeds and more fiber, super anti-oxidant berries and lemon peel, and healthy fat in almond milk.
Note: When you shop for cereal make sure it has less than 4g of sugar per serving. Also, it's critical that you calculate the Fiber to Carb ratio. You don't want to spike your blood sugar...that's the critical consideration when eating carbs.
Good carb formula: Multiply the fiber by 10. It should exceed the carb count. For example Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal (that's what it's called!) has 23g of carbs and 9g of fiber per serving. That means the ratio is (9x10 to 23) 90 fiber to 23 carb! An excellent choice.
If it had 3g of fiber the ratio would have been 30 fiber- 23 carb, kinda ok but not so great.
~ PowerUp! ♥
ellular structure, it enables us to let go of old habits and beliefs that were programmed in them, and pushes us to new heights and depths of understanding...and challenge us to stay there!
I know my thinking has undergone a shift, and my body and the way I think of it sure have as well.
Below is a starter list of Yes and No foods for breast/prostate cancer. If you'd like a comprehensive list with menu ideas, please write to me.
YES Foods:
NO Foods:
Cinnamon has the highestanti-oxidant strength of all the food sources in nature!
1/4 tsp. of Cinnamon provides 1/4 of the antioxidants you need in a day.
Although there are four main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon are the most popular. Ceylon cinnamon is sometimes called true cinnamon. It is more expensive and has a sweet taste. Ceylon cinnamon is sold in specialty stores. Most cinnamon sold in supermarkets in North America comes from the less expensive variety, Cassia cinnamon.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Cassia cinnamon is used for colds, flatulence, nausea, diarrhea, and painful menstrual periods. It's also believed to improve energy, vitality, and circulation and be particularly useful for people who tend to feel hot in their upper body but have cold feet.
In Ayurveda, cinnamon is used as a remedy for diabetes, indigestion, and colds, and it is often recommended for people with the kapha Ayurvedic type.
Cinnamon may help or treat:
Sprinkle on toast, cereal, soups, and berries. Add to stews and rice dishes.
~ Tastefully yours ♥
Maintaining health and wellness and preventing disease are major priorities for integrative medicine. Currently, the majority of our health care dollars are spent after a person is in crisis, when it costs the most to intervene and when the possibilities for full recovery are the slimmest. A recent study found that of the 7 million deaths from cancer worldwide in 2001, an estimated 35% were attributable to nine modifiable risks factors, all of which are controllable and most of which are under an individual’s own sovereignty.
Based on this and other scientific evidence, integrative medicine recommends lifestyle modifications—changes in diet and nutrition, physical activity and exercise, adopting stress management methods, and strengthening one’s social networks—to lower an individual’s risk of specific diseases and improve overall health.
The Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, under the leadership of Dean Ornish, MD, offers a comprehensive approach to lifestyle modification for people who are at high risk for or diagnosed with conditions such as coronary artery disease and prostate cancer. The program’s core components are a low-fat, whole foods diet; moderate aerobic exercise; stress management; and group support. This program, which has been approved by Medicare, is used in hospitals and clinics around the country.
Because the food we eat plays such an important role in maintaining health, nutrition has been a key focus for research—not only what to eat but also how to grow and buy the right food and how to prepare it in a healthful way.
“As a rule of thumb, try to include foods in your diet that have less than three grams of fat per serving. Stock foods in your refrigerator that you want to have on your diet. If it’s not right in front of you, you’re less likely to eat it. Cleaning out your refrigerator can be a nice metaphor for cleaning out your body and organizing your life in the way that you want it to be,” advises Dean Ornish, MD.
“Even simple choices can make a powerful difference. For example, two tablespoons of most salad dressings have as much fat as two scoops of premium ice cream. When in a restaurant, ask for the dressing on the side; just dip the tips of your fork in it with each bite, and you’ll get a fraction of the fat that you would otherwise.”
Forward-thinking hospitals have now begun to promote healthy food. Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health plan, opened its first farmer’s market on the grounds of the Oakland Medical Center in Oakland, California in May 2003. Today, a total of 26 Kaiser-Permanente facilities have established on-campus farmer’s markets, which enable the facilities to offer better food choices to both employees and patients and promote awareness about good nutrition.
These and other integrative approaches to maintaining a healthy lifestyle may prevent serious illness and challenging medical treatments. In his book, 8 Weeks to Optimal Health, Andrew Weil, MD wrote, “Many of the common complaints that people have these days respond much better to simple adjustments in lifestyle than to taking medicine.”
Read more here.
I enjoy mixing cuisines and this plate is certainly an example: Wild Caught Salmon broiled over mixed veggies (you only need 3-4 oz. of protein per meal), and Authentic Homemade Hummus. Add a smattering of organic Persian Cucumbers and a slice of high fiber Flax-seed bread for an amazingly wholesome meal.
~ Sahtein! (To your health) ♥
garlic
Garlic, like its cousins the onion and the shallot, is a member of the Allium family that is infamously distinctive for its strong odor. Surprisingly, the origin of garlic’s characteristic smell is also the explanation behind its anticancer abilities. The high content of the odorous sulfur-containing compounds diallyl sulfide (DAS) and diallyl disulfide (DADS) play the principal role in cancer prevention: they have the ability to prevent carcinogenic damage to healthy cells by reducing reactivity of carcinogens with healthy cells and by accelerating the elimination of the harmful carcinogens from the body. It is also believed that DAS may directly attack tumor cells and destroy them by triggering tumor cell death.
Garlic has been found to be most advantageous in the prevention of esophageal, stomach, and colon cancers. It also may play a role in prostate, breast, and lung cancer.
A Queen's-led team has discovered the reason why garlic is so good for us. Chemistry professor Derek Pratt led the study. Their findings are published in the January 2009 issue of the international chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.
The research team questioned the ability of allicin to trap damaging radicals so effectively, and considered the possibility that a decomposition product of allicin may instead be responsible. Through experiments with synthetically-produced allicin, they found that an acid produced when the compound decomposes rapidly reacts with radicals.
"Basically the allicin compound has to decompose in order to generate a potent antioxidant," explains Dr. Pratt, who is Canada Research Chair in Free Radical Chemistry. "The reaction between the sulfenic acid and radicals is as fast as it can get, limited only by the time it takes for the two molecules to come into contact. No one has ever seen compounds, natural or synthetic, react this quickly as antioxidants."
The researcher is confident that a link exists between the reactivity of the sulfenic acid and the medicinal benefits of garlic. "...until now there has been no convincing explanation as to why garlic is beneficial," says Dr. Pratt. "I think we have taken the first step in uncovering a fundamental chemical mechanism which may explain garlic's medicinal benefits."
Garlic is most effective if crushed, chopped or eaten raw in salad dressings and salsa
A clove a day keeps the doctor away, and 2 or 3 will prevent a cold (see my cold remedy under Diet and Nutrition /Herbs and Spices)
If a recipe calls for garlic, wait until the last 10 minutes of cooking to add the garlic
Be careful not to eat too much as garlic can irritate your digestive system... I don't think you'll have any problem eating 3-4 cloves a day
Don’t microwave garlic - it this kills the active ingredients!
I will be adding plenty of recipes that call for my friend the 'stinky rose'.
~ Chewing raw parsley will help get rid of garlic breath! ♥
chocolate
Moderate amounts of high-quality dark chocolate is good for us. YAY! Research has shown that dark chocolate contains polyphenols called proantocyanidins, which appear to slow the progress of certain cancers. These polyphenols cause a sharp drop in a receptor essential to the blood vessel growth of tumors.
The darker the chocolate the less the sugar, and the higher the potency. I like Lindt and Ghiradelli's 85% dark and Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Lovers bar.
The recommended amount to consume in order to reap its benefits is about 40 grams (1.5 ounces) a day. Be careful that you don't have more than about 5g of sugar in a serving...you want to control spikes in your blood glucose levels.
Melt Dark Chocolate over very low heat or in a double boiler and drizzle over berries for a fantastic treat that meets Cancer diet guidelines.
~ Munch on! ♥
tomatoes
Lycopene
is found in cooked tomatoes and is responsible for its anticancer properties and rich red color. Anything made with cooked tomatoes is rich in lycopene.
Unlike other veggies, tomatoes get better with heat!
Cooking allows for better absorption of lycopene
in the body.
Fats increase availability of lycopene t
o the body, so cooking tomatoes with olive oil enhances the amount of lycopene that can be absorbed. Italians have it right!
There may be a link between low incidence of prostate cancer and tomato consumptio
n. Its anticancer effect may be attributed to its action as an antioxidant, or it may act directly on certain enzymes interfering with androgen signals, and disturbing the growth of tumors. Lycopene tends to accumulate in the prostate area so it is recommended for helping protect against prostate cancer.
Naturally, tomato paste has the highest lycopene content of all tomato-based products. Tomato paste (or sundried tomatoes) can be added to stews, egg dishes, sauces, and soups.
Our family loves a good quality organic tomato paste spread on whole grain toast with a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt!
Click here for an Antioxidant Rich Pasta Recipe.
Buon Apetito!
♥
Here is an example of a healthy and tasty breakfast that follows the breast cancer diet guidelines: no dairy, no sugar, no simple carbohydrates and healthy omega3 fats. Aim to make 1/2 your plate full of color (veggies), 1/4 protein and 1/4 complex carb.
Spinach cooked with a smattering of onions and seasoned with black pepper, salt, a touch of allspice and dry mint. I sprinkle probiotics on two of my meals to get 1/4 tsp a day. Our tummy needs help processing foods properly many months after treatment.
Sprinkle a little black pepper or squeeze lemon in your green tea (4 -5 cups a day) to explode the antioxidant benefits! Also, freshly ground flax seeds sprinkled on your cereal or on foods is highly beneficial... per our list of Fantastic Foods.
Coconut oil has become my bread spread of choice. Recent studies are astounding on the benefits of coconut oil. Click here for more info.~ Bon Appetit! ♥
Even though I am 'sugar-free', I still get a craving for chocolate or something sweet now and then, and have to whip up something healthy to satisfy it... berry compote with birch Xylitol, or flax-seed pancakes with cinnamon/Stevia topping.
If you frequently crave candy bars, doughnuts, cake, or other sugary foods — and you thought your cravings were just something you were born with, or a condition to which you are naturally or genetically predisposed, there is hard scientific evidence that suggests how you can stop sugar cravings.
There is a condition called pica, which triggers the cravings — and it is caused by mineral deficiencies.
An example of pica in the animal world is seen in young calves that are raised for veal. These calves are deficient in iron. They are put into cages soon after birth and purposely fed a diet that is iron-poor so that they grow to be anemic. Anemic calves produce the pale, tender meat that makes veal desirable to food enthusiasts. The iron-starved calves have been known to seek, lick and chew on the iron nails of their cages in an effort to satisfy their hunger for iron. (Although we do not support such cruelty to animals, this example is presented merely to illustrate the nature of pica in animals.)
In humans, an extreme example of pica is seen in pregnant women, who often crave things like ice cream or pickles, and especially non-food items like laundry starch, clay or dirt. This is because the fetus inside a pregnant woman absorbs much of the minerals from the woman’s body causing her to have a craving for something that will satisfy her mineral deficiency.
Pica has become such a common condition primarily because our demineralized soils yield mineral-poor produce. Additionally, food processing robs food of important nutrients, and this contributes to the prevalence of pica — especially among people with unbalanced diets such as dieters, vegetarians, meat eaters, teenagers, children and seniors. The cravings are a symptom of mineral deficiencies in the diet.
When you crave sweets, eating highly sweetened food such as doughnuts and chocolates may temporarily satisfy your sugar cravings — but it does very little to alleviate the mineral deficiency, which is the underlying cause of the cravings. Studies show that sugar cravings are linked to a deficiency in the trace minerals, chromium and vanadium.
It is scientifically proven that both chromium and vanadium help in normalizing blood sugar. Both trace minerals have been shown to be essential for normal glucose metabolism. This is the reason why they have also been used to prevent and cure diabetes (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
A chromium deficiency has been shown to not only cause cravings for sugars or starches, but also contribute to poor muscle tone, which makes weight loss even more difficult. To help curb sugar cravings, many health practitioners prescribe a daily intake of both chromium and vanadium, preferably taken in ionic/water-soluble form for maximum absorption. Many health food stores carry ionic minerals. You can also type the keyword “ionic minerals” on any search engine to find online retailers, such as the WaterOz company, which manufactures high quality chromium and vanadium formulations.
Chocolate cravings, in particular, are curbed by magnesium supplementation. Magnesium is also contained in commercially available ionic/water-soluble mineral formulations.
Read more:
http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/stop-sugar-cravings-with-two-minerals#ixzz223jMm3Wd
Hoda has been an incredible resource in my journey to health. Her knowledge of different modalities and her ability to teach that to others is amazing. And she is a truly wonderful and kind person and it is a pleasure to work with her. Very grateful for what she has shared and continues to share. - Nadia P. - MA
Emotional Block Removal has freed me from deep blocks that were limiting my joy. Since working with Hoda, I've been able to move into a richer state of creativity; where I felt stymied and lacking energy, now I feel excited to co-create and live my best life. - Kirstie J. - MA
What a pleasure to work with Hoda. She is caring, and so knowledgeable! What a support she has been for me on my healing journey. I appreciate her, and the many gifts she can bring to anyone who is fortunate enough to cross her path. - Cyndi S. - Canada
My interaction with Hoda was very professional. She is knowledgeable, organized and prompt. Her follow up summary of our meeting was very helpful. - Amalia L. - CA
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