There are many things in life that are unpredictable -- but there's one thing I've always believed every person is able to control and that is his/her health. Sure we are inclined to certain genetic factors, however by maintaining a healthy diet, exercise regimen and an overall spiritual well-being we can insure ourselves a better life. Too often I will see friends and family eating foods that clearly are not beneficial to them, whether it be processed foods like microwavable meals, mystery meats or foods high in sugars and sodium found in candies and snacks to high saturated fats in meats, cheeses and fried foods.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint myself. There will be times where there are no other options but the bad, but what can you do? Socially ostracize yourself and only eat at home? Subjecting yourself to a life of healthy eating but suffer the consequences of lonely solitude? No not necessarily. But being conscious of what we put into our bodies is better than living in ignorance, which in this case will not bring you bliss but a myriad of health problems -- high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes just to name a few.
Maybe next time when you go out to eat with friends, opt out for the vegetarian option or maybe a salad (with no dressing). With most lessons in life, prevention is key, the whole "better safe than sorry" shpeal makes a lot more sense now that I'm older. How can you even imagine enjoying your retirement when you can barely climb up a flight of stairs? Or not be able to travel on a plane or even a train because of your heart condition? How can your mind possibly be in a good mood when everything inside your body constantly hurts? These are all important things we need to think about at an early age, and for those that are older, it is never too late to change.
I received this e-mail this week from Mommy Wells about causes of cancer along with cancer prevention techniques and really wanted to share it with you guys. The following information was obtained from John Hopkins Research --
- Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
- Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
- When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
- When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
- To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
- An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
Cancer Cells Feed On:
- Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
- Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
- Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
- A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)
- Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
- Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
- Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
1. No plastic in microwaves.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
What better way to share healthy information than to pair it with a healthy (yummy) recipe? :) I discovered Dover Sole while working at a French restaurant, since then it has become one of my favorite fish. The meat is very delicate and moist, but because it is very thin it cooks very quickly. Therefore, when cooking your dover be sure not to over cook the fish or it will taste dry.
I paired the dover with a raw summer couscous that I found in Raw, a cookbook written by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein. I found it interesting that they put red grapes with the cauliflower. I was quite hesitant about it at first but it really put the finishing touches on the couscous itself, providing a very nice sweetness and playfulness to this dish both in flavors and textures.
Ingredients for Raw Summer Couscous:
- 1 cup cauliflower, finely chopped
- 1/8 cup red bell pepper, small diced
- 1/8 cup yellow bell pepper, small diced
- 1/8 cup parsley, minced
- 1 cup grapes, washed and halved
- 1/2 cup radish, small diced
- 1/8 cup raw honey
- 1/2 lemon squeezed
- salt pepper to taste
In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and honey together. Place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with honey lemon mixture. Taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and serve with dover sole.
Ingredients for Dover Sole: (serves 2)
- 2 x 6oz dover sole fillets
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon shallot, minced
- salt pepper to taste
In a large sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat (about 4-6) and once it is bubbling add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper and fry 3 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the fillets it may take longer, but remember that the fish will also continue to cook once it is taken off the pan so plan accordingly!). You can check the "doneness" of the fish by using the tip of the knife or fork -- if it pierces through the flesh easily, it is done, if it still feels rubbery it needs more cooking time. Serve immediately with couscous.
To Plate:
I topped my plate off with some orange segments -- I always love a little citrus with my fish. Feel free to leave it off. Using a hollowed out can or cookie ring cutter (I used a 4" ring), fill the mold with the couscous mixture. Immediately plated the fish once it has finished cooking and garnish with orange segments. This dish would go well with a glass of Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc.
I think dishes like these are perfect for the summer. The contrast in textures, the whimsical bright colors and flavors -- all it takes is a little creativity to make eating healthy...fun! Bon appetit and hope everyone is having a fabulous summer :).
