whole nutrition Archives - Amazing Health Advances

How Effective Is Chemotherapy for Colon, Lung, Breast, and Prostate Cancers?

AHA Publisher — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 07:00:01 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts– How effective is chemotherapy for colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers? “Over the last several decades…medicine has waged a major war against cancer, concentrating on earlier diagnosis and improved therapy. The war is not being won. Nevertheless, medicine shows few signs of admitting that its strategy may be flawed. In this it resembles a World War I general who stated: ‘Casualties: huge. Ground gained: negligible. Conclusion: press on.’” If you look at the contribution of cancer-killing chemotherapy to five-year survival in cancer patients, it’s on the order of only about 2 percent. As you can see below and at 0:50 in my video How to Win the War on Cancer, we’ve gotten pretty good at treating some pediatric cancers, testicular cancer, and Hodgkin’s disease. But, if you look at our most common cancers—that is, of the colon, lung, breast, and prostate—the success rate is only about 1 percent. That means out of nearly 14,000 colon cancer patients, for example, only 146 lived out five years, thanks to chemotherapy. The chance of survival benefit of chemo is about one in a hundred, but doctors don’t tell patients that. “Any new chemotherapy drug is still promoted as a major breakthrough in the fight against cancer, only to be quietly rejected without the fanfare that accompanied its arrival.” Indeed, the “minimal impact on survival in the more common cancers conflicts with the perceptions of many patients who feel they are receiving a treatment that will significantly enhance their chances of cure…In view of the minimal impact of cytotoxic chemotherapy on 5-year survival, and the lack of any major progress over the last 20 years, it follows that the main role of cytotoxic chemotherapy is in palliation.” It can shrink tumors, relieving pain and pressure, but that doesn’t tend to translate into living any longer. “The failure of therapy, coupled with the realization that the overwhelming majority of cancer is related to environmental, particularly lifestyle factors, dictates that prevention should be our foremost aim.” Cancer is largely a preventable disease, but it does require major lifestyle changes. Of the millions of cancer diagnoses every year, as many as 90 to 95 percent of the cancers are caused by lifestyle factors, with only 5 to 10 percent caused by bad genes. We know this because of “enormous differences in the incidence of particular forms of cancer in differing geographical and socio-economic situations” around the world, which then change when people move from one place to another. For example, as you can see below and at 2:40 in my video, breast cancer rates differ by an order of magnitude, with the lowest rates in parts of Africa and Asia, until those Africans and Asians move and start eating and living like Americans, Argentinians, Europeans, or Australians. So, “there is need for a major reappraisal of how the problem of cancer is approached.” The key to winning the war on cancer is prevention, which not only works better, but “has the great advantage that it entails nothing worse than nicotine [or jellybean] withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, cancer treatment, even when successful, often exposes the patient to much suffering, both physical and psychological. Indeed, some cancer treatments are considered worse than the disease.” Most importantly, a healthy lifestyle can nip cancer in the bud, whereas, by definition, early diagnosis and treatment don’t change the cancer rate or the number of people getting cancer in the first place. In terms of cancer prevention and treatment with nutrition, the “consumption of nutrients of animal-based foods were associated with increased cancer risk while nutrients of plant-based food were associated with decreasing risk.” It’s not enough just to avoid the bad stuff, though. Eating is pretty much “a zero-sum game.” Everything we put in our mouth is a lost opportunity to put something even more healthful in our mouth. It’s not just about avoiding foods with cancer-promoting properties. We need to eat foods with active cancer-suppressing mechanisms. By “wholistic nutrition,” we’re talking about whole foods, and we should get their nutrients not from extracts or pills, but from the whole foods themselves. Ultimately, “cancer development is primarily a nutrition-responsive disease rather than a genetic disease,” but, again, we aren’t talking about nutritional supplements; we’re talking about “whole, intact food.” I’m very excited to share some of Professor Emeritus Colin Cambell’s six new papers on redefining the role of nutrition in medicine. For an overview on the power of diet, see my How Not to Die from Cancer and The Best Advice on Diet and Cancer videos. I’ve produced hundreds of videos about the role of different foods and food consumption patterns on different cancers. Browse all of the titles through the search bar on my website NutritionFacts.org. Key Takeaways Despite a “major war against cancer,” chemotherapy only contributes about 2 percent to five-year survival in cancer patients. Although chemotherapy treatment is fairly effective for some pediatric cancers, testicular cancer, and Hodgkin’s disease, our most common cancers (of the colon, lung, breast, and prostate) only have about a 1 percent success rate, which means, for example, out of about 14,000 colon cancer patients, only 146 live for five years, thanks to chemo. Chemotherapy can shrink tumors and relieve pain and pressure, but does not tend to result in longer life. Up to 90 to 95 percent of cancers are caused by lifestyle factors, and bad genes are responsible for only 5 to 10 percent. The key to actually winning the war on cancer is prevention, not treatment. A healthy lifestyle can prevent cancer, whereas early diagnosis and treatment—by definition—do not change the cancer rate or number of people getting cancer to begin with. Animal-based foods are associated with increased cancer risk, while plant-based foods are associated with decreased risk. We should get our nutrients from whole, intact plant foods rather than extracts, pills, or supplements. To read the original article click here.

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Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie Recipe

AHA Publisher — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:00:06 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS – Smoothies are delightfully healthy foods when done right. When you purchase them at an overpriced smoothie shop, they’re often full of low-quality ingredients and a lot of added sugar, but why bother buying these drinks when you can make your own? Take my homemade strawberry kiwi smoothie recipe, for example. Trust me — this recipe is quick and easy to whip up, and it’s loaded with beneficial ingredients sure to up your nutrient intake while satisfying that sweet tooth. Key Ingredients This delicious and refreshing strawberry kiwi smoothie is one of my favorites. Thanks to the kiwi, it’s chock-full of vitamin C. If you thought oranges were good, wait until you try kiwis: These fuzzy little fruits have 275 percent of your daily recommended allowance of the nutrient. That’s not all. Kiwi nutrition provides vitamins K and E, along with potassium, copper and folate. As such, this fruit can help counteract signs of aging and support skin, eye, digestive, cardiovascular, bone, immune and respiratory health. When you combine kiwis with nutrition-rich strawberries, which are packed with antioxidants, along with some banana and raw yogurt, you get an easy-to-make, fruity smoothie you can enjoy as a yummy breakfast, post-workout snack or just an after-dinner treat. Strawberry nutrition is high vitamins C, K and B6. It also provides a good amount of minerals, including manganese, folate, potassium, magnesium and more. Strawberries have been shown to help protect against cancer, heart disease, skin damage, cognitive decline and digestive issues. The final fruit star in this strawberry banana kiwi smoothie is, of course, banana. Banana nutrition is, of course, loaded in potassium, along with several other essential nutrients. That’s why bananas can help boost energy, improve digestion, enhance mood, and support heart and kidney health. How to Make a Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie Add all the ingredients to the blender. You can use fresh ingredients if you can find them, but the good thing about this strawberry kiwi smoothie is that it works equally well with frozen ingredients for those cooler months. Blend it all up until you reach a smooth texture and serve. You can garnish with some fresh basil or mint leaves to jazz this smoothie up. To give your smoothie an extra nutritional boost, add a scoop of green vegetable powder. Enjoy! Similar Recipes Looking for a couple more strawberry smoothie recipes? You can try my Hydrating Watermelon Smoothie Recipe with Strawberries and Banana or Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe. Here are a few other smoothie recipes to experiment with if you enjoy this kiwi strawberry smoothie: Pineapple Smoothie with Cilantro Recipe Raspberry Smoothie Recipe Piña Colada Smoothie Recipe Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie Recipe DESCRIPTION This strawberry kiwi smoothie is absolutely delicious. It is a great way to satisfy your sweet craving while doubling as a healthy snack. INGREDIENTS ½ cup strawberries ½ banana 1 kiwi ¼ cup goat’s milk yogurt ¼ cup water INSTRUCTIONS Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth texture is reached. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe

AHA Publisher — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 08:00:16 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS – Before I knew how unhealthy it really was — and before I got into cauliflower fried rice — fried rice was one of my favorite Chinese takeout orders. After all, with your choice of protein, veggies and rice, it’s an entire meal in one dish. When you start eating whole, healthy foods, that takeout order doesn’t seem so appetizing any longer. Everything is drenched in unhealthy oils, who knows where the meat is from and white rice is full of empty calories. There is a way, however, to still enjoy the delicious taste of fried rice without the icky extras. That’s where this cauliflower fried rice recipe (or faux fried rice) — like my Cauliflower Rice with Cilantro and Lime recipe — comes in. Key Ingredients Made from inflammation-fighting cauliflower, this takeout fake-out is quick and easy 30-minute recipe that’s perfect for busy nights. Plus, thanks to the low carb content of cauliflower, this cauliflower fried rice keto-friendly recipe can be eaten on any low- or no-carb diet. The ghee, meanwhile, provides healthy fat and is a healthier alternative to butter, while the garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper and coconut aminosprovide added flavor and bump up the nutrition. I like carrots, eggs and onions in mine, but you can really add whatever vegetables you have on hand — mushrooms and zucchini work nicely here, too. My fried cauliflower rice version is meat-free but still packed with protein thanks to the eggs, so it’s great for vegetarians, but if you have some leftover chicken or beef, toss it in! You can totally make this cauliflower fried rice your own. Let’s get cooking. How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice Start by chopping the cauliflower into small chunks and adding it to a high-powered blender. Pulse until the cauliflower reaches the consistency of rice pieces. Then, in a large skillet, add in two tablespoons of ghee, one of my favorite cooking fats, and the riced cauliflower. Toss in the garlic, salt and pepper, too, and cook for five minutes. Next, add the carrot and onion to the mix, and cook until softened. The onion and garlic should smell pretty good right now! If you’re using other vegetables, add them now as well. Stir in the remaining ghee and the eggs, using a wooden spoon to break up the eggs as they scramble. Stir in the coconut aminos, a soy-free alternative to soy sauce, and enjoy! I like to add a little color to my cauliflower fried rice. If you have cilantro fans in the house, the herb makes a great garnish. If not, try chopped scallions. This cauliflower fried rice is delicious as a main meal or a quick side if you have something else planned. Try it tonight! Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe DESCRIPTION This recipe produces cauliflower fried rice with individual grains and is lightly seasoned to allow the flavor of the rice to dominate. INGREDIENTS 1 medium head of cauliflower 4 tablespoons ghee ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon of each: sea salt and pepper 1 large carrot, shredded 1 medium onion, diced 4 eggs ¼ cup coconut aminos INSTRUCTIONS Chop cauliflower into small florets and add to Vitamix. Blend until consistency of rice pieces is achieved. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons ghee and cauliflower. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrot and onion and cook until softened. Add remaining ghee and eggs. Stir to scramble them and chop finely. Stir in coconut aminos and serve. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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