Research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that since the late 1980’s life expectancy has increased by 6 years for men and 4 years for women, with men living until 79 while women until 83.7 years. This is good news indeed!  Unfortunately this does not mean we are healthier than previous generations!  Quite on the contrary, we are actually just sick for longer.  That was the message during the Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association Conference held in Sydney last month.
They say Australia is the lucky country.  However, the fact remains that despite a decade of unprecedented wealth, limitless choices, advanced healthcare, we are not as “well” as we should be.  We are staring down the barrel of a chronic disease crisis of unprecedented proportion.  Obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer are leading causes of preventable death.
To date, the health impact of overweight and obesity are yet to be experienced in this country.  Our current health infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle the fast rising “tsunami”.  So what should we do about this burgeoning problem?  The answer is not to have more doctors to meet the needs of a rapidly ailing population.  Instead, we have to take responsibility for our health.  The onus is on each of us to make sure we keep as healthy as possible by making life-enhancing lifestyle changes.
Did you know that during World War II, health improved in the general population in England?  This was because the English were forced to a basic daily diet of wholemeal bread, potatoes and home-grown vegetables.  Eggs, milk, butter, salt, sugar and meat were strictly rationed.  Food restrictions actually brought on unexpected health improvement!
During the Australian Lifestyle Medicine Conference, Professor Garry Egger echoed the same view when he spoke about the inverse relationship between the state of the economy and population health. He showed a graph depicting predictable improved state of health with each economic crisis over the last century.  It is ironic that improved economic conditions is consistent with bad health outcomes.  This is a clear sign that we are victims of excesses or “the good life”.
What do you think?  What active steps are you taking to improve your state of health?

NB: Professor Egger is also the Director, Centre for Health Promotion and Research, Sydney, and author of ‘Health, ‘ill-th’ and economic growth: Medicine, environment and economics at the cross-roads’, a soon-to-be published paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Not all fatness indicates disease risk. Not all leanness indicates lack of disease risk. So what is the one factor that is a potent indicator of disease risk? It is an inflammatory process called metaflammation, para-flammation or smouldering inflammation. This condition appears to be inextricably linked with individual lifestyle behaviours like:

1. poor diet
2. inactivity
3. excessive exercise (modern endurance events)
4. inadequate sleep (due to deprivation, insomnia or sleep disorders like sleep apnoea)
5. mental states like anxiety or depression
6. environmental stressors
7. excessive alcohol
8. smoking

Markers of inflammation are expressed through a range of immune mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, adipokines, myokines and transcription factors. Recently, C-reactive protein has gained more attention than NFkB, TNF alpha and Il-6 but overall, these are common markers used to identify unhealthy inducers of metaflammation. It seems, the lifestyle-related inducers listed above are associated with oxidative stress, insulin resistance and eventual development of disease states.
Regularly consuming high glycaemic foods or large quantities of highly processed carbohydrate foods leads to inflammation and aging of cells. As Professor Jennie Brand Miller, world leading authority on the glycaemic index puts it very simply, “High GI foods lead to high inflammatory markers due to oxidative stress. What happens is that the high glucose load overwhelms the power-house (mitochondria) in the cell causing lots of free radicals to be generated. This leads to death of the mitochondria and eventual cell death.” In essence, aspire to eat like traditional natives and regularly choose low GI foods.
Regular moderate level physical activity, approximately ½ to 1 hour per day most days of the week is anti-inflammatory. Getting 8 hours of good quality sleep daily is also vital. It appears that the “stress-like’’ effects of sleep deprivation and the accompanying hormonal changes are associated with obesity.
In an advanced society like ours, mental states associated with stress, anxiety and depression seem to generate acute inflammatory responses accompanied by elevated levels of cytokines. Smoking also elicits a parallel reaction. Both of which are linked to degenerative diseases.
In a nutshell, the maintenance of a disease-free state lies squarely in our hands. Health is about consistently choosing pro-life behaviours through good nutrition, exercise, good quality sleep, relaxation and powerfully choosing joy-filled states. What are your views? Please post you comments below.

Foods containing pungent flavour are often rich in sulphur content. These foods not only are great mould deterrents, they also play vital roles in DNA repairs. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, garlic and onions are sulphur rich and powerful inducers of protective enzymes like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. They are also high in indoles and can inhibit colorectal, bladder, lung, mouth, throat, stomach and breast cancers.

Cruciferous vegetable are particularly rich in isothiocynates.  Isothiocyanates have amazing anti-aging properties; this is because they are potent inhibitors of enzymes that promote glycation.  Glycation occurs when oxidation of sugars coating the surface of proteins like collagen result in the formation of Advanced Glycated Endproducts – AGEs. As the name implies, AGEs literally cause premature aging with the formation of saggy, wrinkly skin.  Note that any external signs of aging are accompanied by the aging of  internal organs as well.  The external and internal are never mutually exclusive. 

This aging process is even more pronounced in diabetics as AGEs form more quickly with elevated blood sugar levels.  It is not uncommon for a diabetic diagnosed at the age of 30 to have a physiological age of 75 by the time they reach the chronological age of 60.  It is a well-known fact that accelerated aging comes with poorly controlled blood sugar levels.  Hence, to reduce age-related cell damage, diabetics should tuck into large quantities of these vegetables to decelerate the glycation process and its accompanying premature aging.
In conclusion, these vegetables protect you from DNA damage, stimulate cancer cell death (cell apoptosis) and keep you looking and feeling young. Why would you not eat heaps more of them daily?

Australians are among the fattest people in the world. This has caused a host of chronic diseases to develop. A cluster of some of the above-mentioned conditions is commonly called metabolic syndrome. It is often said that obesity is harder to cure than cancer! For over 10 years, it has been known that obesity is directly associated with inflammation.

More and more experts are seeing body weight or fat as potential ‘markers’ of other health problems, like cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Low grade form of inflammation commonly called metaflammation seems to result from certain lifestyle behaviours. Some of these behaviours are responsible for making us fat.

Certain food choices and lack of activity are now known to contribute notoriously to ‘metaflammation’. According to studies, merely changing or reducing weight without adopting all aspects of lifestyle changes aimed at reducing inflammation are doomed to fail in the long run. To achieve better overall health outcomes, all aspects of lifestyle that contribute to reducing inflammation should be adopted.
Sleep is a factor that is largely neglected in our modern society. We now know that less than 7 hours sleep a day has been shown to raise inflammatory makers. This is related to psychological stress which has been known to cause pro-inflammatory responses. Chronic stress causes a chronic rise in stress-related hormones like cortisol and the concurrent reduction in the ‘feel-good’ hormones – endorphins. Chronic stress and depression are directly associated with metaflammation. Metaflammation leads to numerous disease states as a result of insulin resistance! In other words, science has shown that you can sleep yourself and relax yourself slim! Wow, how awesome is that? If you did nothing else but get good quality sleep and adopt deep relaxation, you could be a few kilograms lighter than you are now! How is that for good news?

Hence the winning formula for keeping trim involves a complete lifestyle overhaul combining:
1. Good sleep
2. Stress management (so you have little or no stress in your life)
3. Plenty of exercise – take every opportunity to move!
4. Good solid ‘anti-inflammatory’ diet filled with back-to-basics ‘earth foods’
5. No smoking

All of these health-enhancing factors have not changed since the time of Hippocrates. How remarkable is that? These 5 simple factors make up the entire prevention armoury. They say the more things change the more they stay the same, this must be one of those things!

1. Thou shalt nurture your spirit
How much time do you spend each day nurturing yourself? Do you do something each day that makes you smile or inspires you so that you feel good about yourself? When was the last time you laughed so hard that you cried? Remember how it was when you were a child and there was no holding back? Life was filled with infinite possibilities and you were free to create whatever you wanted in your mind’s eye? You were courageous and your view of the world was simple. You never wasted a moment on the past and you approached the future fearlessly and you were always deeply engaged in the present moment. How has the world changed since you were a child? Probably not that much but you have changed and complicated everything. What happened? When was the last time you spent time day dreaming and smiling to yourself? Nourishing your spirit is the first step to successful long term weight loss. How do you nourish your spirit each day? If your answer is, “No, I am too busy to engage in such nonsense.”, think again, you might be missing out on some of the finest things in life that money cannot buy – loving yourself and being happy. Start by asking yourself what are the things in your life you would love to do that make you happy and relaxed? Make a list and be sure to include some of these activities in your busy schedule everyday.

2. Thou shalt eat wholesome, natural foods
“When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive” Proverbs 23:1-3
Even in biblical times, there were clear warnings about the dangers of rich foods! How much processed foods do you eat in the day? How much of these foods come carefully wrapped in lovely paper wraps, boxes, tins, plastic bags, cartons, PVC bottles and glass bottles? All with mandatory food labels on them indicating the amounts of macronutrients and calories per serve or per 100g portions. We have an obsessive ‘love affair’ with rich foods that is threatening the health of the entire Western world. How often do you go back to basics and eat the “foods of the earth” as they were meant to be eaten – unprocessed, raw! The dietary guidelines clearly state you must eat 5 serves (cups) of uncooked vegetables and 2 serve of fruits each day and 4 serves of calcium-rich foods (like two small tubs of yoghurt and two glasses of low fat milk). Imagine if this was the foundation of your daily eating plan, how much more other foods can you include in your diet? I’d dare to say not much more as you would be too full to eat too much more of anything else. That makes weight loss a breeze!

3. Thou shalt have a trim tummy
How big is your tummy? Excess abdominal fat is not only ugly but also a serious risk factor to your health. There are two types of abdominal fats namely subcutaneous and visceral fat. The former refers to fat under the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles while the latter refers to fat found beneath your abdominal muscles, surrounding your vital internal organs. Visceral fat is much more dangerous than abdominal fat as this fat can enter the liver from these abdominal stores and cause “insulin resistance”. Insulin resistance signals the pancreas to produce more insulin in the vain effort to push circulating blood sugars into cells. This often sets up a viscous cycle leading to the use of drugs that supply even more insulin. A large quantity of circulating insulin is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnoea, certain cancers and degenerative diseases! How much does your waist measure? Get the tape measure out right now and measure yourself across your belly button. Men with waist measurements greater than 94cm and women with waist measurements greater than 80cm are predisposed to chronic diseases! Take action now to reduce your waist before it is too late.

4. Thou shalt be active
Do you make an effort to move at least 30minutes a day? If you cannot exercise for 30 minutes, just combine 3 lots of 10minutes of moderate to intense exercise. That will also do. This is the bare minimum to maintain basic fitness levels. They say you get out of life what you put in. So, for the extraordinary result you so desire try the following: for example, if your office is located on level 9 of a high-rise building, it will take approximately 10-15 minutes to walk up the stairs of the building. Do this 4 times a day (when you arrive, go out for lunch, return from lunch and when you go home). It will easily total 1 hour of exercise! How easy is that? Get the “hot bod” you have always wanted without even trying! Who needs to go to a gym regularly? If you do nothing else but this, I assure you, you will not recognize yourself after one year. Transforming your activity naturally leads to transforming your food choices and the result will be phenomenal.

5. Thou shalt drink alcoholic beverages in moderation only
Men should not drink more than 4 standard drinks and women not more than 2 standard drinks a day. The house wine you get at your restaurant is almost 2 standard drinks. A can of beer constitutes 1.5 standard drinks. How many and how often are you drinking? Do you have two alcohol-free days a week? Alcohol has more than twice as many calories as fat. Naturally the more you drink the fatter you will be!

6. Thou shalt eat until you are comfortably full
How often do we stuff our faces till we cannot walk? Is it three times a year – at Christmas’, New Years’ and on your birthday? If that is all then it is not a problem. If it happens 3 times a day then you have a serious over-eating disorder at hand, you have to seek professional help. A psychologist or dietitian specializing in eating disorder would be my first port of call. Take a moment today to go internally and feel your body cues. You will know it when you are comfortably full, that is about 7/10 full. That is the point you should stop eating and walk away from the table. Practice this everyday at every meal. I would be very surprised if you do not lose some weight or even a lot of weight without changing anything else!

7. Thou shalt stay hydrated
Most people do not drink enough fluid in the day. Ideally we should aim for 8 glasses of fluid or 2 liters of fluid a day. Next time you feel “hungry”, pause for a moment and ask yourself if you are really hungry or thirsty. Often thirst is mistaken for hunger and you end up eating excessively.

8. Thou shalt eat slowly
How fast are you eating? Studies have found that the speed at which someone eats their food is often directly proportional to their body size. The faster you eat the more likely you are to be over weight. Tonight when you sit down to have dinner, watch the wall clock and check how much time you take to eat. You should take at least 20 minutes - chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. If you take 30 minutes to eat that is even better. It tells me you are practicing mindful eating and most likely enjoying your food and much less likely to overeat and get heart burn. The act of chewing food thoroughly tends to make one feel more satisfied and fuller.

9. Thou shalt eat at the table
How often do you eat on the run? Do you eat all edible morsels from your children’s leftovers? Do you eat a Mars bar at the bus stop because you felt ‘peckish’? Would you polish up a slice of cheese, half a leftover poppet of fruit juice, 5 snakes, 3 biscuits and ½ a packet of chips on the run and discount them as part your caloric intake because they were not eaten at the dining table? Well, if you are serious about losing weight, stop eating on the run at once and have 3 main meals a day properly at the dining table!

10. Thou shalt not eat when overly hungry
How often do you come home from work in the late afternoon and plunder your refrigerator and pantry? Do you feel so hungry that you can eat every edible morsel in your path? Well, stop pronto when you are in that state. Drink a glass of water and eat a fruit like an apple (something that requires a lot of chewing before swallowing to starve off the hunger pangs), regroup and then start planning a proper dinner. That way you are less likely to overeat and choose unhealthy food choices.
 
Conclusion
So these are the ten commandments for effective weight management. What do you think? Have you had your own experiences of what works for you? Which parts do you find easier and which ones harder? Any area you would like me to expand on in a future article?
Please leave me a comment below.

Photo of finished stir-fry

In this article, we look more closely at the benefits of Shiitake mushrooms and how to prepare them in a quick and tasty stir-fry.

Mushrooms are often regarded as vegetables but they are really a fungus. Shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for over 5,000 years. They are commonly known as the ‘symbol of longevity’ in Asia because of their health promoting properties.

Shiitakes’ legendary benefits can be attributed to an active compound called lentinan. Lentinan appears to confer healing benefits that boost the immune system and strengthen its ability to fight infection by reducing inflammation. Lentinan is a polysaccharide which is also known as branched chain beta-glucan. Branched chain beta-glucan has also been demonstrated to confer anti-cancer activity particularly in gastric cancer, stimulating cancer cell apoptosis.
Another active compound called eritadenine is also found in shiitake. This compound appears to lower cholesterol levels by up to 12% when consumed regularly.
A powerful antioxidant has been discovered in mushrooms, it is L-ergothioneine.  In 2005, the American Chemical Society meeting in Washington, D.C., revealed that mushrooms contain higher concentrations L-ergothioneine than chicken liver and wheat germ (two food items previously erroneously nominated as highest in this antioxidant). The shiitake may contain up to 13 mg of ergothioneine in a 3-ounce serving. This is almost forty times as much as that found in wheat germ. What is even more wonderful is that L-ergothioneine is not destroyed with cooking!

Stir-fried Shiitake and Asparagus Recipe

Ingredients

• Garlic, 8 cloves, chopped
• Asparagus, 3 bunches, cut into 15cm pieces
• Shiitake, 2 trays, quartered
• Water
• Chicken stock powder, 1.5 teaspoon

Preparation
Fry chopped garlic; add asparagus and then shiitake followed by some water. Lastly add 1.5 teaspoon of chicken stock powder.

Couscous Salad

In 2001, an anticancer drug hailed ‘a miracle’ was approved by the Food and Drug Administration Department (FDA). This drug is called Gleevec.

Gleevec seems to be able to arrest the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) needed for cancer cell growth. Did you know that herbs and spices rich in fatty acids of the terpene family also act along the same lines as Gleevec?
Terpenes seem to stimulate cancer cell death (apoptosis) thereby limiting cancer cell growth, containing tumours. Armed with this knowledge, lets look at preparing a dish that is low in glycaemic index and rich in herbs.

The following recipe is prepared with couscous as the principal ingredient. Couscous has a glycaemic index of 61 and glycaemic load of 8.7. The glycaemic index of a food item measures how it affects your blood glucose level (low glycaemic index <55, 56<moderate glycaemic index<69, high glycaemic index >70). You can think of this as a number which represents the glycaemic/glucose ‘potency’.
In this instant, couscous is considered a moderately high glycaemic index food. Adding lemon and lime to couscous will reduce the glycaemic index of the meal as the acidity of these citrus will reduce the rate at which food goes into the small intestine from the stomach, thus lowering the rate of rise of blood sugar level even more. Achieving a flatter blood sugar response long term is the mainstay for management of insulin resistance. Studies have shown that frequently choosing low glycaemic index and glycaemic load food items in one’s diet will enhance insulin sensitivity and even prevent some cancers (preliminary studies seem to indicate that high insulin levels are associated with some tumours)!
Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Its absorption increases a thousand fold by adding olive oil and pepper in the recipe. The following is a low glycaemic index, ‘anti-inflammatory’ and terpene-rich meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Couscous, 1cup
Cherry tomatoes, ½ punnet
Chickpeas, 1cup (soaked, boiled and drained)
Cold pressed olive oil, 1 tablespoon
Mint, ½ a bunch
Parsley, ½ a bunch
Coriander, ½ a bunch
Lemon, ½ whole
Lime, ½ whole
Sugar, 1 teaspoon
Turmeric, 1 teaspoon
Water
Pepper
Chicken stock

Preparation

Put couscous in a bowl, pour boiling water and then add chicken stock and turmeric and set aside for 10 minutes. When liquid has been absorbed, separate couscous grains with a folk.
Add chick peas, tomatoes, mint, parsley, coriander, lemon, lime, sugar, pepper and cold pressed olive oil. Mix well and serve.

References

J. McMillan-Price, P. Petocz, F. Atkinson, et al., ‘Comparison of 4 diet of varying glycaemic load on weight loss and cardiovascular risk reduction in overweight and obese young adults; a randomised controlled trial’ Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(14), 2006: 1466 – 75.

G. A. Santisteban, J. T. Ely, E. E. Hamel, et al., ‘Glycaemic modulation of tumour tolerance in a mouse model of breast cancer’ Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 132(3), 1985: 1174-9.

E. Weiderpass, G. Gridley, I. Persson, O. Nyren, A. Ekbom, H. O. Adami, ‘Risk of endometrial and breast cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus’ International Journal of Cancer, 71(3), 1997: 360-63.

C. A. Plouzek, H.P. Ciolino, R. Clarke, G. C. Yeh, ‘Inhibition of P-glycoprotein activity and reversal of multidrug resistance in vitro by rosemary extract’ European Journal of Cancer, 35(10), 1999:1541-5.

It is not uncommon for Japanese to use mushrooms as an adjunct to chemotherapy in cancer treatment with measurable positive outcomes. The rate of stomach cancer is 50% lower among Japanese who consume large amounts of mushrooms. Researchers in Kyushu University have shown that colon cancer patients given mushrooms with chemotherapy live longer.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3cm piece ginger, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
150g fresh shiitake mushrooms, quartered
150g fresh oyster mushrooms
150g fresh enoki mushrooms
½ cup shao hsing jiu or rice wine
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1.5 teaspoon black rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons water

Heat olive oil in a hot wok. Add ginger and garlic, fry for 10-20 seconds. Add shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Then add shao hsing jiu or rice wine, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and fry for 1 minute. Lastly, throw in enoki mushrooms and add some water.

References
V.E. Ooi, F. Liu, ‘Immunomodulation and anticancer activity of polysaccharide protein complexes’ Current Medicinal Chemistry, 7(7), 2000: 715-29.
P.M. Kidd,’The Use of Mushroom glucans and Proteoglycans in Cancer Treatment’ Alternatve Medicine Reviews, 5(1), 2000: 4-27.
M. Torisu, Y. Tayashi, T. Ishimitsu, et al. ‘Significant prolongation of disease-free period gained by oral polysaccharide K(PSk) administration after curative surgical operation of colorectal cancer’ Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 31, 1999: 261-8.
H. Nakazato, A. Koike, S. Saji, N. Ogawa, J. Sakamoto, ‘Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer’ Lancet, 343, 1994: 1122-6.
M. Hara, T. Hanaoka, M. Kobayashi, et al. ‘Cruciferous vegetables, mushrooms and gastrointestinal caner risks in a multicentre, hospital-based case control study in Japan’ Nutrition Cancer, 46(2), 2003: 138-47.

Let’s have a look at a list of common foods that make up the anti-cancer diet:

1. green tea – contains polyphenols called “catechins” or epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), EGCG blocks receptors on a cells surface that issue command for the creation of new blood vessels.
2. red wine – “resveratrol” (this is not an endorsement to drink, quantities of >100ml per day seem to lose their protective effect, Professor Riboli of the famous EPIC study thinks this study was poorly designed and conclusions dubious) 
3. garlic – “dialyl sulphide”
4. cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts – cruciferous vegetables contain “indol-3-carbinol”
5. rosemary – “carnosol”
6. raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, hazel nuts and pecans – contain polyphenol called “ellagic acid”. Ellagic acid has been demonstrated to act against 2 most common mechanisms of stimulation of blood vessels: VEGF and PDGF.
7. mushrooms – shiitake, maitake, kawaratake, enokitake contain “lentinan” and other polysaccharides
8. broccoli – “sulphoraphane”
9. turmeric – “curcumin”, a yellow powder used in Indian curries. Also, one of the most potent naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents. In the laboratory it has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and promote cancer cells death or cell “apoptosis”. Indians have less than 20% of colon, breast, lung and kidney cancers compared to Westerners of the same age.  This is true despite high exposure to environmental toxins on a worse scale than in the West.  Could their diet have something to do with the favourable statistics?
10. tomatoes – “lycopene”
11. soy beans – “genistein”, “daidzein” and “glyciteine”.  Researchers wrote that “soy and green tea may be used as potentially effective dietary regimen for inhibiting progression of oestrogen-dependent breast cancer”. Soy phyto-oestrogens act along similar lines as common breast cancer drug Tamoxifen.
12. ginger – “6 -gingerol”
13. cherries – “glucaric acid” which can facilitate elimination of xenoestrogens from environmental chemicals
14. blueberries, cranberries, cinnamon, dark chocolate – “anthocyanidins” and “proanthocyanidins”
15. parsley and celery – “apigenine”
16. rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and mint – essential oils of the terpene family
17. seaweed – “fucoidan” and “fucoxanthin”
18. salmon, tuna, trout, meckarel, cod, sardine – omega-3s
19. orange, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit – anti-inflammatory ‘flavinoids’
20. pomegranate – antioxidant
21. yoghurt – ‘probiotics’
22. vitamin D
23. selenium

In conclusion, we can make food our medicine and actively choose foods that defend our bodies against invasion of cancer by:

1. detoxifying carcinogens
2. boosting immune system and increasing natural killer (NK) cell production
3. blocking angiogenesis
4. blocking inflammation
5. promoting cancer cell “apoptosis” or cancer cell suicide

References

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2. I. J. Fidler, ‘Angiogenic heterogeneity:regulation of neoplastic angiogenesis by the organ microenvironment’ Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 93(14), 2001; 1040-41.
3. S. Paget, ‘The distribution of secondary growths in cancer of the breast’ Lancet 1889; 1:571-3.
4. Y. J. Surh, ‘Cancer chemoprevention with dietary phytochemicals’ Nature Reviews Cancer, 3(10), 2003: 768-80.
5. J. Jankun, S. H. Selman, R. Swierz, E. Skrzypczak-Jankun, ‘Why drinking green tea could prevent cancer’ Nature, 387(6633), 1997: 561.
6. M. Demeule, B. Annabi, J. Michaud-Levesque, S. Lamy, R. Beliveau, ‘Dietary prevention of cancer: Anticancer and antiangiogenic properties of green tea polyphenols’ Medicinal Chemistry Reviews – Online 2, 2005: 49-58.
7. J. R. Zhou, L. Yu, Z. Mai, G. L. Blackburn, ‘Combined inhibition of estrogen-dependent human breast carcinoma by soy and tea bioactive components in mice’ International Journal of Cancer, 108(1), 2004; 8-14.
8. J. R. Zhou, L. Yu, Y. Zhong, G. L. Blackburn, ’Soy phytochemicals and tea bioactive components in mice’ Journal of Nutrition, 133(2), 2003: 516-21.
9. A. H. Wu, M. C. Pike, D, O. Stram, ‘Meta-analysis: Dietary fat intake, Serum Estrogen levels and the Risk of Breast Cancer’  Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1999: 529-34.
10. K. Mehta, P. Pantazis, T. McQueen, B.B. Aggarwal, ‘Antiproliferative effect of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) against human breast tumour cell lines’ Anticancer Drugs, 8(5), 1977: 470-81.
11. S. Shishodia, B.B. Aggarwal, ‘Nuclear factor-kappa B activation: a question of life or death’ Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 35(1), 2002: 28-40.
12. B. B. Aggarwal, S. Shishodia, Y. Takada, et al. ‘Curcumin suppresses the paclitaxel-induced nuclear factor kappa B pathway in breast cancer cells and inhibits lung metestasis of human breast cancer in nude mice’ Clinical Cancer Research, 11(20), 2005: 7490-98.
13. P. M. Kidd, ‘The Use of Mushroom Glucans and Proteoglycans in Cancer Treatment’ Alternative Medicine Review, 5(1), 2000: 4-27.
14. H. Nakazato, A. Koike, S. Saji, N. Ogawa, J. Sakamoto, ‘Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer’ Lancet, 343, 1994: 1122-6.
15. M. Hara, T. Hanaoka, M. kobayashi, et al. ‘Cruciferous vegetables, mushrooms and gastrointestinal cancer risks in a multicentre, hospital-based case-control study in Japan’ Nutrition Cancer, 46(2), 2003: 138-47.
16. L. Labrecque, S. Lamy, A. Chapus, et al. ‘Combined inhibition of PDGF and VEGF receptors by ellagic acid, a dietary-derived phenolic compound’ Carcinogenesis, 26(4), 2005: 821-6.
17. N. Seeram, L. Adams, Y. Zhang, et al. ‘Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry and strawberry extracts inhibit growth and stimulate apoptosis of human cancer cells in vitro’ Journal of Agricultural Food Chemicals, 54, 2006L 9329-39.
18. R. Smith ‘Let food be thy medicine…’ British Medical Journal, 2004: 328.
19. H. Kikuzaki, N. Nakatani, ‘Antioxidant effects of some ginger constituents’ Journal of Food Science. 58(6), 1993, 1407-10.
20. C. M. Cover, S. J. Hsieh, E. J.Cram. et al. ‘Indole-3-carbinol and tamoxifen cooperate to arrest the cell cycle of MCF – 7 human breast cancer cells’ Cancer Research, 59(6), 1999: 1244-51.
21. L. Gamet-Payraste, P. Li, S. Lumeau, et al. ‘Sulforaphane, a Naturally Occuring Isothiocyanate, Induces cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in HT29 Human Colon Cancer Cells’ Cancer Research, 60(5), 2000: 1426-33.
22. P. Terry, A. Wolk, H. Vainio, E. Weiderpass, ‘Fatty fish consumption lowers the risk of endometrial cancerL a nationwide case-control study in Sweden’ Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 11(1),  2002; 143-5.
23. P. Terry, P. Lichtenstein, M. Feychting, A. Ahlbom, A. Wolk, ‘Fatty fish consumption and the risk of prostate cancer’ Lancet, 357(9270), 2001: 1765-6.
24. C. H. MacLean, S. J. Newberry, W. A. Mojica, et al. ‘Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer risk: a systematic review’ JAMA, 295(4), 2006: 403-15.
25. M. P. Rayman, ‘The importance of selenium to human health’ Lancet, 356(9225), 2000: 233-41.
26. J. M. Lappe, K. Travers-Gustafson, K. M. Davies, R. R. Recker, R. P. Heaney, ‘Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85, 2007: 1586-91.
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28. D. P. Rose, J. M. Connolly, ‘Regulation of tumour angiogenesis by dietary fatty acids and eicosanoids’ Nutr Cancer, 37(2), 2000:119-27.
29. T. Norat, S. Bingham, P. Ferrari, et al. ‘Meat, fish and colorectal cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into cancer and nutrition’ Journal of National Cancer Institute, 97(12), 2005:906-16.
30. P. Terry, P. Lishtenstein, M. Feychting, A. Ahlbom, A. Wolk, ‘Fatty fish consumption and risk of prostate cancer’ Lancet, 357(9270), 2001: 1764-6.
31. L. T. Hooper, R. Thompson, R. Harrison, et al. ‘Risks and benefits of omega-3 fatty acidson cancer risk: a systematic review’ JAMA, 295(4), 2006: 403-15.
32. M. P. Rayman, ‘The importance of selenium to human health’ Lancet, 356(9225), 2000:233-41.
33. L. Kiremidjian-schumacher, M. Roy, H. I. Wishe, M. W. Cohen, G. Stotzky ‘Supplementation with selenium and human immune cell functios. II. Effect on cytotoxic lymphocytes and natural killer cells’ Biological Trace Element Research, 41(1-2), 1994: 115-27. 
34. J. M. Lappe, k. Travers-Gustafson, K. M. davies, R. R. Recker, R. P. Heaney, ‘Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomised trial’ American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 85, 2007: 1586-91.

So what can we do to protect ourselves and reduce our chances of ever developing the illness? If we already have developed cancer, what can we do to increase our chances of recovery from it? Along with conventional treatments like surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, a host of other factors like environmental toxins, nutrition, emotions and physical activity come to play together in providing a more well-rounded approach to defeating the disease.

While there is some great research coming out of prestigious journals such as Lancet, Science or Nature that explore the mind-body or nutritional approaches to fighting cancer, this research is often not considered key to fighting cancer. Generally, not until they have been the subject of large scale human studies, are these avenues noted and explored. Meanwhile, these major breakthroughs may enable us to protect ourselves long before they become the new drug or protocol for the mainstream treatments of tomorrow.

It is an established fact that chronic inflammatory states are directly linked to cancer development. This is true for the following cancers:

The above table demonstrates that it appears cancer cells need to produce inflammation to sustain their growth. The key enzyme for the inflammatory process is COX-2 produced by cancer cells. Along side this enzyme, other highly inflammatory substances like cytokines, prostaglandins and leukotrienes, commonly seen in natural wound healing process, are also produced providing the fertile ground for cancer cell reproduction. Here we see an entire lesion repair mechanism being exploited to reproduce and spread cancer cells leading to the formation of metastases or secondary tumours.

Scientific interest is just warming up to this concept as I write.  This is one of the reasons why taking control of inflammation could be key in cancer prevention and treatment.

References

1. M. Hedelin, ‘Association of frequent consumption of fatty fish with prostate cancer risk is modified by COX-2 polymorphism’ International Journal of Cancer, 120(2), 2006: 398 – 405. 
2. F. Balkwill, A.Mantovani, ‘Inflammation and cancer: back to Virchow?’ Lancet, 357(9255), 2001: 539-45.
3. R. M. Peek, Jr., S. Mohla, R. N. DuBois, ‘Inflammation in the genesis and perpetuation of cancer: summary and recommendations from a national cancer institute-sponsored meeting’ Cancer Research, 65(19), 2005: 8583-6.
4. J. Marx, ‘Cancer research: Inflammation and cancer: the link grows stronger’ Science, 306(306), 2004:5698-966.
5. A. M. Al Murri, J. M. S. bartlett, P.A. canney, J. C. Doughty, C. Wilson, D.C. McMillan, ‘Evaluation of an inflammation-based prognostic score (GPS) in patients with metastatic breast cancer’ British Journal of Cancer, 94(2), 2006:227-30.M. Karin, F. R. greten, ‘NF-kappa B:linking inflammation and immunity to cancer development and progression’ Nature Reviews Immunology, 5(10), 2005:749-59.