cancer

Health Tip of the Day ~ The Mighty Benefits of Flaxseeds

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The Tiny But Mighty Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are small, brown, or golden-colored seeds that are rich in fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids. Here are some potential health benefits of consuming flaxseeds:

  1. High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Flaxseeds are an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that can help reduce inflammation and improve heart health.
  2. Improves Digestion: Flaxseeds are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which can help promote regular bowel movements and improve overall digestive health.
  3. Lowers Cholesterol: Flaxseeds are high in soluble fiber, which can help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood, reducing the risk of heart disease.
  4. May reduce cancer risk: Flaxseeds contain lignans, which are a type of phytoestrogen that may help protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
  5. Helps manage blood sugar: The fiber and healthy fats in flaxseeds may help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, making them a good option for people with diabetes.
  6. May improve skin health: Flaxseeds contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help improve skin health and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

 Flaxseeds  are high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.

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NOTE: Try mixing a tablespoon of flaxseeds into my Greek yogurt. It works well for me.

Heath Tip of the Day ~ The Right Food Choices Can Help Prevent Cancer

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Food Choices and Cancer

The food choice we make go a long way to helping us avoid cancer. According to Kate Cohen,  a registered dietitian at the Ellison Clinic at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA., Cohen explained how diet can impact cancer development, saying: “We know that about half to two-thirds of cancers can be avoided through diet and lifestyle changes including staying at a healthy weight, increasing fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol, and increasing dietary fiber.”

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Is the Pescatarian Diet Right for You?

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Interested in cutting meat out of your diet, but not fish?

Or are you considering going vegetarian but want some protein options beyond plants. Consider the pescatarian diet. This plan — more like a lifestyle — is vegetarian with one key difference: You also eat fish and seafood. . . . Eliminating meat and poultry from your diet and focusing on plants and seafood can be a healthy switch. Benefits of a pescatarian diet can include:

  1. Better Heart Health ~ “Eliminating red meat is a great way to boost your heart health,” says Registered dietitian Anthony DiMarino, RD. “Pescatarians can get all the nutrients they need without eating any beef, lamb or pork.”
  2. Lowers Risk of Cancer & Other Diseases ~ Fruits and vegetables are nutritional powerhouses. Eating a colorful array of fruits and vegetables is an important part of an anti-cancer diet. These foods contain nutrients and phytochemicals that help fight the cell changes that can lead to cancer.
  3. Good Gut Health ~ If your pescatarian plan includes lots of high-fiber foods, your gut is in for a treat. The fiber in plant foods helps prevent constipation and feeds your gut’s microbiome. Your microbiome is home to bacteria, fungi and yeast that live in your small and large intestines.“Your microbiome plays a key role in your immune system, digestion and metabolism,” says DiMarino. “A healthy microbiome can also boost your mental health.”
  4. Calmer Apetite ~ Many foods in the pescatarian diet, like legumes, nuts and seeds, can help you curb those afternoon cravings. These foods are naturally high in fiber and protein, which take longer to digest than simple carbs like chips and processed snack foods.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Sugar is Not Your Friend

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Cut Back on the Sugar for a Healthier You

We all know smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health, but a more stealth killer may be having the same level of impact: sugar. Just as cigarettes have long been linked to preventable mortality from cancer, heart disease, and stroke, researchers have increasingly found that consuming added sugar leads to similarly deadly conditions. According to a 2016 report in the journal Nutrients, too much sugar leads to “a variety of chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as cognitive decline and even some cancers.” 

Today’s Health Tip ~ Smoking is a Killer

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Quitting smoking before 35 could save your life

If you’re a smoker, but not yet middle age, let this be your wakeup call: A 2002 report from the American Journal of Public Health suggests that roughly 90 percent of the increased mortality risk associated with smoking cigarettes can be stopped if a smoker quits before the age of 35. Past middle age and still hooked? You can still reap the benefits of increased longevity by quitting today.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ 9 Great Benefits of Onions

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Onions are highly nutritious and have been associated with several benefits, including improved heart health, better blood sugar control, and increased bone density.

What are the 9 Great Benefits of Onions?

  1. Onions are packed with nutrients – Onions are low in calories yet high in nutrients, including vitamin C, B vitamins, and potassium.
  2. Onions may benefit heart health – Research shows that eating onions may help reduce heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, elevated triglyceride levels, and inflammation.
  3. Onions are loaded with antioxidants – Red onions are rich in anthocyanins, which are powerful plant pigments that may protect against heart disease, certain types of cancer, and diabetes.
  4. Onions contain anti-cancer compounds – A diet rich in allium vegetables like onions may have a protective effect against certain cancers.
  5. Onions help to control blood sugar – Due to the many beneficial compounds found in onions, consuming them may help reduce high blood sugar.
  6. Onions my boost bone density – Studies show that onion consumption is associated with improved bone mineral density.
  7. Onions have antibacterial properties – Onions have been shown to inhibit the growth of potentially harmful bacteria like E. coliand S. aureus.
  8. Onions may boost digestive health – Onions are a rich source of prebiotics, which help boost digestive health, improve bacterial balance in your gut, and benefit your immune system.
  9. Onions are easily added to your diet – Onions can easily be added to savory dishes, including eggs, guacamole, meat dishes, soups, and baking goods.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ 10 Ways Ginger Benefits You

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The Health Benefits of Ginger

  1. Ginger fights germs – Certain chemical compounds in fresh ginger help your body ward off germs. They’re especially good at halting growth of bacteria like E.coliand shigella, and they may also keep viruses like RSV at bay.
  2. Ginger keeps your mouth healthy – Ginger’s antibacterial power may also brighten your smile. Active compounds in ginger called gingerols keep oral bacteria from growing. These bacteria are the same ones that can cause periodontal disease, a serious gum infection.
  3. Ginger calms nausea – The old wives’ tale may be true: Ginger helps if you’re trying to ease a queasy stomach, especially during pregnancy. It may work by breaking up and getting rid of built-up gas in your intestines. It might also help settle seasickness or nausea caused by chemotherapy.
  4. Ginger soothes sore muscles – Ginger won’t whisk away muscle pain on the spot, but it may tame soreness over time. In some studies, people with muscle aches from exercise who took ginger had less pain the next day than those who didn’t.
  5. Ginger eases arthritis symptoms – Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, which means it reduces swelling. That may be especially helpful for treating symptoms of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. You might get relief from pain and swelling either by taking ginger by mouth or by using a ginger compress or patch on your skin.
  6. Ginger curbs cancer growth – Some studies show that bioactive molecules in ginger may slow down the growth of some cancers like colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate cancer. But much more research is needed to see if this is true.
  7. Ginger eases period pain – Got menstrual cramps? Ginger powder may help. In studies, women who took 1,500 milligrams of ginger powder once a day for 3 days during their cycle felt less pain than women who didn’t.
  8. Ginger lowers cholesterol – A daily dose of ginger may help you battle your “bad” or LDL cholesterol levels. In a recent study, taking 5 grams of ginger a day for 3 months lowered people’s LDL cholesterol an average of 30 points.
  9. Ginger relieves indigestion – If you live with chronic indigestion, also called dyspepsia, ginger could bring some relief. Ginger before meals may make your system empty faster, leaving less time for food to sit and cause problems.
  10. Ginger protects against disease – Ginger is loaded with antioxidants, compounds that prevent stress and damage to your body’s DNA. They may help your body fight off chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diseases of the lungs, plus promote healthy aging.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Do Red and Processed Meats Cause Cancer?

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What Researchers say About Red Meat

The researchers classified red meat (like beef, pork, and lamb) as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans. In other words, the evidence linking red meat to cancer is not quite as strong as processed meats.  Evidence suggests a link to colorectal cancer, but the research is limited. More cancer-causing substances are formed when red meat is cooked at high temperatures, like grilling, barbecuing, and frying.  Research by the National Cancer Institute (NIH) shows that even white fish cooked at high temperatures may also be linked to cancer risk, especially when cooked for longer.

There are a few ways to curb the formation of these cancer-causing substances, such as:5

  • Cut the meat into smaller portions to reduce cooking time
  • Flip the meat often
  • Cook the meat with a microwave before exposing it to high temperatures
  • Remove charred pieces of meat
  • Avoid directly exposing the meat to an open flame

What Researchers say About Processed Meat

Cancer experts may say that bacon and other processed meats are now in the same dangerous boat as cigarettes. But frequency plays a role. The more you’re exposed to anything in this category, the greater the risk. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to eat those foods. And if so, how often. . . .Unfortunately for bacon lovers, there is a risk of cancer associated with red and processed meat. Other than the known risk, there is limited research regarding the amount of red and processed meat you should eat. However, the risk of cancer does increase the more you eat red and processed meat.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ What are the Health Benefits of Pomegranates?

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Pomegranates – A Healthy Super Food

They’re high in antioxidants – Antioxidants are substances that help protect cells from environmental toxins such as pollution and cigarette smoke. Antioxidants are known to help prevent and repair DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Pomegranate juice alone won’t keep cancer at bay, but studies suggest it may be a nutritious addition to a healthy, plant-based diet such as the Mediterranean diet.

They may benefit prostate health – Some research found that components in pomegranate juice helped inhibit the movement of cancer cells by weakening their attraction to a chemical signal that promotes the spread of cancer. Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles found that pomegranate juice appeared to suppress the growth of cancer cells and decrease cancer cell death in men and those assigned male at birth who’ve had preliminary treatment for prostate cancer.

“There are some studies with pomegranate that suggest a role in slowing the growth of prostate cancer,” Zumpano says. “But it should be noted that the studies suggest pomegranate juice and pomegranate fruits should be part of a healthy plant-based diet.”

They promote heart health – Pomegranates have been used for thousands of years as an Ayurvedic medicinal food because of its antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress is related to many chronic diseases including diabetes and heart diseases. Because of its antioxidant properties, some studies have discovered pomegranates can improve oxidative stress factors and, therefore, positively impact these conditions. In a 2022 comprehensive review of 10 of the most commonly available fruits and their effects on cardiovascular diseases, researchers noted pomegranates and pomegranate juice can have significant benefits for improving a number of heart conditions like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. Another 2021 study conducted on rats showed that pomegranate juice reduced the concentration of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol that forms plaque, by 39%, and indicated that it increased the concentration of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, by 27%. “There are some studies that show pomegranates may help to prevent plaque buildup in your arteries,” Zumpano says. “If heart disease runs in your family, it might make sense to add pomegranate to your diet.”

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Chia Seeds are Loaded with Antioxidants

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Chia seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants

Chia seeds are high in protein and fiber, both of which have been shown to aid weight loss. However, studies on chia seeds and weight loss have provided mixed results. The specific antioxidants in chia seeds include chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol. These may all have protective effects on your heart and liver, as well as anticancer properties.For example, chlorogenic acid may help lower blood pressure, while caffeic acid has anti-inflammatory effects. 

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