PinkemPower Blog

Many of you have emailed asking if  my blog was inactive or if my health had changed (when you’ve had cancer and you suddenly stop communicating it makes people wonder).   My health is fantastic and my blog is not inactive.  So why my long absence from this blog?

I have been working on writing a cookbook. You know how passionate I am about food—good, healthy food that is!  While I certainly understand that food is not the cure-all, I do know that without a healthy diet nothing else you do to prevent or reverse disease of any kind will work.  For most people, simply taking responsibility for what they put into their mouths is the first step to taking charge of their lives and their health.

I am partnering with a fantastic woman who understands the power of food like I do.  Jami McQuivey has a BS degree in holistic nutrition and is a nutrition counselor.  So we have been busy cooking and tasting and researching and writing.

This is no ordinary cookbook though!  It naturally has tons of well researched nutritional information.  But what makes it truly unique is that this cookbook is for anyone and everyone; vegan, vegetarian and meat eaters!   Each recipe has 3 options or levels,  divided according to health and nutritional levels.  Each person decides for themselves which level of the recipe to follow.  All recipes are health promoting and delicious!  Recipes range from standard stuff like Mac ‘n Cheese to Thai and Indian food.  And yes, there are desserts.

We’ll give you a sneak peak at the cover

We don’t know the price yet (as that is determined by the number of pages and we’re not done adding recipes yet) but the book will available before christmas.  As soon as we know the price, I’ll let you know on this blog.

Traditional chemotherapy is  non-selective; in other words it kills healthy cells as well as cancer cells—and not all of either.  This is the reason that after  30 years of using chemotherapy to treat breast cancer (and other cancers) no  significant improvement in survival rates has been achieved.  So drug companies have been trying to create more targeted drugs.

One of these targeted drugs, developed by Genentech, is called Avastin.  Avastin is an angiogenesis inhibitor.  Angiogenesis is the ability of cancer tumors to form blood vessels which they need in order to metastasize.  Evastin is suppose to inhibit the formation of those blood vessels.   Originaly approved for use in colorectal cancer and lung cancer, based on a limited number of studies, the drug was eventually approved for use for metastatic HER2 negative breast cancer patients.  Today the FDA has reversed that approval.

Avastin is a drug with serious side effects, some of them fatal.  The FDA reversed their approval of this drug  based on  a current study of over 2000 women that showed the drug offered no benefit to women with HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer.  Avastin may still be used for colorectal cancer and lung cancer.

We all think that cancer is mostly a result of inheriting bad genes.  Actually, most people are surprised to learn that it is mostly lifestyle and environmental factors that determine whether or not you get cancer.  What you eat, if you exercise (or don’t), a stressful lifestyle, and exposure to carcinogens in the environment where we live and work all override your genes.

I am currently reading an eye-opening book by another cancer survivor who explores the role of environmental toxins in her own cancer, as well as cancer in general (with a great emphasis on breast cancer).  The book is titled, Living Downstream. We all need to be more aware of the cancer causing toxins around us and avoid them when we can, but more importantly, work to get them banned from use in the first place.  I highly recommend reading this book and I will be posting more about it.

One environmental carcinogen is asbestos.  Exposure to asbestos can cause a form of cancer called Mesothelioma.  I was recently asked if I would pass on information about an excellent Web site  that contains the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the most prevalent form of Mesothelioma, called Pleural Mesothelioma.  While this blog is mostly about breast cancer, I am more than happy to share information that can help someone with any form of cancer.

So here’s the site and link:

www.pleuralmesothelioma.com

Please share it with anyone you feel  could use the information.

Often women with breast cancer are advised by their oncologists to undergo chemotherapy in order to prevent a recurrence.  This is also the case for many other types of cancer.  In Empowered, I addressed the issue of chemotherapy as “prevention” (it is itself a carcinogen) as well as it’s extremely low rate of effectiveness and high risk of causing other damage.

Another aspect I wrote about was the financial incentive that encourages some oncologists to prescribe chemotherapy–even when they know it will not be effective or when less toxic chemotherapy drugs or other methods could be used.

This issue of financial incentive has come under a great deal of scrutiny in the last few years.  While I know most people find it hard to believe that THEIR oncologist could be seduced by profits–being aware of this financial arrangement between drug companies and doctors should at the very least serve to make you question chemotherapy treatments.

Here’s a link for more information on this topic:

www.cancerdecisions.com/content/view/525/2/lang,english/

be sure to read Part II of this report also.

If you’ve been paying any attention to this blog, or read my book, I know YOU  don’t drink any of these top 20 worst drinks in America.  But, just in case, this article will put the sugar content in perspective—and make you think before you  drink!

http//blisstree.com/eat/20-worst-beverages-in-america/

I just came across some alarming information.  A report in the June 2004 issue of  The Archives of Surgery reported on a study showing a 50% increase in the spread of breast cancer cells to the sentinel node (lymph node) following  needle biopsy vs removal of the tumor.  This study was authored by highly regarded  cancer specialists, and confirms the findings of many other prominent doctors (see link to full information below).

In simple language, if you have a suspicious lump biopsied by means of a needle biopsy, and it turns out to be positive for breast cancer, the needle biopsy greatly increases the risk of spreading the cancer cells to the lymph nodes (the first step towards metastesis). Surgical  removal of the lump shows no increase in risk of spread to the lymph nodes.

There are ongoing studies to find out why this happens, and there are a few hypotheses, but I would not wait for the additional studies.  Knowing that a needle biopsy could increase the risk (by 50%) of spreading cancer cells, I certainly would not consent to a needle biopsy.

For a full report on this issue go to www.chetday.com/needlebiopsy.htm.

Note: the report posted on the above site is copied from www.cancerdecisions.com and written by Ralph Moss, PhD, a highly respected authority on cancer & cancer treatments.

click on this link and read this article about dairy and so much more:  www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reasons_b_558876.html

OK–I just CAN’T let this slide!  This has to get filed under “clueless”!

The Susan G.  Komen Foundation, an organization that claims to be fighting breast cancer (all they really do is promote mammograms as far as I can tell) has teamed up with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC–you know the one–that bastion of health food) in another of their misguided “pink” campaigns.

Here’s the full info: www.cancerdecisions.com/content/view/462/2/lang,/english

As a breast cancer survivor I  think I have earned  the right to point out  the ignorance and hypocrisy of this “union”.   Sure, let’s promote breast cancer awareness over a bucket of animal protein loaded with cancer causing chemicals!  Oh, but it has a pink lid with the names of some BC survivors on it so that makes it OK. (Yes, I am being sarcastic,  just in case there is any doubt.)

Unfortunately, too many women get fooled into buying products that actually promote breast cancer just because they have a pink ribbon on them.   Don’t be one of them!

There is a whole campaign dedicated to pointing  this out called “Think Before You Pink” at www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org.

This past week Dr. Mercola  posted an article on his Web site that has gained much attention, and unfortunately has been parroted by some news sources such as Good Morning America.  This article stated that Agave nectar and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) are the same.

This controversy is not new, and seems to pop up about every 6 months or so.  I have received several calls and emails from women concerned about this news as they have switched from refined sugar to agave and now fear that it may not be safe.  This issue concerns me also, as I use agave nectar and want to be sure it is a healthy alternative to refined sugar.   So, as best I can, I will explain the issue in simple terms.  As always,  I do suggest you do your own research also.

The main argument from Dr. Mercola is that Agave nectar is as dangerous as HFCS because they are both fructose ( a specific form of sugar).   In other words, he is arguing that all fructose is created equal.  This assumption is absolutely not true.  Fructose occurs naturally in fruits and root vegetables—as well as  in the agave plant.   Honey also contains fructose which has been “processed”   through the bees’ use of natural enzymes and dehydration. ( Agave nectar is processed like honey—minus the bees—using natural enzymes and/or dehydration also.)  So if all fructose was bad for us we should not be eating fruit or root vegetables.  Obviously, that is certainly not the case!  Fructose has many health benefits, such as aiding in the absorption of specific minerals (like calcium and magnesium) and in aiding digestion.  Fructose, however is processed in the liver, (unlike glucose which is processed in the pancreas) and there is some evidence that excessive amounts of fructose may lead to higher cholesterol in some people.  This is a matter of over consumption—not  a matter of  fructose being inherently dangerous.

So, you might be thinking, then HFCS is not really as bad for us as we’ve been told.  Not so fast.  HFCS is not a naturally occuring form of fructose.  The fructose in HFCS is obtained by processing  (converting) the starch in corn (cornstarch) into fructose and glucose.  The danger lies in the processing.  Starting with GMO corn (genetically modified corn—also non-organic so  contaminated with pesticides, herbicides and fungicides) the corn starch is subjected to processing using high temperatures and chemicals, such as sulphur dioxide and other acids.   The result is a highly processed, non-naturally occuring form of fructose that has been shown to have adverse health consequences.  HFCS is also much higher on the glycemic index   (60-65) than agave nectar (15-25), meaning that it raises blood sugar levels significantly  more than does agave nectar.  Just given that fact, common sense tells you they cannot be exactly the same.

To be fair, not all agave nectars are created equal.  Because of the popularity of agave nectar as a low glycemic sweetener, many companies have jumped on the band wagon.  The result is that there are some highly processed forms of agave nectar on the market now, and those may not be much better than HFCS.   But that should not cause anyone to avoid agave. Just make sure you don’t buy one of the highly processed forms.  Personally, to be sure, I  only buy Agave nectar labeled as RAW and that clearly states on the label that it has not been processed at temperatures above 118 degrees. Raw agave still contains all the naturally ocuring vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

While agave nectar is a healthy alternative to refined sugar, and is definitely NOT the same as HFCS, it should still be used with some common sense.   It is still a sugar and should be used in moderation.  Switching from white sugar to agave nectar is not a license to overindulge in sweets.  Too much of any good thing can become a bad thing.

For more information on agave and HFCS, as well as info that addresses some of the other misinformation in Dr. Mercola’s article, here is a good place to start:

www. globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/agave-nectar/

My Personal Experience with Agave Nectar

While this is purely anecdotal, my personal experience with how my body processed agave nectar versus refined sugar and HFCS  tells me there is a huge difference between the two.  When I  switched from a diet that contained HFCS and white sugar, to agave nectar and stevia, within 3 months I lost 10 pounds (which I was not trying to do—it just naturally happened) and my uterine fibroid tumors disappeared (they were so bad I was going to have to have a hysterectomy).  That was nearly 8 years ago.  I still use agave nectar and stevia as sweeteners.  I have never regained the weight or had my fibroids return.

See previous post (edited) for Vegan Ricotta Cheese and Italian Roll Ups