John's Hopkins Newsletter on Cancer

Judd's note: I usually don't post long articles, especially if I haven't written it myself. But I came across this article on the Metabolic Typing forum, of which I'm a member, and I think it's an important one to recirculate. 

The following cancer update from Johns Hopkins actually admits that chemotherapy and radiation aren't the only way to kill cancer cells. I wanted to include this on my wellness blog because I think it's monumental that Johns Hopkins would admit that there are perhaps safer and more natural ways of attempting to control and reverse the effects of cancer....

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins (summarized, not necessarily verbatim) :

1. 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.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. 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:

a. 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. A better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

B. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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).

e. 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.

12. 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. [Judd's note: If you are a protein-dominant person, don't shy away from meat. If you have trouble with elimination, then eating a lot of meat may block the system even more. Consider colon hydrotherapy and supplementing with iodine.]

13. 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.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or
unneeded cells.

15. 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.

16. 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 containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. 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.

Please share this with your whole email list....[end]

Why Some People Never Exercise

I'll come right out and say it: Time.... This is the number one reason many people can't squeeze exercise into their hectic life. Sure, there are many American adults who are simply unmotivated to workout, but the number one reason is lack of time.

America, despite being in a bummer of a recession, is still the #1 economy in the world. As a result, there are still millions of Americans who are overworked, carrying the workload of several people. There are also many a housewife that could run for SuperMom of the Year award, whisking kids to school, cooking 3 meals a day, ferrying kids to soccer practice, attending PTA meetings and never enjoying a moment to themselves.

Whew! What a harried pace of life we Americans do lead. No wonder 2 out 3 American adults are overweight. We do not leave time to better our temples. Temples, of course, being our bodies.

Most people think that the only way they can lose weight is by going to the gym 4-6 times a week for at least an hour.

My mission is to teach people that bouts of exercise as short as 3 minutes long, repeated at least 3 times a day, can dramatically increase energy levels, strength, and overall health.

I used to be a gym rat. I really enjoyed being at the gym for 2 hours, exercising perhaps half of the time, socializing the rest. My gym was like Cheers to me. Everybody knew my name.

But eventually, I tired of the gym. I got busier with work and other hobbies. I no longer had the time, nor the desire to be in the gym for so long.

So now, every day, I do bodyweight strengthening exercises. I do a maximum of 20 minutes at a clip, many times as few as 10 minutes. I perform exercises that give me 3 major benefits: they work on flexibility, strength and jack up my heart rate up all at once.

It's rare to be able to perform exercises that have all 3 effects. Think about it, jogging and other forms of cardio don't really work on strength, plus they can make you feel really stiff.

If you're a muscle head and only pump iron for exercise, you're only strengthening, but not lengthening the muscle fibers. Hammering out a set of bicep curls doesn't challenge the heart muscle very much either.

I pick 3 simple exercises to do throughout the day. Similar to eating 3 times a day to achieve the goal of having sustained energy throughout the day, I attempt to exercise 3 times a day. This keeps my blood flow raging like a river, unlike most people's whose blood is stagnant like a dirty swamp.

What are the 3 exercises?

1. Wide down dog to wide upward dog
2. Pushup to Downward Dog
3. Hip Drive

These 3 simple exercises will keep you limber, strong and heart strong. 

Call me at 858.442.6861 or Skype: KungFuSurfer or email me at judd@fitnessandbodywork.com to have me demonstrate these 3 highly beneficial, simple exercises you should perform daily...

Hot Flashes: What Causes Them and Why Your Husband Wants to Take the Next Flight Out of Town

Judd's note: Most of my clients I've worked with are female, but there are plenty of males I have had the privilege of helping over the years, some of whom are on my wellness email list. And while hot flashes are for the most part a female problem, it no doubt affects their respective male counterparts who do their part to stand by them the best they can when hot flashes occur. Books could be written on hot flashes and hormone imbalances, but this quick post should explain in a fairly simple way why hot flashes occur. Thanks to Reed Davis, my mentor and creator of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition for helping me explain....

Most hot flashes are caused by the vasodilatation effect of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). In menopause, estrogen levels naturally dip below a certain point, and FSH is released into the bloodstream by the Hypothalamus/Pituitary in an attempt to whip the ovaries into producing more estrogen.

Because the ovaries are basically non-responsive after menopause, the FSH level gets even higher. This will decrease as the person adjusts to the lower estrogen levels. In the meantime, the vasodilatation effect of FSH means the little capillaries under the skin are dilated, holding more of the core temperature blood, resulting in a "hot flash". The allopathic (western medicine) remedy is a small amount of natural estrogen, lowering the FSH, to get the patient through this difficult time.

For those looking into more natural holistic health solutions, I recommend a couple simple lab test kits that will show you the following:

• Level of adrenal stress (this will affect your hormones)
• Sex Hormone levels (3 different estrogens, testosterone)
• Melatonin (the sleep hormone, also a clue into digestive function and chronic infection)
• Liver function
• Cellular oxidation level
• Protein digestion

For those that suffer from hot flashes, and for the men that indirectly suffer from them, simple lab test kits are the only way to know for sure what's going on in the body. Don't pop a pill or take a cream without first knowing if your hormone levels are balanced. This is akin to taking the bandaid approach to wellness.

Call me at 858.442.6861 or Skype: KungFuSurfer to discuss these simple lab test kits and to alleviate hot flashes. Like headaches, hot flashes are common--but not normal!

Eating Smart at the Workplace

Just because you work in a corporate setting for 8-12 hours a day, doesn’t mean you have to lose the battle of the bulge.

Ideally, your schedule allows you to squeeze in at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity exercise like fast walking. (It doesn’t have to be 30 consecutive minutes; it can be broken up.)

Even if your schedule doesn’t allow much time for exercise, it is in fact possible to lose weight without sweating. How? Nutrition is the key.

Drink Water Every Morning!

The first thing you should do every morning is to drink pure water, one or two cups. Try to make this a habit. What this does is give your body a chance to purify and rehydrate itself.

We wake up after sleeping for several hours so we are naturally dehydrated. If you drink a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, you are dehydrating yourself even more.

By drinking water first thing in the morning, we are allowing our bodies to naturally cleanse itself. It will be the only time of day when we have that ability. Popping even healthy supplements first thing in the morning forces the liver to work and process the supplements and doesn’t allow for a natural purification.

It’s best to eat something a half-hour to a full hour after you’ve had some water.

If your hectic schedule doesn’t allow you to prepare breakfast, there are several quick fixes for breakfast.

Eat breakfast everyday; follow the 10 by 10 rule

Hopefully you understand the value of eating breakfast everyday. From a weight-loss perspective, it will help stoke your metabolism. If you skip breakfast, your metabolism will actually get slower. Not a good thing if you’re trying to keep off the pounds.

I have a rule for breakfast: 10 by 10 … or 10 grams of high-quality protein by 10 a.m. Follow this rule and your metabolism will get off to a rocket-burning start. At my local health food store, they sell packaged soft-boiled eggs, perfect for on the go people like myself.

Eating two eggs (including the yolk, where the essential amino acids and other healthy nutrients are contained) satisfies my demand for protein and natural fat.

Every meal should include the three macro-nutrients: protein, natural fats, and carbohydrates. So all I need now to complete my healthy, balanced breakfast is a carbohydrate. Eating half a green apple gives me all the carbohydrates I need to feel properly fueled for at least the next few hours.

Eat at least three balanced meals per day and natural snacks

To get the most out of your workday, you’ll want to have rock-steady energy throughout the day. The best way to achieve that is to eat at least three balanced meals per day, all of which include the three macro-nutrients discussed above.

I keep my energy steady by sometimes eating a late-morning or mid-afternoon snack to keep my blood sugar levels balanced, which is key to sustaining good energy and mental clarity.

Food is supposed to make you neither hyper nor sleepy. If you are eating a balanced meal, you will feel perfect, steady energy.

So what types of snacks can you eat? In general, a good rule of thumb to follow whether it’s a snack or a part of a meal is to ask yourself, “Was this food around 10,000 years ago?”

If the answer is “no” then it’s probably not a good snack.

Don’t let advertising fool you. There is no such thing as a healthy potato chip, even baked ones, or crackers (with the exception of rice crackers in moderation).

For snacks, you’ll want to follow the same rule as eating your major meals by combing all three macro-nutrients.

So a perfect snack could be:

· a handful of walnuts (which combines healthy natural fat and protein) with half a pear (carbs);

· cottage cheese (protein and fat) with a handful of strawberries (carbs);

· two slices of organic turkey (protein and fat) with a handful of blueberries (carbs);

· celery sticks (carbs) with almond or organic peanut butter (fat and protein);

· rice crackers (carbs) with sliced avocado (natural fat) and/or string cheese (protein and fat)

Eating carrots might seem like a healthy and smart snack, but carrots are relatively high on the glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly your blood sugar levels rise after you’ve eaten something.

So to prevent a potential blood sugar spike, instead of eating just carrots alone, combine the carrots (a carbohydrate) with some string cheese (fat and protein) or a high-protein dip like Tahini.

Another rule of thumb to follow, which is a challenge for many corporate workers, is: Don’t go more than five hours without eating! I personally try not to go more than four hours in between meals to keep my metabolism active.

We are still wired like prehistoric cave dwellers. Our bodies are highly efficient at preserving fat. Even if we are used to eating every day, more than once a day, if we wait several hours to eat, our bodies physiological instinct to slow our metabolism down to preserve fat will kick in.

Don’t wait until you feel hunger to eat! By then, your blood sugar levels are way down and even if you eat a properly balanced meal, there’s a good chance you might feel a crash after you eat.

Try to go food shopping every Sunday to make sure you have plenty of snacks for the work week.

Select all natural snacks that will keep you properly filled throughout the day.

Minimize the amount of grains, wheat, and flour that you are currently eating. Even if something says “multi-grain” or 100% whole wheat, you will lose the battle of the bulge if you eat foods high in these types of carbohydrates, which are easily converted to simple sugars.

At health food stores, there are plenty of flour-free breads. Opt for sprouted breads, as these have living enzymes that aid in digestion.

If you follow these guidelines, you won’t need to drink as much coffee. I like to drink one cup of strong coffee in the morning to fire up my brain synapses. But I do so only after I’ve eaten breakfast.

Aside from a good cup of coffee in the morning, try to drink only water throughout the day. I guarantee that if you implement these tips into your life on a daily basis, you will feel better energetically and mentally, and you’ll look even better naked!

How to Eat Healthier When Dining Out

Eating out is generally less healthy than preparing foods at home, that is unless you're living off of Top Ramen noodles and cans of Spaghetti- O's.

Typically, restaurants use cheap vegetable cooking oils, like Canola, which when exposed to high heat, chemically denatures and can actually raise bad cholesterol levels (LDLs), but that's for a whole other topic. This is generally the biggest reason why it's unhealthy to eat out.

Another main reason is you don't know the source of the foods you're eating. Are the meats from a local source and humanely-raised and grass-fed or is it derived from mass-produced agri-business slaughterhouses that pump hormones, steroids, and antibiotics into what you're eating?

It's not a pleasant thought but it's one worth thinking about.

On an energetic level, to make sure you're eating the right foods for your Metabolic Type, there are simple ways to get good energy from food when eating out.

Most restaurants and cafes will allow you to custom order off of the menu. If you know that you do better eating higher amounts of protein and natural fat, for example, you wouldn't want to order spaghetti at an Italian restaurant even if it comes with chicken. Instead, ask the waiter if the cook can just prepare you a plate with grilled chicken and vegetables. A side salad with that would most likely leave you feeling satisfied.

If you must eat some spaghetti, just have a portion about the size of your fist.

And before the waiter is able to place on your table a bread basket before the main entrée comes out, don't give in to temptation. Instead, politely refuse the bread, which is most likely white bread that will end up bloating your gut anyway.

Pay attention to the macronutrient proportions (carbs, fats, protein) and determine what ratios you do best on. Life's too short to count calories. Eating should be a blessed experience every time, but do so knowing that you have your macronutrient ratios dialed in to achieve optimum energy after every meal.

It's never much fun to feel like you're in a coma after you eat. I personally do well on a dinner plate that's about 40% protein; 30% natural fat and the other 30% coming from mostly veggies. This isn't percentage of calories; just proportion of the whole meal.

Perhaps you'll do better on 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbs.... start paying attention to how you feel until you discover the best ratio for you. Then start custom ordering your meals accordingly.

The waiter and the cook might think you're a pain in the butt, but who cares? It's your wellness that's at stake.

How good (or bad) is running for you?

I have clients who are competitive runners. Hopefully, after they finish reading this, they'll still be clients! (Sheryl, you reading this?)

I make it no secret that I'm not a fan of running.

A 3-mile jog here or there is fine, but when it comes to running long distances like half and full 26.2 mile marathons, I have a few major problems:

1. Long distance running may wreak havoc on the body's joints over time.

2. It depletes your body's ability to produce cortisol, the hormone that fights stress.

3. May potentially reduce your muscle mass

I think there are far better activities for fat burning that are safer on the joints such as power walking up hills or stairs, or kettlebell training (Disclaimer: I have a biased opinion since I teach kettlebells).

But some people just love to run, whether it's for the mind-clearing effects, endorphin rush, endurance factor or for goal setting.

If you're one of those people who love to run, the following advise may keep you injury free and preserve what strength you do have.

1. Supplement your running with some form of resistance training to keep your joints happy and properly functioning.

2. Warm up properly and include joint mobility warm-ups (which I teach as well).

3. If you're running for more than an hour, make sure to supplement your run with enough carbohydrates to sustain your energy. The body likes to use carbs for fuel. It will only burn a limited amount of carbs and fat before it starts using your own muscle tissue as fuel.

4. Speaking of which, make sure you are eating enough protein and natural fat to support the muscle tissue you do have.

5. Consume sea salt and trace minerals to replenish electrolytes. I prefer Redmond Real Salt.

6. Try to stretch 6-8 hours after a run, when your muscles need it the most.

7. Invest in the best shoes money can buy.

8. Walk barefoot often on grass, dirt or sand to strengthen your feet.

9. Don't walk with flip flops; they are terrible for your feet.

10. Get regular bodywork therapy (like my Thai stretch therapy) often

I prefer exercises that add muscle tissue and burn fat without stressing the adrenals. I don't think running is one of them. But if you are a runner and adapt some of these measures above, you'll be able to run for decades to come.

Top 5 Ways to Get Leaner for Summer

Now that winter appears to be over, most people are thinking about summer vacation plans. And of course, summer means less clothing and and showing more skin.

So how to shed those last stubborn 10-15 pounds in time for peak beach season?

These 5 ways will help.

1. Stop eating the wrong foods!

- How do you know what the wrong foods are? When it comes to nutrition, there is no black or white. One food, say, red meat for example, may help one person get leaner, while it may actually lead to weight gain in someone else. An online questionnaire called Metabolic Typing can help you figure out which foods your body prefers to use for fuel. For those who do the advanced questionnaire, you'll get a 300-item food list telling you which foods to eat regularly and which ones to avoid. If you're interested in doing the test, contact me for some important details.

2. Exercise 3 Times Per Day!

-If you really want to boost your metabolism, you obviously need to exercise. Even if you workout for an hour every morning, try to add a brief workout at lunch and then again in the evening. Ten minutes is sufficient if you pick exercises that challenge the whole body and gets your heart rate up.

3. Green Tea

- Consuming green tea is an easy way to boost your metabolism throughout the day. It's a good alternative for coffee drinkers as its caffeine spike isn't as dramatic as coffee's; its released more slowly. If you're not a fan of drinking green tea, there are plenty of supplements that have green tea extract.

4. Eat Fat To Help Break Down Fat

-Flax seed is a healthy natural fat with many health benefits, including aiding in the metabolizing of fats. Try to buy a flax seed or oil with high lignan content. Add it to smoothies or salads or yogurt.

5. Mix it up

-If your exercise routine involves lots of walking or jogging, you need to challenge your muscles more by picking a different exercise. Far more effective than walking or running on a flat surface is hiking or doing brief sprints (with a good warmup) on an incline. You'll burn way more calories, get in better shape, and boost your metabolism.

*****Extra Tip: Make sure your hormones are balanced. A simple adrenal function lab test (which I offer) can tell you if your hormones are balanced. If not, your metabolism will definitely be negatively impacted. Highly functioning metabolism goes hand in hand with balanced hormones.

Stick to these principles and you'll likely see those last stubborn pounds melt off in time for summer.