Your food as medicine

Keen to live to a ripe old (healthy) age? While you are at it, want a nice trim figure, less stress and to save your memory?

Well it seems pretty obvious that what we eat has a lot to do with all this, but it also seems there is a fair bit of confusion around concerning what is best. So lets examine the latest research findings that point to the foods that make the biggest differences to our bodies and our minds.

Also, advance notice that I have accepted a short notice invitation to speak in South Sydney at a Public Lecture on the evening of Tuesday March 3rd on the topic Feed you body, Feed your mind (full details next week), but first




          Thought for the day

Between stimulus and response there is a space.

In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.


                        Viktor Frankl 





You are what you eat. Modern research is confirming it. Here is a hot selection of recent dietary related research findings.

Fruit and Veggies Reduce Death Risk
Fruit and vegetables reduced the risk of dying over observation periods ranging from 4.6 to 26 years, according to a new meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers analyzed 16 separate studies, including one with 833,234 participants, and found that each serving of fruit and vegetables decreased the risk of dying by 6 and 5 percent, respectively.
Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ. 2014;349:g4490.


Want to lose weight easily? Try a vegetarian diet…
Adopting a vegetarian diet leads to weight loss, without calorie counting or exercise, according to a new meta-analysis published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Researchers analyzed data from 15 studies which included a total of 755 participants, 197 of whom were prescribed vegetarian diets and 558 a vegan diet for at least four weeks, and found an average weight loss range of 7.5 to 10 pounds. People who were heavier to start with lost more weight.

Barnard ND, Levin SM, Yokoyama Y. A systematic review and meta-analysis of changes in body weight in clinical trials of vegetarian diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. Published online on January 21, 2015.

Eat more good carbohydrates, live longer - Low-Carb Diets take another blow
People who consume more whole grains live longer, according to a new study from Harvard. Researchers analyzed the diets and mortality of more than 118,000 men and women from both the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and found that, after an average of 25 years follow-up, more whole-grain intake was associated with lower death rates.

Every whole-grain serving was associated with a 5 percent lower risk for death in general and a 9 percent lower risk for death from heart disease.

Whole-grains, for this study, were defined as the whole grain (whole wheat, oats, brown rice, etc.) as well as its pulverized flour form (whole-wheat flour, oat flour, brown rice flour, etc.), which may be found in products such as breads and cereals. The benefits were independent of other lifestyle factors, including exercise and other dietary choices.

These findings support other studies that show that consuming more unhealthy processed carbohydrates and more animal products increases the risk for dying.

Wu H, Flint AJ, Qi Q, et al. Association between dietary whole grain intake and risk of mortality: two large prospective studies in us men and women. JAMA Intern Med. Published online January 5, 2015.

Vegans Have Less Stress and Anxiety
A vegan diet may lower your stress and anxiety levels, according to a new study. Researchers surveyed 620 vegans, vegetarians and omnivores about mood. Increased fruit and vegetable intake resulted in lower anxiety scores for male vegan participants, compared with nonvegans. Female vegan participants experienced reduced stress levels as a result of their animal-free diets as well as their lower intakes of sweets.

Beezhold B, Radnitz C, Rinnie A, DiMatteo J. Vegans report less stress and anxiety than omnivores. Nutr Neuroscir. Published online on November 21, 2014

Less bad fats - more memory    
As young adults increase their intake of trans-fat, memory worsens, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions. Researchers from the University of California analysed the diets and memory of 694 20- to 45-year-old men and found that as trans-fat intake increased, word recall decreased. Findings were later replicated in women.

Golomb BA, Bui AK. Trans fat consumption is adversely linked to memory in working-age adults. Research presented at: American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014; November 18, 2014: Chicago, Ill.

Eating more animal protein while pregnant associated with overweight adults
Researchers followed the offspring of 684 pregnant participants for an average of 20 years and found that the females were more than three times as likely to be overweight and the males more than twice as likely to be overweight when the mothers ate the most animal protein during pregnancy.

Maslova E, Rytter D, Bech BH, et al. Maternal protein intake during pregnancy and offspring overweight 20 y later. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100:1139-1148.

A plant-based diet reduces migraine pain
Forty-two adult affected by migraine were either assigned to consume a low-fat plant-based diet or take a placebo supplement for 16 weeks. Participants then switched groups for a second 16-week period. During the diet period, participants consumed a plant-based diet and then an elimination diet to remove foods that are common migraine pain triggers.

The severity of the worst headache pain improved significantly during the plant-based diet period, compared to the supplement period. The decline in migraine pain may have been due to the elimination of dietary pain triggers such as meat and dairy products or by weight loss or hormonal changes brought on by the diet change.

Bunner A, Agarwal U, Gonzales JF, Valente F, Barnard ND. Nutrition intervention for migraine: a randomized crossover trial. J of Headache and Pain. 2014;15:69. doi:10.1186/1129-2377-15-69.

Jump in bowel cancer rates in younger people linked to diet
Although there has been a steady drop in incidence of colon and rectal cancers (CRC) between 1975 and 2010 among persons aged 50 years and older, the opposite is true for those in younger age groups, according to researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

On the basis of these trends, the authors estimate that by 2020 and 2030, the incidence rate of colon cancer will increase by 37.8% and 90%, respectively, for patients aged 20 to 34 years.

This figure represents a 131.1% incidence rate change of colon cancer by 2030 in younger patients, as compared with patients older than 50 years.

For those aged 35 to 49 years, the incidence rates are also projected to increase, but at a slower pace: 27.7% for colon cancer and 46% for rectal cancer by 2030.

Behavioral factors, such as obesity and physical inactivity may play a role the investigators note in their study. The prevalence of obesity has risen in the United States, and that is a known contributor to CRC, along with physical inactivity. The typical Western diet is high in red meat, fast food, and processed meats and is low in vegetables; it too has been associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.

One of the researchers, Dr Chang said. "we can all adopt healthier habits, such as exercising and improving our diets. Policy makers should encourage healthier behaviors."

JAMA Surg. Published online November 5, 2014.


Eating animal products creates metabolic waste products in the gut that lead to heart failure

The body produces trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) when it digests certain foods, including organ meats, red meat, and eggs.  A new study links higher levels of TMAO with death from heart failure. For five years, researchers followed 720 patients who had previously been treated for heart failure.

Those with the highest levels of TMAO in their blood had a 3.4 fold increase risk of dying, compared with those with the lowest levels. The presence of TMAO in the blood may also indicate other conditions such as stroke.


Tang WH, Wang Z, Fan Y, et al. Prognostic value of elevated levels of intestinal microbe-generated metabolite trimethylamine-n-oxide in patients with heart failure: refining the gut hypothesis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;64:1908-1914.

Note There is a similar link that I have been referring to for many years between the metabolic waste products from meat and increased cancer rates.

Low-Carb Diets Increase Risk of Death for Heart Patients
Researchers analyzed the diets of 4,098 women and men who had previously had heart attacks and found they were 33 percent more likely to die from any cause and 51 percent more likely to die from heart disease if following a low-carbohydrate diet high in animal sources of protein and fat, compared with those whose dietary patterns consisted of fewer low-carb, animal-based products.

 Previous analysis of this same population showed that a diet lowest in red and processed meat products and sugar and highest in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables lowered the risk of death from heart disease by 40 percent, compared with no dietary changes.

Li S, Flint A, Pai JK, et al. Low carbohydrate diet from plant or animal sources and mortality among myocardial infarction survivors. J Am Heart Assoc. 2014;3:e001169.

Pre Type 2 Diabetes Increases Cancer Risk
Researchers analyzed 16 studies that included 891,426 participants worldwide and found Prediabetes increased the risk of developing cancer by 15 percent, particularly for liver, endometrial, and stomach or colorectal cancers.

The study notes that lifestyle changes can treat or even prevent this condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 86 million American adults—more than one-third of the adult population—have prediabetes, the same proportion as in Australia.

Huang Y, Cai X, Qiu M, et al. Prediabetes and the risk of cancer: a meta-analysis. Diabetologia. Published online September 8, 2014.




If all of this does not scare the public health people and the health insurers and bring about major policy changes, nothing will! 

Consider this – the mind decides what we eat and drink and how much of it. How can we have an effective public policy for eliminating the chronic degenerative diseases like Pre Type 2 (Adult onset) diabetes, cancer, MS, heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s, unless we integrate a program to train the mind?

Simple answer… No way!



2015 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Full details are on the website, click here

NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT
Meditation in the Forest        March 27th to April 2nd  2015

During this meditation retreat, we will be focusing upon the deeper stillness of meditation. We will explore the theory, but moreso, the actual practices that help us to go beyond the activity of the thinking mind into a more direct and profound experience of the still mind.

Deep, natural peace. A calm and clear mind. So many possibilities follow…..

FULL DETAILS Click here

NEXT SPECIFIC CANCER PROGRAM
CANCER and BEYOND  May 2015   Monday 4th at 11am to Friday 8th at 2pm

Five Day Residential Follow-up Program at the Gawler Foundation in the Yarra Valley

This program is specifically designed for those with cancer along with their support people who have attended a previous Gawler Foundation program or equivalent such as with Sabina Rabold, CSWA, Cancer Care SA, CanLive NZ, or with the Gawlers

A unique opportunity to meet with like-minded people once again, to consolidate what you already know, to learn more from the combined knowledge, experience and wisdom of Ian and Ruth, to reaffirm your good intentions, and to go home refreshed and revitalised.

FULL DETAILS Click here 

NEWS
You Can Conquer Cancer released in the UK 
Harper UK/Thorsens was due to release a specific UK edition of You Can Conquer Cancer at the end of January. Here is the link for anyone interested: Click here

A Polish edition is about to be published and I shall post details as soon as I have them.

CANCER SUPPORT IN MELBOURNE

GOOD NEWS for people affected by cancer in Melbourne. Much respected colleague Liz Stillwell has recommenced the Cancer Support Group and is meeting each Tuesday at the Augustine Centre.

The group will meet in term-times and all are welcome, including caregivers of course.

Many of you will know the Library at the Augustine Centre/Habitat Uniting Church, a large & wonderful book lined place of comfort, well seasoned with history for this group (I was running groups there in the early eighties and for those who have seen the historical documentary Mind the Healer, Mind the Slayer that was made in those heady days, this building featured quite prominently).

Liz has an excellent volunteer in Katrina Jenner and is well resourced. She is very experienced having trained extensively including with me, we have worked together for many years and still do and she has just completed her first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

PS : Sleep workshop:  Please note Liz is also facilitating a 3 session Sleep Improvement workshop at Sentient Being Wellness at Eltham on Friday 20th, Sat 21st & Friday 27th Feb.

A melting pot of sleep information and experiential Hypnotherapy. 

For details contact Liz on 041 5665 822 or  www.stilwellinhealth.com

Ian Gawler Blog: How long before you are paid to eat vegetables?

Government and Health Insurance funds that pay the public to eat more vegetables are likely to save a fortune! The latest evidence shows that if you eat enough fruit and especially vegetables you dramatically reduce your risk of contracting an expensive and debilitating disease and you are 50% less likely to die early.

This week we find out what is best to eat, as well as examining a collection of the latest research. For those of you who love science like me, research is now confirming what I have been recommending in practice for years and makes offering guidelines for family and friends easier to give confidently. Its here for all. Maybe this is a post to share with those you care about!

So as we follow on from last week’s post that was more specifically focused on cancer prevention, there is also more news of the workshop at Warrnambool coming up Sunday May 4th and the Cancer residential program Ruth and I will present in Auckland May 16 – 23, but first

Thought for the day
Every thing we have, every thing we use,
touch, eat, possess, see, smell,
everything is gifted to us from the Earth.
How long can we keep taking without thought and respect?
It is time to rethink our ways and only take what we need - not what we greed.
Each time you shop whether for food or anything, ask yourself,“Do I really need this?" regardless of fashion or what people think. 

It is time for us to help our Earth Mother not only for the earth
but to ensure there will be enough for the next seven generations.
                                   Anne time – relax; Facebook

How would you like to halve your risk of dying? A recent study conducted over 12 years in England showed that the more vegetables and fruit you eat, the more you cut your risk of dying from all causes, and specifically cancer, heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, stroke and obesity.

Eat just 1 – 3 portions of vegetables and fruit; reduce the risk of dying from all causes by 14%. Sounds helpful. But eat 3 – 5 portions and reduce the risk by 29%. Better. However, eat 7 portions per day and the risk of dying drops 42%. And all that is needed is to eat sensibly!

And yes, there is more! Those who ate the highest amounts of fruit and vegetables in the study, cut their risk of cancer by 25% and heart disease by 31%.

Regularly eating canned and frozen fruit INCREASED the risk of dying by 17%, while drinking fruit juice appeared neutral.

Three things to do
1. Tell your friends. We all have the possibility of being social activists. This may sound a little grandiose, but I think how much I would have liked to know about all this stuff before I developed cancer back in the seventies. So consider sharing this post and maybe last week's one as well.

2. Tell your politicians and health funds. Seriously. Lobby them. I wrote a related blog on “How long before you are paid to meditate” some while back. Clearly our health system is heading for major dysfunction as the chronic degenerative disease spiral out of control.

Prevention is the cure. Surely we are not far away from incentives being provided to encourage more people to make intelligent, healthy choices, to reward those people who are prepared to look after themselves and to penalise/gather funds from those making poor choices. Not the “nanny state”; just inevitably, sooner or later due to common sense and economic forces we will be paid to eat good food and meditate.

3. Start now – it seems the more fruit and vegetables you eat, and the less meat and dairy, the more likely you and those you love are likely to enjoy good health and a long life.

If you are new to this, try meat free days more often. Buy a vegetarian cookbook - Eat Well, Be Well  is excellent. Consider starting a vegetable garden. Learn to enjoy eating lots of vegetables and fruit.

Personally, I love all things fruit and vegetable, but remember, whatever you do often enough you get used to and you can enjoy! Bring on the brussels sprouts!

4. Not convinced yet? Read some of the recent, related research:

Animal products linked to cancer – just as much as tobacco ! (see the recent post, Eating meat or smoking? Which is worse for your health?)
This vast study examined 21 different cancers in 157 countries and found that consumption of meat and other animal products is strongly linked to several types of cancer. In fact, it claimed the association between animal product consumption and the risk of developing cancer was as strong as that linking tobacco and cancer.

Possible mechanisms for risk include the way animal products promote growth and their high iron and fat content. The author notes that animal product consumption has been recognized as a cancer risk for more than a century.

Grant W. A multi-country ecological study of cancer incidence rates in 2008 with respect to various risk-modifying factors. Nutrients. 2014;6:163-189.

Red and Processed Meat Endangers Health
Red and processed meat products increase women’s disease risk, according to a recent Harvard study. As total red meat consumption increased, C-reactive protein (a biomarker of infections and diseases including heart disease and cancer), haemoglobin A1c (an indicator of diabetes risk), and stored iron (a mineral which in excess is associated with heart disease, cancer, and diabetes) also increased.

Weight and calorie intake also increased with increased intake of red and processed meat products.

Ley SH, Sun Q, Willett WC, et al. Associations between red meat intake and biomarkers of inflammation and glucose metabolism in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99:352-360.

Animal based diet linked to bacteria that causes inflammatory bowel disease
In this small Harvard study, people on an animal-based diet had an eight-fold increase in the gut population of a bacterium that may cause inflammatory bowel disease, Bilophila wadsworthia. Growth of this bacterium may be stimulated by the digestion of dairy products.

In addition, gut concentrations of a compound linked to liver cancer, deoxycholic acid, rose in the animal-based diet group. The authors note that diet may contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel disease via changes in gut microbes.

David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2013;505:559-563.

Vegans have lower cholesterol and less risk of heart disease
From Europe this time - those who consume vegan diets have better cholesterol levels than people who eat meat, fish, dairy, and/or egg products. They also consumed the most fiber, the least total fat and saturated fat, and had the healthiest body weight and cholesterol levels, of all the diet groups.

A previous analysis from the same study (EPIC) found that vegan and vegetarian groups had a 32 percent lower risk of hospitalization or death from heart disease.

For more information on diet and cholesterol, visit PCRM.org/Cholesterol.

Bradbury KE, Crowe FL, Appleby PN, Schmidt JA, Travis RC, Key, TJ. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I and apolipoprotein B in a total of 1694 meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014;68:178-183.

Vegetarians have less diabetes
Now we go off to Taiwan where Buddhist women and men who avoided all meat products were approximately 33% and 50% respectively less likely to develop diabetes.
The lead author notes that those in this study classified as “omnivorous” still consumed a predominantly plant-based diet with little meat and fish, suggesting that even modest animal consumption can increase the risk for diabetes.

Chiu THT, Huang HY, Chiu YF, et al. Taiwanese vegetarians and omnivores: dietary composition, prevalence of diabetes and IFG. PLOS One. Published online February 11, 2014.

Vegetarians have lower blood pressure
Finally, America and another meta-analysis, this one including Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine president Dr Neil Barnard that examined 39 studies and showed those who follow a vegetarian diet when compared with omnivorous diets (including meat, dairy etc) have a systolic blood pressure about 7 mm Hg lower and diastolic blood pressure 5 mm Hg lower than those who eat meat.

This review is consistent with other studies and stresses the significance of a dietary approach to preventing and reducing the risk for hypertension.

Yokoyama Y, Nishimura K, Barnard ND, et al. Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: a meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 24, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.14547
Direct link

RESOURCES
Books: You Can Conquer Cancer -  There is so much about prevention in this book. I would love it if more people who were well were to read it.

Eat Well, Be Well – the excellent vegetarian recipe book from the staff at the Gawler Foundation – highly recommended!

CD:  Mind Training – How the mind works and how we can use it to best advantage – including developing healthy habits

RELATED BLOGS
How long before you are paid to meditate

Cancer prevention – it’s all in the mind - and the booze and the shopping!

NOTICEBOARD

Having been kindly invited to speak 

in Warrnambool in a few weeks time

Warrnambool:  Sunday May 4th, 2014

The heart and science of 

Health, Healing and the Mind

                 

A day where we get to share all the best I have learnt over the last 30 years!

• Dissolve every day stresses; experience mindfulness, relax effortlessly, meditate profoundly
• Discover the practical, life changing implications of neuroplasticity, epigenetics and telomere        research
• Clarify your questions; be confident of eating well and living well – and enjoying it!

Ideal for people interested in evidence based health and wellbeing, disease prevention and management, for health professionals and for those seeking profound healing

Date:         Sunday May 4th, 2014 : 10am (arrive 9.30) to 4pm

Venue:      St Brigid's Community Center, 186 Port Fairy - Koroit Rd, Crossley 3283

Cost:         $130, conc $90 includes morning tea.  Please bring lunch to share.

Enquiries: Integrative Health Services - Rosemary Gleeson : 0447 6177 68
                    or email rosemarygleeson@ymail.com



Bookings: Online CLICK HERE    Telephone with Visa, Mastercard : call Angela on (03) 5966 6130



Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing  AUCKLAND, NZ.  May 16 - 23 , 2014

This 8 day cancer recovery program residential program is evidence based and will be highly experiential. We will cover the full range of Integrative Medicine options, with the emphasis on what people can do for themselves – therapeutic nutrition, exercise and meditation, emotional health, positive psychology, pain management, the search for meaning and so on.




I will personally present the majority of the content but along with Ruth, participants will have the additional support and experience of Liz Maluschnig and Stew Burt; two very experienced and committed New Zealanders.

For details on this and the other cancer related residential programs for 2014 CLICK HERE