Exercise – it’s benefits and how to do it

How to get into the exercise habit and use what well may be the best least used remedy!

Everywhere you look these days you see more evidence confirming just how useful exercise is – in reducing the risk of developing most things you would rather not get, and assisting in the recovery of most chronic degenerative diseases as well as mental health problems.

The trick, however, is to do it! So this week we go Out on (an active) Limb and consider some of the recent evidence along with tips from regular exercisers. Then one country’s radical solution – one I am very keen on, but first






Thought for the Day
My husband and I divorced over religious differences.
He thought he was God and I did not.
                             Author unknown


Humour like exercise is meant to be good for you








The evidence is compelling that exercise lowers the risk of developing cancer and improves recovery rates in breast, prostate, bowel and quite possibly most other cancers.

Many more studies have shown how regular exercise improves mood states, is an antidote for depression and has these same positive effects on the state of mind of those dealing with cancer, both during and after the end of active treatment.

This evidence was strengthened with the publication in 2012 of 2 Cochran reviews (Cochran Database Syst Rev. 2012;8:CD008465, CD007566). LINK HERE 

Both found that exercise has a beneficial effect on a number of health-related quality-of-life domains, including cancer-specific concerns, body image/self-esteem, emotional wellbeing, sexuality, sleep disturbance, and social functioning. In addition, exercise was found to reduce anxiety, fatigue, and pain.

However, another recent study also confirms what I imagine many of us suspect; plenty of people who would benefit (ie all of us, not just people affected by cancer), do not exercise regularly enough.

According to Andrea L. Cheville, MD, from the Mayo Clinic, the lead author of a study in the July 2012 Journal of Pain and Symptom Management: (LINK HERE) their study showed that cancer patients were not exercising.

"There is a real disconnect between clinical trials of exercise and the real world," Dr. Cheville noted. "There is all this great research, but … changing behavior requires more than just counseling, and patients need a support system," she noted.

COMMENTS
1. How to break through and exercise regularly.

It has been clear for years that regular exercise is highly therapeutic, reducing the risk of developing many illnesses and having major quality of life and survival benefits for people with chronic degenerative disease, especially cancer. The trick is to do it.

This is one area wherein family and friends can be particularly helpful. It is not so easy to find the motivation and energy to exercise regularly when you are not well, and yes owning an active dog certainly does helps. However, better still, arrange a roster amongst caring family and friends to share in regular walks or whatever exercise the person affected finds most useful and practical. Something shared is much easier to complete - and enjoy.

2. Lifestyle, exercise and dementia – a follow up to last week's blog thanks to Sue Pieters-Hawke:
Language wise, lifestyle is better described as providing significant "risk reduction". These words work better than "prevention":
a) Reduction is more consistent with the 'accepted' evidence so far, which amounts to 40-60% of risk for the Alzheimer's dementias being attributable to modifiable lifestyle factors.
b) points to multi-factorial rather than mono-factorial causality.
c) I find people 'hear' it better.

Significantly, the evidence is really strong on exercise being a crucial factor in risk for dementia, and has to be stressed in risk reduction recommendations as much as food in my view.

In terms of the brain chemistry involved, a mixture of aerobic (not literally, but circulation etc promoting) and weight-bearing exercise is important.

My comments again: Weight bearing exercise is any activity you do while on your feet and legs that works your muscles and bones against gravity. Weight bearing exercises includes walking, jogging, dancing, step aerobic, ball games, golf, stair climbing and many gym exercises.

Exercises that are non-weightbearing include swimming and cycling.

The best therapeutic exercise seems to combine both weight bearing and aerobic exercise (aerobic is when you breath faster and your heart rate rises).

3. Common sense from an airline
It often peeves me to observe really heavy people checking in at the airline counter, putting on their luggage while I am clearly not so heavy! I want to be weighed with my luggage!

So how is this? The head of a tiny Pacific airline that pioneered a fare system based on passengers' weight said recently the move had been so successful the carrier is upgrading its fleet. Samoa Air introduced its world-first system late in 2012, when it began charging passengers fares based on how much people weigh, rather than a set price for each seat.

Chief executive Chris Langton said the 1.34 tala (64 cents) per kilogram charge had proved popular over the first 12 months as it meant cheaper fares for most passengers. Larger passengers who pay high fares are given more space. He said larger airlines were considering similar schemes.

Read more...

RELATED BLOG
Prevention of dementia through diet

NEWS

In addition to the usual suspects at Davos -- heads of state, Nobel laureates, CEOs and media titans -- the 2014 World Economic Forum annual meeting featured the perspectives of people who have lived far from the centers of finance; including one very happy monk.! Read more…

NOTICEBOARD
Meditation in the Forest : April 11 – 17, 2014.
This is the regular Pre-Easter retreat Ruth and I present in the Yarra Valley each year.

In 2014, as well as providing the opportunity for some meaningful time out - including the space in your life to regain balance and to be revitalized - you will be gently guided to learn more about relaxation, mindfulness and meditation, and to deepen your experience of these wonderful techniques.

Each year we have a particular focus or theme for this meditation retreat and in 2004 we will be giving particular attention to the theory and practise of that invaluable (and in my view, seriously undervalued) skill of contemplation.

This retreat is designed to meet the needs of a broad range of meditators. It is well suited to beginners as well as the more experienced, those who are interested in teaching meditation (we hold specific sessions through the retreat for these people), those on the healing path and anyone keen to rest, reflect and deepen their meditation.

For details CLICK HERE

Less body - same person

On January 8th it will be 39 years since my right leg was amputated through the hip. For many years I noted the anniversary with a day of fasting and reflection but more recently just go about life as it unfolds.

However, this year it may be useful to go Out on a Limb in a more literal sense and share a profound insight that came courtesy of the surgery.

This is a personal experience I have not recounted so often, but it came into a conversation exploring the theme “Who am I really” during the recent meditation retreat Meditation Under the Long White Cloud in New Zealand. It seemed helpful at the time, so here it is, but first

Thought for the Day
Wherever a pain is, that is where the cure goes;
Wherever poverty is that is where provision goes.
Wherever a difficult question is that is where the answer goes;

Do not seek the water but increase your thirst,
So water may gush forth from above and below. 
                                                     Rumi

Every story has a prelude. This one begins in a room that had the unmistakable feeling of a basement. No windows. Dark. A sense of confinement. A difficult place to escape from.

It slowly became apparent that this room was the Intensive Care Unit of St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Melbourne. Amidst the wires and dials and flashing lights and the sounds of the machinery of survival; all simultaneously reassuring and disconcerting, there rose and fell the gentle sounds of life ebbing away from the man in the bed next to my own.


Severe pain does funny things to one’s thinking. As the sounds from the adjacent bed softened and ceased, the best I could do at the time was use it as motivation to survive myself. I never did find out what he died from.


But then amidst all this, the insight. It was so clear, so self evident. An insight born of an unmistakably direct, personal and undeniable experience.

I was coming back into consciousness in the ICU after being treated for an osteogenic sarcoma, a bone cancer in my mid thigh.

I had gone into the surgery being a 24 year-old veterinarian who loved working with horses and doing surgery on any animal that needed it.

I had gone into the surgery a very fit, active young man. In all probability I would have represented my State of Victoria again that year in my chosen athletic event of the decathlon.

As enough of the anaesthetic wore off from my surgery to enable me to recognise where I was and what had happened, I tentatively reached down with my right hand and felt.

Nothing. Just bandages. And pain.

But then, so quickly, the insight. It was as if in that first moment I knew how much my life had changed. No more horse work. No more decathlon. No more ease of movement as I had known it. Everything was different. Physically.

But not in its essence.

The insight?

I still felt like the same person.

Less body – same person.

It was transparently clear. I was not just my body. Sure I had identified with my body very strongly in the past. And already I sensed how I would need to come to identify with it in a different way in the days and weeks and years ahead. But unmistakably there was a part of me, the essence of who I really was and continued to be, that remained the same.

Less body – same person.

This insight helped me in so many ways as I began to construct a new life in a new body. It was clear the life I was leading was intricately tied with my body, just as everyone else’s is. But for me, it was now obvious that life had more to do with the bit that had stayed the same, rather than the bit that had changed.

It was the dawning of awareness.

RELATED BLOG
Why the Dalai Lama thinks you are so special

COMING EVENTS
Meditation in the Forest : April 11 – 17, 2014
The regular Pre-Easter retreat Ruth and I present is on in the Yarra Valley again. This year as well as providing the opportunity to learn more about relaxation, mindfulness and meditation, and to deepen your experience of same, the particular focus of the retreat will be on contemplation.
For details CLICK HERE


NEWS



Janette Murray-Wakelin and Alan Murray have completed 366 consecutive marathons!



Ruth and I were there amidst the crowd that welcomed them back into Melbourne’s Federation Square.

One of the all time great endurance feats – a world record for consecutive marathons and all on a raw food, vegan diet. Wow!

They were also raising money for 4 charities including the Gawler Foundation.

View Channel 10’s news report: CLICK HERE

Link to the Running Raw Facebook page: CLICK HERE

Vegans can run, but what about the science?

How many bananas does a vegan need to eat to run a marathon? What does a vegan breast cancer survivor eat as she and her husband defy belief and expectations and run 366 consecutive marathons around Australia? What does the research say about a non-meat diet?

So this week, an interview with Janette Wakelin-Murray, compelling recent research, an invitation to celebrate the extraordinary, world record breaking endurance feat of Janette and husband Alan at Federation Square on 31st December between 2 - 4 pm (details LINK HERE) – a good lead in to the New Year’s eve fireworks in Melbourne - plus a reminder of the Christmas discounts on all the meditation books, CDs, MP3s and DVD (details LINK HERE), but first, can a world-class athlete get enough protein from a vegetarian diet to compete?


Thought for the day


I’ve found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. 
In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. 



Carl Lewis - winner of 9 Olympic Gold Medals.
Voted "Sportsman of the Century"
by the International Olympic Committee.
Vegan from the age of 30.

These feet belong to a 64 year old breast cancer survivor who has used them to run
340 consecutive daily marathons!


Janette Wakelin-Murray you are
A STAR!!!!!







Can you believe this? Can you comprehend this?
Janette is close to completing a world record 366 consecutive marathons and she has done it in the running company of her 68 year old husband, Alan.

Before my cancer and leg amputation, I was a decathlon athlete. It remains a regret that I never ran a marathon. Lately I do know a couple of sixty year olds who have run a marathon. Most find it takes ages to recover from just the one.



My sense is that Janette and Alan’s accomplishment is so extraordinary
many people including some in the media
are having trouble computing it.
It is almost too extreme to believe.



And then there is the fact they have done it on all raw, vegan food. No meat, no dairy, no protein boosters, no supplements, no stearoids. Also no sickness, no injuries, no days lost through stiffness or soreness or tiredness. 366 consecutive, daily marathons.




Janette told me “I could not have done this in my 20s. No way in my 40s. In my 50s I ran about 50 and it was very hard, very tiring. But honestly, now in my 60s, this has been relatively easy. No injuries, I feel really good. My health has never been better”.


So what do you eat? “80% fruit, 15% vegetables, 5% nuts and seeds. All organic wherever possible – our energy levels drop noticeably when we can only get the commercial stuff – and all raw of course.” Of Course!

If you are tempted to think anything about this marathon run around Australia qualified as easy,
Here are some of the facts:

Temperatures ranged from freezing to a maximum of 44 in the shade.

They experienced serious tropical downpours that went on for weeks courtesy of Cyclone Oswald. At that point, 9 of Alan’s waterlogged toenails simply fell off, yet no infection, no real discomfort, no stopping.

They rose before 4am each day, began to run at 5. Stopped to eat and rest 3 times during the day, generally finished around 3pm.




Both burnt 5,000 calories each day. Both ate around 20 very ripe bananas, lots of apples, oranges, pineapples – commonly as smoothies or juices that could also include beetroot, carrot and greens and ginger - and a big salad or 2 including a large avocado daily.










Why do it?
Janette again: “I have been a raw vegan for 12 years. In 2001 I was diagnosed with a highly aggressive carcinoma of the breast and told I had 6 months to live. In 6 months I was given a clean bill of health having recovered my own way (see Janette’s book Raw Can Cure Cancer).

I am hoping that this run will prompt people to think more consciously about their lifestyle choices. To think consciously about where meat comes from. To use their heads and to turn the lamb chop on their plates into the lamb jumping for joy in its paddock.

To think more consciously about their health and to make healthier choices about the things they eat, their exercise and particularly their care of self.

What I discovered during my own cancer recovery is that you have to believe in yourself and that what you are doing will work. The most important thing is to learn to love yourself and to care for yourself.”

My thoughts
Anyone who suggests you have to eat meat to perform at a high level in athletics or endurance running is clearly incorrect.

I suspect if you can run 366 marathons consecutively on a vegan diet, that diet should provide enough fuel for most things, including recovering from illness if that is a choice you make.

When people say after changing to a vegetarian or vegan diet, I feel my energy levels have dropped, quite simply they are probably not eating enough. Bananas may make more sense than feeling meat is what is lacking.

Alan and Janette confront the whole notion of supplements. They took none. They have pushed their bodies beyond what most would consider to be extreme limits. They have done this with no injuries, no sickness and a real twinkle of delight and enthusiasm in their eyes. And they are both in their sixties.

What Janette and Alan have accomplished challenges many hard held norms. Will people rethink those norms, or simply marvel at the achievement, quietly dismiss it and go about normal life as if nothing happened?

The challenge is to take in the enormity of what Janette and Alan have accomplished, along with how they did it.

If you want to see Janette and Alan in action, Today Tonight had a nice TV feature on them recently   LINK HERE

Next, as some small tribute to Janette and Alan, and at the risk of a long post, 

here is some recent research that supports the notion of eating less meat.

Red and processed meat linked to early death
Consumption of red and processed meat products is associated with increased risk of death, according to a recent review of nine studies with years of follow-up ranging from 5.5 to 28 years.

Those consuming the most processed meat had a 23 percent increase in mortality risk, while those consuming the most total red meat had a 29 percent increased risk for, compared with those who consumed the least.

Other studies have shown a similar link with red and processed meat products and mortality as well as links to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Larsson SC, Orsini N. Red Meat and processed meat consumption and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol. Published ahead of print October 22, 2013.

Diet fuels major rise in depression
Women who consume a diet defined as inflammatory—high in red meat, fish, sodas, and refined grains—have a higher risk for depression, compared with women who consume low amounts of these products.

As part of the 12 year Nurses’ Health Study, researchers analyzed the diets of 43,685 women and found that women who favored inflammatory food products were 41 percent more likely to be depressed.

Lucas M, Chocano-Bedoya P, Shulze MB, et al. Inflammatory dietary pattern and risk of depression among women. Brain Behav Immun. 2013. In press.

Vegetarian Diet Lowers Cholesterol, Weight, and Blood Sugar
A low-fat, high-carbohydrate vegetarian diet lowers cholesterol, blood sugars, and weight, according to a small recent study published. Obese participants with type 2  diabetes and/or hypertension followed a plant-based, high-fiber diet (about 42 grams per day) for one month.

Patients experienced weight loss, lower cholesterol, better blood sugar control, and improved gut flora. Bacteria associated with immunity and anti-inflammation increased while bacteria most associated with conditions such as obesity and inflammatory bowel conditions decreased.

Kim MS, Hwang SS , Park EJ, Bae JW. Strict vegetarian diet improves the risk factors associated with metabolic diseases by modulating gut microbiota and reducing intestinal inflammation. Environ Microbiol Rep. 2013;5:765-775.

How does meat cause colon cancer
Reasons for meat products leading to colorectal cancer are wide-ranging, according to a new review in the journal Nutrition Research. The authors say potential risks include naturally occurring components of meat products such as heme iron and protein as well as generated components such as N-nitroso compounds and heterocyclic amines.

Kim E, Coelho D, Blachier F. Review of the association between meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer. Nutr Res. 2013;33:983-994.

Vegan diets – natural weight control
People who follow vegan diets weigh less and consume more protective nutrients such as beta-carotene and fiber according to recent research.

71,751 participants enrolled in the Adventist Health Study 2 were tracked for five years. The vegan group (defined as consuming animal products less than one time per month), consumed the most beta-carotene, fiber, potassium, and magnesium, compared with all other dietary groups.

The vegan group had the lowest average body mass index (BMI) and the lowest prevalence of obesity, compared with those following all other dietary patterns. Levels of BMI and rates of obesity went up as animal product intake increased.

Rizzo NS, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Sabate J, Fraser GE. Nutrient profiles of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dietary patterns continuing professional education (CPE) information. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013;113:1610-1619.

Type 2 diabetes: Nutritional therapy safe and effective; more drugs risky 
Commonly prescribed diabetes medications have been linked to higher risks of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, according to recent publications. The drugs include exenatide (Byetta), liraglutide (Victoza), sitagliptin (Januvia), and possibly other similar medications.

Prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes with nutritional measures, especially a plant-based diet and avoidance of meat and dairy products, remains a safe and effective approach. If you are on the drugs, maybe you need to talk again with your doctor.

REFERENCES
1. Elashoff M,et al. Gastroenterology. 2011;141:150-156.
2. Butler AE, et al. Diabetes. Published ahead of print March 22, 2013.
3. Singh S,et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173:534-539.

Want babies? Try less processed meat and dairy
Processed meat products may lower sperm quality, according to researchers from Harvard. They analyzed 364 samples of semen from 156 men who were having reproductive difficulties and asked the men to complete a food record.

Those participants with higher intakes of processed meat products (more than one-third of a serving per day) saw more abnormalities in sperm count, size, and shape, compared with men who ate less.

These findings support a recent study that showed similar results between semen quality and dairy products.

Afeiche M. Meat intake and semen parameters among men attending a fertility clinic. Report presented at: American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2013 Annual Meeting; October 14, 2013: Boston, MA.
Afeiche M, Williams PL, Mediola J. Dairy food intake in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormone levels among physically active young men. Hum Reprod. 2013;28:2265-2275.

RELATED BLOGS
Vegan breast cancer survivor runs a marathon a day for a whole year

Would you eat like a dog?

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION – MEDITATION RESOURCES AT A DISCOUNT
To celebrate Christmas, it is a treat for Ruth and myself to be able to offer meditation resources as our Christmas special via our webstore.

All the meditation CDs, along with their corresponding MP3s and my meditation DVD are discounted 20% from now until Christmas Day. The most recent meditation book Meditation – a Complete Guide is discounted 10%, as is the bonus Christmas offer, that great cookbook, Eat Well, Be Well.

Go on-line and take advantage of the discounted CDs, MP3s, DVD and books. CLICK HERE.

COMING EVENTS
Meditation in the Forest : April 11 – 17, 2014
The regular Pre-Easter retreat Ruth and I present is on in the Yarra Valley again. This year as well as providing the opportunity to learn more about relaxation, mindfulness and meditation, and to deepen your experience of same, the particular focus of the retreat will be on contemplation.
For details CLICK HERE

Ian Gawler Blog: The right foods improve cancer prevention and survival

This week we show how innovative statistics are revealing which ones do the job! Also, Ruth and I are giving talks in Katoomba and Sydney this week, there is another study that demonstrates colorectal cancer survivors who consume the most red or processed meat are around 30% more likely to die over a 7.5-year follow-up, and then a must see video link! But first

Thought for the day
If you do not take care of your body, 
where are you going to live?
                    Karen Duffy, American actress with sarcoidosis

It is an exciting time in cancer research with a rapidly escalating number of reputable articles demonstrating how specific foods can add or subtract years from the lives of people after they are diagnosed with cancer.

We have known for a long time that unhealthy food is the number one item linked to cancer risk. Similarly we know from heaps of research that healthy food provides major cancer prevention.

Yet for so many years I remember hearing cancer authorities telling people diagnosed with cancer and the public alike there was no evidence once you developed cancer that what you ate would make any difference. Anyone who was to say that in this day and age would either be ill-informed or would need to overlook a substantial body of evidence to the contrary. (For just a small sample of some of this evidence, see some of my earlier blogs that bring it together.)

However, there are real challenges for researchers endeavouring to sort out which foods are most destructive, which most helpful. Enter epidemiologist Patrick Bradshaw, PhD.

“One of the major limitations of studying diet is that food nutrients are so intertwined and complex, particularly the way we eat them, it’s difficult to tease apart the effect of a single nutrient,” said Bradshaw.

The traditional method of analysing nutrient data is to examine them one at a time, one analysis for vitamin C, one for vitamin E and so on.

“The trouble is, nutrients tend to be consumed together, so if you see an effect, it’s hard to say which one it was for. If you analyse them simultaneously the statistical models tend to not work well.”

Bradshaw has a background in biostatistics and so he has developed innovative statistical methods that place the focus on dietary patterns rather than individual nutrients. He uses a form of analysis called hierarchical modelling that incorporates biologically plausible actions for each set of nutrients.

“We can apply this methodology to integrate biology into an analysis that looks at a whole lot of things together that can be correlated.” Results are proving to be very interesting.

On the prevention side, a study he led last year found that consuming a dietary pattern high in vegetables, fruits and lean meats was linked to a lower risk of pharyngeal and oral cavity cancers; a diet high in fatty, fried foods, sweets and processed meats was associated with an increased risk of laryngeal cancer.

Then for those already diagnosed, last year he found that breast cancer survivors who gained the most weight post-diagnosis had a greater risk of death from any cause as well as from breast cancer compared to women survivors who remained the same weight at diagnosis.

The reason behind this weight gain among survivors is not well understood, says Bradshaw, and it is something that he is working to understand.

Another area of survivorship he is focusing on is physical activity. Here, the research is consistent, with most studies finding activity benefits survival.

“It looks like women who get physical activity, in particular in those early years of diagnosis, tend to have a better prognosis - they had a reduced mortality rate, which I think could be a powerful message for cancer survivors. I’m really interested in what is happening during those early years. Those are the formative years in terms of breast cancer survivorship.”

 “I would like to hope that my research is informing something that people can employ on a daily basis that can make their lives healthier.”

Reference: May 15, 2013 issue  AICR's Cancer Research Update.

RELATED BLOGS

Let food be your medicine - Part 1

Let food be your medicine - Part 2

NOTICEBOARD
Please let friends or family in these areas know of this week’s events. Share the links for details:

Katoomba
July 9; Day workshop: Health, Healing and Wellbeing

Sydney
July 13 - 14, Weekend workshop: A New Way of Living

IN THE NEWS 



1. Thirty years presenting annually at the one place. An obsession or a delight? Well, 30 years at the Relaxation Centre have gone very quickly and it has been a pleasure to be a fixture on their calendar. Here is my old friend Lionel Fifield introducing me. He claims we look just like we did 30 years ago. He always was an optimist!!!






2. Foods can make you ill. Oh really!! Well yes, it seems they can, and this is an excellent website whose purpose is to provide you with information and resources on food intolerance and food allergy. From what I read, it does a pretty good job! Worth a visit, LINK HERE

RESEARCH NEWS

Red and Processed Meat Intake Linked to Death for People with Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer survivors who consume the most red or processed meat are more likely to die over a 7.5-year follow-up, compared with those who eat the least, according to a new study from the American Cancer Society.

Researchers analyzed the diet records of 2,315 participants from the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort and found a 29 percent higher risk of death from all causes and a 63 percent higher risk of death from heart disease for those who consumed the most red and processed meat before diagnosis, compared with those who ate the least.

REFERENCE: McCullough ML, Campbell PT et al. J Clin Onc. Published ahead of print July 1, 2013.

A  SOURCE of JOY
Thanks to Philip Woolen’s mum for this truly beautiful video of a deaf man flying 3 kites accompanied by the sublime Flower Duet from Lakme. When he flies spectators hold their hands up and wave them for applause. He flies 2 with his hands and the 3rd kite is attached to his waist. He is in his 80s.

Do yourself a favour. Chill out for 5 minutes and stay to watch to the end so you see the amazing landing of that last kite! LINK HERE

Ian Gawler Blog: Curiosity, humour and exercise

Now for something different. Laughter is the best medicine, knowledge the best tonic; so here we combine the two with some great insights into where common expressions come from. However, if all else fails and laughter leaves you flat, there is more recent and compelling research on the benefits of exercising regularly - and how much to do. But first

Thought for the day:

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. 
But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: 
'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'
                                                                        - Eleanor Roosevelt

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature is not just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some tall tales and true from the 1500s:
 


Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water.  The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.  Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"


Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof.  When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.  Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt Poor."

Sometimes people could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon, to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "Bring home the Bacon."

They would cut off a little, to share with guests and would all sit around talking and  ''Chew the fat''.

Bread was divided, according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ''The Upper Crust''.
  


There is an old Pub in Marble Arch, London, which used to have a gallows adjacent to it. Prisoners were taken to the gallows, (after a fair trial of course) to be hung. The horse drawn dray, carting the prisoner, was accompanied by an armed guard, who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if  he would like ''One last drink?'' If he said “Yes”, it was referred to as “One for the road”; if he declined, that prisoner was “On the wagon”.


In those older times, they used urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were, "Piss Poor".

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ''Holding a Wake''.
  


England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive.

So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, thread it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night, (“the graveyard shift”) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, ''Saved by the Bell '' or was considered a “Dead ringer”.   
  

Now, whoever said history was boring!

NEWS

1. If laughter fails, exercise! 

Although a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that exercise lowers the risk of developing cancer, and aids in recovery, it seems that the message is not reaching those who need it most.

Many cancer patients do not engage in physical activity or discuss the subject with their oncologists, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

“What we found in our study is that the patients were not exercising," said lead author Andrea L. Cheville, MD, from the Mayo Clinic.

Many studies have shown that exercise, both during and after the end of active treatment, can improve quality of life for patients. The evidence was strengthened with the recent publication of 2 reviews (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;8:CD008465, CD007566).

Both found that exercise has a beneficial effect on a number of health-related quality-of-life domains, including cancer-specific concerns, body image/self-esteem, emotional wellbeing, sexuality, sleep disturbance, and social functioning. In addition, exercise was found to reduce anxiety, fatigue, and pain.

"There is a real disconnect between clinical trials of exercise and the real world," Dr. Cheville noted. "There is all this great research, but … changing behavior requires more than just counseling, and patients need a support system," she noted.

COMMENT

It has been clear for years that regular exercise helps prevent most illnesses you would prefer not to get; and has major quality of life and survival benefits for people with chronic degenerative disease, especially cancer. The trick is to do it. It seems half an hour of preferably weight bearing exercise, 4-5 times weekly does the trick.

Weightbearing exercise is any activity you do while on your feet and legs that works your muscles and bones against gravity. Weightbearing exercises includes walking, jogging, dancing, step aerobic, ball games, golf, stair climbing and many gym exercises. Exercises that are non-weightbearing include swimming and cycling.

But there is a mystery in cancer medicine. For example, the available evidence indicates that for women with breast cancer, chemotherapy increases 5 year survival in absolute terms by about 3.5 to 4.5%. Women receive enormous pressure to accept it and great support while having it. Exercising around half an hour to an hour most days increases 5 year survival by around 7.5% - almost double, yet experience tells us many women still are not being informed of its benefits and most receive very little support to actually exercise. If Evidence Based Medicine is the guiding light for modern medicine, this is an area in need of urgent attention.

This is one area wherein family and friends can provide immediate help. It is not so easy to find the motivation and energy to exercise regularly when you are not well, and yes owning an active dog certainly helps, but better still, arrange a roster to share in regular walks or whatever the person affected finds most useful and practical.

2. The Gawler Foundation's Annual Conference is rapidly approaching. This year I will be speaking on the therapeutic benefits of dietary change and what is best to eat on the road to recovery. This event is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and colleagues, along with many new and like-minded people.

Ian Gawler Blog: Let your food be your medicine

Nutrition reduces the risk of developing cancer, along with its progression and recurrence for those who already have it - the top 10 recent research articles - including an answer to the soy question.

But first, how can we go past:

Thought for the Day

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

                 Hippocrates – commonly referred to as the founder of western medicine

I have had the good fortune to attend and speak at two major international nutrition conferences in the last month. The first was a combined effort from the CSIRO, the Australian Dieticians and ACNEM, a peak body for doctors interested in nutritional and environmental medicine. The second was convened by Metagenics and focused on the therapeutic application of nutrition in cancer medicine. One of the world-class speakers summed up and said that this conference was like drinking intellectually and emotionally from a fire hose!

The take home message? The volume of research in this field is staggering – even for me who attempts to keep up with it. Anyone who suggests nutrition is unimportant for people dealing with cancer is both ill-informed and dangerous. Ill-informed because the evidence base is comprehensive. Dangerous because they may cause vulnerable people to ignore or disregard a source of significant help – for their quality of life and their survival.

While there was a lot of talk regarding the importance and clinical application of epigenetics (and I will report on this later), for the next two weeks I will share some of the nutritional research that impressed.

THE TOP TEN – PART 1: 

1. One quarter of all cancers could be prevented by a healthy diet and exercise.
ESTIMATE FOR 2025:  About 170,000 Australians diagnosed with cancer -
an increase of 60% on 2007. 

43,000 of these cancers are preventable through improvements to diet and physical activity levels. 

It is likely that this is an underestimation of the true figure.

While the theoretical impact of primary prevention is substantial, motivating populations is difficult. Therefore, unless a concerted and significant effort is made to invest in and implement powerful preventive measures, the reduction of cancer incidence over the coming decades will probably be relatively small.

Baade P D et al, Med J Aust 2012; 196 (5): 337-340.

refer to Blog: 26 March 2012

2. Nutrition and lifestyle prevents breast cancer
Be as lean as possible
Be physically active - at least 30mins/day
Limit alcohol to one drink/day
Mothers breastfeed exclusively for up to 6 mths
     -- this will reduce the mother’s risk and reduce the child’s risk of becoming       overweight

Expect a 40% reduction in breast cancer.
                                                 Based upon 954 studies, AICR & WCRF 2009

3. Anti-inflammatory diet contributes to longevity.
Meta-inflammation is low-level, systemic inflammation. It is a major factor in most chronic degenerative diseases including cancer.
Modern nutrition is a significant “inducer” of meta-inflammation.
 
Egger, G, ACNEM Journal, Mar 2012, Vol 3 No 1 P12-14

It is well known that inflammation potentiates active cancers, therefore, when we adopt an anti-inflammatory diet (like the one in YCCC), we reduce inflammation and assist recovery.

4. Turmeric and pepper target breast cancer stem cells
Cancer stems cells are associated with cancer’s capacity to lay dormant and then reappear as a metastasis or secondaries. As far as I know, there are no drugs in current use that can impact significantly upon these cells, short of stem cell transplants. However, nature offers hope.

Turmeric (curcumin) and black pepper (piperine) separately, and in combination, have been found to inhibit breast stem cell self-renewal but are non-toxic to differentiated cells. This is another good reason to use these two regularly.

Kakarala, M et al, 2010, Br Ca Research & Treatment, Vol 122, No 3, 777-785

5. Research claims soy is safe for breast cancer
The soy question has to be one of the most contentious and relevant nutritional issues for women with breast cancer (especially if HER +ve) for some time. Here is a summary quoted in part from what is a very comprehensive analysis of available research:

Currently there is little evidence to suggest that any potential weak estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones (as found in soy) have a clinically relevant impact on breast tissue in healthy women. Limited data suggest this is also the case for breast cancer survivors.

Findings from one rodent study showed that genistein may interfere with concurrent tamoxifen treatment, suggesting that breast cancer patients taking a tamoxifen-like drug may need to limit soyfood intake and avoid isoflavone supplements.

Currently there is no data to support the idea that soyfoods or isoflavone supplements improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Available data on breast cancer recurrence and mortality provide some assurance for breast cancer patients that soyfoods and isoflavone supplements, when taken at dietary levels, do not contribute to recurrence rates; although more data are clearly needed to better address this issue.

Messina, MJ and Wood CE, Nutrition Journal 2008, 7:17

NEWS


1. IAN’s NEXT WEBINAR IS ON MINDFULNESS: Tuesday 19th June at 8pm EST

All welcome to tune in – you just need to register via the Mindbody Mastery website via the link : www.anymeeting.com/mindbodymastery

2. Chocolate trialed as antihypertensive for kids

Not sure whether to laugh or cry about this one, what do you think?
In a study of the effects of daily consumption of dark chocolate on blood pressure (BP), Melbourne school children had a 97% ‘adherence’ rate – no problem getting them to eat it!

However, the seven-week pilot study, conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, did not show any benefit of dark chocolate on either systolic or diastolic BP, according to results published in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood.

The researchers say a larger and longer trial – perhaps with a higher daily ‘dose’ of chocolate - will be needed to show any real effects.

And we cannot get funding for a lifestyle based cancer intervention study. Maybe we need to emphasis the program’s chocolate component!

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Ian Gawler Blog: Research to live for

People sometimes say ”I have been dying to meet you”. Bit weird really.

This blog presents new research relevant to living. A major review of the literature pointing to the extension of life benefits gained through diet and exercise for people diagnosed with cancer.  Then we discuss a new syndrome to watch out for called Faecal Encephalitis that leads to a raft of distressing, disgraceful symptoms.
But first:

Thought for the day
How brief this life

So little time to prepare for eternity
                                                                     Paul Gauguin

Diet and exercise extend life

It is disturbing how often I still hear from people diagnosed with cancer whose highly educated specialists have told them that what they eat will not matter. While one would imagine simple common sense would dictate that was flawed advice, there is often the follow up "There is no evidence at all to support changing your diet after a cancer diagnosis".

Clearly wrong. And clearly ignorance that is dangerous. A recent, major review of the scientific literature has examined the role of diet and physical activity in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivorship and confirmed the benefits. While it is both astounding and disappointing that the amount of research investigating how much therapeutic nutrition can add to cancer survival is quite small, the indications are steadily growing.

The evidence for exercise increasing survival is stronger, and you may wonder why that is. The benefits of exercise were stumbled upon some years ago and have attracted a good deal of recent research, support and uptake in the mainstream. I cannot help but wonder if exercise offends few and so people research it happily, whereas the vested interests involved with nutrition are vast, complex and obstructive. Whether it be the food lobby groups like the meat and dairy industries, the processed food and fast food conglomerates, or just the general malaise amongst the population who seem reluctant to really grapple with the connection between lifestyle, healing, health and wellbeing; food is far more challenging as a research topic than exercise.

Be that as it may, here is a summary of what was said in this extensive review of current research, along with the quote to cite if anyone in the future is so stupid as to say what you eat when diagnosed with cancer does not matter, or there is no evidence:

Link here to the article in the British Journal of Cancer

QUOTE:  Davies, N J, Br J Cancer. 2011 November 8; 105(S1): S52–S73.

Published online 2011 November 3. doi:  10.1038/bjc.2011.423

Evidence that poor diet and low physical activity relate directly to the incidence of cancer is well documented, but owing to increased cancer survivorship, an understanding of these lifestyle factors after a cancer diagnosis is of crucial importance.

Method:
Evidence was initially gathered from pre-defined searches of the Cochrane Library Database and PubMed from March 2006 to February 2010. Another search of 2011 literature was conducted to update the evidence.

Results:
Evidence from observational studies suggests that a low-fat, high-fibre diet might be protective against cancer recurrence and progression. There is more support for physical activity, with a dose response for better outcomes.

Implications:
Cancer survivors would like to have a more active role in their health care and to know how to look after themselves after diagnosis, including what diet and lifestyle changes they should make. The challenge is in integrating lifestyle support into standardised models of aftercare.

Faecal Encephalitis
This is a dangerous new condition that is particularly harsh on those in the ambit of the sufferers.

Faecel Encephalitis occurs when faecal material builds up to critical levels in a person’s system, leading to a toxic overload of their brain and mind. This leads to inflammation of the brain and disgraceful behavior. Symptoms can be severe and include chronic resentment, irrational behavior, poor judgment, loss of values and distortion of the truth.

Apparently the condition can result from chronic constipation causing a back log and auto-intoxication, although a more common problem is having the head stuck so far up someone else’s backside there is a direct faecal overload. Usually the “other person” is someone perceived to be in authority or power.

The condition needs to be differentiated from the more common and more recognized problem of being “full of sh*t”, which is a far more benign problem and while regrettable, is of little concern in daily life.

Treatment of Faecal Encephalitis is quite difficult as it seems those afflicted by the condition loose the capacity for self awareness and do not recognize they have a problem. It may be more useful to focus on helping family, friends and colleagues of those affected as they often suffer unduly.

NEWS
1. Brisbane workshops June 14 – 16

Where: The Relaxation Centre, 15 South Pine Rd, Alderley, Brisbane, 4051

Bookings & Info: Click here for the link and go to the 14th -17th on the calendar
or call The Relaxation Centre on (07) 3856 3733.

2. Israel workshops etc July 18 - 28

It will be a great pleasure to be back in Israel once more where I have been invited to make a variety of presentations. If you know anyone in Israel who may be interested, please forward the details.

i) Wednesday July 18th, 19:30-22:00, Evening Talk 
The Art of Living and Dying: contemplation, meditation and healing
Seminar Hakibutzim, Tel-Aviv
Sponsored by Tovana, Israel Insight Meditation Association

ii) Friday July 20th, 09:00-14:00, Master Class Workshop for Health Professionals 
An Integrative Approach for Major Illness - Applications of Meditation and Mind-Body Principles
Rabin Medical Center
Sponsored by the Integrative Medicine Department, Davidoff Cancer Center, Beilinson Hospital

iii) Friday July 27th, 09:00-16:00, One Day Workshop for the General Public
Health, Healing and Well-being: the Healing Power of the Mind 
Beit Rishonim, Bitan Aharon
Sponsored by Taatzumot Association

iv) By Invitation Only:
• Wednesday July 18th, 16:00-18:30: A meeting with leading Dharma teachers,
• Saturday July 28, 19:00-22:00: An evening with leading integrative therapists and physicians.

For more information or registration:
Dr. Nimrod Sheinman, In Israel: 0544-797466, nimush@zahav.net.il