Mindful Eating. Five simple things that when you can do them will almost certainly bring you to an ideal weight without any focus on dieting.

Want to be able to eat what you like, when you like and really enjoy it? Want to drop all sense of guilt, fear and recrimination around food and maintain a healthy, stable weight intelligently? Free of effort. This week, 5 simple things that can deliver all this for you.

Facts are around 60% of adults in Australia and the USA are overweight or obese. Even if you are just a little overweight, you are certainly not alone. We all know the health consequences. Not good.

Now I am one of those fortunate people who in their sixties still has visible stomach muscles. How so? Easy. I have never “dieted”, but for many years mindfulness has been the guiding light for what I eat and how I eat it.

So this week, lets go Out on a Limb once more, and in a very personal way I will share 5 elegant possibilities to do with mindful eating. Also, a reminder Meditation in the Desert is only 3 months away, was fully booked last year and is such a wonderful experience if you value meditation, the Central Australian Desert and the notion of authentic cultural exchange with genuine Indigenous leaders. Details?  –  CLICK HERE.

But now,

Thought for the Day

The beginning of love

Is to let those we love be perfectly themselves

And not to twist them 

To fit our own image.

Otherwise, we love 

Only the reflection of ourselves we find in them

                  Thomas Merton

According to recent research, mindfulness can reduce food cravings, normalise appetite and help regulate how much we eat. Maybe I am not alone! Supermodel Gisele Bundchen even credits mindfulness and meditation with helping her lose her baby weight just two months after giving birth. Must be good. So how to do it?

1. Mindful shopping (or mindful food gathering)

I love shopping for food. It brings out a natural form of mindfulness. I pick up a potato, feel its weight, squeeze it a little, roll it around and reflect: “ Is this a potato I want to make a part of me? Is this the sort of potato that I want my body to become?”

I remind myself, what I will eat will become my new body. Today’s potato is my future body. So I am rather deliberate about it. Sure, it does take a little extra time (but not much); and the upside is shopping itself becomes a meditation. Enjoyable.

Also, I know that food control starts in the shop. If you bring no junk food into the house, the only way to eat any is to send out for pizza!!!

I love shopping for food mindfully.

2. Mindful food preparation

I love preparing food. Again, it brings out a natural mindfulness. I pick up the potato, in the kitchen thistime. Smile. Bathe it if necessary. Yes, more than wash, bathe it. There is a tenderness, a respect, a natural care for this thing, this potato I plan to eat, maybe share with family and friends. 

How wonderful this potato is here for the eating. Mindfulness comes naturally. Everything about the preparation, the cooking has my full attention. I do not want to miss anything. 

I love preparing food mindfully.

3. Mindful eating

Now we are getting really sensual. The potato is on the plate. The colours. The smells. The texture. The taste. Yummmmm! Why would you want to miss any of this? I love eating mindfully. It is so pleasurable. So satisfying. So filling. 

For me it is virtually impossible to over-eat. Maybe it happens a few times a year, but then there is a natural balance, eating less for a meal or two. No effort. It all comes naturally. 

I love eating mindfully. 

4. Gratitude

If you do not eat, you die. If there is nothing to eat, you die. Simple. 

I am so appreciative of having food in the shops, food in my garden. 

I go to the Victoria Markets in central Melbourne and walk down the aisles marvelling at the abundance. Grateful for the large organic section. Forty years ago when I was struggling to overcome cancer, there was literally one organic vegetable shop in all of Melbourne. Now most suburbs have a shop, and most supermarkets an organic section. Got to love it.

Then I am so grateful for all the shop assistants, all the people involved in transport, all the gardeners, the people that all these people rely upon in turn to make their work, their service possible.

Take a moment to think through all of what it has taken to enable your potato to be in the shop, and you will be feeling immense gratitude for an immense number of people. They are all a part of your diet.

Gratitude is the key to appreciating and valuing what you eat.

5. The optional extra. The real delight. Grow your own food – mindfully.

The joy of having this privilege of having a home vegetable garden. And the benefit of knowing what it takes to nurture a potato, to actually grow one – or two.

Such respect for the potato that comes from the home garden. Grow it mindfully and all else follows.

Such respect. Such mindfulness.

I love growing food mindfully.

Nothing about dieting. 

Nothing about what or how much or when to eat. 

Just mindfulness and gratitude. 

Now there is a diet for you!

ADDENDUM – Are statins a justification for mindless gluttony?  

Gluttony is the word the researchers used!

Statins are intended to be cholesterol-lowering drugs but according to recent research published by the American Medical Association, those who use them tend to gain more weight and eat more fat and calories.

In a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers found that over ten years those on statins had an increased calorie intake of 9.6 percent while their fat intake increased 14.4 percent. Over those same years, people  who did not take cholesterol-lowering medications had no significant changes in calorie or fat intake.

Those on the medications also gained more weight, compared with those not on medications. The authors conclude that patients had adopted a false sense of security, and dietary intake needs greater emphasis.

Sugiyama T,et al. Different time trends of caloric and fat intake between statin users and nonusers among US adults: gluttony in the time of statins? JAMA Intern Med. Published online April 24, 2014.

NOTICEBOARD

Meditation in the Desert  : August 29 – September 7

Come, join Ruth and myself along with like-minded people for 7 days of meditation in the
extraordinary atmosphere of the Central Australian desert, followed by several days of close contact with senior local indigenous leaders. 

Also, there is an add-on tour we have arranged especially to follow after the retreat for those wishing to travel on to the key sites around Alice Springs - the Rock, Kata Juta (the Olgas) etc. 

Many from previous years have described this as a genuine trip of a lifetime.

For full details CLICK HERE

RELATED BLOGS

The 2 top ways to develop mindfulness in daily life

Meditation in the Desert

NEWS
1. Swami Shantananda trained with me many years ago and was on the Foundation's Board for some years, so I came to know her well and can recommend this workshop she will be presenting on May 24th for those seeking the essence of meditation.

Please note: The notice above is a jpeg, so here is the email address in clickable form:

robert@classicalyoga.com.au

2. What are they doing?
Bonus points for anyone who knows where the picture was taken for this week’s version of “Meditation delivers!” on my Facebook page. If you have not caught up with it, for the last few months I have been having fun connecting photos I have taken around the world with something that “Meditation delivers!”. This week the caption is “Want to stand out from the crowd?” 

So where in the world are the girls and what do you imagine they are doing? Have your say on the comments section.

Answers next week

Is magnesium cramping your style?

Many people I have helped over the years have suffered from muscle cramps. So many said they were attempting to treat them with common salt. However, in my experience salt does little, while magnesium often works wonders.

But then magnesium does much, much more. So this week, off we go, Out on a Limb to examine this hugely significant mineral, how it works, where it comes from, what it does and why it may well be one of the most useful supplements to consider taking.

But first





Thought for the day

The whole problem with the world 
Is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, 
And the wiser full of doubts

              Bertrand Russell








Magnesium functions
Magnesium is one of the most common elements in the world and in our bodies. It has many functions, perhaps the most significant being to do with enzyme activity, energy production, muscle activity and nervousness.

Magnesium is essential for the healthy function of the enzymes and co-enzymes that are essential for energy production throughout the body. It is also plays a vital role in relaying nervous impulses across the synapses (gaps) between our nerve cells and is crucial for healthy bone development and on-going bone metabolism.

Healthy muscle function including contraction relies on adequate magnesium and it is important for exercise performance.

Magnesium plays an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  Magnesium supplementation is well known for its use in the prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation.

To date studies have been inconclusive about the role of magnesium in lowering blood pressure, although a recent meta-analysis suggests magnesium supplements may have a small but significant effect in lowering blood pressure.

Stress burns up magnesium and in turn low magnesium aggravates the adverse consequences of stress. - both physically and psychologically. Anyone with irritability, anxiety or depression would be wise to consider their magnesium levels. The stress of surgery or chronic illness also warrants consideration of extra magnesium.

Magnesium deficiency
Fact is most Australian and New Zealand soils are naturally deficient in magnesium. This deficiency flows through into our food chain, meaning many people are low in this crucial element. Add to this another fact – a junk food diet, high in processed foods and short on vegetables is even lower in magnesium and it is no wonder so many people are magnesium deficient.

In the USA, it is claimed that the average adult obtains only 66% of the daily requirement for magnesium from their food intake, leaving their intake about 100-125 milligrams short each day.

Signs of deficiency

You may like to read a formal summary of magnesium deficiency symptoms, (LINK HERE) but in my experience, things that respond well to magnesium supplements are muscle cramps and twitches (including, almost especially, those that occur at night), nervousness, poor sleep and bone disorders (I was particularly aware of this in my veterinary days).

Also, not enough people know how important magnesium is for healthy uterine contractions and that deficiencies amongst woman giving birth (just as with animals) can lead to uterine fatigue and birthing difficulties. This is something every pregnant woman needs to discuss with a suitably trained doctor or nutritional authority. Magnesium is commonly used for uncontrollable hypertension in pregnancy.

Of course you also need to consult your doctor if any symptoms are severe, such as if cramps take longer than a few minutes to disappear, but magnesium is one of the supplements I have recommended most often and one that is often associated with rapid and significant positive changes.

Sources of magnesium in the diet 
There are no “stand out” sources of magnesium but the best dietary sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, legumes and unrefined grains. Eat plenty of these, particularly well grown organic ones and you should be OK.

If you are a home gardener, be sure to add dolomite regularly to vegetables and fruits as this mineral powder contains magnesium as well as calcium.

Testing your magnesium levels
This is not as easy as you might hope or expect. Problem is that the body goes to great effort to keep blood levels of magnesium stable, and so if you are deficient, the deficiency will be in the tissues and it needs to be fairly extreme before it shows up in a blood test.

It may well be best to consider your intake and symptoms, maybe in collaboration with a trained professional, in order to assess your situation.

One common feature of fairly large magnesium deficiency is muscle ticks, particularly under the eye. If you have this symptom, a magnesium supplement is almost certainly required and it is likely to clear that tick in a few days.

Magnesium supplementation
For best results, it is recommended that magnesium be taken in an easily absorbed powdered form. It is often taken with other nutrients that are also involved in the maintenance and repair of muscle tissue, such as folic acid and vitamins C and B12.

Magnesium oxide is one of the most common forms of magnesium dietary supplements available because it has high magnesium content per weight, Unfortunately, however, the oxide has been reported to be the least bioavailable (that means it is poorly taken up by the body). Magnesium citrate has been reported as more bioavailable than the oxide or amino-acid chelate (glycinate) forms and so read labels and if you do need a supplement, choose one containing magnesium citrate.

Magnesium overdose 
Excess magnesium in the blood is filtered out by healthy kidneys. This makes it difficult for most people to overdose on magnesium from dietary sources alone. With supplements, however, overdose is possible, in particular in people with poor kidney function. I must say in all my years i have never seen or even heard of anyone having an overdose on magnesium.

While high doses of magnesium are most commonly associated with stomach upsets, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps, too much magnesium can cause several serious health problems including nausea, vomiting, severely lowered blood pressure, confusion, slowed heart rate, respiratory paralysis, deficiencies of other minerals, coma, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and even death.

Obviously, avoid magnesium supplementation in renal failure due to risk of magnesium toxicity.

Medical caution
If you experience cramping pain in the chest that radiates to the shoulder, arm or neck, it is possible you are having a heart attack. Call for an ambulance immediately, as it is better to be safe than sorry.

References
Dickinson HO et al. Magnesium supplementation for the management of primary hypertension in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004640. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004640.pub2

Kass L et al. Effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012 Feb 8. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.4.

RELATED BLOG
Do supplements shorten life?

NOTICE BOARD

MEDITATION RETREAT  – PRE-EASTER in the YARRA VALLEY

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.
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 

Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing - Auckland, New Zealand: 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 

Ian Gawler Blog: Is soy safe? – part 2

Please note: This blog has been re-posted as there were some technical issues in the original post.

As you tuck into a delightful tofu and veggie stir-fry, or maybe even some tofu ice-cream, is there a lingering doubt? Is this really doing me good? Am I contributing to the prevention of breast and prostate cancer, or am I, as some would have us believe, contributing to their increased likelihood?

If so, you need the answer to this question: Do the phyto-oestrogens in soybeans act like oestrogen or Tamoxifen? Need a full explanation? Let us go Out on a Limb once again, follow on from last week’s exploration of the soybean itself, and explore how cancer and soy beans interact.



Then news of my next workshop; this time in one of Mt Macedon’s most beautiful estates, complete with a gorgeous garden. Duneira on Saturday August 24th. But first




Thought for the day
The doctor of the future will give no medicine, 
But will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, 
In diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.
                                         Thomas Edison, 1902




WHY LINK SOY and BREAST CANCER?
1. There are historically low breast cancer incidence rates in Asia, where traditional soyfoods are a staple.

2. Research demonstrates isoflavones in soy may exert anti-oestrogenic effects.

3. Some epidemiologic data shows a higher soy intake results in a lower breast cancer risk.

4. Rodent studies demonstrate soy protects against carcinogen-induced mammary cancer.

HOW BREAST CANCER IS EFFECTED BY OESTROGEN
In broad terms, there are 2 types of breast cancer; oestrogen positive and oestrogen negative. Our discussion relates to oestrogen positive cancers in particular and these make up about 70% of all breast cancers.

Oestrogen positive cancers are aggravated by oestrogen (the main female sex hormone). How this happens is that on the surface of oestrogen positive cancer cells there are receptors for oestrogen. When an oestrogen molecule comes into proximity with such a receptor, it attaches (but does not go into the cell) and creates a cascade of reactions within the cell that speeds up the cancer’s progression.

In earlier times, removal of the ovaries was attempted as a way to reduce oestrogen levels in women with breast cancer. But oestrogen is made in other parts of the body, so only in exceptional circumstances has this proven useful.

Many people will have heard of tamoxifen. This was heralded as a breakthrough drug as it attaches to the oestrogen receptors, but does not cause the internal reaction and so blocks the effects of oestrogen. Unfortunately, it does aggravate uterine tissue and is associated with increased uterine cancer, but on balance it remains a widely used anti-cancer drug. Simply put, tamoxifen is an oestrogen antagonist.

WHAT OESTROGEN IS IN SOY?
There are 3 main oestrogen-like chemicals in soybeans; genistein, daidzein, and glycitein. They are present in their beta glycoside forms: genistin, daidzin, and glycitin, hence you may see them written differently.

Genistin/genistein, daidzin/daidzein, and glycitin/glycitein account for approximately 50–55%, 40–45%, and 5–10% of total isoflavone content, respectively in soybeans.

Older adults in Japan and Shanghai, China, typically consume between 25 and 50 mg/day of isoflavones and probably no more than 5% of these populations consume more than 100 mg/day. In contrast, people in the United States and Europe consume an average of less than3 mg/day.

Isoflavones have a chemical structure similar to human oestrogen but bind to estrogen receptors more weakly. Significantly, it has been suggested that genistein, which is the best-studied isoflavone, along with the other isoflavones may act like tamoxifen as estrogen receptor blockers.

What has also drawn attention in recent years are conflicting concerns that isoflavones may stimulate the growth of existing estrogen-sensitive breast tumors. These concerns are based on evidence gathered from studies involving tissue cultures and rodents. However, they do contrast with the human epidemiological evidence that shows among Asian women higher soy intake is associated with a nearly one-third reduction in breast cancer risk and that Japanese breast cancer patients, in comparison to Western women, exhibit better survival rates even after controlling for stage of diagnosis.

SOY FOR THE PREVENTION OF BREAST CANCER
In Asia, isoflavones are consumed as traditional soy foods and not in pure or enriched forms. Epidemiological data associates lifetime, and particularly pre-adolescent consumption of traditional soy with a decreased risk of breast cancer development in humans.

An Asian-American study on soy found that women, pre- and postmenopausal, who consumed tofu, had a 15% reduced risk of breast cancer with each additional serving per week.

Wu AH, Ziegler, et al. Tofu and risk of breast cancer in Asian- Americans. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1996;5(11):901-906.

Another trial reported that women in the highest tertile intake of tofu had a 51% decrease risk of premenopausal breast cancer when compared with women in the lowest tertile. In this study, no statistical significant association was observed between soy intake and breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women.

Hirose K, Imaeda N, Tokudome Y, Goto C, Wakai K, Matsuo K, et al. Soybean products and reduction of breast cancer risk: a case-control study in Japan. Br J Cancer 2005;93(1):15-22.

Messina and colleagues published a major review on this subject in 2008 and here I quote from what I consider to be one of the very the best review articles on this topic:

The conclusion drawn from this extensive review of the available literature is that currently there is little evidence to suggest that any potential weak estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones have a clinically relevant impact on breast tissue in healthy women. Limited data suggest this is also the case for breast cancer survivors.

This evidence includes multiple trials showing no effects on breast proliferation or mammographic density and considerable epidemiologic data showing either no effect or a modest protective role of soy/isoflavone intake on breast cancer risk.

Based on this evidence it seems unlikely that isoflavone consumption at dietary levels (i.e. <100 mg/day) elicits adverse breast cancer-promoting effects in healthy women or breast cancer survivors not undergoing active treatment.

Messina MJ and Wood CE; Nutrition Journal 2008.  For the full reference, CLICK HERE 

SOY AND ITS AFFECTS ON BREAST CANCER
Several earlier studies suggested that whole soy foods appeared to have no negative or positive effect on breast cancer. For example the following two studies found soy foods had no negative impact on breast cancer survival.

Boyapati SM, et al. Soyfood intake and breast cancer survival: a followup of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2005;92(1):11-17.

Nishio K, et al. Consumption of soy foods and the risk of breast cancer: findings from the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study. Cancer Causes Control. 2007;18(8):801-808.

This, and other evidence, prompted Messina and colleagues in their 2008 review quoted above to state:

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

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

However, in 2009, following more analysis of the Shanghai study, strong new evidence was published showing significant benefits of consuming soy for women with breast cancer in terms of better survival and less cancer recurrence, making Messina’s claim seem outdated.

Women consuming soy in the highest quartile had a 29% lower death rate over the 4 year follow up, and 32% reduced risk of recurrence. The protective effect was present regardless of oestrogen receptor status of the cancer, or whether tamoxifen was used or not.

This is the most compelling evidence to date of a benefit for soy consumption by women with breast cancer (as opposed to no harm). It is important because it shows a benefit for increased soy consumption irrespective of oestrogen receptor status or tamoxifen use.
Shu XO et al. Soy food intake and breast cancer survival; JAMA. 2009 Dec 9; 302(22):2437-43.
For the full reference, CLICK HERE

BUT BEWARE:  NATURAL SOY, PROCESSED SOY – DIFFERENT OUTCOMES
However, it may be that the non-traditional soy foods do create problems. Significantly, soy protein isolates do not contain many of the bioactive components present in whole soy. As we clarified last week, refined products include soy flour and its processed derivatives.

Research has demonstrated that soy protein isolates (85–90% soy protein) do stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors. Another study evaluated the relative effects of different degrees of soy processing on the growth of pre-existing tumors and demonstrated that consumption of isoflavones in increasingly purer or more highly enriched forms may have a proportionally worse effect on estrogen-dependent tumor growth.

Allred CD,et al. Soy processing influences growth of estrogen-dependent breast cancer tumors. Carcinogenesis 2004;25:1649-1657.

Some research has shown that soy processing increases breast cancer growth in mice. This may be related to isoflavone metabolism and bioavailability, but more research is needed.
Allred CD, et al. Soy processing influences growth of estrogen-dependent breast cancer tumors. Carcinogenesis 2004;25:1649-1657.

SOY AND TAMOXIFEN
There has also been some concern expressed that soy products may actually interfere with the action of tamoxifen itself. However, recent studies examining the interaction between soy and tamoxifen have yielded neutral or beneficial findings.

In one study, soy intake had no effect on levels of tamoxifen or its metabolites.
Wu AH, et al. Tamoxifen, soy, and lifestyle factors in Asian American women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(21):3024-3030.

In another, the combination of tamoxifen and genistein inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells in a synergistic manner in vitro.
Mai Z, et al. Genistein sensitizes inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on the growth of estrogen receptor- positive and HER2-overexpressing human breast cancer cells. Mol Carcinog. 2007;46(7):534-542.

SOY AND YOUNG GIRLS
Of great interest is research that demonstrates eating soy foods during childhood and adolescence in women, and before puberty onset in animals, appears to significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life.

SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF SOY
Research evidence indicates a possible synergistic relationship between soy and green tea consumption.

SOY AND THE AUTHORITIES
The American Cancer Society in 2006 concluded that breast cancer patients can safely consume up to three servings of traditional soyfoods per day, although the group advised against the use of more concentrated sources of isoflavones such as powders and supplements.

The United States Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducted a review of the available studies and found little evidence of substantial health improvements and no adverse effects, but also noted that there was no long-term safety data on estrogenic effects from soy consumption.

The AHRQ report notes that future studies of the health effects of soy need to better address the complex relationship between health and food components, including how variations in the diets, lifestyles, and health of participants might affect the results. Also, studies that substitute practical amounts of soy products into people's diets would better address the question of whether people should make the effort to include more soy in their diet.

The Cancer Council of New South Wales released a statement saying scientific research suggests that overall the moderate consumption of soy products does not appear to present a risk to women with breast cancer, and there is equivocal evidence that consuming large amounts of soy products may have a protective effect against developing breast and prostate cancer. However, the Council does not recommend taking soy dietary supplements as there is no evidence they are either effective or safe at preventing or treating cancers.

WHAT RUTH AND I DO
We regularly eat organic tofu and soy yoghurt (which Ruth makes from Bonsoy). Ruth drinks small amounts of soymilk (mostly Bonsoy in teas), but I do not – I do not like it and have teas and dandelion coffee black). We eat some tempeh but only have silken tofu if ordered by mistake when eating out! We avoid processed soy products and read labels to avoid the myriad of foods with these products added to them.

MY OWN CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS
In answer to the key question, I conclude the phyto-oestrogens in soy act like tamoxifen not like oestrogen. Based on the evidence available, soy eaten in its traditional forms acts as an oestrogen antagonist, making it helpful in preventing and overcoming both breast cancer and prostate cancer. I also conclude:

1. Traditional soy foods are almost certainly safe and warrant being a part of a healthy diet for healthy people. I recommend them. I particularly recommend regular soy consumption for young and adolescent girls; but then lifetime consumption seems ideal.

2. Processed or refined or concentrated soy products run the real risk of being problematic for everyone. I do not recommend them.

3. For women with breast cancer, the best evidence currently available suggests traditional soy foods, eaten in traditional amounts are likely to be safe and may well be helpful in reducing recurrences and extending survival. I recommend them.

RELATED BLOGS
Is soy safe? - Part 1

Coconut oil – are you nuts?

Food for life – what to eat when

RESOURCES
You Can Conquer Cancer – the revised edition has many other explanations like this one on soy. What type of protein and how much? Which are the best fats to eat and to avoid, and so on. This book is about prevention and long-term good health, as well as cancer recovery.

NOTICEBOARD
1. NEXT WORKSHOP in the Melbourne region: Inner Peace, Outer Health

Mt Macedon on Saturday August 24th, 10am (arrive 9.30) to 4.30pm

Duneira is an exquisite heritage hill station property on the slopes of Mt Macedon. The garden is like a meditative space, so beautiful and filled with majestic trees. I love being there!

Then the house itself is grand enough to host good sized but still quite intimate events. There is a tradition now at Duneira of hosting community events that range from music to personal development and Ruth and I have become regulars.

So, fancy a nice drive to a beautiful place for a meaningful event? If so, CLICK HERE





2. MEDITATION in the DESERT

The experience of a lifetime. Seven day meditation retreat with Ian and Ruth in the extraordinary, natural meditation space of the Central Australian Desert, followed by a few days being in the company of senior local indigenous leaders.

For full details, CLICK HERE










3. IMAGES, WORDS AND SILENCE


Five day retreat/training for everyone interested in Insight, Healing and Wellbeing.

At the Foundation's centre in the Yarra Valley with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler and Dr Nimrod Sheinman, world authority on the use of creative imagery for healing and personal development.

For full details, CLICK HERE

Food 101: What fuel goes into your tank?

Food is directly linked to six of the ten most common causes of death. Some people live for their next gourmet food experience. Some eat to fill an emotional hole and become the size of a whale. Some just hope they will get something, any old thing to eat today. And some base their health and their healing around food.

One recent, very hot summer’s day, I pulled in to a garage for petrol. Beside me, a hot, sweaty, overweight and grumpy man approached a nearby pump for his fuel. He had three choices – low, medium and high octane, and he seemed clear on which to choose.

Seeing his foul mood, the mischievous part of me thought to suggest he take out his grumpiness on his van and put the wrong fuel in it. The sane part rapidly decided this was not such a good idea! Not to be outdone, the mischievous part rose up with: “ tell him to do a really good job of it and fill up with diesel instead of petrol”. No came the response, you will get hit for sure if you say that!

So I held my tongue and watched. Very attentively this man put the right petrol into his simple combustion engine van. Then he went into the shop, bought all sorts of junk and proceeded to put absolute rubbish into his own highly sophisticated, super complex combustion engine ie his body? My guess is that this fellow was like the rest of us and regularly attends to his vehicle’s service timelines.

Why the disconnect with the body? Surely it is common sense that food builds our bodies and is the mainstay of running and repairing them.

If you want a junk body, eat junk food. Want a healthy body? Eat healthy food. Just think each time you are putting fuel into your vehicle, what sort of fuel am I asking my body to run on today?

THIS BLOG then will be the start of a series to examine three crucial questions:

1. What is healthy food? - for those who are basically well, and those seeking healing.
2. How is it best to handle food? – selection, storage, preparation, eating.
3. Once you have confidence in what to do – how do you actually get into the habit of eating well and sustaining it?

WHAT TO DO?
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one dietary regime we could confidently recommend for everyone! Problem is, people are different – physically, metabolically, psychologically, every which way. How, therefore do we work out what is best for us?

FIRST STEP:
Sort out what value you place on food, ie how important is it to you? How much attention will you give it?
In my opinion, it is very important – for our health, for healing and for wellbeing. But you may prefer to eat, drink, and be merry!

SECOND STEP:
Decide who decides.
Given the complexity of this subject, you may choose to seek out the best health professional available, and follow their advice. Perhaps you will prefer to follow someone else’s established formula - such as the guidelines set out in my Wellness diet outlined in “You Can Conquer Cancer”(YCCC) which suit the needs of most people. Or you may decide to take the time to develop your own, personalised program.

INDIVIDUALISING YOUR DIET:
Based on nearly 30 years of learning about nutrition, and clinical experience helping people attending to their food seriously, I have come to realise there are two steps that reliably sort this out.

1. Establish Healthy Boundaries:
   By this is meant, in broad terms establish what is good for you and what is not. This leads to the sort of list most nutritional experts will agree with – things to eat, things to avoid. Too long for a blog, my own list is set out in YCCC or on my CD “Eating Well, Being Well”
   The essence of this approach is a whole food, plant based diet.
   
2. Individualise Your Food:
   Again, this can be achieved by following the advice of an external, trusted expert, or by turning yourself into the expert. How? By developing your responsiveness to your food. By building your own sense of what is good for you and what is not, and your capacity to respond to this knowing.

This later approach requires a concerted effort but is rewarding in the sense of achievement and confidence you will feel, and the results that follow.

A Short Summary of How to Do It:

1. MEDITATE:
   Meditation heightens mindfulness and awareness. You notice the effects of what you do. You become more responsive to, and appreciative of your food.
   
2. PHYSICALLY:
   Let your body be your guide. Help your body to become more responsive.
• Detoxify: Like servicing the car, use a detox to refresh and purify your system. TIP: Just eliminating sugar and salt quickly enhances your body’s capacity to discriminate between foods that agree with you and those that do not.
  
• Balance Your System: Supplements may be useful for a while but food is the main event. Remember, good supplements will never make up for poor food.
  
• Observe your reactions and adjust accordingly.
  
3. EMOTIONALLY:
   Treat any negative emotions. Quite a lot to say in a few words, but many people’s dietary habits are driven by their emotions.
   
4. MENTALLY:
   Learn! Take an interest. Read. Go to groups and seminars. Visit the experts. Ask questions and discriminate.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Remember, whenever considering nutrition it is wise to seek professional help. This is essential if you have had bowel surgery, or if anything untoward or unexpected happens.


RESOURCES:

1. BOOKS:
   You Can Conquer Cancer - Dr. Ian Gawler: Three chapters on food; as much for prevention of cancer and for the healthy as it is for those dealing with the disease.
   
   The Miracle of Mindfulness- Thich Nhat Hanh: How to develop your awareness and so your responsiveness to food.
   
2. IAN’S CDs:
   Eating Well, Being Well: The healthy boundaries explained – a sound, enjoyable basic diet. Suitable for many people.
   
   Eating For Recovery: The healing diet for cancer. Note: If you are dealing with cancer, you need both CDs as the first explains the foundations and the second the details.
   
   Emotional Health: Particularly useful for resolving “racket”, or habitual emotions that can override our common sense when it comes to what to eat.
   
3. PROGRAMS:
   The Gawler Foundation provides residential and non-residential programs, as well as counselling and a great resource centre.

NEXT BLOG:
I will go “Out on a Limb” recounting what I did eat to get well, what I eat now and discuss food in relation to cancer – its role as a cause, how it supports other treatments, and the possibilities it holds as a cure.

FEEDBACK
Pardon the poor pun but I am very interested in what is working for people and any difficulties or questions you may have. Just click on Comments and let me know.