Ian Gawler Blog. Cancer stem cells - what you need to know

Cancer stem cells have been controversial but they may provide an important key in understanding why cancer can recur years after apparently successful initial treatment and point to the need for new treatment approaches.

Obviously this is directly relevant to anyone with cancer, but for those who are well, are lurking cancer stem cells a concern?

So this week, what are cancer stem cells? Where do they come from? What can we do about them? Did you know for instance, that turmeric is one of few things claimed to be able to destroy breast cancer stem cells and as such it make sense for anyone with breast cancer, or concerned about breast cancer, to consume it regularly.

Cancer stem cells are one of the fascinating areas of new research I have been studying, updating and preparing to share with a wider audience during the rapidly approaching speaking tour up the East Coast starting in early July. So more details on that this week too, but first




Thought for the day

If your mind is empty, 
It is always ready for anything; 
It is open to everything. 

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, 
In the expert’s mind there are few.

Suzuki Roshi, Zen master







Given not so many people know about cancer stem cells, this may be a useful blog to share.

There is a mystery in cancer medicine that is not spoken of much, probably because up until recently, no-one really knew the answer. The question is, how is it that cancer can be treated, all sign of it removed, and then years later it recurs? And how can we stop that happening.

To understand we need to consider basic cancer theory. 
As most will know, cancer tends to begin in one location and then, if left unchecked, has a habit of spreading to other places. In the past, the classic way this spread was thought to happen was by cancer cells separating from the initial mass of cancer, and then by them gaining access either to the blood stream or lymphatics and travelling to other parts of the body to re-establish themselves there.

This is why “follow-up” chemotherapy is often recommended after initial surgery – to “mop up” any stray or so-called “rogue cells”. Clearly, however, cancer can lie dormant for years after a first occurrence before appearing again as secondary cancer. How?

What is a stem cell?
Stem cells are precursor or basic cell types. Generally, stem cells are able to develop into many different cell types in the body. When a stem cell multiplies, the resulting cells either continue on as stem cells or, under the right conditions, they can develop into a particular type of cell – muscle, blood, brain, breast etc.

There are two types of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can make all the different types of cell in the body, while adult stem cells generally can only make the types of cells they directly relate to – so a muscle adult stem cell only leads to muscle cells.

What is a cancer stem cell?

Some cancers are thought to develop from ‘rogue’ faulty stem cells. Cancer stem cells were first
positively identified in 1998. Cancer stem cells share many characteristics with normal stem cells, including self-renewal and differentiation and while hotly debated for years, recent studies have shown that cancer stem cells do have the ability to regenerate new cancers.

For a good general reference paper: Lobo et al. The biology of cancer stem cells.  Annu Rev Dev Biol. 2007;23:675-99. CLICK HERE

Just last month, a team from University of Oxford and the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, claims to have proven conclusively that cancer stem cells exist.

Why are cancer stem cells important?
If cancer stem cells are as significant as thought, cancer could be eliminated by eliminating cancer stem cells. Targeting cancer stem cells would also mean any cancer cells left over from initial treatments could not sustain themselves.

Dr. Woll, the lead author from the Oxford study says that while the findings are not sufficient to offer patients new treatments today, they do pave the way for developing more effective therapies that target specific stem cells to eliminate cancer.

He also cautions that their study only looked at cancer stem cells in one type of cancer, and that the "identity, number and function of stem cells in other cancers are likely to differ from that."

Reference: Woll P S, et al. Myelodysplastic Syndromes Are Propagated by Rare and Distinct Human Cancer Stem Cells In Vivo. Cancer Cell, DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2014.03.036, published online 15 May 2014.

What risks are involved?
Unfortunately, it seems most cancer stem cells are resistant to current cancer treatments. More disturbingly, there is growing evidence that the classic treatments of chemotherapy and radiation actually increase the activity and aggressiveness of breast cancer stem cells – “enrichment” as it is called.

It seems that while chemotherapy may reduce the size and volume of breast cancer, in doing so, it increases the cancer stem cell ratio, making whatever may be left even more malignant.

Reference: Lagadec et al. Radiation-induced reprogramming of breast cancer cells. Stem Cells. 2012 May; 30(5):833-44. doi: 10.1002/stem.1058.

What natural answers are available?
At last some good news! Several herbs and vegetables have been shown in basic research to target breast cancer stem cells specifically.


1. Tumeric and black pepper

Curcumin (in turmeric) and piperine (in black pepper) separately, and in combination, inhibit breast stem cell self-renewal but do not cause toxicity to differentiated cells.

Reference: Kakarala et al. Targeting breast stem cells with the cancer preventive compounds curcumin and piperine. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2010 Aug;122(3):777-85. doi: 10.1007/s10549-009-0612-x. Epub 2009 Nov 7.



2. Cruciferous vegetables (cauli, cabbage broccoli), particularly broccoli sprouts
These vegetables contain high levels of sulforaphane that has been reported to inhibit pancreatic tumour-initiating cells and breast cancer stem cells. The reference here is a particularly good one for those who like the science!

Reference: Li Y et al. Implications of cancer stem cell theory for cancer chemoprevention by natural dietary compounds. J Nutr Biochem. 2011 Sep;22(9):799-806. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2010.11.001. Epub 2011 Feb 4.

3. Soy – especially the fermented types
Contains genistein which as well as significantly targeting breast cancer cells by promoting apoptosis or cancer cell death, also has been shown to inhibit breast cancer stem cells.

Reference: Fan P et al. Genistein decreases the breast cancer stem-like cell population through Hedgehog pathway. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2013 Dec 11;4(6):146. [Epub ahead of print]

4. Resveratrol

Found in the skin of red grapes, dark chocolate and blueberries, reseveratrol significantly suppresses breast cancer stem cells.

Reference: Pandey PR et al. Resveratrol suppresses growth of cancer stem-like cells by inhibiting fatty acid synthase. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Nov;130(2):387-98. doi: 10.1007/s10549-010-1300-6. Epub 2010 Dec 29.





For a thorough account of recent theory relating to breast cancer stem cells by Velasco-Velazquez et al, CLICK HERE

Many questions remain to be answered about cancer. 
More studies are needed to determine precisely how different cancers grow and how they resist treatment. Do all tumours contain cancer stem cells? What genes, proteins or other molecules are involved in their development and behaviour? Does a cancer’s immediate surroundings, or ‘microenvironment’; do epigenetics affect how cancer stem cells behave? How can we be free of cancer stem cells? Do natural therapies offer real hope?

The answers to these questions will shape future cancer treatment strategies.

NOTICEBOARD
1. 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.

Secure your place with a deposit. For details CLICK HERE

2. Cancer and Beyond – Last minute opportunity!

This is the 5 day follow up cancer residential program Ruth and I present at the Gawler Foundation’s Yarra Valley centre in just a couple of weeks. This program was fully booked 2 months ago, but some unfortunate last minute cancellations mean you may be able to attend.

Call the Foundation on +61 3 59671730 or see the details on my website, CLICK HERE.

                             Yoga with Ruth - one of the great opportunities of this program

3. IAN’S EAST COAST TOUR 

 HEALTH, HEALING and the MIND – from JULY onwards



Starting in early July Ruth and I will be travelling right up the East Coast to Cairns, across to Mt Isa and Alice Springs, then down to Adelaide. A road trip with a difference, giving talks along the way.


Hope to see many of you along the way. There will be the chance for a refresher, to help get back on
track if needed; but also exciting new information and the opportunity to meditate together and to deepen the experience of what meditation really is.

A good opportunity to share what we do with family, friends and colleagues.


FULL DETAILS – CLICK HERE  and please do share the link.

                                                             
                                                                With Lionel Fifield at the Brisbane Relaxation Centre last year.

                                                               

Eating meat or smoking? Which is worse for your health?

“Animal protein-rich diets could be as harmful to health as smoking”.

This was the startling headline in The Guardian newspaper recently following the release of a new study that ran over 18 years and reported that people under 65 who eat a lot of meat, eggs and dairy are four times as likely to die from cancer or diabetes. Those younger than 65 who ate the most animal protein had a 74% increase in their risk of dying from any cause.

Given I have been recommending just such a diet for over 30 years, this week let’s go Out on a Limb once more, look at the evidence more fully, the way this study has been reported including mainstream reactions, and how we and our families can eat to save a great deal of future problems.

Then news of how you can receive a 20% discount for this year's Happiness and its Causes conference that I highly recommend, but first

Thought for the day

Nothing will benefit human health
And increase chances for survival of life on Earth
As much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet

Albert Einstein









Why did I use a low protein, plant-based, wholefood diet to help me to recover from my own difficult cancer, and why did I begin to recommend such a diet way back in 1981 when I first began helping others to either recovery from cancer or to prevent it?

Well, the truth is that it was a combination of first principles and personal experience. As a veterinarian I had been well trained in nutrition, but perhaps even more importantly, also trained in comparative anatomy.

The fact is that we humans are omnivores and as such, our digestive tracts are best designed for a relatively low protein diet. (See the previous blog Would you eat like a dog? for details - link below). Fortunately I also knew that unlike in the dog, the metabolic waste products from a high meat diet place a heavy burden on our human bodies.

However, even more than the science, what was most convincing for me personally was that when first diagnosed with secondary cancer, I ate a very pure diet for some time and meditated a lot (several hours per day). This made me very aware and very sensitive to what I ate. I soon found that if I did eat high protein I felt heavy, even toxic; low protein, I felt much lighter and had more energy. It was clear what suited me best.

Once I began working with others, I told them of my personal theories and experiences and suggested they might like to try them. Many found the same thing – low to medium protein intake, avoid meat, eggs, dairy and they felt better. Many seemed to “co-incidentally” do much better than their doctors predicted.

Of course, the full details of the overall diet I recommend for prevention, management or recovery have been in You Can Conquer Cancer since 1984 and these recommendations were expanded and given more detail in the recent new edition.

What has been gratifying, and I guess somewhat re-assuring, is that over the last few years more and more high quality research is confirming these recommendations (see the recent blogs Let food be your medicine Parts 1 and 2 - links below)and I do plan another research based blog soon – the evidence is compelling).

So let’s restate this latest study’s findings “high levels of dietary animal protein in people under 65 years of age was linked to a fourfold increase in their risk of death from cancer or diabetes, and almost double the risk of dying from any cause over an 18-year period.

So what is the commentary?
“Nutrition experts have cautioned that it's too early to draw firm conclusions from the research”.

“Gunter Kuhnle, a food nutrition scientist at Reading University, said it was wrong "and potentially even dangerous" to compare the effects of smoking with the effect of meat and cheese as the study does.
"

“Heather Ohly at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health in Exeter said: "Smoking has been proven to be entirely bad for us, whereas meat and cheese can be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet, contributing to recommended intakes of many important nutrients."

Ho hum. I guess the paper has to give voice to caution and the prevailing way of thinking. I guess.... This is certainly the way of journalism these days.

Yet if we dig further into this research, we find that the harmful effects from the high protein diet were almost negated if that protein was derived from plant sources, such as beans and legumes; except in cancer where the risk was still three times as high in middle-aged people who ate a protein-rich diet, compared with those on a low-protein diet.

And there are more important suggestions from this research. It suggests that once you are over 65, things may well change. Over 65 and your protein needs tend to go up, so once over 65, increasing your protein levels seem to be protective against cancer, diabetes and other diseases. According to this study, doing so cuts the risk of death from any cause by 28%, and reduces cancer deaths by 60%.

So how did this study define a low protein diet? 
No more than 0.8g of protein a day for every kilogram of body weight, which means 48g for a 60kg person, and 64g for an 80kg person. These are very close to the amounts that result from following my Wellness Diet or the more specific cancer recovery diet.

According to The Guardian “most people in Britain eat more protein than they need. The British Dietetic Association recommends a daily intake of 55g and 45g of protein for the average man and woman respectively. But according to the British Nutrition Foundation the average protein intake per day is 88g and 64g for men and women.”

When I had cancer, the recommendation was around 120gm per day! The mainstream scientist's understanding of protein has changed over the years.

Full reference: Levine ME, Suarez JA, Brandhorst S, et al. Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population. Cell Metab. 2014; 19:407-417. DIRECT LINK HERE

What to do? A summary:
1. IN GENERAL TERMS, the way I recommend to eat is best described as a plant-based, wholefood, organic diet.

2. READ  and LEARN: In the new edition of You Can Conquer Cancer you will find both the Wellness Diet (for those who are basically well, interested in prevention and living a long, happy and healthy life) and the more specific Healing Diet are set out in detail.

3. LISTEN to the 2 food CDs (or download the MP3s) Eating well, Being well and Eating for Recovery

4. ENJOY the recipes in the Gawler Foundation’s book Eat Well, Be Well

5. SEEK personal help if needed - see the resources below

6. DELIGHT in the fact, and the tastes of eating well

RESOURCES -  DOCTORS & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
To locate a doctor trained in nutritional medicine, refer to
i) The Australian College of Nutritional Medicine (ACNEM)

ii) The Australasian Integrative Medical Association (AIMA)

RELATED BLOGS
Would you eat like a dog?

Let food be your medicine - Part 1

Let food be your medicine - Part 2

NOTICEBOARD
1. Meditation in the Forest
There are just a couple of places available for our Pre-Easter meditation retreat in the Yarra Valley. This annual event is a highlight for Ruth and myself; this year as well as relaxation, mindfulness and meditation, we will be delving into that most useful of personal tools, contemplation.

For details CLICK HERE
For bookings, call the Gawler Foundation +61 3 59671730

2. Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing 
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 

3. Happiness & Its Causes - 29 & 30 May 2014 - Seymour Centre, Sydney

Have an inspiring and productive 2014! Revitalise, refresh, learn, explore, network and be motivated at the world's leading happiness event – celebrating its 9th year - Happiness & Its Causes 2014 - with 30+ world-renowned international and local speakers – leaders in psychology, science, education, business, the arts and more.

As I have endorsed this conference, I have been able to secure a 20% discount for all my readers!

Book before 28 March and save $300 off the full 2 day conference fee and $500 off the full 4 day gold pass fee (including workshops)

Book online using promotion code RMEE or call (02) 8719 5118 to register.

Go to www.happinessanditscauses.com.au

SIX INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
• Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, USA, one of the greatest psychologists of our time, pioneering researcher into optimal experience or ‘flow’ on a rare visit to Australia!
• Matthieu Ricard, Nepal, inspiring humanitarian monk and best-selling author Happiness: 
A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill.
• Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, UK, legendary primatologist, environmentalist and UN Messenger of Peace.
• Professor Jean Twenge, USA, psychologist and leading researcher into narcissism and youth mental health.
• Professor Roy Baumeister, USA, respected social psychologist exploring self-control, 
self-regulation, meaning and happiness.
• Professor Felicia A. Huppert, UK, international expert in wellbeing and author of The Science of Wellbeing ... AND 25+ AMAZING LOCAL MINDS TOO!

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

Cancer survivors come to Today Tonight

There is nothing quite as compelling as a personal story well told. Jackie Woodroffe is nearly 30 years on from having widespread secondary breast cancer diagnosed and being told there was nothing more that could be done for her medically. Scott Stevens has fully recovered from advanced, secondary melanoma. Their stories of recovery provide welcome inspiration, hope and direction for everyone facing the many challenges cancer throws up.

The world need more good news cancer stories, needs to consider new ways of recovering and living; so it is wonderful that Channel Seven’s Today Tonight featured these two in such a positive light recently.

So this week, a Christmas treat with a link to their program, a couple of short but delightful links of kindness and humour in action, and a big wish for a Happy Christmas and a healthy, joyful and meaningful New Year. But first

Thought for the Day
Untamed beings are as unlimited as space.

You will never be able to overcome them all.

Yet, if you could simply overcome the hatred in your mind, 

You will find that it is as if you have overcome them all.


How can you possibly find enough leather

To cover the earth?

But if you could just wear leather sandals,

You will find it to be as if you have covered the earth. 

In the same way, you will never be able to change

All external objects.

But if you change your own mind,

There is no need to change anything else.
                                                Shantideva – 8th Century Indian Buddhist scholar

Great way to finish the year being a part of a program that featured two great cancer survivor/thrivors. True, I got to be described as a “cancer guru, miracle worker”!, but on Today Tonight I think that is a compliment. And I got to point out that my own story of recovery from secondary cancer 35 years ago was clearly proven and beyond doubt.

It is a well made piece, Scott and Jackie speak very well on it, so here is the link


Next, some fun for Christmas.
First a short clip demonstrating genuine, heart warming humanity at work – for animals
: Mumma bear and the three cubs
.
Then, it is always good to have a stereotype broken. This is very funny; who said you cannot herd cats.


So may the spirit of Christmas, that unconditional love spoken of 2 blogs back, fill your heart and all those you care for; and may you care for everyone and everything on this amazing planet we are spinning around upon.


RELATED BLOGS
A Christmas gift

The completely new You Can Conquer Cancer

Ian Gawler's cancer diagnosis - if it looks like a duck....


NEWS
1. First review for the fully rewritten new edition of You Can Conquer Cancer
It amazed me that when You Can Conquer Cancer was first published in 1984, it sold large numbers, I was asked to speak about it on many radio programs, yet there was not one review until many years had gone by. I wondered at the time if it was too much of a jump; that the notion of people with cancer being able to do things like change their diets, learn how to us the power of the mind and to meditate with the intention of recovering from cancer; whether that was too much for reviewers to contemplate or to feel confident to commit to with a review in writing.

Anyway, I have been doing the radio interviews again following the release of the major rewrite of You Can Conquer Cancer but this time a review already! It actually describes the book well and maybe explains why I strongly recommend reading it for all those of you who have read and are using the older version. This new book is a big step forward. Here is the link

2. January is Pt Stephens. 
In the next week or so, I will have details of the workshops and retreats Ruth and I will present in 2013 on my website, but the next event is a day workshop in Pt Stephens on Tuesday, January 15th.

For details and to book, click here

3. Meditation in the Forest: Yarra Junction; March 22nd - 28th, 2013

Ready to join Ruth and myself, take some time out and experience deep natural peace - amidst the majestic forests of the Upper Yarra Valley.

This retreat will take you deep into the essence of meditation - the direct experience. As well as being restful and regenerative, in this retreat I will be introducing and guiding a structured series of breathing techniques that enhance concentration, deepen meditation and facilitate healing and wellbeing.

For details and to book, 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.