Liza Haynie was a normal, young, vibrant 22 year old woman in the year 2011. Then, unfortunately, she was given an abnormal diagnosis. Doctors told her that she had synovial sarcoma. This is one of the rarer cancers, and unusual in that when it does occur, it is most often found in young adults rather than the elderly. This cancer, which is also known as malignant synovioma, is a soft tissue sarcoma which most often begins at either the neck, or the joints of the limbs. Initially, it appears to be a painless swelling at or near a joint, though sometimes it can be accompanied by fatigue.
Treatment options are usually a combination of surgery to remove the initial mass, followed by chemotherapy, and then radiation. The prognosis for synovial sarcoma is highly dependent on the size of the primary tumor, whether or not metastasis has taken place, and even the location of the primary tumor.
Liza was treated upon her original diagnosis at Johns Hopkins, where together they successfully put the cancer into remission for three years. However, on Thanksgiving Day, a scan revealed the cancer was not only active, but spreading rapidly. Immediately flying back to Johns Hopkins upon this tragic revelation, her oncologist had informed her that no further conventional treatment options were available due to the extent of the progression of the tumors. Additionally, there was a blockage that would prevent her from doing any experimental therapy. This full of life 25 year old woman had just been given one month to live, and was recommended for hospice care. Her boyfriend, Wyatt Heaton, immediately proposed to her, not informing her family and friends who were flying in to gather for what was supposedly a last party, a fish fry at her aunt's house. To their pleasant surprise, it was a wedding. The time of her life was had. No thinking about the cancer. Just about the moment. The thought of impending death was pushed out by the living of life. The good news, fortunately, did not stop there.
A day after the wedding, Liza had been informed that the blockage that prevented any further treatment had cleared, and she was now eligible for a clinical trial to begin in the spring. She is currently being given chemotherapy in pill form for the purpose of halting tumor growth until the time comes to start this exciting new potential therapy out of Johns Hopkins.
A cancer diagnosis given to someone who has so much life left to live could very understandably be embittering. The positive energy this woman radiates, the appreciation she has shown for the life she has been given, is beyond the call of duty. She deserves all the outstanding support she is getting from her new husband, her parents, family, and friends. The mind and body connection can make a difference. Her focus on living with her disease instead of dying from it, the cheerful spirit of fight, and her determination to make the most of whatever comes serves as a lesson and a model to anyone who ever receives the unfortunate news that they, too, will have to battle a disease such as cancer. The doctors are only part of the team. Friends, family, rally around your loved one. You also, can make a difference.
The Sphere of Health extends best wishes to Liza in her valiant battle and expresses appreciation for the example she is showing the world. May the wind be at her back in this dawn of new hope.
If you are able, you can contribute to her fight by making a donation at http://www.gofundme.com/loveforliza
Monday, December 29, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Yes, It's True, Dark Chocolate is a Superfood
For a long time, chocolate was considered nothing more than delicious empty calories and dismissed as junk food. While it is true that it's not short on calories, further analysis in more recent decades has yielded a very pleasant and welcome surprise. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, has an abundant variety of health benefits.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are organic chemicals with structural phenyl rings. They are a large class of antioxidants that include tannic acid, and its derivatives that are commonly known as the tannins. Tannins are heavily abundant in red wine, and in dark chocolate.
These compounds are some of the biggest and best fighters against chronic inflammation. Hence, that means it fights against the development of a whole host of serious illnesses, including cancer. They also reduce the buildup of fat in the arteries and vessels, and increase the amount of HDL cholesterol in the body.
Flavonols
Flavonols are one sub group of the very large flavonoid class of molecules. They are phytochemicals - these occur naturally in plants, and some individual ones can be identified in certain fruits by their color, and sometimes their taste. For instance, the dark color of blueberries and cherries owes itself to the presence of anthocyanins. The taste of cocoa is partly due to the group of flavonols. The flavonol content of 100% pure cocoa powder is 30 milligrams per gram. By contrast, other known superfoods such as blueberries, acai, and pomegranate have around 10 milligrams per gram.
Magnesium
Dark chocolate has about 95 milligrams in a 30 gram serving, or one square. That alone is about one quarter of the recommended daily amount. With almost 60% of the population not meeting their recommended magnesium intake on a regular basis, having two squares of dark chocolate per day would go a long way towards meeting the goal with other foods.
The potential consequences of chronic magnesium deficiency are numerous. Among them are an increased risk of heart disease, Parkinson's disease, osteoporosis, Type II diabetes, and asthma.
Other Trace Minerals
100 grams of chocolate, or just over three squares, contain 90% of the RDA of copper, 98% for manganese, it also contains a plentiful amount of phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. Very few foods contain such a wide variety of the essential trace minerals.
Conclusion
The cacao content is very important to the degree of health benefits you will get from chocolate. Dark chocolate contains much more than milk. For optimal health benefits, aim for chocolate with at least 70% cacao. It is sometimes an acquired taste, but it is very worth it once your palate adapts.
In addition to great taste, one square of chocolate packs a very healthy nutritional punch. Author
Dtarazona,
| under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. | |
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are organic chemicals with structural phenyl rings. They are a large class of antioxidants that include tannic acid, and its derivatives that are commonly known as the tannins. Tannins are heavily abundant in red wine, and in dark chocolate.
These compounds are some of the biggest and best fighters against chronic inflammation. Hence, that means it fights against the development of a whole host of serious illnesses, including cancer. They also reduce the buildup of fat in the arteries and vessels, and increase the amount of HDL cholesterol in the body.
Flavonols
Flavonols are one sub group of the very large flavonoid class of molecules. They are phytochemicals - these occur naturally in plants, and some individual ones can be identified in certain fruits by their color, and sometimes their taste. For instance, the dark color of blueberries and cherries owes itself to the presence of anthocyanins. The taste of cocoa is partly due to the group of flavonols. The flavonol content of 100% pure cocoa powder is 30 milligrams per gram. By contrast, other known superfoods such as blueberries, acai, and pomegranate have around 10 milligrams per gram.
Magnesium
Dark chocolate has about 95 milligrams in a 30 gram serving, or one square. That alone is about one quarter of the recommended daily amount. With almost 60% of the population not meeting their recommended magnesium intake on a regular basis, having two squares of dark chocolate per day would go a long way towards meeting the goal with other foods.
The potential consequences of chronic magnesium deficiency are numerous. Among them are an increased risk of heart disease, Parkinson's disease, osteoporosis, Type II diabetes, and asthma.
Other Trace Minerals
100 grams of chocolate, or just over three squares, contain 90% of the RDA of copper, 98% for manganese, it also contains a plentiful amount of phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. Very few foods contain such a wide variety of the essential trace minerals.
Conclusion
The cacao content is very important to the degree of health benefits you will get from chocolate. Dark chocolate contains much more than milk. For optimal health benefits, aim for chocolate with at least 70% cacao. It is sometimes an acquired taste, but it is very worth it once your palate adapts.
Monday, December 15, 2014
How Exercise Reduces Your Risk of Cancer
By now, it is common knowledge that exercise reduces your risk of cancer in general, some types more than others. But how? With diet, it is much more obvious. The layman knows of antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy. We all know that proper exercise is good for you, but exactly what biological mechanisms happen that reduce your risk of cancer?
Hormone Regulation and Balance
Hormones travel to every caveat in our bodies via the bloodstream. They are what are known as "signaling molecules". In other words, they, like DNA, communicates to the cells what to do. There are dozens of hormones that help regulate different aspects of cellular behavior. Two of note, are estrogen and insulin.
Estrogens are the primary female sex hormones. Though often referred to as a singular, they are actually a group of compounds. There are essentially two categories of estrogens: steroidal and non-steroidal. As women age, their estrogen level tends to rise. Excess levels of estrogen can contribute to the development of mutations, by sending too many signals for cells to replicate. An overabundance of estrogen is especially thought to be a primary factor in breast and cancers of the female reproductive system. Physical exercise helps to combat that by lowering the levels of estrogen in the blood.
Another hormonal culprit in the development of cancers is insulin. This hormone is synthesized in the pancreas by its beta cells. It is responsible for regulating the body's metabolism of both fats and carbohydrates. The overconsumption of high glycemic foods in the Standard American Diet leads to frequent insulin spikes and valleys. A chronic history of this sequence in the body can lead to insulin resistance, which the body will respond to by creating even more insulin. Scientists believe insulin can send a signal to the body to multiply its cells. Cancer occurs when this mechanism becomes out of control. Frequent exercise helps to increase insulin sensitivity, so the pancreas does not have to produce as much to have the same effect. This aids not only in the prevention of cancer, but also diabetes, which is the result of pancreatic malfunction.
Maintaining Healthy Bowels
The more active you are on the outside, the more active you will be on the inside. Frequent movement stimulates the bowels, helping to push digested food through the intestines. Excrement contains concentrated human waste products, compounds that are toxic to the body, hence the will of it to process them out. If movement is regular, it will reduce the amount of time your bowel linings are in contact with these toxic waste products.
If the bowels are in contact with these chemicals too long, inflammation will result. Inflammation can lead to cells reproducing faster to replace the damaged ones. This opens up the door for an increased risk of mutations.
Decreases Visceral Fat
Visceral, or subcutaneous fat, is fat that lies around and crowds your inner organs. This is very inflammatory on two fronts. First, visceral fat often contains toxins due to absorption before the body could process it out. Second, the crowding of the organs puts strain on them, not allowing them to function to optimal capacity. This is especially true of the liver. In many cancer patients the liver is fatty, a result of an excess of subcutaneous fat. Reduction of visceral fat will greatly reduce your risk of cancer.
Hormone Regulation and Balance
Hormones travel to every caveat in our bodies via the bloodstream. They are what are known as "signaling molecules". In other words, they, like DNA, communicates to the cells what to do. There are dozens of hormones that help regulate different aspects of cellular behavior. Two of note, are estrogen and insulin.
Estrogens are the primary female sex hormones. Though often referred to as a singular, they are actually a group of compounds. There are essentially two categories of estrogens: steroidal and non-steroidal. As women age, their estrogen level tends to rise. Excess levels of estrogen can contribute to the development of mutations, by sending too many signals for cells to replicate. An overabundance of estrogen is especially thought to be a primary factor in breast and cancers of the female reproductive system. Physical exercise helps to combat that by lowering the levels of estrogen in the blood.
Another hormonal culprit in the development of cancers is insulin. This hormone is synthesized in the pancreas by its beta cells. It is responsible for regulating the body's metabolism of both fats and carbohydrates. The overconsumption of high glycemic foods in the Standard American Diet leads to frequent insulin spikes and valleys. A chronic history of this sequence in the body can lead to insulin resistance, which the body will respond to by creating even more insulin. Scientists believe insulin can send a signal to the body to multiply its cells. Cancer occurs when this mechanism becomes out of control. Frequent exercise helps to increase insulin sensitivity, so the pancreas does not have to produce as much to have the same effect. This aids not only in the prevention of cancer, but also diabetes, which is the result of pancreatic malfunction.
A representation of the structure of insulin.
Permission: http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/pages/about/
Maintaining Healthy Bowels
The more active you are on the outside, the more active you will be on the inside. Frequent movement stimulates the bowels, helping to push digested food through the intestines. Excrement contains concentrated human waste products, compounds that are toxic to the body, hence the will of it to process them out. If movement is regular, it will reduce the amount of time your bowel linings are in contact with these toxic waste products.
If the bowels are in contact with these chemicals too long, inflammation will result. Inflammation can lead to cells reproducing faster to replace the damaged ones. This opens up the door for an increased risk of mutations.
Decreases Visceral Fat
Visceral, or subcutaneous fat, is fat that lies around and crowds your inner organs. This is very inflammatory on two fronts. First, visceral fat often contains toxins due to absorption before the body could process it out. Second, the crowding of the organs puts strain on them, not allowing them to function to optimal capacity. This is especially true of the liver. In many cancer patients the liver is fatty, a result of an excess of subcutaneous fat. Reduction of visceral fat will greatly reduce your risk of cancer.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Good Vs. Bad Inflammation
All this talk about reducing inflammation in the body. "Eat this, or that," say the advocates of a particular food, "and you will reduce inflammation in the body." Or, "Don't eat that, it causes inflammation." However, is all inflammation a bad thing? Let's explore.
There are actually two basic kinds of inflammation. Acute inflammation, and chronic. The first is actually useful. This is the type that comes about when you hit your head, or sprain your knee, for example. The white blood cells and mast cells that rush to the injury speed up the healing process. This type of acute inflammation is part of your body's defense against trauma, infection, or illness. It is showing that your body is attempting to heal itself.
This is why attempting to reduce swelling to an injury is not necessarily the best thing to do. For instance, if you are working with a hammer and nail, and accidentally hit your finger, it will swell up pretty fast. Swelling tends to partially immobilize the area, acting similar to a naturally occurring cast. Not only are repairing cells working on it, but fluid is being provided to hold it in place to minimize further damage.
Another mistake people make when they get acute inflammation is to take an anti-inflammatory, like an NSAID. While this may help alleviate the pain, it can, in many cases, slow down the healing process. Another example is taking Tylenol to reduce your fever. This should only be done when the fever is dangerously high. A fever is the body's attempt to kill the invading virus or bacteria via heat. Eliminating your fever will postpone your recovery time. This sort of inflammation is constructive.
Acute inflammation can, in some cases last for a period of a few weeks. In some cases, reducing the inflammation may be necessary, depending on its severity. Consult your physician if you think this might apply to you.
Chronic inflammation is the second type. This is the type the nutritional community refers to when they speak of inflammation. Unlike acute inflammation, this type is very destructive the longer it persists. The cause and effect of things like frequent bloating, slight swelling, stiffness, exhaustion, are not immediately apparent to the sufferer. There was no injury or immediate trauma, yet their joints or muscles ache. This is the result of an accumulation of stress in the body. It can be caused by poor physical habits like posture and ergonomics, bad repetitive habits like improper lifting of objects, and poor diet.
Chemicals in processed food lead to inflammation, as do an excess of foods with a high glycemic index. Foods that are high in Omega-6 and trans fats contribute to high stress of the body as well. Eating whole, natural foods, especially a large percentage of fresh fruits and vegetables has been shown to reduce inflammation.
The practice of general good health habits will help you to have a low amount of chronic inflammation in the body, as well as optimize the performance of acute inflammation when trauma presents itself, due to a strengthened immune system. Practice good posture, exercise regularly and properly, and reduce or eliminate processed foods, replacing them with whole, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat.
There are actually two basic kinds of inflammation. Acute inflammation, and chronic. The first is actually useful. This is the type that comes about when you hit your head, or sprain your knee, for example. The white blood cells and mast cells that rush to the injury speed up the healing process. This type of acute inflammation is part of your body's defense against trauma, infection, or illness. It is showing that your body is attempting to heal itself.
Collard greens. A known fighter of chronic inflammation in the body.
This is why attempting to reduce swelling to an injury is not necessarily the best thing to do. For instance, if you are working with a hammer and nail, and accidentally hit your finger, it will swell up pretty fast. Swelling tends to partially immobilize the area, acting similar to a naturally occurring cast. Not only are repairing cells working on it, but fluid is being provided to hold it in place to minimize further damage.
Another mistake people make when they get acute inflammation is to take an anti-inflammatory, like an NSAID. While this may help alleviate the pain, it can, in many cases, slow down the healing process. Another example is taking Tylenol to reduce your fever. This should only be done when the fever is dangerously high. A fever is the body's attempt to kill the invading virus or bacteria via heat. Eliminating your fever will postpone your recovery time. This sort of inflammation is constructive.
Acute inflammation can, in some cases last for a period of a few weeks. In some cases, reducing the inflammation may be necessary, depending on its severity. Consult your physician if you think this might apply to you.
Chronic inflammation is the second type. This is the type the nutritional community refers to when they speak of inflammation. Unlike acute inflammation, this type is very destructive the longer it persists. The cause and effect of things like frequent bloating, slight swelling, stiffness, exhaustion, are not immediately apparent to the sufferer. There was no injury or immediate trauma, yet their joints or muscles ache. This is the result of an accumulation of stress in the body. It can be caused by poor physical habits like posture and ergonomics, bad repetitive habits like improper lifting of objects, and poor diet.
Chemicals in processed food lead to inflammation, as do an excess of foods with a high glycemic index. Foods that are high in Omega-6 and trans fats contribute to high stress of the body as well. Eating whole, natural foods, especially a large percentage of fresh fruits and vegetables has been shown to reduce inflammation.
The practice of general good health habits will help you to have a low amount of chronic inflammation in the body, as well as optimize the performance of acute inflammation when trauma presents itself, due to a strengthened immune system. Practice good posture, exercise regularly and properly, and reduce or eliminate processed foods, replacing them with whole, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Paleo and Primal Are Not Interchangeable Words
Poor use of language, especially in naming a particular subject, can lead to poor thinking and unnecessary disagreements. There are those in the Paleo and Primal communities that disagree, sometimes heatedly, on what is an allowed food and what is not. At times, this is because people will browse a Primal page, when what they really are looking for is Paleo. Thinking they are the same, they will defend their position on a false premise. In fact, they are not interchangeable words. While the two diets are very similar, they are not exactly alike.
What Are the Similarities?
The Paleolithic Diet and the Primal Diet are far more alike than they are different. The base of their pyramids are the same. Fruits, vegetables, and meat should be the center and the staples of your diet. Both advocate the elimination of bread and grains, including whole grains and corn. After the birth of agriculture and more complex civilizations, bread, grains, legumes, and rice became staples of the human diet. However, our genes and bodies evolved over two million years, and have not changed structurally. Hence, eating cereals, breads, and grains as the base of your diet is akin to a carnivore eating mainly plants.
Both philosophies also strongly advocate the elimination of processed food. Chemical processing not only destroys many of the nutrients in food, but also introduces an array of harmful chemicals.
Excess sugar, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup should be avoided. The same goes for gluten.
Food synergy is a tenet of both diets. They not only recommend that you eat a bulk amount of fruits and vegetables, but a wide variety of them as well. Different families, different colors accentuate different nutrients and vitamins.
Now, the Differences
The first fundamental difference between the Paleo and the Primal is the the philosophy towards saturated fats. The Paleos believe in minimizing saturated fats, believing that a bulk intake is harmful. They believe that it raises cholesterol and is additionally the culprit of many cases of heart disease. The Primals, on the other hand, embrace saturated fats, highly touting coconut oil, grass fed butter, and eggs.
Legumes are the second source of discrepancy. They are disallowed on a Paleo diet, believed to harbor a high concentration of antinutrients, namely lectins. While Primals agree that legumes should not be a major part of the diet, they do not completely eschew them.
Dairy products contain the third disagreement. Like legumes, the Primals do not advocate massive intake of dairy, as that was not the main source of the human diet before the birth of agriculture. The Paleos avoid dairy completely, believing that early humans did not consume it at all, and also making reference to the casein protein binding to many vital antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, rendering them useless. Primals share that concern and believe that dairy should be consumed away from meals on that point. They also are very select about the dairy that is allowable. They advocate kefir and raw, unprocessed cheese for their probiotic content. Milk is occasionally permissible if it is raw. Both philosophies avoid factory, pasteurized dairy. Pasteurization destroys the probiotics in milk. Additionally, many factory farms treat their cows with the hormone rBST, believed to be the culprit of an array of potential health problems.
A short version is that the Paleo diet is somewhat more restrictive than the Primal diet. However, they do have many common tenets that are gaining increasing acceptance in mainstream nutrition.
There exists a certain amount of discrepancy of what ancestral man ate. They are in the Paleolithic and Primal communities, respectively.
What Are the Similarities?
The Paleolithic Diet and the Primal Diet are far more alike than they are different. The base of their pyramids are the same. Fruits, vegetables, and meat should be the center and the staples of your diet. Both advocate the elimination of bread and grains, including whole grains and corn. After the birth of agriculture and more complex civilizations, bread, grains, legumes, and rice became staples of the human diet. However, our genes and bodies evolved over two million years, and have not changed structurally. Hence, eating cereals, breads, and grains as the base of your diet is akin to a carnivore eating mainly plants.
Both philosophies also strongly advocate the elimination of processed food. Chemical processing not only destroys many of the nutrients in food, but also introduces an array of harmful chemicals.
Excess sugar, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup should be avoided. The same goes for gluten.
Food synergy is a tenet of both diets. They not only recommend that you eat a bulk amount of fruits and vegetables, but a wide variety of them as well. Different families, different colors accentuate different nutrients and vitamins.
Now, the Differences
The first fundamental difference between the Paleo and the Primal is the the philosophy towards saturated fats. The Paleos believe in minimizing saturated fats, believing that a bulk intake is harmful. They believe that it raises cholesterol and is additionally the culprit of many cases of heart disease. The Primals, on the other hand, embrace saturated fats, highly touting coconut oil, grass fed butter, and eggs.
Legumes are the second source of discrepancy. They are disallowed on a Paleo diet, believed to harbor a high concentration of antinutrients, namely lectins. While Primals agree that legumes should not be a major part of the diet, they do not completely eschew them.
Dairy products contain the third disagreement. Like legumes, the Primals do not advocate massive intake of dairy, as that was not the main source of the human diet before the birth of agriculture. The Paleos avoid dairy completely, believing that early humans did not consume it at all, and also making reference to the casein protein binding to many vital antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, rendering them useless. Primals share that concern and believe that dairy should be consumed away from meals on that point. They also are very select about the dairy that is allowable. They advocate kefir and raw, unprocessed cheese for their probiotic content. Milk is occasionally permissible if it is raw. Both philosophies avoid factory, pasteurized dairy. Pasteurization destroys the probiotics in milk. Additionally, many factory farms treat their cows with the hormone rBST, believed to be the culprit of an array of potential health problems.
A short version is that the Paleo diet is somewhat more restrictive than the Primal diet. However, they do have many common tenets that are gaining increasing acceptance in mainstream nutrition.
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