Diet

Debunking common cancer myths

/ edebock / 4 Comments
Penn Medicine

Image: Penn Medicine

The post that I recently wrote about what not to say to someone with cancer clearly resonated with a lot of people. In fact, it rapidly became one of my most read posts of the past year.

As I thought about the things that people say and particularly the advice that is often given, I realized that much of it is the result of common myths and misconceptions that people have accepted as truth. As a result, I decided to write a companion piece to try to debunk some of those popular cancer myths.

The internet, and social media in particular, have been responsible for spreading vast amounts of dubious or misleading information as well as much that is entirely false, but cancer myths existed long before the advent of the internet. In the early 1980s, when our daughter was dying of leukemia, I was told by a well-intentioned gentleman that I simply needed to boil up some spruce needles and give her the resulting tea to drink and she would be fine! That may not be one of the more common myths, but it is the kind of miracle cure that cancer patients are routinely advised to try. According to this study from a few years ago, almost 40% of Americans believe cancer can be cured solely through alternative therapies.

So, without further ado, here are 12 popular beliefs about cancer that are not true.

Sugar feeds cancer and makes it grow faster.

All cells in the body, both healthy and cancerous, depend on glucose, a type of sugar, to function. There is, however, absolutely no scientific evidence showing that eating sugar will make cancer grow or spread more quickly or that cutting out sugar will slow its growth or prevent the disease. This is not to say that there is no connection between sugar and cancer. Consuming too much sugar causes weight gain and obesity does increase the risk of developing certain cancers.

Artificial sweeteners cause cancer. 

According to the National Cancer Institute, questions about artificial sweeteners and cancer arose when early studies showed that cyclamate in combination with saccharin caused bladder cancer in laboratory animals. Further studies, however, including one with more than half a million participants, found no evidence that artificial sweeteners increased the risk of cancer or posed any other threat to human health.

An acidic diet causes cancer and an alkaline diet cures cancer.

Although it’s true that cancer cells can’t live in a very alkaline environment, neither can any other cells in our body. While our blood may become slightly more acidic or alkaline after eating certain foods, it will not remain that way for any meaningful amount of time. Our kidneys ensure that our blood stays in its healthy, slightly alkaline range. If or when our blood becomes too acidic or too alkaline, our body automatically eliminates the excess through our urine. A healthy balanced diet, with lots of fruits and vegetables, plenty of whole grains, and healthy sources of protein, can help maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the risk of cancer, but there is no evidence to show that diet can significantly change our body’s pH, or that a diet of a certain pH has any impact on cancer.  

Cancer is a fungus and can be cured with baking soda. 

No, cancer is not a fungus! Scientists have proven that cancer begins when mutations within our own cells cause them to grow in an uncontrolled way. Oddly though, even if cancer were a fungal infection, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) wouldn’t be an appropriate or recommended treatment. In fact, high doses of sodium bicarbonate are poisonous and can lead to very serious consequences.

Herbal medicines can cure cancer.

There is no evidence that herbal medicines can effectively treat or cure cancer, but certain complementary and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, meditation, and yoga, are known to help with the psychological stress associated with cancer and some of the side effects of its treatment.

Plastic bottles and containers cause cancer. 

Reducing the use of plastics definitely has environmental benefits, but it will not affect your cancer risk. Drinking from plastic bottles (including those that contain BPA) and using plastic containers and bags to store food have not been proven to cause cancer. Although studies have shown that certain chemicals in plastics may end up in the things we consume, the levels are very low and within a range considered safe for humans. This is even true in experiments where plastics are heated for many hours at a time.

5G, wifi, cell phones and power lines cause cancer. 

Behind these myths, which I’ve lumped into one, is the misunderstanding that these emit radiation that can damage DNA and cause cancer. High energy radiation (often called ionising radiation), such as UV rays from the sun, do indeed release enough energy to damage DNA, but these technologies transmit radio frequency radiation (non-ionising), which is very weak in comparison. It doesn’t have enough energy to damage DNA or cause cancer. 5G, wifi, and mobile phones are still relatively new technologies so long term effects can’t be completely ruled out and research is still ongoing. At this point, however, several large-scale studies in people have been conducted and have found no clear evidence that these technologies cause cancer. Cell phone use has risen dramatically over the last few decades, with billions of people now using them around the world, and yet no significant rise in the rates of conditions such as brain, thyroid or salivary cancers has been observed.  

Microwaves cause cancer. 

Just like cell phones, microwaves emit non-ionising radiation that is too weak to damage DNA and cause cancer. Despite some common misconceptions, microwaves do not make your food radioactive and it’s safe to stand in front of the microwave oven while your food is heating.

Deodorants cause breast cancer.

This popular myth probably grew out of the fact that women are asked not to wear deodorants or antiperspirants when they go for mammograms. That’s because deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum which can mimic calcium on an X-ray or mammogram and interfere with the test results. Studies so far have found no evidence linking the chemicals typically found in antiperspirants and deodorants with changes in breast tissue or an increased risk of breast cancer.

Attitude affects cancer outcome. 

There is no scientific proof that a positive attitude gives you an advantage in cancer treatment or improves your chance of survival. It does, however, improve your quality of life during cancer treatment and beyond. People with a positive attitude are more likely to stay active and maintain social connections that provide the emotional support they need to cope with their cancer.

Cancer spreads when exposed to air during surgery or biopsy. 

There is absolutely no evidence that exposing a tumour to air causes it to grow more rapidly or to spread to other parts of the body. The chance of surgery causing cancer to spread is extremely remote and surgeons take many precautions to prevent this from happening. The reality is that many cancers are aggressive and will spread. This is because of the biology of the cancer, not because of a biopsy or surgery.

The cure for cancer already exists, but the pharmaceutical companies are keeping it secret.

First of all, cancer is really more than 200 different diseases. There is not, nor will there ever be, a one size fits all cure. In spite of this fact, the claim that a cure for cancer has actually been found and is being suppressed by pharmaceutical companies who make money off the disease is a popular one. Logic would say, however, that it would be in the best interest of those pharmaceutical companies to reveal such a cure if it actually existed because huge sales of the antidote would be sure to follow. It’s also important to remember that doctors, medical researchers, and the people who work for pharmaceutical companies also get cancer. Their loved ones get cancer. The idea that they would intentionally withhold a cure from their own loved ones is rather difficult to believe. Surely someone who is part of that nefarious plot would break and the secret would be out of the bag!

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the cancer myths that are out there, but I’ve tried to address the most common ones. You many not agree with everything I’ve said, but please know that if you disagree, you will also be disagreeing with many of the primary cancer organizations around the world and the researchers that they support.

Another diagnosis, another pill

/ edebock / 3 Comments

No, it’s not another cancer this time!

Seven years ago, I was diagnosed as pre diabetic. I managed to control it with diet alone until recently when I gradually slipped into the diabetic range. Though I’d originally hoped that this would never happen, it comes as no real surprise. In some ways, I’m not a usual candidate for diabetes. I’ve never been overweight, I’m not a smoker, and I ate a healthy diet and exercised regularly long before the pre diabetes diagnosis. In addition to a family history of diabetes, however, the injection of Sandostatin that I receive every 28 days for my neuroendocrine cancer (NETS) can suppress the release of insulin and cause elevated blood glucose levels. With those two strikes against me, I’ve now reached the stage where I need medication and my doctor has prescribed Metformin, the most common treatment for type 2 diabetes. I’m also going to be meeting with a dietician to find out if there are ways that I can further tweak my diet.

If there’s one good thing about having NETS, it’s the fact that the regular surveillance that it requires brings other health issues to light before they become as serious as they might otherwise. Typical symptoms of type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, and frequent infections. I have experienced none of these. If it wasn’t for the regular blood tests that I undergo because of my cancer, I likely wouldn’t have known that I was pre diabetic seven years ago and without the dietary changes that I made back then, I probably would have reached the diabetes threshold much sooner. Looking for silver linings helps me maintain a positive attitude!

I don’t share these health updates to garner sympathy. In spite of cancer, diabetes, and several other health concerns, I continue to enjoy excellent quality of life. Hopefully, with the help of medication, excellent health care practitioners, and healthy lifestyle choices, that will continue for a long time yet!

post_1-1

It’s pumpkin spice time!

/ edebock / 2 Comments

 

IMG_0133

I’m always sad to see summer come to an end and this year is no exception. With our long, cold winter just around the corner, fall is bittersweet. Thankfully, it’s also pumpkin spice time! There’s something about a pumpkin spice latte that warms the tummy and the heart. I’ve always said it tastes like hot pumpkin pie in a cup!

pumpkin spice latte

Sadly. when I learned that I was prediabetic and had to start seriously limiting my sugar intake, I had to stop indulging in these fabulous autumn treats. “Don’t drink your sugar,” is the advice given to those of us on the diabetes spectrum. 

There are sugar-free pumpkin spice recipes online that use artificial sweeteners, but I haven’t tried one of those yet. What I have been experimenting with and perfecting lately is a simple pumpkin spice smoothie recipe that I’ll share with you today. It’s not sugar-free, but it’s low-sugar, healthy, and delicious.  

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie (for one)

  • 1/2 cup cold canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
  • 1 tbsp artificially sweetened maple syrup substitute
  • 2 tbsp unflavoured protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Put all seven ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

If sugar and/or fat content are not a concern, you can use whole milk, regular yogurt, and/or maple syrup instead of the low-sugar, low-fat substitutes that I use. 

IMG_20191024_145928198

I’m still using hubby’s laptop to blog while the WordPress Happiness Engineers do their best to figure out a way to help me. My fingers are gradually getting more accustomed to his keyboard and I’ve figured out a way to transfer photos from my computer to his, but the whole blogging process is slower and less satisfying than usual. I’m not giving up, however. I will persevere until the problem is resolved or I have to buy a new laptop! 

 

Coping with the new normal

/ edebock / 9 Comments

I was supposed to be in the city this afternoon for an appointment with Dr W concerning cancer #3 which is located in my thyroid. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, that didn’t happen. Clinic visits are being restricted to only the most urgent cases while people like myself are required to make do with a phone call from the doctor. Had I been in the office, Dr W would have done an ultrasound to determine whether or not there has been any change to my thyroid since I last saw him six months ago. We both agreed that that would have been the best scenario. If I was able to have an ultrasound done in the community where I live, we might have gone with that option, but the closest place that I could do that would be the hospital located an hour away. Since we both know that a hospital is a higher risk location than his clinic would be, we agreed that that wouldn’t be a good choice. Instead, we wait. We wait until the Covid-19 threat passes and I’m able to see him in his office again. He’s predicting June or July, but no one knows for sure. We wait and we pray that the cancer doesn’t grow or spread; that the additional two or three months doesn’t make a difference.

I was also planning to stop into the University Hospital dental clinic this afternoon to pick up a supply of the fluoride gel that I use once a day to protect my teeth from harmful effects of the radiation that I received after cancer #2 was surgically removed.  Thankfully, though, that can be sent to me by mail.

As we enter the fourth week since our province declared a state of emergency and services began to shut down, we’ve all experienced many changes. Most, like accessing my fluoride, have been fairly simple to deal with, while others, like not being able to see Dr W and have my scheduled ultrasound, are more challenging and may have serious long term effects.

Thankfully, for retirees like hubby and I, the impact of Covid-19 has thus far been easier to bear than it has been for many others. We don’t have a business to close, jobs to lose, or children to teach at home. Nevertheless, the novelty of staying home 24/7 wears pretty thin and many of the frustrations that go along with the current situation affect us all. In light of this, I thought I’d share a few things that are helping me deal with our new normal.

Routine.  I like routine at the best of times, but it’s even more important in times of uncertainty. This doesn’t mean that I can’t be flexible or spontaneous, but having some structure to my day really helps keep me on an even keel.

Adequate sleep.  I try to go to bed at night and get up in the morning at about the same time each day. That takes a bit of self-discipline. I tend to be a night owl and I could easily stay up way too late, but I know that I function best if I get about 8 hours of sleep a night. Thankfully, in spite of the fact that I’ve had a couple of nights where odd dreams that probably indicate an elevated stress level have kept me from sleeping well, most nights have not been like that and I feel well rested.

Exercise.  I’m very fortunate that, unlike many people who are finding it difficult to exercise because their gyms have closed, I have everything I need here at home. Monday to Friday my day begins with a 25 minute exercise routine that focuses on core strength, flexibility, and balance. Our basement gym consists of a treadmill, two weight benches, and a large assortment of free weights. Three afternoons a week find me down there lifting weights and on the alternate days, I either walk on the treadmill or outdoors. Sunday is usually a day of rest.

Healthy diet.  If anything, we’ve been eating better than ever since the beginning of this pandemic because I’ve been a little more intentional about meal planning. That started three weeks ago when we visited five grocery stores in one afternoon and found their meat departments almost empty! Thankfully, the shortage didn’t last and I’ve since been able to add enough to the freezer to last us quite awhile. We keep very little unhealthy snack food in the house, so even with many more hours at home, we haven’t been tempted to fill up on junk food.

Spiritual nourishment.  Prayer and Bible reading are regular parts of my daily routine that help keep me balanced. We’ve been missing the opportunity to meet in person on Sunday mornings, but we’ve been enjoying church online.

News, but not too much!  I don’t want to live with my head buried in the sand, but at the same time, I don’t want to become obsessed with every detail of what’s going on. I’ve continued my habit of reading the news after breakfast every morning. We subscribe to one newspaper online. I check the world, national, and local news each day, but I very seldom read editorials. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been watching our provincial Chief Medical Officer of Health give her daily Covid-19 update each afternoon online, but I don’t watch TV news.

Connection.  Staying in touch with friends and family by phone and online has been a vital part of staying sane. I enjoyed a lovely visit with a group of girlfriends via Zoom one evening last week and we’ve also enjoyed chats with several of our grandchildren.

Purpose.  It think one of the key ingredients to coping throughout the ups and downs of life and perhaps more than ever right now is having a sense of purpose. In addition to the usual day to day activities like meal preparation and exercising, I’ve been cleaning and reorganizing the kitchen cabinets and I’ve been using Duolingo to learn Spanish! Of course, there’s also the blog! Writing it and connecting with all of you gives me so much pleasure!

The one thing that I’d like to be doing more of these days is getting outdoors, but we seem to trapped in a never ending winter. Our snow is usually gone by the end of March, but not so this year. There’s lots of sunshine in the forecast though and our daytime temperatures are beginning to inch up over 0ºC (32ºF), so perhaps this too shall pass just as we know the pandemic will.

IMG_0911

So, my friends, how are you coping? What are some things that are helping you get through these most unusual times?

 

Eating Kosher

/ edebock / 2 Comments

I knew that I would be asked what the food was like in Israel, so this time I was prepared and even took pictures! We ate all of our breakfasts and suppers at our hotels while lunches were enjoyed in restaurants wherever we happened to be at the time. I can say without hesitation that the food was delicious, nutritious and kosher!

So what does it mean to eat kosher? Essentially, it means eating according to the dietary laws given in the Old Testament, or Torah. I was already aware that this meant only eating meat from animals that both have cloven hooves and chew their cud, avoiding all seafood except fish with fins and scales, and avoiding eating meat and dairy together. I’ve learned, however, that eating kosher is much more complicated than that and that even amongst Jews, there are many different ways of interpreting and following the dietary rules.

For example, when it comes to meat, it isn’t only a matter of which animals are eaten, but also how the animal is slaughtered and how the carcass is prepared for butchering. Some birds are kosher, while others are not. The eggs of kosher birds may be eaten, but only if they contain no blood which means that each egg should be examined individually. All dairy products must be derived from the milk of kosher animals. Hard cheeses pose a problem because an essential ingredient in their production is an enzyme called rennet, which is normally derived from the stomach of an animal. Some rabbinic authorities maintain that the enzyme is so separated from its original source, that it should not even be considered a meat product. Therefore, these authorities believe that it is permissible to eat cheese that was made with rennet. Others, however, believe that rennet still constitutes a part of an animal, and thus cannot be mixed with milk. Eating processed food is particularly troublesome because one must be sure that every ingredient, no matter how much or how little the product contains, is kosher.

Generally, all fruits and vegetables are kosher, but again, we learned, in Israel, that it isn’t quite that simple. There, these products are only considered kosher if 10% of the crop is left on the plants, bushes or trees around the perimeter of the field or orchard at harvest time for the use of the poor in the community and if the land is left to rest every 7th year. Fruits and vegetables must also be very carefully checked for insects as they are not kosher. Drinking wine or grape juice that has been produced by non-Jews is also forbidden.

There are those who claim that God established the dietary laws to protect the health of His people and that, for this reason, we would be wise to follow them. I don’t believe this to be true. Though there may have been some health advantages to some of the laws in the days before refrigeration, there is nothing less healthy about eating camel or rabbit than eating beef or chicken. I believe that it was simply God’s intent to distinguish His people from those around them and to teach them obedience. I am, therefore, in agreement with those Jews who say that they eat kosher simply because God told them to and for no other reason. How thankful I am that as New Testament believers, we are not subject to the Old Testament dietary laws. God made that very clear to the apostle Peter in a vision while he was staying at the house of Simon the Tanner in Joppa. (Acts 10:9-16)

All meals served in the hotels where we stayed were kosher. Each hotel is under the supervision of its local rabbinical council and should they ever be caught serving anything non-kosher, the penalty would be severe.

So, what did we eat? The meals were similar at all four of our hotels. Breakfasts and dinners were sumptuous buffets with a myriad of wonderful choices. It’s only in the west that breakfast is an entirely different meal from lunch and supper. For example, when we lived in Japan, if we asked our students what they ate for breakfast, the answer would most often be fish and rice. If we asked what they ate for dinner, the answer would usually be the same. This appeared to be true in Israel as well. Though cereal and toast were available at breakfast time and our last hotel had a station where yummy looking omelettes were made to order, breakfast also included a complete salad bar! Cottage cheese, yogurt, various cheeses, buns and breads were also part of the breakfast menu, but so were fish, olives and a variety of hot dishes. Coffee and a variety of teas were also available.

I think I could have lived off the salad bars alone. I started each day with a plate filled with salad, a dollop of cottage cheese, a few slices of cheese and a bun or a slice of hearty bread. When that was done, I finished off with a taste of a one or two of the hot dishes.

We were thankful for the hearty breakfasts as our days were full and we did lots of walking and climbing. Lunch was most often a pita filled with either falafel (spiced mashed chickpeas formed into balls and deep-fried) or schawarma (roasted, shaved meat) and vegetables. Simple, but tasty and filling.

Dinner was usually fairly late. After a busy day, we were ready to load up our plates again!

Again, I filled a plate at the salad bar and then went back for a smaller serving from the many hot food choices. Meats most often included fish, chicken and beef. The dessert selections looked absolutely amazing, but I didn’t take any pictures as I didn’t want to linger over them too long! I managed to stick to my low sugar diet most of the trip. Three of our four hotels offered sugar free dessert options which was nice. When I didn’t see any on offer at our last hotel, I asked, and after a long wait, I was brought a piece of very dry, plain cake that was still slightly frozen in the centre. After that, I didn’t ask! I did break my diet twice, once when we celebrated our youngest group member’s 16th birthday with a lovely cake and once when I tried a teeny, tiny chocolate eclair because everyone else was raving about them. It was well worth it!

Though the reason for my diet is the fact that I’m pre-diabetic, I was pleased to discover that in spite of eating so well, I didn’t gain any weight while we were away!