Anti-cancer

I am 46 pages into Anticancer: A New Way of Life (David Servan-Schreiber) and loving it.  In the first chapter, Dr. Servan-Schreiber looks back on his life before cancer and explains how he was young, ambitious, and arrogant.  He was so caught up in research that he thought would help people that he stopped noticing people.

Being diagnosed with cancer changed all that.

He opened his eyes and realized how short life is; he started noticing the beauty that was around him and appreciating the small things.  He also began to realize how important diet and lifestyle are in treating and preventing cancer.

While I won't reveal all the jewels of nutrition information (there are 15 color pages which provide detailed dietary advice!), I want to highlight my favorite part so far...

On page 41 he introduces the anticancer diet.  Then, in reference to this advice, he states (forgive me if I am violating copyright law by sharing a whole paragraph):

"There is little likelihood that our physicians will suggest these approaches.  Changes in lifestyle cannot, by definition, be patented.  Thus, they do not become medication and they do not require physicians.  This means that most physicians don't consider them within their realm, so it is up to each of us to make them our own"  (Anticancer: A New Way of Life, page 41).

As a physician himself, I am impressed that he is admitting that diet and nutrition is outside of the realm of physicians.  However, I disagree with his last sentance; I do not think every cancer patient has to make these changes on their own.

Registered Dietitians (RD) are the experts in nutrition and nutrition counseling.  While physicians might not be qualified to dispense such advice, the registered dietitian educated in evidence-based nutrition and ready to provide support to anyone who walks through her door.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber has wisdom and insights to share and his book is certainly worth reading.  But if you need someone to help you apply the dietary recommendations to your busy lifestyle, do yourself a favor and find a registered dietitian!

To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.  The link for FIND A REGISTERED DIETITIAN is at the top of the page.

Banana Stickers

Did you know that the American Dental Association recommends certain toothpastes over others?

Yep, they have a seal (see left) that assures that the product is safe and effective, as evaluated by body of scientific experts.  For example, they really like Colgate Total, but not the whitening varieties...

I wish that the American Dietetic Assocation had a seal of approval for food.  If I were on the committe of experts, I would recommend that only produce (fruits and veggies!) and minimally processed healthful products (a.k.a. foods that still have integrity) receive the seal.  That way, more people would buy (and eat!) fresh, wholesome food.

It would be like the new Chiquita® banana stickers - best marketing tool ever!  (and especially influential for small children)  An additional perk would be that, when clients ask what they should be eating, dietitians can simply tell them to choose foods with the stickers.  Brilliant!

Contaminated Poultry: the root of the problem

In efforts to reduce the incidence of food-borne illness, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced new standards for poultry processing plants.  Apparently, slaughterhouses must routinely check to see if their fowl is foul.  Pun intended.

Currently, establishments must test their poultry for the presence common food-borne pathogens salmonella and campylobacter.  With the new standards, the number of "positives" tests will be reduced from twelve contaminated samples to five.

While this will certainly help decrease the number of contaiminated chickens that reach the supermarket, it does not address the root of the problem: unhealthy birds.

How does a cute little innocent chick catch these nasty bacteria in the first place?  Poor living conditions.

Most factory farmed chickens live in dark, enclosed buildings without access to green grass or even bare soil.  They walk around in their own excrement and eat GMO corn out of communal troughs.  In order to prevent them from getting sick in such a dirty environment, their feed is laced with antibiotics.  Despite this prophylactic measure, these birds are still becoming infected.  (Why else would the USDA have to mandate stricter performance standards?)

What else can we do to protect our food supply?  Support the use of biodynamic farming principles.

Polyface farm in Staunton, Virginia exemplifies this wholistic approach to raising healthy chickens and livestock.  The ownder, Joel Salatin, respectes the physiological distrinctiveness of each animal (chickens, cows, pigs and rabbits) by providing the appropriate habitat.  Pastured livestock and poultry are frequently rotated to new plots of grass -- which Joel lovingly referes to as "salad bar" -- to allow for landscape healing and, in return, the most nutrient-dense food for the animals.

Not only are the animals happy in this environment, so are the people.  One thing you will notice upon touring the farm is that, despite the hundreds of animals living on the farm, the farm does not smell.  How many factor farms can claim that?

I propose that if more farms used biodynamic techniques, the USDA would not have to waste so much energy and government funding making sure our food supply is safe.

To learn more about the Polyface Guiding Principles, visit this link.