The Cancer Answer

Last night I attended the "Trophoblastic Theory of Cancer" seminar with Denise and her mom Doris at Amoskeag Chiropractic in Manchester. Wow. Dr. Ed is knowledgeable, passionate, and inspiring.

This particular seminar explained a long-standing theory of cancer, why cancer rates have soared in the 20th and 21st centuries, and what to do about it. It comes down to healing from the inside out, not from the outside in (i.e. chemo and scalpels). Dr. Ed's wife, who used to be the Director of Oncology at Brigham and Williams, agrees there will never be a "cure" for cancer, precisely for this reason.

The basic theory: pancreatic proteolytic digestive enzymes are the body's main defense against cancer. This is believed to be true because a developing embryo is made up of the trophoblast (undifferentiated, invading, host-feeding cells) and the actual embryo... On day 57 of development the fetus begins producing digestive enzymes (7 months before they're needed), and this is the exact same day the trophoblast matures into an organ (the placenta). Remnant trophoblastic cells (stem cells), become the reservoir for new cell growth in every organ in our body throughout our entire life. If the embryo DOES NOT start producing digestive enzymes, and the trophoblast does not mature into a placenta, it becomes one of the most deadly cancers.

What does this mean? It means enzymes are responsible for the maturation of trophoblastic cells from the beginning to the end of our life. Without digestive enzymes, or enough digestive enzymes, trophoblastic cells in our organs that are meant to mature never do and become cancer.

There are 2 ways we (and all mammals) get digestive enzymes. 1) from our pancreas, and 2) from living foods that have their enzymes intact. The more processed foods we eat (without enzymes intact), the harder our pancreas has to work to produce digestive enzymes, and the pancreas becomes fatigued. To support the pancreas, and ensure the healthy maturation of trophoblastic cells, this suggests we are to eat nutrient rich foods high in enzymes throughout life.

Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds; miso; avocado; pineapple; raw milk; etc.

Sources: John Beard's publication The Enzyme Therapy of Cancer (1911), Dr. Donald Kelley's book One Man Alone: An Investigation of Nutrition, Cancer, and William Donald Kelley (1960), and Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez's study Nutrition and Cancer (1999). Do you see the history here???

Unfortunately, our current medical model does not make money off the trophoblastic theory of cancer... So we continue to kill ourselves with processed foods, radiation and chemotherapy. Cut it out! And they do...

What a truly fabulous and enlightening seminar!

This was the perfect kick-off to my trip to California for David Wolfe's Longevity Now Conference this Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I was one of the first 100 people to check in to early registration this evening, which means I will receive $100 in fabulous goodies (can't wait!), and I got to walk the vendor hall... OMG!!! Daniel Vitalis is here, Aimee's Livin' Magic, Frankie, Barefoot Connections, etc., etc.

The days are long (8am to 9pm), but our presenters include David Wolfe, John Robbins, Daniel Vitalis, Frank Giglio, and many more... Including the one and only Dr. Mercola! I'll do my best to blog about my experiences each night as the conference unfolds.

Off to bed with my Barefoot Connections grounding pad...

Augusta

Raw Food for Everyone...

I pre-ordered my copy of Alissa Cohen's "Raw Food for Everyone" last night, and I am SO excited! October 28th can't come soon enough! Seriously, I feel like this book will do for raw food enthusiasts what Julia Child's book "the Art of French Cooking" did for the average American household... So, so exciting. I may even be inspired to pull a Julie Powell and create every single one of the 300 recipes in Alissa's new book. Sounds like a great winter project to me!

When Denise and I took Alissa's 4-day training a year and a half ago, we were lucky enough to be in one of the few classes that trained on the 4th day with the Head Chef at Grezzo in Boston, Leah. She is a genius. With Alissa the first 3 days of training, we learned everything you need to know about raw food preparation. With Leah we learned what you WANT to know, so that you can create gourmet, mouth-watering, yum, yum, yumminess! We are both supremely sad that Grezzo is no more, but feel beyond blessed that we happened to time our training just right to get the experience we did.

Gets me thinking... Perhaps we should start a "Raw Food for Everyone" dinner club. We can choose the menu for maybe 2 dinner parties a month. People can choose which recipes they feel comfortable taking on, and Denise and I can cover the more technical ones. Then we get together and graze! I like it. So, pre-order your own copy of Alissa Cohen's "Raw Food for Everyone" and start practicing!

Augusta

Is Saturated Fat in Coconut Oil Bad for Your Heart?

I just spent a glorious weekend in Vermont with my partner and two friends of ours, enjoying the beautiful weather, amazing scenery, and tremendously fabulous food Vermont has to offer. Our friends are from NYC, which for the East Coast, is relatively health-conscious. During our weekend, I was asked about my copious use of coconut oil, because "isn't it a saturated fat which causes heart disease?" I argued my points as to how coconut oil does not apply to this science, but was rebuffed. The jury is still out as to whether coconut oil is good or bad.

Monday morning rolls around... I receive an email from our friends thanking us for the wonderful weekend, along with a link to the article Saturated Fat in Coconut Oil is Bad for Your Heart. this article claims that saturated fat is bad regardless of the source - even if that source is coconut oil. I love a healthy debate, especially one about health!

So... I immediately searched for "coconut oil" on Mercola.com. What I love about Dr. Mercola is that he does not expect you to take him at his word... He always likes to back up his articles with plenty of outside studies and research from medical journals and the like. In his article on coconut oil, he dispels the myths surrounding coconut oil and explains where these myths come from.

Dr. Mercola maintains that coconut oil is the only oil that is "stable enough to resist heat-induced oxidation during cooking, while it also helps you promote heart health, maintain normal cholesterol levels, and even supports weight loss." I can attest to this last piece personally!

Of course there is controversy around anything that is actually good for you, because chances are it comes from the earth and large corporations (pharmaceuticals, food industry, etc) can't make a killing from it. Who do you think pays for the vast majority of medical "research"?

Aside from the health-promoting properties of coconut oil, I love it for many more reasons. For example: it is fabulous for removing glue goo (like from stickers and labels). Honestly, it is the most amazing stuff on the planet and I am never without some. Don't take my word for it... Like anything, do your own research and come to your own conclusions about what's best for your health.

Augusta

Who Says You Can't Have a Happy AND Healthy Halloween?

We have a lot of exciting things coming up in October and November... Just in time for the BIG 3: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah. No need to fear (the holidays)... The answer is here!

Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food Level I
October 23, 2010, 11am - 3pm
Manchester, NH

Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food Level II
October 24, 2010, 9am - 5pm
Manchester, NH

Class details are listed on the Humbaba Calendar page, along with a link to email us about registering. Are your living food skills past the basics and ready for sprouting and dehydrating (but not interested in getting certified to teach)? No problem! We offer the sprouting and dehydrating portion of the Level II class separately at a significant discount.

More exciting news for October... We will be holding a Halloween Treats Seminar at Amoskeag Chiropractic in Manchester, NH. We will post the date as soon as we know it... it will be on a Wednesday starting at 6pm. This will be the perfect seminar for parents looking to give their kids delicious and healthy alternatives to the typical toxic Halloween fare. Although, parents may not want to SHARE with their kids, these treats are so delicious!

Think you may want to create desserts to bring to your holiday parties? I do this every year so that I know I'll have a delicious indulgence that's healthy for me too. For this reason, we'll bring back our oh-so-popular Just Desserts class in November. We plan a fabulously fun Friday night filled with decadent specialty drinks to accompany the most amazing raw desserts you've ever tasted!

Looking for one more feather in your living food cap? Add to your repertoire with a Holiday Sides Seminar. All the goodies like stuffing, cranberry relish, and mashed potatoes. If we get enough requests and can fit this one in, we'll DO IT! Let us know what classes/seminars are most exciting to you...

We hope to see you before the snow flies!
Augusta

Are You the Same Nutritional Type as Angelina Jolie?

In comments reportedly made during a press briefing for her new movie SALT, Angelina Jolie discussed her experiences with a vegan diet. "I joke that a big juicy steak is my beauty secret," said Jolie. "But seriously, I love red meat. I was a vegan for a long time, and it nearly killed me. I found I was not getting enough nutrition."

I have been eating a mostly vegan diet for more than two years, mostly raw living foods (uncooked). I am conscientious about the foods I choose - mostly leafy green and vibrant vegetables, some fruits, raw nuts and seeds. On occasion I do indulge - if I really want that slice of pizza, I'll have it. But I have not eaten milk, eggs, or any meats (including fish) since making this lifestyle change.

The first 9 months of going vegan, I felt amazing. My energy was high, I was sublimely happy, and my physical body was in great shape too. Since then, I believe I've been on a very slow backward slide to low energy, some tendencies toward depression, and feeling out-of-shape. I think there are some improvements I could make to my vegan diet to truly optimize it, and there have been periods of not enough sleep, but I'm beginning to wonder if my body requires something else... gasp... meat?

I'm not certain I'm ready to make that leap, but perhaps I am ready to add in a poached egg (yolk is still raw) here and there and some raw milk (preferably sheep's milk). Of course antibiotic- and hormone-free, free range, etc. What I need to do is find a local farmer.

Before making any change like this, I like to do my research. First, I finally took Dr. Mercola's Nutritional Typing online test to see whether, according to his research, I fall into the protein group, carb group (veggies), or combination group (mostly veggies, occasional meats). Turns out, even with several of my responses being "vegetarian/vegan, does not apply", I truly fall into the combination group. Doesn't mean I'm going to go out and eat a steak today! However, after I complete my fall cleanse through Londonderry Whole Health Nurse Practitioners, I will talk with my nurse practitioner about possible changes to my diet based on this new information.

It is my experience that making any major change to diet can be even more dangerous than whatever diet you're living, unless you move slowly and with some professional guidance. Our bodies are great at adapting, but less so when you just flip a switch.

What I know to be true, 100% to my core: no one diet is best for everyone. There isn't a "one size fits all" when it comes to nutrition. This being said, I recommend everyone take Dr. Mercola's Nutritional Typing test (it's FREE!), and then conduct some further research from there. I also believe our bodies do not require one diet for the entirety of our life. Our bodies change. So I will continue to take the Nutritional Typing test at least a couple times a year, and I recommend others do as well.

Augusta

A Positive Attitude

A couple of weeks ago, on August 11, Denise and I had scheduled a free living foods demo at Amoskeag Chiropractic in Manchester, NH. I happened to be on an extended stay in Florida with my 93-year-old Nana, so that my Uncle could be out of town. I was very sad to miss our event, which Denise pulled off brilliantly all on her own, but I had the rare opportunity to sit with a wise woman, hear her stories, and gain some wisdom.

For the event, we had capped the attendance at 35... but an enthusiastic 50 showed up! Denise served them walnut pate, angel hair with marinara, and dessert tartlets. Dr. Ed, of Amoskeag Chiropractic, was so thrilled with the presentation, he wants all of his patients to attend a similar event in a few months. Hundreds. All will be welcome, and I'll be certain to post the event on our calendar. Needless to say, I was very sorry to have missed this event.

Meanwhile, in Florida, Nana and I were having grand conversations about her childhood in NY, married life and being a mother, joining the corporate world at ABC... She truly led an amazing life, and I can only imagine what she would have accomplished had the times been more liberated for women. She's endured many hardships as well, but I believe she rose above them so well, and continues to do so, because she has an unflagging positive attitude. Her attitude is truly marvelous.

Three years ago, when my sister and I visited her for her 90th, she had recently had a rough time of it with melanoma. She had also gone blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. At 90, many would feel sorry for themselves (rightly so!), or even give up. Not Nana. She saw every day as a blessing and treated it as such. When my sister and I were leaving for the airport (my sister for Istanbul and I for Boston), Nana walked us out to the car to say goodbye. In a combination of brutal honesty and humor she parted with this: "I don't know if we'll she each other again. If not, goodbye!" She has since attended my sister's wedding and received several visits from her granddaughters.

I know, without a doubt, despite all the hardships that come her way, she continues to live a happy and meaningful life because of her positive attitude toward life. She treats each day as if it might be her last, and accepts this as a gift. Something we can all benefit to learn from. Enjoy the day as if it was your last!

Augusta

Cool, refreshing relief from the HEAT...

It's been a HOT June, definitely hotter than we're used to before August. So I whipped up a cooling creation that's healthy and delicious. The best part? Most of the ingredients are stored in the freezer, so you can have them on hand to enjoy this smoothie any time.

Grape Crush
- 1 cup frozen red grapes (organic, seedless)
- 1/2 cup frozen pear (I cut them up and store them in a freezer bag)
- 1/2 cup frozen cucumber (I skin a cucumber, slice it, store in a freezer bag)
- 1 medjool date
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup coconut water (add a little more if needed)

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, using the plunger to help it along. This should turn into the consistency of a frozen slush... Thick enough to eat with a spoon. Need it a little sweeter? Add a spoonful of honey to the blender.

I served this at our last raw food pot-luck, and everyone LOVED it! Cooling, refreshing, very grape-y, and delicious. The best part? Not only is this smoothie delicious for summer, but it is super healthy too! Cucumbers are a natural diuretic, so if you feel like you're retaining water in this heat the cucumbers will help. Grapes are very anti-cancer. Pears are high in fiber. Dates also provide lots of fiber and are packed with fuel for high energy. Coconut water is the very best for re-hydrating.

Enjoy! And join us at our next smoothie seminar for more fabulous creations...

Augusta