By Al Sears, MD

New research is giving us a window into the world of phytochemicals - compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage) and leafy greens have two particular phytochemicals - indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) and chlorophyll - that are proving to be powerful weapons in the fight against aging.

I-3-C, abundant in broccoli and spinach, can affect key stages in age-related cancers like prostate, breast, and colon cancers. When a cell in one of those tissues mutates and becomes cancerous, I-3-C can actually program the cell to “commit suicide” and die before the cancer spreads.

Acting at a different stage in cancer protection, chlorophyll connects to cancer-causing toxins in the gut and prevents them from being absorbed. Chlorophyll is present in all green leafy vegetables, but is especially high in spinach.

Both I-3-C and chlorophyll are available as supplements, too. I-3-C comes in a pill form. I recommend 100 mg to 200 mg daily. Chlorophyll comes in both a powder and a pill, and is present in “green drinks,” like chlorella and spirulina. If you’re taking the pill form, look for chlorophyllin - a powerful derivative of chlorophyll. An effective daily dose is 100 mg to 200 mg.

-Copyright © ETR, LLC 2007

This week, researchers at Boston University Medical Centre and St James’ Hospital, Dublin, announced that they have found a test that might be able to detect lung cancer from its early stages.

Using scrapings from the lungs of smokers or former smokers, researchers identified 80 genetic changes that can serve as a biomarker or genetic signature, indicating early lung cancer.

The test was about 83 per cent to 95 per cent accurate at identifying patients with early stage lung cancer in the initial trial of 200 patients. Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of death from cancer in the world. Some 80 per cent to 85 per cent of patients die within the first five years of diagnosis, largely because they are diagnosed too late.

This test could result in early intervention and hence a better outcome. There was other good news as a new test for ovarian cancer has been formulated that could detect it in its early stages.

Researchers in the United States have come up with a blood test that can measure six proteins associated with the cancer. The test could catch ovarian cancer in stages 1 and 2 when the five-year survival rate is as high as 90 per cent. When the ovarian cancer reaches stages 3 and 4, the five-year survival rate is only 20 per cent.

According to Dr See Hui Ti, a consultant at the National Cancer Centre, the only tumor marker used as a test for ovarian cancer now is the CA-125, which has to be used in conjunction with an ultrasound scan of the ovaries. She said that it has been in the last five years that new proteins have been discovered with the potential of detecting ovarian cancer early.

In a group of about 500 subjects, this test had been an overall accuracy of 99 per cent in detecting cancer. Both these tests will be undergoing trails to explore their potential further.

As we age, hormonal levels diminish and our skin, muscles and bones begin to deteriorate. A good anti-aging exercise regime should stimulate hormone production and promote strength and flexibility.

Studies have shown that nothing works better to attain anti-aging effects than a regular exercise program. ‘Regular’ is the key word - unless your exercise program is consistent, the process won’t have the same effect.

There are certain types of exercises that will help you stay active, live a longer and happier life and stay mentally alert. How often and how strenuous you make your exercise program depends on your personal needs, both physical and your daily lifestyle.

The Best Exercises to Reap Anti-Aging Results

There are three definitive types of exercises that are best suited for an anti-aging regime:

• Flexibility - The most important exercises to beat the aging process. It increases blood circulation and releases serotonin, which is a chemical produced by the brain and is necessary for overall health and well-being. Flexibility exercises are also safe and easy to perform.
• Strength Building - These exercises will help build sturdiness and sustain bone mass. Your chances of having a debilitating injury are lessened as you build your muscle strength. Exercises to improve the muscles in your shoulders, back and legs will also help with hormone production.
• Cardiovascular - Designed to keep your heart healthy, aerobic exercises also help fight depression and keep your weight down. Running, brisk walking and any other exercise that will increase your heart rate for a sustained period of time release brain chemicals that produce hormones.

Research has shown that there’s no particular time of the day when exercising is best, however accidents seem to happen more often in morning hours – muscles and joints seem to be less flexible at that time.

Preferably, exercise when you aren’t too tired, but when you’ve been up and about for awhile. Mid afternoon seems to be a good time for most people to perform exercises without too much fear of injury.

You don’t need a home gym or an expensive membership in a neighborhood gym. One piece of equipment that you know you’ll use on a regular basis is the best investment is one that you know you’ll use on a regular basis.

Colorectal cancer is caused by a number of factors including genetics, an unbalanced diet high in unsaturated fat and insufficient dietary fiber, carcinogens that promote cancer growth and inflammatory bowel disease, which increases the risk of cancer.

This type of cancer is common among those above 50 and is the second most common form of cancer for male and females. As a combined total, colorectal cancer is the most common form of cancer.

Watch Out For These Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer:

• Change in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation)
• Blood in the stools
• Mucus discharge from the rectum
• Abdominal pain and vomiting
• Incomplete defecation feeling (tenemus)
• Loss of weight and appetite

Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Colorectal cancer is a disease that is highly curable if detected early. Therefore, it is vital to see a doctor as soon as symptoms appear.

The latest technique is the quantitative Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) that is even more accurate than the conventional FOBT tests, as it can quantify the amount of blood in the stools. The key is in early detection and treatment through surgery.

Yoga is a proven stress reliever; the controlled breathing and posture movements help encourage relaxation. What’s new is that experts are considering the value it may gave for your complexion, too. “When we’re stressed, blood and oxygen are shunted from skin to other more vital organs,” says Dr Diane Berson, assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

A calm mind and body are essential to healthier skin, according to the new breed of psycho dermatologists(dermatologists or psychologists who treat the emotional causes of skin upsets). “Our bodies are reactive to stress, which can trigger a whole host of skin problems like acnem ezema and psoriasis,” explains Havard’s Dr Grossbart , also a psychotherapist who specializes in skin disorders. “But simply dealing with the stress can generally help fix the problem.”

How Yoga Helps Your Skin

“The relaxation that yoga sparks can help restore a more even blood flow through the body,” says Dr Berson. This helps correct the pale, washed-out look that comes with chronic stress. The improved circulation also helps reverse the decline in cell turnover that may result in dry, scaly skin.

Another side effect of stress is greater oil production due to persistently high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Yoga moves and the deep breathing that accompanies them help lower cortisol levels, which in turn prevents stress-related breakouts.

Losing weight does not require you to put yourself through months of self-sacrifice. You simply have to do a few things that will increase your body’s metabolic rate and replace high-calorie, low-nutrient foods with those that promote health.

Here are 5 ways to maximize your fat-loss efforts:

1. Don’t skip breakfast. This is the meal that is most commonly skipped, and many of the people who do it think they are doing themselves a favor by eliminating those calories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that eating a protein-rich, low-glycemic breakfast is essential for healthy weight loss.
2. Eat healthy fats. One of the biggest weight-loss myths is that “fat makes you fat.” The truth is that healthy fats can help make you thin. These are the fats you find in nuts, fish, fish oil, naturally raised meats, olive oil, and avocados.
3. Manage your blood sugar levels. Maintaining stable, low blood sugar levels is one of the best things you can do to prevent your body from storing fat. Do it by avoiding sweets, processed foods, and starchy carbohydrates.
4. Drink green tea or water. These are, by far, your two healthiest beverage options, and they both help to maintain a healthy metabolism.
5. Alternate between interval exercise and resistance training. By exercising with resistance, you build muscle. Muscle is active tissue, so the greater your muscle mass is, the higher your metabolic rate will be. And by exercising in intervals at high intensity, you not only burn fat and calories during your workout, but for many hours afterward.

By Craig Ballantyn

One of the biggest fat-loss myths is that you must do long aerobic cardio workouts to lose fat. The truth? Long, slow-cardio sessions are not only boring but a waste of time. To quickly lose fat you need to focus on your nutrition and on boosting your metabolism with more intense exercise methods.

Based on my experience with hundreds of personal clients, using interval training and high-intensity exercise do help them lose more fat. And now scientific studies are supporting the superiority of the interval approach.

Australian researchers from the University of New South Wales recently compared interval training to slow, steady aerobic training in a 15-week study. Two groups participating in the study exercised three times per week - but the interval training group only worked out for 20 minutes per session, while the slow-cardio group trained for up to 40 minutes.

Not surprising, at least not to me, the interval training group lost the most weight by the end of the 15 weeks. This backs up earlier research from Canada (from the mid-90s) that interval training is a better way to burn body fat.

If you are a beginner, start slowly. Increase your exercise intensity by 10 or 20 percent for two-minute intervals, and alternate with two-minute intervals at a lower-than-normal intensity.

~ Ed. note: Craig Ballantyn is an expert consultant for Men’s Health magazine.

By Virginia Thomas

Proper stretching before and after you exercise is key to getting the most out of your workout. There are different types of stretches, depending on what you are trying to achieve. And the wrong type of stretching on the wrong muscle groups may increase your chances of joint or muscle injury.

Dynamic stretching

Dynamic stretching - the best type of pre-exercise stretching you can do - targets tight muscles by repeatedly moving into and out of the stretch position until they loosen up. The idea is to move slowly and never stop moving for more than a second or two. Basically, you want to replicate the movement you are about to engage in.

When running, for example, the leg flexes and extends. So you would begin your dynamic stretching before a run by slowly swinging your leg forward and backward, increasing the range of motion with each swing.

Static stretching

Static holding techniques used to lengthen short muscles may actually sedate the muscles being stretched if done prior to a workout. This is not a desirable result when you’re about to run or play a game of golf. Static stretching, on all the muscle groups involved in an exercise, is best done afterward.

To stretch the calves after a run, for example, step forward with the right leg in a lunge position. Keeping your left leg long and your heel in contact with the ground, slowly bend your right knee until you feel a stretch in the left calf. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Then repeat on the other side.

~ Virginia Thomas is a Pilates instructor with Flow Hood River Yoga and Health Studio.

By Al Sears, MD

Most patients don’t need dangerous drugs. The most powerful ways to combat heart disease and high blood pressure is completely natural and without serious side effects. Here are two other natural health supplements to help you lower your blood pressure:

Garlic naturally widens your blood vessels and lowers your systolic pressure (the top number) by 20 to 30 mm Hg and your diastolic pressure (the bottom number) by 10 to 20 mm Hg. A German study revealed that garlic also lowers your cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fat). Look for a supplement that contains at least 3,600 micrograms of allicin (the active ingredient in garlic) per dose.

Vitamin C is another proven way to lower your blood pressure. One 10-year study showed that the lower your levels of vitamin C, the higher your blood pressure and risk of stroke. Another study found that taking as little as 250 mg a day cut the risk of high blood pressure by almost half - and it’s very safe to take much more. I usually recommend starting with 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily.

(Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor’s Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.)

~ Copyright ETR, LLC 2007

All digestible food - not just carbohydrates - can be converted to glucose (sugar) to be used by your body as energy. But high-glycemic foods are converted to glucose very quickly, causing a sharp increase in blood sugar and a corresponding increase in the production of insulin. And when this happens chronically, it can be a recipe for weight gain and a substantial increase in your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other ailments.

So it doesn’t matter one bit if the sugar you’re consuming is refined, natural, or organic. It doesn’t matter if it comes from honey or fruit juice or mashed potatoes. If you frequently consume foods and liquids that rapidly break down to glucose, you’re risking your waistline and your health.

That is why you should stick to foods that are low on the glycemic index, like above-ground vegetables, naturally raised meats, nuts, beans, seeds, berries, and most whole fruits. You should generally limit your consumption of grains and starches, white potatoes, most fruit juices, sweets, and desserts. And look out for hidden sugars (like evaporated cane juice) on nutrition labels.

To sweeten your food or drinks without the calories or glycemic load, consider using a sweetener such as stevia or lo han extract. And avoid artificial sweeteners. I don’t know of a single one that’s not associated with health risks.

- By Dr. Jon Herring, copyright ETR, LLC