Wellness News Aprilo 2011

Cancer Support Association of WA

Patron – His Excellency Dr. Ken Michael AC, Governor of Western Australia

april 2011Vol. 26 No.3

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.Mohandas Gandhi

Dear members and friends,

Tidying my shelves this week I came across the very first edition of Wellness News published in April 1984 at the very beginning of the CSA. The newsletter was 10 sheets of yellowed paper, typewritten, stapled together...at a glance nothing special. The content though was timeless, the information still relevant!

It was quite fascinating to read the editorial column written by one of CSA’s founders, Jill Mattioli which I have reproduced on the next page. The goals and objectives of the founders are at the core of our current goals and objectives...to empower and support people with cancer to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing and provide a safe, nurturing enviornment where people can come for support and healing at all stages of the cancer journey.

Of course the world has changed considerably since 1984 and our services have expanded to make use of the internet, email and the new communications technologies which have allowed us to extend our support beyond our centre here in Cottesloe, WA. But at its core, the essence of CSA and who we are as an organisation is fundamentally the same.

CSA was modelled on The Gawler Foundation’s integrative wellness approach to cancer and self-healing. You will read in Jill’s first editorial that CSA started with a visit to Perth by Dr. Ian Gawler. Once again CSA is involved in Ian’s upcoming visit to Perth this July. Ian brings a message of hope, and the real possibility of self-healing to people with cancer. After much change and uncertainty at CSA over the past couple of years, it seems as if the Association has come full circle, returning to its original mission and objectives.

With amazing synchronicity Jill, who has not been involved with CSA for many years has just now phoned on a completely unrelated matter! We have had a lovely chat and she is very pleased that the original intent of the founding members has been maintained. She is again looking forward to being involved with CSA.

As Jill says in her editorial written 26 years ago “when something is right, the pieces of the ensuing jigsaw all fall into place if we let it. What is right will happen, if it is for the good of all and all will benefit by it.” ✦

Peace, Mandy

Wellness News magazine is published by the Cancer Support Association of WA Inc (CSA). The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the CSA and should be not be construed as medical advice. CSA encourages readers to be discerning with information presented and make treatment, dietary and lifestyle choices in consultation with a team of health-care professionals. © Copyright of all articles and images remains with individual contributors.

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editorial & production...

is the monthly online magazine of the Cancer Support Association of Western Australia Inc.

Editor & Designer Mandy [email protected] www.wowlandco.com

Wellness News e-magazine is published online twelve time a year and distributed free to members of the Cancer Support Association.

An annual print edition of Wellness News is produced at the end of each year and posted to all CSA members.

Wellness News magazine is dedicated entirely to publishing informative, inspiring and helpful articles related to wellness and healing. The magazine is for people with cancer or serious health issues; for people who are well and want to maintain their good health naturally; and for complementary, alternative and integrative health professionals.

www.cancersupportwa.org.au

online at...

wellness news

editorial

cover art: Joyful Morning, acrylic on deep gallery wrapped canvas by Suzanne McLean

journey back to the heart

3April 2011 WELLNESS NEWS

I guess that the beginning of this Association, from my personal aspect began three years ago, in my early days of working at the Seekers Centre.

In February of 1981 a very dear friend and neighbour of ours attended a public hospital, was diagnosed as having cancer of the throat and received the treatments prescribed by the doctors of the establishment. On most visits, he was attended by a different duty doctor, none of which did much for his stability of mind or hope for recovery. It was relayed to me that on one of these visits he was blatantly told by that day’s duty doctor that “he was going to die” – and this he did in five short months.

During this time he did come to the Seeker Centre and received spiritual healing. This gave him the ability to pray again, something he had not done for many years.

Since Tom’s passing, I have sat at my desk in the Centre’s study many times and pondered deeply over an answer to the treatment – and success of such treatment – of similarly afflicted sufferers.

Last July, I first read of Dr. Ian Gawler; and then again in September. On this second occasion I re-read in depth exactly what Ian was proposing: that people can achieve a better quality and greater quantity of life, by simply taking more responsibility for the process of recovery, through meditation, diet, positive thinking and – in many cases – a change of philosophy of life.

Perhaps there was the answer to the question which still lay with me?

I wrote to him, asking him to come to Western Australia. When after some weeks I had no reply I contacted a friend in Brisbane, obtained Ian’s telephone number and called him direct, with the thought that perhaps something had happened to my letter – it had. Ian had misplaced it somewhere and had been endeavouring to make contact.

Then followed many telephone calls to organise the visit but no plans could be finalised since Gayle and Ian were expecting an addition to their family. At length a tentative date was set for the last weekend in January 1984 when Ian was to address the Vet school at Murdoch anyway, a date which was then changed to later in the year!

You see, in order to prepare the newsletter for January I had asked for a firm decision from Ian. The opening of the Centre and the newsletter still had to go on and the newsletter was ready to be reduced, pasted up and delivered to the printers. Somehow I didn’t get there. I fiddle around, while chastising myself for being lazy.

ONE FULL WEEK after the due date I got around to it...I got up to take things to the printers but the phone rang...”I’ll be there on the original date after all” said Ian’s voice. Now I knew why that newsletter had not reached the printers when it should have!

When his visit came nearer Kim was one of the first to enrol in the weekend seminar. She spoke to me of how she and a friend Linda, also a cancer patient, had supported each other and found that their loads lighter, their road smoother, and that they had toyed with an idea to form a support group. We were able to make available our building etc and could assist.

Looking back over events that led to the formation of this Association I see once again – as I have seen many times before – that when something is right, the pieces of the ensuing jigsaw all fall into place if we let it.

What is right will happen, if it is for the good of all and all will benefit by it. ✦

The SeedBy Jill Mattioli

From the first ever Wellness News magazine, April 1984.

MONDAYMeditation Made Easy .................................................................................10.00 – 11.30am Ongoing Lessons with Bavali Hill. FREE FOR MEMBERS (non-members $5) No bookings necessary.

Massage with Sarah Leboff ($70/60 minutes) ......................................... by appointment

TUESDAYWellness and Healing Open Support Group ............................... 10.00 – 12.00noonwith Dr. Angela Ebert

Carer’s Wellness and Healing Support Group ....................... 10.00 – 12.00noonwith Mike Sowerby (when required)

Reiki Clinic .....................................................................................................12.15pm – 1.30pm

WEDNESDAYReflexology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.00am – 2pm with Udo Kannapin (by appointment between 10-2)

Laughter Yoga with Kimmie O’Meara ($3.00) ...................................11.00am – 12.00pm

Chinese Medical Healthcare Qigong ($10/$5 members) ........... 1.00pm – 2.30pmwith Alan Donelly

THURSDAYYoga for Healing .........................................................................................10.00am – 11.15amwith Madeline Clare (members $5 / others $10)

Grief and Loss Open Support Group ................................................... 1.00pm – 3.00pmwith Mike Sowerby (last Thursday of each month)

Massage with Sarah Leboff ($70/60 minutes) ......................................... by appointment

FRIDAYMeeting the Challenge 1 Day Seminar ................................................9.30am – 4.30pm 1ST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

DAILYCancer Wellness Information Counselling ................................................by appointment

General Counselling with Dr. Angela Ebert ..................................................by appointment Phone direct on 0414 916 724 or 9450 6724 or email [email protected]

Phone CSA on 9384 3544 or check our website for further information. We can help you with information packs, course prices, confirm course times and to make bookings.

this program is updated monthly. Check website for any changes before attending

NEW CSA members can attend free!

one day cancer wellness workshop

MEETING THE CHALLENGE!

Life Changing Information for people with cancer:

• The Wellness approach to cancer• Nutrition for optimal health• Power of the Mind • Introduction to Meditation• Natural & Complementary Therapies

To book ph CSA 8384 3544 online: www.cancersupportwa.org.au

First Friday of every month between 9.30am-4.30pm

at CSA, Cottesloe


contentsThe Seed by CSA Founder Jill Mattioli. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 3

CSA Weekly Program .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 4

What’s on at CSA this month.. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 6

Cancer in the news . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 9

Article: What is cancer? (the facts, figures and

what to do about it) . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .10

Article: Cancer epidemic demands new approach .. . .. . .. .12

Article: Integrative cancer care for the whole person. .. . .. .14

Cancer care in China .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .16

Article: Acupuncture and cancer. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .17

Inspiration: Practising loving ourselves.. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .19

Article: Cancer defence; the power of nutrition . .. . .. . .. . .. .20

Food News: Leafy Greens; Balanced diet is best for

cancer prevention (23); Omega 3 and Cancer related

malnutrition (24); How almonds can prevent cancer (25) 22

Recipes: chickpea, basil & vegetable soup . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .24

Inspiration: Creating something beautiful . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .27

Consider the following. We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.

Happiness is determined more by the state of one’s mind than by one’s external conditions, circumstances or events- at least once one’s basic survival needs are met.

Happiness can be achieved through the systematic training of our hearts and minds, through reshaping our attitudes and outlook.

As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality, a calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life.

The purpose of our life needs to be positive. We weren’t born with the purpose of causing trouble, harming others. For our life to be of value, I think we must develop basic good human qualities- warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes more meaningful and more peaceful – happier.

When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.

Although I personally believe that our human nature is fundamentally gentle and compassionate, I feel it is not enough that this is our underlying nature; we must also develop an appreciation and awareness of that fact.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ✦

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet living in exile in India.

F I N D I N G Happiness

By the Dalai Lama

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.~ Dalai Lama

DON’T MISS: Dr. Ian Gawler’s workshops in Perth and Bunbury 29th June-3rd July. These interactive and powerful workshops will be hosted by Dr. Ian Gawler who is a world-renowned pioneer of Mind/Body Medicine and founder of the Gawler Foundation. Full details will be published in the next edition of Wellness News and on the CSA website. Call CSA for more details or stay tuned!

6 Cancer Support Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au

yoga for healingwith Madeline Clare

CSA yoga teacher, Madeline Clare, takes inspiration from both Iyengar and Vinyasa approaches to yoga with an emphasis on relaxation, breath awareness, gentle movement and meditation. She believes a balanced yoga practice has the capacity to heal, shift energy blockages and bring the body into physical, emotional, mental and spiritual alignment. Yoga for Healing classes bring the joy of yoga to people with cancer and those who may need a nurturing space to practice.

what’s on at CSA this monthbe part of the csa community by joining the groups and wellness activities at our premises in Cottesloe

qi gongwith Alan Donelly

cancer support groupswith Angela Ebert & Mike Sowerby

Qigong is a traditional Chinese mind-body practice that uses meditation, breathing control, and movement to balance the flow of energy (qi) through the body to help healing to occur. CSA offers qigong to complement cancer therapies and help with the symptoms of cancer. In this setting, qigong is not used as a treatment for cancer per se, but as a method of easing cancer symptoms such as fatigue.

“If you travel alone, you can probably go faster. But the journey will never be as rewarding, and you probably

won’t be able to go as far.” ~ John Maxwell

Support groups enable people to discover new ways of coping; share the experience with others going through something similar; exchange information and resources; develop a holistic approach to healing; be inspired by others on the journey to regaining wellness.

CSA offers an open cancer support group for people with cancer and their carers. This weekly group is facilitated by Angela Ebert and Mike Sowerby. We also offer a Carers’ Support Group and a monthly Grief and Loss Support Group.

Meeting the Challenge1 Day Cancer Wellness Seminar

Life Changing Information for people with cancer and their carers. Led by Cathy Brown, this seminar provides wellness information, wellness strategies, new resources (such as nutrition, treatment options, meditation) and sharing with others on a healing journey. There is also a focus on accessing key cancer information online.

Held monthly at CSA on the first Friday of every month from 9.30am-4.30pm. Free for new CSA members, bookings are required.

reflexologywith Udo KannapinReflexology is the application of pressure, stretching and movement to the feet and hands to trigger corresponding parts of the body. It complements standard medical care by relaxing the body and reducing stress.


WHAT’S O

N AT CSA

meditation made easywith Bavali Hill

Meditation is a safe and simple way to balance a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states. The use of Meditation for healing is not new. Meditative techniques are the product of diverse cultures and peoples around the world. The value of Meditation to alleviate suffering and promote healing has been known and practiced for thousands of years. In these weekly lessons at CSA, Bavali guides participants through various healing meditation techniques and gives notes and handouts to support home practice.

laughter yogawith Kimmie O’Meara Laughter Yoga is a revolutionary idea developed by Dr. Madan Kataria, a Physician from Mumbai, India. It is a complete wellbeing workout combining Unconditional Laughter with Yogic Breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can Laugh for No Reason, without relying on humour, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter.

The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits of laughter regardless of the source.

counsellingIndividual, Family & Group

Ongoing counselling sessions with a caring, compassionate professional could help you deal more effectively with the many issues, fears and emotions which arise on the cancer journey; gain clarity to make treatment decisions; give you the insight to grow from your experiences; and the peace of mind and heart needed to heal.

Sessions can be booked with our qualified psychologist, and are also available online for those unable to make it in to our Cottesloe premises.

Massage for cancerwith Sarah LeboffFor people with a serious illness like cancer, massage can be a powerful tool to help cope with treatment. Holistic Massage sessions are now available at CSA on Mondays and Thursdays. Sarah, a fully qualified and experienced Holistic Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner, uses a unique combination of remedial massage and healing techniques, including traditional Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, Reiki and energy healing. Sessions are for 60 minutes and cost $70. The first session includes a free consultation. Home visits are also available. To make a booking please contact Hilary at CSA, or for further information please call Sarah on 0406 359 643.

reiki clinicevery Tuesday Reiki is a Japanese energy-based therapy that promotes healing and overall wellness. A trained reiki practitioner uses his or her hands to transmit energy to the recipient. Reiki has been proven to help with pain management, relaxation, and side effects of cancer treatment like nausea and stomach upset.

CSA offers a weekly reiki clinic staffed by qualified volunteers. Gold coin donation.


CSA Library News...We’ve been through our shelves andcompiled this list of classic cancer healing books which are well worth reading. You can borrow these titles and many more online or come in to our pleasant Cottesloe building...

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell

The Essence of Health by Dr Craig Hassad

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay

The Dragon’s Blessing by Guy Allenby

You Can Conquer Cancer by Ian Gawler

Healing the Gerson Way by Charlotte Gerson and Beata Bishop

The Gawler Foundation 12 Week Cancer Self-Help Program

Cancer, Healing & Wellbeing

Starts: Wednesday, 4th May10am to 12.30pm weeklyVenue: Cancer Support Association, 80 Railway Street, Cottesloe

Register and pay online: www.cancersupportwa.org.auor phone CSA 9384 3544. $350 per person.

Cathy Brown is an endorsed leader and will be facilitating The Gawler Foundation 12 Week Cancer Self-Help Programme – Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing.

Consistent with the principles of integrated medicine, the programme applies a self-help approach designed to improve both quantity and quality of life. This enables participants to make informed, eff ective choices and better manage their own healing journeys.

On the programme you will learn to:• Activate your potential for healing• Relax eff ortlessly and meditate deeply• Develop and sustain a positive state of mind• Understand the role of nutrition and healthy diet for healing• Develop strategies to manage pain and fear• Find meaning and purpose in life

Weekly Topics include:Week 1: Introduction and Meditation 1Week 2: Meditation 2Week 3: Mind Training 1Week 4: Food 1Week 5: Food 2Week 6: Pain ManagementWeek 7: HealingWeek 8: Causes and solutions for cancerWeek 9: Mind Training 2Week 10: Living and DyingWeek 11: Healthy EmotionsWeek 12: Health and Wellbeing

Each 2.5 hour session is interactive, supported by handouts and focuses on a specifi c theme from Ian Gawler’s book’ You Can Conquer Cancer’. There is plenty of time to practice techniques as well as opportunity for discussion and questions.

The programme will be held at the Cancer Support Association building in Cottesloe. There are limited places on the program so be sure to book your place early.


cancer in the news...

Doctors may soon be prescribing their patients a script to adopt a cat or dog, given a recent study found an estimated $3.86 billion was saved on health spending in Australia, due to the benefi ts of pet ownership.

A growing body of evidence confirms the holistic health benefi ts people gain from animals, including social, mental, physical, psychological and emotional health.

Maggie O’Haire, from The University of Queensland’s Centre for Companion Animal Health and School of Psychology highlighted some of these benefi ts at the recent RSPCA Animals and Human Health Seminar.

“While we know the health benefi ts of animals can include a reduction in blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease, increased sense of well-being and an increased feeling of connectedness to their community, what is less known is the value of animal-assisted interventions for children,” Ms O’Haire said.

By interacting with pets, children can learn valuable lessons in empathy, nurturing and non-verbal communication, she said.

Most recently the benefi t of animal-assisted therapy has been linked with helping to encourage an autistic child to speak, Ms O’Haire said.

“What’s interesting to note about such interventions is the little amount of research that has actually been done to understand the benefi ts. Especially given that such programs are relatively low in cost in comparison to other alternative practices”, she said.

Acknowledging the need for increased evidence, Ms O’Haire, in conjunction with the Centre for Companion Animal Health and School of Psychology is beginning research into the eff ect of animal-assisted activities for children with autism spectrum disorder in the classroom. ✦

From: University of Queendsland News: www.uq.edu.au

Pets bring health, happiness & healing

Lifestyle therapies work for cancer patients

CSA Library News...We’ve been through our shelves andcompiled this list of classic cancer healing books which are well worth reading. You can borrow these titles and many more online or come in to our pleasant Cottesloe building...

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell

The Essence of Health by Dr Craig Hassad

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay

The Dragon’s Blessing by Guy Allenby

You Can Conquer Cancer by Ian Gawler

Healing the Gerson Way by Charlotte Gerson and Beata Bishop

The Gawler Foundation 12 Week Cancer Self-Help Program

Cancer, Healing & Wellbeing

Starts: Wednesday, 4th May10am to 12.30pm weeklyVenue: Cancer Support Association, 80 Railway Street, Cottesloe

Register and pay online: www.cancersupportwa.org.auor phone CSA 9384 3544. $350 per person.

Cathy Brown is an endorsed leader and will be facilitating The Gawler Foundation 12 Week Cancer Self-Help Programme – Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing.

Consistent with the principles of integrated medicine, the programme applies a self-help approach designed to improve both quantity and quality of life. This enables participants to make informed, eff ective choices and better manage their own healing journeys.

On the programme you will learn to:• Activate your potential for healing• Relax eff ortlessly and meditate deeply• Develop and sustain a positive state of mind• Understand the role of nutrition and healthy diet for healing• Develop strategies to manage pain and fear• Find meaning and purpose in life

Weekly Topics include:Week 1: Introduction and Meditation 1Week 2: Meditation 2Week 3: Mind Training 1Week 4: Food 1Week 5: Food 2Week 6: Pain ManagementWeek 7: HealingWeek 8: Causes and solutions for cancerWeek 9: Mind Training 2Week 10: Living and DyingWeek 11: Healthy EmotionsWeek 12: Health and Wellbeing

Each 2.5 hour session is interactive, supported by handouts and focuses on a specifi c theme from Ian Gawler’s book’ You Can Conquer Cancer’. There is plenty of time to practice techniques as well as opportunity for discussion and questions.

The programme will be held at the Cancer Support Association building in Cottesloe. There are limited places on the program so be sure to book your place early.

In the world of modern therapy and medical technology, patients often neglect what they can do for themselves at home to bolster their immune system and decrease the chances of ever getting cancer.

Studies have shown that – for men are willing to potentially radically change their lifestyle and eating habits–switching to an ultra-low-fat vegan diet, prostate cancer patients can signifi cantly inhibit prostate cancer growth by as much as 70%, compared to 9% inhibition experienced by those who only underwent conventional treatment.

In a recent study by the Harvard Medical School, patients began a diet regimen that “provided less than 10% of calories from fat and contained only trace amounts of cholesterol.

The menu consisted mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, legumes, and soy products.” Additionally, a set of nutritional supplements that consisted of “58 grams of powdered soy protein, 3 grams of fi sh oil, 400 IU of vitamin E, 2 grams of vitamin C, and 200 micrograms of selenium every day.”

Daily exercise and relaxation techniques included walking for “30 minutes at a moderate pace, six days a week [...], yoga-based stretching, breathing, meditation...for a total of an hour a day.”

By following the above regimen over the course of one year, study participants experienced signifi cant results. The results lead to the hope that by adopting “lifestyle therapy”, patients can inhibit their prostate cancer....possibly even reversing the eff ects of cancer. ✦

http://hms.harvard.edu


Hands on Healing

By Daniel Weber, PhD M.Sc

What is cancer?(the facts, figures & what to do about it)

Cancer Cells are the Terrorists of the BodyCancer is a disease of the cell, a cell that is out of control, but it not only the single-cell but also the community of cells that creates tumours. Cells are like people; they are born with a purpose but in the beginning they all are pretty much the same. They mature and take on the characteristics of their function and then they age and die. When things go wrong, the body like society has a mechanism to bring things back into harmony.

The body, like society runs on rules and tolerates only very small infractions. These small infractions are met with a process called sickness or immune response. When the body, like society is overwhelmed because of poisons, stress, poor nutrition and a toxic environment the order breaks down and criminal cells become immune to the rules and run wild. This is cancer.

When they go very wrong they go wrong in a number of clearly understood ways; they become unstable, they inhibit proper and orderly behaviour and they loose control of their internal communication process. If this all sounds a bit like human criminal behaviour you’re not wrong. Next these rogue cells cut themselves off from their community and isolate themselves, they rapidly reproduce and create their own blood supply and then they invade surrounding tissues (healthy cells). Lastly they create ‘camouflage’ and evade the police (immune system).

Also, it is important to understand that these cells don’t act alone but are created in a toxic body environment that allows them to flourish.

This analogy indicates that cells and society have a great deal in common. In a healthy culture citizens behave themselves, co-operate with each other and do their jobs in an orderly fashion. We are born, mature and die all within the laws and codes of society. When we break the rules we are punished. Likewise every cell has a function and must obey the laws of biology. When they fail at that function, they are punished. The surrounding cells kill cells that rogue or they are told to commit suicide, this is called apoptosis. It keeps the body healthy and functioning.

Disease OriginsTraditionally disease is divided into two categories; Exogenous or externally caused and endogenous or internally caused. For most of human history, externally caused diseases were the primary cause of death and debilitation. Bacteria, virus, poisons and parasites were the factors killing people at an early age. With increases in public health, sanitation and modern medicine these factors are in decline. What arises today with our longer life expectancy are diseases of endogenous origin, the breakdown of organs and systems due to internal causes.


When you have cancer act as if there is no

tomorrow, believe you will live forever;

focus on your life not on the disease.

Daniel Weber

continued on next page...

When we look at internal disease patterns we can roughly see two distinct conditions. One we can call degeneration, which is due to deficiency or what commonly occurs as we age; the immune, nervous and organ systems weaken and collapse.

The other is called chronic systemic inflammatory diseases (CSID). CSID are often seen as autoimmune diseases but are also present in a diverse range of conditions such as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), arterial plaque as seen in cardiovascular disease (CVD), measured by C-Reactive Protein and even in insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. The two states are of course related. Cancer arises from the relationship of these two internal disease states; the breakdown of systems integrity and the arising of chronic inflammation.

The Cancer Cure• Conventional Tumour Reduction Therapies (CTRT); Chemo, Radiotherapy and Surgery have not reduced cancer mortality over the last 30 years and in fact age-adjusted figures indicate a 6% increase. Heart disease has had a 240% decrease and cerebrovascular a 317% decrease since 1950. Also, a reduction in smoking and early diagnosis has not altered cancer mortality rates. [1]

There are indications of a reduction in breast cancer since 2002, however many researchers speculate this is the result of the lesser use of HRT in older women and a subsequent drop in breast examinations in that group. Recently, in the US George Bush declared a 1% drop in cancer incidence reports but many outside the National Cancer Institute suggest under-reporting by the Veterans Administration in some 28 States may have affected the results.

Figures in Australia from ‘the Cancer Council’

• An estimated 106,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Australia each year.

• 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85.

• Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia – more than 39,000 people are estimated to die from cancer each year.

• More than 60% of cancer patients will survive more than five years after diagnosis.

• The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past two decades.

• The most common cancers in Australia (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) are prostate, colorectal (bowel), breast, melanoma and lung cancer.

• About 374,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (the most frequently occurring cancer in Australia, but the least life-threatening) are also diagnosed each year.

• Cancer costs $2.7 billion in direct health system costs (5.7%).

• $215 million was spent on cancer research in 2000-01, 18% of all health research expenditure in Australia.

How does cancer in Australia compared with other countries?

• Cancer incidence in Australia is higher than for the United Kingdom and Canada, but lower than the United States and New Zealand. However, Australia’s mortality rates are lower than all four of these countries.

• The incidence of melanoma in Australia and is around four times higher than in Canada, the UK and the US. However, mortality rates for melanoma in Australia are quite low compared to other countries.

• Australia’s mortality rate for lung cancer is significantly lower than the US. For men, our death rate is 32% lower than the US and for women 48% lower.

• Incidence of colorectal cancer in Australia is higher than the US, Canada and the UK. Australia’s mortality rates for colorectal cancer are also high by world standards and are above those of Canada, the US and the UK. (They likely result of the increased intake of red meat and its methods of preparation)

• Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) on CTRT was reported in 1.6% of all surgery articles,

12 Cancer Support Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au12 Cancer Support Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au

3% on radiotherapy and 4.6% on chemotherapy. Overall controlled survival rate studies were not measured in nearly 97% of all articles listed in PubMed between 1996 and 2001 [1].

• In 2002 91% of cancer patients in the USA use TM-CAM measures [1]. In another survey up to 64% of patients surveyed used TM-CAM [2]

Is there a cure for cancer? It would seem many researchers, both in conventional medicine and complimentary medicine are working for such a solution but at this time no complete cure exists for solid tumours – though this doesn’t mean there aren’t useful approaches to cancer treatment. This also does not mean many patient aren’t in complete remission after the 5 years suggested as cure. What I suggest is there is no universal cancer cure that works all the time for everyone.

Five years ago, and even 2 years ago mainstream oncologists were dismissive of TM-CAM, however since that time an increasing number are incorporating TM-CAM compounds into conventional medical treatments. As stated above, up to 91% of cancer sufferers in the US use TM-CAM. Anecdotal, clinical information as well as published research suggests TM-CAM therapies increase quality of life [3,4], enhance conventional treatments [5] and are becoming part of the mainstream protocol.

Many Causes, Many SolutionsThere is no single cause for cancer although ageing seems universal if one assumes the DNA mutation theory of cancer. But other researchers suggest improper development of stem cells [6], while still others suggest a breakdown of the immune system. There are many legitimate theories. The research continues....

References1. Complementary Oncology. Beuth, Josef and Moss, Ralph. Thieme 2002, 2006

2. cancer. Volume 83, Issue 4, Pages 777 – 7823. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2000 May;27(4):623-30.

4. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 19, Issue 9 (May), 2001: 2439-2448. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 18, Issue 13 (July), 2000: 2505-2514

5. Mol cancer Ther. 2003;2:855-862

6. Nature. 21 September 2007; | doi:10.1038/news070917-11

...from previous page

The art of medicine has two aspects, correct diagnosis and correct prescribing. The next most critical factor is how to combine various compounds to enhance treatment. Wrong combinations can undo a good treatment while good combining enhances and creates an effect greater than the sum of the parts.

Most therapeutic products combine well with many antioxidants such as resveratrol, EGCG, CoQ10, SeaBuckthorn oil, Alpha Lipoic Acid or curcumin. The primary vitamin antioxidants like vitamin A, E and C are also combined, as is selenium. I generally suggest cycling antioxidants to enhance their individual characteristics ie resveratrol from 1 to 14 days, introducing another such as EGCG at the 7th day continuing until the 21 st day and introducing a third antioxidant like CoQ10 at day 14, etc.

R Lipoic acid and Acetyl L-Carnitine can be used continually as R Lipoic acid is a bi-directional antioxidant which recycles other antioxidants and acetyl L-Carnitine is a stimulant to the cell’s mitochondria.

Curcumin and Quercetin is particular useful as a mild general antiinflammatory for those consuming alcohol and grilled meats and/or fried foods. Inflammation control substances such as boswellic acid, berberine from Coptidis and tetrandrine and fangchinoline from Stephania are useful for chronic inflammatory conditions due to environmental toxicity and can be used with other more specific compounds.

A regular use of a de-tox formula is important. As I repeatedly say de-tox the gut first, then the liver. Controlling lectin is an important adjunct to nearly every therapeutic regime from weight loss to cancer to chronic degenerative diseases. Don’t forget to follow up with a pre-biotic and a pro-biotic to enhance good gut flora. Don’t forget SeaBuckthorn Oil repairs sensitive gut, respiratory and urinary tissues.

Remember, when combining various compounds it is a good idea to reduce dosages about 20 to 30% to factor the synergistic effects. The cycling of a number of antioxidants gives better results than continuous use of just a few compounds. Remember, combining is one of the highest arts in medical prescribing and you will get better results, faster. ✦

the art of

combining

Articles from the Living Medicine: www.livingmed.com. Daniel Weber is CEO of Panaxea Medicine, an accomplished international lecturer and author. Daniel holds the Vice-Chairmanship in Oncology for the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. Daniel has a BA in Acupuncture, a post-graduate diploma both in Somatic Psychotherapy and in Adult Education, a Master of Science degree in Chinese herbal medicine, and a PhD in Traditional Chinese Medicine.Daniel is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Health Science at Charles Sturt University in complementary oncology. He has lectured extensively in Australia, South Africa, the USA, UK, Japan and China. He is the author of ‘Introduction to Integrative Oncology’, ‘Infl ammation and the Seven Stochastic Events of Cancer’, “Dui Yao the Art of Formula Construction’ and the groundbreaking, fi rst English language database on Chinese Herbs, published in 1992.Daniel is not just an academic but also a committed clinician, innovator and educator: he has been in practice in Sydney Australia since 1977.


Ross B. Taylor is the author of the book, ‘Living Simply with Cancer’, and also ‘Creating Health..Yourself’. He is the past president of the Cancer Support Association of WA Inc., and the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA Inc,and a former chair of the Edith Cowan University’s Psychology & Counseling Consultative Committee.

A solution to cancer seems an eternity away. Not only have we not ‘won the war’ against cancer, but the number of new cases continues to increase, and in the process devastates the lives of too many Australians. This it is a stark reminder of just how little progress we have made in ridding us of this fearsome disease.

When chemotherapy was introduced, after the Second World War, it came with it a promise that within a short time cancer would be beaten. Yet over 65 years-on, cancer continues to wreck the lives of too many people from all walks of life.

As a society, we seem to adopt a ‘military’ style approach to cancer, and it has failed miserably. Yet we adopt this combative mindset not only during the cancer journey, but even after death. Just read the newspapers or listen to the radio or TV and you will see how this ‘war-like’ approach has pervaded our thinking….

‘Football Legend Loses Long Battle Against Cancer’; ‘Movie Star faces long fight with cancer’; ‘John Smith lost his fight with cancer after a long illness’; ‘Doctors Winning the War on Cancer’.

It is completely understandable that doctors, patients and carers see cancer as something that needs to be ‘attacked’ and ‘beaten’. We all see cancer as some sort of ‘thing’ that has invaded our bodies. So just like a splinter, we need to attack it and get rid of it. But the bleak statistics tells us that clearly this approach has failed to deliver many positive outcomes.

World-renowned cancer advocate, Dr Emmett Miller, makes a valid point when he explains that we have been ‘programmed’ into seeing cancer as an invasive ‘thing’ – like the splinter – that necessitates the declaration of war upon ourselves and attacking the invader.

Now it suits the drug and pharmaceutical industries to promote this ‘military’ approach to dealing with cancer, because if we see cancer as an invasive ‘thing’ then naturally we need to ‘rollout the big guns’ to declare war and attack it. The ‘big guns’ of course include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and the multitude of drugs designed to help us recover from the shrapnel damage to ourselves as a result of the war effort.

Cancer, as Dr Miller explains is, in fact, not a ‘thing’ but rather an ‘outcome of processes that have taken place in our bodies’.

These ‘processes’ within our magnificent bodies are at work 24/7. We have over 75 trillion cells all working with their own intellect and controlling every aspect of our lives. We replace millions of amazing cells every few minutes without even knowing it. Yet it is when these ‘processes’ are interrupted or altered that diseases occur.

So the argument could be that if we were to stop seeing cancer as a ‘thing’ and rather as the end result of these processes within our own control, then just maybe we could do something about it.

In my own case when I was diagnosed with ‘terminal’ cancer in 1993, I to wanted to ‘fight the good fight’, but was encouraged to take a different approach. Sure, I still underwent chemo and radiotherapy along with surgery, but decided to leave the ‘military’ part of my cancer journey to the doctors. I chose to deliberately focus on my general wellbeing and health and to change the processes within my body to bring my health back into balance; spiritually, mentally, emotionally, nutritionally and physically.

Whilst this approach has worked for me, I also know others who did the same but eventually died due to cancer. But they did so with grace, dignity and a sense of peace within-a far cry from the many people who die in pain and surrounded by sadness, fear and damage from the effects of their personal war on cancer.

The solution to cancer will only be found through an integrative approach to facing and treating cancer, involving mainstream medicine working collaboratively with the experts in the field of complementary and lifestyle therapies.

Whilst we continue to face the challenge of cancer with a single minded ‘military-approach’ to ‘winning the war’, the suffering will continue and the final solution will continue to seem as distant as ever. ✦

Cancer ‘epidemic’ demands new approach

By Ross Taylor

Could our whole approach to cancer be wrong and should we be looking for

answers elsewhere?


Providing Whole Body CareResearch studies have shown for many years that cancer grows in “fertile soil” or a hospitable environment in the body that supports cancerous cells. The internal environment of the body strongly impacts whether or not cancer grows in each person. For many, cancer is a symptom of an altered, unbalanced system. Along with receiving treatment for the diagnosis and symptoms, people affected by cancer need whole person health care. This model is called integrative cancer care.

Defining Integrative Cancer CareSo, what is integrative cancer care for the whole person? Integrative cancer care addresses the totality of body, mind and spirit, including the social and environmental health of the individual. All of these aspects of your health and life are constantly interacting together, influencing one another, and interdependently shaping who you are.

Think about integrative cancer care using the example of diet. While what you eat impacts your physical body, food also strongly affects your thinking, your emotions, aspects of your spirituality, your relationship with yourself and other people, and the internal environment of your body. No separation exists between these elements. As a living system, your body and life are comprised of various networks constantly communicating with one another.

Understanding the other dimensions of integrative cancer care provides further insights for people living with cancer and advancing whole person health care.

Supporting Your Mind-Body ConnectionWhat is the state of your mental and emotional wellness? The state of the mind and emotions affects health due to the mind-body connection. No separation exists between the mind and body. The body feeds the mind; the mind feeds the body. Thoughts and feelings, as well as beliefs and attitudes, impact and literally shape aspects of biological functioning. Mind-body approaches strengthen the mental and emotional inner life supporting health and healing.

Tending to Your SpiritWhat is your relationship with spirit and your spirituality? Most people understand that they are connected to something larger than themselves and engage contact with spirit. There is a sense of being whole when spirit is united with the body. Since healing is about wholeness, spirituality is an essential component of an integrative cancer care plan addressing the whole person.

By Jeannine Walston

Integrative Cancer Care for the Whole Person

Are you navigating cancer? What is your map toward wellness? Diagnostic tests, research, doctor’s appointments and evaluating cancer treatments are key components to optimise survival and quality of life. Anyone moving through a cancer journey will benefit from the best conventional cancer care available, but that is only part of the equation...


Jeannine Walston is co-founder and executive director of EmbodiWorks, a non-profit organization offering integrative cancer care resources. Jeannine has extensive experience in cancer education and advocacy, health care policy, and both conventional and integrative cancer care.

Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion. ~ Buddha

Caring for Your Social WellnessHow do you engage social support through cancer? For everyone, cancer is a social issue impacting their entire community. New perceptions and social experiences emerge. People dealing with cancer – patients, family members, friends – endure a range of social challenges and opportunities. Social issues that existed before cancer may also intensify during and after cancer. Learning about and providing support for social issues is a part of quality cancer care.

Addressing Your Environmental HealthHow do you support your health through your environment? Today’s world contains high levels of carcinogens. Each person must take steps to safeguard against toxic chemicals associated with diseases such as cancer. The National Cancer Institute even refers to studies as far back as the 1960s concluding that the majority of cancers could be prevented by acting on what was known about the environmental causes of the disease. Addressing the link between cancer and the environment is central to advances in cancer risk reduction and for anyone already living with cancer.

Improving Cancer CareBoth women and men have the capacity to understand that health is about more than one part of their body or lifestyle and instead encompasses the many dimensions of self. This wisdom must be applied to cancer care especially as studies show that integrative cancer care reduces cancer risk, improves cancer survival and quality of life.

Now is the time for more widespread innovation in supporting people with cancer. Integrative cancer care is that model. You can play a key role in improving lives and advancing integrative cancer care for the whole person. What will you do for your health and the health of those you love? ✦

“Health is about more than one part of their body or lifestyle and

instead encompasses the many dimensions of self.”

Children are the flowers of life! They bring joy and happiness to our world. It’s our responsibility to keep them safe and happy, so they could preserve the inner child inside of them for the rest of their lives.

“Many of us are carrying repressed memories of unhealed emotional wounds or traumas from childhood and sometimes from past lives. As long as these things are repressed within you, they will be activated from time to time, pulling you out of Presence or simply preventing you from being present. The ego will be constantly on alert to protect you against a recurrence of these painful experiences. And if the ego is on alert, it will keep you in the world of the mind. These emotions and memories need to be allowed to surface into the light of consciousness for healing and release. When this occurs, we can say that the past is released from you and you are released from the past. This allows you to deepen and settle into the present moment.”

Such negative emotions can sometimes be healed, i.e. permanently removed from one’s system, by allowing them to flow (this “cathartic” approach is taken in Primal Therapy, Bioenergetics and other approaches based on the work of Wilhelm Reich as well as in the Emotional Healing Exercises featured here). Likely the (by far) most effective in terms of time, expense and gentleness is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) which can be self-taught and applied thanks to the free material made available by its major researcher and founder Gary Craig. Although a relatively recent development, EFT is based on millennia of knowledge discovered by the Chinese: that of the body-mind’s underlying energy (meridian) system and our ability to influence it via acupuncture and acupressure to further its health by reestablishing full energetic flow. Highly recommended!

Another approach to creating happiness is the “positive psychology” researched by Dr. Martin Seligman. He writes in “Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment”: “Relieving the states that make life miserable... has made building the states that make life worth living less of a priority. The time has finally arrived for a science that seeks to understand positive emotion, build strength and virtue, and provide guideposts for finding what Aristotle called the ‘good life’”. He advises to achieve emotional fulfillment and increase one’s “happiness quotient” through pursuing one’s innate strengths and incorporating strengths such as humour, originality and generosity into everyday interactions, rather than picking apart the past, trying to solve decades-old problems and to fix weaknesses. ✦

From: www.healingcancernaturally.com “The Daily Guru”

joy.

16 Cancer Support Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au16 Cancer Support Association www.cancersupportwa.org.au

Cancer care in ChinaIn the spring of 2010, I traveled to China to complete my residency for Bastyr University’s doctoral program in Chinese medicine. Our team studied and worked in Chengdu and Shanghai, specifi cally in the oncology departments of two local hospitals.

I noticed three startling diff erences between cancer care in China and the United States and Canada. The fi rst is how diagnoses may be kept from the patient in China, the second is that cancer is treated as a chronic illness in China, and the third is the integrated use of chemotherapy and Chinese herbal medicine.

Cancer? What Cancer?Often when people are diagnosed with cancer in China, they are not told. The family may be told, but they keep the news from their loved one. The underlying motive is to remove the stress element of the diagnosis. This would obviously never be done here in the West for legal reasons (holy lawsuit, Batman!), but it goes without saying that patients are far more relaxed.

Even for the patients who knew of their cancer diagnosis, there was generally a mindset (among both patients and doctors) that this would be a chronic illness requiring a long-term approach. Patients would often check into a hospital and stay for a few weeks of chemotherapy on a revolving schedule depending on their type and grade of cancer.

I will never forget one patient with pancreatic cancer. She had been given this diagnosis 12 years earlier! She was thriving and took Chinese herbal medicine between her cycles of chemotherapy. She continued to work and had a very positive outlook on life.

Mix Me a CocktailAs a researcher and herbalist, it was so inspiring to learn how doctors were combining chemotherapies with Chinese herbal medicine. While in the hospital, patients would drink a decoction of Chinese herbs specifi c to their condition and may also have received “herbal chemotherapy.” Ironically, this herbal chemotherapy might consist of toxic herbs, Ya Dan Zi (Brucea fruit) or Chan Su (toad venom), given intravenously in addition to a typical chemotherapy drug. These are toxic herbs that are not available in the United States or Canada.

It was exciting that doctors did not fear combining certain herbs with chemotherapy and saw improved results as compared to using herbs or chemotherapy alone. Some studies had been done or were underway, but I got the impression that most decisions were based on empirical evidence. Because of the diff erent medical paradigm in China, most patients are ready and willing to be treated with herbs. Consequently doctors are getting more and more profi cient and experienced in the art of combining. Since patients are closely monitored during their hospital stays, adjustments in dosage could be easily made.

In Chinese medicine, there are two goals of treatment:

1. Fight the xie qi (translated as “evil qi”), meaning kill cancer cells.

2. Boost the zheng qi (translated as “true qi”), meaning rebuild the body’s core energy.

It is generally agreed that surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are currently the best techniques around for fi ghting the evil qi. But we are challenged by the fact that these techniques are killing normal, healthy cells including cells needed for strong immunity and digestion. In the East, they consider this an absolute insult to our essential zheng qi. In the West, our oncologists have no prescriptions for rebuilding this core energy.

Chinese medicine is close to 5,000 years old but is modernizing. In modern Chinese medicine we use herbal formulae and acupuncture in addition to chemotherapy and radiation. The herbs and acupuncture both work to do what conventional medicine does not do: boost immunity, reduce cancer growth, improve digestion, improve immunity, and decrease the side eff ects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Understandably, many oncologists are not comfortable with herbs being taken during active chemotherapy (due to the lack of reliable studies of such combinations).

Moving Forward in the WestMy recommendations if you are considering using Chinese herbal medicine during cancer treatment would be:

1. Work with an experienced Chinese herbalist, one who is licensed or has completed an accredited program and who will support you during your chemo and radiation. An elegant and simple herbal formula may be called for to help manage the sometimes diffi cult side eff ects of drugs and to rebuild your system.

2. Ask your oncologist what they are comfortable with. If your oncologist does not agree with you taking herbs during chemo, inquire about taking them when you have fi nished.

3. Always let your Chinese herbalist know of any side eff ects you may have related to the herbs. Natural does not equal safe!

4. If herbs are not right for you, consider acupuncture. Acupuncture and moxibustion can greatly help the zheng qi bounce back. Other methods to rebuild include eating well, practicing qigong or tai chi, letting go of emotional pain and grudges, meditating, and surrounding yourself with positivity. ✦

By Erin Moran

Erin Moran, DOAM, MSN, LAc, holds a doctorate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine with a focus in integrative oncology. She is a member of the Society of Integrative Oncology and lives and practices in Vancouver.


Do you need to de-stress and revitalise your body? Acupuncture is one of the most popular complementary therapies and, as its been around for more than 2,500 years, and is practised by some 3 million acupuncturists worldwide, it´s hardly a passing fad. It has even been recognised as an important treatment by the medical world, including in the treatment of the symptoms of cancer.

Acupuncture can help lessen the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the body, boost energy levels and enhance a sense of overall wellbeing.

Importantly, in the last year there have been at least three American Clinical Trials which have not just shown its benefits in pain relief, but have explained what is actually going on. So it is becoming a genuine alternative cancer treatment for cancer pain relief.

Mention acupuncture to most people and they´ll have visions of sharp needles and painful injections, but acupuncture needles are very different to those used in doctors´ surgeries. They are much finer and more solid than the hollow ones used to pass something into your body and, as The London Haven acupuncturist Christopher Woodward assures, “They don´t cut the skin, but tend to push it apart. It´s quite rare that an acupuncture point will bleed when you take the needle out.” As they are inserted inside a guide tube, many people don´t even feel the needles, just the pressure from the tube pressing on the skin. The sensation as qi arrives at the needle can be slightly achy or electrical, but never unmanageable.

There are two main styles of acupuncture practised. The kind you will receive in a session with a traditional acupuncturist is a holistic approach to health based on thousands of years of developments and refinements in the Far East. An acupuncturist´s skill lies in his ability to make a traditional diagnosis from a complex pattern of disharmony. Western-style or medical acupuncture is much more recent and mostly practised by doctors and physiotherapists.

Although often described as a means of pain relief, acupuncture is in fact used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. It focuses on improving the overall wellbeing of the patient rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body´s motivating energy – qi – moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin.

In China, Yin and Yang are a way of describing the appropriate balance or function of a system, and when the Yin and Yang of the body become unbalanced, illness may result. By inserting fine needles into the meridians, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body´s own healing response and help restore its natural balance. The flow of qi can be disturbed by emotional states, such as anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief; poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma. The main aim of acupuncture in treating the whole person is to recover the appropriate balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual individual.

In ancient China many local doctors were acupuncturists. People would go along for an acupuncture session at the change of every season – a kind of MOT, if you like. If any of those people subsequently became ill that season, they would receive free treatment until they were better. However if they hadn´t gone along at the change of the season they would be charged for each consultation. So, as our mothers always told us, prevention is better than cure.

Acupuncture and cancer

Returning the body to a state of harmony and ease

Acupuncture can help lessen the side-effects of chemotherapy

and radiotherapy on the body

continued on next page...


The ConsultationWhen you go along to an acupuncturist, the first session will normally take an hour. Chris Woodward´s sessions are inclusive, so there´ll be general advice about lifestyle as well, as the treatment. “We don´t really treat diseases, we treat people,” he emphasises. Obviously at the Haven he will start with the presenting complaint or symptom e.g.:

“I´ve got breast cancer and am having chemotherapy and suffering with hot flushes, he then goes into a detailed medical history, including family background, followed by questions about diet and lifestyle. Only after all that will he turn his attention to the pulses.

“If I feel that, say, the kidney energy is quite weak I may ask questions around that,” explains Chris. “From the Chinese point of view I would ask, ´Do you suffer lower back pain? Do you have tinnitus? Do you ever feel fearful? Do you ever crave or hate salt or love or hate water?´

Apart from the pulses, an acupuncturist will also examine the tongue, face or abdomen. “There´s nothing about a person that is not relevant,” says Chris. “Whether it´s their smell, the hue of their skin, the sound of their voice – it´s all part of my diagnosis and will be taken into consideration.”

The tongue provides a “sort of map of the body” to a trained acupuncturist. Any crack, colour, coating or movement within it is a guide to what´s going on (so avoid strong coffee or red wine just before your appointment!). The tip of the tongue represents the heart or the mind, the centre the digestive area, the root the gynae area, and the sides the liver and spleen.

There are about 500 acupuncture points on the body, which are generally in pairs, eg: one on each foot which will both be for part of the liver. In most treatments, four or five pairs of points will be used (eight or 10 little needles), but if someone is very tired it may be appropriate to use one pair for a very gentle acupuncture because too many needles would spread the energy and the focus on the treatment too thinly.

Meridians, or acupuncture pathways, generally run from the extremity of the body towards the centre, to an organ. Or they will run from an organ to the extremity such as a toe or finger. “So within the Chinese diagnosis, if an organ system is responsible, say, for a headache, the function of that organ will be treated along the meridian,” Chris explains. “It´s extremely complicated because what we´re looking at are patterns not really specifics. From: www.canceractive.com.

When needles are being inserted, the resulting sensation, as the qi (energy) grasps the needle, is called deqi. It´s often a gentle tingling sensation, or a slight distending achy feeling. It can also feel like water flowing, but is not unpleasant.

Acupuncture usually leaves people feeling calm and relaxed. But occasionally you may feel drowsy for a few hours, so go along with a friend, if possible, who can take you home afterwards.

Benefi ts for Those Living with CancerThe whole idea of acupuncture is to return the body to a state of harmony and ease. As conventional treatment for most forms of cancer is quite traumatic and invasive there are often side effects. Acupuncture can help with nausea, lack of appetite, lack of energy and memory loss; as well as speeding up recovery and scar healing.

“We all take for granted that ice, water and steam are different energetic forms of H2O,” says Chris. “Likewise the body, mind and spirit are different energetic forms of us. If one of these is affected there will, or can be, consequences in the other two and acupuncture considers the whole person.

“When someone is having chemotherapy or radiotherapy there are often all these intense heat symptoms: hot flushes, migraines, nausea. Everything´s at the top of the body. It´s like having a bottle of water that´s half full from the top. We´re trying to bring the energy down, and that can ease agitation.

Friends of friends sometimes doubt the power of acupuncture and ask Chris if it actually works. “It´s hilarious,” he admits. “Do they think I´d spend my life doing something that doesn´t work? I agree that it still seems quite absurd that you stick a needle in a foot or leg and take away someone´s long-term chronic pain, but that can be the effect of balancing the physical, mental and spiritual.

It´s very rewarding helping people with cancer, because often a lot of positive things can come out of a bad experience. There´s a huge spiritual awakening after any crisis. ´Know thyself´ is the basis of all philosophy, and religions, and the sense of separation is the basis of all suffering really. The best job acupuncturists can ever do is to hear what the whole of the patient is saying to us and to be a very clear mirror to the patients we see because, after all, they´re coming to see themselves – not us.” ✦

A weekly group held every Tuesday at CSA 10am – 12noon. Anyone who’s life has been aff ected by cancer or other life threatening illnesses is welcome to attend. A Carer’s Support Group is held at the same time when required.


How well and often do you love yourself? Are you your own best friend? How kindly and exquisitely do you tend to your own soul? Your answers to these questions may reveal an opportunity to practice more self-love. In my book: Fabulous Friendship Festival; Loving Wildly, Learning Deeply, Living Fully with Our Friends, I write about self-friendship, and have discovered through teaching workshops about it, that about 85% of people do not identify or describe themselves as their own closest friend.

We are taught to love ourselves, from many sources, such as the bible; “Love thy neighbour as thyself” to every metaphysical teaching, yet the actual practice of it is not often or openly discussed. It’s as if we’re just supposed to do it “naturally” and not need support, permission, reminders or examples.

Most of us are practicing being outer focused fi rst, tending to the needs and requests of others before ourselves. Then somehow, it seems that there isn’t enough time left over for ourselves. That’s because we’re doing it backwards. To truly love and be friends with others, we must practice loving ourselves well and fully on a daily basis. If we don’t, we all witness and experience crabby unloved people walking around, living their lives not experiencing self-love (or loving others.)

While in New York city recently, I met a hotel manager who projected absolute radiant positive energy. When I complimented him and told him how much I appreciated it, he enthusiastically said; “I know! I am just so in love with myself!” I felt that love in every cell of my body, and stuck to him like a magnet during my stay at that hotel. When I share this story with groups of people, they laugh because it just sounds so unusual and strange. Yet, when we fall in love with another person, it’s perfectly acceptable and expected to exclaim about our love, and everyone cheers and applauds.

We still think that self-love is selfi sh and narcissistic, forgetting that conscious selfi shness is necessary for loving ourselves, and that we cannot truly love others without these experiences of self-loving. We are all selfi sh-in the best sense of what that means- to care for ourselves fi rst.

I’ve been practicing loving myself more deeply in a number of new ways, beginning and ending my days by hugging myself. It began with a moment or two, and it’s now escalated to 5-10 minutes at a time. I can feel all my endorphins being elevated, and always end up grinning and beaming. I’ve begun saying out loud in certain situations; “I’m just so in love with myself!” and noticing the responses. Most people love it and want to join in. As I expand my experiences of self-love, I’ve observed that I’m more available and loving to friends and family too. It’s as if my own inside well is so full of love, that I just naturally share the overfl ow.

I think I used to feel a little scared that if I really loved myself, I’d become so self-absorbed that there wouldn’t be room for anyone else. The opposite is truly occurring and I’m steeped in self-love, friendship with myself and exquisite self-care practices that radiate out directly to the world. I keep a daily joy and gratitude journal, and fi ll pages with wonderful experiences and morsels of goodness. I’m always on the lookout for more, and this

draws more of those kinds of experiences to me. Practicing self-friendship and love also means tending to, and being present for the the times I don’t feel positive or self-loving at all.

How do we practice self-love during those times too? It’s easy to love ourselves when we feel good and “things are going our way,” it’s less easy when we experience self-criticism, frustration, negativity or self-abandonment.

How unconditional is your love for your self? We are all made up of light and shadows, and many of us try to fl ee the shadows and stay in the light.

Wanting to live in the light isn’t the problem, attempting to fl ee the shadows is. As long as we continue to turn away from the parts of ourselves that we judge as unworthy, unacceptable or unlovable, we will continue to experience separation and lack of love.

In order to more deeply and consistently practice self-love and self-friendship, it is helpful to have resources. Here are some I personally utilise and recommend:1. Loving What Is by Byron Katie2. Ask and it Is Given by Jerry & Esther Hicks3. The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer4. Relax Into Wealth by Alan Cohen5. Embracing Your Inner Critic by Hal Stone & Sidra Stone6. Making A Change For Good by Cheri Huber7. The Art of Extreme Self Care by Cheryl Richardson8. All the music of Karen Drucker9.Yourself

Self-healing is available to each one of us, and we forget the power of it, and don’t often include ourselves on such lists. We may be tempted to endow “someone else” with the knowledge or way to go, forgetting that we do the actual work and apply the teachings.

So, become the most marvelous friend to yourself fi rst. Find your broken places and gain strength there too. Practice looking into your shadows (you can use a fl ashlight) and become aware of how to best care for yourself during those times also, and experience loving yourself unconditionally more often.

Turn your wide heart and loving eyes towards yourself and awaken what you already know:YOU ARE SEENYOU ARE KNOWNYOU ARE LOVEDBy everyone, especially yourself! ✦

From: www.sarkjournal.com

By SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy)

praciticing

lovingourselves

ow well and often do you love yourself? Are you your own best friend? How kindly and exquisitely do you tend to your own soul? Your answers to these questions may reveal an opportunity to practice more self-love. In my book: Fabulous Friendship Festival; Loving Wildly, Learning Deeply, Living Fully with Our Friends, I write about self-friendship, and have discovered through teaching workshops about it, that about 85% of people do not


With cancer risk factors

(carcinogenic foods,

environmental hazards,

sedentary lifestyles) on the

rise, there’s no better time to

learn about a simple, painless

step you can take to reduce

your risk of developing cancer

– or do your best to fight it if

you’ve already been diagnosed.

Yes, it’s the power of nutrition

– nature’s best cancer defense.

If you haven’t already heard about the book Foods That Fight Cancer: Preventing Cancer Through Diet, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy and recommend it to everyone you know. The book is authored by two leading cancer researchers, Drs. Richard Beliveau and Denis Gringas. Dr. Beliveau holds the chair in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer at the University of Quebec in Montreal, and Dr. Gringas is a researcher in the Molecular Medicine Laboratory of UQAM-Sainte-Justine Hospital (Centre de Cancerologie Charles-Bruneau) and the University of Quebec at Montreal. Here’s some of what they say about how food can fight cancer.

How Food Fights CancerAs stated in their book, “Nature supplies us with an abundance of foods rich in molecules with powerful anti-cancer properties, capable of engaging with the disease (cancer) without causing any harmful side effects. In many respects, these foods possess therapeutic properties on par with those of synthetic drugs”. In a very precise but understandable manner, the two researchers outline the many biological targets affected by bioactive nutrients in foods that can help prevent cancer and be used in the adjunctive management of cancer. More specifically, they highlight the research showing how specific food-borne bioactive molecules can do the following

Decrease free-radical damage to DNA, which is known to produce cancerous mutations;

Strengthen immune system function, as various immune cells are known to destroy cancer cells (e.g., macrophages and killer-T cells);

Inhibit angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels) of developing tumours;

Block key signal transduction pathways required for cancer cell replication;

Stimulate pathways that induce programmed cell death (known as apoptosis) of existing and emerging cancer cells;

Enhance detoxification, helping to neutralize and eliminate carcinogens in the body;

Promote cellular differentiation, which decreases the risk of healthy cells from becoming cancer cells;

Block the formation of dangerous nitrosamines (chemical compounds, some of which can cause cancer) in the body;

Block the synthesis of dangerous forms of estrogen and testosterone, which are associated with reproductive organ cancers;

Slow the rate of cell replication, which is a key factor in reducing the frequency of genetic mutations that may occur;

Blocking receptor sites on cells to prevent over-stimulation of hormones and growth factors, which, in turn, slows down the rate of cell division;

By Dr. James Meschino

cancer defencethe power of nutrition


Reduce the synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandin (series-2), hormone-like chemical messengers which are also linked to increased cancer risk.

Key Cancer-Fighting FoodsIn addition to reviewing the worldwide evidence on this subject, the Nutrinome Project, a project conducted in their own lab, has shown that raw extracts from certain fruits and vegetables inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells to varying degrees. Using medulloblastoma cancer cells (a very aggressive brain tumour), they showed that extracts of certain fruits and vegetables could inhibit the growth of these cancer cells in the following order: garlic, beet, kale, red cabbage, onion, turnip, cranberry, carrot, potato, squash, cabbage, and tomato.

Since then, these researchers have gone further to show that blending some of these fruits and vegetables together into a cocktail and feeding it to immune-deficient mice, who were injected with human lung cancer cells under their skin, resulted in better health outcomes than occurred in nude mice who were injected with lung cancer cells, but did not receive the fruit and vegetable cocktail.

(A more in-depth description of these experiments and pictures of the mice can be found in the book Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD.) The specific brewed cocktail given to these mice closely matched what would be attainable for humans to mirror and included:

Cabbage Blueberries Brussels sprouts Broccoli Garlic Scallions Turmeric Black pepper Cranberries Grapefruit Green tea

The implication is that individuals who have cancer may wish to use a daily cocktail of this nature in conjunction with their standard medical treatment, as a means to enhance certain biological mechanisms that may help their body fight the disease.

Anti-Cancer Foods for Daily UseFor the rest of us, Drs. Beliveau and Gringas suggest there is a daily preventive threshold level of cancer-fighting foods that each of us should strive to attain. Their suggestions for the prevention of cancer include consumption of the following items each day:

Brussels sprouts – ½ cup Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage – ½ cup Garlic – 2 cloves Onions, shallots – ½ cup Spinach, watercress – ½ cup Soy (edamame, dry roasted beans) – ½ cup Freshly ground flaxseeds – 1 tablespoon Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon Turmeric – 1 teaspoon Black pepper – ½ teaspoon Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries – ½ cup

“Nature supplies us with an abundance of foods rich in

molecules with powerful anti-cancer properties,

capable of engaging with the disease (cancer) without

causing any harmful side effects. In many respects,

these foods possess therapeutic properties on par

with those of synthetic drugs”

Drs. Richard Beliveau

and Denis Gringas

Dried cranberries – ½ cup Grapes – ½ cup

Dark chocolate (70 percent cacao) – 40 g Citrus juice – ½ cup

Green tea – three 250 ml servings

What About Supplements?continued on next page...


While Drs. Beliveau, Gringas and Servan-Schreiber don’t recommend the use of dietary supplements to prevent cancer, or in the adjunctive nutritional management of cancer, numerous studies have appeared in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals in recent years showing important anti-cancer properties provided by various nutritional supplements.

This includes studies demonstrating their ability to help prevent cancer, reduce cancer incidence, and be used in conjunction with medical practices as an adjunctive measure to enhance the efficacy of some forms of chemotherapy and/or slow the progression of cancer and/or decrease the recurrence of cancer.

As a practitioner who is affiliated with a leading cancer treatment facility in Toronto, my patients are provided with the best that medicine, diet and supplementation have to offer, based on the total pool of peer-reviewed scientific evidence.

I have published numerous review papers on subjects pertaining to the use of nutritional supplements and cancer. I am also a lecturer on this subject in the Cancer Fellowship Program for medical doctors through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. So, I can proudly state that diet, nutrition and nutritional supplementation can all play a significant role in preventing and fighting cancer. ✦

From: To Your Health magazine July, 2010 (Vol. 04, Issue 07): www.toyourhealth.com. James Meschino, DC, MS, practices in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the author of four nutrition books, including The Meschino Optimal Living Program and Break the Weight Loss Barrier.

Leafy Greens

Green leafy vegetables are known as “Super Foods” becasue they are rich source of nutrients and have numerous health benefits. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin A, B, C, E and K. They are high in Dietary Fibre, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium Folic Acid and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Green leafy vegetables are the source of antioxidants and phytonutrients (or phytochemicals). We’ve compiled this list of compelling facts to convince you to consume more leafy greens!

1. Green leafy vegetables boost your immune system due to the presence of antioxidants and phytonutrients.

2. Dark green leafy vegetables contains vitamin A, B, C, E and K which is essential to your body.

3. Dark Green leafy vegetables helps to slow down the aging process and prevent age-related diseases. In otherwords, it has anti-aging benefits.

4. Due to high level of antioxident, green leafy vegetables has been found useful in fighting against diseases like Cancer, Osteopororis, Alzhemier’s, Macticular Degeneration, etc.

5. Dark green leafy vegetables in your daily diet can reduce the risk of Coronary Heart disease. As you know, that green leafy vegetables are rich source of folate and antioxidants:

• Folate – helps to reduce the amount of homocyteine in the body (an Amino Acid which in high levels is linked to heart disease and stroke).

• Antioxidants – content in leafy greens also helps to prevent free radicals from lining artery walls and the fiber content helps to remove unwanted plaque build-up.

6. It’s a perfect food for pregnant women. Green leafy vegetables contains the important nutrients such as “Folate” that is required for the proper growth and development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb.

7. Green leafy vegetables promotes bone health due to the presence of high levels of vitamin K. Vitamin K helps in the production of the Protein Osteocalcin in the body.

8. Green leafy vegetables are also rich in Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium.

9. Green leafy vegetables are good for the eyesight. They have lutein and zeaxanthin that helps to protect the eyesight from diseases like cataracts.

10. Low in calorie – an excellent food for Weight Management.

11. High in magnesium and low in glycemic values – Lowers your risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes.

12. Folate in green leafy vegetables also plays an important role in the repair of damaged cells. Folate is known to reduce the risk of Colon, Lung, Cervix and Breast Cancer.

13. The rich fibre, flavonoids and cartenoids content in green leafy vegetables helps in the elimination of harmful carcinogens and toxins from the body.

14. Add more green leafy vegetables to your daily diet. This will help you to regulate the digestive system of the body, aids in bowel health and weight loss. ✦

...continued from previous page

Flaxseed oil contains the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body converts into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the omega-3 fatty acids found in fi sh oil.Fish and fi sh oil may protect against prostate cancer, but ALA may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer in men. More research is needed, but men with prostate cancer should get omega-3 fatty acids from sources of EPA and DHA (such as fi sh or fi sh oil), rather than ALA.

From: University of Maryland www.umm.edu

A note on fl axseed


Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels. Normal angiogenesis occurs during fetal development to create the baby’s circulatory system, and in the uterus during the menstrual cycle, as well as occurs around a wound or cut to help with healing.

Tumour angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels that grow into the tumour, giving it nutrients and oxygen to assist its growth.

Tumour growth stops if tumour angiogenesis can be stopped, thus starving the cancer of nutrients and oxygen. If tumour angiogenesis proceeds, the tumour grows and may shed cells that will cause metastasis. Avastin (bevacizumab) is an anti-angiogenesis drug used to treat metastatic breast cancer.

Balanced diet is best for cancer prevention

The body makes saturated fat from carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are the same. The carbohydrates that cause the body to make the most fat are the refined carbohydrates that are digested too quickly. By replacing refined carbohydrates and starches with vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fruit, the carbohydrates will take much longer to digest and the energy they provide will be burned by the body as fuel rather than stored as fat.

Nearly all “whole” foods contain protein. It is difficult to eat a diet of vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fruit and not get enough protein. The digestibility of whole grains and legumes is improved when they are sprouted. In fact, sprouted grains and legumes can be eaten raw.

It is a good idea to eat some fats with each meal, because they make you feel “sated” or “full” and help transport fat-soluble nutrients into the body. (Fibre also makes you feel “full”. High fibre foods include whole grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables.)

Coconut oil is the healthiest oil for cooking. Most cooking oils become rancid when they are heated. In general, it is better to cook longer at lower temperatures so that oils used in cooking are not damaged.

Moderation is a virtue. The overall idea with fat is not so much to eat a “low fat” diet, but rather to replace the bad fats with good fats, and to eat about equal quantities of omega 3 and omega 6 oils.

Good fats include coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil (omega 6), and flaxseed oil (omega 3). Flaxseed oil is highly unstable, must be kept refrigerated and in darkness. Flaxseed oil is consumed as a dietary supplement and/or in salad dressing (we use half flax oil and half olive oil in our salad dressing, together with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, water, herbs and xylitol). Other healthy oils include fish oils, palm kernel and sesame oils.

Coconut oil contains fewer calories than other oils, and is easier to digest. The medium chain fatty acids of coconut oil can be digested by the saliva enzyme called “lingual lipase”, and are so easy to digest that they are incorporated into infant formulas and used in hospital IV feeding. Digested medium chain fatty acids tend to be used by the body for energy and do not get stored as body fat. In fact, the increased thermogenesis (metabolic rate) resulting from eating coconut oil is usually more than is needed to burn off the calories contained in the oil. We recommend that coconut oil be the main oil used for cooking. Plus, a little butter or ghee is OK when needed for taste.

Bad fats are the modern refined vegetable oils (soy, corn, safflower, cottonseed, canola), hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, and all fats that have been heated to high temperatures. The fat that clogs arteries is called trans fat.

From a cancer prevention point of view, the fat you really need to avoid is excess body fat due to the estrogen that these fat cells produce. Eating a balanced nutrient-dense diet including an abundance of raw foods, exercising regularly, plus unplugging your TV should help you control your body fat.

Preventing angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) by means of drugs and/or diet is a way to help prevent and treat cancer. It is interesting that a diet of anti-angiogenic foods is also found to reverse obesity in experimental animals. ✦

From: www.alkalizeforhealth.net

Green TeaRed GrapesLavenderStrawberriesRed winePumpkinBlackberriesBok choySea CucumberRaspberriesKaleTunaBlueberriesSoy beansParsley

OrangesGinsengGarlicGrapefruitMaitake mushroomTomatoLemonsLicoriceOlive oilApplesTurmericGrape seed oilPineappleNutmegDark chocolate

Anti-Angiogenic Foods

“Angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer – every type of cancer.”

Dr. William Li

What is Angiogenesis?


A new analysis has found that supplementing the diet with fish oil may prevent muscle and weight loss that commonly occurs in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that fish oil may help combat cancer-related malnutrition.

Chemotherapy can cause cancer patients to lose muscle mass and become malnourished, leading to fatigue, a decreased quality of life, an inability to receive necessary treatments, and shorter survival.

Researchers suspect that supplementing the diet with fish oil – which contains omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid – may help patients maintain or gain muscle. To test the hypothesis, Vera Mazurak, PhD, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, led a team that compared the effects of fish oil with that of standard care (no intervention) on weight, muscle, and fat tissue in newly referred non-small cell lung cancer patients.

The trial involved 16 patients who took fish oil (2.2 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid/day) and 24 patients who did not. The study ran until patients completed their first-line (initial) chemotherapy treatments, which lasted about 10 weeks. Muscle and fat were periodically measured using computed tomography images. Blood was collected and weight was recorded at the start of the study and throughout chemotherapy.

Patients who did not take fish oil lost an average of 2.3 kilograms whereas patients receiving fish oil maintained their weight. Patients with the greatest increase in eicosapentaenoic acid concentration in the blood following fish oil supplementation had the greatest gains in muscle. Sixty-nine percent of patients in the fish oil group gained or maintained muscle mass. Comparatively, only 29 percent of patients in the standard care group maintained muscle mass, and overall, patients in this group lost 1 kilogram of muscle. No difference in total fat tissue was observed between the two groups.

The authors concluded that nutritional intervention with two grams of fish oil per day provides a benefit over standard care, allowing patients to maintain their weight and muscle mass during chemotherapy. “Fish oil may prevent loss of weight and muscle by interfering with some of the pathways that are altered in advanced cancer,” said Dr. Mazurak. “This holds great promise because currently there is no effective treatment for cancer-related malnutrition,” she added. Dr. Mazurak noted that fish oil is safe and non-toxic with virtually no side effects. It may be beneficial to patients with other forms of cancer and other chronic diseases that are associated with malnutrition, as well as to elderly individuals who are at risk for muscle loss. ✦

From: www.medicalnewstoday.com 2nd March 2011

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Tackle Cancer-Related Malnutrition

Chickpea Basil Vegetable Soup

Soup Ingredients:*3 c. cooked garbanzo beans (OR use a can, drained and rinsed) *Bean cooking directions below 4 cups bean cooking liquid or water1 bay leaf2 inch piece dried kombu seaweed, rinsed1 unsalted vegan veggie flavour cube4 Tbsp tomato paste2 Tbsp olive oil2 slices fresh ginger, peeled & minced1-2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced1 cup carrots, peeled & diced2 cup zucchini, bite sized chunks2 celery stalks, diced1 cup green beans, 1” slice1 tsp dried thyme leaf1 tsp paprika1 tsp gr. coriander1/2 tsp ground fennel1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves1 Tbsp tamariPepper to taste

Soup Directions:Heat beans and liquid separately with bay leaf, kombu, veggie cube, tomato paste. Heat oil on medium-low in a large pot. Mince garlic and ginger, add to oil, stir and spread out. Chop carrots, celery, green beans, zucchini. Increase the heat to medium-high, and sauté veggies 10 minutes. Add thyme and spices, sauté another few minutes. Add the beans with cooking liquid. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until veggies are nicely tender. Add tamari & fresh basil, salt & pepper to taste

*How To Cook Garbanzo Beans:Clean and rinse 1 cup dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Soak the beans in hot water for four hours, or overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse. Place in medium saucepan, cover with cold unsalted waterBring to boil uncovered, boil for ten minutes, skim the foam. Stovetop: Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until tender (mashable)Pressure Cooker: cook 9 minutes at high pressure in a pressure cookerSlow cooker or Crockpot: After boiling and skimming, cook for 6 – 8 hours on low

Recipe from: www.savvyvegetarian.com

Low in Saturated Fat, very low in Cholesterol, good source of Dietary Fibre, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, very good source of Vitamin A, Folate and Manganese, estimated glycemic load 12.

Did you know that without diet planning, vegans and vegetarians have low omega-3 intakes and blood levels. Therefore, vegetarians and vegans should moderately supplement with sources of ALA and also supplement with DHA. VeganHealth.com has these recommendations for vegans:

1. 200 – 300 mg DHA (sources).

2. Do not prepare food with oils high in omega-6 (corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, “vegetable,” sesame oil). Instead, use olive, peanut, avocado, or canola oil. Only cook canola under low heat and for short periods.

3. Add .5 g of uncooked ALA to your diet daily. This would be the equivalent of:

1/5 oz English walnuts (3 halves)1/4 tsp of flaxseed oil1 tsp of canola oil1 tsp ground flaxseeds

healing recipe


Having your daily dose of nuts is good for your wellness, and almonds are actually one of the most nutritious snacks you can opt for. It’s already been established that almonds have a lot of health benefi ts. But more than that, these nuts can actually help prevent diff erent types of cancer. The various components and nutrients present in almonds each cater to battling diff erent types of cancer cells.

PhytochemicalsA high concentration of phytochemicals are present on an almond’s dark brown skin. Studies show that this powerful natural compound, which plants use to protect themselves against pests, have been seen to fi ght off cancer cells. In various laboratory experiments, the phytochemicals found in almonds actually aid in keeping brain tumours from multiplying. There are even accounts of the tumours decreasing signifi cantly.

Vitamin B17Almonds are rich in vitamin B17, or laetrile, a substance known to prevent cancer. Keep in mind, though, that it’s the bitter almonds that are rich in this vitamin, not the common sweet almonds. It has been noted that vitamin B17 kills cancer cells, if used as part of a holistic nutritional program. Alternative medical practitioners suggest eating several bitter almonds daily to prevent the growth of cancer. They say that B17 is composed mainly of hyrocyanic acid – a component that the body eliminates through normal cellular oxidation process. When cancer cells are present, they are unable to destroy the acid and instead absorb it, getting eliminated themselves in the process.

E is for AlmondsA good dose of vitamin E has been found in almonds. In fact, an ounce of almonds will already give you 35% of your daily requirement. Some studies have pointed that consistent consumption of almonds has signifi cantly decreased chances for breast cancer and prostate cancer. That’s because vitamin E in almonds came in the form of alpha-tocopherol – a known agent that prevents the multiplication of cancer cells.

Fibre HighAlmonds are very rich in fi bre, which are great agents for cleansing your dietary tract. This signifi cantly increases your chance of evading colon cancer and rectal cancer. A cup of whole almonds will give you 17.3 grams of fi ber – 86% of the daily recommended dose. Moreover, the monosaturated fats and calcium content of almonds also work against the development of colon cancer.

To get your daily dose of almonds to fi ght off cancer, munching on whole almonds is most recommended. Some say that three almonds a day keeps cancer away, while others would say that the number is closer to nine. If you’re not one to chomp on nuts, almonds come in other forms that may suit your taste more. Go for bread or pastries that are made from almond fl our or almond meal. On salads, reach for that sweet almond-oil dressing. Throw in some crushed almonds or almond slivers to your breakfast cereal. These are just some of the ways you can ensure that you get almonds in your diet in order to fi ght off cancer risks.

How Almonds Can Help Prevent Cancer

Serve this delicious dessert/drink in tall ice-cream fl utes and spoon it out like a pudding if you’ve been a bit heavy-handed with the seeds and it is too thick to drink. It is fantastically filling, and can be made a day in advance. You can add any seeds or fruit you fancy; try throwing in some linseeds, or using up any leftovers from your fruitbowl that are starting to go soft. Serves 2

8 almonds, skins on2 heaped tbsp oats1 tbsp pumpkin seeds1 tbsp sunfl ower seeds1 medium banana1 kiwi fruit2 large handfuls of berries – whatever is in season3 tbsp natural yoghurt250ml rice milk, almond milk or soya milk

1. Put the almonds, oats and seeds into a blender or smoothie machine and whizz until fi ne.

2. Add the banana, kiwi, berries, yoghurt and milk. Blend until smooth.

Adapted from Naturally Fast Food by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent

Almond SmoothieThis fantastically fi lling drink is a meal in itself and an ideal quick and healthy boost

“A form of vitamin may be obtained from certain nuts – as the almond – that would be helpful

as a preventive. A person who eats two or three almonds each day need never fear cancer.”

- Edgar Cayce

Email your healing recipes and food news to the editor: [email protected]


Wellness Newsabout Wellness News is unique in that it is an extremely positive, uplifting, intelligent

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Wellness News is designed to off er hope and life-enhancing wellness strategies

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Wellness News articles are commissioned or sourced from highly regarded

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Topics covered are spirituality, healing modalities, complementary therapies,

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Do not stand at my grave and we ep. I am not ther e. I do not sle ep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain...

In fond memory of those who have shar ed part of their journey with us...

Andrew Lim (started Qi Gong at CSA and will be missed by many our members)

Wendy Howl


Creating Something BeautifulBy Richard Kerbaj

An IT specialist with a burning desire creates unusual sculptures

A 28-year-old Russian IT specialist Stanislav Aristov had recently invented amazing sculptures by using

spent matches and fire. His incredible match art works include swans, butterflies and hearts and so on. The

carbon of the used matches and unsteady flame formed a special artistic effect.

Surprisingly, the creator of this wonderful idea doesn’t even smoke. He says common everyday items can produce unusual artistic effects. Aristov will exhibit his beautiful works in the UK. He said he had never deliberately had a plan in creating his art...idea and inspiration occurred naturally!


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