Diet Soda Information...

I recently received a message from Radiology Technician Schools, Christine Seivers.  She gave me a good site for "10 Unsettling Facts About Diet Soda" and the address is http://radiologytechnicianschools.net/10-unsettling-fact-about-diet-soda-2/  Rather than paraphrasing the article, it would be easier for you to click on it and read the original.  Also, a reminder to view my stand along page Sweetners...

Of course the picture was of the one drink/brand that I am having such a difficult time stopping. I am going to keep that in mind everytime I attempt a drink of diet cola.


Thank you Christing Seivers for sending me this information to pass along.  I learned some new and important information.

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)...

I located this information in http://www.ehow.com/how_5616960_drink-bicarbonate-soda-health.html which is in partnership with livestrong.com



Baking Soda


Tips and warnings before I get started

• Only drink pure bicarbonate of soda.  Some commercial brnds of baking soda contain aluminum, which is harmful it ingested.
• Test your saliva or urine PH levels inexpensively with litmus paper, the pink and blue strips you may remember from high school science class.  You can find these at drug stores.
• Do not take baking powder, it is NOT the same... baking powder contains other ingredients such as aluminum, which is harmful to your body.
• Avoid drinking sodium bicarbonate if you're on a sodium restricted diet or have high blood pressure, unless directed by a physician.
• Ask your doctor... if on prescriptions.
• Do not give to children under five years of age.
• Do not take on a full stomach.

How to drink sodium bicarbonate for health

There are interesting health benefits when you drink sodium bicarbonate, which is alkaline, in water.  Viruses and diseases such as colds, flu, cancer and even heart disease thrive in an acidic body, but cannot survive when your body is alkaline.  The 2009 Journal of the American Society of Nephrology revealed a study of 134 patients with advanced kidney disease.  Taking baking soda daily dramatically slowed down the progression of kidney disease, resulting in no need for dialysis.

• To increase your body's PH take 1/4 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in one-half glass of water on an empty stomach, once in the morning and again before bedtime.  Acidity and alkalinity is measured by PH, which ranges from 0 to 14 with  7.0 being neutral; a PH above 7.0 is alkaline, and below 7.0 is acidic.  Baking soda has the highest PH of 14.  Create a healthy body by keeping your body's PH between 7.1 and 7.5.
• Drink sodium bicarbonate and water solution at the very beginning of cold or flu symptoms, such as a runny nose or sneezing, to help kill the viruses.  Keep your body alkaline by increasing fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• If you are an athlete, swallow sodium bicarbonate supplements with water to buffer lactic acid buildup and improve your exercise performance... ingest one to two hours before the event, drinking plenty of water.
• Drink a glass of water with half lemon or lime squeezed into it twice daily if your are unable to take sodium bicarbonate and water.  Lemons and limes are acidic and become alkaline in your body, raising your alkalinity almost as well as baking soda.

Additional information located in http://www.mgwater.com/bicarb.shtml

• ...bicarbonate has been shown to decrease dental plaque acidity induced by sucrose and its buffering capacity is immportant to prevent dental cavities.  Other studies have shown that bicarbonate inhibits plaque formation on teeth and, in addition, increases calcium uptake by dental enamel.  This effect of bicarbonate on teeth is so well recognized that sodium bicarbonate containing tooth powder was patented in the USA, October, 1985.
• ...an ingestion of 300 mg/kg of body weight of bicarbonate before exercising will help you reduce muscular fatigue and so increase the performance of short-term physical exercise... (Remember to see above:  take two hours before event... drink plenty of water)

Happy New Year's...

Now that I have a diagnosis, and I am hoping fewer doctor appointments to determine a diagnosis, I will have time to research again.  This time, my reading will go towards CLL.  While all of my previous research somewhat still applies to me, it wasn't in vain.  Also, this has given several something to think about and spark their own search in healthier living. 

I have had comments from a few who didn't even think about some of the items I posted.  Since they have read and researched on their own, I have had "I never knew" sent my way several times.  That makes me feel like my time is not wasted.  If only one person (besides myself) gains helpful information, it is good!

Sugar

Sugar

 I have read numerous articles on sugar and cancer. There are some articles that state cancer feeds sugar, without going into the details. Those posts caught my eye first, and I thought, wow! If I can cut off the food supply, then maybe... A cancer cure is not that simple. While continuing my research, I found more articles on sugar, the details of how it hurts our body when we have cancer, and how we can help ourselves. Again I say, there is not “one” thing I am finding that we can do to cure or prevent cancer. But, there are many things we can do to help ourselves. Marie Z

--------------------
Excerpts from:
Caring4Cancer
Sugar and Cancer: Is There a Connection?
http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/sugar-and-cancer-is-there-a-connection.htm

"...sugar feeds every cell in our bodies. Our bodies need glucose, or simple sugar,
for energy. Even if you cut every bit of sugar out of your diet, your body will make sugar from other sources, such as protein and fat..”

So cancer cells need sugar to grow, just like healthy cells. It helps to remember that there is nothing particular about sugar that “feeds” cancer cells any more than sugar feeds all cells in our body.

Do I need to be concerned about sugar?

Even though sugar doesn’t exactly “feed” cancer cells, it is a good idea to limit the amount of simple sugar you eat. This is because when you eat a lot of sugar, your body produces a lot of insulin

Insulin is a natural substance made by the body. Insulin can tell cells to grow. In simple terms, insulin can “rev up” cell growth. For healthy cells, this is a good thing. This is because the cells in your body grow, divide, die, and are replaced as part of the natural process of living. However, cancer cells can be encouraged to grow more, too, when our bodies produce too much insulin. So while some insulin in the body is normal, excess insulin may encourage cancer cells to grow more, which is not a good thing

Should I avoid all sugar?

“...There are three other things in the diet that can help reduce the amount of insulin produced by the body when you eat sugar and carbohydrates. These are protein, fat, and fiber. When eaten along with even the simplest sugars, these three items help the body to make less insulin in response to simple sugar.

If you eat sugar with some protein, some fat, or some fiber, your body won’t produce as much insulin. Eating this other food helps your body process sugar more slowly, and this means that your body does not overproduce insulin. In short, protein, fat, and fiber help your body process sugar in a more healthful way...”

Putting the Information to Work for You...

“For an example of how this works, think about fruit and fruit juice. The amount of insulin your body makes after you eat a piece of fruit is much lower than the amount of insulin produced when you drink fruit juice. Whole fruit contains fiber and that fiber helps balance out the sugar in fruit."

"For another example, think about eating specific foods together to get a healthier snack or meal. Instead of having two pieces of fruit as a snack, try having one piece of fruit and a small handful of nuts. The nuts contain protein, fat, and fiber. These three things help your body keep insulin in balance.”

Eat in moderation!

The Bottom Line...

Try it black

“The most important point is that sugar itself is not bad. However, too much sugar, without enough protein, fat, and fiber to balance it out, can cause our bodies to make too much insulin...”

"Stick with naturally occurring sugar, such as the sugar that is found in fruit. This is a much healthier option than processed sugar that is found in candy, cake, desserts, pie, and baked goods. "




Try it without the
added sugar


"Avoid concentrated sources of sugar, such as soda and fruit drinks. It is OK to have 100 percent fruit juice in moderation. Stick to a 6-ounce serving. But avoid fruit drinks that don’t contain any real fruit juice... Limit your “treats,” such as dessert, to just a couple of times each week. Have a modest serving size."

"Focus on whole, healthy, unprocessed food, including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), nuts, and seeds."

Numerous references noted at the end of this online article

--------------------

Excerpts from the following...

The Diet Channel
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Cancer-and-Diet-Does-Sugar-Feed-Cancer.htm

Does Sugar Feed Cancer?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 10:33am
By Erin Dummert, RD

“Sugar and hormones...

It is true that sugar feeds cancer. But it is not as simple as some would have you believe. And it is certainly not as simple as curing cancer by cutting out all sugar. Sugar feeds every cell in the body, including cancer cells. The rest of the story is more complex, involving hormones such as insulin and insulin-like growth factor. The body releases these and other hormones that promote cell growth in response to a rise in blood sugar. These growth-promoting hormones are the real problem for people living with cancer.”

“Reduce simple sugar intake...

Simple sugars enter the bloodstream quickly and cause a rise in insulin and other growth-promoting hormones. Research shows that high levels of these hormones may increase the growth of cancer cells. The key to reducing these hormones is reducing your intake of simple sugars.”

--------------------

Excerpt from:
Rachel Beller
Nutritional Institute LLC

Sugar and Cancer (10/07/07)

http://www.bellernutritionalinstitute.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220%3Asugar-and-cancer&catid=74&Itemid=124

“The controversy stems around the idea that reduced sugar intake will reduce the cancer cells ability to grow...”

“Cutting down may not be a bad idea because when one eats a lot of sugar, it causes the body to produce more insulin. Insulin promotes cellular growth, including cancer cellular growth. While insulin is necessary for normal healthy cells, too much of it can have undesirable effects, including increased cancer cell growth...”

“Increase protein, fiber, and fat (good fat) intake—these can help the body produce less insulin and still provide the necessary required nutrients for healthy bodily functioning. Eating sugar with protein and/or fat and fiber will help slow down the sugar metabolism process, thus helping your body process sugar in a healthier manner. Too much sugar, without enough protein, fat, and fiber, will cause imbalance of nutritional intake which in turn will lead to insulin overproduction. The key, of course, is moderation...”

--------------------

Giving up high sugar intake can be difficult...
but I know you can climb that mountain to success!

 

Black Pepper

I found this information interesting, as well as easy to incorporate into your daily routine.   Marie Z

Excerpt from:
http://www.suite101.com/content/the-top-ten-health-benefits-of-black-pepper-a193900

by Lucy Tashman (01/25/10)

The Top Ten Health Benefits of Black Pepper 

How Adding a Little Pepper Can Improve Digestion and Heart Health

"While millions of people consume pepper in their food every day, most do not realize that black pepper is also an important medicinal spice that can be used to treat a wide variety of physical symptoms and diseases.  Black pepper is a natural antibiotic and a great dietary source of fiber, potassium, iron and vitamins C and K.  It has a history of use in herbal medicine for stomach ailments, anemia, impotence and heart disease, and has also historically been used to preserve food."

The top ten health benefits of black pepper...

"What follows are ten of the top health benefits of black pepper.  This list is by no means exhaustive.  As further research is conducted, more medicinal uses for black pepper are likely to be revealed.

*  Black pepper aids digestion
*  Black pepper helps relieve cough and colds
*  Black pepper helps fight cancer-Research has revealed that pepper exerts a free radical scavenging activity, and thus may assist in preventing some cancers and slow the growth of cancer cells.
*  Black pepper may help in weight loss
*  Black pepper helps treat skin conditions
*  Black pepper improves bioavailability - eating black pepper promotes the absorption of nutrients to all the tissues of the body, improving overall health.
*  Black pepper improves dental health
*  Black pepper is a powerful antioxidant
*  Black pepper reduces inflammation"

also look at http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-black-pepper.html

Green Tea

I have been trying to get used to drinking coffee without sweetening it.  To put it mildly, I am having a difficult time.  Green tea is something I am making now, and it is not too bad without sugar.  Marie Z

Excerpts from:
WebMD Feature
by Julie Edgar
Reviewed by Loouise Chang, MD
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea

Health Benefits of Green Tea

"real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab."

"Green tea's antioxidants, called catechins, scavenge for free radicals that can damage DNA and contribute to cancer, blood clots, and atherosclerosis."

"...human studies haven't yet proven what researchers like Chan have discovered in the lab: green tea's EGCG regulates and inhibits cancer growth and kills cells that are growing inappropriately."

"...one of the challenges is finding populations that drink ennough green tea and have for a long time," she says.  "With cancer, it's always difficult to find the exposure time," or the point at which cancer cells begin to develop."

"...it's difficult not to be intrigued by a few human studies that have shown that drinking at least two cups of green tea daily inhibits cancer growth."

"A Dutch study of more than 3,000 men and women found that the more tea consumed, the less severe the clogging of the heart's blood vessels, especially in women."

"Green tea and its extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol -- two risk factors for heart disease and diabetes -- but in very limited studies."

"Taken altogether, the evidence certainly suggests that incorporating at least a few cups of green tea every day will positively affect your health," says Diane McKay, PhD, a Tufts University scientist who studies antioxidants.  'It's not going to cure anything and it shouldn't be consumed as a drug, but it can complement the rest of the diet.' "

Cancer and Green Tea

Can a Simple Tea Treat Cancer or is It Just a Beverage?
Apr 26, 2009 Kristin Collins

http://www.suite101.com/content/cancer-and-green-tea-a112783#ixzz13bskYQB9

"The fact is, Green Tea has been proven to aid in the prevention of recurring cancer, especially in breast cancer. "

"Among other constituents, the most researched compound of Green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This compound is thought to have anticancer properties and has been put under the microscope in many population studies. EGCG is thought to be a very strong antioxidant. An antioxidant acts as a free radical scavenger that goes around the body and rounds up all the disease causing free radicals, including carcinogens."

'As well as an antioxidant, EGCG is believed to help produce enzymes that detoxify carcinogens and stops the tumour from creating new blood vessels for growth, this is known as angiogenesis"

"Please note that these claims have been reported when patients have ingested Green Tea as a beverage and not through capsules or extracts etc."

--------------------
Health Benefits of Green Tea
How to Use Tea to Boost Well being

Jul 22, 2008 Alina Bradford

http://www.suite101.com/content/health-benefits-of-green-tea-a61403#ixzz13bvInf80

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Healthy Properties of Green Tea

The Nutritional Benefits of Camellia Sinensis

Sep 26, 2009 Bridget Coila

http://www.suite101.com/content/healthy-properties-of-green-tea-a152848#ixzz13bw4Upt6

"The difference between green teas and other types is that green tea is far less processed, leaving more of the beneficial antioxidants, phytochemicals and other components that make tea so healthy.

• Antibiotic Properties of Green Tea
  Camellia Sinensis for Dental and Bone Health
• Weight Loss With Green Tea
• Green Tea and Longevity  Green tea has also been shown to have an effect on the most common and deadly diseases today, including multiple types of cancer, heart disease, stroke and coronary artery disease.
• Drink Tea for Maximum Health
• How to Make Green Tea Even Better for Health"

Foods that feed cancer...

I have written on a lot of the information in the following article.  This just puts it in a condensed version.  Good reading.



Foods that feed cancers 83
by Larry R. Miller
http://hubpages.com/hub/Foods_That_Feed_Cancers

Excerpts from this article:

"Everyone has cancer cells in their body.  In standard tests, cancer cells can't be detected until they've multifplied to a few billion.  When cancer patients are told there are no more cancer cells in their bodies, it means they're undetectable because they haven't multiplied sufficiently for the standard tests to identify them."

"A strong immune system can destroy cancer cells, preventing formation of tumors..."

"Cancer feeds on sugar.  Highly processed carbohydrates are sugars..."

"...NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with aspartame and they have been proven to be harmful."

"Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color and other items, usually some form of aluminum, to make it flow when the humidity is high.  A better alternative is sea salt."

"Milk and milk products cause the body to produce mucus.  Cancer feeds on mucus, especially in the colon.  Eliminating milk and milk based products helps starve cancer cells.  As a professional athlete I found by eliminating cheese, conventional ice cream and other milk products I eliminated the majority of my mucus, exercise induced asthma..."  (Note from Marie:  this news about asthma is interesting!)

"An acid environment is friendly to cancer growth.  Meat-based diets make the body acidic.  Meat protein is difficult to digest... all meat, except organically grown, contains livestock antibiotics, grown hormones and parasites."

"...bbq, when used to cook food, change the molecular structure of the food, particularly meat, and form cancer causing substances, carcinogens."

"Raw vegetables and fruits contain live enzymes that dissolve the protein walls of cancer cells."

"A diet of 80% fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and low in processed foods and meat, helps create an alkaline state in the body."

"Coffee, black tea, chocolate, sodas and many sports drinks are... green tea is..."  (Note from Marie:  Oh no!  My mornings won't be the same without both diet cola and coffee!  I am going to begin green tea, herbal tea??? )

"People with positive outlooks have a higher percentage of cancer survival."

"Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygen rich environment..."