Breast Cancer and Food - What Foods Can Cause Breast Cancer?

Many women have been searching for something they can actually do for themselves, or their daughters, to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer or reproductive diseases such as endometriosis, fibroids and PCOS. The good news is, you can make dietary changes and eliminate foods that can cause breast cancer.

A study conducted by the American Cancer Society identified a strong link between adults (over 18 years) weight gain and postmenopausal breast cancer. Another study, published in 2009 by the Harvard School of Public Health in conjunction with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, concluded that women who were lean at age 18 and who maintained a healthy weight through mid-life had the best odds of achieving optimal health later in life.

Current research also reveals that dietary choices have a direct impact on your health. In particular, the type of fat you consume in your diet may be a risk factor for hormonal imbalances leading to reproductive disorders and cellular changes leading to breast cancer.

The “Bad Fats” - Trans Fatty Acids (TFA’s) and Breast Cancer

The type of fat in your diet, rather than the total amount, may be a risk factor for female reproductive disorders according to researchers in a study published online in the journal Human Reproduction.

Researchers have reported there is a strong link between diets loaded with trans fats and female reproductive disorders such as endometriosis, fibroids and PCOS. On the other hand, a diet rich in tuna, salmon and other foods high in essential fatty acids (EFA’s) omega-3 and omega-6 oils might mean you will be less likely to develop female reproductive disorders.

Is Your Diet Supporting Healthy Hormonal Balance? Find out now with my FREE online test.

So What Are Trans Fats and how are they linked to breast cancer?

Trans fats are formed when liquid fats are processed and hardened (hydrogenated) to make them more like butter or lard. They are found in many everyday processed foods such as breakfast cereals, biscuits, cakes, fast foods, pies and other pre-packaged foods. They are also found in foods fried in hydrogenated oils.

According to Dr. Stacey Missmer of Brigham and Women's Hospital, trans fats increase the body's level of many inflammatory markers. These inflammatory markers have been shown to be associated with many diseases, including cancers, heart disease and hormonal imbalances. Hormonal imbalances often lead to reproductive disorders such as endometriosis, fibroids and PCOS.

Foods that are highly inflammatory are also those that tend to lead to weight gain. These findings suggest that dietary changes to reduce intake of inflammatory foods and maintain a healthy weight is something every woman can do.

Find Out What Dietary Changes You Can Make To Overcome Female Reproductive Disorders by Clicking Here

How can trans fats contribute to breast cancer?

With trans fats becoming such a mainsteam component of our food chain, the prevalence of medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer are increasing. Over the long term, trans fats interfere with your body's ability to ingest and utilise the good fats. They also promote fatty body tissue to synthesize small amounts of testosterone and related hormones. These play roles in fuelling hormonal imbalances such as PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, PMT, menopausal symptoms and low libido. TFA’s stop the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) from getting into the cell wall. The EFA’s have to find somewhere else to go; new fat cells have to be built to keep them in. Over time, more and more TFA's block more cells, you build more and more new fat cells, you get fatter.

The Residual Effect of TFA’s potentially leading to breast cancer. Once consumed, TFA’s are hard to eliminate. They can remain in your body long after you finished eating that pie, biscuit or piece of cake. Some countries, such as Denmark and Canada, regulate the amount of trans fats that can be added to processed foods.

Denmark has banned foods with a TFA content of more than 2% of total fat content. Canada has set a limit of 5% (or 2% for margarines). In the US, food manufacturers are required to list trans fats on the label only if the amount per serving is 0.5g or higher. This leads to manufacturers manipulating serving sizes so they can list trans fats as 0g. Other countries, such as Australia have no such regulations. In these countries it is impossible to tell from a food label if a packaged product contains any trans fats.

It can be safe to assume that the majority of people have consumed trans fats at some point in their life. If you regularly consume fast food or any type of food made in a factory, there is a good chance you are consuming trans fats. These trans fats will continue to have a disruptive effect on your endocrine (hormonal) systems for many years, unless you take steps to eliminate them from your body.

Where To From Here?

Consuming trans fats may lead to weight gain and imbalances in your hormonal systems. These in turn put you at increased risk of developing reproductive issues in the short term and chronic diseases, including cancer in the longer term. Maybe you are already on the path to increasing weight, hormonal imbalances and long term ill health? A naturopath can help by eliminating the stored TFA’s and rebalancing your hormones, leading you to better health.

Is Your Diet Supporting Healthy Hormonal Balance? Find out now with my FREE online test.

Thyroid - Fatigue and Tiredness

Chronic Fatigue, Anxiety, Mood Changes & Can't Lose Weight? It Could Be Your Thyroid

Chronic Fatigue, tiredness, mood changes and weight gain can be caused by hormones.

If your hormones are not 'in balance' then you can find yourself experiencing symptoms such depression, headaches, insomnia, chronic fatigue, weight gain and you may struggle to lose weight naturally. Thyroid disease is one of the most common hormonal disorders, after insulin resistance and diabetes. The majority of women with thyroid imbalance have hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid). A small minority has hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). The problem is that symptoms of low thyroid function are often mistaken for depression, signs of ageing, or are not identified as in the case with Carolyn, Bev and Val. Click Here to read their journey with fatigue.

Common thyroid Condition linked to chronic fatigue:

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
• Post partum Thyroiditis
• Thyroid Nodules & Cysts

What does your thyroid do and how does it cause chronic fatigue?
Your thyroid - a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of your neck - controls the functioning of every cell, organ and gland in your body. In addition, your thyroid regulates these functions:

• The use of oxygen in all tissues,
• The rate of repair of damaged of diseased tissues,
• Your blood sugar levels by controlling the release of glucose (sugar) from the liver to the bloodstream,
• Electrolyte and water balance in the cells and body,
• Your circulatory system,
• The energy and strength of the muscles,
• The speed of the impulse going to nerves
• Your libido
• Your fat metabolism
• Weight loss

Four main hormones produced by your thyroid gland directly affect your metabolism and body fat. They are thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine/levo-thyroxin (T4), and calcitonin (used in calcium metabolism).

Although your thyroid gland secretes and regulates these hormones, about 80% of the body's T3 is produced outside the thyroid gland, in the liver, by chemical modification of thyroxine or T4.

Hypothyroid women gain weight and find it difficult to lose weight because (i) their T4 is not being converted by the liver to the metabolically active form of T3 or (ii) the converted T3 hormones is not getting to the cellular level of the body – meaning that they are producing it, but their body can't use it.

Although most conventional practitioners only test for the inactive T4 hormone level, it is important to remember that active T3 thyroid hormone works inside every cell of the body – not only in the blood. If T3 isn't available at the cellular level, then those cells can't function properly. The T4 blood test does not test for this, but taking your body temperature does! I personally believe that your body temperature is the single best test of your thyroid function.

If you feel that your hormones could be making you gain weight and causing fatigue, take my quick hormonal test online click here

Symptoms of low thyroid function causing chronic fatigue

Every cell and tissue in your body is affected by hypothyroidism and deficient levels of the active T3 thyroid hormone can produce one or more of the following symptoms: weight gain, chronic fatigue, weakness, constipation, shortness of breath, depression, irritability, poor memory, difficulty concentrating, intolerance to cold, low body temperature, dry coarse hair/dry skin, hair loss, muscle or joint pain and stiffness, headaches, decreased libido, slow weight loss and elevated cholesterol or triglycerides.

Sadly, many hypothyroid symptoms are frequently dismissed by physicians as being a normal part of ageing, psychological problem, overwork, or some other condition. As a result, thyroid tests are never performed and the patient never receives the proper medical treatment they require.

What interferes with thyroid function causing chronic fatigue?

• Insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome
• Chronic stress/adrenal depletion – there is a strong interplay between the thyroid and the adrenals. One is usually weak first and then weakens the other.
• Prescription drugs including Dilantin, Lithium, beta blockers, Premarin, birth control pills and some anti-depressants.
• Frequent X-rays – from dental or medical exams or radiation treatment to the head, neck or chest
• Thyroid inhibiting foods – Over-consumption of soy and raw thyroid-inhibiting foods, such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale.
• Environmental, synthetic and genetically engineered hormones (oestrogen and other hormones) in meat, dairy, poultry and eggs. Also conditions such as poly cystic ovarian disorder, fibroids, IVF treatment and menopause.
• Exercise – The receptors for the thyroid hormones are found deep within the cells, and exercise stimulates the thyroid by increasing oxygen to the cells. When you exercise and breathe more oxygen into your body, you speed up your metabolism and the heat in your body rises. So, to pump up your metabolism, you need to pump some iron to heat up your cell's ‘fat burners' by giving them more oxygen.
• Dieting – During a restrictive diet that is either too low calorie or deficient in essential nutrients, the body produces less of the liver enzymes, thus converting less T4 and producing less T3.

Perhaps the biggest problem with diets is that most leave you with less muscle and more fat than when you started. Researchers have found that low calorie and low carbohydrate diets eventually suppress T3 hormone levels in the body by providing insufficient fuel for the thyroid and body to function properly.

• Heavy metal exposure – mercury is a toxic heavy metal, which comprises over 50% of 'silver' dental fillings and is found in cigarettes. Mercury interferes with the liver's production of 5-deodinase, an enzyme that is critical in converting thyroid hormones.
• Chlorine – added to most municipal water supplies as a disinfectant.
• Fluoride – primary sources include toothpaste, dental products, municipal water supplies, pesticide, and residues on commercially grown foods.

Tests for thyroid function linked with chronic fatigue
If you are doing everything right and still felling unwell and suffering from chronic fatigue, there is definitely something going on that needs to be addressed. Perhaps you are suffering from hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid) or sub-clinical hypothyroidism (you have symptoms but the blood tests are normal).

Let's assume you are overweight and think you have hypothyroidism. You've been to the doctor with complaints of weight gain, slow weight loss, chronic fatigue, cold hands and feet, and ‘brain fog'. The doctor examines you and performs some blood tests, including thyroid tests, and all the tests come back normal. However you are sure you must have an under-active thyroid as you have all the symptoms, including a low body temperature, but the doctor decides to not prescribe any treatment. You go home, sentenced to a life of weight gain, chronic fatigue and feeling plain unwell. This scenario is played out again and again until one day you finally fall below the 'reference' ranges.

The Barnes temperature test for thyroid function and chronic fatigue
If you feel that your thyroid is sluggish and you think you may be hypothyroid, testing your thyroid is important. You can take the do-it-yourself Barnes Thyroid Temperature Test, as an inexpensive, yet surprisingly accurate, initial test for chronic fatigue. Before the advent of the blood test, the Barnes basal temperature test and patients symptoms were all physicians had available to them to test thyroid function.

Doing the Barnes self temperature test will give you a starting point to determine if you may have hypothyroidism and need to have further confirmatory tests to establish why you are suffering from chronic fatigue.

How to test your thyroid and find out why you are chronically fatigued.
Place a thermometer (preferably digital) within easy reach on the bedside table. Place the thermometer in your armpit for five minutes. Try to move as little as possible because movement will raise your body temperature.

Record your temperature each morning for five days. (For women, additional consideration is needed during ovulation, since ovulation somewhat elevates temperature. Because of this, women who menstruate should start recording their temperature on the second or third day of menstruation.)

A reading of 36.4 degrees or lower may indicate low thyroid function and be a cause of your chronic fatigue.

Serum (blood) test for hypothyroidism

If your temperature is low, you may want to request further testing. If you want to go the conventional medical test route you need to request that your physician perform the T3, free T3, sensitive TSH, reverse T3, and anti-thyroid antibody tests. Remember that the standard T4 blood test for thyroid function only measures T4 (the inactive form of the hormone) function and is rarely sensitive enough to determine hypothyroidism. That is why I recommend that you ask your doctor to perform the other blood tests to get to the cause of your chronic fatigue.

In my clinical experience, most thyroid blood tests will come back within a 'normal range', but the patient still shows signs of (sub-clinical) hypothyroidism such as a low body (basal) temperature, etc. There is research indicating that the reference ranges are too broad and do not cater for the individual – I guess we are not all the same after all!

The good news is that new and more accurate salivary and urine thyroid tests have become available.

The salivary thyroid test

Salivary and urine thyroid testing to the rescue! That's right. Your saliva and urine now hold the key to determining whether or not you have an under-active thyroid causing your chronic fatigue. This brand new technology promised to change the lives of the millions of individuals suffering with an undiagnosed under-active thyroid. Because it tests thyroid function at the cellular level, the salivary/and or urine thyroid panel has been found to be more accurate than the blood tests in identifying an under-active thyroid. Urine thyroid tests are available from my online dispensary.

The thyroid salivary test measures T3, T4 and free TSH. The salivary or urine thyroid test also measures antibodies against thyroperoxidase, an important enzyme involved in the production of thyroid hormone. Positive antibodies are a sign of an autoimmune process (the immune system attacking the body's own thyroid tissue).

Reviving your thyroid and stopping chronic fatigue in its tracks.

If your thyroid gland is found to be sluggish and the cause of your chronic fatigue, through any of the various tests, you may first try the natural non-drug approach to reviving your thyroid.

• Identify what is causing it to be sluggish – e.g. stress, chemical exposure, etc.
• Check your basal body temperature.
• Consult your GP if necessary and request specific blood tests and discuss any possible need for medication changes.
• Change your diet – different foods do interfere with thyroid function. You may wish to consult a naturopath for help with this.
• Consult a herbalist – herbs such as withania, coleus, rehmania, kelp, etc. , are helpful if used in the correct dosages.
• Improve your liver function.

Avoiding the toxins I mentioned earlier and increasing your intake of iodine-rich foods such as seafood, asparagus, sea vegetables (kelp), garlic, lima beans, sesame seeds, spinach, Swiss chard and sea salt can be helpful.

The bottom line is most of the above symptoms may sound familiar – it's not unusual for a 30, 40, or 50 something woman to feel tired, burnt out, and a little bit overweight and this makes hypothyroidism that much harder to diagnose. However there are few things more frustrating than feeling chronically fatigued and unwell. It can take a while to get the right diagnosis. Remember though, if you are feeling unwell – there is most likely something triggering it. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.

Getting a correct diagnosis is crucial when you realise that being treated can be a life-affirming event. So explore your options and strive for a better, healthy life!

Healthy Thoughts ...

Spend 60 seconds looking around the room and take note of everything that’s red. Any shade of red will do. Crimson. Fire-engine red. Burgundy. Maroon. Even hot pink.
Commit as many red things to memory as possible. Don’t over-think the process, or try to figure out the point of the exercise. Don’t write anything down, and use whatever memory or recall method you feel will give you the best result.
Now close your eyes. Wait a minute or two.

Then, with your eyes still closed, try to recite a list of everything in the room that’s colored ... brown.

Open your eyes, and you’ll instantly see what you hadn’t before: all things brown. As Lifehack reports:

“It’s amazing what becomes apparent when you look at the same thing (room, relationship, career, business, opportunity, person, health) with a totally different focus. What was once invisible becomes immediately apparent. Obvious even.
This brief activity (looking for red) is a simple yet effective one. When you have a narrow focus, you don’t see the entirety of what’s there. The potential. The gifts. The joy. The fun. The good. The opportunity. When you look for bad, you’ll find it. When you expect rejection, you’ll find that too. If you’re constantly searching for problems, you’ll never see the solutions.”

Sources:

Lifehack March 11, 2010

Trans Fats are linked to Endometriosis, PCOS, Fibroids and Weight Gain

Dietary choices have a direct impact on your reproductive health and subsequently on your fertility. The type of fat you incorporate in your diet may be a risk factor for disorders such as Endometriosis, Fibroids, PCOS and Fibroids.

A diet rich in tuna, salmon and other foods rich in essential omega -3 oils might mean you will be less likely to develop female reproductive disorders. US researchers have reported there is a strong link between diets loaded with trans fats, and female reproductive disorders such as Endometriosis, Fibroids and PCOS.

Is Your Diet Triggering Hormonal Imbalances? Find out now with my FREE online test.

So what are Trans Fats?

Trans fats are formed when liquid fats are hardened to make something more resembling butter or lard and found in common everyday foods such as processed breakfast cereals and pre-packaged foods.

The type of fat in your diet, rather than the total amount, may be a risk factor for female reproductive disorders according to researchers in a study published online in the journal Human Reproduction.

Within this study of more than 70,000 nurses it was found that women who ate the most omega-3 fatty acids were 22 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with female reproductive disorders such as endometriosis than women who ate the least.

According to Dr. Stacey Missmer of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston who led the study, trans fats increase the body's level of many inflammatory markers. These inflammatory markers have been shown to be associated with the establishment of endometriosis and its progression. Dr Missmer also found that there is a likely increase in risk because of a chronic inflammatory response to the trans fat.

The researchers looked at the diets of 70,709 women followed for 12 years in the US Nurses Health Study. Women who ate the most trans fats had a 48 per cent increased risk of the condition compared with those who ate the least, the study found. Similar studies have been linked to PCOS and Fibroids.

"Many women have been searching for something they can actually do for themselves, or their daughters to reduce the risk of developing the disease, and these findings suggest that dietary changes are something they can do," says Missmer.

Find Out What You Dietary Changes You Can Make To Avoid Female Reproductive Disorders by Clicking Here.

PCOS - Natural Soultions That Work

Treat Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Naturally

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is a common condition characterised by weight gain and difficult weight loss, menstrual irregularities and symptoms or excess levels of androgens. Many women have successfully treated their PCOS with the help of Natural therapies and the guidance and assistance of the MassAttack weight loss program.

Characteristic symptoms of PCOS include:

• Infertility


• Obesity


• Slow weight loss


• Weight gain


• Insulin resistance


• Diabetes


• High blood pressure


• Cardiovascular disease


• Menstrual problems


• Infrequent menstrual periods


• Increased body hair


• Acne


• High levels of testosterone


• Polycystic ovaries

Not sure if you can lose weight with PCOS? Try my Hormonal Test to find out. click here

According to Narelle Stegehuis, founder of the MassAttack weight loss program for women, Polycystic ovarian syndrome is believed to be one of the most common hormonal abnormalities found in women affecting between 5 and 10% of women.

The cause of PCOS is poorly understood. One key factor in the development of PCOS is thought to be insulin resistance. The cells of the body become resistant to insulin, failing to respond normally. The body compensates for this by increasing insulin production, leading to hyperinsulinaemia.

It is normal for a woman with PCOS to experience rapid weight gain, period problems and some women experience excessive menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia). It is thought that approximately 50% of women with PCOS have elevated androgen levels. However, this figure depends on the androgen in question and the method of measurement. Women with PCOS have irregular menstrual cycles. They also may not ovulate with each menstrual cycle. Combined, these factors can lead to a woman with PCOS having difficulty falling pregnant. However, changing your diet to balance your hormones as outlined in the MassAttack weight loss program will help you to overcome your PCOS symptoms and balance your hormones naturally.

Other possible clinical manifestations of PCOS:

• Blood lipid (cholesterol)


• Metabolic syndrome


• Miscarriage


• Chronic fatigue


• Metabolic syndrome and weight gain


• Lowered metabolism


• Cardiovascular disease


• High blood pressure


• Depression


• Male-pattern balding

However, with control of insulin levels, many symptoms of PCOS, as well as the risk of complications, may be significantly reduced.

Obesity & glucose intolerance:

MassAttack is based on lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise. These are the first things to consider in the management of obesity in PCOS. Weight loss has been shown not only to improve symptoms such as menstrual dysfunction in the short-term, but also to reduce the risk of long-term complications such as the development of diabetes. Women with PCOS often find weight loss extremely difficult. Weight loss has been shown to be effective in allowing a return to normal cycles and natural therapies are effective.

Download my FREE eBook "7 Secrets to Weight loss Revealed" click here

Weight Loss Queen: Trans Fatty Acids and Fibroids, Endometrios and PCOS

Weight Loss Queen: Trans Fatty Acids and Fibroids, Endometrios and PCOS

Trans Fatty Acids and Fibroids, Endometrios and PCOS

http://www.mindfood.com/at-trans-fats-may-promote-endometriosis-wellbeing.seo