Are you drinking Green?

Merry Christmas Everyone y Feliz Navidad!

I hope your holiday season has been a time of reflection, relaxation and gratitude.  It has been a busy month for me and my family.  Every year I pledge to do less at Christmas time but somehow I have not mastered this goal.  This week we are in San Antonio trying to wean from the busyness.  So far it is working as it is 2:00 in the afternoon and I have not dressed for the day!  Love it!

I have wanted to post about green tea since the onset of Anticancer Amy.  Green tea has relaxation and healing properties that have been shown to positively affect cancer, heart disease, arthritis, infections, immune function and cardiovascular diseases.  Green tea, especially Japanese green tea (sencha, matcha, gyokuro) cleanses the body from toxins.  The data supporting the benefits is incredible. 

Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechil gallate (EGCG).  EGCG has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth and kill present cancer cells without harming healthy tissues.  Wow!  This is huge.  In my favorite cancer book Anticancer by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, there are colorful charts and easy to understand explanations of green tea benefits.  If you don’t have this must read book, you can find good information on anticancer living at www.anticancerbook.com/steps.html

What makes green tea more beneficial than other teas?  Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG from becoming oxidized unlike the black tea and the oolong tea leaves, which are fermented and are converted into compounds that are not as effective in preventing and fighting diseases and illnesses as green tea.  Green tea is natural, so you can expect very few side effects or maybe none at all when drinking it regularly.

There is a store in the mall called Teavana that sells loose teas and accessories.  It is a great place to learn about teas and how to brew them.   Their website is informative as well http://www.teavana.com/.  You can get Tazo green teas at Starbucks.  I also like Mighty Leaf teas which can be found in grocery stores and some coffee shops.  Whole foods has a great selection and usually has staff working the aisle to answer your questions.

So, get out and getcha some green tea folks!

Also, when you get some time, take a look at this neat website I found http://www.picktexas.com/.  The site has a great chart on eating seasonal foods in Texas.  They also have a list of certified farmers markets throughout the state.  Here is what is in season for winter in Texas:

Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, grapefruit, greens, herbs, honeydew, mushrooms, oranges, bell peppers, spinach, squash, sweet peas and turnips. 

Happy tea drinking and Texas eatin,

Sleeping in Seattle

Hi Everyone,
I was gifted with a short getaway trip to Seattle with my husband Brett. He is here for training and I am here to relax and be still. I love this city as it is filled with clean air, fresh salmon and friendly people. Our hotel room overlooks downtown with the Puget Sound in the background. It's walking distance to a variety of shopping boutiques and malls. Did I tell you how much I enjoy this city!

This week I received several emails regarding friends of friends newly diagnosed with cancer. I am constantly reminded that cancer is all around us. What can I do, what can you do? Live WELL! Living well can help keep cancer at bay. And keep you feeling well. On the plane ride up here I read an article about the mind's power to heal. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital is the founder of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. He recently published a study showing that meditation, tai chi, yoga, exercise, prayer and a variety of similar practices can alter a person's gene activity, changing the expression of genes related to stress and inflammation. Now, we're talkin! Dr. Benson believes daily practice of relaxation is necessary to sustain the changes. You can read more about Dr. Benson's work in his new book, Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health Through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing. Sounds like a great read for all of you who practice evidence based medicine.

This just in from the Wall Street Journal: Diabetes, cancer and other chronic illnesses on the rise in China. Chinese people more health conscious. The solution: Nestle, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola hoping to attract customers by selling health food to China. What?? Isn't that an oxymoron! I wonder if they are going to create organic diet coke? To be continued....

I'm off to explore Seattle,
Be Well,

Hope

Hello Everyone,
It's been a while since my last posting, tis the season to be blurry and frantically checking my To Do list.  I have three kids in school this year- which is a blessing and a curse. I am chronically confused as to whose class party I am planning, who I owe money to, whose homework is missing, and on and on.  Lately, it seems like everytime I sit down to write a new post in my blog, someone needs me.  I told my daughter tonight that I just need another me.  She said "yeah, so you could boss that other you around and have her do all of your work".  Hmm, that would be nice!

Despite the busyness of December I have been halted for the last two days as I follow the reports on Elizabeth Edwards and then learning of her death this evening.  I always get sad and fast forward to my own funeral when I learn of someone dying of cancer.  But there is something about Ms. Edwards' story that intrigues me.  I am drawn to her song of hope.  How she bravely discussed her illness as terminal but kept looking up, singing a song of hope.  On Monday, she posted on her facebook "...there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like,” she added. “It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.”  Just beautiful how she was grateful and humble about the blessings in her life.  For me, she is an inspiration to keep positive about living well.  God bless her precious children with comfort and peace as they remember their mommy and all the wonderful memories they shared.

There is a wonderful book on hope that I was given when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It's called There's No Place Like Hope by Vickie Girard.  It is a great, practical read for anyone suffering any type of cancer.  The author was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and told there was nothing else her medical team could do.  She wouldn't accept that answer (neither would I!) and sought treatment elsewhere which treated her mind, body and spirit.  She went on to live fifteen more years equiping others with the tools to fight and beat cancer.  It's a must read!

Grateful and hopeful,