Worth watching: history

This weekend I watched the history documentary The Men Who Built America (2012).

So far, I watched the story of Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie. It seems that there are four mini-series of six hours total.

At this time, the documentary is on YouTube; however, I am not sure whether all series are available.

The only conclusion I have drawn for now is that the greed and the nagging feeling of destiny in a few men have led to the economic dominance of America in the world. 

It seems that greed could be a great motivational force for economic development. Of course, frequently the advancement has come at the horrific price of dwindling humanity.  Just watch the accounts of the Johnstown Flood and the massive layoffs.

High-fiber recipe: spinach and bean spread

You already know that I am on a crusade to increase your fiber intake just because it is good for you!  This is a high-fiber recipe and is a variation of a spread from the book of Leanne Brown, Good and Cheap, available free online. I just prepared the spread and it tasted divine.
 
You will need:
15 oz beans (garbanzo or navy), 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil, hot pepper flakes, and paprika.

How to:
Divide the beans into two equal batches. Mash the first batch of beans with some of the can liquid by hand or blend it with a food processor. Heat the oil in a pan and add the minced (pressed) garlic for a few seconds carefully watching not to burn it. Add the second part of beans (the ones that were left whole) to the pan and heat for 2 minutes. Add the thawed spinach (after removing as much of the spinach liquid as possible), stir to incorporate. Finally, add the blended beans, the pepper flakes and the paprika. Mix, remove from the heat, store in a jar and use as a sandwich topping. Optionally: add spices of your preference and some lemon juice. I did not add salt since the beans are already prepared with salt.

Alcohol And Cancer

Paper analyzing the role of alcohol consumption in cancer:

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

There is increasing research evidence about the causal role of alcohol in cancer, accompanied by unclear and conflicting messages in the media. This paper aimed to clarify the strength of the evidence for alcohol as a cause of cancer, and the meaning of cause in this context.

METHODS:

Recent epidemiological and biological research on alcohol and cancer was reviewed and summarized, drawing upon published meta-analyses identified from the Medline database and the archives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. More recent epidemiological studies not included in these publications were also reviewed. A brief description of the nature of causal inference in epidemiology was used to frame discussion of the strength of the evidence that alcohol causes cancer, and contrast this with the case for a protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS:

The usual epidemiological understanding of a cause is a factor that increases the incidence of a condition in the population. In the context of a body of epidemiological evidence of an association of alcohol consumption with a disease, the inference that it is a causal association requires alternative explanations of the observed finding to be judged unlikely. Even without complete knowledge of biological mechanisms, the epidemiological evidence can support the judgement that alcohol causes cancer of the oropharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast. The measured associations exhibit gradients of effect that are biologically plausible, and there is some evidence of reversibility of risk in laryngeal, pharyngeal and liver cancers when consumption ceases. The limitations of cohort studies mean that the true effects may be somewhat weaker or stronger than estimated currently, but are unlikely to be qualitatively different. The same, or similar, epidemiological studies also commonly report protection from cardiovascular disease associated with drinking but a high level of scepticism regarding these findings is now warranted.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites in the body and probably others. Current estimates suggest that alcohol-attributable cancers at these sites make up 5.8% of all cancer deaths world-wide. Confirmation of specific biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.

So, alcohol consumption likely promotes cancer but skepticism is warranted about it being protective against cardiovascular disease.

I myself only consume (small) amounts of alcohol infrequently at holidays. I see no reason to be drinking alcohol on a regular basis.

Love small houses

I loved this small pre-fab house "Kasita". 
May be this is my retirement home?

Great post: Today happens once

I just read a great post that resonates with my current state of mind. Its title is Today happens once. And we are guaranteed nothing, and is written by Michael P. Jones, a gastroenterologist. Do you relate to this:

"...And I spend every day ... talking with people who are unhappy with their lives. They’re unhappy in relationships. They’re unhappy with their health. They’re unhappy with their jobs. They’re unhappy about all manner of things that often times are completely within their power to change" ? 

Change is in our hands. Most of us still have choices. We just have to act upon them.

Weekend cooking: veggie burgers, rice, hummus

This weekend we experimented with three new recipes. I love finding recipes online, but almost never follow the exact cooking instructions - either because I do not have all ingredients or because I believe that the recipe could be healthier with substitutions.

Almost "hummus"
Today my daughter and I made some hummus for the coming workweek. Despite the fact that we did not have tahini (sesami paste),  the result was amazingly delicious, so we decided to share the recipe.

We used two cans of garbanzo beans (15 oz), the juice of one lemon, three cloves garlic, salt to taste, and olive oil (approximately 5-6 Tbsp). Everything was blended in a food processor, but I had difficulty with this step. After preparing the spread, I read a few recipes online and found out that I should have reserved the liquid from the beans and use it to ease the blending. Oh, well - next time I will know, but I am not eating store-bought hummus anymore.

Veggie burgers
I also prepared veggie burgers (with a recipe from Internet). The recipe calls for 1 green bell pepper, 1 medium onion and a few cloves of garlic. All of these vegetables are blended in a food processor and mixed with 2 cans of mashed black beans (14-15 oz), 2 cups of bread crumbs, 2 eggs (beaten), salt, 2 Tbsp of dry summer savory, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. I prepared the mixture the day before, and kept it in the refrigerator prior to baking the patties on oiled cookie sheets at 375 F (20-25 minutes on each side). The material was sufficient to form 14 big patties.  If the mixture is too liquid-y, add more bread crumbs. Also, you can add any spices of preference. The online recipe recommended cumin, chilli powder and hot sauce. I used summer savory, as this herb goes usually in meat dishes and it alleviates flatulence (therefore, it is great when coupled with beans). 

Rice with red peppers
I love the taste of stuffed peppers; however, the hands-on work is way too much and the fresh peppers are usually expensive. So, I created a stove-top recipe that replicates the taste of peppers stuffed with rice, but it is faster to prepare. I used a jar of baked and peeled red peppers (from Sam's Club). First, I softened one big chopped onion in olive oil and water. Then I added the rice (1 cup), a can of tomatoes (peeled, chopped,15 oz), some water, and boiled the rice until almost ready. At the end, I added the chopped peppers, salt, hot pepper flakes, paprika, and peppermint. You can add as many peppers as you like, The Sam's jar is over 2 lb, and I used half of the jar.  A love this rice dish with a scoop of plain yogurt on the side.

Diet and cancer, again

The wording in the video is not quite scientific; however, the message is true. Watch if you or someone around you has cancer:  The Ketogenic Diet and Cancer. 
I have previously written about the benefits of both, ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting.

Another Possible Non-Invasive CRC Screen?

Under study:

Background - Colorectal cancer is one of the main cause of cancer in the world. Colonoscopy is the best screen method, however the compliance is less than 50%. Quantification of human DNA (hDNA) in the feces may be a possible screen non-invasive method that is a consequence of the high proliferation and exfoliation of cancer cells.

Objective - To quantify the human DNA in the stools of patients with colorectal cancer or polyps.

Methods - Fifty patients with CRC, 26 polyps and 53 with normal colonoscopy were included. Total and human DNA were analyzed from the frozen stools.

Results - An increased concentration of hDNA in the stools was observed in colorectal cancer patients compared to controls and polyps. Tumors localized in the left side of the colon had higher concentrations of hDNA. There were no differences between polyps and controls. A cut off of 0.87 ng/mL of human DNA was determined for colorectal cancer patients by the ROC curve, with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 86.8%. For polyps the cut off was 0.41, the sensitivity was 41% and the specificity 77.4%.

Conclusion - A higher concentration of hDNA had been found in colorectal cancer patients. The quantification of hDNA from the stools can be a trial method for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Lifestyle versus predisposition: scratching my head

Have you heard about the health care systems in the U.S. that have started to sequence millions of genomes in order to unearth a few predisposition genes? Millions of dollars are now poured into this endeavor. As a result, we will eventually connect the presence of some gene variants with increased risk of conditions X, Y and Z, ... and we will know that Joe Smith carries a predisposition gene for condition Z.

The fact that these are only PREDISPOSITION genes tells you that LIFESTYLE may or may not allow for conditions X, Y, and Z to be developed. Then the logical question is, why are we so complacent about our current disease-permissive lifestyle? Should not we tackle unhealthy habits with the same enthusiasm (and the same amount of funds/resources) as the ones with which we embark on massive sequencing efforts? Is it cost-effective to allow the average American to play DARE by practicing the most disease-permissive lifestyle in the history of humankind?

Under ideal circumstances, in taking care of each individual, the health care system should combine the implementation of healthy habits along with the knowledge of the predisposition genes of the individual. Platforms such as PatientsLikeMe should match sequencing data input with physical/physiological data and health markers/outcomes. Prospective analyses of such data will suggest how "tweaks" in the lifestyle can prevent the establishment of conditions to which some are predisposed.

Since we are faraway from the ideal situation, it seems that educating the Americans in healthy prevention-oriented lifestyle is more economically sound than massive sequencing of a million human genomes. What do you think?

Fructose

I have already written about the damage that fructose unleashes on our health; however, talking about it never seems enough - even some medical doctors are ignorant about the issue.

Here is one brief video by Dr. Michael Greger on the same, topic as well as his most recent post
How Much Added Sugar is Too Much?

Mid-July garden

High fiber brownies

I found a recipe for brownies with bananas on Pinterest and modified it to a minimum-sugar recipe. The sugar comes from the chocolate chips, bananas and unsweetened applesauce. 

To me, the product tasted great; however, I suspect that for people who are used to commercially available desserts and sweets, to appreciate these brownies will take some palate training.  But believe me, every time you consume one of the store-bought high-sugar items, your pancreas screams :).  Obesity and bad dietary habits might be the major reasons for the increased incidence of pancreatic cancer, and it has been projected that by 2030, the top cancer killers in the U.S. will be lung, pancreas and liver cancer.

Recipe
You will need: 
4 ripe bananas (mashed), 4 oz (113 g) of unsweetened applesauce, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 eggs (lightly beaten), 1 cup whole-wheat flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips.
 
How to: 
Preheat the oven to 350 F, and oil/spray an 8-inch square pan. Combine the mashed bananas, apple sauce, vanilla and eggs. Add flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda, stir well. Add chocolate chips, pour in the pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes. 

Acne lotion

I have previously written about the properties of marigold and included an acne lotion recipe from James Wong (from his TV series Grow Your Own Medicines). For the lotion, Wong used marigold, lavender and geranium extract, which he thickened with vegetarian gelatin.

This summer I decided to test Wong's recipe with a few modifications.  

Here is my recipe:

Harvest 12 fresh marigold flower heads, equal quantity of fresh oregano flowers, and equal quantity of chopped scented geranium leaves (any scented geranium will do). Cover with 250 milliliters of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes. Blend the mixture, strain, add a few drops of tea tree essential oil and 5 Tbsp. of vodka. The lotion will be kept in the refrigerator for maximum of six weeks.  

I did not add gelatin to the lotion; I may try using arrowroot instead, and let you know if it works.The substitution of oregano for lavender flowers should not affect the potency, as oregano itself has very powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

My daughter and I just started using the lotion. In six weeks we will know if there is any effect.

Are you sick and still searching for diagnosis?

Today I found out about CrowdMed. It seems that the company was founded in 2012-2013. It facilitates individuals in finding out their true diagnosis. I am still navigating through the website to find out how this is accomplished, but it seems that one needs to pay a fee in order to post his/her case and obtain the opinion of medical experts.

Considering the horror stories I have heard about misdiagnosis or late diagnosis, the concept of CrowdMed does fill a niche. How successful and useful the approach is, I do not know.

If you have any opinion, please share here.

A useful website for individuals with already confirmed diagnosis is PatientsLikeMe, where people share knowledge about their conditions, treatments, etc. Again, I have not used it; therefore, if you have any opinion on the service, please share.

Garden tea

Saint John's wort

Thyme

Oregano

This summer I am finally collecting the ingredients for my herbal tea: oregano, Saint John's wort, thyme, and peppermint. All the flowers are in my garden and all I need to do is to harvest and dry them in the house:

Drying herbs

Once the herbs are dry, I will mix them well and preserve in glass jars or paper bags. A spoonful of dried herbs, a cup of boiling water, and 10 minutes of waiting time will conjure the summer garden aroma even on a blustery winter day. 

By the way, herbal tea is one of the eight secretes of longevity in one of the world's blue zones - Icaria.

Meanwhile there are a few new "girls" in the garden. Here are their smiley faces: