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Green Tea for Cancer? See What Nutritional Science Says…

green-tea-for-cancer-mental-health

Green Tea for Cancer? See what Nutritional Science says…

The leading cause of death in America is heart disease, followed by cancer. Cancer affects roughly 1 in 3 Americans in their lifetime. Chances have it, you or someone you know has suffered or is suffering from this horrible disease. It is terrifying for those to have to go through treatment or see their family go through it. While diet and tea is not an alternative to cancer treatment, there are many natural ways to reduce cancer risk and fight off cancer cells through nutrition! Cancer cells silence tumor-suppressing genes, which can effect someone with good genetics. Green tea has been shown to reactivate these genes by simply being dripped on certain cancer cells (1). Over 1.7 MILLION Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, and more than a third of those people are expected to die from cancer (2). Every opportunity you get to prevent cancer is another chance to extend your life. It’s amazing that something as simple as a tea plant may have the power to suppress cancer.

Three Ways to Enjoy Green Tea:

Matcha Green Tea
The Whole Food Version of Green Tea

Green Tea:
The Extracts of Green Tea Leaves

Green Tea Capsules:
Take a green tea pill with water and breakfast

Other Green Tea Benefits

Not only can you use green tea topically for benefits, but many studies show benefits on oral consumption of green tea as well!  While water is very important for hydration and my top choice, the next best drink out there is green tea! Why? Because it contains powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, the second leading cause of death in America (3). Green tea also activates the “alpha” brain waves which triggers the relaxation feeling people get from meditating (4). With all the stress we have to deal with on a daily basis, this is a great way to wind down – especially if you are dealing with the stress of cancer!

There are known side effects to green tea, since it contains caffeine. Ease into it with half a cup or one cup then gradually build up to more cups per day to avoid getting dehydrated or headaches. Try all the little things, and incorporate green tea into your daily routine! Regular intake of green tea can slow cancer growth, and the more cups of tea per day is associated with delayed onset of cancer (by up to 7 years for women and up to 3 years for men) in patients who do have cancer (5).

Following a plant-based diet for weight loss can be enhanced with a daily dose or two of green tea. Stay healthy and fit too with these green tea benefits.

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The Journey to Overall Wellness, a Plant-Based Diet

Four Fun Fitness Ideas

What is the Best Protein Source?

4 Ways Plant-Based Foods Can Boost Your Health and Happiness

Veg Out: Budget-Friendly Ways to Adopt a Plant-Based Diet

Diet Secrets for Longevity

Best Oil for Dry Skin

Star Anise for Digestion

Lion’s Mane Benefits for Brain and Nerves

Sources:

  1. Greger, Dr. Michael. “How Not to Die.” p10 of Introduction. Copyright 2015. e-ISBN 9781250066121.
  2.  National Cancer Institute. “Cancer Statistics.” Updated April 27, 2018. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics Accessed 8/27/18.
  3. “Consumption of green tea causes rapid increase in plasma antioxidant power in humans.” I. F. Benzie, Y. T. Szeto, J. J. Strain, B. Tomlinson. Nutr Cancer. 1999; 34(1): 83-87. doi: 10.1207/S15327914NC340112. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10453446.  Accessed 8/27/18.
  4. Effects of green and black tea consumption on brain wave activities in healthy volunteers as measured by a simplified Electroencephalogram (EEG): A feasibility study. Edward J. Okello, Awatf M. Abadi, Saad A. Abadi. Nutr Neurosci. 2016 Jun; 19(5): 196–205. Published online 2015 Feb 25. doi: 10.1179/1476830515Y.0000000008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25714035.   Accessed 8/27/18.
  5. Greger, Dr Michael. “Can Green Tea Help Prevent Cancer?” Nutritionfacts.org. volume 35. Published March 3rd, 2017. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-green-tea-help-prevent-cancer/. Accessed 8/22/18.

Kelly Athletics | Author: Kelly Gibson | Holistic Nutritionist | Holistic Nutrition and Fitness | Herbal Remedies | Nutritionist Chandler AZ | Nutritionist Tempe AZ | Nutritionist Phoenix AZ | Nutritionist Arizona | Vegan Nutritionist | Plant Based Nutritionist | Plant-Based Nutritionist | Vegan Supplements | Plant-Based Supplements | Green Tea Supplements | High-Quality Green Tea | Natural Remedies

*Disclaimer: This blog is not to be taken as medical advice. Please see a physician or health practitioner prior to making any changes to your diet, medication, or treatment plan. View our Terms.

Green Tea for Cancer | Kelly Gibson | Holistic Nutritionist | Nutritionist Chandler AZ | Holistic Nutritionist in Chandler
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Non-Diet Keto: How to Get into Ketosis without Food

Non-Diet Keto: How to Get into Ketosis without Food

Did you know that the keto diet is an artificial way to get into ketosis? Ketosis is most naturally induced by fasting – not by eating! Fast, you say? Yes! Fasting is a non-diet state of restriction in which food is given up altogether for short periods of time, historically done for spiritual reasons or to cleanse the body of impurities. During fasting, people report burning fat much quicker than any diet on the planet. How?

Because without any food intake, the digestive system takes a break and our ketone levels rise, allowing the body to focus on fat burning. (Medical Disclaimer: I am not suggesting you change your diet or stop eating; I am simply sharing information based on scientific studies on fasting. Do not attempt fasting or the keto diet without talking to your physician first.)

fasting-no-food-ketosis-autophagy

Fasting = no food.

Fasted Ketosis: People have reported entering ketosis in as little as 16 hours on a dry fast (no food or water) and within 72 hours on a water fast (no food just water). While there are benefits of being in ketosis from fasting, carb restriction is not the same; digestion is still in full force when eating. Eating anything at all may slow down the process and therefore reduce the benefits. Also, ketones from low carb diets can increase blood acidity, leading to poor athletic performance, coordination, and concentration (Skolnik 16).

The animal-based foods included in a ketogenic diet contain massive amounts of cholesterol, saturated fat, omega 6 fatty acids, and in some cases too much protein, which is known to cause health problems long-term such as fatty liver disease and insulin resistance (2).

Fasting Benefits: Fasting is so powerful that it has been shown to slow the growth of cancer tumors and improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy leading to long-term survival (3). People also report healing their bodies from various ailments during fasts. Fasting is something people use for other health benefits like wound healing and emotional healing, but this natural therapy is done through a process called autophagy. In simple terms, autophagy is a mechanism at the cellular level in which cells “clean” themselves to detoxify and achieve homeostasis.

Autophagy seemingly protects healthy cells while causing death of unwanted cells (4). Since toxins tend to be released during autophagy, it is quite common for beginners to feel unwell during this stage of fasting. (It may help to take Epsom salt baths and drink lots of water if you experience toxic build-up). While fasting, you can experience autophagy within the first 24 hours without even being in ketosis.

fasted-chemotherapy-treatment

Fasting enhances the effects of chemotherapy and extends cancer survival rates.

Why it’s Better: It is uncertain whether a ketogenic diet can induce autophagy since the digestive system is still in action, but autophagy is the reason fasting can be good for you! You can experience the benefits of autophagy by practicing intermittent fasting without eliminating carbohydrates from your diet. Eating carbs between fasts will not take away the benefits of autophagy but eating unhealthy food can disrupt healing.

If you want to get into ketosis while intermittent fasting, you can stick to low-carb foods during your eating window or fast for longer time periods. As described in the previous article, vegan keto is the healthiest type of keto diet due to its higher nutrient density and reduced risk of illness.

water-fast-detox-weight-loss

Water helps remove toxins from our bodies during a fasted state. It is very important to stay hydrated before, during, and after prolonged fasts.

Starvation

You might be wondering “Isn’t fasting the same thing as starving yourself?” Essentially, fasting is a form of starvation – but only temporarily as the body heals itself from ailments and utilizes fat for energy. Our bodies naturally go into ketosis, in order to have energy to find food when unable to eat. We naturally turn away food when we are sick because our bodies want to heal quicker. It seems like the keto diet is not a natural way of life, because you would be forcing yourself to avoid the very foods your body wants and needs – carbohydrates.

Ketosis

Ketosis should only take place for short periods of time WHEN you are sick or WHEN you have no access to food. Forcing your body into a prolonged state of ketosis (especially without ongoing autophagy) likely will have undesirable side effects. However, fasting on an intermittent schedule for health reasons is safer than carb avoidance through low carb dieting. Water fasting can be beneficial to our bodies if we want to experience ketogenic healing, allowing the water to flush out toxins (without putting new toxins in). Much of the weight loss experienced during ketosis can include water weight. This can be regained after a fast or when discontinuing a keto diet.

Discover if fasting is safe for you – on the next page:

fitness-plant-based-nutrition-blog-home

References:

  1. Heidi Skolnik and Andrea Chernus. “Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance.” Human Kinetics. Published 2010.
  2. Christophe Kosinski and Fracois R Jornayvaz. “Effects of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies.” MDPI Nutrients – Open Access Journal of Human Nutrition. Published May 19, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452247/ Accessed on August 2, 2018.
  3. Lee, L. Raffaghello, S. Brandhorst, F.M. Safdie, G.Bianchi, A. Martin-Montalvo, V. Pistoia, M. Wei, S.Hwang, A. Merlino, et al. “Fasting cycles retard growth of tumors and sensitize a range of cancer cell types to chemotherapy”. Sci. Transl. Med., 4 (2012), p. 124ra127. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22323820. Accessed August 1 2018.
  4. Maryam Mehrpour, Audrey Esclatine, Isabelle Beau, and Patrice Codogno.“Autophagy in health and disease. 1. Regulation and significance of autophagy: an overview.” American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology. Published April 1, 2010.
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Is Vegan Keto the Best Ketogenic Diet?

Is Vegan Keto the Best Ketogenic Diet?

Vegan vs Keto debate: Are they compatible or too different?

Are plants superior to meat? As mentioned in my previous article, the ketogenic diet has some good, bad, and ugly qualities. Superfoods like kale are especially valuable to a typical ketogenic diet. Majority of superfoods are ingredients from plants, so why not eat a fully plant-based diet? For example, kelp contains more than 5X as much iodine than any fish of a sea animal (1), and brazil nuts contain more selenium than any meat of a land animal (2).

vegan-keto-tofu-leafy-greens

Does it fit my macros? Plant-based foods have a variety of macronutrient profiles, ranging from low carb to high carb and low fat to high fat. So, if you are concerned about the high intake of cholesterol but still want to get the benefits of a keto diet, you can follow a low-carb vegan keto diet which consists of soy, oils, vegan cheese, nuts, some veggies, and minimal fruit. Plant-based foods are entirely devoid of cholesterol, and usually low in saturated fats. The reason I highly recommend a cholesterol-free diet is because the tissues of our liver and small intestine produce cholesterol all on its own, with or without dietary cholesterol (Berardi 89). In fact, dietary fiber can lower blood cholesterol levels (Berardi 53), so by following a higher-fiber plant-based diet you can maintain a low cholesterol level.

So is vegan keto high fiber? Many vegetables recommended on the keto diet are high in fiber, however the bulk of a vegan keto diet is still somewhat lower in fiber due to its high fat content. Even though tofu and oil are derived from plants, they aren’t foods that should be consumed in excess.

Tofu has a small amount of fiber (4-5g per block) which is definitely more than the zero grams of fiber you get from meat, dairy, fish, and poultry (yep – animal products are completely void of fiber!). Processed cheeses like daiya and plant-based meats like the Beyond Burger are cholesterol-free which is a bonus but they do have less fiber than their whole food unprocessed counterparts. Oil – on the other hand – is another completely fiber-less food which can damage our endothelium, increase inflammation, and contribute to atherosclerosis (4). It is unlikely to achieve keto’s fat standards without having some oil. You can supplement with psyllium husk for fiber, but again, it is not recommended to replace food with supplements.

Will I be missing anything? If you do still want to go keto, you can download a free vegan keto shopping list here.  At first glance you may think I’m making false claims because there’s a lot of fruit and veggies on the keto shopping list. However, keep in mind that only 5-10% of your calories can come from these foods, and since majority of plant-based foods are high in carbohydrates, you will be stuck eating the same low-carb foods over and over and over again. Since many leafy vegetables are low-calorie, you can get away with having a higher amount of them, but sweet fruit and veggies are nearly untouchable. So again – your diet will be mostly tofu, processed dairy and meat alternatives, oils, nuts, and some green veggies – meaning you are at a similar risk of vitamin A and vitamin C deficiency as a meat-based keto diet. It is unlikely that you could maintain this much restriction for a lifetime but if you want to take the challenge – go for it, but plan carefully!

low-carb-vegan-food-ketogenic-diet

Do I need to track calories? Some sources will say that counting calories is not required on the keto diet, but if you don’t then you could easily overeat. On a keto diet (vegan or not), you would need to get used to eating smaller portions of food, because fats are more than twice as dense in calories as carbs or proteins and in many cases lack water content. So if you normally eat 2 cups of strawberries per 100 calories, now you will eat only ½ cup of tofu per 100 calories and less than 1 tablespoon of oil per 100 calories. The good news is, you can still eat a lot of green vegetables like 3 cups of broccoli or 20 cups of lettuce per 100 calories. If you can manage to pull off a monster salad like that, then you are the King of Keto! If you’re ready to take on this diet and all its’ restrictions, then ketosis may help you with fat loss – maybe. If you want a truly incredible experience, there is a better method of getting into ketosis without any diet at all – which I will cover in the next page.

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Resources:

  1. The World’s Healthiest Foods. The George Mateljan Foundation, Inc. “iodine.” http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=69. Accessed July 20, 2018.
  2. Dr Axe. “Brazil Nuts: The Top Selenium Food that Fights Inflammation.” https://draxe.com/brazil-nuts/. Accessed July 20, 2018.
  3. Berardi, John et al. Precision Nutrition: The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition, Second Edition. Precision Nutrition, Inc., 2012.
  4. Oliveira, Rosane. “Why You Should Opt Out of Olive Oil.” UC Davis: Integrative Medicine. Published May 11 2016. https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/05/why-you-should-opt-out-of-olive-oil/#gs.0cf3OOk. Accessed July 19, 2018.

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