Illness: Cancer
Cancer can affect so many people in different ways. We cannot purport to know anything about all the various cancers that exist, but we do know that people write us and let us know how our food has been a comfort and a help when fighting various cancers. Here are some letters;
Eat for Health: The Anti-Cancer Diet
The foundation of nutritional science can be explained by my simple formula: H = N / C or Health = Nutrients / Calories.
This is a concept I call the nutrient density of your diet. The key to longevity, healthful weight loss, and cancer protection is to eat predominantly those foods that have a high proportion of nutrients (non-caloric food factors) compared to calories (carbohydrates, fats and proteins).
A food is healthy or not-so-healthy based on how much fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and other unnamed (or yet to be discovered) nutrients it contains in proportion to its calories. Based on this N/C criterion, you can grade food quality, construct menus, and make food choices to support excellent health. Once you know which foods have the highest nutrient density, you will become an expert in nutrition. It is that simple.
Eating large quantities of high-nutrient foods is the secret to optimal health, disease prevention and maintaining a healthy slim waistline. The health equation describes a way of eating that is truly a longevity diet, yet it effortlessly has you achieve an ideal weight and it is an anti-cancer and anti-heart disease diet-style.
A typical anti-cancer diet should contain at least 4 fresh fruits daily, at least one large raw green salad, as well as a two other cooked (steamed) vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots and peas, squash or other colorful vegetables. A huge pot of soup laden with vegetables, herbs and beans can be made once a week and conveniently taken for lunch. Raw nuts and seeds are another important, but often overlooked, group of foods with documented health benefits contributing to longevity.
Many individuals are choosing to modify their lifestyle to improve their health or reverse diseases. I urge you to learn more about healthful eating, and try some great tasting high-nutrient recipes in your regular diet, the effort is worth it and it may even save your life. Remember, the prescription is nutrition.
May 2012
Yoga Breathing May Reduce Chemotherapy Side Effects
Yoga breathing techniques may improve quality of life and reduce chemotherapy side effects for cancer patients, according to a new study.
Yoga has been described as "the union of mind, body, and spirit," which addresses physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions towards an overall harmonious state of being. The philosophy of yoga is sometimes pictured as a tree with eight branches. These eight limbs are: pranayama (breathing exercises), asana (physical postures), yama (moral behavior), niyama (healthy habit), dharana (concentration), prathyahara (sense withdrawal), dhyana (contemplation) and samadhi (higher consciousness).
Yoga may be beneficial for improving the quality of life for patients with serious diseases as well as in healthy patients. Several previous studies in cancer patients report enhanced quality of life, lower sleep disturbance, decreased stress symptoms and changes in cancer-related immune cells after patients received relaxation, meditation and gentle yoga therapy.
In a new study, 16 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were randomly assigned to a yoga breathing treatment group or control group. The yoga group attended weekly classes to learn four yoga breathing techniques and practiced the techniques during two consecutive cycles of chemotherapy. The control group received standard care after their first chemotherapy cycle and practiced the yoga breathing only during their second cycle. Various outcome measures, including fatigue, sleep quality, depression, stress and quality of life were evaluated.
The researchers found that the more the yoga breathing was used, the greater the improvement in symptoms. Yoga breathing resulted in significant improvements for several outcome measures, including sleep quality, anxiety and mental quality of life.
The authors concluded that yoga breathing techniques may be beneficial for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Larger-scale well-designed clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.
In addition to yoga, there is good evidence that various types of meditation may help improve quality of life for cancer patients. Studies have shown benefits for mood, sleep quality and the stresses of treatment. The specific effects of meditation are not fully understood. However, meditation can be recommended as a form of support for cancer patients.
There is also good evidence that psychotherapy may enhance cancer patients' quality of life by reducing emotional distress and aiding in coping with the stresses and challenges of cancer. Therapy may be supportive-expressive therapy, cognitive therapy or group therapy. Studies conflict on whether therapy improves self-esteem, death anxiety, self-satisfaction, etc. While some patients seek psychotherapy in hopes of extending survival, there is no conclusive evidence on its effects on medical prognosis.
Dear Amy,
Omigod. Words cannot express the mouth joy my husband and I experienced last night! Your cheese pizza! For 3 years now, I have been "punishing" myself eating cardboard-tasting foods and yucky fish. But your pizza was a gift from heaven!
I am among those one in eight women who had breast cancer, and of the large majority who become "estrogen receptive"...meaning I should not be eating hormones or soy. You can't imagine the hours it takes us to read every package we buy, and eating is not fun any more. Until, that is, your pizza! It was without a doubt the BEST meal I have EVER had since my cancer. I am not kidding. Tender, full of rich flavor, tasty, fresh.... shall I go on? It was an incredible treat. I can't believe that now I know there is a present for me whenever I get sick of eating yucky fish! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
From Sharon
Dear Amy,
hi.. I am a cancer patient just recovering from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I find that I now have to eat gluten-free and lactose free foods.
Your frozen meals are one of the only things that I can tolerate unless I cook from scratch which I don't always have the energy to do.
Sincerely... Janet
Dear Amy,
I have been going through Chemotherapy and have severe mouth sores. Your Potato, Leek soup, Butternut Squash & Cr. of Mushroom soup have been a God send. Thank you so much for the tastiness, and quality of your products.
Sincerely, God Bless, Susan Mason
Diet Plan
Many of our customers have said that they have lost weight eating Amy’s. So, we got to thinking… Wouldn’t it be great if we had our own Diet Plan? With the help of Sonoma County dietician, Jill Nussinow, we created The Amy’s Diet. Try it out now!
Your Comments
Just purchased one of your pizzas for the first time today. I bought the Pizza Pesto with vegetables and basis. It was so wonderful to smell in the oven, it was so fast and it was delicious!! I look forward to trying your other "flavors".
From Kathy Winters