INFLAMMATION: DON'T ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE

DON'T ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE. Inflammation is the body's way of responding to tissue damage. In the latest issue of Dana Farber's Paths to Progress, Robert Levy writes Dousing the FLAMES: Why inflammation may blaze a trail for cancer and explains how investigators at Dana Farber are studying how lifestyle changes that reduce obesity [a trigger for inflammation] can impede cancer development. So folks, that means MORE MORE MORE! MORE exercise, MORE breathing, MORE meditation, MORE healthy eating habits, and MORE self-care.

Good Girl was surprised to learn from the article that "multiple studies have shown that anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer, and of the cancer recurring after it's been treated. Fuchs and his colleagues have shown that this effect stems from its ability to block a key enzyme called COX-2. In another study, his team found a way to identify colon cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from aspirin therapy." Aspirin, who knew?! Talk to your doctor first, but maybe this is one pill that's OK to pop??

Gotta' Delicata!

Delicata Squash is delightful and easy to prepare. It can be stored for up to three months without losing its nutritional value. It is fat free, saturated fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free, but the really good news is that it is an excellent source of Vitamin A and a good source of Vitamin C. Talk about The A Team!!! These two vitamins when joined together are ready to kick ass when it comes to protecting our cells. Vitamin A keeps skin and mucous membrane cells healthy and that means they are more resistant to fighting off cancers and diseases caused by viruses. Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine when fighting colds and allergies; aids in collagen production; has anti-oxidant properties that fight against cancer and protects cells from damage and mutation; and best of all, it helps to keep our eyes and hearts healthier so we can see and feel the beauty that is all around us. WOWZA! We all Gotta’ Delicata!!!

Garlic: The "Allicin Wonderland Drug"

There's no need to wear garlic around your neck, but eating it most definitely keeps the baddies away. Garlic has antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-clotting, and anti-cancer properties BUT ONLY IF you let it sit for ten minutes after crushing or slicing it.*

Heating garlic immediately after pressing it adversely impacts its healing abilities by destroying the enzyme that triggers the all-important reaction when two substances in garlic come in contact with one another - the protein fragment alliin and the enzyme alliinase. The two won't commingle until crushed. When they join, they produce allicin - the mighty allium super hero. So chop, mince, slice, or mash your garlic but don't plunk it straight into that heated oil. Keep it away from heat for ten minutes so that the maximum amount of allicin can be produced, delivering a bounty of scientifically proven healing properties straight to your body. Garlic is known to:

• reduce heart disease as it helps prevent blood clots by decreasing the stickiness of platelets;
• lower LDL cholesterol without hurting beneficial HDL cholesterol levels;
• boost our immune system;
• lower blood pressure;
• fight certain cancers, particularly those in the intestines;
• reduce the size of cancerous tumors;
• reduce pain and other symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis;
• act as an antibiotic as it kills a range of microbes including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites such as athlete's foot, thrush [a fungal infection of the mouth] and viral diarrhea. 

* This healthy tip was provided by Jo Robinson, author of Eating on the Wild Side. For more wild tips from Ms Robinson, stay tuned as Good Girl learns "a radical new way to select and prepare foods to reclaim the nutrients and flavor we've lost."