Life Over Cancer Blog

Jalapeño Cornbread

Serves 12

Qigong Fatigue Study

Qigong is a traditional Chinese exercise modality. It aligns breathing, mental focus (or awareness) and movement for purposes of exercise, meditation and balancing of the “qi,” or life energy, in healing. It emphasizes and cultivates a calm and relaxing state of mind. At the Block Center, qigong exercises are often integrated into the physical activity component of our patients’ individualized treatment plans.  

A study recently published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship compared qigong with stretching classes in the framework of a randomized, controlled trial. The main goal of the study was to evaluate whether qigong helps with fatigue – a common problem for many cancer patients, both during and after treatment – in prostate cancer survivors. Many studies have been done on ways to address this fatigue; of special interest to our clinicians are non-drug interventions that may be helpful. 

This study was designed especially well, which makes its conclusions even stronger than most of the previous studies that have looked at exercise for cancer patients. 40 men (average age 74) with prostate cancer were randomized to take either qigong classes or controlled stretching classes twice a week for 12 weeks. Both types of classes were an hour long, included sitting and standing exercises, and had DVDs to encourage participants to practice at home. One particular strength of the study was the fact that the control group was doing an exercise intervention at the same time as the qigong group. This ensures that it is not simply an increase in activity that would cause any beneficial effects from the qigong classes, but rather something unique about the qigong itself as an exercise system.

Antioxidants as Pro-oxidants

When is an antioxidant not an antioxidant?  This curious question was explored in a scientific poster that Dr. Block presented at the 10th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO), held October 20-22 of this year. The answer to the question was suggested in the title of the poster, “Antioxidants as pro-oxidants in cancer cells.”  What, you might ask, is a pro-oxidant?  As the name suggests, it’s the opposite of an antioxidant!  Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, while pro-oxidants stimulate and produce free radicals, or, in scientific jargon, reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Why are we interested in producing free radicals in cancer cells?  Isn’t this the opposite of what we want to do?  And why would an antioxidant suddenly turn into a pro-oxidant when you put it into a cancer cell?  Actually, it’s well known that many antioxidants can act as pro-oxidants – this fact even appears in Wikipedia!  However, the Wikipedia discussion of antioxidants overlooks some new data that are coming to light about pro-oxidants and antioxidants as they relate to cancer treatment. 

Barley Bean Pilaf

A hearty pilaf for fall makes great leftovers for lunch when you're on the go!

Ingredients:

2 tsp canola oil (organic)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 ½ cups pearled barley
2-inch piece of fresh orange peel
1 whole cinnamon stick
3 cups vegetable stock or broth
2 cups cooked white or navy beans (or 1 15-ounce can, drained)
¼ cup finely chopped dill

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan and add onion, celery, and carrot when hot.   Sauté over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.  Add water as needed if veg are sticking to the pan. 
2. Add barley, orange peel, cinnamon and vegetable stock to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 35 minutes.
3. Add beans and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until barley is tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the dill. 

For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, call (847) 230-9107 or visit BlockMD.com.