Life Over Cancer Blog

Autumn Flatbread

Yes! You can have pizza — just be sure it has whole wheat and no dairy. What a great vehicle for veggies!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 package active dry yeast

¾ tsp salt

1 cup hot water (hot to touch)

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp agave nectar

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, yeast and salt.
3. Blend in water, oil and agave.
4. Stir by hand vigorously until all ingredients are well mixed (~about 3 minutes).
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for ~10-15 minutes in a warm, dry location.
6. Place dough in a lightly greased 12- 14 inch pizza pan. Press dough to cover bottom of pan and up sides to form a rim.
7. Bake for 10 minutes until cooked, but not brown. 

Risk Factors for Male Breast Cancer

Recently the Sunday Evening Post published Life Over Cancer follower David Sumner's personal breast cancer story. In it, Sumner points out a key hole in October's Breast Cancer Awareness efforts: most people are still unaware that men can, and do, get breast cancer. 

Among the risk factors for men:

The Block Center to present at SIO Conference

The Block Center will be giving four presentations at the upcoming Society for Integrative Oncology’s (SIO) 10th Annual Conference, October 20-22, in Vancouver, BC.

The mission of the Society is to advance evidence-based, comprehensive, integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. Dr. Block has been a member of the Society since its first year of existence, has served on its Board, is a member of its Clinical Practice Committee, and was the Chair of the Scientific Program at its 8th Annual Conference, held in Cleveland in 2011. He regularly gives presentations and poster sessions at Society meetings. These are the Block Center’s four presentations:  

Antioxidants as prooxidants in cancer cells. Keith I. Block, MD, Charlotte Gyllenhaal, PhD, N Mark Mead, MS. Poster session # 96. Sunday, October 20.

Case reports on cancer patients using Anvirzel, a defined extract of Nerium oleander. Keith I Block, MD; Charlotte Gyllenhaal, PhD; Robert Newman, PhD. Oral presentation, # 97. Sunday, October 20. 

Workshop: Integrating Dietary Supplements into Cancer Care: Fish Oil. Keith I. Block, MD. Sunday, October 20. 

Workshop: A Practical Look at Current Clinic and Business Models for Academic and Private Integrative Oncology Centers, and What the Future Portends: Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment. Keith I. Block, MD. Tuesday, October 22. 

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

Apple Cider

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 cups apple juice

1 orange, quartered

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp cinnamon

3-4 cinnamon sticks

1 tbsp agave, maple syrup or brown rice syrup (optional)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Heat to a boil; reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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

Breast Cancer and Multivitamins: A Closer Look

This week, a study made the news suggesting there’s a substantial benefit to breast cancer patients who take multivitamin-multi-mineral supplements.  This study definitely warrants a closer look.

Dr. Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University in New York, together with her colleagues, analyzed data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trials and observational study on the use of supplements as it relates to mortality due to breast cancer.  The WHI trials included 7,728 patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer during the course of the studies, and were followed for an average of 7 years after their diagnosis.  At the start of the study, a thorough assessment of diet, lifestyle and clinical condition was conducted.  We think a particularly interesting feature of the assessment was that information on what supplements were used was obtained by having patients bring their bottles of vitamins and other supplements to the clinic, so they could be accurately recorded by the researchers (as opposed to the participants providing this information to the researchers, which may not be as reliable).  The researchers tracked mortality in this population of breast cancer patients, and compared mortality of those who used versus those who did not use multivitamin-multi-mineral supplements. 

Vegan Brats with Caramelized Onions and Sauerkraut

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil

2 yellow onions, peeled, quartered and sliced thin

2 oz. hot mustard

8 vegan brats, diced or sliced

1-15 oz. jar Sauerkraut

2 tbsp. caraway seeds

 

 

 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Boosting Survival

We are often asked if there are specific foods that can boost cancer survival. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we thought we’d address this question as it relates to breast cancer. 

Existing research doesn’t support the notion that specific foods that can increase survival. However, there is considerable evidence that dietary patterns can make a significant difference for women fighting breast cancer. Let’s take a look at some of these dietary patterns.  

Roasted Apples with Red Onion and Thyme

Roasted Apples with Red Onion and Thyme

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 honeycrisp or Fuji apples, cored and sliced into wedges

2 red onions, sliced into wedges

6 fresh thyme sprigs

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Chocolate-Strawberry Cream Tart

Pressed Crust
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup
¼ - 1/3 cup high heat canola oil   

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate. Combine all ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 forks in a large bowl until crumbly; press evenly into prepared pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool to room temperature before filling.  

Chocolate Base
½-1/3 package non-dairy malt-sweetened chocolate chips
¼ cup extra firm silken tofu
3 – 4 Tablespoons pure agave
1 teaspoon pure vanilla  

Puree silken tofu in food processor. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler and then add to tofu and blend thoroughly. Add agave and vanilla and continue to purée. Pour into baked/cooled piecrust and smooth evenly. Can be refrigerated overnight.  

Cashew Cream Filling

½ cup raw cashews
1/3 cup water
¾ package of extra firm or firm silken tofu
4-5 Tablespoons agave (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch  sea salt  

Blend cashews and water until smooth. Add other ingredients to food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready for use.  

Strawberry Topping
Box of strawberries (preferably organic)
Agave
Wash and slice strawberries and moisten with agave. Refrigerate up to 30 minutes.  

To Assemble: Spread cashew cream over chocolate base and then in concentric circles arrange strawberry slices.

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

10 Foods to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

Cruciferous Vegetables:  These include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bok choy, mustard greens. They contain sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol (antioxidants) and helps to covert unhealthy estrogens into healthy ones. No other group of foods currently has more scientific support suggesting it can help prevent breast cancer. For example, a study in China found cruciferous vegetable consumption was linked to better survival in breast cancer patients. Crucifers also help in the prevention of other cancers.

Cherries:  Contain perillyl alcohol, a powerful inhibitor of many kinds of cancer. Cherries are rich in anthocyanins, which are potent natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants.  One large study demonstrated that a high intake of cherries and related fruits was linked to low breast cancer risk.