A few patients have asked me how to reduce their rate of breast cancer so I thought I would post about it. A lot of this info comes from Michael Greger’s book How Not to Die and info has also been taken from Kristi Funk, MD’s info.  Latest research to lower rates of Breast Cancer

Minimize light exposure at night. Use a sleep mask to maximize melatonin production. Higher vegetable
consumption is associated with higher melatonin levels and high meat intake with lower levels.
Five hours of vigorous exercise a week is recommended to lower risk by lowering estrogen and
progesterone. You need to work up a sweat.
Women who eat meats grilled, barbecued or smoked raise risk. Eating meat well done also ups risk.
Roasting, pan frying, grilling and baking above 212 degree Fahrenheit ups risk.
Fiber reduces risk- the higher the better > greather than 37 grams daily.
Recommended to eat one apple daily.
Eat broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables daily and broccoli sprouts (1/4 cup) to reduce risk. Broccoli
sprouts can be easily grown at home and are so important to reduce risk of reoccurrence.
Collard green consumption is associated with less breast cancer risk.
Flaxseeds contain lignans which dampen the body’s own estrogen effect. Lignan intake is associated
with less breast cancer risk. Two tsp a day of ground flaxseed on food daily will reduce risk.
“Dietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with breast cancer. Flaxseed may
be a potential dietary alternative to currently used breast cancer drugs.
Researchers have found that women diagnosed with breast cancer that ate the most soy lived longer
and had reduced occurrence of breast cancer than those who ate less. 90 % of patients who ate the
most soy phytoestrogens after diagnosis were still alive after 5 years. Try to eat whole forms of soy that are non-GMO and organic. Edemame is an example. Drink organic non-GMO unsweetened soy milk versus cow’s milk.
White mushrooms block the estrogen synthase enzyme. Eating mushrooms and sipping at least half a
tea’s bag worth of green tea each day was associated with 90% lower breast cancer odds.

Birth control pills also cause increased estrogen so if you use the oral contraceptive to prevent pregnancy which many people do please come in and talk to me about other things you can do to reduce negative side effects of taking the pill. To book please call 4032321283 Parallel Wellness Dr. Robin Vinge, Naturopathic Doctor

I thought I would write a post on some gentle support for heavy metals.

To boost heavy metal detox support you need to increase glutathione. It is the major antioxidant in the body and helps attach to heavy metals in the bloodstream so they are flushed out of the liver and the kidneys. To boost glutathione (major antioxidant in the body):

1. Sulfur rich foods – consume arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, radish, turnip, watercress.
2. Methylation nutrients- active B vitamins. Include folate rich food like chick peas, liver, pinto beans, spinach, lentils, asparagus, avocado, beets, broccoli.
3. Selenium- take 200 mcg daily which is needed to make glutathione or make sure you get sources in your diet- brazil nuts (1 oz), cooked halibut, sardines (3 oz), wild shrimp (3 oz), turkey (3 oz), spinach (1 cup).
4. Vitamin E rich foods- almonds, spinach, sweet potato, avocado, olive oil.
5. NAC- 600 mg twice daily to chelate heavy metals.
6. Alpha -lipoic acid (~ 200 mg daily)
7. Milk thistle- take as directed on the label. Helpful to bind to heavy metals and flush them out of the liver.
8. Modified citrus pectin- in apples and citrus fruits or take 3 grams twice daily (sodium alginate complex). Bind metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic and flushes them out of the body.

Supportive elements also include probiotic bacteria particularly lactobacillus acidophilus (50 billion C.F.U.’s/day), fermented foods like kefir, dairy free yogurt, sauerkraut or kimchi. Make sure to keep minerals high if you are taking out heavy metals. Include seaweed in your diet like nori, dulse, kelp or wakame.  A multimineral supplement would be supportive. Drink enough water- half your body weight in oz. Get lots of fiber (50 grams plus). Eating ground flax seeds or chia seeds, raw nuts and seeds if tolerated, tons of cruciferous veggies as stated above. Limit brown rice which contains higher levels of arsenic in the diet. All types of rice do contain small amounts of arsenic contamination. Boiling rice with water and throwing out the water can help get rid of some of it.  Cilantro and garlic, leeks, onions are great chelators to include in the diet.  Wild blueberries are a great chelator. Include polyphenol rich foods like cocoa powder, dried plums, cloves, green tea, strawberries, black currants, purple grapes or purple grape juice.

Heavy metal Smoothie (Anthony Williams: Medical Medium Source)- 2 bananas, 2 cups of wild blueberries, spirulina 2 tsp, barley grass powder 1-2 tsp, cilantro (1 cup), Atlantic Dulse (2 tbsp flakes). Could consume once daily.

Other supports may include Chlorella 4-8 capsules daily. Vitamin C 1000-3000 mg daily which can chelate metals. A great homeopathic Unda support for heavy metals is Unda 2, 48, 258 – 8 drops twice daily taken at least 15 minutes from food or drink. Please make an appointment with me if you want to explore further testing options for heavy metals or further explanation of treatment options. Parallel Chiropractic and Wellness Center 4032321283   Dr. Robin Vinge, ND

I had an amazing long weekend. I spent time cooking food for people and really felt connected to others. This is good for our health! I thought I would post some notes I made from a book that I read a number of years ago. It is super relevant today as we are all getting older and we want to preserve our brain function. These are notes I made from the Memory Rescue Diet by Dr. Daniel Amen, MD.  Enjoy!

Foods to choose when it comes to supporting mental health…starting with spices to support your mental health. Include saffron, turmeric, peppermint and cinnamon (for attention problems and blood sugar regulation). Spices can be used raw and dried. Spices are full of antioxidants to help protect your brain from free radicals and oxidative stress. Choose organic for the dirty dozen for foods. Try to buy spices that are organic if you can afford it. Choose organic for the dirty dozen foods. The Environmental Working Group publishes a list of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Green List every year (foods that are safer to eat if they are non-organic). Pay attention to this list every year and get familiar with it!

For support of dopamine the major motivation hormone (helps with focus and motivation) eat dopamine rich foods such as turmeric, theanine from green tea, lentils, wild fish, lamb, chicken, turkey, grass fed beef, free range pastured eggs, nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sesame especially), broccoli, spinach, protein powders from hemp and pumpkin or pea protein.

Serotonin rich foods to support mood and sleep, modulate pain and cravings. Include eggs, turkey, wild seafood, chickpeas, raw nuts and seeds, sweet potato, quinoa, dark chocolate that is dairy free if possible.

Include GABA rich foods if you suffer from anxiety such as broccoli, almonds, walnuts, lentils, bananas, organic beef liver, brown rice, wild halibut, gluten free whole oats, oranges, rice bran, spinach. I also love L-theanine for anxiety. You can get l-theanine in matcha which is green tea powder. I love drinking a matcha tea latte in the am with non-dairy milk for that reason. I tolerate green tea powder much better than coffee. Genetics typically determines how well you tolerate caffeine.

Include choline rich foods to support your memory. Choline rich foods include shrimp, eggs, scallops, sardines, chicken, turkey, cod, grass fed beef, collard greens, brussels sprouts.

Eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables to improve mood. THe more fiber you include in your diet the better your health in general.

Maca is an herb that can help reduce depression. It is a key herb to use in menopausal women. It also works to counteract stress as it is an adaptogenic herb. It is also been called Peruvian Ginseng. 

Include antioxidant rich food such as acai fruit, parsley, cocoa powder, raspberries, walnuts, blueberries, artichokes, cranberries, kidney beans, blackberries, pomegranates, chocolate, olives or olive oil. hemp seeds, dandelion greens, green tea.

Include magnesium rich foods such as dark leafy greens, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, beet greens, summer squash, quinoa, black beans, cashews. Magnesium rich foods are especially beneficial if you suffer from constipation, hypertension, or anxiety. 

Include Zinc rich foods especiallly if you have suffered from eating disorders in your past. Zinc can be a common mineral deficiency as you get older. Foods rich in Zinc include oysters, beef, lamb, spinach, Shitake mushrooms, Cremini mushrooms, asparagus, sesame and pumpkin seeds. 

Include foods rich in B6, B12 and folate such as leafy greens, bok choy, cabbage, bell peppers, cauliflower, lentils, asparagus, chickpeas, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, beet greens, summer squash, quinoa, black beans, cashews.

By paying more attention to the foods that you bring into your body you can influence your mental health for the better!

Resources: The Memory Rescue Diet. Daniel Amen, MD.