Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Industry of Cancer - about mammography



“More women are being harmed by regular mammograms than are saved by them.” Says  Johnnie Ham, MD, MBA. You can listen to the whole interview about mammography and breast cancer diagnosis here. 

 The Industry of Cancer

Johnnie Ham, MD, MBA obstetrics gynecologic talks about mammography and breast cancer diagnosis.
“Breast cancer has become big business, starting with the multi-billion dollar goliath, mammography. No other medical screening has been as aggressively promoted. My passion is providing integrative primary care as an MD for hundreds of patients. I also have over 23 combined years of military experience as an OB/GYN, trauma surgeon, experimental test pilot, and master army aviator.
My training prepared me to navigate through challenging, and sometimes life threatening situations. Unfortunately, most women do not have the training I received, yet they could certainly use some of it to help navigate through the fear based methods of the breast cancer industry.
The tide of thought on mammography’s benefits is rapidly changing as evidenced by recently published studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Lancet Review, the British Medical Journal and the Nordic Cochrane Center; and the fact that the US Preventative Services Task Force and the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care.
There is no reason why a woman shouldn’t have the option choosing between a thermography, an ultrasound, an MRI or even between a mammogram itself. My role as a doctor is to diagnose and treat, but I am also an educator. I want my patients' focus to be on prevention to improve their health and well-being. There is no evidence that mammography decreases death rate caused by cancer.  
Facts and Persisting Concerns: Mammograms
More women are refusing mammograms. This is reflected in the dramatic decline of 4.3 percent in 2010. Previously, mammography use had increased annually by 1 percent between 2005 and 2009. Mammograms:
1.      Are incorrect 80 percent of the time (providing a false negative or false positive)
2.      Require repeated ionized radiation that can cause cancer  -in the new 3D version it’s even worse!
3.      Use compression, which can damage breast tissue or potentially spread cancer
4.      Are not effective for up to 50 percent of women (women with dense breasts or implants)
5.      Can lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment of non-invasive cancers
6.      Can lead to the disturbing practice of “preventative” double mastectomies 

Please understand that there are other screening options, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and you have a right to utilize those options. Also remember that in order to truly avoid breast cancer, you need to focus your attention on prevention.

A few simple, yet great options to assist in your efforts to avoid breast cancer are: making sure you are getting enough vitamin D, K2 and iodine; that you utilize lymphatic massage; use stress management techniques, exercise often, and balance your hormones naturally. It is also wise to eat a Mediterranean diet consisting of organic foods. Avoid processed and GMO foods; and toxic environments.

In my practice, I recommend breast thermography, even for young women to get a baseline, but also combine the imaging not only with a review of the findings, but more importantly, as a venue to educate women on breast health. It is far more effective to prevent breast cancer, than it is to wait until it is there and then treat it. We are all different so make sure you consult with your doctor and do your own research before utilizing any of these suggestions.

The advice I give all of my patients is to be your own health advocate, do your own research and always ask questions before agreeing to any therapy or treatment, screening and/or procedure.”

Monday, April 15, 2013

Ajowan -What is it good for and how can we eat it?



AJOWAN –CARUM COPTICUM
It’s widely used in India or Iran for headaches as a tea, medicine against cough, heartburn, or antihistamine for allergies. 
Nowadays this folk remedy is getting respected as medicinal herb by western medicine. Medical researchers have identified more than 20 medicinally active compounds; one of them is as strong as morphine. What can we use it for?

1. Pain Relief
It contains Thymol, which can numb pain. If you chew it raw, you can experience numbness on your tongue. We always cook it to take this sting away. They compared ajowan’s pain-numbing power to morphine in laboratory animals and ajowan was found just as effective as morphine!!!
If you want to use for pain relief then slightly roast it on warm pan, then take a spoonful, chew well and follow with glass of water or glass of "karne milk" (butter milk).

2. Healing Digestive Tract (heartburn, belching and bloating, flatulence, diarrhea)
Due to its presence of Choline, a nutrient that aids the brain in sending healing messages to the body it proved to be effective for all these ailments. The most effective was when it’s roasted (roasted seeds steeped in hot water). Scientists found that ajowan is high in acetyl-choline, a chemical that controls involuntary muscles, like those line the gut.

3.  Asthma
A boiled extract of ajowan is comparable to theophylline, a broncho-dilator that expands the airways –was found by researchers.

 4. High Blood Pressure
In laboratory animals ajowan had the same effect as the calcium channel blocker verapamil (Calan) in decreasing the blood pressure. Most likely thanks to its acetylcholine content.

5. Cough
Researchers found that ajowan suppressed cough more effectively than codein in laboratory animals –once again thanks to its acetylcholine content. 
(Source: Bharat B. Aggarwal, phd with Debora Yost: Healing Spices)



SEASONING WHILE COOKING
I use ajowan in samosa, bread rolls or roti.
I alter the recipes to make them healthier and if the original is Asian, when possible I try swop the Asian ingredients to locally grown ones.  With ajowan it's not possible, but when making Indian "subjies" e.g. some of the vegetables can be localized without ruining the taste.
 On my upcoming cooking courses I can show finally how to make them.
I never deep fry anything, but shallow fry only. When I'm making samosa I stuff the filling into a simple, home made dough. 





If you wish to grind the seeds, dry roast them first.
Whole spices benefit from a light, dry roasting before grinding. We should not burn them, but to brown them.

HOW TO BROWN WHOLE SPICES
Heat a small, heavy frying pan (cast iron is said to be the best) over medium heat until in about two minutes. Add the spices, and while shaking the dish at the handle, stir the spices continuously with a wooden spoon, so they don’t burn. For the first minute or two while the spices are losing their moisture, nothing will happen. As they continue to roast, they will start to smoke. You will smell the fragrance.  Continue to roast until they are deep brown.
If you prepare to use a blend, don’t fry the different spices together, because they don’t brown at the same time.


Monday, April 8, 2013

How to find the Aviva Studio at the ring of Brussels

Inspite of the roadworks going on Leuvensesteenweg, if you follow the red line it is quite simple to get to THE AVIVA STUDIO. If you still cant find your way with the help of the GPS, then you can always call me for directions. -Smisstraat 2. 3080. Tervuren-Vossem.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Aviva Workshops in Brussels


The AVIVA Dance is a series of exercises that -when practicing the 18 basic steps long or short versions- give women a powerful tool to be able to control their cycle, fertility, pregnancy,  menopausal symptoms, PCOS, etc. It's developed over decades by the Israeli Aviva Gabriella Steiner.

The basic steps consist out of 18 exercises that stimulates and strengthens the inner and outer muscles of the lower abdominal area and increases blood-flow to all reproductive organs. By practicing the exercises on a regular basis those organs receive a more steady supply of blood, increased amount of hormones, nutrients and oxygen. This stimulation, strengthening and nourishment of the muscles and organs of the pelvic region results in healing of various gynecological problems, naturally balanced hormones and reproductive health. (wikipedia; nonoage.com )
We can learn it and all the necessary information regardingly during a 4 hours long initiation course, which starts with an alkalizing lunch.

In the 4 hrs we
  • go through how this method can help and in which problems  (weak pelvic floor, irregular cycle, fibroid, cysts, PCOS, infertility, menopausal symptoms, PMS, etc.)
  • endocrine balance supporting meal to showcase how it can be useful and enjoyable at the same time (the method is more efficient if combined with the proper eating habbits)
  • Learning  the18 basic Aviva steps (when practiced fluently will take 30min ), so it can practiced individually at home
  • Learning the short version of the 18 steps (when practiced fluently will take 15 min), so it can practiced individually at home if no time for the 30 minutes version.

Ideally you can practice it twice a week.

For the workshop: You will need support bra, comfortable cloths and warm socks or shoes with soft sole (we use the flexibility of the sole, I will explain why). We start with a lunch, no need to eat beforehand.

The program costs Eur60 if you subscribe for the weekly practice classes, otherwise Eur68. The subscription is valid for 6 months for any of the classes in Brussels, and it's Eur120. Practice classes payed occasionally: Eur13. The Endo-Gym Timetable in Brussels you can find here. We are in 3 locations 5 times a week for 7 classes. 2 classes are variable, depending on bookings. They may be ovulation/progesterone stimulating exercises, meno or mens exercises.

Upcoming HORMONE WORKSHOPS in Belgium 
get in touch: info@nonoage.com
For full program:   http://AvivaMethodBelgium

register: +32 / 04999 85091

ALKALIZING THAI CURRY – all by yourself with locally available ingredients


Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4-6 portions: vegetables (1 smaller aubergine, 3 bigger potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 cup peas, 5 pieces of mushrooms, half red pepper  – the dish can be still delicious if any of these vegetables are missing),  fresh ginger,  5 cloves of garlic, green chilli, 6 pieces of lime leaves, turmeric,  1/2 l coconut milk, 2 coffee spoon salt and half deciliter olive oil. 

Peel the garlic and press the cloves flat with a knife. Leave it on the air for about 10 minutes to ensure the strongest antibiotic effect of the garlic.

Peel and clean the vegetables and chop them to cubes. The mushroom and the red pepper can be sliced thin.

Because we don't use ready made pastes or aroma's, the ginger and the chilli will make our curry spicy.  We can manipulate the spice level in three ways.

·        The amount of these two ingredients

·        If we sate the chilli in oil in the very beginning it loses from its power.

·        Depending when we add the ginger it can make the curry very spicy or just gives it a special flavor. The longer we cook it in the dish the stronger it will be.

So heat up the oil in a dish and throw into the lime leaves, the chile as much as needed but min1), and the half of the garlic. I bought frozen lime leaves in Asian shops, but it's possible to use the leaves of your own lime or lemon tree.  

When the garlic is soft, before it would turn brown add the vegetables except for the mushroom, peas -if deep frozen- and the red pepper.

Because I like the spice level light I add the ginger only with the mushroom and peas 5-10 minutes later.  

When the potato is soft add the red pepper, turmeric, left over garlic and the coconut milk. This needs only 2-3 minutes cooking and the curry is ready.

Naturally it's an excellent combination with rice but sometimes I mix it with pasta for daughter.



Saturday, April 6, 2013

After PCOS, Sandy has concieved

By the time I delivered, I got all necessary baby articles, maxi cosi, baby bed, bath, pram anything that the little boy of an Aviva instructor friend of mine grew out of.  Then what I could, I passed on to her friend, Sandy. She delivered 4 months later than me, after years and years of waiting, waiting and trying. 
I met her in December, her son was then 4 months old.

Sandy as lean as before her pregnancy was looking out the window thinking…and she started to tell me her story:

"I was born in Colombia, my father is from there, but when I was 9 my parents divorced, and my mom, who’s Hungarian, moved to Hungary with me and my sisters...I was bullied by my new class mates, felt generally unhappy, and early, I know, I started to find comfort in substances. By age of 13 I reached heroin.
Till then 2-3 times I had my period. And as I went deeper and deeper in this drug abuse my feminine cycle entirely stopped working. I didn’t even notice. Those days it wasn’t important at all… I went through hell….It took years for me to learn how to live without drugs... When I was 21 finally I found the right place in the mountains, in Komlo, that really helped me to become clean. So there I was healthy again one hand, the other hand I didn’t have my period. It started to bather me. I went from gynecologist to gynecologist, but no improvement. Some of them prescribed me hormones that resulted in periodic bleedings as long as I took the medicines But they were too strong for long term. I was not supposed to keep going on with them. My ovaries were full with cysts, I got diagnosed with PCOS.
By then with my husband we desperately wanted to have a baby… I was 26.
When I heard about the Aviva Method, it left no questions to me. I thought I got to try it out and give it a chance. I couldn’t believe when after the initiation session my period came!
Such hopeful results I’ve never dreamed of. This gave me a great deal of motivation to practice the 18 basic Aviva steps at home twice a week. After half year my cysts have disappeared, further I even conceived…Unfortunately the pregnancy ended with a miscarriage.
I lost faith and stopped practicing the dance.
Two years passed by when I managed to put myself together again and reestablished practicing. Alone, at home, twice a week 30 minutes. My period became normal again, and I simply enjoyed the purification that it gave me every month. I also developed a routine about using pregnancy tests each morning. After a while I didn’t even have a proper look at them, just used to throw them into the bin and would turn to the door leaving the bathroom. Till one morning at the door I realized that I saw two stripes.
Can you imagine? On the test I threw away there were actually two stripes!
This time everything was fine, at the end I was even overdue with two weeks.
Our little son was born with 3.7kg, 58cm. perfectly healthy and he got only the breast till today. He’s 4 months now."

We, Aviva instructors are so happy to see these mothers. I wish we could help all the girls who experience infertility or PCOS.

How to use the Aviva Method, what it is exactly you can read more here