Coconut Milk Kefir experiments

Kefir is all the rage at the moment - suddenly supermarkets are stocking it with Yeo Valley and other brands. I'm guessing readers will have come across it - a fermented beverage that is full of probiotics and beneficial enzymes - indeed it has as many as 30 strains of good bacteria. It is made using kefir grains (nothing to do with actual grains) to ferment milk, making it into a liquidy yogurt drink. 

Allegedly kefir recipes in some parts of the world were closely guarded secrets for generations and passed on as part of a woman’s dowry. Marco Polo wrote about this drink and there are tales that the prophet Muhammad brought the grains to mountain tribes; some have even called them “grains of the Prophet”. They also get a mention in the Old Testament as the “manna” that fed the Israelites in the desert for so many years. “Kef” means to “feel good” in Turkish and certainly it has been shown to have a host of health benefits like tackling asthma but also possibly protecting against some cancers. More on health benefits can be found below.

Mass production of kefir didn’t begin until the mid 1900s in Russia. While it may not have been much in the UK, I know that in Norway, where my partner is from, it has been available for as long as her mum can remember. It was one of my go-tos in Norwegian supermarkets - they have some wonderful different brands with added blueberries and more. I have also made milk kefir in the past - It is worth noting that the fermentation process removes most of the lactose (milk sugar) so this is different from many other dairy products. However for vegans and some folks who want to avoid dairy, there is the option of coconut kefir. It seemed fun to explore the possibilities of this.....but before I get to that....

Water Kefir?

It is worth mentioning water kefir - both milk and water kefir varieties are rich in beneficial bacteria. However, as always, we should not get swept up in the idea that they are good for everyone - the advice is to check with your doctor before drinking - especially if you have any condition that weakens your immune system or for example are having chemo. Other folk I’ve heard that should check out or avoid are people with mastocytosis, are histamine intolerant, taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (anti-depressants), those who regularly get migraine headaches and those with bowel problems or if colon cancer runs in your family.

So you can make kefir from water and sugar - these are different grains from the milk - and some have said it is similar to Kombucha - but Kombucha has a tart zing, while water kefir is sweeter in flavour. However many of us with cancer are trying to avoid sugar - for me I feel happier with the coconut kefir but it is argued by some who make the water kefir, that you can reduce the sugar content. This is done by allowing your water kefir to ferment until it is just a little bit sweet on the first fermentation (i). Then when it is bottled, there will be enough sugar, with the addition of fruit or fruit juice, for carbonation, but will have a lower sugar content once the second fermentation is complete (ii). Apparently using water kefir grains to culture coconut water also produces less sugar but this can’t be done all the time as it wears the grains out. 

Coconut Milk Kefir

There are lots of recipes on the web but this one below is one where we have used milk kefir grains to ferment the coconut milk. Coconut milk kefir is milder and less-tangy taste than traditional milk kefir - which for me is a bit disappointing as I like the tangy! Coconut milk has no lactose but does seem to need more help to keep going than the dairy milk kefir. However check your coconut milk as so many come with other ingredients - you want something that is 75% or more coconut milk and no other ingredients!

Coconut milk is made by grating and squeezing the flesh of coconuts. This is then filtered and diluted with water. We should remember that coconut milk is high in a type of saturated fat called medium-chain fatty acids - this is processed differently than the saturated fat from animal products. It is said that this fat will be absorbed more quickly by your body rather than being stored in adipose tissue for later use. Certainly there is a big debate regarding coconut oil; is it good or bad for someone with cancer (iii) - but that is oil rather than milk. On balance I think coconut is better than dairy for me so here are the details on how to make it...

The recipe

2-4 tablespoons of milk kefir grains (in Stroud they are often given away by folks but you can also purshase online)

800ml of coconut milk (available in cans or cartons)

Instructions (iv)

• Add the milk kefir grains to the coconut milk in a large glass jar (we use a storage jar)
• Cover lightly with a tea towel and leave at room temperature for at least 12 hours; one comment was to put it in the fridge as it generally 'goes' really quickly. Temperature should be 4° or above. We haven't used the fridge.
• After 12 hours you can start tasting the kefir until it reaches desired level of fermentation or ‘tanginess’. A stir can be helpful if it is in for longer than 24 hours - it can get quite thick! We usually have ours at 48 hours but it depends very much on many factors; temperature, quantities of grains etc
• Strain out the milk kefir grains; we use a plastic sieve - this is not too hard but needs to be done with care so as not to damage the grains. Apparently metal can disrupt the fermentation process so use plastic or other implements.
• Add new coconut milk to repeat the process - don’t rinse your grains.
• Store the kefir in the fridge until you use it

Revive your grains

Using non-dairy leads to the grains withering and even dying over time; they need that lactose to help them thrive. Our grains have been used for quite a number of batches and they have lost their cauliflower shape and are more soft and mushy. They are ready for a revive! 

One technique I have read about and am set to try in this coming week, is putting the grains in a bowl covered with milk - some recipes suggest to add one teaspoon of sugar. You then have to replace the milk every 48-72 hours. After a number of times the milk will begin to separate into a clear liquid at the bottom - that’s the whey. When there are signs of fermentation again it is time to start a new batch. One suggestion was to then start with one tablespoon of grains to every two cups of milk. It can apparently take some weeks to get back to full strength. 

Resting your grains

We’ve taken a break several times from kefir - basically you can rest the grains in the fridge, but the longer you rest the grains, the longer it will take to revive them. The grains also don’t have the same bacteria diversity present in fresh grains - this will come back in time. We’ve used the freezer to rest our grains just as they are - we didn’t dehydrate first as suggested below and they seem to have recovered alright.

I’ve seen this suggestion:

1-7 days: Place the grains in a glass jar and fill with fresh milk. Store in the fridge.
7-14 days: Place the grains in a glass jar and leave them dry (with no liquid). Store in the fridge.
14+ days: Lay grains out on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate them at 36°C – 40°C until dry. Store the dehydrated grains in a freezer safe bag in the freezer.

See recipe below!

Health Benefits

Dr Axe lists many of the possible key benefits of kefir (vi); three key ones, that are important to those of us with cancer, are worth noting here:

1. Support to the Immune. One of the bacterias is specific to kefir alone ie Lactobacillus kefiri, and has been shown to help defend against harmful bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. The bacterias in the kefir help modulate the immune system and inhibit many predatory bacteria growth. Kefir also has an insoluble polysaccharide called kefiran, which a 2005 study found is antimicrobial and helps tackle candida symptoms and speed healing of external wounds. 

2. Helps digestion. We know how absolutely essential a good microbiome is for health - and key in cancer. The probiotics (vii) in the coconut kefir are great at discouraging constipation, supporting good elimination, reducing side-effects of antibiotics and they will tackle pathogens.

3. Tackles cancer. Most cancer studies are with dairy kefir, but it seems the positive outcomes are very likely to be transferable to coconut kefir. One dairy-based kefir study showed that kefir can slow the growth of early tumors and their enzymatic conversions from non-carcinogenic to carcinogenic (viii). Meanwhile an in-vitro test in Canada showed that kefir reduced breast cancer cells by 56 percent (as opposed to yogurt strains that reduced cells by 14 percent) (ix).

Update 4/06/20: new research with mice shows positive impact on immune system: https://apc.ucc.ie/dont-cry-over-fermented-milk/

See recipe left

Today I’m enjoying an Iced Cacoa Coconut Kefir - basically coconut kefir, a couple of ice cubes, a dessertspoon of cacoa and one of chia seeds with a sprinkle of cinnamon - allow to sit for 10 mins or so - yum! But also love a great dollop on quinoa porridge. It is a rather wonderful treat.

I still feel like I am learning with this coconut kefir, so I'd love to hear from other kefir-makers and welcome any tips, suggestions, corrections, thoughts and more.

Notes
(i) https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/water-kefir/how-to-make-water-kefir/
(ii) https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/water-kefir/bottling-water-kefir/
(iii) https://www.canceractive.com/article/Coconut-oil-vs-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil-(EVOO)

(iv) There are many online 'recipes' you can follow like: https://wellnessmama.com/54711/coconut-milk-kefir-recipe/ and lots of questions answered here:

https://www.yemoos.com/pages/faq-milk-kefir-intro

(vi)https://draxe.com/nutrition/coconut-kefir/

(vii) https://www.canceractive.com/article/probiotics-prebiotics-bacteria-and-cancer-1432
(viii) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3833126/
(ix) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17887934/

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread

Great title for a loaf of bread! This is one of my favourite gluten-free breads that we make at home. I came across it quite a while ago - also discovered it is an option at the very very wonderful Star Anise cafe in Stroud. Apparently this life-changing loaf was made famous by Sarah Britton of My New Roots (i) back in 2013 - although clearly the idea of bread made entirely or almost entirely of nuts and seeds is not ‘new’ by any means. There are also now nut free versions. 

The recipe below, I am sure is one of the adaptations from Sarah Briton’s original. What is so good is that you can adapt according to what you have and/or your taste. Ours is always gluten-free, vegan and completely sweetness free; I don't think you need that maple syrup but guess the lack of sugar in my diet has meant I am more aware of sweet and often find things too sweet. Although still have cravings but that is for another blog! I recently had a great version of this which had a tablespoon of carraway seeds and about 90g of chopped and pitted kalamata olives. Yum!

Ingredients:
135g sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds
90g flax seeds (ii)
65g hazelnuts or almonds (chopped)
145g rolled oats (iii)
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder); this is the stuff that holds it all together so can’t be missed out. It is hugely absorbent containing both soluble and insoluble fiber and soaking up ten times its weight in water. It can both sooth  the digestive tract as well as helping remove toxins and can be used to reduce cholesterol levels, aid digestion, and alleviate both diarrhea and constipation.
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (or alternatives like honey, pinch of stevia or your fancy)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
350ml water
Directions:
1. In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. We use a bowl then an ordinary bread tin lined with parchment paper. This makes it so easy compared to all that ‘mess’ with flour - no kneading and no yeast or starter dough! Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.
2. Preheat oven to 175°C.
3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

I have a friend who claims it is the best bread in the World - well it certainly is very tasty indeed. Coming soon I will share another great loaf; one made with buckwheat.

Notes

(i) See recipe and ways to adapt this loaf at: https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2013/02/the-life-changing-loaf-of-bread/
(ii) Read more about flaxseeds at: https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2020/05/balancing-oestrogen.html

(iii) See re gluten and cancer: https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2020/01/should-folks-with-cancer-avoid-gluten.html

Getting to the root of the Nettle

Nettle tea

Several months ago I had a fascinating evening with a trainee intuitive herbalist (i). This is an approach to herbs where the direct experience of the plant is put at the forefront of any learning and healing. It draws on traditional uses and research but also emphasises the importance of the individual herbalists knowledge of and relationship with each plant they work with. 

Intuitive Herbalism website says the approach is about 'relationship, experience and initiation'. They go onto ask questions....What does it mean to come into deep knowing of a plant and its potential for healing through our relationship and experiences with it? At the core of the work is the idea of initiation. What would it mean to be taught by a plant? To be changed by a plant? To let a plant guide you into a deeper understanding of yourself, your health and your healing process? If interested in learning more listen to Stroud's Nathaniel Hughes talking about Intuitive Herbalism in this great podcast: https://youtu.be/f-FxqneDWJo

Beautiful illustration from 'Weeds in the Heart'

All of this was fascinating; slowing down and spending an hour plus just being introduced to nettle roots - those roots that have been carefully dug up and washed ready to make a tea. In candle light we sat in quiet, letting feelings come up, using all my senses to really experience the tea. It felt such a special space to just consider and feel into a relationship with a plant - another part of my brain was saying this is too wacky for words! However there is no doubt that it was a lovely experience.

I learnt more about the plant later. Nettle root is also a lignan like flax and sesame seeds and has been used widely across parts of Europe to treat prostate swelling. It is seen as optimizing and regulating the hormonal system - even adding sex hormones where they are needed and deleting them where they are doing damage.

Nettle root

A blog on Raw Forest Foods suggests: "Nettle Root doesn't do the work for you, but what it does it is assists your own body in finding a healthy harmony….it is able to minimize harmful estrogen metabolites in the body”. See also my blog on oestrogen here (ii).

The Raw Forest Foods blog also argues that in men it "dramatically increases levels of free testosterone, the kind of testosterone that works positively on the body, the mind, the soul”(iii). Indeed amazingly they note that "laboratory studies have demonstrated Nettle Root to be as effective as finasteride (a medication commonly prescribed for BPH) in slowing the growth of certain prostate cells.” Well Finastride was one of the hormones I had in my first hormone treatment. 

Totally beautiful book

There are several studies of particular interest - one published in "Planta Medica” (2000) found nettle root extract inhibited proliferation of human prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. This study suggests like some of my previous blogs on hormones that testosterone and DHT are not the causes of prostate issues, but that prostate issues can actually be resolved when testosterone and DHT are brought back to healthy levels, and conversions of male sex hormones into oestrogen metabolites is blocked.

All that sounds very good; I didn’t start taking the nettle root regularly after I tried it in the candle light as I was still on hormones and about to start radiotherapy. My intuition said wait, but now it feels right. 

To read more about intuitive Herbalism I can strongly recommend the beautiful book, 'Weeds in the Heart' by Nathaniel Hughes and Fiona Owen. There is a chapter on nettles which also looks at the roots. I have had the root as a tea but one of their suggestions is to simmer the roots with milk (non-dairy better) to make a “delicious, nurturing tonic, a fine restorative for those depleted and feeling unsupported, and a native alternative to the ‘Golden Milk’ of Ayurveda (milk simmered with turmeric).” The book also suggests that the root should be taken with "a process of coming deeper into relationship with the prostate through perineal massage and pelvic floor exercise, alongside encouraging a general increase in physical activity.” More of the massage in another blog soon.

“The teachings of Nettle extend beyond the personal, perhaps as far as people. Our abusive relationship with the planet, the wastefulness, exploitation and greed that leads to environmental destruction, is perhaps itself rooted in a deep, unmet need to feel nourished. If we felt satiated and at peace with ourselves, we wouldn’t feel the hunger that fuels the unstoppable momentum of materialism.” Nathaniel Hughes and Fiona Owen

Notes

(i) See more about Intuitive Herbalism: https://www.schoolofintuitiveherbalism.weedsintheheart.org.uk/

(ii) https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2020/05/balancing-oestrogen.html

(iii) https://www.rawforestfoods.com/blog/nettle-root-and-hormonal-health/ and
https://www.rawforestfoods.com/blog/nettle-root-and-womens-hormonal-health/

Balancing oestrogen

Pumpkin seeds

This blog gets to explore what I’m planning to do around balancing oestrogen. We know that hormones can be a driving force in many cancers - not just prostate and breast. In previous blogs I’ve covered my protocol before, during and after radiotherapy. My most recent blog is a useful intro to this blog (see here).
 
Now that my hormone injection is wearing off it feels OK to try and balance my hormones - tackling oestrogen before might have impacted on the efficacy of the treatment? I was unable to establish how true that might be but it didn’t feel right adding more of anything into the body before the chemicals have made their way out….? I’d welcome others thoughts on this.

Hormone tests

Linseeds/Flaxseeds

Back in November 2017 I did have my oestrogen measured and it was normal. I then started six months of hormones following my transurethral hyperthermia treatment so by December 2018 it was way above normal (see here). I then restarted hormones last year ahead of my radiotherapy; the impact of them is starting to get less. I am considering a further test now but am now aware that there are there different types of tests. Urine is used in research but not so common in clinical practice. Previously I used blood serum but it is argued by Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley in their book ’The Metabolic Approach to Cancer’ that that is great for some hormones but limited for hormones like oestrogen. They suggest saliva is best for evaluating oestrogen.


Ideas for my plan of action

1. Environmental Oestrogens - I touched on this in my last blog (see here) - and I have attempted to remove these from my life for many years but got much stricter after my cancer diagnosis. Nasha and Jess’ book lists some of the common ones to remove like dioxins, bisphenol-A, phthalates, papabens and more.

2. Stop eating commercial meat and dairy - I have also stopped this since diagnosis but will share in another blog more details about this. 

3. Detox - all hormones are processed by the liver so protecting and supporting the liver during an oestrogen detoxification protocol is paramount.. The latest adjustment to my protocol, a month ago, was to include a 4 week Liver Detox. There are loads of these around and I sought advice for my own situation from a naturopath; the Renew Life was recommended but I understand that the make up of it in the UK has changed and the newer version would not have been so suitable for me. However I was fortunate to find one of the last old packets on sale. In the morning the key ingredients of the capsule are dandelion root, turmeric root, artichoke leaf extract and tinospora cordifolia stem powder. In the evening they have powders of L-Methionine, N-Acetyl-Cysteine, DL-Alpha-Lipoic Acid and L-Taurine. A number of these I’ve covered previously in blog posts.

The impact of detoxing varies widely and in previous detoxs I’ve managed well with few side effects. However this time I have had a fair few headaches and feeling grotty at times. It is often hard to distinguish what is causing what. Certainly there is also an impact in terms of stress from staying and working at home and the last effects of the hormone injection that I had prior to the radiotherapy. The hot flushes have been worse and waking me several times at night again; could this also be the detox as well as the stress?

I have not managed to keep up with my four saunas each week, at times only managing once a week, however the evidence is clear that they can help. I also have not tried fasting for a host of reasons including my low body weight. While I won’t explore fasting now (despite significant benefits), I will recommit to the saunas. 

Another option to help with the detox which I was taking before is Milk Thistle (i); there are over 120 published studies in PubMed on the effects of milk thistle on the liver. However I have stopped this, as to do this alongside the Renew, would be overkill!

4. Eat healthy - key are phytoestrogens - these are weak forms of oestrogen and work the same way as human oestrogens. Nasha and Jess claim they are largely misunderstood in Western medicine and that it is the chemical oestrogens that should be avoided. If we eat a balanced diet with naturally occurring phytoestrogens our hormones will be balanced. While Chris Woollams writes about the importance of a Rainbow diet (vi). He highlights among many other useful tips that; "Pulses, beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, green vegetables, carrots, red peppers, broccoli, cabbage and herbs all increase your phytoestrogens and protective carotenoids. In 1900 we derived 30 per cent of our protein from pulses; now it is less than 2 per cent. That is an example of how much our natural protection has declined".

Here are some of the suggestions I've come across from various sources:

- Soy - some doctors will say avoid but the evidence is much less clear and points in my mind to soy being totally possible in my plan: see my previous blog here. Update 8/07/20: See this article re soy and breast cancer: https://nutritionfacts.org/2020/07/09/what-does-drinking-soy-milk-do-to-hormone-levels/

- Cruciferous vegetables - including broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radish and more. Studies show that DIM and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) are the active components. The highest concentrations are found in garden cress and mustard greens. I3C is released when these foods are chewed and converted to DIM by the action of the stomach acid. Interestingly fermented cruciferous veg doesn’t have the same amounts of I3C but they do have other benefits so I won’t exclude them but I can’t include them as being key in the hormone balancing plan! Indeed I eat lots of cruciferous veg, raw and sautéed daily but have also previously supplemented with the I3C (i) and am considering restarting supplementation to support the rebalancing. It is worth noting that curly kale is among the highest concentrations of lignans - more on lignans below - and also kale has the highest amount of kaempferol - another important factor for those of us living with cancer - again more on that below.

- Apples - they have calcium-D-glucarate in higher quantities than many other fruit and veg - this stuff apparently helps balance the microbiome and helps the body excrete oestrogen and environmental toxins. Smaller, green, wild crab apples are best - less sugar and more phytonutrients - but I struggle to get hold of any of those other than when the neighbours tree fruits. Indeed it is hard to get even green apples if you want organic.

- Ground flaxseeds (linseeds) - these have high concentrations of lignans and have been part of my protocol since soon after I was diagnosed. However I had not appreciated for a long time, that freshly ground flaxseeds easily oxidise, so should not be stored for longer than five hours or used in cooking. If you have to store then store in fridge. Amazingly in one study flaxseeds were shown to be just as effective as tamoxifen in reducing the reoccurrence of breast cancer and can slow the growth of breast cancer (ii). It seems ground flaxseeds lignans bind to oestrogen in the bowel and help eliminate it. They also can bind to male hormone receptors and promote the elimination of testosterone which Nasha and Jess suggest is helpful for prostate cancer prevention and management. Flax oil and whole flaxseeds do not have as much effect. See also previous blog about flaxseeds and their impact on Alpha-Linolenic Acid (iii). Suggested amounts of ground flaxseeds vary - but up to two to three tablespoons per day sounds liek what many are recommending.

- Sesame seeds - like flaxseeds they are a good source of lignan’s and have found to be just as beneficial as ground flaxseeds. They are thought to be one of our oldest foods and have been found to have many other benefits including immunoregulatory and anti carcinogenic activity. They are also prone to oxidation so keep in fridge and don’t cook at high temperatures. See more below about sesame seeds.

- Coumestans - Nasha and Jess note these ‘hormone-balancing stars’ are found in a variety of plants; highest in red clover sprouts, spinach and Brussell sprouts. Red clover is used to help with menopausal symptoms and has been shown to inhibit some cancers like ovarian but they warn that your doctor should monitor your body response. 

I have recently sprouted some red clover and also have in the past been a drinker of Sir Jason Winters tea! He does several varieties of tea that include red clover and some have suggested they could be useful for cancer. He makes no such claims. One of the tea recipe mixes has chaparral and one has sage. Well, sage is supposed to be great for those of us with hot flushes; they didn’t seem to help. I am also aware you need to take sage with care as it can interact with many drugs and is poisonous if taking too much. Having said that a friend found it very useful in a tea several times a day to help manage his flushes. Chaparral has much less research and no evidence re impact on cancer - it also needs care when taking, as among other things, it can impact with the liver and also should be taken with other herbs like uva ursi or borage. Red clover is also a key ingredient of the Essiac tea; a famous brew that I have also tried but that is for another blog. It is worth noting that it is often the synergistic effect of the herbs that makes them more potent and useful in tackling cancer.

- Flavonols - another ‘hormone-balancing star’ is found in cocoa (over 85%), onions, kale (yet again), cranberries and romaine lettuce. These dietary flavanols have been found to reduce breast and pancreatic cancer risk. It is the flavanols that include compounds like quercitin and kaempferol - these have been found to be useful - particularly kaempferol where it can be used to help reverse breast cancers resistance to some of the chemotherapy agents.

- Rosemary - a sacred plant with several anti-cancer and hormone balancing properties. It seems it can help remove oestrogen and also protect against the nasty HCAs that come from meat cooked at high temperatures - that’s why they say throw Rosemary on barbecue meat.

- Thyme - has anticancer effects and one study showed it induced significant cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells (iv). Nasha and Jess suggest a few sprigs in your warm lemon water in the mornings.

- Mushrooms - there is a lot of research around breast cancer and oestrogen so it was great to see this two minute film from Michael Gregor here (vi) when he looks at the top seven veg that has an impact on oestrogen - bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, celery, green onions, and spinach dropped aromatase activity by about 20%, but it was mushrooms that forced down the estrogen-producing enzyme more than 60% - even button mushrooms were shown to have an effect. Research since doesn’t have quite the same huge results but still strong indications that mushrooms are likely to have an impact on cancer.

- Nettle root - see blog post in next days on this and my visit to an intuitive herbalist - update 28/04/20: see blog re nettle root here.

- B vitamins - update 28/04/20 - it was suggested this is one key item I missed off this list; B3 for example is key in oestrogen metabolism and detoxification while B6 binds to oestrogen helping to detox excess amounts of these hormones. B1 and B2 have been shown to get rid of oestrogen in rats. However there are also some studies showing that B vitamins may play a role in the creation of oestrogen in some situations so do check it out; on balance where I am at I will do a short course of B vitamins as they are also very helpful with stress.

- Boron - update 28/04/20 - another suggestion since completing this blog is boron - I have taken this on and off since being recommended in Germany while on my hormone treatment. Apart from other benefits previously covered Boron is also necessary for the metabolism of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen - researchers believe that boron influences estrogen receptors by allowing the body to more easily use the estrogen available.

Seed cycling

I’ve not tried this but it intrigues me...Seed cycling is basically a naturopathic remedy that aims to balance oestrogen and progesterone levels by eating flax and pumpkin seeds during the first half of the menstrual cycle and sunflower and sesame seeds during the second half. However Nasha and Jess suggest it could be useful for men too. So it would work like this:

Days 1-14 (after the new moon for men or following menstruation for women); 1 tablespoon each of ground flaxseeds and ground pumpkin each day - can add fish oil if suitable during this time.
Days 15-28; 1 tablespoon each of ground sunflower seeds and ground sesame seeds each day - can add primrose oil during this time. Sesame seeds are available with their hulls intact (unhulled) or with the shells removed (hulled). The unhulled are higher in calcium, which has been shown to reduce symptoms in the luteal phase but are high in oxalates which may not be appropriate for some people.

Sprinkle your ground seeds into oatmeal, on salads, in yogurt, or blend into smoothies. It is apparently useful to avoid the seeds you are not having ie in days 1-14 avoid sunflower and sesame seeds. However it seems there is no medical evidence (bar that on the flaxseeds) to support the impact of the seed cycling but I’ve now seen a number of claims about it being helpful (v).

Laser cut paper by Rogan Brown; imagining a microbiome

What else?

I’ve probably missed lots….clearly this is a tricky area and as always check out with your doctor and I say again this is only my thoughts based on what I have read. Do do your own research for what you need and check into your intuition (vii). Other key factors to consider include ensuring good sleep and ensuring your liver and microbiome are working well. The focus of this blog has been oestrogen; there are of course other important hormones like cortisol which needs at least one blog to itself! Melatonin is another key hormone  that also impacts on oestrogen - Chris Woollams of CancerActive writes of it:

"Importantly, it regulates our natural oestrogen and growth hormone levels, has 5 epigenetic ways of correcting cancer cells and will affect the receptor sites that oestradiol would like to jump on. Research suggests supplementation, and even top US cancer center Sloan Kettering feel it has a clear action against estrogen-driven cancers and helps relevant drugs become more effective” (vi).

I have also written about Melatonin here (viii) but at the moment it still does not feel right for me to supplement with it.

Update 16/5/22 On hormones: https://www.canceractive.com/article/the-reality-of-lowered-testosterone-and-higher-oestrogen-in-men-counters-orthodox-theories-of-prostate-cancer

Update 4/7/22: 'first direct evidence that human prostate progenitor cells are estrogen targets and that estradiol in an androgen-supported milieu is a carcinogen for human prostate epithelium': https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3100619/

Notes
(i)  https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2019/01/current-supplement-protocol-for.html

(ii) For example see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15897583/
(iii) https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2019/07/another-look-at-my-ethythrocyte.html
(iv) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01635581.2012.719658

(v)  https://hormonesbalance.com/articles/how-to-use-seed-rotation-to-rebalance-your-menstrual-cycle/

(vi) https://nutritionfacts.org/video/breast-cancer-prevention-which-mushroom-is-best/ and for research see: http://meetinglibrary.asco.org/content/83362-102 and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201963/

(vii) https://www.canceractive.com/article/oestrogen-is-a-major-driver-in-many-cancers

(viii) https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2020/02/following-my-intuition-no-to-melatonin.html

The pandemic and cancer are not stories of war

I came across this great article which so resonated with me (i). The few times I have been able to listen to the news I have heard Boris Johnson talk about us being 'at war', the 'frontline' staff and the 'army of volunteers'. None of that sat comfortably with me. Yes it makes us only too aware that the situtation is very serious but...

In the article in Open Democracy, Professor Hanna Meretoja in Finland writes: "to talk about patients “battling for their lives” risks implying that those who survive fought so hard that they made it, whilst those who fail to survive lost their battle because their fighting spirit wasn’t strong enough."

She then likens it to her own experinces of cancer, where the military metaphor is so embedded in our culture. I wrote about this very same issue a while back in my blog 'The Dangers of a Single Story' - and even made the draft of a short film with my cousin about the battle metaphors. See those here (ii).

I have found it fascinating that there is no research that says a strong fighting spirit would help us to survive either cancer or for that matter, I assume, the coronavirus. Indeed the very opposite is true; this paper by David Hauser from last August concludes that "Battle metaphors undermine cancer treatment and prevention and do not increase vigilance" (iii).

So we should not be praising those who survice the virus or cancer for winning 'a successful battle', anymore than those who die should be blamed for not fighting hard enough. When we look at the facts survival is about a host of reasons like access to treatments, our immune systems and so much more.

As, Hanna goes onto say our health workers are not soldiers; "what healthcare professionals practice is care, not war...The narrative of war is used as a legitimizing discourse. Wars inevitably have casualties. Wars require sacrifice. The narrative of war heroes is used to justify putting health workers at risk. It distracts us from structural inequalities, including the high exposure of low-paid women to the virus."

And what the heck! Where is the Personal Protective Equipment, protectiuon in care homes and proper salaries for our workers?

By focusing on the situation as a war means we miss the chance to consider the complexities - whether that is the pandemic or cancer. Here's Hanna again: "Instead of seeing the pandemic in terms of destructive and divisive narratives like the “survival of the fittest” or nations competing in the war against the virus, shouldn’t we see it as a lesson on the fragility of life? The Queen asks us “to take pride” in the British response to the crisis, but isn't this a time when humility takes us further? If we turn away from the narrative of war, we can envision how a new global awareness of mutual dependency could give rise to a stronger sense of solidarity, which may help us build a more socially - and environmentally-just world for future generations.

"The future of humankind depends on the path we decide to take, and that path largely depends on how we narrate the pandemic and the lessons to be drawn from it as we move forward. Let’s make sure these narratives hold open the possibility we now have to leave behind an unsustainable way of life and to imagine a world based on solidarity and care".

Yes the power of storytelling - it does make a difference how we talk about the pandemic or cancer.



Notes

(i) https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/stop-narrating-pandemic-story-war/
(ii) https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2019/01/dangers-of-single-story.html
(iii) https://psyarxiv.com/a6bvd/