Monday, 12 July 2021

Impact of radiotherapy 15 months on

Finishing Radiotherapy March 2020

Well its been nearly a couple of months since my last blog on this site - a collection of reasons plus busy times - it has also now been 15 months since finishing radiotherapy - and also deciding to finish the hormone treatment - so it seemed a good place to review where I am at. Some might also be interested in my previous blogs on radiotherapy by clicking on the tag.

I guess it is worth saying that although the radiotherapy was aimed at getting rid of prostate cancer we don’t know whether that is the case - medical teams talk instead of being ‘in remission’; in other words no sign of cancer. Also no doctor can say for certain whether your cancer will come back. Each cancer is different and the success of your treatment will depend on many things. 

Certainly what figures that are available indicate cancer does return in a number of cases; one article suggests up to 40 percent of patients with prostate cancer will show signs of recurrence (i). It is extraordinary that reoccurrence after treatment for early stage prostate cancer is still not properly recorded. This is critical info if we are to understand which men are most at risk of reoccurrence and which treatments are most effective.

However we must remember generally relative survival rates are high. There are many factors that can lead to more likely recurrence like cancer cells in lymph nodes, larger tumours, non-localised cancers, higher grade cancers, diet, men under 60 years and more. Hence, to my mind, an integrative approach where we are still actively working on health is the best call to reduce the likelihood of a return!

Update 22/5/22 - re photo of bell ringing - see this blog re riding the bell - a view that resonates with me: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/06/04/jo-taylor-its-time-to-call-time-on-the-end-of-treatment-bell/

Stats

I’ve quoted before the wise words of Sophie Sabbage about avoiding statistics, that she writes in her book, “The Cancer Whisperer”. She says “staying away from soul-sapping, fear-inducing information that discusses indicators, but not inevitabilities.” That doesn’t mean we should settle for half-truths - as she says “Don’t let your oncologist or doctor protect you from the full facts. Push them for answers until you are satisfied you know it all.”

It is also worth noting that fear of reoccurrence can also be hugely damaging. To quote another statistic - approximately 7% of cancer patients develop severe and disabling fear that includes constant intrusive thoughts and misinterpretation of mild and unrelated symptoms (ii). 

I have written before about fear and it can have a huge impact on our lives - it certainly has on me in the past. Things are much easier now but there is no question that fear is just under the surface at times. It remains, in my view, one of the number one areas to target in terms of an wholistic approach. To quote Sophie again; “If you don’t take hold of your fear your fear will take hold of you.” She talks about people dying of fear and shock and the need "to pass through it.”

I have been able, in the past, to attend one of her day workshops and just a few weeks ago caught this excellent webinar from Penny Brohn UK talking about how to reduce the impact of fear on medical outcomes and wellbeing. It is an excellent video and I do recommend a watch. See here: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/resource/impact-fear-cancer/


PSA results

I’ve had three PSA tests at 3 month intervals, 0.4 then 0.3 then 0.3 a couple of weeks ago. This doesn’t mean a lot at the moment and it could possibly fall more for up to two years after radiotherapy although it looks like it has possibly stabilised? If it rises more than 2.0 then that is when we have to take action. You can see more about PSA tests and bounces after radiotherapy in my blog where I talk about why I stopped hormone treatment here. 


Side-effects

Cancer Research UK list long term side effects from radiotherapy and hormone treatment:

Radiotherapy: Problems passing urine, Leakage of urine, Erection problems (impotence), Frequent or loose poo, Inflammation of the back passage (proctitis), Swollen legs or scrotum, Cancer of the bladder or lower bowel, Weaker pelvic bones, Tiny cracks in the bones, Low levels of vitamin B12 (iv).

Hormone treatment: Tiredness, Problems getting an erection (impotence), Hot flushes and sweating, Weight gain, Memory problems, Mood swings and depression, Bone changes, Risk of heart problems (v).

Radiotherapy side effects can and do occur for many years. Research has shown that men treated for their localized prostate cancer have been found to have similar long-term side effects regardless of treatment type. Both surgery and radiation therapy had similar levels of urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and bowel urgency 15 years after treatment (vi). However the hormone side effects such as hot flushes and sexual problems, are likely to improve after treatment stops - but it can take several months for side effects to improve, although I have read that some men never notice any improvement. This is particularly so if hormone treatment is intermittent.


Urine problems

Well I won’t dwell on this but suffice to say I am still needing the loo three times each night and too often in a day, sometimes with urgency but only very occasionally with a tiny leak. It is enough to keep me at the pelvic floor exercises! There are also some bladder training exercises where you learn ways to wait longer between needing to urinate and passing urine. I’ve not got on well with these, as the moment I am thinking about waiting makes me want to go more. 

Cutting down on caffeine and alcohol are also recommended - well I have very little alcohol indeed and can’t take my daily joy of a double espresso away from my day (see my blog on coffee here). Drinking water is important - this seems counter intuitive but limiting your fluid intake makes incontinence worse as it reduces your bladder's capacity.

I have been offered Tamsulosin as it can help urinary symptoms following radiation therapy (vii). However I didn’t feel comfortable taking it as I was managing mostly OK, plus I was concerned about a load of new side-effects and would I then become reliant on it?

Perhaps one of the worst impacts of urine problems like leakage is the accompanying shame. I’ve fortunately not had those moments like some guys who have talked about 'peeing their pants'. Certainly learning how best to manage it successfully can go a long way in easing the pain and embarrassment. I’m hoping that my challenges won’t get any worse!


Sex life

In terms of a love life - certainly the treatments have had an impact - something that perhaps doesn’t get talked about enough? But it isn’t just erections - for many there are other side effects that get even less mentions - climacturia, arousal incontinence plus orgasmic disturbances such as altered orgasmic sensation, anorgasmia, and orgasm-associated pain (dysorgasmia) (viii). 

One article I welcomed was by Elvin Box sharing his prostate cancer story and the impact it had on his sex life: https://www.jodivine.com/articles/perspectives/winning-back-our-sex-life-after-prostate-cancer-a-personal-story-by-elvin-box

There are quite a few other resources online - here for example is a video by Dr Holzapfel who looks at some of the effects: https://pcstoronto.ca/2020/12/03/video-there-is-sex-after-prostate-cancer/

Sex is clearly an important part of our lives - for some much more than others - there is also evidence that it can play a part in healing. See a video by Jem Ayres looking at the 'Healing Power of Orgasm’: https://youtu.be/4wp7GYc4yok  You can also see also my film of Jems' cancer journey here. 

It is also worth noting that there is now research confirming that masturbation boosts your immune system (ix). However I guess if sex is an option then you don’t need such studies to encourage you back to it after treatment?! Then again perhaps too often fear and other stuff gets in the way?


Bones

We know radiotherapy has an impact on bones - and so does the hormone therapy yet it was my Functional Medicine practitioner that advised I get a scan. My GP readily agreed but I wonder why it isn’t standard practice?

A DEXA scan is a bone density scan that uses low dose X-rays to see how dense (or strong) your bones are. They are often used to diagnose or assess your risk of osteoporosis, a health condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. As well as being quick and painless, a bone density scan is more effective than normal X-rays in identifying low bone density (x).

It seems that your T scores are important; they show how your bone mineral density compares with others. Scores of +1.0 are good. Numbers between +1 and - 1 show normal bone mineral density. Scores between -1 and -2.5 indicate Osteopenia (thin bones). Less than -2.5 indicate Osteoporosis (porous bones) , eg. - 2.7, -3.0 etc. And -3.0 shows  serious Osteoporosis. 

Well I have osteopenia. Spine is minus 1.9 and hips are minus 1.6. 


So what is recommended?

Hoping dance will be poss again soon!

1. Exercise. Like muscle, bone gets stronger when you use it. The best moves for bones are weight-bearing exercises that force your body to work against gravity. That includes walking, stair climbing, dancing, and lifting weights. I do all those except the weights.

2. Diet. High-calcium foods outlined on most websites include:

• Sardines and salmon, with bones
• Tofu
• Dairy products such as yogurt, low-fat milk, and cheese
• Green vegetables such as broccoli and collard greens
Dairy is largely a no-no for me as it’s linked to prostate cancer so I do try and manage to boost other calcium rich foods. My GP recommended looking at one of the calculators online to see if you are getting enough calcium: https://www.osteoporosis.foundation/educational-hub/topic/calcium-calculator

Interestingly according to the calculator I am getting not even half of what I need. However a lot of things I eat aren’t listed eg sprouted seeds, spinach, kiwi, chia, flax seeds, herbs, spices and more - some of these are very high in calcium - indeed seeds and leafy greens we do lots of and they are best for calcium. Nevertheless the DEXA has led me to think more carefully and increase herb use, occasional organic sheeps yoghurt and oily fish.

3. Vitamin D. Time outdoors in the sunshine each day helps as do some foods. Here is a list from one website:

• Fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
• Fish liver oils
• Beef liver
• Cheese
• Egg yolks
• Fortified breakfast cereals, juices, milk products, yogurt, and margarine

However some of those foods I am avoiding. A vitamin D test a while ago showed I was at the low end of normal; many nutritionists and functional medicine practitioners like to see levels much higher than that. I have been supplementing around 3,000/4,000iu per day on advice from my practitioner.

4. Don’t smoke, drink less, cut back on salt and reduce caffeine. All great but caffeine intake is sacred at the mo!

5. Supplements. There are various lists online of supplements that can help, but I am very cautious about suggesting any as it is so individual. We also need to be aware that some will interact with other aspects of our health. In the past for example I have taken ashwaganda - a wonderful widely used Ayurvedic herb to reduce stress and so much more - however after taking for a while I discovered that some practitioners view it as oestrogenic - not something someone with prostate cancer wants to be taking. So do do your research!

In the past I have taken boron (recommended by doctors in Germany) for bone health, at present I have been recommended Algae calcium by my Functional Medicine practitioner - incidentally she recommended it some months before the DEXA test.

The GP is recommending another DEXA scan in 5 years. I am of course hoping the results will show an improvement!


Fatigue

Fatigue doesn’t get a mention by Cancer Research UK as a long term effect of radiotherapy. I wonder why as many other websites note fatigue, although most say it typically fades within three to six months. Talking to a number of people with prostate cancer I wonder how accurate this is. The US Government's National Cancer Institute website notes fatigue caused by radiotherapy can in some patients 'last months or years after treatment ends’ (xi).

Doing a quick google search - not always advised - shows research into prostate cancer patients having radiotherapy and hormones showed 'long- term high level of fatigue and high prevalence of chronic fatigue’ (xii).
Cartoon by Russ after reading this blog

My own experience is that levels of tiredness are greater now than before the hormone and radiotherapy treatment. Not by any means dreadful but certainly not back to normal. Of course it is hard to unpick cause and effect as we’ve also had a very strange last 18 months with Covid. I was also made voluntarily redundant from a job I loved and despite having a new role and opportunities, that clearly does have an impact on health.

Another key factor with fatigue following radiotherapy is Vitamin B12 deficiency (as noted by Cancer Research UK). For the last five months I have taken some supplements particularly chosen for my situation as care is needed regarding B supplementation as there is also a link with increased prostate cancer risk. I also do seem to have a bit of a challenge re methylation - more of that in another blog - but it is a key process underlying epigenetic (see earlier blog here on epigenetics).

Lots of factors will impact on tiredness but this is an area that needs more research - there is still not an understanding of why treatments cause fatigue.


Other side effects

Another factor well researched but not listed above is the loss of muscle mass and strength (xiii).  Hormones tamp down the production of testosterone that plays a role in developing and maintaining muscle mass. Resistance exercising is critical here and I can't say enough how important that is to do. I struggled significantly to restore muscles to pre-radiotherapy levels despite a good exercise programme. 

I could also note some very minor rectal inflammation and possibly some memory challenges - but hey I am getting older and also know stress is a key factor with memory. I’m not sure I can put that down to the treatments!

Notes:

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Friday, 14 May 2021

Building a community of peer-led support groups

My last job was being part of a Community Building team in Gloucestershire. There are some perspectives on community building that can be useful for thinking about growing more peer-led support groups. In this blog I look at some of the work of Bruce Anderson, a community activist, leadership coach, co-founder of Community Activators and the Core Gift Institute (i) - this blog was first published on the Yes to Life charity's Wigwam Cancer Support Groups website and you can go to that website to see more about growing the Wigwam community with its support groups, well-being groups and Forums. 

Building our Wigwam community
Our Wigwam community is growing, but what do we need to give attention to if we are to build a resilient community? 
I have been fortunate to join community activist, Bruce Anderson on several day workshops to explore what makes a community welcoming and strong. His work with many people has led to identifying 'three glues’ of community that interrelate:
1. Everyone has unique gifts and capacities.2. It is the responsibility of the community to welcome those gifts.3. Creating hope.
It is when each of these three glues get attention then building community becomes easy. People want to connect. In this blog I want to cover them briefly as I think they have a big part to play in how we run our Wigwam groups.
'Rediscovering Welcome'
Joining a new group or attending an event can sometimes feel unnerving. We may not know the rules, the other people attending seem to already know each other and we might be anxious about making mistakes. If we are having a difficult time in life in general then this can make attending a new group or event even more difficult.
In many places, the power of recognising and welcoming someone new can be overlooked. The “welcome” seems to have been lost, reduced to insignificant gestures: a duty rather than something much richer. Perhaps like some of the hospitality industry where strangers are welcomed only if they have the money and credit cards. It seems we have moved somewhat away from the original old English meaning of welcome: ‘Wilcuma’ – to accept the stranger with pleasure.
Yet in some cultures the power of ‘welcome’ is still held held in very high-regard and the stranger on the doorstep is welcomed as one of the highest deities; there is, for example, an Indian saying that ‘Guest is God.’ Author and Patron of Yes to Life, Sophie Sabbage (ii) describes the Zulu greeting ‘Sawubona’, which means ‘I see you.’ The response is ‘Ngikhona’, said looking into the other’s eyes, means ‘I am here’ (iii). As Sophie says, this is about how ‘our hearts need to know we are visible to others as acutely as our bodies need food, water and rest.’
Creating welcoming spaces is a key step to ensure we can all feel a sense of belonging and worthiness. Shining a light on our welcome can help us uncover, restore and re-grow our welcome. Parker Palmer, a world-renowned writer and activist (iv) says that it is not about training people to be welcoming and hospitable, you just have to uncover people’s barriers to it - or rediscover it. We sometimes need help to do this; 'to see again with fresh eyes'. We are often too busy and have other things on our mind, but by recognising and removing the barriers we can rediscover the full wonders of welcoming.
One woman who spoke to me about the Wigwam Support Groups said she had not had the courage to phone for some months. She shared that she was not sure what to expect and whether the groups would be right for her, whether she knew enough or would fit in. Yet when she managed to get over her initial concerns and talk to one of us, the fears melted away. She even said it was the 'warm welcome’ that helped her take the next steps. Now we don’t get that right all the time, especially as what one person might find welcoming, may not be right for another. 
Definition of Welcome (Bruce Anderson): ‘The initial and ongoing interactions, with people and environment, that result in a feeling of belonging, and a willingness to engage.’
Bruce Anderson’s work with organisations around welcoming often starts with looking at where we learnt how to be welcoming and a chance to share a story when people felt unwelcomed. Employees are given the space to look at many different aspects of welcome. For example, signage; if the place is not welcoming on the outside, then people arrive on edge wondering how it will be. Is it easy to know what to do when you arrive? How are the phones answered? Similar questions can be asked of any groups including Wigwam even where they are already providing a warm welcome. There is often more we can do, especially thinking about the welcome to new members (v). 
Unique gifts
To welcome means to really ‘see’ the person walking through the door, to see their gifts and to be open to receiving help, wisdom and guidance from the person we are meeting or helping. There is a wonderful piece of old wisdom that says that helping is similar to breathing; you have to breathe in as much as you breathe out if you want to sustain your life. Indeed I have in the past thought I was there to help someone, only to find that it was my life that was being changed by the interactions.
Bruce Anderson writes on his website: “Cultures and faith traditions, many centuries old, used specific methods to identify and use gifts in their members. Now, modern neuroscience and positive psychology have backed up older wisdom traditions by proving that individuals thrive when they are able to find meaning in their lives by knowing and giving their gifts.” What are gifts? They are all those things that makes us unique; our passions, interests, experiences, skills and more. They are the tools that help us grow our community. It can take time to recognise gifts and support to help people offer them - all the while remembering that “A gift is not a gift, until it’s given.” 
“Every living person has some gift or capacity of value to others. A strong community is a place that recognises these gifts and ensures they are given. A weak community is a place where lots of people can’t or don’t give their gift.” Jody Kretzmann, ABCD Institute
I have been struck time and time again by the warmth and generosity of Wigwammers; their willingness to share their experiences and knowledge, to support one another, our many Forum experts offering their time free, people writing blogs for us or sharing social media. How can we do more of this?
Creating hope
The third ‘glue’ of communities is hope, and how you can sustain it by placing it at the heart of the whole community. This could be a whole blog in itself and is such a key part of going forward.
Found on beach, Cardigan, Wales
To take one example, many of us at Yes to Life and Wigwam have been excited by the huge healing potential that is offered by an integrative approach to cancer care. We see signs of change; this month is the first Integrative Oncology UK Conference and we saw over 700 come to the Your Life and Cancer event last year looking at integrative approaches. This is not just about hope for more changes and improvements to cancer care, but also bringing hope to individuals. 
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out”. Vaclav Havel
This blog hardly does justice to the idea of these three glues but I hope it gives some food for thought as to how we can continue to build our Wigwam community. We are open to suggestions, thoughts, ideas - and of course ‘gifts’. In further blogs it would be great to explore more about how we can create safe spaces for people to share and grow.
See more about Wigwam at: https://www.wigwam.org.uk
Notes & references
(i) For further information visit: https://www.coregift.org/ and https://www.communityactivators.com
(ii) ‘Lifeshocks, And How to Love them’ by Sophie Sabbage 2018
(iii) Terry Tillman writes about this connection and the use of this greeting in the Sci-Fi film, Avatar. He says: ‘The eyes are the windows to the soul. When we connect with the soul, who we truly are, all things positive are present—joy, acceptance, compassion, understanding, cooperation, loving, peace of mind, humor, ease, simplicity and more. That is the nature of the soul. And isn’t this what we truly want, a positive experience in life? Add these moments together more frequently, and for longer periods and we have more of what we want.’ See more at: http://www.finerminds.com/consciousness-awareness/samburu-greeting-terry-tillman/
(iv) See more at: http://www.couragerenewal.org/parker/
(v) ‘Our Door is Open: Creating Welcoming Cultures in Helping Organizations’ audio cd by Bruce Anderson and Community Activators. There is also a much earlier paper which doesn’t, in my view, fully capture the richness and possibilities that are covered in the audio: ‘Creating Welcoming Places Workbook’ (2004) by Bruce Anderson and Dean Paton: http://www.communityactivators.com/downloads/WelcomeWorkbook.pdfBruce talks about how a leader is needed to champion this welcoming work, but that it is also crucial that everyone agrees with the aim to be more welcoming. Bruce sees four domains or areas of focus that are crucial in helping to build a welcoming culture. Here are some notes from his work to give a flavour of those domains:• Storefront and building interior; if the place is not welcoming on outside people arrive on edge wondering how it will be. Is it easy for them to know what to do? How is the signage? Do the signs describes what to do, not what we don’t want people to do? How is the entrance? Water to drink, flowers, paintings, cleanliness, lighting and more can all be important. How welcome would you feel?• Customer processes; this is all the interactions with people, like how the phone is answered, the first greeting, how accessible is information about the group or organisation and whether waiting times be reduced. As Bruce says, ‘a person feels welcome to the extent they feel respected’.• Community Engagement; how welcoming is the group or organisation to other businesses and others in the community?• Employee support; employees have to feel welcomed in their own organisation if they are to be welcoming; this is about recognising gifts, induction processes, rituals for leaving, and how to challenge employees who do not act in a welcoming way.

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Sunday, 25 April 2021

Can you help advance an integrative approach to cancer?

On 15th May there is the Integrative Oncology UK21 conference aimed at healthcare professionals. It is all about the benefits of integrating conventional cancer treatments alongside evidence-informed psychological, nutritional, lifestyle and complementary strategies.


See details at: https://integrativeoncologyuk.com

This last year has been hugely challenging but also represents a turning point in terms of a growing recognition and acceptance of the importance of an integrative approach to health generally, but particularly in cancer care. The Your Life and Cancer conference attracted many people who were directly affected by cancer but also doctors and other healthcare professionals who wanted to carry on with discussions. 

Robin Daly, Chair and Founder of Yes to Life said: "Conversations that followed prompted a renewed interest in the British Society for Integrative Oncology (BSIO) as being the forum to continue those discussions. Driven by this fresh wave of enthusiasm, the BSIO have attracted new committee members (including a number of oncologists), have created a new website, launched a new membership package and are now working in association with Progressive Communications (our partners for the Your Life and Cancer event) to deliver a new Integrative Medicine conference, specifically for healthcare professionals. The first 'Integrative Oncology UK 2021' will be held online on 15 May 2021."

Contact your medical team?

This latest event is another example of the slow but quickening shift to a more integrative approach in our health services. Those of us living with cancer can play a key role in influencing our health care. Many of us can see that there is a growing openness to integrative approaches, but we have a long way to go. Contacting our medical team, oncologists, nurses and more about the conference can play a role in helping the medical community understand how many of us would love to see health care developing. 

I’ve already contacted my oncologist and a friend has also emailed theirs and had a very positive reply. I think many are wanting to understand what their patients are exploring. What is the evidence? What works? 


What's it all about?

The goal of the BSIO and the conference is that Integrative healthcare should be available and delivered seamlessly to all those whose lives are affected by cancer. This online event aims to provide delegates with a strategic toolkit of practical take-home advice to help better support people in their care and ultimately optimise patient outcomes and long-term health. The programme will look at both prehab and rehab and how multi-professional interventions such as nutrition, exercise and wellbeing can result in better functional outcomes after cancer surgery and other oncological treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapies.

Speakers will discuss ways to help improve side effects of treatment such as pain, fatigue, radiation dermatitis, cognitive dysfunction, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy and other common complaints. Managing the psycho emotional side of cancer will also be addressed as well as living with metastatic disease and how practitioners can work with patients to prevent recurrence.



The conference website notes that delegates will leave with:

        • An understanding of the science and evidence base underpinning lifestyle and complementary approaches in cancer care.
        • Simple, practical tools that you can use in your daily practice to support and activate patients who might benefit from lifestyle changes and increased resilience.
        • Information on how and where to refer patients safely and appropriately for further integrative support.
        • Strategies to help optimise the health of your patients and in turn providing you with increased job satisfaction.

Download a PDF programme: https://usercontent.one/wp/integrativeoncologyuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Integrative_Oncology_UK_2021.pdf
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Friday, 2 April 2021

Fluffy Vegan Quinoa pancakes

I do like a pancake…all sorts of pancakes…stacks of those American pancakes or buckwheat crepes… ...however with my largely gluten-free diet I have been cautious about some ingredients and also trying to be low carb. So I was delighted to be sent this recipe for pancakes that are not just light and fluffy but also have a slightly crispy texture to the outside of them. They are though still more of a treat!  

We’ve made them several times and a friend just requested the recipe - so here it is:

- 1 cup quinoa flour (ie quinoa ground into a fine meal – you can either buy it or make it yourself in a spice grinder)
- ½ tsp bicarb
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup plant milk (we’ve used full fat coconut milk but previously a soya milk; the soya needed a spoon of something like almond butter to get the texture right)
- 3-4 tsp maple syrup (we didn’t add this)
- 2 tsp lemon juice (need this to help pancake rise)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil for frying 
  • In a bowl mix quinoa flour, baking powder and bicarb.
  • Mix in the plant milk then lemon juice. 
  • Spoon in a big dollop of the mix into the frying pan and cook for roughly 2 mins each side. Store the stack in the oven to keep warm.                

Serve with toasted almonds or coconut flakes with blueberries, pomegranate seeds, fresh figs or whatever takes your fancy! 
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Tuesday, 30 March 2021

Garlic - and a Wild Garlic Pesto

Yay! It is wild garlic time - some might know it as 'bear's garlic’, ‘field garlic’ and 'stinking Jenny'. It sure does give off a pungent smell. I am very fortunate to live near woods so every year it is one of those things we forage lots. 

So why here in this cancer blog? Well I just I wanted to celebrate this wonderful gift of nature. That is more than enough and I’m sure it has loads of health giving properties..I am guessing that the research hasn’t been done in any meaningful way but my gut tells me it is good! Having said that there is a fair bit of research about the positive impact of ordinary garlic and in particular one of its key compounds, an amino acid called allicin(i). 

Indeed there are several claims that cancer can play a very significant role in cancer treatment. Chris Wark of ‘Chris Beat Cancer, for example has the lemon and garlic recipe on his website (ii). There is an in vivo 2017 study (iii) and an extraordinary study by Dr Wamidh Talib with mice showing garlic and lemon can tackle cancer. Chris Warks site covers the recipe details - not something I’ve tried. Would love to hear from folks that have.

Some struggle with the idea of lots of raw garlic and resort to supplements. This maybe good but there is some evidence that many don’t have the impact we would perhaps want and are much less effective than the cloves (iv). However some companies like Allicin Max have research to support their use and are also being used in medical trials.

It’s worth mentioning that I with garlic cloves you are meant to wait 10 minutes or more after you have crushed them before you use them raw or in cooking. This time is needed to release the enzyme that produces the anti-fungal and anti-cancer compounds. 

Anyway to the recipe for pesto; well actually I’ve not really got exact measurements as have done it by feel and taste. You can see below - there are also lots of recipes online and wonderful other uses for the wild garlic.

Recipe

• 2 big handful of wild garlic (it is the leaves we eat raw or cooked - not the bulbs)
• 50gm Pinenuts (or some have used hazelnuts)
• a great dollop of cold-pressed olive oil
• yeast flakes to flavour (and great instead of cheese for those on non-dairy)
• squeeze of whole lemon juice 


Blend all ingredients together until you reach a rough, pesto-like consistency then transfer to a clean jar and cover the top of the pesto with a layer of oil to help keep it fresh. The pesto will store for a week or so but ours usually gets eaten within days. This week we had it with spirulised butternut squash and big salad. I thought a spiruliser would be one of those gadgets we would never use but it is fantastic; love spaghetti made from courgettes!

Enjoy!

Notes:


(i) See research papers like:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25586902/
And interesting discussion here from Moss Reports: https://www.mossreports.com/garlic-beats-cancer/



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New interpretation of cancer

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