New magazine by and for cancer community launched

Flourish Magazine is a joint venture between integrative cancer care charity Yes to Life and creative health charity Artlift and funded by National Lottery Awards for All, aiming to explore the benefits of an integrative and creative approach to living with cancer. It features a range of creative responses, expert information and interviews in each themed edition that offer support and represent the diversity of the cancer community.

This is a project I've been working on for many months after being inspired by Cancer Hive's magazines - it has been great to work with Artlift - and we are now working on the second issue - do download a copy of the first to see how you can submit something or click here.

The first issue of Flourish Magazine features a range of creative submissions, features and interviews around the theme of ‘Nourish’ - with several Stroud folk getting entries.

Download Flourish at: https://yestolife.org.uk/news/launch-of-the-new-flourish-magazine-2/

The magazine is created with the support of a steering group that includes people living with cancer and partners Macmillan, Macmillan Next Steps and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. We will have a few print copies available across Gloucestershire - probably too few as we are already getting requests.

Our Creative Editor

Before finishing this news item I wanted to celebrate Natalie Beech, our Creative Editor of the magazine. Natalie has gone more than the extra mile to develop this project. I have loved how she has navigated sensitive issues and challenges and brought heaps of energy and creativity to this project. Here's what she wrote:

"When I began work on the magazine, it was clear to me that there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to cancer and that it was important the content of the magazine reflected this. A cancer diagnosis is a life changing moment for all involved, its impact rippling beyond the person receiving it to our friends, family and colleagues, but how we feel and respond to it will be different for each individual. Whether it’s a support group, a massage, exercise, food or a creative activity like art or writing, cancer in all its bleakness can offer the opportunity to discover how best to nourish ourselves through difficult times.

"Through an open call for submissions on this theme, we painstakingly whittled them down to this final selection, which features everything  from the hilarious to the heartbreaking, because of course, how we experience cancer is as complex and unique as we are. Some of the pieces are therefore challenging and we felt it was important not to shy away from this, but have provided content warnings so that readers can choose what they feel able to engage with".

Scary dairy?

For the dairy industry there must be some disappointment that the word ‘scary’ rhythms so well with dairy. Certainly on many dairy farms the practices are more distressing than those of meat production - and those practices can be pretty poor (i). Indeed the internet is awash with info videos with titles like ‘Scary Dairy’ telling us it is time to reconsider dairy (see link).

If you want to check out ‘good’ milk then find those smaller farmers like Stroud Micro Dairy with a real consideration to the animals and environment. However this blog is not covering those issues other than to say how animals are treated has a huge part to play in the quality of food they produce - instead I wanted to explore more whether dairy has an impact on prostate cancer.

As a child we had glasses of milk at home and school and as an adult with some years largely vegetarian I loved cheese. However, it was not until my cancer diagnosis that I reconsidered it.

So what do folks say?

The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends having some dairy as part of a healthy, balanced diet. In Canada the federal government have updated their guidelines and their new Canada Food Guide advises Canadians to eat more vegan foods and less meat. They have cut the proportion of dairy and also largely removed cheese from the guidelines (see right).

Cancer Research UK (ii) always take a fairly conservative view in terms of research and like the Dietician I saw at the hospital after my diagnosis, says: "There is not enough good evidence to prove that milk and dairy can cause cancer."

Cancer Research UK also write: “Eating and drinking milk and dairy can reduce the risk of bowel cancer. But there is no proof it increases or decreases the risk of any other cancer type”. They note, however, studies have found an increased risk of both prostate and breast cancer in people who have large amounts of dairy; “But there’s not enough good evidence for this”.

Cancer Research UK call for more research - and clearly it is needed - however as Michael Greger of Nutrition Facts points out there have been many studies (iii). For example 32 studies found an increase in prostate cancer linked to dairy. In Greger’s 7 minute video he looks at some of that research pointing out the increase doesn’t seem to be connected to calcium; non-dairy calcium sources were protective of cancer but dairy was not. It seems the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF1) in dairy is more likely one of the key factors.

One study Greger quotes shows that consuming three or more product of dairy a day after prostate cancer diagnosis had a 76% higher risk of mortality and a 141% higher risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality compared to men who consume one dairy product or less per day. He goes on to show that advanced prostate cancers thrive by up-regulating a growth enzyme called mTOC1; dairy protein boosts mTOR1 signalling higher. This makes sense as the weight gain of calves in the first year of cow’s milk feeding is nearly 40-times higher than that of breast-fed human infants. Pregnant cows release “uncontrolled bovine steroids into the human food chain”. Could this all play a role in prostate cancer?

In the 2007 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) report “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer” it stated that there is probable evidence that diets high in calcium increase risk and limited suggestive evidence that milk and dairy products increase risk. They gave no recommendation for dairy as the prostate cancer risk conflicted with the evidence noted above by Cancer Research that there is a decreased risk with bowel cancers.

A 2011 study looked at other studies and confirmed that milk and total dairy products but not cheese or other dairy products are associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. However the picture is confusing as people who drink milk exercise more, eat less meat, smoke less and have other better health behaviours. The conclusion was that it was likely to be the calcium binding with bile acids to reduce cell proliferation and promote cell differentiation. This explains why cheese wasn’t a factor and could increase colorectal cancer by increasing bile acid levels in the colon.

As noted earlier we need more research. However there are too many reports for me linking dairy to an increased risk. Indeed as I started writing this blog a new study (8th June 2022) (iv) at Loma Linda University of 28,000 North Americans, concluded: “Men with higher intake of dairy foods, but not nondairy calcium, had a higher risk of prostate cancer compared with men having lower intakes. Associations were nonlinear, suggesting greatest increases in risk at relatively low doses.” The results had minimal variation when comparing intake of full fat versus reduced or nonfat milks; there were no important associations reported with cheese and yogurt.

In his video Greger concludes that if you want to take a precautionary approach then it is best to obtain calcium through green leafy vegetables, legumes and non-dairy milks. I am with him on that and we no longer have dairy milk in this house.

What about other dairy products?

Dairy of course includes a whole host of other products some of which may have benefits and some may have less impact on cancers than others - but there isn’t enough research.

Organic pastured-fed butter is surely better than processed margarines? And organic kefir and yogurt’s are full of probiotics which can be key support for the microbiome? Goat and sheep milks are said to be easier to digest and better than cow’s milk? Some suggest unpasteurised (or raw milk) is better, others see risks?

Ghee (or clarified butter) is treated with low heat, and retains more nutrients than standard butter. The Ayurveda tradition see it as having spiritual and medicinal properties and even preventative of cancer; it is certainly gaining traction as a healthier alternative to standard butter. Organic and grass fed being favoured - it is also a useful fat that can be used at higher temperatures. See a useful article on dairy by Truly Heal here (v).

Lactose intolerance?

A further factor to consider is that each of us is different. Most infants, for example, can digest lactose, however people can begin to develop lactose malabsorption (a reduced ability to digest lactose) after infancy. It is estimated that about 68 percent of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption; this is more common in some parts of the world (like Africa and Asia) than in others. Whereas in northern Europe, many people carry a gene that allows them to digest lactose after infancy, and lactose malabsorption is less common. In the United States, about 36 percent of people have lactose malabsorption; lactose malabsorption causes lactose intolerance, not all people with lactose malabsorption have lactose intolerance.

Genetic or allergy testing can be helpful. My DNA apparently shows that I am ‘likely tolerant’ of lactose. However my hair analysis shows a ‘high reactivity’ food sensitivity to all dairy. That is not an allergy but rather a sensitivity; having food sensitivity may be uncomfortable and cause symptoms that, whilst annoying, embarrassing or even debilitating, do not have the potential to be life-threatening like those caused by food allergy. Fortunately I don’t seem to have any obvious symptoms.

Where did this leave me? Well, confused but while being largely vegan I am not afraid to occasionally have some of these dairy products.

Berries and dairy - don’t do it!

To finish I thought this was worth a mention - before diagnosis I had berries and yoghurt - and more recently occasionally organic sheep yoghurt for breakfast with those berries - we know how good blueberries are for tackling cancer! I was however rather disappointed to read this; Three Harvard studies following more than a 100,000 women for more than a decade found that those consuming the most anthocyanins (the brightly coloured pigments found in blueberries and other berries) had an 8% reduction in risk of developing high blood pressure (vi). 

Indeed just 11 blueberries or 6 strawberries daily made that difference. However the moment dairy (milk or yoghurt) was added and researchers found it blocked the absorption of the berries nutrients and appeared to eliminate the blood pressure-lowering benefits of the berries. 

So no more strawberries and cream? Sadly milk in tea also prevents vascular protective effects of the tea.

All this is food for thought.

Notes

(i) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/30/dairy-scary-public-farming-calves-pens-alternatives

(ii) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-myths/can-milk-and-dairy-products-cause-cancer

(iii) https://nutritionfacts.org/video/dairy-and-cancer

(iv) https://news.llu.edu/research/new-study-associates-intake-of-dairy-milk-with-greater-risk-of-prostate-cancer

(v) https://www.trulyheal.com/have-you-been-told-to-avoid-dairy/

(vi https://nutritionfacts.org/2022/05/17/blueberry-blocking-effects-of-yogurt/

Looking for creative submissions for a new magazine by and for the cancer community

Over a year ago I was totally inspired by 'The Cancer Hive' magazine - The magazine was all about seeking to change the conversations around cancer, make it less of a taboo, but also support people who are living with it. I tried to get them involved in another project but they said go ahead and create something yourself.....well just over a year on and we are launching our own version.....

Yes to Life, the charity I have been working with and the Glos-based Artlift charity have today launched a call out for artwork, photography, writing & more for the first edition of Flourish, a magazine by and for people living with or beyond cancer. We have a Creative Editor in place and are sending out news releases and lots of social media.

The first issue is on the theme of 'Nourish' and we are after works that explore the benefits of an integrative and creative approach. You can see more at: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/post/looking-for-creative-submissions-for-a-new-magazine-by-and-for-the-cancer-community

See more about The Cancer Hive here. 

Exercise is a dirty word for some, but...

Here I take another look at exercise in a blog that first appeared on Wigwam Cancer Support Groups blog - a Yes to Life charity project.

There are many people that embrace and love a lifestyle rich with exercise, but there are many, who like me, have never liked the word or the idea of ‘exercise’. The US ‘Peanuts’ cartoonist Charles M. Schulz once said; “Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it I wash my mouth out with chocolate.” Yes give me a bar of that organic raw 90% cacao chocolate any day.

It is clear that I’m not alone in responding to the word with a negative reaction. Was it an experience at school? Or perhaps something to do with the picture of exercise in gyms with sweat, lycra and dumbbells? For some exercise might be associated with a negative reinforcement; we exercise to reduce shame around our health or weight. Yet shame is linked to poorer motivation and wellbeing and can lead to repeated failures to embed more activity in our lives. For others it might be pain or not having found the ‘right’ exercise?

There are no doubt many reasons for a negative view of exercise - and some of those will be contributing and reinforced by the fact that for many of us, our lifestyles are becoming more sedentary. Our muscles, bone strength and density are much less than a hundred years ago. In the UK obesity affects more than one in four adults and one in five children (aged 10 to 11) while nearly two thirds of adults are ‘overweight’ and one third of children. 

A 2015 report by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, 'Exercise – the Miracle Cure’ (i), said, that regular exercise can assist in the prevention of strokes, some cancers, depression, heart disease and dementia, reducing risk by at least 30%. Many of us know this on some level, yet we still find exercise hard.

Cancer and exercise

You can see in the box below a whole host of benefits from exercise not least significant reductions in both cancer progression and reoccurrence. It is worth looking at some of the research and there is lots of it. Back in 2012 Macmillan published an evidence review entitled; "The importance of Physical Activity for people living with and beyond cancer”. To give a flavour it is worth noting three research papers, all had the highest level of research for a patient-oriented outcome (ii) and since then the evidence has only grown.

Some of the research

Breast cancer: a systematic review of six studies indicated a reduced mortality risk of 34% related to leisure-time physical activity. A subsequent review supported these findings. Results of the two largest studies suggested that women reaching the equivalent of the recommended minimum levels of physical activity (ie 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week) had over 40% lower risk breast cancer-specific mortality, and breast cancer recurrence, compared with women active for less than one hour a week.

Colorectal cancer: results of two studies suggested that the risk of cancer mortality was reduced by about 50%, by performing the equivalent of six hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week.

Prostate cancer: findings from two studies indicated a lower risk of prostate-specific mortality of approximately 30% and a lower rate of disease progression of 57% with three hours per week of moderate intensity physical activity (eg brisk walking).

Exercise needs to be a higher priority

One of the things that now so surprises me, following my diagnosis, was the complete failure of my medical team to talk about exercise - and from talking to others this is still the experience of most people. Researcher, exercise physiologist, and chair of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Exercise Cancer guidelines committee, Dr. Prue Cormie, has said - what many others have also said in different ways: “If we could turn the benefits of exercise into a pill it would be demanded by patients, prescribed by every cancer specialist and subsidised by government. It would be seen as a major breakthrough in cancer treatment.”

There are over two million people living with or beyond cancer in the UK. Many of those have never been told about the huge impact exercise can have on their diagnosis. It is time this was made a priority by our health services. Many other countries are ahead of us, like Belgium where when you are first diagnosed you get taken down to the gym for an assessment and tailor-made plan. While in Germany after an operation patients get proper rehab - indeed they call it ‘die Kur’ literally ’the cure’. Love that!

How much is enough?

There is considerable debate about the definition of exercise and how much is enough. Macmillian have a useful general guide on ‘Physical Activity and Cancer’ (Jan 2019). Their chart (see right) is a good place to start and includes details about the weekly 150 mins aerobic activity, muscle strength, balance and stretching work(iii). However it is important to get advice as I was merrily increasing my aerobic exercise only to find many months later that strength exercises are critical for improvements in some cancers. Why did no one share that information?

There is other interesting and growing research; here are some I found interesting: 

High Intensity: The benefits of short bursts such as 2-4 minutes, of high intensity exercise(iv). A 2016 Canadian study looked at previously sedentary individuals who did strenuous exercise three times a week for 12 weeks; they did bouts for ten mins total with only three twenty-second episodes of flat-out exertion. These people were found to have similar improvements compared to those who exercised forty-five minutes a week for the twelve weeks. 

Rebounding. Chris Wark, of Chris Beat Cancer, notes that ‘rebounding’ (bouncing on a mini-trampolines) can give those with cancer some of the best exercise as it is not so hard on knees and also pumps the lymph system (v). I can actually quite enjoy this!

Before and after treatments. In Gloucestershire for the last four years, a number of us have been working with the health authority to try and enable more people with cancer to have access to information and support around exercise (vi). We have seen an exercise rehabilitation project start to roll-out and now at last a prehabilitation project is being launched (vii). This is where components of rehabilitation are introduced to patients prior to undergoing intensive medical intervention in order to optimize function and improve tolerability to the intervention. Both these projects are small and miss many people, but are a start. 

During treatment. Some exercise during radiotherapy and chemo seems to significantly improves outcomes (viii). Indeed even pharmaceuticals are getting interested as some of their chemo drugs seem to be working better when combined with exercise. One study I found fascinating was at the University of North Carolina where they have found that curative chemo caused an increase in molecular age that was equivalent to fifteen years of ageing. Incredibly exercising is being found to neutralise this ageing impact from chemo.

Finding out more? One of the best videos I’ve seen for those wanting a great overview is the 'Industry-Presented Webinar: Exercise as Medicine for Cancer’ with Professor Robert Newton (ix). While those wanting a general introduction they need go no further than a previous forum on Wigwam with Lizzy Davis (x). Certainly is well worth getting advice for your own particular situation - indeed just as too little exercise can be a bad thing so can too much exercise.

Being more than an active coach potato?

In recent years research suggests that how much time we spend sitting is likely to be just as important as how much time we spend exercising. There is even a new term to describe those who exercise, but spend the majority of their days being sedentary; 'active couch potatoes’. A couch potato is someone who prefers to sit around and watch TV, this new term, an active couch potato, is someone who is inactive for most of the day, but manages to get in their 30 minutes of exercise most days. No doubt many of them (like I have been) are seated at desks for large parts of the day plus seated commuting, having meals and then watching TV at home.

Over the years, many studies have looked at the lifestyles of people in 'blue zones' where people live the longest in health. Researchers found various important factors including not smoking, a sense of belonging and purpose, eating a predominantly plant-based diet, but interestingly, exercise was absent in many cases. Further research has indicated that it is being sedentary that is the problem and that key to health is sustained, low-level activity (xi). 

The Lancet in 2016 found that “high levels of moderate-intensity physical activity (ie, about 60-75 min per day) seem to eliminate the increased risk of death associated with high sitting time”. While it also seems that aiming for 10,000 steps a day is a good idea, but 15,000 better resembles the distances likely covered by our prehistoric ancestors, and some of those ‘blue zone' centenarians.

The World Health Organization (WHO) have now identified physical inactivity as an independent risk factor for chronic disease development, and it is estimated to now be the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. 
Update 21/01/23: Positive news report here that a small piece of research indicates that 'a five-minute light walk every half-hour was the only strategy that significantly reduced blood sugar levels, reducing the blood sugar spike after eating by almost 60 per cent compared to sitting down.'

Visualisation

Have you come across Dr David Hamilton’s blogs (xii)? I so like them - and his new book 'Why Woo-Woo Works' (Sept 2021) is also excellent. One of the pieces of research he quoted that I particularly like looks at visualisation and how the brain doesn’t distinguish real from imaginary. One famous Harvard University study compared the brains of people playing notes on a piano with the brains of people who imagined playing the notes. The region of the brain connected to the finger muscles was found to have changed to the same degree in both groups of people, regardless of whether they played the keys physically or mentally. In another study imagining flexing the little finger for 15 minutes daily for 3 months was shown to increase muscle strength by 35%. 

Sports players have utilised this approach of imagining to good effect to increase muscle strength. The technique is also now seen as a ‘viable intervention’ to help people recover faster from a stroke. As David Hamilton writes (xiii): "The benefits rely on the fact that when a patient visualises movement, the brain processes it as if they really are moving, and so imagined movement becomes like extra physical practice as far as the brain is concerned”. 

I am guessing imagining can’t replace the importance of movement but it sounds like it can certainly enhance and can probably play a key role in recovery after treatment?

One more study of interest comes from 2017 looking at individuals who thought they were less active than other people their age. Incredibly they were more likely to die, regardless of their health status, body mass index and more. This is the so-called negative placebo effect, that Hamilton also writes about. So even when those perceptions are in our head this impacts on our health. 

Our relationship with exercise is complicated

I started this blog with the suggestion that exercise is something that many of us persistently struggle with - we also instinctively know it is important. It is not a fad or an add-on to our busy lifestyles, it actually keeps us alive. 

So how did I start to to think differently and build it into my daily routines? I guess that rather than seeing exercise as a challenge to fit in with my busy life, it was time to view it in what I was already doing. When children run and play in a playground they are not thinking about aerobic conditioning. It is all about having fun.

I’ve always enjoyed, gardening and regular walks, but now instead of meeting people for a coffee I will go for a walk together and have the coffee (can’t miss my espresso!), the rebounder has become a chance to catch up on podcasts while an exercise or yoga class has become a place to meet others - somehow in a group it all feels easier and more fun. My computer desk has a raiser that allows me to stand up in zoom calls, I no longer try to park nearest the shops I’m visiting and I take the stairs not a lift for my Mum’s flat. I can also perhaps thank my prostate for needing the loo more often; I rarely sit for as long as I used to without visiting the loo upstairs!

I guess there are dozens of ways we can incorporate more movement into our lives. A friend has one of those bikes that fit under a desk so you can peddle while sitting and working while another now has an electric bike to get to work on.

It has surprised me that much of the increased ‘exercise’ and movement has been easy-ish to fit with my life. I suspect one of the reasons for that is that I have taken on board a lot of what I wrote in a previous blog about changing or embedding new habits - in particular, one technique, ‘tagging’, where behaviours are tagged onto an existing behaviour. For example rebounding is now something I do every morning after brushing my teeth (xiv).

Lastly I seem to use the word 'movement’ more than exercise - they have different meanings but somehow movement has a softer, less threatening quality - 'almost lyrical’ as one writer suggested (xv). Anyhow this blog is already longer than I meant and it is time for me to go on one of those walks. Happy moving but don’t forget to also 'exercise' kindness to yourself….there may well be days when it is all too much.
Update 30.12.22: Great article on how to get motivated for exercise: https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/health/how-do-i-improve-my-motivation-to-exercise-10-science-backed-tips/

Notes

(i) http://www.aomrc.org.uk/reports-guidance/exercise-the-miracle-cure-0215/

(ii) Research has been graded using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) which rates the body of evidence for a patient-oriented outcome on quality, quantity and consistency. This research quotes was all Grade A is 'Systematic review of RCTs (or cohort studies for prognosis outcomes), or high-quality individual RCTs/cohort studies with clear consistent results.’

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/documents/aboutus/commissioners/physicalactivity_evidencebasedreport.pdf

(iii) https://cdn.macmillan.org.uk/dfsmedia/1a6f23537f7f4519bb0cf14c45b2a629/1656-source/physical-activity

(iv) High-intensity exercise interventions in cancer survivors: a systematic review exploring the impact on health outcomes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29210001/

See for example this research into prostate cancer: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/exercise-may-slow-prostate-cancer-growth

(v) Chris Wark video: https://youtu.be/1dgvg5hCar0

And his blog: https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/rebounding/

(vi) http://gloscancerexercise.org.uk

(vii) Prehabilitation is the Gateway to Better Functional Outcomes for Individuals with Cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8765744/

(viii) Various examples in Pub Med including this one using exercise during radiotherapy treatment: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32074040/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28189100/

And here is one with High-intensity exercise during chemotherapy inducing beneficial effects 12 months into breast cancer survivorship: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6482129/

(ix) Industry-Presented Webinar: Exercise as Medicine for Cancer: https://youtu.be/mS7g9VVy-Pk

And a more recent video: https://youtu.be/1n-Z3LVT37I

(x) Scroll through to find link at: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/podcast-and-videos (You need to sign up free to get access). 

(xi) https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jan/03/why-exercise-alone-wont-save-us

(xii) https://drdavidhamilton.com

(xiii) https://drdavidhamilton.com/real-vs-imaginary-in-the-brain-and-body/

(xiv) https://www.wigwam.org.uk/post/the-challenge-of-embedding-new-behaviours

(xv) https://carlospattersoncoaching.com/movement-vs-exercise-is-movement-better-than-exercise/