From Cathy Wong, N.D.,
Your Guide to Alternative Medicine.
A little-known relationship
Did you know that there is a strong link between soft, moveable, tender breast cysts and coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate?
These cysts, often referred to as fibrocystic breast change, are a common finding in pre-menopausal women. They are usually noticeable especially in the week or two before menstruation, are freely moveable, and usually occur in both breasts.
Coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate all contain methylxanthines, which have been shown experimentally to produce biochemical changes in breast tissue. Specifically, methylxanthines increase cyclic nucleotides within the breast, which in turn overly stimulate protein-kinase activities and cause the overproduction of fibrous tissue and cyst fluid. These changes are thought to increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Interestingly, removing methylxanthines from the diet tissue has been found to improve breast tissue and resolve cysts in many women.
A Word of Caution
Methylxanthines are just one cause of fibrocystic breast change. Breast lumps and cysts should always be examined by a trained health practitioner, since it is not possible to distinguish benign from cancerous growths based on clinical breast exam alone. Regular self-breast exams a must, and any unusual findings should be immediately checked by your doctor.
July 4th, 2005
From Cathy Wong, N.D.,
Your Guide to Alternative Medicine
Why do people follow this diet?
Some people with migraine may be sensitive to certain chemicals that occur naturally in foods. The chemicals that most commonly trigger migraines are tyramine and other amines, including phenylethylamine and histamine. Amines can trigger migraines because they are vasoactive substances that act directly on small blood vessels to expand their capacity.
Foods that contain tannins, compounds that occur naturally in plants, can also trigger migraines. Researchers are not certain what the exact relationship is, but many agree that the neurotransmitter serotonin is involved.
Do I stay on this diet permanently?
No. The migraine elimination diet is a testing diet. It is unrealistic to permanently eliminate these foods from the diet. After learning what the offending food groups are, additional testing can be done with different quantities to learn how much of each food will cause symptoms. This way, a person will know what their limits are and still be able to enjoy eating these foods.
What are the guidelines of the migraine elimination diet?
Foods that are known to trigger migraines are systematically eliminated to identify offending food groups. Each food group is avoided for six weeks, or long enough to see if it causes an improvement in migraine symptoms.
Step 1: Eliminate amine foods
Tyramine is a chemical called a monoamine that is found in higher concentrations in foods that have been fermented, such as aged cheddar, red wines, and blue cheese. American and cottage cheese can be substituted. Foods containing tyramine include:
*Aged Cheeses
*Yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, dried milk
*Tofu, soy sauce, miso, tempeh
*Smoked, cured, or pickled fish or meat
*Beer, wine
*Lima beans, Italian beans, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans, fava beans, broad beans
*Snow peas
*Peanuts
*Eggplant
*Sauerkraut
*Oranges, citrus fruit
*Cola drinks
*Banana
*Grapes, Raisins
*Plums, Prunes, or Figs
*Pineapple
*Avocado
*Chocolate
In addition to tyramine, foods containing the chemical phenylethylamine should also be eliminated. These foods include:
*Cheesecake
*Yellow cheeses
*Chocolate
*Citrus fruit
*Alcohol/Red Wine
*Chocolate
*Cocoa
*Berry pie filling or canned berries
*Red wine
Foods that containe histamine or cause the release of histamine should be eliminated. These include:
*Banana
*Beef, pork (can eat lamb or chicken instead, these are safe foods for most people)
*Beer
*Cheese, especially yellow ripened
*Chicken liver
*Egg Plant
*Fish, shellfish
*Processed meat, such as salami
*Sauerkraut
*Soy, tempeh, tofu, miso, tamari
*Spinach
*Strawberry
*Tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste
*Wine
*Yeast and foods containing yeast
*Pineapple
*Citrus fruit
*Chocolate
Step 2: Eliminate food additives
Some people react to the food additives such as artificial sweeteners, flavor enhances, and food coloring found in processed and packaged fast foods. These foods include:
*Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is sometimes added as a flavor enhancer in Chinese dishes. It is also found in commercial soups, soy sauce, salad dressings, frozen dinners, soup mix, croutons, stuffing, and some chips. It is also disguised in the label as sodium caseinate, hydrolyzed proteins, or autolyzed yeast.
*Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can trigger migraines in some people.
*Food coloring, especially FD&C yellow dye #5 and red dye #40, are known to trigger migraines in some people. Check labels, as both are found in common foods such as beverages, ice cream, candy, and some cereals.
*Nitrites and nitrates are found in bacon, luncheon meats, smoked ham, and hot dogs.
Step 3: Eliminate foods that contain tannin
*Bruised fruits
*Red skinned apples and pears
*Berries, cherries
*Tea and coffee
*Alfalfa
*Barley
*Chocolate
*Nuts
*Apple Juice, Apple Cider
*Beer
*Grape Juice
*Wine
*Black and Red Beans
*Apricots, ripe bananas, unripe peaches
*Kiwi
*Persimmons, pomegranates, dates, currants, nectarines
*Eggplant
*Smoked meats
*Most herbs
Step 4: Eliminate or reduce caffeine
Although some people find that coffee helps migraines by constricting blood vessels, the blood vessels can swell beyond their original size causing an even worse rebound headache. If using a decaffeinated coffee substitute, be sure to use one that has been Swiss water processed — the chemicals that are used in the decaffeination process can trigger headaches.
In addition to coffee, tea and sodas containing caffeine should also be avoided.
Additional Testing
A person may have other food sensitivities that may be involved in migraine symptoms. A nutritionist or holistic practitioner can conduct complete testing and create a customized treatment plan.
July 4th, 2005
From Cathy Wong, N.D.,
Your Guide to Alternative Medicine.
The food combining diet is based on the theory that different food groups are digested optimally when eaten in the following combinations:
Proteins (beans, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, poultry) and starches (grains, pasta, breads, cereal, rice, carrots, etc.) should be eaten at separate meals. Proteins can be eaten with vegetables and starches can be combined with vegetables.
Fruits should be eaten alone.
Starches are absorbed best when the pH of the digestive tract is alkaline. This occurs when starches are eaten alone or with vegetables.
The digestion of proteins, however, requires stomach acid. When proteins and starches are combined, the digestive environment is neither acid or alkaline enough for either group to be absorbed well. Many proponents of the food combining diet believe that this can lead to digestive problems and weight gain.
However, the following points should be considered before trying this diet:
1. Most people can handle a variety of foods at the same time without causing health problems. Simply changing to a diet higher in fruits, cooked vegetables, and whole grains often has a greater impact on digestion.
2. This diet can be difficult and time-consuming to follow. Favorite pairings such as chicken with potatoes, tofu with rice, soy milk fruit shakes, beans and rice, and tuna sandwiches are not allowed.
3. Nutritional deficiencies can occur. Protein and starches cannot be eaten together, so people have to choose one or the other. As a result, people often consume more starch than protein, as starches tend to be more filling and satisfying. Special care should be taken to ensure adequate intake of protein, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.
4. Many health practitioners believe that combining protein and starch can be beneficial. When protein and fats are combined with starch, the absorption of starches is slowed. This helps to maintain stable blood sugar and insulin levels and prevent cravings. A full evaluation by a health practitioner is the best way to determine what the most suitable diet is for you.
July 4th, 2005
From Jennifer Moll,
Your Guide to Cholesterol.
A low cholesterol diet is not hard to follow, given the variety of foods available. Many food manufacturers also have low fat, low cholesterol foods available for people who do not have the time to fix elaborate meals. When you are shopping for such foods, be sure to look at the labels and keep the following in mind:
•Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables–they are low in calories and fat.
•Try to lower your intake of saturated fats–they are associated with heart disease.
•Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as those used in many margarines and shortenings, contain a particular form of unsaturated fat known as trans-fatty. They
raise blood cholesterol levels (including LDL, the bad cholesterol), just like saturated fat.
•Grain products, such as cereals, pastas, and breads, are low in cholesterol.
•Use low fat or skim milk instead of regular milk as an alternative.
•Cook with lean meats (turkey, chicken) instead of red meat, which is associated with increasing cholesterol levels. For instance, using ground turkey meat instead of ground beef is a delicious alternative for hamburgers.
•Limit cheeses in your recipes.
•When cooking with oils, use olive and canola oils, which are particularly high in monounsaturated fats or vegetable oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats.
Unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol levels.
July 4th, 2005