Vitamins,supplements and food, oh my!

There is a wealth of information out there for us regarding health and well being. But information is conflicting in some cases. Drink wine, don't drink wine, eat this, don't eat this, get sunshine, don't get sunshine. It can be overwhelming! Just when you think that drinking red wine is good for your heart,they will tell you that it may increase your risk of breast cancer. Sheesh! My motto is everything in moderation. Am I now a vegetarian and a complete health food fanatic? Absolutely not! Have I changed my eating habits. Hmmmmm.... honestly yes and no. I will still indulge in junk food, especially chips (doritos, potato chips, cheez-its and tortilla chips)but maybe not as frequently as before (I do believe that additives in food is related to the increase in all cancers)and I may pick up organic fruits now where before I did not (I also believe pesticides contribute to cancer increase). I definitely read labels and look for soy in products (this is a no no for me)and always try to eat yogurt with granola and flax seed in it daily as well as drinking green tea daily. I do think before I eat, usually LOL One thing I have really changed in my path to being healthy is vitamins and supplements. I NEVER have taken any kind of vitamins before. I have bought them and they just sit in the cupboard. I am terrible at taking pills on a regular basis. I have blogged about my recent days of the week pill container and it does work for me! Right now I am taking tamoxifen, a multivitamin, vitamin C, vitamin B, COQ10 and calcium,mag and zinc. That is a lot for someone who has never taken any! I have just added to that list turmeric and vitamin D. I am waiting for these supplements to come in the mail as I just ordered them. I had read about turmeric being a natural anti-cancer fighter while going through treatment but when my friend Connie brought it up to me the other day and then my brother sent me an email regarding turmeric I decided it may be for me. Turmeric also helps with inflammation associated with arthritis and I do have some arthritis in my upper back. While eating lunch last week with a friend she mentioned she may start taking vitamin D herself, that she had just read somewhere that us northern folks don't get enough sunshine. Below is some information regarding both turmeric and vitamin D. While I would rather bask in the sunshine and feel the warmth of the sun on my face, living in the north we don't get a whole lot of sun in the winter. Pill popping is the way to go!

That all being said, I leave you today drinking a glass of red wine and munching on an organic apple! Enjoy the weekend (and get some sunshine!)

Love to all,
Gail

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Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the yellow spice most familiar in Indian curries and found in American prepared mustard. People whose diets are rich in turmeric have lower rates of breast cancer as well as prostate, lung and colon cancers, and recent research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston suggests that curcumin, an active component in turmeric, may help prevent the spread of breast cancer. In studies of mice, researchers found that curcumin helped stop the metastasis of breast cancer cells to the lung. Human studies following up on this finding are now in progress.

Breast cancer mortality rates in the U.S. vary according to the geographic region so that the highest rates are in the northeast and urban areas, and lowest rates in the south and rural areas. This is explained by the variation in sunlight and the subsequent vitamin D production. According to William B. Grant's analysis, breast cancer risk could be cut in half by sufficient vitamin D levels - or in other words, by sufficient sun exposure.

Kisses

This picture was worthy of my picture of the day for my 365 Day Photo Project and I also had to post it on my blog. This is the cutest picture ever and the story behind it makes it even better. My MIL is not an animal lover. She "likes" animals but could live without them. For those of you who know her you know that to be very true! LOL My husband and siblings never had any pets while they were growing up. Pets weren't allowed in the house. Sunday she came over for dinner,and I caught this photo of the dog kissing her, or was SHE kissing the dog! Omg! This was the funniest thing ever! First time ever she has kissed an animal!! (my family will appreciate this photo and get a good laugh).

Dog Story

I found this in my mailbox this morning and had to post. Hope this makes you smile!
Thanks Cathy!
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An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.
I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.

He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head;
he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the
hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.
Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'
The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep.
Can I come with him tomorrow?'

Goals and motivation

I have a few goals this year and one of them is to get back into the exercise routine. I faithfully did Jazzericise for many years until I went back to work full time and then my exercise regimen was shot to hell. I hate the treadmill, absolutely hate it. I would rather be forced to eat liver and wild duck than get on the treadmill. I have been walking outdoors up until September when I went through surgery and then chemo and well, the exercise just hasn't been a priority. Now that I am feeling great I started walking again and have walked for the past week and half every day,rain or shine. My motivation? Summer (Shorts,tank tops and swim suits) and the proven fact that exercise just makes for a healthier person overall. (not to mention 2 vacations this summer that require lounging by the pool in a swim suit)I can procrastinate and I have found the best thing for me to do is exercise first thing in the morning. I put my walking gear on first thing in the morning before I do anything. Then I have no excuse not to go! It works for me. Only in Wisconsin can you fully appreciate March weather when you walk outdoors. In the past week and a half, I have worn a light sweatshirt, no sweatshirt, long sleeves, short sleeves, thermal running coat, winter coat, mittens, no mittens, scarf,no scarf and long pants with tights and without. Sun, no sun, wind,no wind, rain (or was that snowflakes today) or no rain, I prefer to walk outdoors despite the weather!

Dinner tonight was a new recipe that was absolutely delicious. Chicken Stroganoff with a huge salad. We loved it.
Check it out http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2006/06/chicken-stroganoff.html