Here is a great antioxidant smoothie to start the day:

1. The night before, steep 4 bags of organic green tea and 2 bags of organic white tea in 3 Coffee Plungers and leave overnight in the fridge (basically, about 12-15 cups all up).

2. In the morning, mix in the blender with a tablespoon of each of Navitas Maca Powder, Goji and Acai.

3. Add half a banana and half a cup of Greek yogurt.

4. Add half a cup of frozen organic blueberries.

5. Add 3 tablespoons of OmegaRX Liquid Omega3.

Put it all in a blender and then put it in a BPA-free big container and drink it all morning long!

Given also that apparently (according to most “Doctors”) I have a 30% chance of getting prostate cancer given my High Grade PIN I am all about maximum nutrition, immunity and wellness as well as inflammation management through diet and lifestyle. And I am going to do everything I can to avoid that next biopsy!

Lately I have been using Body Media to get a more scientific insight to my calorie burn and its great.  It’s within 5% of the clinical devices for measuring MET (basically, metabolic activity and calorie burn) on a daily basis. I have a bunch of heart rate monitors and other devices but I have been training long enough to know that for me, its “calories in” and “calories out” and that’s about it; no fads. And my “calories out” are activated by a hard daily training regime that mixes up boxing, running (not jogging; once you are over 45 you have to run!), weight training, mountain biking, surfing, swimming, paddle-boarding, skiing, yoga and whatever else the weather dictates.   The most important thing for me is to make sure to maintain variety so as to not get bored and also to make sure it’s high intensity.   The better and harder the workout, the better and more productive I feel and given all the evidence on exercise and inflammation management and disease prevention it’s a big part of my day.

Those people who have an illness know that it is all encompassing and drives every decision that they take. Some make more of a commitment to change than others and its the individuals that want massive change and commitment who I am trying to reach out to with this blog and the upcoming website www.prostate.net. These are the individuals that want all the resources and information they can get to make informed decisions and who are committed to making changes to live a long healthy life.

Once you have prostate cancer or any other major disease irrespective of your treatment and recovery, its with you for life as it governs every decision you make going forward and there are day to day steps you can take to reduce your risk and be in a state of maximum immunity to give yourself the best chance of long term survival. These include diet, hormone balance, weight loss, natural prevention, exercise and lifestyle management. It only takes one cell to start the process of mutation again so you have to give your body the maximum defenses against any further invasion. Whether you have had your prostate radiated, removed, implanted, bombarded with ultrasound, or left alone, there is always a chance that the cancer may return and that is the unfortunate fact.   It’s increasing your defenses and immunity against disease is what I am passionate about. And that is everything from not drinking out of plastic containers and exposing yourself to  toxins, chemicals and BPA to analyzing every single label and nutritional component of everything that passes my lips. And I am sure that people in my building think I have something the matter with me as I drink 15-20 cups of green tea and white tea all morning which has me racing out of my office every thirty minutes! That’s just a small insight into some of the things I do.

So this post was meant to be on my breakfast but I got a bit distracted. Anyway, here is an idea of my typical breakfast mixing in healthy fats, carbs and protein (over the weeks I will pass on some further insights, recipes and information I hope is helpful; also take a look at The Prostate Diet and register to be notified when released by subscribing to the Prostate.net Newsletter);

Sample Breakfast

1. Ezekiel Low Glycemic Bread slice with avocado spread (instead of butter) and half can of Vital Choice BPA-free certified sardines (great fats and Omega3). I mix some Tabasco and cayenne pepper in to the sardines and eat this before my training session.

2. A good handful of organic cherry tomatoes (or two cups) sliced with 3 cups of cut-up organic spinach cooked in a small amount of olive oil with a dusting of   turmeric, garlic and curry powder. Every third day I do this I may also add an egg white or two and mix that in as well for additional protein if I have a big workout session ahead. I eat half straight away and half after my workout.

3. 2-3 Cups of Aiya Matcha Green Tea. This is the purest and highest EGCG (catechin/antioxidant) green tea available. I make this in a bowl with a whisk or a stone grinder in a grinding bowl with hot water and then add Rice Milk (no soy for me).

That usually sees me through a 1 1/2 hour training session.

For recovery and nutrition throughout the morning I then turn to a shot of JoMo and my Antioxidant Recovery Smoothie (see below) which I drink all morning through to about 2pm.

Craig’s Antioxidant Smoothie:

1. The night before, steep 4 bags of organic green tea and 2 bags of organic white tea in 3 Coffee Plungers and leave overnight in the fridge (basically, about 12-15 cups all up).

2. In the morning, mix in the blender with a tablespoon of each of Navitas Maca Powder, Goji and Acai.

3. Add half a banana and half a cup of Greek yogurt.

4. Add half a cup of frozen organic blueberries.

5. Add 3 tablespoons of OmegaRX Liquid Omega3.

Put it all in a blender and then put it in a big container (I use 2 of these) and drink it all morning long!

And that’s about it for the morning! Great nutrition, a hard workout and I am ready to go knowing that I am giving my body the best defense against disease.

Enjoy!

Soy, Green tea, Calcium, Vegetables, Omega-3 fatty acids?

Soy: This is not a trick question, although you may think so. That’s because there has been an ongoing controversy surrounding the use of soy and soybeans and how they may cause, stimulate, or otherwise aggravate hormone-driven cancers, such as prostate cancer. Soybeans contain soy isoflavones, which have extremely mild estrogen-like effects, and thus they can stimulate estrogen activity. However, “extremely mild” is the important phrase to remember, as well as the fact that soy contains an isoflavone called genistein, which has been found to slow the growth of prostate tissues in BPH and to interfere with the growth of prostate cancer cells.  Also remember that the threat of prostate cancer generally comes from an imbalance of hormones and not from one hormone acting alone.

Soy does, however, have a few downsides. Soybeans contain a high amount of phytic acid, which can block the absorption of essential minerals, and they contain large amounts of natural toxins that block the action of enzymes the body needs to digest protein. Soy can also have a negative effect on thyroid function. However, fermented soy foods, such as tempeh, miso, fermented tofu and soymilk, and natto, do not have these negative impacts on health. So the bottom line is, a little bit of fermented soy foods (10 to 30 milligrams once or twice a week) is a healthy amount, but nonfermented soy and/or more than the suggested amount is not generally considered healthy for the prostate.

Green tea: Whether you enjoy a cup of green tea or prefer a green tea supplement, you will be getting some potent antioxidants that will support prostate and overall health. The medicinal powers attributed to green tea can be found in substances called catechins, which have been shown to boost the immune system, combat prostate cancer, and destroy bacteria and viruses. Among the several different kinds of catechins is the most powerful found thus far, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

How powerful are these antioxidants? Research shows that men who consume green tea regularly are less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who do not drink the beverage. Studies also indicate that the risk of prostate cancer decreases proportionally as the frequency, amount, and duration of green tea consumption increases, and that EGCG can significantly reduce the levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). How much green tea should men drink to benefit the prostate? Results of various studies differ, but three or more cups daily have shown a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer. Catechins may also be helpful in treating symptoms of BPH. Thus when it comes to green tea, you can’t go wrong, so enjoy a few cups daily and protect your prostate. Read more on green tea and prostate health

Calcium: Here’s a mineral that most people know is critical for bone health, and everyone is urged to  ”get enough”  calcium in their diet and/or through supplements.  But a growing number of studies are showing a relationship between eating dairy foods and/or calcium and the development of prostate cancer. In a 2001 Harvard study, for example, which included data on 20,885 US physicians followed for 11 years, researchers discovered that men who averaged more than 600 mg calcium daily had a 32 percent higher risk of prostate cancer than those who regularly consumed 150 mg or less. Even the American Cancer Society points out that there is evidence that high intake of calcium, mainly through supplements, has been linked with a greater risk of prostate cancer, especially aggressive cancer.

Now a new study (September 2010, American Journal of Epidemiology) from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle reports that calcium from food appears to help prevent low-grade prostate cancer but contribute to high-grade prostate cancer. Yet there is also another study in which investigators found no impact on the risk of prostate cancer among older men who consumed up to 1,300 mg daily of calcium in the form of dairy and other foods. So what’s a man to do? Make sure you get enough calcium – the recommended intake is 1,200 mg daily – but not too much, and to get it mainly from foods, not supplements. Read more about calcium and prostate cancer risks

Vegetables: Your mother told you to eat your vegetables for several reasons, and protecting the health of your prostate may not have been one of which she was aware. But it certainly could have been, because the vast majority of vegetables are prostate friendly.

That’s because vegetables contain phytonutrients, plant-based nutrients that act as potent antixoidants, enhance the immune system, repair damage to DNA (and thus help prevent cancer), and promote overall health and prostate health in particular. The phytonutrients in vegetables have also been shown to cause cancer cells to die.

Omega-3 fatty acids: These fatty acids are “essential” because the body cannot make them, so you must get them from food and/or supplements. But that’s not the only reason we consider omega-3s essential: they are also beneficial when it comes to prostate health, because they help prevent cancer cell growth, including prostate cancer. Omega-3s also reduce inflammation, which is known to contribute to cancer.

The three types of omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). To get the most benefits for your prostate, choose foods rich in EPA and DHA, because they beat out ALA. That’s because the body must convert ALA to EPA and DHA, and the conversion rate is 10 percent at best. The best food sources of omega-3 include fatty fish such as tuna, flounder, salmon, and sardines. Enjoy them several times a week: research shows that among men diagnosed with prostate cancer, those who ate fish at least five times a week had nearly a 50 percent lower risk of dying from the disease than those who are fish less than once a week.

An international team of investigators has discovered that polyphenols in green tea and red wine interrupt or “snarl the traffic” in a critical pathway that carries signals from cells. When this cell-signaling process is disrupted, it inhibits prostate cancer growth.

The research findings, which appear in The FASEB Journal online, will hopefully lead to the development of drugs that can improve current treatments and/or slow or stop the progression of prostate cancer and other types of cancer as well. Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal, noted that “Not only does [the] signaling pathway play a role in prostate cancer, but it also plays a role in other cancers, such as colon cancer, breast cancer and gastric cancers.”

The investigators came upon their discovery in an experiment in which three groups of mice were given either plain drinking water, drinking water that contains a green tea polyphenol known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or drinking water with another green tea polyphenol called polyphenon E. After human prostate cancer cells were implanted into all the mice, the scientists waited to see what transpired.

The results were promising: the two groups of mice that received a green tea polyphenol showed a dramatic decrease in the size of their prostate cancer tumors.

Both green tea and red wine contain these prostate cancer-fighting polyphenols. Thus Weissmann noted that “As long as they are taken in moderation, all signs show that red wine and green tea may be ranked among the most potent ‘health foods’ we know.”

Reference

Brizuela L, Dayon A, Doumerc N et al. The sphingosine kinase-1 survival pathway is a molecular target for the tumor-suppressive tea and wine polyphenols in prostate cancer. FASEB Journal 2010 Jun 14

With white tea, the tea leaves are picked before they even open up, and at that point they are covered with fuzzy white hairs, which gives the tea its name. The leaves are simply steamed and dried. The result is a tea that is barely processed, which allows it to hold onto high concentrations of its catechins.

Many claims have been made about the health virtues of white tea, but some of them lack scientific evidence to support them. One reason for the scarcity of information is that more studies have been conducted using the more readily available green and black teas. White tea is also more costly than its cousins.

Advocates of white tea say it can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, help with weight loss, fight viruses and bacteria, support healthy gums, build strong bones, and fight cancer. There are some studies to support several of these claims, including those for cancer, and here are a few of them.

At the 219^th national meeting of the American Chemical Society about a decade ago, researchers from Oregon State University conducted an analysis and reported that white tea had more catechins than other teas. (Santana-Rios 2001) Armed with that information, they decided to test the cancer-fighting abilities of white tea using the Salmonella test, which identifies whether a substance can cause or prevent mutations in DNA, which is an early step in cancer. They discovered that white tea inhibited mutations more effectively than did green tea. The scientists attributed this superior result to the higher proportion of catechins in white tea than in green.

In another study, researchers at Ohio University Southern looked at the impact of white tea, green tea, and caffeine in a colon cancer model and found that white tea helped inhibit proliferation of early lesions in the colon. (Carter 2007).

Given the catechin and EGCG content in white tea (more than green tea!), it should become part of your nutrition program for prostate health. I make a pitcher of white and a pitcher of green every night and blend them together in my morning smoothie. And drink it all day long,,,

Craig Cooper