100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (61 page)

Perk #62

I Haven’t Been

Sick Since I Got Cancer

O
ne night, amid hacking and coughing, my boyfriend Shawn turned to

me and said, “Darlin’, maybe I should sleep in another room. I don’t

want you to catch this cold.” To which I promptly replied, “Oh, don’t worry

about me. I haven’t been sick since I got cancer.” The words were already

out of my mouth before I realized the irony of it! The truth was, I had not

had a cold, flu, or stomach bug in nearly a year, despite being surrounded

by contagious kids. Cold seasons came and went in my home, and I nursed

each of my three children through the dreaded stomach flu, but for some

reason, I was unaffected. Even my lifelong companion, irritable bowel syn-

drome (yes, it is as irritating as it sounds), took a hike.

Hmm
. To what did I owe this reprieve

from boogers and other unpleasantries? I

chalked it up to a robust immune system.

Before getting cancer, I took my immune

system for granted, assuming that it would

ward off the enemy fueled by the likes of

diet colas and potato chips. While my killer

T-cells snoozed, viruses and bacteria moved

in and took up residence in my body. Then

came the ultimate ambush: CANCER. What

a rude awakening. I knew it was time to

make friends with my killer Ts by feeding

them nourishing foods and giving them

some exercise. I even spent time each day pic-

turing these little soldiers traveling through my body seeking and destroying

the dreaded enemy. It paid off. Other than the adverse side effects of my

treatments (which cannot be blamed on a lazy immune system), I was one

of the healthiest cancer patients you’d ever meet.

I 253 J

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

Keep your immune system strong and healthy by feeding

your body nutritious, cancer-fighting foods, getting plenty

of rest, exercising, and reducing the stressors in your life.

HEALTH TIP #62

Load Your Immunity Guns with Curcumin

T
he spice that gives curry its beautiful golden color is turmeric. The active

antioxidant ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, is the subject of studies

all over the globe because of its potent immunity-boosting powers. The stud-

ies are very promising, but it’s slow going because not many companies

want to invest in studies that will confirm a cancer fighter that they can’t

get a patent for. (Natural spices and herbs can’t be patented. No patent—

no profits for big drug companies.)

But curcumin, in the form of turmeric, keeps making the news because

the studies that
are
being done (mostly in university labs) are solid and

reproducible. In laboratory studies at the University of Texas, for example,

preliminary research found turmeric to be useful in preventing and blocking

the growth of cancer such as melanoma tumor cells, breast cancer, colon

cancer, and others.

Extensive research within the last two decades has revealed that most

chronic illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and pul-

monary diseases, are caused by the body’s response to chronic inflamma-

tion. Suppressing chronic inflammation has the potential to delay, prevent,

and even treat many chronic diseases, including cancer. Curcumin is one

powerful anti-inflammatory!

The American Cancer Society states on their website:

Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with several impor-

tant molecular pathways involved in cancer development, growth, and spread.

Researchers are studying curcumin to learn whether it is an effective anti-

inflammatory agent and whether it holds any promise for cancer prevention

or treatment. A number of studies of curcumin have shown promising results.

Perk #62: I Haven’t Been Sick SInce I Got Cancer

255

Curcumin can kill cancer cells in laboratory (petri) dishes and also reduces

growth of surviving cells. Curcumin also has been found to reduce development

of several forms of cancer in laboratory animals and to shrink animal tumors.

In studies of mice, curcumin appeared to help with blocking the plaques and

proteins that cause problems in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease.

It also has strong antiseptic properties, and some use it on cuts, scrapes, and

burns for medicinal benefits.

Amazing stuff, right? Even though your bottle of turmeric is probably

way in the back of your spice shelf behind the pumpkin pie spice that you

use once a year. Yes, it is . . . remember? You bought it when you were going

to make that exotic dish you saw on the cooking channel but ended up just

making a peanut butter sandwich instead. (Okay, that was me.)

Turmeric is a very tasty spice alone, and it is also one of the spices found

in curry. There are many different types of curry, but the yellow-colored curry

that you see most often is made from turmeric, red pepper, cumin (no rela-

tion to curcumin), coriander, and fenugreek. I personally use turmeric in

many day-to-day foods such as pea soup, in roasted vegetables, and in veg-

etarian chili. To get a good healthy dose and for a nice change from herbal

tea, try turmeric tea.

Turmeric Tea

Bring two cups of water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric. (1/2

teaspoon of shaved fresh ginger can also be added if you wish.) Reduce to

a simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain the tea through a fine sieve or unbleached coffee filter into a cup;

add honey, cinnamon, or lemon to taste. Sip slowly.

Turmeric, as curcumin, is also available in capsule form. When used as

a spice in foods, the amount of turmeric you use is completely safe. How-

ever, if you plan to take curcumin in capsule form, you should note that it

is
not recommended for people currently on chemotherapy
and also those:

●
with kidney stones

●
taking blood thinning agents (Coumadin, warfarin) or who have bleeding

disorders

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

●
taking drugs that suppress the immune system (because it improves the

immune system)

●
taking daily doses of NSAIDS (ibuprofen-type drugs)

●
with diabetes; diabetics should use curcumin capsules with caution and

check their blood sugar often when starting this supplement.

When you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment, you want to kill

cells. Turmeric in the form of capsules provides such a large dose of antiox-

idant that it works
against
the slaughter. Once you’ve finished with chemo,

though, it is worth considering.

As always, it is important to talk to your doctor about any herbal sup-

plements you are taking. (There’s no guarantee that they

will have a clue about what to do with this information,

Add curcumin in the

but you should tell them anyway.)

form of turmeric or curry

Please note that you don’t have to take a capsule to

to your food. I can’t

get the benefits of curcumin. Just include turmeric or

think of a more delicious

curry spice in your favorite dishes. If you’ve never tried

way to spice up your life

curry, I suggest you try it. The interesting exotic flavor is

and get rewarded for it!

fun to use in many different Western foods. Or try blend-

ing turmeric with other flavors like onion, garlic, and

rosemary when you use it on plain vegetables or in soups. Go ahead, and

be exotic. It’s good for you!