October is breast cancer awareness month when people all over the world show their support for women affected by this devastating disease. Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, the first being skin cancer. It is estimated that 1 in 8 American women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Fortunately, thanks to improved awareness, prevention, and advances in medical treatment, these women have a much better outlook than ever before. Women are beating breast cancer!

Unfortunately, one of the most common side effects of many of the treatment protocols for breast cancer is bone loss. Surgery, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy can all negatively impact our bone health and lead to osteoporosis. 

Nutrition and exercise are certainly 2 ways women thriving through breast cancer can protect their bones. One of the best foods for supporting both your bones and your breasts is broccoli.

There are numerous journal publications showing a diet rich in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are not only cancer-protective but can also support the body while undergoing cancer treatments. In fact, a large study involving nearly 5000 Chinese breast cancer survivors found that those women who ate approximately 1 cup of chopped cruciferous vegetables a day were 42% less likely to have died from breast cancer. These women were also less likely to have their cancer come back. 

Broccoli serves up plenty of bone-building nutrients as well. It is a good source of calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin K — a nutrient that is essential for the formation of osteocalcin (a type of protein found only in the bone).

But more important than any of these vitamins and minerals, Broccoli is a rich source of a compound called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a powerful phytochemical that appears to neutralize toxins, reduce inflammation, protect your DNA, possibly slow tumor growth, reduce bone resorption, and promote bone formation. Broccoli is not only a superfood for preventing cancer and osteoporosis, but also for protecting against bone loss while thriving through cancer treatments. 

However, as with most plant foods, cooking compromises nutrients, including the concentration of sulforaphane in broccoli. So if you enjoy munching on raw broccoli, chew on! But if you prefer your broccoli boiled, microwaved, or steamed until soft, you are probably not getting the full benefits of sulforaphane.

The reason being is that to activate the sulforaphane in broccoli, we need a critical enzyme called myrosinase. Myrosinase converts the precursor glucoraphanin to sulforaphane. However, myrosinase is destroyed in the cooking process.  No enzyme, no sulforaphane.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to boost the formation of sulforaphane:

1. Chop it up – When broccoli is chopped, glucosinolates and myrosinase are brought together and sulforaphane is more readily formed.
2. Let it sit – Exposing broccoli to the air for at least 40 minutes (90 minutes even better) allows the activation of myrosinase, the enzyme needed to produce sulforaphane. Once sulforaphane has been formed, it won’t be affected by cooking.
3. Steam it – Steaming broccoli for up to 5 minutes is the best way to retain myrosinase. Boiling or microwaving, even for as little as 1 minute, can destroy the majority of the enzyme.
4. Add mustard seeds – Adding powdered mustard seeds to cooked broccoli can significantly increase the formation of sulforaphane. Mustard seed contains a particularly resilient form of myrosinase. Horseradish and arugula also contain myrosinase. Click here for a wonderful mustard seed vinaigrette to dress up your broccoli. 
5. Eat broccoli sprouts! – Broccoli sprouts are actually the best source of sulforaphane. In fact, compared to mature broccoli they contain 100x’s more sulforaphane. Garnish any dish with broccoli sprouts or add it to your smoothies, salads, or sandwich. 

Whether you are undergoing breast cancer treatments, striving to keep your bones strong, or just trying to stay healthy and fit, be sure to get your daily dose of broccoli.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

When I started out on my integrative health and wellness journey 20 years ago, one of the first books that I read was The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton. In this book, Dr. Lipton, a cell biologist, explores how the power of the mind can have a commanding influence on your health and well-being. He explains how every thought we have, whether positive or negative, emits an energy that affects every cell and every system in our body.  Everything that runs through our mind has the ability to strengthen or weaken our body. 

It is no wonder that stress plays a significant role in many different diseases and disorders.

But what are we supposed to do about it? The stressors we face in the modern world are ongoing, some are worse than others, but always present. Right now we are hearing a lot about how we are living in “uncertain” times, but the truth is that life is and always has been uncertain. No one can fully control or predict what is going to happen tomorrow. However, we do have control over how we react and respond to the stress and uncertainty that challenge us every day.  

Stress is often defined as anything we perceive to be a threat to our wellbeing.  It is a very individual and personal experience because we all perceive things differently.  Our perception is influenced by our life experiences, our current capacity to cope, our personality, and even our genes.  If you perceive something as a threat that is going to cause you harm, it will trigger a stress response in your body.

However, by changing your perception and how you view the circumstance or event, can also change how your body reacts.

Here are some ways that you can reprogram your stress response:

• Change how you think about stress. When you encounter a stressful situation, you will notice that your heart rate goes up, you start to breathe harder, maybe you get butterflies in your stomach. You can view these physiologic changes as the negative signs of stress, or as a positive sign that your body is preparing you to meet the challenge that you are about to face.
  
• Watch your words. The words we use cue our brains and guide us on how to react. When someone asks you how you are, do you respond by using words such as busy, stressed, or tired?  Those words send a message to your brain that you are…busy, tired, and stressed…and the brain and body react accordingly. Using more positive words like challenge, opportunity, or excited have a much different effect on our mindset and outlook.
  
• Live life in the moment. Studies show that we only spend about 10% of our energy or attention in the present moment. Nearly 50% of the time we’re worried about the future and about 40% of the time we’re still thinking about the past. The only thing you are able to take control of is the moment that you have with you right now. There is no point worrying about the past or being anxious about the future.
• Think before you respond. Try to stop and think through a bad situation before you respond. Shifting from reactive survival mode to reflective and responsive thinking that can give you the opportunity to better assess the situation and how it can be most effectively addressed.
• Pay attention to your limits. We all have a different capacity as to how much we can do and how much we can handle. It can vary from day to day, even minute to minute.  When the demands on our time and energy outweigh our capacity, it can result in stress and be overwhelming.
• Center on yourself. Every day, take time to show compassion towards yourself and put yourself first. On a daily basis do at least one thing that brings you joy, lightens your load, and makes you smile. 

One final thought.

A few years back I listened to a TED Talk titled “How to Make Stress your Friend” by health psychologist Kelly McGonigal. Dr. McGonigal referenced a study entitled “Does the perception that stress affects the health matter? The association with health and mortality.” In this study, the researchers concluded that stress itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but believing that stress is bad and harmful is the actual problem. 

The researchers tracked 30,000 adults for 8 years. At the beginning of the study they asked everyone 2 questions:

• How much stress have you experienced in the last year?

• Do you believe that stress is harmful to your health?

They then used public death records to find out who died.

What the researchers found was:

• People who experienced a lot of stress in the previous years, and believed that stress is harmful to their health had a 43% increased risk of premature death.
• People who experienced a lot of stress, but did not view stress as harmful, actually had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study, including people who had relatively little stress

Their conclusion was that people didn’t necessarily die from stress, but from the belief that stress had a negative impact on their health.

So, if you think your stress is hurting your health, it’s likely it is.

We are never going to get rid of stress and there is always going to be uncertainty in life, but we can change how we think about it and how we respond to it. And when we change the way our mind perceives stress, we also change the way our body reacts to it.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

When life is uncertain, it creates fear, anxiety, and internal unrest. Last week I talked about how using soothing essential oils can impact the emotional center of our brain and help get us out of “fight or flight” and into a place of relaxation. There are also many relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation that can do the same. But did you know that the foods you eat can also feed your stress or calm your nerves?

When stress strikes, many turn to junk food, alcohol, or coffee for comfort. Yet, despite the temporary emotional lift they might provide, these are the very foods that can contribute to anxiety and add more stress to your body.

Eating refined carbohydrate-rich and sugar-laden foods spike your blood sugar and give you a burst of energy or a “sugar high” but will leave you feeling lifeless later. In fact, excess intake of simple carbohydrates can impair your ability to handle stress and can trigger feelings of worry, anxiety, and sadness. The sugar blues are a real thing!  

There’s also a lot of evidence that artificially created trans fats, like those found in fried foods or commercial baked goods, are disastrous for your brain. These fats have been linked to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Junk foods also contain numerous flavor enhancers, most notable is MSG, which are known as excitotoxins. Excitotoxins are chemicals that overstimulate our neuron receptors. These toxins have been implicated in psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. Soups, snacks, sauces, gravies, many low-fat and vegetarian processed foods are  often packed with these “flavor enhancers” in an effort to make them taste irresistible. 

Be careful about what you drink as well. Many low sugar or sugar-free drinks get their sweetness from artificial sweeteners that could be linked to anxiety and depression. Alcohol is notorious for helping to calm the nerves and many drink to cope with stress. However, alcohol itself is hard on the body and may actually compound the effect of stress and exacerbate anxiety. Additionally, even a little bit can mess up your sleep which is critical during stressful times.

Luckily, there are many foods that can help ease stress and moderate anxiety by boosting calming brain chemicals and reducing stress hormones. 

Try these suggestions for calming the system, instead of fueling it.

1.Pack in the protein at every meal.  Protein is needed to supply amino acids that are essential for calming the nervous system. Amino acids are the building blocks for neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, which are closely tied to feelings of calm and happiness and also help to regulate anxiety.  Eating a diet with plenty of eggs, fish (especially fatty fish including anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, and sardines) and grass-fed meat and poultry can provide your body with the needed amino acids. Plant proteins such as quinoa, beans, raw nuts, and seeds, are also good sources of amino acids. Pumpkin seeds, in particular, may help raise levels of serotonin, and chia seeds are rich in a neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) which can lower levels of cortisol and reduce stress.  You should aim to get a serving of protein at every meal.

• Food swap: Instead of pouring out a bowl of cold, carbohydrate loaded, cereal, opt for nutrient dense Paleo Pumpkin Muffin.  What can be more comforting this time of year than the taste and smell of sweet pumpkin?  Make a batch and refrigerate for a quick breakfast or late afternoon snack.

2.Fuel up on fats. Healthy fats in the form of fatty fish, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, and grass-fed butter not only give you that creamy comfort we are all looking for when feeling overwhelmed but can also protect against stress.  A study in mice found that eating more fats actually protected them against the effects of chronic social stress. We all know that foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids are essential for brain health, but they can also help your body reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

Food swap: Next time stress has you reaching for a bowl of ice cream, try this rich and creamy chocolate avocado pudding. Both chocolate and avocados are natural stress busters and can help to reduce anxiety and boost our mood. The naturally occurring antioxidants in dark chocolate and the b vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats in avocados help to support your nervous system and slow cortisol production.

3.Indulge in carbs but keep them complex. Not only do complex carbohydrates come packaged with many of the vitamins and minerals we need to get us through a stressful time, but they also help boost serotonin levels in the brain. Complex carbohydrates are also rich in fiber and can help you feel more balanced because they stabilize blood sugars. We can all benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables, but root vegetables, in particular, can fill that need for something dense and sweet while providing many nutrients needed that can quiet the nervous system.  

Food swap: Instead of indulging in French fries cooked in trans fats and drenched in table salt, try making your own sweet potatoes fries. Sweet potatoes may actually help lower the stress hormone cortisol. 

4. Limit or avoid that morning cup of joe. Excessive caffeine can stimulate your “fight or flight” response and cause an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones. This can leave you feeling jittery, nervous, and contribute to anxiety. In fact, there is evidence that quitting caffeine can be more beneficial for anxiety than taking prescription anti-anxiety drugs. If you love the taste of coffee and want to switch to decaf, make sure it is organic and free of the chemical residues often used in the decaffeination process. Green tea is also a good choice. Although green tea has small amounts of caffeine, it is also high in an amino acid called L-theanine. L-theanine can have a relaxing effect on the body through its impact on serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.

• Food swap: My morning indulgence includes a cup of hot Mud! MUD/WTR is a blend of mushrooms and spices that help to give me natural energy and focus without jitters and anxiety. The mushrooms combined with organic spices give a boost to my immune system. I whip up my Mud with a little bit of organic coconut cream and a teaspoon of monk fruit sweetener and every day feels like a holiday.

5. Finally chew your food! The simple act of chewing your food can reduce stress and enhance your mood.  Chewing not only begins the process of digestion but also helps to put the body in a relaxed state. The rhythmical act of chewing helps to relax the brain and can reduce stress by blocking the release of stress hormones. How many times you chew your food depends on the type of food you eat, but “drink your solids and chew your liquids” is a common principle encouraged by many holistic practitioners.

• Tip: Mindful eating. Try putting your full attention to chewing and the eating process instead of multitasking.  Focusing on your food instead of your phone, the TV or your work will enhance your body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients, which will, in turn, have a positive impact on your health. 

I know when we are stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed it can be hard to change your food choice. But remember foods can have a powerful influence on your stress hormones and your brain chemicals. At each meal, you have a choice to eat foods that nourish your body and build resilience to stress or fuel it.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!