Good morning readers! I've got so much good stuff for you today, we'll get right to it. (And be sure to come back tomorrow, where I'll tell you about a bittersweet day at our house last week…)
- How could anyone NOT love this shirt? Get one here.
- Sean Croxton has put together another free video series called Get Your SexyBack where you'll learn about how to optimize your hormones safely without synthetic drugs, how to uncover the secrets of reigniting the passion in your relationship, hear stories of real people who reclaimed their sex lives naturally, and more. Check it out here!
- I don't normally post on Saturdays, so I wanted to make sure you saw my newest post: A Day of Tears, Craziness, and a Miracle Field.
- Have you read Angelina Jolie's OP-ED piece in The New York Times about her decision to undergo a recent double mastectomy because she carries the BRCA1 gene? I admire her transparency and courage in sharing her story, though I am not sure that I would follow the same course if I found out that I carried the gene (in fact, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't). What are your thoughts about this? Have any of you been tested for the gene? What are you doing to prevent breast cancer and encourage healthy gene expression? Read Angelina Jolie's story here.
- Wait until you meet Gail in this movie trailer. She is awesome. She's funny, resourceful, compassionate, and real – I'd love to know her in real life! “It's not just my story, every small farmer today is struggling. If this film can open up the eyes of families across America, make them aware of what it is we do as small farmers, we could change the world, we could literally change the world.” Learn more here. Watch the trailer:
- Research in New Zealand is showing that a high fat diet helps people not only lose weight, but improves blood lipid profiles. (Shocker, right?) Be sure to catch the great video clip at that link, too! Read the story here. Read more about why eating fat helps people lose fat in Mary Enig and Sally Fallon's book, Eat Fat Lose Fat!
- Stay tuned and pray everyone, for Vernon Hershberger's trial May 20-24th at the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo, Wisconsin. And if you live near the area, you won't want to miss the Grow Your Food Freedom event happening in the theater across the street, with movie screenings and local/real food lunches and dinners available to purchase. It's a BYORM (Bring Your Own Raw Milk) event! Wherever you live, let's all stand in solidarity with Vernon. This is a landmark trial that affects food freedom for all of us! Read more about it from Jill at Real Food Forager.
- New York City has (for real!) banned butter from their schools! Read Craig Fear's thoughts about it here. I have LOTS of choice words to say about this ignorant decision that benefits only the processed food industry while contributing to health and developmental problems in their unfortunate children. Do you have any choice words to share?
- Surprise! More “politically correct” health advice BUSTED in The New York Times! New research found that to lower sodium intake to within recommended levels is HARMFUL: “There are physiological consequences of consuming little sodium, said Dr. Michael H. Alderman, a dietary sodium expert at Albert Einstein College of Medicine who was not a member of the committee. As sodium levels plunge, triglyceride levels increase, insulin resistance increases, and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system increases. Each of these factors can increase the risk of heart disease.” Read more here from the New York Times. Read my previous post on how to salt your food for health.
- What are you plans for May 25th? People are gathering in cities all over the world to march in solidarity against Monsanto! Find a march to join near you!
- Need some help treating poison oak/ivy? Check here from my Facebook page last week!
Erin T says
My first reaction to the story was to cringe that a woman would just cut off part of her body that was not yet diseased. Then I realized that cancer doesn’t tend to run in my family. Heart attacks and strokes, however, do and every little chest pain causes a spark of fear to run through me. I can’t cut off my heart, but I do what I can to make it healthier. If the issue was breast cancer, fear may drive me to take drastic steps if I didn’t have assurance from the Lord Jesus Christ that I am not to worry about tomorrow.
Liz says
You asked about A. Jolie — I don’t think it makes any sense to have both breasts removed – and then have implants put in. What about simply monitoring with your doctor and eating properly, etc? If you know your medical history, then you can monitor it.
Implants are known to cause problems, even cancer. My dear friend got breast cancer from her implants. So sad.
Dr.BG/grace says
THX Kelly for all your awesome posts! I’ve wondered exactly the same… I wish Jolie did her functional medicine homework to know and be aware that BRCA1/2 affects both men and women because it is a defect inherited over time where DNA processing is not as well controlled and DNA is led to higher oxidative damage and higher damaged products like 8OHdG which can be tracked, measured and lowered via diet, supplements, antioxidants, etc…..
Let’s Look at A Couple of BRCA1/2 Facts:
BRCA1/2 is a defect in DNA repair and fails to repair 8OHdG (oxidative DNA product)
BRCA1/2 raises risk in men of breast, prostate, pancreatic, gastric and hematologic cancers
BRCA1/2 raises risk in women of breast (73%), ovarian (41%), colon (2-fold), pancreas (3-fold), stomach (4-fold) and fallopian tube (120-fold) cancers
BRCA1/2 like all mutation genes is under epigenetically regulation — for example, silencing of the gene occurs with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (pollution), insulin, and hypomethylation (lack of methyl donors — either depletion or dietary deficiency — or COMT, MTHFR, etc variants). Best food sourced methyl donors are methylB12, choline and methylfolates (free range egg yolks, liver, meat, seafood — sorry no plant sources you crazy vegans). Insulin 101: Insulin is a growth hormone and one function is to induce stimulation of female ovaries to increase testosterone secretion. Unfortunately, in both men and women, normal levels and excess testosterone will be converted by estrogens under insulin induction by P450-aromatase (aka, CYP19), in many tissues including fat tissues, breast cells, endothelial cells and prostate cells….
Compared with noncarriers, women carrying at least one CYP19 8r allele had 20% higher estrone (P = 0.003), 18% higher estradiol (P = 0.02), and 21% higher free estradiol concentrations (P = 0.01). Women with the COMT Met/Met genotype had 28% higher 2-hydroxyestrone (P = 0.08) and 31% higher 16α-hydroxyestrone concentrations (P = 0.02), compared with Val/Val women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers PrevJanuary 1, 2004 13; 94.
BRCA1/2 silencing may be epigenetically avoided by diet, resveratrol and other antioxidants
BRCA1/2 needs a genetic ‘cofactor’ like MTHFR, COMT, CYP19 (aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogens), CYP1B1 (pathway increases 16OHE1, estrogen carcinogen adduct) and CYP1A1 to be carcinogenic according to emerging evidence. These genetic polymorphisms are all related to raised toxic estrogen metabolites and creation of estrogen dominant states.
https://drbganimalpharm.blogspot.jp/2013/05/the-great-cholesterol-fairy-tale.html
Commenter via Facebook says
i was so mad reading that butter ban article!
Commenter via Facebook says
I thought I read she nursed her twins and probably Shiloh. Since breastfeeding reduces the chance of cancer so I wouldn’t have got a double mastectomy but to each her own.
J in VA says
Another facet to ponder….there has been some discussion online (Natural News, etc…) about whether there is a tie in to the company that developed the test for the DNA gene patents. If so, how convenient to convince people to remove currently healthy body parts.
I don’t tell others what to do but I can tell you that I’m keepnig all my parts….even the ones that don’t work 100% anymore. LOL.
EC says
I would definitely not judge other people’s decisions.
I don’t think I would do it, though. I would find a good doctor who works with hormonal imbalances and work to reverse the estrogen dominance (I’m assuming these types of cancers are estrogen driven.) I think it would better address the root problem and with what we know about epigenetics, give me a lot of hope.
The amount of xenoestrogens in our environment is pretty scary.
Melissa @ Real Food Eater says
We have friends in WA state whom in their family, every woman has died from cancer. Grandma’s, aunts, great aunts, etc. Their mom, who is in her 60s, has had cancer 4 times (breast, ovarian, colon, etc). They have 3 daughters who are in their 40’s and who decided to get tested to see if they carry the gene. All 3 were carriers. When we lived out in WA, the 3 of them decided to undergo mastectomies and hysterectomies since the gene they had is known to have a high probability of causing those 2 types of cancers. I know they didn’t regret it. One of the daughters just died of cancer last month. When they did the hysterectomy they found out she already had fallopian tube cancer. So she fought cancer on and off for about 6 years. I think if I had family history of the disease and knew that there was a high probability I would get it, I’d probably make the same decision they did.
KitchenKop says
Wow, what a tragic story! It definitely teaches us not to judge others’ decisions.
Kel
Amy says
One thing I would be concerned about is whether the cancer would just end up somewhere else (such as the lungs or colon, rather than the breast or ovaries), or if going through such an early menopause increases risk of heart disease or something else.
I would want to see long-term all-cause mortality rates and outcomes, which I guess will take years to compile. But we don’t really know right now if undergoing a double mastectomy and hysterectomy actually improves long-term outcomes, even though it prevents breast and ovarian cancer. I hope studies are being conducted.
Jill says
What a beautiful farm! This is how it should be done–all animals raised for food deserve to live quality lives like Gail’s deer get to live! Loved seeing the deer run too!
Kathryn Pasternak says
Jill — I agree with you whole-heartedly! Yes, all animals raised for food should live quality lives, and should be killed quickly and kindly, as Gail says. It’s a complicated situation though, which you’ll learn about in detail in the film. Processing her meat on the farm means that she is only allowed to give it away for donations. She isn’t allowed to sell it to third parties (so no restaurants or stores.) And believe me, she had chefs pursuing her because her venison was so wonderful. This is the kind of “one-size fits all” regulation that hurts small farmers and that I wish there was a way to change.
Kathryn Pasternak says
Hi Kelly,
Thank you so much for featuring my film DOEVILLE on your wonderful blog. The best thing for me is being introduced to your blog though! It is fantastic.
I’m wondering where you live and whether we could somehow get you here to meet Gail in person. Maybe a phone call with her? A skype call? It just seems like I need to make this happen to connect the two of you.
In the meantime, thank you again so much for spreading the word about the film and Gail to your readers.
Kathryn Pasternak
KitchenKop says
It was my pleasure!!! Yes, let me think of how we could be in touch, that would be great. I’m in Michigan…
Kelly
Soli says
Kathryn, what kind of crowdfunding are you doing for this film? I’m interested!
Kelly, thank you for posting it.
Kathryn Pasternak says
Hi Soli,
You can go to my campaign by clicking on this link, or if you click on the video above in Kelly’s blog, it should get you there.
Here’s the link: https://igg.me/at/doeville/x/1659049
And thank you so, so much for your interest in my film and Gail’s wonderful farm!!!
Kathy