My journey..........part 3.

October 14 2017

For the past 7 weeks, each Friday morning, I had Intravenous vitamin C treatment. Most of the time other people were also there at the clinic for Intravenous treatment for various conditions. We all sit in a small room, in a large comfortable chair, next to each other. The room accommodates 4 chairs.
Last Friday, October 13, there were two ladies with breast cancer having their IV-C treatments as well. They talked about  a cancer community support group in Brampton called Wellspring.

Wellspring (www.welspring.ca) is a lifeline for cancer support. It is a community based support for cancer patients and their care givers. Membership, services and all programs are provided free of charge. It is founded by Ann Armstrong Gibson in Toronto in 1992. Ann had cancer and realized the need of a community support group for cancer patients to cope with their struggles.
Wellspring is a non profit organization, funded by the generosity of donors.

Wellspring Chinguacousy, Brampton

There is a Wellspring center in Brampton not far from home; so I registered on-line to be a member and also for one of their programs on nutrition.

November 03 2017

Finally the day has come. Tuesday, October 31, I saw Dr, Mohseni to discuss my biopsy result. The Gleason score was 7 (3+4) on the right side and 6 (3+3) on the left. Dr. Mohseni explained about the test, he said that my cancer is considered intermediate risk. For me he recommended radiation treatment or active surveillance.
He arranged for me to see a radiation oncologist to get a second opinion, and he also gave me a book to read - "Prostate cancer, understand the disease and its treatment" 4th edition, by Fred Saad, M.D. and Michael McCormack, M.D.
Dr. Mohseni wants me to really understand about my disease and the treatment options; and learn it from experience professionals in the field. He is a very nice and caring doctor.

Biopsy result

That same day in the afternoon, I went to see my GP, Dr. Kristof to update him on my biopsy result and to ask for a PSA test requisition. I like to know my current PSA number to help me decide whether to go for radiation or active surveillance; besides I had 10 weeks of IV vit C treatments since my last PSA test.

Yesterday, November 2, I got my PSA number - 10.2. Not what I hoped for. I was hoping that the number will be lower than 9.7, which is the PSA number from 3 months ago before my IV C treatments. So the number went up slightly.
I decided to stop the IV C treatments for now. It may have helped me with recovering fast and fully from the biopsy, perhaps also preventing spreading the disease. But I am a little disappointed with my PSA number, I expected to be lower than 9.7 after 10 sessions of IV C treatments. For now I will take high doses of liposomal vit. C orally, about 4+ grams a day. I will have another PSA test in 3 months time.

Next Monday, November 06, I will attend "The Healing Journey, level 1; coping with cancer stress" course at Wellspring. This is my 3rd course, the first 2 courses that I took were about "Nourishing". I am looking forward for this course.


November 07 2017

Received a call from Credit Valley hospital cancer center for an appointment to see Dr. Yuen, the radiation oncologist. My appointment is set for Monday November 13 at 2;00 PM.

I read the "Prostate Cancer" book, given by Dr. Mohseni; it has many good and solid informations about prostate cancer and its treatments. One test that I have not seen mentioned before is the PCA3, Prostate Cancer Gene 3 test; it is a gene based urine test.
This book also mentioned Focal therapy for localized prostate cancer. The cryotherapy and the HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) are two that are available in Canada and being evaluated. I will learn more about them as they are less invasive compared to radiation.

The Nourishing and Healing Journey courses I attended at Wellspring were very good and helpful for me in my journey controlling my prostate cancer. I am looking forward to continue learning from these courses.

November 15 2017

On Monday, November 13, I went to Carlo Fidani Cancer Centre, Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga to see and consult with Dr. Yuen the radiation oncologist.
Dr. Yuen explained about the two radiation treatments that they have for me at this hospital and also the side effects of those radiation treatments. I do not like those side effects.
We discussed about other less invasive treatments like Cryotherapy and HIFU. He mentioned that Princess Margaret Hospital has a clinical trail on Focal Ablation treatment for prostate cancer and he could refer me to apply for that trail, I may qualify.

The following day I called Dr. Mohseni office for an appointment to discuss further about my options. I am inclined to do 'Active Surveillance' for now but at the same time I do not want to miss the window for treatment before the cancer spreads.
I keep telling myself - "Do not worry, do not hurry". When you have cancer you can not help thinking about it.

Earlier today I called Dr. Yuen office and asked to be referred for the Focal Ablation clinical trail at Princess Margaret cancer center.

My journey ........part 2.

August 23 2017.

Have not gone for hot yoga at the studio for 2 weeks now; I am having issues with glaucoma in my right eye. My right eye felt uncomfortable and eventually painful. Did not sleep well that Saturday night. On Sunday morning went to see my optometrist Dr. Leanne Nguyen Truang. She went to open her office just to take care of me. Amazing service, amazing friend; I am very grateful.
The IOP (inter ocular pressure) was 42. She prescribed 2 eye drops. Eventually the following Tuesday, Dr. Baseer Khan my glaucoma specialist, performed a small surgery to clear scar tissues that blocked the flow of the intraocular liquid. This was very painful and the eye felt sore for 10 days.

Problem with one organ affects the whole body........

September 15, 2017.

Have completely stop going to yoga studio for hot yoga classes. My trail month was over and now I setup a small exercise room at home, between two closets that is heated up by 4 infrared lights, 250W each, as my hot yoga room. Not as good as the studio but works all right.

Hot yoga 'room' between two closets.

Two weeks after the glaucoma surgery I saw Dr. Graham Belovay for a follow up check. The IOP was 32. The doctor saw what the problem was and perform a procedure (Sweeping the iris?) to clear up the drainage blockage. Afterwards the IOP was 4. Excellent. I was temporarily put on 3 different eye drops and set up to see Dr. Khan for a laser procedure (Peripheral irodoplasty?) to assure that the drainage stays open.
In the mean time I have started Intravenous high dose vitamin C therapy once a week.

This morning I had my 3rd IV C therapy, the dose was 75 grams. It was increased from 25 grams for the first IV C therapy, then to 50 grams for the second one and finally to 75 grams. It will stay at 75 grams for the next coming weeks. The therapy is administered by Dr. Heidi Fritz ND in Brampton, not far from home. Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D were added to the infusion. Dr. Firtz is a Naturopathic doctor who specializes in cancer.

A few weeks ago, soon after my first IV-C therapy, my urine colour was reddish in the morning for a few days, then it cleared up. And again a week later after the second IV-C therapy. A subsequent urine test did not show anything unusual.

At last,  we got a date for the targeted biopsy, it is October the 4th at Etobicoke General Hospital; and the follow up result consultation with Dr. Mohseni is October 31st. I know the prostate biopsy will be unpleasant and not without risk of infection and spreading the cancer cells, but I believe it is also very important to know exactly where I stand so that I could choose the best treatment for me. I wished that it could have been done sooner. On the other hand a later date give me more time to prepare my body to overcome the side effects of infection and spreading the cancer cells.

Read several more books about cancer, most have more or less the same recommendations on the strategies to fight cancer. One book I particularly like is "I Have Cancer: What Should I Do?" by Michael J. Gonzales, D.Sc., Ph.D., Jorge R. Miranda-Massari, Pharm.D., and Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D.
The book is short, to the point, easy to read and has lots of information backed by scientific studies.

My strategy to control my prostate cancer may not be proper for another person facing the same challenge. The following are the steps that I do: - 1. Positive attitude - cancer is not a death sentence. Learn and take charge of the disease; do not worry, do not hurry. - 2. Diet, avoid sugar and simple carbohydrate (They feed the cancer cells), eat more vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, fermented food (kefir, saurkraut), fish and limit red meat. - 3. Exercise (every day). - 4. Sleep at least 6 hours each day, add naps if necessary. - 5. Supplementation, consult a Naturopathic Doctor / nutritionist for advise for my specific condition. - 6. Intravenous Vitamin C therapy - 7. Avoid and remove physical and mental toxins; detox and de-stress. - 8. Trust the Lord. Do the best I can and accept His plan for me.
Basically, I work to provide everything to help my body heal itself. Mentally, spiritually, physically, rest, nutrition, detox, supplements etc.

Selfie - having IV-C treatment

October 08 2017

Last Wednesday I had my biopsy done. About 16 samples were taken. The whole procedure was not as bad as I had imagined, but it was also not the MRI targeted biopsy I was hoping for, it was an ultrasound targeted biopsy.
During the procedure, Dr. Rapaport, who performed the biopsy, asked if I had previous surgery on my prostate gland. I wondered what he saw on the ultrasound screen.

Today, Sunday, four days after the biopsy I feel that I have completely recovered; no more soreness, no more blood in the urine or stool and no fever.

I am looking forward to know the Gleason grades and scores of my prostate biopsy.

Making Liposomal Vitamin C

The first time I came across 'Liposomal vitamin C' was reading the book "The cancer revolution" by Leigh Erin Connealy. In her book Dr. Connealy suggested to take Liposomal vitamin C and Pancreatic enzyme supplements right away after a cancer diagnostic. Which I did.
After that I read more books on vitamin C. Another great book on this subject is "Primal Panacea" by Thomas Levy MD JD.
The best way to take high dose vitamin C orally is by taking liposomal Vitamin C, because it has the highest bio-availability with the highest bowel tolerance, compared to other kinds of vitamin C.

Youtube has presentations and expert interviews on vitamin C, and the Riordan clinic offers information and publications on their Intravenous Vitamin C therapy at their website (riordanclinic.org).
Now I am convinced that high dose vitamin C taken orally and intravenously should be part of my strategy to control the cancer cells. Currently I am taking IV C therapy (75 grams) weekly and taking 2 to 4 grams liposomal vitamin C orally each day.

The cost of commercial liposomal vit. C is high, $55 for 30 packs of 1 gram, close to $2 per gram; so I decided to make my own, for myself and my family.
There are many information on the Internet about how to make liposomal vit. C yourself. I also read the book "How to make Liposomal vitamin C" by Cheryl Hines.
Below is the way I do it currently, after some research and several weeks of experience. Hope it helps you in making your own.

Ingredients:
450 ml Distilled water
5 Table spoons (15 ml x 5) non GMO soy lecithin granules or sunflower lecithin
5 Tea spoons (5 ml x 5) pure Ascorbic Acid powder, makes 20 grams liposomal vit. C.
2 to 3 Tea spoons Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking soda)
Note: proportion of lecithin to ascorbic acid is 3:1

Ingredients

Tools:
Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner (I use Isonic model P4810)
500 ml glass beaker with holder stand (bought together with the ultrasonic cleaner)
Glass jar (mason jar)
plastic stirring fork
2 measuring spoons (Tbsp-15ml and Tsp-5ml)

Starting the cycle - note some 'foam' on the surface

Steps:
Pour 250 ml distilled water in the 500 ml glass beaker and add 5 Tbsp lecithin in it. Let it soak for 1 to 2 hours and stir until dissolved.

Pour 200 ml distilled water in a glass jar and add 5 Tsp Ascorbic Acid in it, stir until dissolved.
Slowly add Sodium Bicarbonate into the dissolved Ascorbic Acid; bubbly reaction is expected as the two mix. Keep stirring and keep adding the Sodium Bicarbonate slowly until the bubbly reaction stops or much reduce; usually between 2 to 3 Tsp of Sodium Bicarbonate.

Pour the 200 ml solution of Ascorbic Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate into the 250 ml lecithin solution.
Stir them well until they are completely mix together; takes about 2 minutes.

Put the 500 ml glass beaker (with the mixture) in the Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner that is filled with cold tap water half way between the minimum and maximum line mark; use the special stand to hold the glass beaker in place.

Run the ultrasonic cleaner without heat for 10 minutes. At the end of the cycle, stir gently for a few seconds and run for 2 more cycles of 10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes. At the end of the 3rd cycle the process is completed and there should be no (or very little) bubbles or foaming on the surface. Add another 5 minutes cycle with constant gentle stirring if there were some 'foam' left on the surface.

Finish product - no 'foam' on surface

Cover and store the finish product in the refrigerator, it should be consumed within 5 days.

Hope this blog helps you in making your own Liposomal vitamin C.

Thanks for reading, and please leave any comment or question below.

My journey with prostate cancer

We are all going to die, the question is "when" not "if"................when you are diagnosed with cancer this "when" comes more into focus.

I am writing this blog as a journal to share my experience and help me stay in focus facing this latest and perhaps my toughest challenge.
It is a bit ironic, I was looking for a new challenge to celebrate my coming 75th year on this planet, now I am faced with this unwanted challenge.  -:(


Thursday, June 22 2017

On Monday June 19 2017, I went for an MRI scan in Buffalo NY; the result showed that I had 3 tumors in my prostate gland. I asked the doctor if they are cancer, he just nodded.
It was not a complete surprise to me, in fact I sort of expected it.

For years my annual blood test PSA number kept going up year after year. It was 6.6 in January last year, 2016. My GP, Dr. Kristof L referred me to Dr. Mohseni, a Urologist.
Dr. Mohseni suggested a biopsy, but I choose to wait for another year because the DRE test did not detect anything unusual and neither did a recent ultrasound.
April 2017 my PSA number had soared to 10.4. Since I do not have any issue with my urinary track, and no infection, most likely the high number is caused by Cancer, I concluded.
On June 6, I saw Dr. Mohseni at the Brampton Hospital; again he suggested a biopsy. I asked if we could do an MRI first. His response was that he can not refer me for an MRI before a biopsy, that is the 'rule' in Ontario (OHIP).
Since last year I have been reading and researching on prostate cancer; I have formed the opinion that an MRI scan before a biopsy is the way to go.

An MRI would confirm whether tumor is present and the exact location within the prostate gland. A biopsy without an MRI is literally poking in the dark. I search the internet for MRI clinics around Toronto and found one in Buffalo NY, 'Proscan Imaging'. They use the latest MRI technology,   -   the    3.0 Tesla MRI. Cost for a prostate MRI - $565 US.

Dr. Gurmeet Dhillon and his staff at 'Proscan Imaging clinic' provide excellent service, I highly recommend this clinic. The MRI scan lasted about 45 minutes. Half an hour after the MRI procedure, Dr. Dhillon called me in to have a discussion, he showed me the dark spots and told me that they are tumors, one of them is not encapsulated. The next day I received his summary report via an e-mail attachment. His report said that there are 3 tumors, one 8 mm in size on the right side (region 1p) second is 7 mm on the left side (region 6p) and the third is 8 mm in the transitional zone (region 1a), the surrounding areas are fine. I was also given 2 DVDs of the MRI pictures. The pictures would be helpful in performing an accurate biopsy.

I knew that I had made the right decision to go for an MRI scan before agreeing for a biopsy. Now I am certain that the biopsy is indeed necessary and it will be done with certainty of the locations and amount of tumors, not just blindly taking samples of the prostate tissues. I felt that the money spent was worth every penny of it.

Since last year, after the first suggestion of a biopsy, I did some research on the internet about prostate biopsy and prostate cancer, this had help me make the right decision. I also drew some knowledge from my uncle and cousin experiences with their prostate cancer.

MRI result report

Right after the MRI scan, I made appointments to see Dr. Kristof and Dr. Mohseni to discuss the MRI report and find out what to do next. In the mean time, I will search for books and the internet about prostate cancer.

My first action at meeting this challenge head on is to change my diet. Avoid all kinds of sugar and restrict my carbohydrate intake. That means no added sugar of any kind, no cake, cookies, pasta, bread, rice, sweet fruits etc. I have learned that cancer cells can only use glucose as fuel while healthy cells use glucose and ketones (from fat). So by restricting sugar and carbohydrate intake I will create a hostile environment for the cancer cells to grow and spread to other places. Fasting and exercise also help in reducing glucose supply for the cancer cells. I learned this, among others, from reading Travis Christofferson book, "Tripping over the truth".


Friday, July 07 2017 

The internet provides lots of information. Now I know more about the prostate gland. Most info about a specific treatment for prostate cancer are usually bias. I avoid sites touting cure all single herb or supplement, especially if it is promoted to sell that product and not backed by scientific research.

So far there are 2 books that I like and find that they are really helpful. "Prostate cancer breakthrough : 2014" by Jay Cohen MD, and "The cancer revolution" by Leigh Erin Connealy.

In his book, Dr, Cohen explained about 'blind biopsy' and 'targeted biopsy', this reaffirm that I had made the right decision and choose the right clinic to have a prostate MRI scan before a biopsy.

On Wednesday, June 28, I started taking Pancreatic enzyme and liposomal Vit. C 1000 mg first thing in the morning. Recommendation from Dr. Conneally in her book "The Cancer revolution".

I am also going to see a Naturopathy Oncologist to guide me with nutrition, detox, supplements and other alternative ways to combat this cancer.

My uncle was diagnosed with prostate cancer by chance when he was in his early 70s. He had a urethra infection at the mouth of the bladder and at the base of the prostate gland. His cancer was not aggressive and he choose "watchful waiting". He died of heart failure at 86.
My cousin, 70, had a blind biopsy done a few years ago because his PSA number was high. The result was false negative and he almost died because of it; spend months in the hospital due to infection.
Later on a 4Kscore blood test was ordered and it confirmed that he had prostate cancer, this is followed by a targeted biopsy (preceded by MRI scan). He has 2 tumors and the Gleason score was 6 (3+3) and 7 (3+4). He decided to do "Active Surveillance".

I believe that my prostate cancer is mainly genetic; my uncle, cousin and I, our tumors locations are in the same area. DRE test failed to detect our tumors because they are located deep near the base of the prostate gland.

My family have been very supportive and understanding. They help me with my strict diet.


Friday, July 14 2017

Start taking Hot Yoga classes on Tuesday, July 11. Had not sweated this much for many years. This is great for detox, and stress relief; also for flexibility, balance, and core strength. Dr. Connealy and Dr. A. Katz recommended Yoga in their books.

Dr. Mohseni forwarded my MRI dvd to Dr. Daniel Rappaport at Etobicoke General Hospital diagnostic imaging; I insisted on having a targeted biopsy especially since I have already gone through an MRI prostate scan which was done with the most current MRI machine, the 3T MRI. I am looking forward to hear of the biopsy schedule date.


Friday, July 21 2017

Yesterday, Thursday July 20, I saw Dr. Michael Reid, a Naturopath oncologist in Kitchener, ON. We are mostly on the same page about my prostate situation and possible treatments.
I do not mind a targeted biopsy, because this will give me more data to decide on future treatment option.
I asked Dr. Reid to help me prepare for the upcoming biopsy, to guard against possible infection, to prevent spreading of the cancer cells and to recover quickly. For this he recommended IV vitamin C therapy 1x/week for 4 weeks leading to the biopsy.
We also discussed nutrition, diet, detox and supplementation. Dr. Reid said that I am already on the right track with diet and nutrition.
Some blood laboratory work was recommended by Dr. Reid to be more precise with supplementation. I requested the blood test via my GP, Dr. Manpreet, and asked to include a PSA test, the last one was done just over 3 months ago. My GPs, Dr. Manpreet and Dr. Kristof are very cooperative.
I am happy with the guidance I received from Dr. Michael Reid.


Friday, July 28 2017

Today the blood test results came out. My PSA number is 9.7, this is an improvement from the last one which was 10.4; I attribute this to the strict diet that I do right after the MRI scan on June 19, just over 1 month ago. Avoid all sugars and simple carbohydrates, eat mostly vegetables and some fruits, some meat, mostly fish for animal protein. Perhaps the 1000 mg liposomal vit. C also contributes to lowering my PSA number.

On Dr. Reid recommendation, I am also taking the following supplements - Pectasol-C, Vit. D/K2 drops, Coriolus, Artemisinin and Zyflammend. Unfortunately they are not covered by OHIP nor by our health insurance.

I felt that I am on the right track in meeting this challenge with my diet, exercise, and supplementation. Looking forward to my next PSA test in 3 months time. I am confident that the test result will show more improvement.

My Country

To celebrate and honour Canada's 150th birthday this year (2017), I post this poem.

My Country (by Budi Tahir) Indonesia Here…I was born. Here…more than three generations of my family were born lived and died. Here…I spend the first twenty five years of my life. Here…I was discriminated. Here…I was rejected and made to feel that I do not belong. With great apprehension for the future, sadness and a heavy heart…I left. Canada Here …I was accepted and welcomed. Here …I am treated with fairness and respect. Here …I became a citizen with equal rights and opportunities. Here …my children were born. Here …I provide for my family. Here …I grow old with dignity. Here …I will surrender my ashes to Its soil. With great respect and admiration, I love my country Canada.

Intermittend fasting

Intermittent fasting is a powerful strategy to improve our health.

So, what is Intermittent fasting? It is a scheduled eating; fast (no food) for 16 hours, and eat during 8 hours in a 24 hour day. This 16 - 8 is the standard.
After 12 hours without food, the stored glucose from the food we consumed previously will be depleted and for the next 4 hours our body will try to burn stored fat as fuel.
Drinks,- water, cofee and tea without milk or sugar is allowed during the fasting period. If we do this regularly our body will adapt and start burning fat as fuel. By limiting sugar and high carb food consumption, this will be achieved sooner. And if you exercise one to two hours before your first meal, the fat burning will be accelerated even more.

Intermittent fasting gives our digestive system a rest and time to recover. Also very important - it trains our body to use fat as the primary fuel. Like a hybrid car, our body has dual fuel system, glucose and fat. Fat is more efficient and clean burning fuel compared to glucose, which means we need less of it to produce the same energy and produces less after burn garbage (free radicals). This is great for our metabolic health, the health of our cell mitochondria.

We are accustomed to burning glucose as our primary fuel due to our eating habit; consuming a lot of sugar, and high-carb diet.
Intermittent fasting coupled with less sugar and less simple carbohydrate consumption enable our body to switch to burn fat as our primary fuel. This has multiple benefits for our health. It reduces the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and helps control body weight.

When your body can switch from burning glucose to burning fat as primary fuel easily, you will not feel the hunger or unsatisfied feeling or sweet craving as much anymore, because your cells, especially the brain cells, can now use ketones (from fat) as fuel and not rely only on glucose.

After almost 2 years of Intermittent Fasting most days (not every day), I have dropped my body fat form 20% to 13%; this was achieved with less time spend on exercise. My craving for sweets and carb diminished.

Here is one of several websites that provides body fat percentage calculator - bodyfat

Warning: This strategy, Intermittent Fasting, is not for everyone; especially if your health is being challenged already at this time. If you decide to try it out, ease into it. I started with, - stop eating around 8 PM, 3 hours before bedtime. Tea (without sugar or milk) is o.k. but nothing with carb. Sometimes I have chamomile tea. Next, the following step is - postpone breakfast time by 1 hour. A week later by 2 hours, etc. Soon my eating schedule is - first meal around 12 noon, last meal around 8 PM. Currently I am more relax, my fasting period is sometimes 14 or 15 hours.

If your current health condition permits, I highly recommend that you try this Intermittent fasting strategy to improve your health. It has helped me, and it costs nothing.
Just do not over do it, once you know that your body can switch to burning fat, you can ease up and take a break from fasting now and then.

Any comment or question, please post below.
Thanks for reading my post, hope you find it helpful.

My diet

You are what you eat......

Make food be your medicine.........

I do not follow any diet plan, but I do have principles that I follow as far as eating is concerned.

Avoid Sugar, avoid transfat.........
Sugar and transfat are toxins to our body. Many articles and books were written about this; and I am convinced that we have to avoid sugar and transfat.
We have to learn and read labels to know which food to avoid, it is not always obvious.
Occasionally I do enjoy ice cream, cake, beer and wine; always with some food already in the stomach and in small amount. To mitigate the bad consequence, I took a couple capsules of fibre, like 'Meta mucil' and if possible indulge on those "treats" after a vigorous exercise so that the glucose is absorbed into the muscle tissues.

Eat a balance meal in moderation..........
Some carbohydrate, some protein and some fat; all three macro nutrients for a balance meal. I do not favour one over the other. Some diet plans are low carb, high fat while others high carb, low fat.
Too much of any good thing becomes toxic. I think balance meal and eat in moderation is the wise thing to do.
Yes, fat is also important. But consume only good fat, like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil and ghee. Fried foods cooked with vegetable oil have lots of transfat. Frequently, I put a tbsp of coconut oil in my coffee and tea.
The human teeth is designed to process a variety of foods, from seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, fish to meat. So I eat a variety of foods.

Eat more complex carb and less simple carb........
That means more fibrous vegetables and some fruits; and less pasta, bread, potatoes and rice.
Chilled potatoes and rice after cooking, like potato salad and sushi, they became much healthier because the starch became 'resistant starch' and pre-biotic, that means it is good for our gut flora.

Eat more pro-biotic and pre-biotic food.............
This is important to support our microbiome, gut flora health. Kefir, kombucha and fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kim chi are pro-biotic. See my earlier blogs about how I make Kefir, Kombucha and Sauerkraut. Fibrous vegetables and resistant starch are pre-biotic.
Pro-biotic food provides a variety of good bacteria to populate our gut, and pre-biotic food provides food for the good bacterias to flourish in our gut. Pre-biotic food is not digested in the small intestine.
Microbiome is the collection of trillions of microbe that live in the human body. The largest and most diverse bacteria strains is found in our gut, the digestive track, especially in the colon.
Both good and bad bacterias are present in our gut. A healthy gut flora is very important to our health because 80 % of our immune system is in the gut.

Do not overeat.........
Overeating puts a lot of stress to our digestive system including the pancreas and liver organs. In the long run this may cause damage to our body. Eat only until you are 80% full, is a good advise; that is the advise from the Okinawan centenarians.

Give the digestive system a rest..........
The digestive system needs a reprieve from constant stress, to recover and stay healthy. It took 12 hours for the body to totally process all the food from our last meal; that is why we have to fast for 12 hours for a blood lipid and glucose test. So a 12 hours or more rest (fast) for the digestive system is reasonable. I regularly fast for 13 to 16 hours; more on this subject next time in another blog.

Say grace for each meal............
By saying thanks and asking for blessing, we put our mind and digestive organs in the proper state to receive and process the meal.

There you have it, that is my 'diet' which I do not follow 100% of the time -:).

Update:
After my MRI prostate scan early June 2017, I went on a strict diet.
I no longer consume any kind of refined sugar and avoid simple carbohydrate as much as possible, which means that I avoid alcohol, fruit juice, pops, cake, cookies, ice cream, process snacks, white rice, noodles, pasta, potato, bread, sweet fruits etc.
Science has proven that cancer cells can only use and process glucose to produce their energy by fermentation without oxygen. Healthy cells can use glucose as well as ketones (from fat) as their source of energy.
By embarking on this strict diet, I limit the availability of glucose for the the cancer cells to use thus curtailing their growth.
Fasting and exercise deplete the glucose supply further. Exercise also oxygenate the cells more, all these actions, diet, fasting and exercise, help create a hostile environment for the cancer cells.

Thanks for reading my blog, hope you find it useful.
Please leave your comments and questions below. Thanks.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. It is both, probiotic as well as prebiotic; it has many good bacterias and fiber that are good for the health of our microbiome.
Many vegetables are good candidate for fermentation, my favourite is red cabbage.
Fermented red cabbage taste great, crunchy and not sour as is the case with white cabbage. It is very easy to ferment red cabbage, the only ingredient required is salt.

Here is how I ferment red cabbage.

Ingredients:
1. One red cabbage head
2. 11/2 to 2 table spoons salt (I use Himalayan Sea Salt)

Red cabbage shredded in food processor; Himalayan salt added.

Steps:
1. Shred the cabbage finely (use food processor if available), save one leaf.
2. Add salt evenly (do it in layers) and mash, squeeze, pound the cabbage until liquid appears.
3. Stuff the shredded cabbage and all liquid into a glass jar; push and pound to the bottom of the jar, the liquid should totally cover the cabbage by about one inch.
4. Cut the cabbage leaf (saved in step 1.) to the size of the diameter of the jar and cover the shredded cabbage with it, push it down.
5. Put something heavy on top of the leaf to keep all cabbage immersed under the liquid (I use a glass filled with marbles).
6. Put some virgin olive oil to cover the surface of the liquid. This acts as a seal, preventing air getting in touch with the liquid but allowing gas from fermentation to escape (similar to airlock).
7. Put the lid on the jar but do not tighten it, allowing gas to escape.
8. Store at room temperature for about 10 days.
9. Remove the leaf and weight, the sauerkraut is ready for consumption.
10. Close the lid tight and store the the sauerkraut in the fridge.

Glass marbles in a glass use as weight.

Notes:
Longer fermentation time makes the sauerkraut more sour.
Sometimes I added a couple dates, cut finely, to the mix (during mashing) to have a little sweet taste.

For more info on making sauerkraut - Click here 

Kefir

There are two kinds of kefir, milk kefir and water kefir. Here I am addressing milk kefir only.

Milk Kefir is fermented milk. It is similar to the more known 'yogurt'. It is thicker than milk but thinner than yogurt. Tastes sour like yogurt. Has many more different strains of bacterias, 30 to 56 for kefir as opposed to 7 to 10 for yogurt; a lot more pro-biotic power.
It is an excellent source of B vitamins, K and biotin.

Milk kefir is made by adding milk kefir grain to milk, and let it sit for 24 hours in room temperature. It is as simple as that. For me this is the easiest fermented food to make.

Here is how I make my milk kefir.

Ingredients:
 1. Milk
 2. Milk kefir grain (looks like cottage cheese).

The kefir is separated from the grain by running through a sieve.

Steps:
1. Put milk kefir grain, about 2 tea spoons, in a glass jar.
2. Pour 1 L of milk over it.
3. Put lid over the jar loosely (allow air to escape) and leave it out at room temperature for 24 hours.
4. Separate the grain from the milk kefir by pouring them over a sieve.
5. Bottled the finish kefir and store in the fridge.
6. The grain is ready to be used for the next batch. It is that easy.

 Notes:
Milk kefir grain is a living organism. It grows and multiplies. Heat will kill it.
To get the most benefit from consuming kefir - never heat it.

Milk kefir grain can be stored with milk in the fridge for more than 2 weeks.

Any type of milk can be used. I have tried 2% and raw organic whole milk, they both work. The grain multiplies and grows faster in the raw organic whole milk.

Milk kefir is lactose free; the lactose is converted to lactic acid during fermentation, and lactic acid is very soothing to the gut. I am lactose intolerant, but I have no issues with consuming milk kefir.

If you are new to kefir, start slowly; drink no more than 4 oz the first few days. Back off, take a couple days off if you have some issues (like bloating etc.) and start again.

If you get hives, you maybe allergic to histamine. Kefir, kombucha and sauerhraut are high histamine foods. If so you should avoid fermented food and take pro-biotic supplements instead.

More info on kefir : Click here.

Kombucha

Kombucha is fermented tea. It is made from tea with sugar and fermented by adding SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast).
It tastes great (not for everybody) and it is pro-biotic, which means that it is good for your health. I love it and drink a bit every day.

Here is how I make my Kombucha drink. I use a 1 gallon (3.6 L) glass container.

3L of filtered water, 1 cup sugar, 7 tea bags.

Ingredients:
 - 3 L of filtered water (room temperature in a 1 gallon glass jar)
 - 7 tea bags (I use green tea, sometime mixed with red tea)
 - 1 cup sugar
 - 1 cup kombucha
 - Scoby

One cup of kombucha and scoby (from previous batch) to be added to the new sweet tea.

Steps:
1. Boil part of the 3 L filtered water (about 1 L), steep the tea bags in it for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup of sugar to the hot tea, and stir until all the sugar dissolved.
3. Put this sweet tea liquid back in the glass jar to make 3 L of tea, and stir.
4. Let this 3 L of sweet tea cool down to room temperature (about 3 hours or more).
5. Add 1 cup of kombucha and stir.
6. Add the Scoby.
7. Cover the glass jar with a tight woven cloth and leave at room temperature for 10 to 15 days.
8. After 10 days taste if it is done the way you like it, and prepare for the next batch.
9. Bottled the finish product (filtered with fine plastic filter) and let it sit (tightly cap) for another 2 days at room temperature before storing it in the fridge.

The kombucha left some residue (from scoby).

Notes:

Use filtered water to avoid chlorine, fluoride and other contaminants that are not good for the bacterias.

Heat may kill the scoby, so make sure that the tea is cooled to room temperature before adding the scoby and one cup of kombucha into it. The scoby is alive and grows if well fed and taken care of, so treat it as a pet.

Initially you need a starter scoby and one cup of kombucha. For the next batch, you use (move) the scoby from the first batch. As the scoby multiplies you can make more batches or share with others.

Green tea is my favourite, but sometimes I mix one red tea bag with 6 green tea bags.

White sugar, palm sugar, demera cane sugar etc are all fine to use. They all give good results. Just different taste.

Use a tightly woven cloth to cover the glass jar during fermentation to prevent fruit flies entering, but still allows air to move. Use a fresh/clean cloth for the next batch, do not use the same cloth from the previous batch as it may have fruit fly eggs on it.

Some tiny scoby or tea leaves may be floating around in the finish product, so it is best to filter the kombucha into bottles. 

Leaving the finished kombucha in tightly cap bottles out in room temperature for another 2 days before putting in the fridge, will make it 'fizzy', as it continues to ferment. 

Kombucha as other fermented food has lots of good bacterias, but it also has a special yeast that can not be killed by antibiotics. It is Saccharomyces boulardii. This special yeast is abundant in kombucha and it is now use to treat serious diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders.

If you are going away for an extended vacation, you can store the scoby immersed in sweet tea inside the fridge for several weeks.



Please leave comments or questions, below. Hope you find it useful.