Hard Sci Findings

As promised, here are some of the complementary therapies I've found. The supplements I'm writing about today have been backed up by clinical trials. Here's the link to a paper going through them all if the science-ese doesn't freak you out.

In a nutshell, there are two supplements that have been shown to cause regression of mild to moderate dysplasia. They are (drum roll please) Folic Acid and the intimidatingly named Indole-3-Carbinol.

Folic Acid or folate is what us girls are supposed to take when we get preggers and it's found in leafy green veg. The sources I've read suggest taking 10 mg per day. I found some 1 mg tablets...so that means taking 10 pills a day. Yikes. But, worth it if it can lead to regression.

I-3-C is found in veggies like cabbage or broccoli. Your options are to eat 1/3 of a head of cabbage every day or take 400 mg in capsule form. I'm opting for both, kind of. I'm adding more veggies into my world and I'm taking the caps. They are a bit harder to find, but I found them at Community Natural Foods. Brand name is Now.

There is other evidence to suggest that Vitamin A is a good one. Trouble with Vit A is it can lead to birth defects, so scientists are shy to jack the dose. One source I read suggests taking 50,000 I.U. for six months and then dropping back to 10,000. I'll do some more research and get back to you. If you are preggo, you shouldn't be taking more than 5,000 per day.

So, those are the magic reversal bullets. Although, I should tell you that these things aren't 100% effective 100% of the time. If you continue to smoke Menthol Lights and drink Bacardi Breezers, you may not have as sexy an effect as if you ate well, went to yoga class and traded the ciggies and booze for water and a good night's sleep. Just saying.

Other supplements are about boosting immune function and include Vitamins C and E, CoQ10, Beta Carotene, Zinc, Selenium, Omega-3 Fatty Acids (flax or fish oils). There is also some research on green tea and certain mushrooms, but I'll have to find better sources for you. However, the secret password for now is shiitake.

The supplements are one thing, but diet is critical. You already know what you should and shouldn't be eating, but let me highlight a few big ones. Whole grains. Protein focusing on vegetarian sources, chicken and fish. Fruit and veg. By the power of Greyskull, just eat 'em. As colourful as you can get and the more orange and dark green, the better. Purple too...blueberries, purple cabbage, etc. When I go to the grocery store now, I choose the veggies that I normally don't. The weird ones. Like kale. Glorious kale. And Swiss chard. And orange bell peppers. Squash.

I've been wary of dairy (ha!) for some time now, much to the irritation of my parents. But that's just me. Soy products have an estrogen effect which, depending on what you read, can be beneficial or harmful. But you can't go wrong by drinking a couple of litres of water every day. So do that and I'll get back to you on the other stuff.

When I was training for Ironman, I began to look at food as fuel. It was incredibly useful because I could see the end result (greater endurance and better performance) as I was cooking and eating. This is good from an affirmation perspective, too. Believing your food is fuel (or medicine in this case) helps to make it true. So, food is medicine. Or poison if you are making stupid choices. You know what's good for you. Eat it.

Last night I watched the movie version of 'You Can Heal Your Life.' Interviewed for the movie was a woman named Mona Lisa Shulz, a PhD behavioral neuroscientist working in the field of intuition. For those right-brained types, what she had to say about affirmations was illuminating. People, affirmations are cognitive behavioural therapy. Period. As she said in the film, "This isn't some fluffy, woo woo stuff with purple." I love a woman who says "woo woo." Affirmations (or CBT) actually causes re-wiring in the brain. So you can literally change your mind with these things. If you can't deal with loving-the-self stuff, why not try, "My healing is already in progress." Or even, "My food is my medicine."