Category Archives: Healthy Lifestyle

Navigating Stress and Surprise

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

v2_Navigate Stress & Surprise_travel_unsplashHave you heard “Surprise Travel in 2024” as an emerging trend? Where does “surprise travel” concept come in?

We live in a fast-paced, hyperconnected, and stimuli-bombarded world, and experience unwelcomed stress that impacts our physical and mental wellbeing. Chronic stress ranges from personal tragedy and job loss to financial or health burdens, not to say work deadlines or workplace issues, information overload, and constant notices and responses.

Beyond major life stressors, micro-stressors are ubiquitous, i.e., small, everyday annoyances like traffic jams, unexpected errands or inconveniences such as long lines, etc.—insignificant but impactful. Also, worth mentioning is social media exhaustion fostered by hazardous, oversaturating digital environment and human digital behavior. Accumulated stress, whether chronic or micro-, can deplete our emotional reserves and overwhelm us.

In a nutshell, stress and increased cortisol levels elevate blood pressure, promote weight gain, weaken the immune system, and contribute to various chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health issues like depression.

Certainly, we benefit from time-off with planned vacations as conventional wisdom tested. However, surprise travel may serve as a novel or potent antidote to the constant influx of information and stressors.

About Surprise Travel

Surprise travel involves booking a trip (with a travel agency) without knowing a destination until shortly before departure or even after arrival at an end point. That can be thrilling adventures for some (e.g., millennials) but anxiety over uncertainty for others (e.g., family, solo travelers).

For thrill- or adventure-seeking enthusiasts, a spirit of spontaneous excitement and a sense of venture exploration can break the monotony of daily life, and enliven the trip with indelible memories. Other benefits beyond the elements of surprise or curiosity stem from enhanced mindfulness, reduced decision-making fatigue, boosted problem-solving and sustained relationships through cherished moments with loved ones. Plus, an opportunity of personal growth can be hidden in the package. Obviously, concerns about safety or accessibility cannot be ignored.

On the other hand, for meticulous orchestrators or cautious travelers, uncertainty/unknown, logistical challenges and potential for discomfort can build debilitating fear or overwhelming anxiety. These folks prefer predictability and control, so unexpected situations become understandably tough to embrace yet demanding. Unforeseen expenses (such as hidden costs, exceeding budgets, etc.) can also be a deterrent, making leisure and wellness travel less appealing.

After all, the positive elements of surprise travel, leisure travel, or even weekend getaways and downtime help us break free from negative thought loops, information overload, and digital or social media exhaustion; and combat the adverse effect of stress.

Surprise travel is just one way to mitigate stress. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes for a minute, think – whether a type of travel that suits your needs would improve heart rate, blood pressure, sleep quality, stress level, and psychological well-being?

Look ahead to 2024

The bottom line is – Remember that the key is to effectively manage stress and prioritize your well-being. To boost your wellness—whether your take a well-planned trip or try the surprise travel—make sure you return home feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and recharged, ready to face the day-to-day challenges with newfound spirit.

Prioritizing your well-being will undoubtedly enhance your physical and mental vitality. Whether you crave thrills, meticulous planning, or a balanced approach, explore and find your own surprise stress-buster in 2024!

Image credit: Unsplash

Walking Matters

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

People Walking_SmSometimes, ordinary acts can be the solutions to challenging and complex problems.

A professor, a man in his late 60s, walked down the farmers’ market every day, whether on freezing winter days or hot, humid summer ones. He would stop at a few booths and buy some vegetables, fruits, nuts, or meat. He would also pass by other sellers, smiling and greeting them as friendly acquaintances. This was a daily stop for the elderly man on his way from work to home (an extra 20–30-minutes added to his 20-minute walk each way). He stayed with this routine for decades and in doing so, outlived many of his colleagues and friends. He lived into his 80s even though he had a family history of cancer and had poor health during his youth and middle age.

A tiny lady walked around local department stores virtually every day after she finished her accounting job that demanded sitting for long hours. Sometimes she bought clothing or necessities for her children, whereas at other times she was just window shopping or walking along. Her relatives were always puzzled about what attracted her to those stores where they had the same merchandise almost every day. They didn’t realize that her “go shopping” was simply her daily “relaxation activity routine.” A result of her spending decades in that home-workplace-department store route was that the lady has lived well up into her 90s.

I witnessed these real-life anecdotes because this man and woman are my parents.

These stories reflect at least one simple thread – Walking matters. Daily walking can bring substantial health benefits!

Cancer touches each of us so much, so deep, and there is no cure for it currently despite medical and technological advances, as is the case for some other debilitating chronic diseases.

Of course, the best cure would be prevention! As everybody knows, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  Of various risk factors, physical inactivity is a major one. However, it is increasingly common in our modern life. As the saying goes, “sitting is the new smoking.”

To prevent cancer, heart disease and improve one’s overall health, the American Heart Association recommends that all adults to get at least 150 minutes exercise per week with moderate intensity. The American Cancer Society has also advised on being physically active: particularly, adults should get 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week (or a combination of these).

I’ve seen that a majority of people don’t meet these guidelines based on my experience in public health. I also understand how difficult it is for many busy folks to fulfill this goal due to the demands of their work and family life. Accordingly, for years, I’ve shared some practical ways for daily exercises.

Today, I would make it even simpler—if time is a problem—by suggesting to start small in terms of walking and its feasibility. If it’s really challenging for you to exercise 30 minutes a day and 5 days a week, how about walking ~20 minutes a day and 7 days a week? Or alternatively, any combination that may fit your schedule? Cumulativeness counts too and is better than nothing. You may divide 30 minutes into a 10- or 15-minute walk first thing in the morning, and 10 minutes of walking-oriented activities during the day (for examples, running up stairs, parking farther away from a destination, or walking to a local store). Then ideally, add 5-10 minutes more of activity (say dancing, jumping, gardening, or playing with the kids).

There is no need to reiterate the well-documented, numerous health benefits of walking at this time. While I’m stressing not to underestimate the power of walking, it’s important to engage in various physical activities, along with a balanced diet, weight control, adequate sleep, and living a healthy lifestyle for your overall well-being.

Doing nothing is like waiting for a miracle that much likely won’t happen soon. So, simply getting up from your chair to get moving is your best regime and the first step in disease prevention.

Happy walking!

 

An Active and Long Life Springs from Your Vascular Health (Part 2)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Continued on Strategies to control risk factors for stroke – 

Norm & Artheroma Arteries_AHAFundamentally, atherosclerosis (particularly in carotid artery) is the primary cause of a significant portion of ischemic strokes. Cardiovascular risk factors can facilitate the progression of atherosclerotic plaque.

Atherosclerotic disease can be asymptomatic initially because it develops over time. When a plaque grows larger enough to reduce blood flow supplying to vital organs (usually >70% stenosis or narrowed vessel), ischemic symptoms may occur. However, it doesn’t mean that smaller plaques (30-40% stenosis) are stable without rupturing to cause a blockage.

How do you prevent or slow down atherosclerosis and stroke by reducing risk factors?

First, before I lay out key preventive strategies, let me quickly draw your attention to some risk factors for stroke, especially those modifiable and those beyond conventional cardiovascular risks. They include:

  • 3 Highs (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar)
  • Atherosclerotic disease and/or other cardiovascular disease
  • Obesity
  • Smoking and alcohol abuse
  • Unhealthy lifestyle such as poor diet and physical inactivity
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Sleep apnea and other sleep problems
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Illicit drug use (marijuana, cocaine or heroin)

Illicit drug use can increase the risk of all types of strokes. Cannabis or marijuana use has been linked to vasospasm, ischemia, and increased hemorrhagic incidence in the brain, likely due to the vasoactive properties of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a key component of these plants.

  • COVID-19 infection

Acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage are known neurological complications in patients with COVID-19, frequently in individuals 50 years or younger with asymptomatic COVID infection. The possible mechanisms include that blatant inflammatory response and “cytokine storm” associated with COVID cause endothelial injury; that the disease causes arterial and venous clots, thus resulting in poor outcomes.

  • Socioeconomic factors (e.g., lower income with inequality in health care, etc.)

Certainly, there are risk factors out of your control, such as age, gender, family history, a history of stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or heart attack, and race. Note that black people have twice the risk as white, particularly young black population.

Here are 8 Key preventive strategies to put into actions:

I’d also like to stress that the point is not just knowing to have a healthy diet or exercise more, but to know important reasons behind and why these strategies work on targets to avert stroke.

1.      Lower your blood pressure (BP).

As stroke doesn’t discriminate (by) age, neither does high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. Young people should never disregard their elevated blood pressure, especially those with a family history of stroke or hypertension and black women.

High blood pressure is also the most significant controllable risk factor. Better BP control works, because evidence shows that tight BP control (systolic <130 mm Hg) was associated with a 42% lower incidence of stroke compared with standard control (130–139 mm Hg).

I’ve notified the danger of high BP, including to watch BP in young people. If you haven’t done so yet, please check out this article – Hypertension can be asymptomatic but potentially fatal.

If you have hypertension but with difficulty to manage it, try to figure out where you can target; for example, whether medication not working or side effect issues, whether your diet is healthy, you exercise enough or you have adequate support.

2.      Lower your blood cholesterol. Critically, lower your bad cholesterol (LDL).

LDL increases plaque formation or growth in the arterial wall, and high cholesterol can also cause blood clots due to fatty deposits’ suddenly breaking off; if the blood supply to the heart or brain is significantly blocked, heart attack or stroke occurs. Avoiding or limiting diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, along with physical activity, can minimize the risk for stroke.

3.      Lower your blood sugar, control your weight, and prevent diabetes.

Diabetes is an independent risk factor for stroke, and with combined overweight, its damaging impact on health piles up over time. Again, diabetes is controllable. Obesity and excess bodyweight pose an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

4.      Lower your stress level.

Cumulative psychological or mental stress is associated with increased inflammation in the body, and more significantly, with mortality, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Depression has a direct or indirect link to a number of illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular events. Studies also showed that stroke survivors who experienced high and persistent levels of stress negatively affected the brain repair process and recovery outcome.

5.      Quit smoking.  Non-smokers should encourage people around you to do so.

This sounds repetitive or nothing new, but this is one of the most valuable things you can do to save lives of people for whom you love and care.

Smoking increases inflammation in the body and plaque buildup in the blood vessels, and makes the blood thicker to facilitate clot formation, leading to heart attack and stroke. Needless to say, toxicities from smoking (e.g., nicotine and carbon monoxide, etc.) ravage your cardiovascular system, thus paving the road to stroke.

Don’t overlook second hand smoking and e-cigarette smoking either.

6.      Practice a healthy lifestyle.

Poor diet and physical inactivity contribute to several cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic disorders, thereby presenting an increased risk for stroke. So, get more active, get a nutrients-rich diet, get bodyweight controlled, and get social. Equally important, have a well-balanced life including relationship, financial, and psychological wellbeing.

7.      Take seriously alcohol and drug abuse.

Alcohol influences on stroke are not uniform. While low to moderate alcohol consumption (£2 drinks daily for men or £1 for women) may reduce stroke risk, even low alcohol consumption escalates the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

As mentioned above, regular substance use (e.g., cocaine, heroin, phencyclidine (PCP), amphetamines, and cannabis/marijuana) sets an increased risk for stroke, which is a common predisposing factor for stroke among young individuals.

8.      Recognize warning signs of acute cardiovascular events (heart attack and stroke).

Young folks (those under 50) may think this is too early for you. Not anymore! Learn those signs seemingly not related to heart. For instance, sudden poor vision in one or both eyes are reported in 66.1% of stroke patients, and pain or discomfort in the arm or shoulder, 53.8%.

Take-home message:

Stroke is dangerous and deadly. Greater awareness, better control of modifiable risk factors all help prevention and timely treatment.

To reduce atherosclerotic plaque development, know your critical numbers (blood pressure, cholesterols and sugar), monitor them, and keep them at healthy levels, while maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise routine. More importantly, take these measures as early in life as possible.

 

Image credit: heart.org

Facing Challenges with Change or Chance

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

New opportunity with Change 2022_PixabayIn a nutshell, cancer has no cure-all or magic bullet. There are still many unanswered questions. We—not just oncologists and cancer researchers—everyone and the society, have a lot of challenges on the road ahead, despite remarkable progresses in cancer breakthroughs and medical technologies.

Starting off 2022, I’d like to emphasize a couple of challenging areas where we all can contribute to saving lives.

Cancer landscape is changing. Cancer cases in age are getting young (such as colon cancer), rare or malignant cancers show upticks (such as pancreatic cancer). Cancer itself is a disease of changing; the changes taking place inside the body dynamically. Our human practices are connected to our health outcomes.

One of the key attentions in fighting cancer is the influence of one’s daily habits or culture and the environment (both physical and social). So, can we all relate to this? Based on multiple cancer risk factors in our daily life that I previously described, how about starting with just one unhealthy behavior to change for this New Year’s Resolution and doing it consistently? As for environment in our home, workplace and community, get rid of as many cancer-causing substances or toxins as you possibly can.

Then look at a bigger picture: climate change can significantly impact public health, specifically one area is through affecting food security, which involves our dietary behavior. A smart approach is to increase consumption of plant-based foods—that in turn, not only to reduce the human impact on the environment but also to reduce the incidents of chronic diseases from cardiovascular conditions to cancers.

Furthermore, let’s provide more support for cancer patients. Recent studies in breast cancer survivors revealed that social environment contributes to a huge difference in an individual’s prognosis. This is because social environment can alter basic physiological processes that may modulate cancer growth, and social isolation enables this physical setting to promote cancer.

One current twist is the challenge of COVID pandemic. Many people skipped early screening or testing, and healthcare systems were overwhelmed by care for severely sick patients with COVID. Fundamentally, the concern is that delayed detection or diagnosis will lead to promoting cancer growth, bringing about a poor projection in years or a decade later, as cancer is not formed overnight. With advanced medicine and technology nowadays, the earlier you detect a cancer or precancerous cells, the sooner you can get effective treatment, and the better outcome or prognosis you will achieve.

So, if you have reservation to a hospital visit or preventive screen, you can always take advantage of virtual appointment/visit or available home-testing kit. Those genetically vulnerable individuals need to take more stringent risk-reducing measures.

One immediate action is HPV vaccination. Why?
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Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a family of more than 150 related viruses. According to CDC, “HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get the virus at some point of their lives.” To help you understand more, I’m highlighting some new research updates:

  1. HPV does not just cause female cancers, though being responsible for 99% of cervical cancer and 65% of vaginal cancer. Evidence shows HPV to be the cause of estimated 90% anal cancer, ~60% penile cancer, and 50% or higher of mouth and throat cancers.
  2. Although sexual transmission is a well-known route to get infected by HPV, the route of HPV transmission is beyond penetrative sex, can occur through skin-to-mucosa or skin-to-skin contact.
  3. Routine screening test may not detect all types of HPV viruses. HPV can also survive well outside its host, thereby potentially being transmitted through non-sexual modes. For instance, the high-risk type HPV16 is highly resistant to disinfection.

Therefore, HPV vaccination is crucial; it’s safe and effective, with proven efficacy in preventing cervical cancer. Youths and young adults should follow the recommended guidelines to get vaccinated, and parents should support and protect the children.

Last but not the least, believe the power and facts/evidence of science, go to your trusted doctors for advice. Disregard those spreading vaccine disinformation that continue the reckless indifference to both science and human lives.

At the end –

Each new day is a gift and/or opportunity, and each new year opens a new chapter.

We can do more and add more, don’t let your desire for life and for your health wane!

Image credit: Pixabay and CPD

How to Relieve Stress during the Holidays and in Daily Life

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Breathe w-Nature to relieve stress_Pixabay & CPDHave you ever asked yourself this question: How did you manage your stress levels this year? Whether you realize or not, this is a question about your health, especially your long-term wellness.

Stress comes in all sizes and kinds. Paradoxically, it often occurs during the holiday season too. Thankfully, there are various tools for managing stress. Here, I will emphasize eight simple but powerful stress-management tips.

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Continue to read at How-to-relieve-stress-during-holidays-and-daily-life by Hui Zukauskas

 

Unique and Reflective Angles to Breast Cancer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Unique View on Breast Cancer_pixabay & CPDAre you scared or terrified when hearing a breast cancer diagnosis (whether it happens to yourself or your loved ones)? I can fully understand it. Many lives lost to breast cancer (young, old, ordinary folks or celebrities) are so sad and alarming!

What I’ll share with you here is my hope that you may think and approach breast cancer differently.

Have you thought about how the liver and liveliness (or vigor) related to breast cancer? If you have an open mind, read on for different perspectives.

First, let me briefly underscore the genetics of this disease (as I’ve addressed it previously), but many folks still believe or blame the genes. That’s understandable too.

But the genes do not tell the full story.

We all have BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, both women and men, because BRCA is not a sex-linked gene. The gene mutation can be inherited from either parent. For women with a BRCA mutation, the lifetime risk of breast cancer is approximately 80 percent, and the chance of ovarian cancer is 54 percent. Men may carry the BRCA mutation, but they have a lower risk.

The fact is—Of more than 200,000 breast cancer cases newly diagnosed each year, BRCA gene mutation accounts for about 10 percent of them. Furthermore, about 85 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. So, there are more promising areas for treatment and prevention.

Next, let me dive a little deeper into an alternative therapy, without replacing any proven successful treatments by surgery, chemotherapy and advanced immunotherapy.

Foundation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on breast cancer therapy

I’m going to elaborate this in the following ways:

First, TCM view on breast cancer

In TCM, breast cancer refers to “mild rock”. The condition belongs to syndromes related to anger from the liver and depression from the spleen, loss of qi and blood. In clinical practice, patients with liver sluggishness and qi stagnation often have breast lumps, characterized by hard texture, unclear boundary, and mostly the same skin color. It can also be accompanied by chest tightness, rib area swelling or dilation, and impatience.

Then a variety of therapies are available—in combination with internal treatment, external treatments, and other ways such as psychological counseling in order to restore a physical state harmony—overall individualized, comprehensive treatments for a patient. The key is the TCM holistic view and differentially diagnostic approach through indications of the tongue and pulse, ultimately determining a prescriptive formula with a mixture of several Chinese medicinal herbs.

Second, the role of Qi in cancer development

As I discussed before, qi is the vital energy that moves with blood throughout the body at all times. It is everywhere in the body and interconnected with the organs (TCM often refers to the visceral), which keeps our wholeness in balance. One famous belief is that flow of qi makes blood circulate; stagnation of qi causes blood stasis. Therefore, the stagnation of flowing qi and blood over time leads to mass, lump or tumor.

Now the next question should be addressed is – What can cause qi stagnation?

In TCM’s view, one of causes for qi stagnation is attributed to emotional imbalance. Specifically, when intensive, persistent emotions dominate (e.g., uncontrolled anger, depression, stress, or lasting grief), not only can they interrupt normal harmony of organ functions, but also they impair the immune system. So, one of diseases for which there is a great concern about the adverse effect of emotional distress or disturbance is cancer.

In essence, this notion is comparable with Western medicine on psychological or psychosocial factors played in some diseases. Research has revealed that psychological stress may impact breast cancer onset and progression. To be clear, emotions do not automatically modify the genes, but they do trigger a surge of cellular changes that affect the immunity and alter the genes associated with stress.
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Third, of guiding philosophies of TCM, it urges one to prevent diseases rather treat them.

A treasured remedy for cancer prevention is to safeguard against a holistic imbalance resulting from poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle, harmful stressors or environmental pollutions, and to strengthen your inner qi.

One extra point: TCM has its unique advantage in breast cancer therapy. Unlike adverse or toxic effects from chemo- or radiotherapy, TCM treatment does not cause further damage to physical body or strength in general, but may facilitate restoring qi.

How can we harness vital energy to prevent cancer? - Eight Tips:

 1.      Make your immune system strong. Our immune system is our powerhouse to fight cancer. That’s why scientific innovations tap into the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells. So, cultivate healing energy and sustaining qi or vitality through strong immunity.

 2.      Control your emotions to keep qi flow. Maintaining a positive outlook on life helps boost your positive energy. Anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety can adversely affect your qi. Have you noticed that stress can drain your energy? Another key to flowing qi is to share your feeling, let it out and let it go.

 3.      Foster gratitude. Devote time daily to appreciate what you have, even the small things. Keep content, cheerful, and compassionate. Doing so will channel your enlightened spirit and vital energy!

 4.      Go for a nutrient-packed diet. Various factors influence qi, thus be aware of them. Nutrition supports both the level and the quality of your energy. A balanced, healthy diet can prevent qi deficiency.

 5.      Exercise regularly and purposely. Be physically active because it keeps qi moving and blood circulating! Intentionally practice the moves that you love, and practice deep breathing or meditation to elevate your inner awareness.

 6.      Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is a state of energy imbalance and a noteworthy risk factor of breast cancer. It is partly related to sluggish qi and metabolic dysfunction.

7.      Rest and relax well. Sufficient sleep can restore vibrant qi, cultivate healing qi, and maintain the holistic harmony.

 8.      Be vigilant about early detection! Get a genetic screening to identify the BRCA gene mutation, and start effective measures or therapy early. Treat any illness early. Doing so will help protect your vital qi.

Breast cancer prevention is for both women and men, especially based on our shared genetics. We cannot control our genes, gender, age, race, or family history. However, each of us can strengthen our qi and foster a healthy lifestyle, all is vital to keeping cancer at bay.

The bottom line is –

With TCM in mind, you can act with knowledge, self-care, vitality and prevention, rather than let fear cloud your thinking or paralyze your function.

Happy flowing Qi!

 

Image credit: Pixabay and CPD

Shining Clarity on Coffee and Cancer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Coffee with Love_pixabaySteve and Karen, friends of mine, each has drunk more than five cups a day of black coffee—no sugar, no cream—for decades. I’m amazed always because I cannot drink coffee black.

Ari came in work every day with his morning coffee, whether it was Starbucks or a regular one to “stimulate his mind and brain”.

Sound familiar? Obviously, coffee drinking is a popular pleasure around the world.

On top of this, scientists have discovered numerous health effects of coffee. However, lingering confusions about coffee drinking seem to hardly disappear. Even market trends flow with controversies.

Here I’m going to provide renewed clarity on some controversies, misunderstandings or uncertainty and explain why, based on accumulated research, recent literature and knowledge.

One persistent myth or confusion surrounds the link between coffee consumption and cancer risk. You can be comfortably assured that coffee itself doesn’t increase cancer risk. To be even more clear, no evidence up to date concludes that coffee consumption causes cancer.

So, how does this certainty come?

What might be confusing and problematic involves two factors. One is acrylamide—a byproduct derived when coffee beans are roasted; it is a “probable human carcinogen” (Group 2A) classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). However, its amount in coffee is insignificant, no cause for concern. Plus, acrylamide exposure via coffee is less than that from dietary source (French fries or fried foods) and tobacco (smoke or smokeless, a known carcinogen in Group 1).

The other factor is temperature (not the coffee itself), because IARC does classify drinking very hot beverages at or above 65oC (149oF) as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A). Not just hot coffee. Drinking any hot liquids (tea, water or soup) have been linked to an increased esophageal cancer risk, which is conceivable as a result of the cell injury and recurring repair—leading to mutation and tumor growth over time. Put the two factors together, acrylamide becomes toxic only at high dose and at high temperature.

An additional fact came from the respected agency’s thorough evaluation. IARC actually took “coffee” out of their previous classification as a “probable human carcinogen” in 2016, owing to limited or inadequate evidence and inconsistent results in humans.

By contrast, strong evidence has revealed that coffee consumption may lower a risk of developing some types of cancer, but has no association with various cancers at all. Noticeably, coffee drinking reduced the liver and endometrial cancer cases, with support of a dose-dependent relationship. It also showed a decrease in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. As for cancer of many other organs such as lung, colon, pancreas, ovarian, prostate, mouth and pharyngeal, findings pointed to either a slight protective effect of coffee, or no association, or inconclusive results.

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Interestingly, most benefits of coffee are attributed to several key compounds, including caffeine, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, diterpenes (cafestol, kahweol), and polyphenols. Proposed mechanisms of their anti-cancer effects include a) help control cell growth and proliferation by blocking pro-carcinogenic proteins; b) defend against oxidative stress and DNA damage through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; and c) stimulate enzymes or pathways leading to carcinogenic inactivation and cancer cell death.

It’s also worth mentioning, added calories from plentiful sugar, cream or whole milk with coffee consumption, just like drinking sugar-sweetened beverages excessively and frequently or ingesting unhealthy dietary fats, are potential health hazards—presenting a risk for chronic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity.

Collectively, drinking coffee on a regular basis has a protective effect against some types of cancer, but no influence on other types, and no evidence of causing cancer. Because of its complex mixture of bioactive components, particularly containing a myriad of antioxidants, coffee acts not just as a mental stimulant but as a defensive agent for your health, which should come as no surprise.

Nevertheless, vegetables, fruits and whole grains are among the richest sources of antioxidants. And a healthy lifestyle goes well beyond coffee drinking.

Bonus ─ Wisdom for coffee delight:

  1. Stay moderate: It’s beneficial and healthy to have coffee no more than 5 cups/day (or 400 mg/day).
  2. Beware additions: Don’t drink coffee when it’s too hot, or with too much sugar and too much cream.
  3. Take precautions: If you have health issues such as GERD, bladder control, osteoporosis, etc., do limit the amount. If coffee triggers your anxiety, don’t drink it on an empty stomach. Some medications interact with coffee too, so follow your doctor’s directions.

Having cleared up certain confusion or “dispersed the confusion on coffee” in this post, I hope you find an inspiration or refreshed perspective that can add to your wellness tool kit.

Happy coffee drinking!

 

Image credit: Pixabay

Invisible But Critical Players: Focus on Cancer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Microbiota & Cancer in Puzzle_PixabayOut of sight, out of mind is a familiar saying. What I’m going to share is something that is out of sight, but that we should always keep it in mind.

It’s about microbiota—the community of microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, lower and higher eukaryotes, and viruses) that live within human beings.

They are fascinating creatures, so small that they are invisible, numbering in trillions, diverse in makeup, and importantly, exerting both local and distant effects on human health and diseases.

The microbiota exist as a part of the normal flora in our gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity and urinary-genital tissues. They can cause or promote various diseases, including wound infection, life-threatening conditions, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer, by disrupting the human microenvironment and the immune system.

The interactions among microbiota affect human health too. For example, a respiratory virus infection may cause a perturbation in gut microbiota; conversely, gut microbiota may contribute to respiratory diseases. That’s why scientists have investigated the link between gut microbiota and COVID-19. We know that the composition of gut microbiota decreases as one ages, and we know that COVID-19 in elderly patients has been more severe and fatal, so gut microbiota may play a role in this disease.

Microbiota also have diverse activities with different consequences in your body. Take one bacterial species as an example. Bacteroides spp. are your friends that usually contribute to your nutritional status as well as mucosal and systemic immunity. In contrast, when the colon integrity is disrupted, they can be your foes (or at least acting as opportunistic pathogens) for causing potential infection.

Now we move to their impact on cancer, as microbial pathogens account for 15-20% of all cancers.

Growing evidence has linked the gut microbiota to gastrointestinal cancers (e.g., colon, pancreatic cancer), and vaginal microbiota to cervical cancer. As I’ve discussed previously, an imbalance of gut microbiota can influence breast cancer development.

Here, I want to emphasize microbiota’s impact on prostate cancer risk and development. So, what’s the connection?

First, the microbiota of men with prostate cancer can differ from those of healthy men. Various bacteria (species) are prevalent in prostate tissues from prostate cancer patients but not from healthy control subjects.

For example, of 14 studies, more than a dozen of bacterial species are most common in the prostate tissues and the adjacent tissues from men with prostate cancer, and these abundant species are significantly associated with prostate cancer. (Note: Their odd, multi-letter names are excluded here but attached at the end).

What’s intriguing is that one of these tiny creatures you may have heard of. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is the most abundant bacterial species on the human skin. But researchers found that it is one of predominant types in the prostate tissue samples, along with considerable tissue inflammation. This suggests that P. acnes infection is a contributing factor in prostate cancer development.

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Finally, although pathogenesis of prostate cancer is multifactorial, the microbiota can influence the risk and progression of prostate cancer by altering immune system, mediating inflammation, impacting tumor microenvironment, and damaging DNA (through increased pro-cancer agents or their metabolites).

Summary

The overall message here is that when it comes to your health, it’s worth caring about critical issues that may be out of sight.

The bottom line is that the microbiota—good or bad tiny creatures—are important players in our health and diseases, particularly in cancer development. We need to live with these microorganisms harmoniously.

So, what we do to achieve this goal? There are three areas for focused, fundamental strategies:

  1. Healthy diet. Healthy eating—particularly plentiful fiber intake—promotes a right balance of microbiota, which is also safter and more effective than supplements.
  2. Hygiene practice. Bacterial or viral infection-indued inflammation increases a risk for cancer, and hygiene is one of major factors affecting the makeup and functions of microbiota.
  3. Higher awareness of stressors. Smoking, poor diet, age, environmental pollutants or factors, and diseased conditions can cause microbial dysbiosis; because these stressors upset the balanced state of microbiota.

———————————————–

P. S. Types of microbiota in the studied prostate tissue samples that linked to prostate cancer: (alphabetical order)

Acinetobacter, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides spp, Enterobacteriaceae, (commonly, Escherichia coli.), Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae, Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), Propionicimonas, Proteobacteria, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus spp, Sphingomonas spp, Veillonella

 

Image credit: Pixabay

Protect Your Heart, Prevent COVID Heart

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Covid heart w-ECG_pexabay & CPDYou want a good, young heart, right?

What if your heart became a target of our enemy—coronavirus?

You’re in terror or at least concerned. And I’m here to help you.

Heart health is more critical in the COVID era than ever. This is why I’d like to deliver several key points for everyone through real life stories and tips.

Yes, these apply to virtually everybody; from healthy to frail populations, to cancer survivors with cardiovascular disorders who then contracted COVID-19, and to children, with specific strategies for each group.

Why does your heart deserve urgent and special attention?

Cardiovascular manifestations or lasting effects have emerged as one of the most significant and fatal complications of the COVID-19, although the primary target of coronavirus is known at the respiratory tract. COVID-19 affects the heart in both short-term and long-term.

This is because the virus can enter the human heart and cause damage, period. Notable and wide spectrum of injuries include myocarditis, acute cardiac injury, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), cardiovascular clots, heart failure, cardiac arrest, … etc., leading to higher mortality.

LV Large Thrombus to insert in text_Covid myocarditisLook at this chest CT image—a large thrombus (a blood clot, indicated by red arrow) in the left ventricle of the heart (reported by Dr. Hudowenz’s team)

The case is about a 48-year-old man who presented at the clinic with typical COVID symptoms like fever, fatigue, breathing difficulty and coughing up blood, but actually had COVID associated myocarditis and other cardio-pulmonary damage.

(Fortunately, the intracardial thrombus was resolved through anticoagulation therapy, and the patient recovered.)

 What are the best and safest ways to protect your heart?

Let’s start with the most vulnerable population.

Cancer patients with cardiovascular disorders and also contracting COVID-19

COVID-19 can damage the cardiovascular system, which is one of the disturbing concerns for cancer patients or survivors already managing cardiotoxicity developed during their treatment, esp. chemotherapy. When adding one more layer—old age, elderly cancer patients will be at a greater risk for sustaining worse outcomes. It’s understandable that medical care for this population has been uniquely challenging in times of the pandemic.

Both cancer and COVID coexisting cardiovascular complications are full of complexity. Case-by-case evaluation and treatment are more appropriate. That’s why I emphasize not to delay your cancer treatment and care.

To preserve your heart function and maximize cancer treatment, it’s crucial to continue vigilant monitoring, optimal treatment, and care for quality of life while practicing COVID safe measures, particularly with more contagious variants around.

Thus, telemedicine is so advantageous at this time. You receive necessary care for personalized treatment and its related toxicities without an in-person visit, which can minimize your exposure to the ill people and the virus.

The good news is—COVID vaccination can prevent and protect you from serious ailment and death! So, consult with your doctor or oncology team for your COVID-19 vaccine recommendation based on your specific case.

Also stay connected with your family, friends, and support system through various ways.

Aging folks and those with comorbidities or health issues

COVID-19 harshly affected older adults and people with chronic diseases. You know that you or your loved ones in this group are at a high risk for life-threatening consequences once getting COVID-19.

Despite common COVID-19 manifestations resulting from the viral spread by contact and droplets, it’s wise to take into account your unusual signs or symptoms. So, you can be benefited from timely medical attention. The following story tells you why.

Kaur et al. reported that a 43-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension experienced acute right leg pain and difficult breathing. At the ER, clinical examinations, electrocardiogram (ECG), CT and lab evaluations showed various abnormalities including positive coronavirus testing. He was intubated, and given therapies; among which was anticoagulation to reduce the blood clots in the limb. Sadly, he died from cardiac arrest 2 days later.
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Evidently, there are similar cases. The point is that acute limb ischemia may exhibit as one of COVID manifestations, in which the blood supply to an extremity is blocked. Again, take advantage of telemedicine for safety and catching early signs before any disease strikes.

I’d also emphasize that whether aging or suffering from comorbidities, these conditions are often accompanied by chronic, low-grade inflammation, imagine COVID driving a higher level of inflammation. To mitigate inflammation and improve complications, lifestyle changes (including diet, exercise, sleep, weight management) would be one of priorities. (though I won’t go beyond the scope of this post and there are plenty of tips available )

Of paramount importance for protecting your heart is to control your blood pressure. Undoubtedly, stress and anxiety, particularly higher in the midst of COVID, can impact your blood pressure. Paradoxically, some folks disregarded appropriate care or skipped appointments due to fear or disinformation. Alarmingly, hypertension can be asymptomatic but potentially fatal, and lead to heart attack and heart disease that are not always reversible.

Children

Cardiovascular impact on children cannot be ignored, because most cases of pediatric COVID-19 mortality presented with heart oriented multi-organ failure.

The outbreak also altered otherwise healthy behaviors of diet, daily routine and lifestyle. One of safeguards for heart is physical activity.

As the pandemic persists, children’s wellbeing deserves our attention as always. Parents, schools and communities need to be creative yet vigilant, figuring out how to let kids stay physically active while implement safety measures and precautions.

Safe locations to engage in physical activities can be parks or fields with proper social distancing without crowded environments, and our homes including the backyard. Family members can enjoy many activities with their children, such as running, jogging, bicycling, stair climbing, jumping, or gardening, or Tai Chi and Yoga. Household chores are good for children as long as age-proper, such as cleaning, doing laundry, vacuuming, sweeping floors, yards or drive ways, and mowing the lawn or carrying groceries. So, you get the picture. The goal is to avoid kids and teens being occupied with mobile devices, electronic games or social media and for extended hours of sitting.

One thing particularly imperative is personal hygiene; parents need to practice healthy hygiene with children and cultivate healthy behaviors for children’s long-term benefits.

Healthy individuals

Finally, if you are healthy and COVID-free now, cheers and keep doing the great job.

At the moment, I’d like to stress two points, essentially for everybody. First, exercise regularly and moderately, not going for high-intensity and long-duration or those activities with high risk of injury, because not only may they weaken your immune system, consequently increasing a risk of respiratory tract infection, but also potentially trigger over-burdening of our health care system or even increase your risk of exposure to the virus. And next, never let your guard down, because COVID-19, plus new variants surfacing, can hit anyone at any time without discrimination of age, race or health status.

A bonus tip—heed your genetic susceptibility. If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, particularly any close family member(s) who have died of heart disease young, monitor your risk for developing a heart condition.

Extra point – Preventive care with COVID vaccination

Remember—anyone can get infected and re-infected. That’s why the vaccine’s winning game comes into play, not only can it protect you from the infection, but also lower your risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 and dying.

As recent variants exist in the world including the US, it made an extremely infectious coronavirus more threatening.

The more virus transmission spreads in our communities, the more opportunities this virus can mutate, leading to more variants. The more frequent variants arise and stay, the harder we control them. Consequently, the more danger COVID will pose to our heart.

So, go for vaccination to protect yourself and your family, and grab the life-saving reward!

Take home message –

Cardiovascular involvement is a significant risk factor for poor outcomes of COVID-19 at all ages. So, safeguard your heart health and stop the virus transmission.

The greater you become aware of heart problem in the COVID era, the greater you value your heart health. The good news is—heart disease is largely preventable!

If your New Year’s resolution is failing, and February Heart month ended on the calendar, one thing you can always do is to take special care of your heart today for your better tomorrow.

 

Image credits:   Pixabay; CancerPreventionDaily

Transform Your Wellness in Uncertain Time

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Colorful Shapes for Ideas_CPD-Pixabay_2021A new year always marks a new, better beginning. we have new hopes in renewed energy, expecting new accomplishments and new happiness. Yet, 2021 is still an uncertain year; at least for sometimes, we cannot anticipate to return a full sense of normality.

The COVID-19 outbreak, the economic crisis, as well as racial tensions and consequential violence all bring a profound change in our daily life and affect our overall well-being. I’m concerned and wonder, just like many of you, when will most of us get vaccinated? what is the job and finance outlook for many folks experiencing economic hardship? How can our nation’s deep wound be healed? The challenges are in all shapes, but so are solutions.

Whatever you view our situation as a nation in turmoil or in transformation, a welcome opportunity to transform ourselves presents itself in front of us, especially for our health and wellness. I’m going to highlight a few important points.

First, lay the foundation for your health and well-being with three pillars—physical, emotional, and mental—and foster each support. The three pillars function like a tripod that establishes stability and connection. So, personalize your vitality and preventive care around each support. I won’t go through more details, as you can get some ideas from COVID-19 Era Wellbeing and Beyond: Perspectives for Year 2021.

Second, I’d like to talk about a circle of love and support as reinforcers for mental health. Mental health problems are not something new, but the pandemic lockdown and social distancing have exacerbated previous concerns of depression, loneliness and social isolation. This is one of the urgent and critical public health issues in 2021. An underpinning point is that loneliness and social isolation are linked to poor health outcomes, not only in elders but in people of any age. So, developing a circle of love and support is a great promoter of sustainable mental well-being. Even you have a very small family or are alone, you can still make a new friend or re-connect with old pals and your community. Seek for professional help when in need.

Don’t forget school kids and teenagers who are increasingly struggling with distance and disruption created by the pandemic. Their anxiety, loneliness, and social isolation may affect their grades now and result in potential trauma in the long-term. We need to steer them away from an avoidable drive down to a dark path as early as possible.

At this vulnerable time, one area of mental health involves how well your mind processes information and understand facts and data, which is an issue that has been too often overlooked or overwhelmed by disinformation in recent years. However, opening or shutting that flood gate is under your control. So, challenge your ability to detect and assess misinformation and falsehood. Remember that negative beliefs or perceptions influence your behavior and condition physically and emotionally. Consider gaining a fuller or richer understanding of another culture(s), maybe reach out to someone and exchange different worldviews, and maybe find a new meaning in your life.
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My point is that your worldview, spirituality, and personal growth can be an important element in lowering a risk for various diseases and in facing either physical illnesses or psychological sufferings. In other words, the mind and body are closely connected. Therefore, it is essential to illuminate the unattended dark and dusty corners of your mind with newfound knowledge, joy, laughter, and appreciation. All is an integral part of your well-being.

Third, strategize and manage by applying a series of squares/boxes (or areas). One can use boxes and bins for storage or office organization. We can also use them metaphorically to help in the quest for good health. You can do this by envisioning boxes that carry several risk factors of a specific disease, then tackling those areas through resources or actions. Alternatively, target lifestyle factors or areas that you want to improve. For instance, risk factors (boxes) for susceptibility to, severity of, and death due to COVID-19 include old age, obesity, pre-existing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, lung disorders, chronic kidney diseases, and smoking, to name a few. Do you know—conversely—how COVID-19 can be a risk factor for other health problems? Research and clinical evidence show that this contagious virus can enter the cell and subsequently the body, damage the heart, brain, or multiple organs, causing lung injury and hypoxia as well as systemic inflammation resulting in overreactive immune response (or cytokine storm). There are things you can do to avoid or minimize these damages, and to prevent the transmission of infection, especially from the new coronavirus variants.

Finally, beyond doubt, with heightened fear and stress, some used-to-be top killers are sneaking into our lives. When most of us likely remain homebound for some time due to the pandemic, various health perils are prone to elevate. Unattended yet subsequent components could be high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and harmful cholesterol levels; all damage blood vessels and lead to increased probability of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. So, pay attention to and prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCD), because people with NCD are vulnerable to the devastating impact of COVID infection. Also, climate change is evidently an imminent threat to our well-being in several ways; as detailed in The Climate Crisis Is a Health Crisis and in Key Strategies for Cancer Prevention.

Understandably, change is often not easy or comfortable. However, if you’re determined, you can embrace the process of change. Start with baby steps. The new year could be a nice, fresh point to start. So, gear up!

To your renewed health, happiness and well-being in 2021.

 

Image credit:  Pixabay; CancerPreventionDaily