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HOW TO CREATE A BODY THAT REPELS CANCER & MISO SALMON TRAY BAKE

July 10, 2018 4 Comments


I’ve been watching a brilliant series of films on the subject of longevity. Each one features a range of doctors and researchers exploring an aspect of ageing. The films are rather long and a little pricey (more at www.humanlongevityfilm.com) but one of the best is on cancer and how to build a body able to repel cancer.

It’s a subject that’s been on my mind this month, following the launch of a report on the global rise of cancer. The report, billed as the ‘most comprehensive ever conducted’, analysed 29 cancers by age, sex and territory, between 1990 and 2016. During the last decade the number of cancer cases increased by 28%. Life-style related cancers (skin, colorectal and lung – the ones we have some control over) have increased across the world.

It’s not all bad: the number of deaths from cancer have fallen (early detection programmes have played a huge role in this) and there’s been a drop in the rate of infection-related cancers, like stomach and cervical cancer.

The report is peppered with mind-boggling facts and figures: Did you know the odds of developing breast cancer were highest – one in ten – in the countries with the highest levels of education, income and fertility? No, nor me. My friend, who recently recovered from breast cancer and has read everything ever written on the subject, says this is because of our high alcohol consumption, our sedentary lives, our rising levels of obesity and our low levels of vitamin D – all subjects we write about frequently. Niger, in Africa, has the lowest rate of ‘new cases of breast cancer per 100,000 people’ while Luxembourg has the highest. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women (535,000 women died of breast cancer in 2016), but for men it’s lung cancer, although prostate cancer is still the most common cancer among men. We’ll be writing about prostate cancer very soon having recently met some researchers doing fascinating work on the prevention of prostate cancer using diet. Read the report on global cancer at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2683251

Meanwhile a report last week from Cancer Research UK says cancer cases are set to surge over the next two decades (mainly because of our ageing population) and that four in ten of these cases could be prevented. One in every two Brits born after 1960, it claims, will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. Read more at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44548534

So what did I learn about preventing cancer from the longevity cancer film? I was most struck by the words of an oncologist called Dr Nalini Chilkov, who talked about ‘how to create a body in which cancer cannot take root.’ She advises her cancer patients how to eat so that their cancer suppressor genes are turned on and their cancer promotor genes are turned off – it’s advice we should all follow.

So what does Dr Chilkov advise? I’ll list her recommendations in the order she gave them:

1. Remove as many chemicals as possible from your diet. The easiest way to do this is to stop eating packaged, convenience, processed food. Simply cutting out processed food, she says, will remove the bulk of chemicals from our diet. Go for whole, fresh, unadulterated and unprocessed food.
2. Keep your insulin and glucose levels low and avoid foods that trigger insulin. She doesn’t advise a strict ketogenic diet except for the couple of days prior to any chemotherapy. But she does recommend a low starch, low glucose, low glycemic diet.
3. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. She suggests this should be plant-based with plenty of healthy oils (like extra virgin olive oil or nut oil)
4. Eat the rainbow. Your plant-based meals should include fruit and vegetables of every colour.
5. Stay hydrated, with plenty of water.

Simple, easy-to-follow advice. And exactly how we like to eat as part of our Age-Well Project. Yes, meals might take a little longer to prepare when cooked from scratch and your food bill might be a little higher, but you can make it easier by buying and cooking in bulk then freezing.

This week I’m cooking from Eat Happy, the new recipe book from Hemsley sister, Melissa. I love her dishes – fast and flavoursome. This one is a ‘tray bake’ which means barely any washing up (another thing I love!). It’s also rich in Omega-3, a nutrient that’s cropping up more and more in our longevity research. Add a leafy green vegetable on the side with a few ‘rainbow’ additions: cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, whatever you have in the fridge.

As usual I’ve twiddled with the recipe to suit my family, but do grab a copy of Eat Happy if you want to see the original or if you like easy recipes with punchy oriental-style flavours.

SALMON WITH COURGETTES AND AUBERGINES (Serves 4)

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large aubergine cut into wedges (I cut the whole thing in half vertically and then horizontally and then each section into four)
  • 2 large courgettes/zucchini, cut vertically into quarters and then halved to shorten them
  • 4 salmon fillets
  • Toasted sesame oil for drizzling
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds (use white if you don’t have black)

For the miso ginger sauce:

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 tbsp hot water

To serve:

  • 4 spring onions, sliced
  • Bunch coriander, chopped (include the stalks)

Toss the aubergine and courgette wedges in the oil, season and roast at 220 for 25 minutes until they’re cooked through.

Mix together the ingredients for the miso ginger sauce and pour it over the roasted veg. Place the salmon fillets (skin side down) on top of the vegetables. Season the salmon, drizzle with the sesame oil and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
Bake for a further ten minutes.

Serve sprinkled with the chopped spring onions and coriander. If you like a bit of heat, add a bowl of finely sliced red chilies for people to help themselves to.

Annabel

  • Meal Types: Dinner, Family
  • Conditions: Cancer
  • Ingredients: Aubergine, Courgettes, Salmon, Zucchinis
« WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CARB ‘QUALITY’ AND DARK-CHOCOLATE-SALTED-PEANUT FLAPJACKS
THE FUTURE OF FOOD AND SMASHED CUCUMBER SALAD »

Comments

  1. Lisa Dart says

    July 10, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    This sounds delicious but I might need geometry lessons for cutting the vegetables!

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      July 23, 2018 at 10:46 am

      I think any old chunks will do really, these are longish wedges!

      Reply
  2. Teresa Vick says

    July 18, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    Love reading your blogs, always interesting and I’m still eating kale and cocoa (80% !) and seriously looking forward to ageing well 😉 so many thanks.

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      July 23, 2018 at 10:45 am

      Thanks so much, Teresa!

      Reply

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Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

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Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive harvest at Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil @bidni_evoo in Malta in late September. Fresh from the press, the oil was pretty peppery! That’s the polyphenols at work.

Polyphenol levels in olive oil also play a vital role in its brain boosting properties. They help reduce neuroinflammation and slow cognitive decline.

A study presented at a conference this summer by Harvard School of Public Health looked at the cognition of more than 90,000 people over 30 years. It found that those who consumed half a tablespoon of olive oil each day, as opposed to mayonnaise or margarine, had a 28%  lower risk of dying from dementia. Interestingly, this research found that the brain benefits of olive oil held up, regardless of the quality of the rest of the participants’ diet. So even those who didn’t adhere to other guidelines of the Mediterranean diet still got the benefits from the oil.

There’s more on the blog - link in bio

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity #EVOO
Two new pieces of research you need to know about Two new pieces of research you need to know about if you want to age well: 

1️⃣ the kynurenine pathway. It’s complicated but high levels of it don’t bode well for ageing well. Several studies have found that older people, those who’ve had hip fractures, the frail, as well as the depressed have higher circulating levels of kynurenine.  Indeed the more kynurenine in your blood, the greater your chances of dying sooner rather than later. High levels of kynurenine also seem to be associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin – meaning both poorer sleep and a greater risk of depression.

New research has identified a very simple way of blocking the accumulation of kynurenine (and its toxic by-products) in our blood and tissues: regular, heart-beat-raising movement.

2️⃣ Platelet Factor 4 (PF4). This compound appears to keep our brains and memories sharp. And it too is released when we move. Discovered by a team from the University of Queensland Brain Institute, PF4 is a protein secreted by the tiny blood cells that prevent blood clotting (known as platelets). This protein rejuvenates brain cells (neurons) in ageing mice, and researchers now think it may be the reason that exercise  and movement amplify the production of new neurons in the brain.

Want more info? It’s on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity
In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for caring for ourselves and our parents. Take a multi vit for 50+, persevere with technology and/or try something new every day, walk daily, stay social, consume sufficient protein, supplement with vits D and B12… 

#agewell #healthyaging
Autumn giveaway! 🍂 We’ve got a bundle of two Autumn giveaway! 🍂

We’ve got a bundle of two books to give away here on Insta - one copy of The Age-Well Project and one of 52 Ways to Walk. 

To win, simply leave a comment below letting us know your favorite landscape for autumn and winter walks. Do you like hills, mountains, flatlands, canals, rivers, coastlines, cities, cemeteries, your local park, moorland...? Just a few words to tell us where you’d most like to be walking in the next few months to help you age well. 

The competition closes at midnight BST on 18 October and a winner will be selected at random.

And in case you’re wondering why Annabel’s interested in your favourite landscape, it’s because she’s writing a new book about the places we choose to walk in and how they affect us. So she’d love to get a rough idea of the best-loved locations… all in confidence, of course.

Good luck!

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #giveaway #womenwhohike #womenwhowalk
Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock access to a sauna. But Susan found one in a hotel she was staying at recently, there’s one in our local gym and Annabel found plenty on her summer holiday in Finland. 

A growing number of studies attest to the longevity-enhancing benefits of routine forays into a sauna. Much of the research has been instigated in Finland where sauna (pronounced to rhyme with downer) has existed forever.

So how does sauna help us age well? The extreme heat activates heat shock proteins which researchers think can maintain the healthy functioning of our cells.  As we get older, the proteins in some of our cells start to misfold and collapse. They then clump together forming plaques, including the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Heat shock proteins – triggered by a sauna stint and possibly by hot baths – appear to prevent the misfolding and collapsing of cellular proteins, as well as clearing out those that have already misfolded. Which is to say they keep our cells in good shape. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth #betterbrainhealth #brainfog  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell
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