The Super Allergy Girl Blog

The Role of Nutrition in Cancer: Dr. Folkman's War Book Review

Cancer is not a pretty subject, but it is a topic that one out of two and one out of three Americans face depending upon your race and gender. Cancer is a subject that I started researching in May of 2004 and not because I wanted to research cancer. I researched cancer because five unrelated strangers told me independent of each other that I should research cancer based on my daughter's health issues. Trust me - I was not happy about it. But I did it. From my research, the role of nutrition in cancer seems pretty direct and clear - something that years later, Dr. Oz would state on the Oprah Show before she started the OWN network and long before Dr. Oz was a household name and had his own TV show.

What Dr. Oz said on a memorable Oprah Show was that basically we all have cancer cells in our bodies. The difference between a cancer cell multiplying and turning into a cancer tumor or not was nutrition. In this particular episode, Dr. Oz rattled off a number of nutritional supplements and the quantities of each that people would be well advised to take. Had I know that Dr. Oz was going to be so direct and clear about the relationship between nutrition and cancer, I would have taped the show. But let's move on to the book: "Dr. Folkman's War - Angiogenesis and the Struggle to Defeat Cancer" by Robert Cooke.

On page 206 of my copy (Chapter 12), the author is describing how the business of life is conducted - through amino acid sequences or chains. Let me quote from the "Dr. Folkman's War" book:

"It is through this process, with about a hundred thousand different genes telling the cells exactly whch proteins to make, that the business of life is conducted. Indeed, illness strikes when this protein-building process breaks down. If amino acids are left out, or the wrong ones are put in place, a protein such as an enzyme or growth factor is made incorrectly, or not at all, and the result can be the disaster of genetic disease, or cancer."

In layman's terms, what this passage is stating is that if your body lacks the right nutrition and therefore can't produce or doesn't have access to the right amino acids, you may have a disastrous result - cancer or a genetic disease. In other words, the importance of nutrition to human health is something that most researchers should fully understand. But we laypeople or consumers don't have the same understanding of the importance of nutrition.

In the nine years it has taken me to get my daughter to go from being a very sick child with a life-threatening illness to a healthy child who is well, the one thing that has been resounding is the importance of nutrition to good health. Back to "Dr. Folkman's War", I assert that this book should be required reading of anyone who says that they care about cancer and anyone who gives money to the cancer cause. This book, in my humble opinion, should be made into a movie because separate from the research contained in this book, it contains the most compelling and touching story of Dr. Folkman. May God rest his soul. This book would be hard for some lay people to read as it is basically the history book on cancer. So take your time and read just a few pages at a time.

You can buy the book on Amazon.com. I'm not sure where else it is sold, but trust me - this book is well worth the time and energy to sit down and read - that is if you care at all about cancer! If you are a film maker - this book made into a movie could rival any inspirational movie you've ever seen! If you have read it, I'd love to hear your comments!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Health and Wellness: The China Study Book and American Nutrition

I picked up the book "The China Study", which is written by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, probably two years ago and it has had a definite impact on the foods we eat in our house. Before I get to that let me state that I am no in any way supporting everything written in this book. That said, there are some portions of the book that I do totally agree with and support. The sub-title of this book reads as such: "Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health". Also above the title is the statement: "The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted". First of all, I should mention that some time after I purchased the book, "The China Study", I had the opportunity to hear T. Colin Campbell, PhD speak in my local area, which was a fantastic opportunity and well worth my time. So let's get to some of the substance of "The China Study".

Here is a picture of the book cover:

First of all, in my humble opinion, most Americans know very little about nutrition, which makes this book highly educational and informative. It is also, again - in my humble opinion, fascinating to read how and why this large scale nutritional study was done in China. In America - a country where almost half of the population is taking a prescription drug for a health condition and over half are overweight, AND where we spend a great deal more on health care (per capita) than any other country - this book would be a great read for millions of Americans. Nutrition is critical to human health. It always has been and always will be critical to human health.

One premise of the book is a plant-based diet. Based on the nutritional information I gleaned from this book, I almost immediately made a change to our diet. We are already on a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut free, tree nut free, preservative free and dye free special diet. The change I made after digging into "The China Study" was to reduce our meat consumption and increase our vegetable consumption. This was not as difficult as it might seem on the surface. In a dish like chili, for example, I added chopped vegetables for a new twist on chili. 

Over time, my children became accustomed to this new way of eating - more vegetables primarily and less meat. While it was not an overnight change, it went pretty smoothly. My next cookbook - Book Two of the Super Allergy Girl™ Allergy & Celiac Cookbook - a completely new cookbook, which will not replace the First Book - contains more vegetables than ever and is a good transition to reducing meat and increasing vegetables. Book Two is not available at this time as it is in the testing phase with testers trying out recipes and looking for any errors. 

So, what are my issues with this book? Well, for one - I am a person that believes that moderation is not a bad thing. I also am aware of some of the latest nutritional research that states that it is very difficult for Americans to get all of their nutrition from their diet - so I feel some nutritional supplements are helpful to most Americans. Since as a rule we do not eat dairy products, I skipped over the issues about dairy that are presented in the book. Nonetheless, the issues with dairy are riveting. I highly recommend this book - I just do not support every statement or position that the book takes or presents. If you have read this book, I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts on it!! I really would! Happy eating!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Sifting through the Maze of Allergy Info: "Is This Your Child?"

I've done several posts on frequently asked questions on allergies, Part I, II and III in the last few days. Now I am going to move on to one resource that will help you sort through the maze of allergy information. The reference is a book titled "Is This Your Child?" by Dr. Doris Rapp, M.D. Dr. Rapp spent her early years as a regular, mainstream allergist. Eventually, she expanded her training and experience and then went and became board certified in pediatrics and environmental medicine - making her board certified in three medical fields. She has been a physician for over 50 years, so she has the medical credentials and the experience to write a compelling resource to help people sort out the facts in allergy. Self-disclosure, Dr. Doris Rapp is a friend of mine so I do have some bias although I thought her book was every bit as good before I became friends with her!

Here is a picture of the book:

There are many reasons why I recommend this book to consumers, the first of which it is written by an authority whose experience and training trumps most physician. The book is pretty easy to read in that Dr. Rapp does not speak above the understanding of the average person - so it's the perfect book for lay people. While the book is pretty long - it is well indexed so you can look up just the symptoms or issues that you or your child is experiencing. I also have to say that I love the pictures on the back cover - just because they are helpful! 

One of the other reasons that I continue to recommend this book and other books by Dr. Doris Rapp is because in the last 10 years - no one who got the book (on my recommendation) ever came back and said that it was not helpful or immensely helpful! In fact, one memorable mother was able to solve one of her child's issues in a matter of a few days with the help of this particular book! In other words, I continue to get excellent feedback from those people who got the book - most from the public library by the way! That is another reason that I love this book - it is in almost every public library in the USA! How cool is that!

Here is a link to Dr. Rapp's website:

http://www.drrapp.com/Dr. Rapp MD Website

This book was on the NY Times Best Sellers list and Dr. Rapp was on network TV shows when it came out. In my humble opinion, this is already a classic book in the field of allergy - one book that will just not go away because it has so much information and value. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on this book!

Love,

Lisa A. Lundy

 

Detoxification and Wellness: Dr. Morrison's New Book and More

For those of you looking to be healthy and well, I want to let you know about a new book titled “Cleanse Your Body, Clear Your Mind” by Jeffrey A. Morrison, M.D. I believe that the subtitle is: Eliminate Environmental Toxins to Lose Weight, Increase Energy and Reverse Illness in 30 Days or Less. Before I even begin to address why I love this book, let’s talk about detoxification and what that is and how it impacts human health. Most consumers don’t understand that they are bombarded with chemicals and toxins in our everyday life. Therefore, they typically don’t comprehend why they would want or need to detoxify their bodies. The quickest way to understand how significant this is for health and wellness is to look at a research project on newborn babies and how many chemicals newborns have at birth running through their bloodstream. The Environmental Working Group raised the funds and did such a research project. Watch this video and you will have a new level of understanding on this aspect of health.

http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/kid-safe-chemicals-act-10-americans-video/

I began my own journey in detoxification back in 2004 as I learned about things that harm and heal the body as I was working to get my youngest child well. Over the years, the more educated I became about chemicals, toxins and things that do harm to human health – the more I was willing to do to be healthy and well. If you know nothing about the exposure you receive on a daily basis to toxins and chemicals, then you are in for a surprise and you should definitely watch the 10 Americans video done by The Environmental Working Group. I mean – really – you should watch it!

Going back to Dr. Morrison’s book. For starters, let me share a picture of the cover of his book! I should have true confessions here and let you know that I have met Dr. Morrison and can say I may be ever so slightly biased towards anything he says or does! He’s a great guy!

 

However, meeting or knowing Dr. Morrison is not why I am recommending his book. There are key points that make it a valuable tool for consumers who have health issues. Point number one is that it is well written and while it is medically based, it is not to complicated or over-done as to be overwhelming to a patient. It is straightforward and complete. Dr. Morrison gives the reader a good explanation of toxins and the effect of toxins on health and then follows it all up with a 30-Day Detox Plan.

For someone who does not have good health and does not understand the rationale for detoxifying your body, this would be a good starting point. He has included stories from patients who had great success from following such a plan. Dr. Morrison covers what you need to know as well as additional resources! I definitely am recommending this book to the people in my life and the consumers that I deal with on a regular basis! You can get the book on Amazon.com and from other sources I’m sure. Dr. Morrison’s website is: http://www.morrisonhealth.com/

Jeffrey A. Morrison, M.D.

If you get the book, I’d love to hear your feedback on it! Let me know your thoughts and experiences!

Love,

Lisa

Tribute to Bette Hagman - A Gluten Free Pioneer, Mentor and Friend

It's a funny thing about life - you never know how it will turn out. I first met Bette Hagman, a.k.a. "The Gluten-Free Gourmet", in the Spring of 2000 at a Buffalo, NY celiac support group meeting where she was the featured speaker. I had no idea then that she and I would become close enough to be remotely considered friends. I'm sure that I didn't think that she considered me her friend until I received a letter from her written while she was on vacation. I was enamored with Bette from our first meeting in 2000. Here is a picture of her and I from that chance encounter:

Bette Hagman and Lisa A.Lundy (me), May 2000 - Buffalo, New York

Bette was one of the nicest people you could ever come to know. Sometime after meeting her I wrote her a thank you note for being the pioneer that she was and for providing the cookbooks that she had published. At that time, I had an 11-month old son who had huge issues with gluten. He also had issues with dairy, eggs, soy, and other foods, so I had to modify any of Bette's recipes, but they at least gave me a place to start. At some time later, I decided that Bette needed a fan club and I called her to ask permission to print up some t-shirts with her name on them. She chuckled at the idea of a fan club or even a t-shirt, but she did say yes. I was elated. I had some t-shirts printed up that looked like this:

Bette Hagman Fan Club T-shirt

I promptly sent her t-shirts for her family and friends. It gave me such joy and pleasure to walk around in this t-shirt! I think she got some pleasure in it too! Sometime after my daughter was born in 2001, Bette and I began talking about the issues I was having in feeding my daughter. Bette Hagman was the first person ever to say to me that "Your daughter would not be alive if it were not for your expertise and efforts." I'll never forget that call or moment as I was really still in denial about how fragile and sick my daughter was. I remember telling Bette not to talk like that. But, that was one of the things that I loved about Bette - her direct and candid manner.

A memorable phone call came when Bette called me all excited because she had had ice cream for the first time in decades! I was elated for her, but wondered where she had gotten the ice cream! She laughed while explaining that my insistence that she try making non-dairy ice cream using Dari-Free (by Vances Foods) had finally gotten to her and that she had just made Raspberry Ice cream from one of the recipes that I had mailed to her! At least we seemed to get a thrill out of it. Another time Bette called me to ask if I would take a call from a man by the name of Josef who had a Bakery in New York City. Of course, I told Bette yes, but immediately followed with the most obvious question - why would he want to talk to me after all she was the Gluten-Free Gourmet! She laughed and retorted that I was the gluten-free, dairy-free, everything else free guru and she couldn't help him.

Bette had her issues with her health right around the same time that things got really, really bad with my daughter's health and I was spending an extraordinary amount of time at the doctors office, so we were a bit out of touch. I reached out to her in 2007 before she passed away and had a nice telephone conversation with her. She was the same Bette. For all her efforts in the gluten-free market, I applaud this great woman - my mentor and my friend. I think of her fondly and often! The gluten-free world is better because of her extraordinary efforts. She was an extraordinary woman. God Bless her! Feel free to share your thoughts on how Bette's work and legacy has helped you!

Love,

Lisa

GIG's Review of The Super Allergy Girl™ Allergy & Celiac Cookbook

I'm delighted to share that GIG®, the Gluten Intolerance Group®, has reviewed my cookbook in their quarterly magazine, Volume 32, Number 4, 2009. The cover of GIG's magazine issue is pictured below:

Gluten Intolerance Group Fall 2009 Magazine Cover

Their generous book review on page 32 was written by Linda Hughes, and here is a tiny excerpt:

"There will never be a cookbook that can suit all food allergies. But Lisa Lundy's "Super Allergy Girl" Cookbook comes close." 

I am sincerely humbled by these kind and generous words. Yes, I wanted to write a book that would help as many people as possible. It just so happens that my children can't eat gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, preservatives, artificial food colorings and ingredients. I happen to be the one who is allergic to coconut (and tree nuts too). We eat very little corn and soy and no fish (excepting what is in Worcestershire sauce and occasionally a supplement) or shellfish for a myriad of other reasons. I cook and bake to the lowest common denominator. Perhaps the kids could eat coconut (I've never had them tested). But I wouldn't be able to test the foods since I break out if coconut is in the dish soap, hand soap, deodorant or skin lotions.

It can be overwhelming to say the least to start changing your child's diet. I have so much compassion for this fact. What I have been working to provide is information in the form of short tip sheets and videos to help make the journey a bit easier. If you are not familiar with the Gluten Intolerance Group®, they are an excellent resource for people who are on the gluten-free diet. In addition to their excellent quarterly publication, they have a great website and offer a conference you can attend in person! Check them out! My thanks to GIG® and Linda Hughes for such a kind and generous review. Now, how can I help you with food?

Love,

Lisa

Independent Review of My Super Allergy Girl™ Allergy & Celiac Cookbook

Recently I saw an Internet posting that was asking for products to be reviewed specifically for the autism community.  Since my cookbook is GFCF (gluten-free and casein-free) and is used in the autism community, I sent an e-mail to the address provided and waited.  I didn't have to wait long.  I was soon given a name and address to send the book to, which we promptly did.  I just got a link to the review of my cookbook and here is the review of my cookbook by Julie Fletcher, a writer for the NY Examiner website. 

I am so moved and touched by Julie's review.  I hope you will follow the link and let me know what you think.  Thank you Julie!  For as long as I can remember, all I have ever wanted to do was help people.  Little did I realize how many people there are with food allergies, celiac disease, food sensitivities or on special diets, and how many of these people needed real help.  It warms my heart and humbles me to be able to help.  Now, how can I help you with your food allergies, food sensitivities, gluten-free diet, celiac or GFCF diet?  I'm here to empower you to have a great life despite your food limitations.
Love,
Lisa

Cookbook Binding Issues - Part 2 (Can't be without your book?)

I received a wonderful comment after blogging about the potential cookbook binding issue.  It seems that some customers can't imagine being without their cookbook!  Isn't that great?  I can understand!  I personally can't think about not having my own cookbook!  Here is what I propose to people in this category.  Let me send you a loaner cookbook, which can be returned once your book has arrived from the printer.

If that idea doesn't float your boat, I'll have to get more creative.  Quite honestly, though I have such compassion for this particular situation because I could not be without it either.  All things can be worked out in some fashion or another.  I would be upset if there were issues with the cookbook and people did not allow me to repair them.  It is a matter of integrity, reputation and quality, which are extremely important character items for me.  So, if your book has any issues, I request that we get them taken care of because it matters to me.

Thanks for your kind words.  I'm so honored to have put together a book that you wouldn't want to be without!  Many blessings,
Love,

Lisa

The Super Allergy Girl Cookbook Possible Binding Problem

Since earlier this year, I have been investigating a possible binding issue with my cookbook.  I have called many customers who assured me that their cookbooks were in good shape and that there was no issue with their cookbook binding.  I had one customer return a book with a binding issue and have since become aware of a handful of others (as in less than 7 customers).  Is this a widespread issue?  While it appears that it is certainly not a large issue since at best we are at less than 1% of the books sold, it is nonetheless an important item to address.  I stand behind the quality of my cookbook as does my printer.  If you have any problems with the quality of your cookbook binding, or the pages seem like they will come out, please return it for re-binding.  Here is the text from my printer which contains the instructions for returning a book as well as the options for re-binding.

From My Printer, The Zenger Group:

As a customer, if you experience a problem with your book due to the pages falling out because of inadequate gluing on our part, we will repair your book, free of charge.  We will provide two options for re-binding the book either by Wire-O binding (which will provide a much better lay - for those who need the book to be flat while cooking) or re-perfect bind it with a new cover.

You can send any books with a binding issue directly to us using our UPS number - 6xx835 – shipping the books ground to The Zenger Group – Attn: Super Allergy Girl – 1881 Kenmore Avenue ; Kenmore , NY 14217.  Once repaired, we will ship it back at no charge to you, again, ground UPS.  Repairs should take about 1 day for Wire-O, 2 for perfect bind.  Intentional damage or misuse will not be covered. To arrange for UPS shipment, call 1-800-742-5877 to arrange for a free pickup, or visit www.ups.com.

I have sent letters out to customers regarding this potential issue.  We have also been sending a letter with books that we are shipping should they experience a problem.  A full text version of the letter is also on my website under the cookbook menu item on the home page.  I am firmly committed to providing exceptional customer service and a high quality product.  Let me know if you have any issues with the quality of your book.  Thank you so much for your love, support and for your business.
Love,
Lisa