Fasting has received all kinds of attention in the media these days. In 2018, it was one of the most searched for diet terms on Google.
As you may know, there are many health benefits of fasting.
But did you know that fasting turns the immune system against cancer. In fact, cancer in calorie-restricted monkeys is about 50 percent reduced. Cardiovascular disease is about 50 percent reduced as well.
Fasting not only protects against immune system damage — a major side effect of chemotherapy — but also triggers immune system regeneration.
Isn't this exciting news?  So how and when should you fast?
There are several types of fasting, from prolonged (2+ consecutive days) to intermittent (i.e. 5:2 or alternate day) to time-restricted eating (i.e. 12:12 or 16:8).  For time-restricted, intermittent fasting, It is important to stick close to 12 hours of feeding and 12 hours of fasting. If you eat 15 hours a day or more, that starts to be associated with metabolic problems, gallstone formation, sleep disorders, etc.  Prolonged, periodic fasting, done for several consecutive days has many incredible health benefits but strict, prolonged fasting is hard to stick to and can be dangerous if not done properly.
To help you get through a prolonged fast, you can get many benefits of a 5-day fast with food.  The ProLon® 5-day Fasting Mimicking Diet® has been clinically tested and studied and found to promote beneficial effects in a wide variety of health conditions ranging from excess weight and fasting blood sugar, to growth factors associated with DNA damage and aging.
Not everyone is healthy enough for a prolonged fast.
Message me or visit https://prolon.com/ if you would like more information on The ProLon® Fasting Mimicking Diet and to see if it's right for you.

The human microbiome is composed of trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) living inside and outside the human body.
The risk of breast cancer and recurrence could be associated with the composition and function of the breast/gut microbiome.
Research shows that there are different bacteria in the breast tissue of healthy women vs those with breast cancer and that the breast microbiome in women with cancer is different from that of women with benign disease, indicating that certain bacteria may be associated with breast cancer development and different responses to treatment.  Diet, drugs, toxins, lack of sleep, inactivity, and stress can negatively change the human gut microbiome which can alter blood estrogen levels, estrogen metabolism, chronic inflammation, the local breast immune microenvironment and its influence on breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. http://ow.ly/2WwJ50BftoE http://ow.ly/OPbN50BftoC
You can increase your good gut bacteria and improve your gut and breast microbiome with:
A plant-based diet
No refined sugar, processed and fast foods
Diverse foods
Fermented foods
High Fiber - 20-30 grams/day
Fasting
Exercise
Stress reduction
Sleep - 7-9 hrs/night
Quality probiotics

Interesting new research showing the important link between gut microbiome and cancer treatment outcomes. Good gut health with an abundance of diverse good bacteria is essential to good health and cancer prevention as well.  You can improve your gut microbiome by eating a high-fiber diet, including fruits and vegetables high in fructo-oligosaccharides such as bananas, dried fruit, onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus and artichokes, as well as grains with resistant starches such as barley or uncooked potato starch, for example. Read the new research findings here: http://ow.ly/ooY150B9cdh

For breast cancer prevention, it's important to eliminate or limit processed, packaged, sugary, fast foods, which:
Decrease appetite suppressing hormones
Increase hunger
Cause weight gain
Increase cellular inflammation
Kill good gut bacteria
Weaken the immune system
"A processed food is a food item that has had a series of mechanical or chemical operations performed on it to change or preserve it. Processed foods are those that typically come in a box or bag and contain more than one item on the list of ingredients."
Here are some unprocessed snack ideas:
Raw or roasted seasoned veggies
Fresh fruit
Dates
Nut butters - all natural
Pitaya and Acai bowls & smoothies
Roasted chickpeas
Zucchini chips
https://www.purplecarrot.com/.../zucchini-chips-with...
Nice cream with frozen bananas
https://www.purplecarrot.com/plant.../vanilla-nice-cream
Cherry Chia Pudding
https://www.purplecarrot.com/plant.../cherry-chia-pudding
No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
https://www.purplecarrot.com/.../no-bakes-peanut-butter...
Purple Carrot

Let's talk about the magic of mushrooms for breast cancer prevention!
A number of research studies have discovered compounds in mushrooms that were found to inhibit cancerous tumor growth, increase immune cells (particularly in patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment), and inhibit aromatase, an enzyme in breast cancer cells that will produce unwanted estrogen. The most common mushrooms studied are white button, turkey tail, Shitake and Maitake.  Turkey tail mushrooms contain compounds called polysaccharopeptide (PSP) and polysaccharide-K (PSK). PSP and PSK appear to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The compounds in turkey tail may also offer benefits for gut health. It is not recommended you eat turkey tail in the wild. Turkey tail extract is also available in the form of a powder or tea.  Always follow the dosage instructions carefully. Because turkey tail is a fungus, anyone with a mushroom or mold allergy should not use it.  More common and accessible, research has shown that eating just 5 white button mushrooms a day may be sufficient to suppress breast cancer tumor growth.  Learn more about the research at: http://ow.ly/cCTB50AX5Ix and https://nutritionfacts.org/video/breast-cancer-vs-mushrooms/.

Cancer survivors with chronic inflammation may have an elevated risk of recurrence.  Chronic inflammation is associated with increased risk of breast cancer recurrence as it increases estrogen and insulin levels in the body and promotes tumor growth and metastasis.  Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense mechanism designed to heal injuries and defend the body against foreign invaders but when inflammation goes on too long or becomes chronic it can have damaging effects on health.  An association has been found between breast cancer recurrence and reduced overall survival and increased concentrations of inflammatory markers, such as CRP, a test that can be measured by a healthcare provider.  Inflammation is caused by obesity, bad gut bacteria, stress, a bad diet, alcohol, high blood sugar, toxins, food allergens & sensitivities, and poor sleep quality.
You can control cellular inflammation by eating a whole food, plant-based diet full of anti-inflammatory foods and spices such as cloves, ginger, rosemary, and turmeric, reducing stress, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling your blood sugar, and getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night.