January 2019 ExtraCare Newsletter

January 2019
ExtraCare Newsletter

Cancer and Obesity

I, like millions of Americans, have started the New Year off on a diet. I’m trying to shed those extra pounds that I put on over the holidays. My approach is to cut out sugar and extra carbs and so far it’s working.

It turns out that it’s a good idea to lose the weight, not only for the obvious reasons of reducing cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk, but also to prevent cancer.

In fact, cancer will replace heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States within two years, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projections.

A recent study published in JAMA Oncology examined a nationwide cross-section of US adults and found that the proportion of cancers attributable to excess body weight ranged from 3.9% to 6.0% among men and from 7.1% to 11.4% among women.

This is certainly not new news. Back in 2003, the prospective American Cancer Society Cohort Study of > 900,000 American adults found that after 16 years of follow-up, individuals with a BMI of at least 40 kg/m2 had an increased cancer mortality risk. Higher mortality risk was reported for most cancers for both sexes, apart from lung cancer. For men, the highest risks were identified for cancer of the liver and stomach and for women, cancer of the uterus, kidney, pancreas and breast. Given the patterns of overweight and obesity in the United States at that time, it was estimated that overweight and obesity accounted for 14% of all cancer deaths in men and 20% of all cancer deaths in women.

Not only is obesity related to increased risk of developing cancer, it has also been linked to increasing mortality rates once cancer has been diagnosed. A study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed evidence linking obesity to breast cancer prognosis and concluded that obesity is associated with a 35 to 40% increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and death.

Another study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology examined obesity and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer associations and cited mounting evidence associating overweight and/or obesity with worsened prognosis in multiple GI cancers, including esophageal, gastric, liver, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer.

Obesity is an epidemic in the U.S. and is quickly emerging as our next “plague”. As a society we need to act now to reverse this trend. Obesity has a direct impact on our economy, national productivity, and even national defense. Perhaps one of the most surprising consequences of the current obesity epidemic in the U.S. is its impact on recruitment for the armed services, with data showing that close to 30 percent of young people in the U.S. are now too heavy to qualify for military service.

Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity among U.S. Adults by State and Territory

Taken together, it’s clear that obesity is a global crisis that already touches everyone in one manner or another. And this realization should be a call to action, because there is good news amidst the bad: Obesity is preventable. We can reverse the trends that led to the current epidemic by making changes in public policies and practices, so that healthy food and activity choices are easy and affordable choices, for all.

Red Cabbage

I couldn’t believe my eyes when my husband brought this giant head of cabbage up from the garden last week. It so inspired me that I had to write about it.

Guess what…. It turns out that red cabbage is good for you!

One cup of chopped red cabbage (uncooked or steamed/simmered) has 28 calories, 1 gram of protein, 2 grams of dietary fiber and no fat. It also contains 56 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, 33 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A and 28 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K.

Red cabbage belongs to the cruciferous, or Brassica, family that includes broccoli, turnips and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables contain sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates that are responsible for their bitter flavor. Glucosinolates are digested into isothiocyanates, which reduce inflammation and fight bacteria. The red pigment comes from a flavonoid called cyanidin, that functions as an antioxidant.

My husband likes to eat the cabbage as a salad. First prepare the cabbage by cutting the leaves into thin slices — about 1/4-inch thick. Put the cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt (the amount can be guided by your preference). Massage the salt into the cabbage. This will soften the cabbage and release some juices so that it will become moist. Then rinse and dry the cabbage. Finish with a salad dressing of your choice.

My favorite way to prepare the cabbage is to make German Rotkohl, a recipe passed down from my mother which I am sharing with you today. It may not be the healthiest but it sure is tasty!

German Rotkohl

2 tablespoons butter ( I cut up 2 strips of bacon instead and render it to get fat)
5 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cut up green apple
1/3 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar. Red wine is also good
3 tablespoons water or more to prevent sticking
1/4 cup white sugar (I substituted four packs of truvia instead to stick with my no sugar diet)
2 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Place butter or fat from bacon, cabbage, apples, and sugar (or truvia) into pot. Pour in the vinegar, water and/or wine, and season with salt, pepper, and cloves.

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the cabbage us tender 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

3. Stir frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add liquid if necessary. Season to taste. It should be sweet-sour. You can adjust the seasonings.