Hands to Help Seniors
Monterey, CA Cancer Victims Using Their Own Immune System As A Powerful Defense Mechanism
by Richard Kuehn on 12/06/14
There was an inspiring story in the Wall Street Journal about a man who got cancer on his small intestines which spread to his liver and kidneys. Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center told him he was finished. With Stage 4 Melanoma he would likely be alive for only a year. Nine years later he is in good health thanks to an experimental immunotherapy drug which was novel at the time. These drugs, however, which use your own body’s immune system to attack the cancer, are becoming increasingly common. Called Super-Survivors, these cancer victims are treading into new territory and bringing the research community together. “It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen,” David Lane, scientific director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer, told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s the long-term survival of people who have advanced disease, that’s very unusual,” he said. I think this is a great area for potential research. Our own bodies are often under attack from outside sources, but can also be our best defense.
Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County Names 2014 Award Recipients
by Richard Kuehn on 12/06/14
Pacific Grove, CA Meals On Wheels Puts A Shout Out For Volunteers
by Richard Kuehn on 12/05/14One of our local Meals On Wheels non-profits is struggling, and their executive director Viveca Lohr was recently interviewed by the Carmel Pine Cone, telling them that the number of volunteers has dwindled in recently years. They are currently facing a crisis with a shortage of drivers and they need your help. If you can volunteer even a few hours per week or be on call for when people do not show up, I would encourage you to give them a call at 375-4454 or visit their web site at:
Monterey, CA Type 2 Diabetes Tips
by Richard Kuehn on 12/05/14
Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition, and one of the major aspects of dealing with it is managing your diet properly. An assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. William Sullivan, gives some good nutritional advice to readers. It’s best to avoid:
Soda, smoothies and café drinks:
Although avoiding sugared sodas seem to be a
no-brainer (a 12-ounce can of soda has 40 grams of sugar, the equivalent of 10
teaspoons), most people think smoothies are extremely healthy. In fact, they can be loaded with sugar. Fruit, ironically, is loaded with natural
sugar and many places that make smoothies add additional sweeteners to make the
smoothie taste good. The same goes for
those delicious Starbucks drinks, they are often loaded with sweeteners.
Fried foods:
Since these are typically breaded, you are
getting the double whammy of carbohydrates and fat. If you must eat breaded foods, Sullivan
recommends baking them instead.
Fatty red meats:
This is a fairly obvious no-no. It contains high levels of fat. Cold water fish, nuts, avocado, chicken and
tofu may lead you to feeling just as satiated.
Refined carbohydrates:
Such as bagels, donuts and pastries should be
eaten in moderation. Foods high in
white-flour are not good for you.
Processed foods:
These are typically highly salted and should
be avoided. Salt is also a big
contributor to high blood pressure, which contributes to heart disease (the #1
cause of death in America). Pass on hot
dogs and boxed mac and cheese is the advice of the doctor.
Biscuits and sausage gravy:
This was the one food which was singled out
which surprised me. But the combination
of the white flour in the biscuits paired with the high fat and sodium in the
gravy is a brutal combination, according to the doctor. He recommends peanut butter for protein,
while cautioning that it should be limited to 2 tablespoons per day.
Sorry for all of the bad news on foods that
you probably love, but I thought this was worth passing along.
Salinas, CA Spinal Cord Injury Victims Get A Chance To Walk Again Thanks To New FDA Approved Robotic Device
by Richard Kuehn on 12/03/14
Robotics are having a powerful impact on many aspects of medical treatment, from surgery to new robotic prosthetic limbs. The Monterey Herald recently profiled a Marine who can now walk normally thanks to robotic leg braces. Paralyzed from the waist down, he became the first person to use the ReWalk System when he accepted his Bronze Star. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration only recently approved the device for sale in the U.S. despite being available in Europe for more than two years. Using what the company calls “electronic legs,” the robotic exoskeleton allows those with spinal cord injuries to once again be able to stand and walk. What a great leap forward in medical technology.
