Welcome to the Rethinking Cancer Newsletter #57
Good news!
- Our film, Rethinking Cancer, is now available on iTunes in North America, UK, France, Spain, Japan Taiwan, and Hong Kong – just for starters. You can buy or rent the film for streaming in 5 languages (English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese) at your iTunes store. Just put “Rethinking Cancer” in the search box. In view of increasing worldwide interest, we’re working on adding more languages and countries, so stay tuned!
- Thanks to massive public pressure, U.S. Senate bill S. 2609 (dubbed the DARK Act, that would Deny Americans the Right to Know if GMOs are their foods) was soundly defeated in March! Despite millions spent on lobbying by Monsanto and the Big Food industry, the votes were just not there. There could be an attempt to slip through some variation on this bill, so stay vigilant. But time is running out. Vermont’s mandatory GMO labeling law takes effect July 1. It’s generally believed that after that the whole labeling movement will snowball. Many companies, including General Mills, Mars, Kelloggs, Campbells, have already acknowledged that it makes no sense to create different packaging just for tiny Vermont, and will change their labels nationwide. This is a great victory for consumer choice. Thanks to all who took part in this long, landmark struggle!
To your health!
Foundation for Advancement in Cancer Therapy (FACT)
P.S. Speaking of streaming, we’ve also streamlined the checkout system on our Donate page – a bit easier, faster. As always, your enthusiastic support is greatly appreciated. Do stay in touch on Twitter, Facebook and our YouTube channel!
Why Do We Cry?
Animals may “cry” by making sounds for emotional expression or pain, but humans are the only animal that actually sheds tears, which leads us to the question: why?
Scientifically speaking, tears are a result of action in the lacrimal gland situated between your eyeball and eyelid. When you blink, the fluid disperses over the eye, then drains via the lacrimal punctum (and your nose which is why crying often causes your nose to run). If tears are copious, this drainage system can be overwhelmed, and tears will flow down your face.
But all tears are not the same. There are three main types. READ MORE
The New Zen: Adult Coloring Books
Zen – a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind. Zen is a way of being. It also is a state of mind. Zen involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts. – UrbanDictionary.com
More and more grown-ups are discovering that following the example of 5-year olds can have great benefits. Specifically, immersion in the creative pastime of coloring for just 30 minutes is, according to psychologists, as effective as other forms of focused meditation that relieve stress, not to mention, it’s fun!
Psychologist Nikki Martinez, Ph.D. elaborates, “It uses both sides of the brain and improves organizational and fine motor skills. After I underwent a major surgery, I was on bed rest for eight weeks, and adult coloring books were a lifesaver. They passed the time, were pretty and kept me in a constant state of calm. I devoured them.” READ MORE
Bone Broth – Traditional and Trendy
Bone broth is hot! It’s the new comfort food “to go” – the hot cuppa replacing expresso and chai in coffee houses, or on tap while you wait at butcher shops to get bones, knuckles, necks, chicken feet, and other cartilaginous parts to make your own home brew.
A healthy trend, but nothing really new. Bone broths have been staples in virtually every corner of the culinary world since prehistoric times when food was scarce and the credo was waste not/use all. In other words, throw everything you’ve got in the pot! It wasn’t long before our ancestors realized these concoctions had strong medicinal benefits. In traditional Chinese medicine, broths were used to support the digestive system, build blood, strengthen kidneys and nourish “jing” or life force. In the 12th century, Egyptian physician Moses Maimonides prescribed chicken soup, later known as “Jewish penicillin,” to ease symptoms of colds, asthma. In the Caribbean cow foot soup, rich in collagen, was taken for breakfast to strengthen the whole body and heal all sorts of ailments. And the list goes on and on. READ MORE
Basic Bone Broth
3-4 lb. knuckle and/or marrow bones from grass-fed animals (it’s okay to mix
bones from different animals in the same pot)
4 quarts or so pure water (preferably distilled)
2 tablespoons raw organic apple cider vinegar
- Place the bones, water and vinegar in a big stockpot or crockpot.
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a low simmer, covered and cook for 24-72 hours. The longer the cooking, the more taste and minerals will be extracted. Chicken and fish bones are more fragile, so cook 24 hours or less
- Optional: in the last 10 minutes, toss in a handful of fresh parsley or other fresh herbs and spices for extra minerals and flavor.
- Let the broth cool. Strain, making sure all the marrow is knocked out of the marrow bones and into the broth.
- Store in glass jars in the refrig (up to 5-7 days) or freezer (up to 6 months). A layer of fat will form on top which you can add in for extra nutrients and taste when reheating.
- Drink the broth as is, or use in soups and stews.
This is a basic recipe. Feel free to add vegetables in the beginning like celery, carrots, onions, garlic, for more taste. For an extra kick in a drink, you can season with unrefined salt, herbs and spices (like ginger, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, etc,). But just taken plain, this is hearty, healthy stuff!
Note: Broths need to cook many hours, so, if you want to go out or turn off the stove at night, just resume cooking later by bringing to a boil, then down to a simmer. Don’t worry about skimming the scum off the top. Unless you’re looking for a very clear-looking broth, keep it – it’s got nutrients, too!
