Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

Angelina Jolie

In case you haven't heard, Angelina Jolie has been in the news because she had a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. She has not been diagnosed with cancer just as having the BRCA1 gene that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer. News reports indicate that she made the decision because it reduces her 50-87% change of getting breast cancer in her lifetime to around 5%. She also is planning to have her ovaries removed in the near future to prevent ovarian cancer as the BRCA1 gene increases her chance of getting all cancers.

Risk Still There

What? She doesn't have breasts but she still has a 5% chance? Plus, she is putting implants in? Her immune system will have to fight them the rest of her life putting her at risk of auto-immune disease etc. I'm sure her doctor never told her that the 50-87% chance of getting breast cancer was compared to the general population of American women who eat a Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). It was not compared to fit women of normal weight on a low fat, low sugar, vegan diet.  

BRCA Not Just About Breasts

What about her lungs, colon, rectum, and brain? The increased risk still exists for those. The risk is reduced by at least 70% (some studies show 95%) with a vegan, low-fat, low-sugar, wheat  and soy free diet. (Like I eat everyday.) The side effects of the diet are reduced or eliminated risk of diabetes, heart disease (the #1 killer of women), auto-immune disease, and all cancers. 

If you have any questions or need even more information on reducing your risk of breast cancer just write. I have a computer full of articles on the subject and will happily share them with you.

In the meantime...go vegan with some delicious baked beans! Here's my favorite recipe. I'm making it as soon as my mangos get ripe. They were on sale this week!
Enjoy!
K

Mango BBQ Beans
Serves 6  
Active time: 15 minutes.  
Total time: 1 hour
Plain old BBQ beans are nice and everything, but mango gives them another dimension—a tart, tropical sweetness that makes them a bit more special. Barbeque flavors really benefit from a nice, long cooking time. Let these simmer on the stove for at least 45 minutes so that the beans absorb more of the flavor and the mango cooks down and melds with the tomato sauce. Serve with greens and rice.
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 mango, seeded and chopped small
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or ¼ teaspoon if you want it less spicy
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 (25-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 to 3 tablespoons agave nectar

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic in the broth with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
 
Add the mango, tomato sauce, broth, red pepper flakes, coriander, salt, and kidney beans. Turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot, leaving a little room for steam to escape, and let cook for about 45 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should thicken and the mangoes should cook down a great deal.
 
Turn off the heat, mix in the agave and liquid smoke, and let the beans sit for about 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness and add more agave if needed. Adjust the salt and seasonings, and serve.  
 
Proverbs 19:20-21

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.