New Analysis: Lifting Weights Helps Survivors

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Dumbbell-SP005620_7_300wWhen you read about the health benefits of exercise for cancer survivors it’s common to lump all exercise together. After all, there’s no bad form of exercise.

A new review of the research now suggests that lifting weights, sit-ups and other forms of resistance exercises can help survivors both during and after treatment gain muscle strength, reduce body fat, and improve fatigue.

The improved effects seen with arm strength and body fat were most pronounced in survivors who engaged in low to moderate intensity exercises compared to those of higher intensity.

Doing resistance exercises at least two times per week led to survivors able to increase the amount of weight lifted, on average, 34 pounds (15.5 kilograms) for legs and 16 pounds (7.3 kilograms) for arms.

The study was published in the early online issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Continue reading →

Lab Study: Soy Plus Tomato May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer

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Adding plump red tomatoes to your salad is a great way to add some cancer-fighting food into your diet because tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, along with other phytochemicals. AICR’s expert report and its updates found that canstockphoto13200480tomatoes and other food containing lycopene lower the risk of prostate cancer, specifically. Now, a new lab study suggests that eating tomatoes with soy foods may be even more protective against prostate cancer than each food consumed separately.

They study was published online in Cancer Prevention Research.

For the study, researchers wanted to look at the effects of tomato and soy — separately and in combination — on prostate cancer development. Along with tomato and its phytochemicals, lab studies have suggested that soy and its compounds also reduce prostate cancer risk.

The study used a type of mice genetically engineered to develop an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Researchers placed the mice into four diet groups: 1) whole tomato powder; 2) soy germ; 3) tomato powder and soy germ; and 4) control group that did not eat soy or tomato. Soy germ, just like wheat germ, is the reproductive part of the soy that germinates to grow into a plant. Continue reading →

For Mom: Sweet, Light and Low-Calorie Kisses

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baci-di-dama copyAs sweet and light as the month of May, our Health-e-Recipe for Hazelnut Meringue Kisses is a delightful way to surprise Mom for Mother’s Day while keeping calories low.

Meringues are a magical creation from egg whites beaten stiff until they hold stiff peaks, then sweetened with a little sugar, flavored with a pinch of salt and baked. This recipe adds succulent hazelnuts, which – like all nuts – have healthy, mostly monounsaturated fat, vitamins A and E and fiber that helps to reduce cancer risk. Since they are high in calories (180 calories for about 21 hazelnuts), chopping them into a fine texture is a good way to make a little go a long way.

As they bake, these Kisses emit a fabulous fragrance. Your mama will be proud!

For more delicious cancer-preventing recipes, visit the AICR Test Kitchen. Subscribe to our weekly Health-e-Recipes.