Photos courtesy of  Sheilla Gagui (@sheillag) • Instagram photos and videos

What we can learn from this triathlete’s cancer experience

Eric Salta

Eric Nicole Salta is an editor who has handled multiple brands and written stories that span the spectrum of journalism—from food and lifestyle to sports and music. He is currently the senior editorial manager of Scout, Preen, Nolisoli, F&B Report, and Multisport. He is also a massive tennis fan but has since retired from the sport.

Triathlete Sheila Gagui’s Fight Against Breast Cancer

Thirty-nine-year-old Sheilla Gagui shows us how she regains her momentum after her breast cancer experience and reveals that the most vulnerable moments can also be the most powerful

Sheilla Gagui – Setbacks don’t define you—your comebacks do.   From chemo to Ironman World Championship, I refused to let cancer stop me.

Hope is powerful, and so is movement. @aiaphilippines Rethink Healthy Campaign reminds us that every step forward- big or small – is progress. Keep moving, keep fighting, and never stop believing 

“I called it my parlor visit since it’s just like a drip session,” says 39-year-old Sheilla Gagui jokingly about her first chemotherapy session. 

It’s an exceptional moment in an athletic career that traces back to September 2015 when she first got acquainted with triathlon. Two months later, she competed in her first race at Tri United 4. 

“Then the races just kept on coming.” 

Gracefully darting from her first marathon in Kyoto, Japan in 2018 to her first Ironman race in Subic before bolting into another full distance race in Vitoria, Spain in 2019—sprinkled with obstacle course races here and there during off-season—and it’s pretty clear that the former Etihad Airways flight attendant, loving wife and doting mother to two kids have spent the past few years threading in and out of joyful paths. 

But that zest for life and unmistakable affinity for transfiguring herself for whatever adventure she comes across now looked like a preview of what else was waiting on the horizon. 

“There’s not a particular degree of difficulty we can put in words when you get diagnosed with cancer… no matter what stage or what type, your world just seems to fall apart,” admits the Sante Barley Tri Team fixture.

“There’s not a particular degree of difficulty we can put in words when you get diagnosed with cancer… no matter what stage or what type, your world just seems to fall apart”

But at a time when people all over the world are grappling with uncertainty (no thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic), Gagui is holding everything together and making a case built on the power of positivity—and no, not the toxic kind. 

Not that she wasn’t ever blossoming optimism in the first place, but her experience with breast cancer invoked a more crystalline narrative that has never sounded more assured or completely and deeply hers.  

“I was at my fittest when I got diagnosed with cancer and in a snap my health was taken away from me,” she says. “Coming from a person who’s rarely sick, who doesn’t even go to the hospital and doesn’t drink medicine when sick, who just did Ironmans and Spartans, who would have thought? It was a big surprise to me… to everyone. But I’m still here.” 

Yes, she’s still here, and raring to get back to her highest levels and once again test her mettle at Ironman Philippines in June 2021. “Because I know I can,” she says when asked about returning to her training so soon after her recovery. “Since that was really the 2019 plan, it didn’t change at all even if I had my surgery and chemotherapy. I wanted to gain my confidence back and prove that cancer is not the end, and it won’t bring me down.”

As she continues to regain her momentum, Gagui sits down with us to map out the steps she took and reveal that the hardest and most vulnerable moments can also be the most powerful. 

“I knew something was wrong”

IM Vitoria in July 2019: I was just happy I finished the race

Sheila Gagui’s courageous battle against Breast Cancer | Pinoy Fitness

In March 2020, Sheilla Gagui while taking a shower, I felt a small lump on my left breast. I went to Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) to have it checked but the OB said not to worry as much because ‘it looked benign’ but [told me] to come back on Saturday for the ultrasound. But I said I’ll do it on a weekday anyway. What’s a few days if it’s just benign? That week came but the news [of the patient who tested positive for COVID-19] was admitted at CSMC. Then the lockdown happened. I said to myself ‘never mind since the doctor said it looked benign and maybe I can just wait for the situation to pass.’ But then days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, then they declared it as pandemic.

Two months after, I felt the lump has gotten bigger. I got worried and had it checked. On May 12, Wednesday, we did an ultrasound and the surgeon also said it looked benign but to be sure she did a core needle biopsy. Come Friday, I received a message from the clinic that I needed to come in on Monday. I knew something was wrong.”

“Everything went blank”

Rode 124 kilometers at NUVALI to prepare for my Port Macquarie race supposedly in May 2020

On May 18, the diagnosis was, “you have breast cancer.”

After hearing those four words, everything went blank. There’s not a particular degree of difficulty we can put in words when you get diagnosed with cancer… no matter what stage or what type, your world just seems to fall apart. You usually hear that a friend of a friend has it but it’s never you. I felt sorry for my husband and kids. To be putting them in this situation. I work out to be fit and healthy for them and then this. But there was no time to waste. I just had to go with everything they were saying. I had to be strong for myself and especially for my family.

After all the tests and scans, we finally had a date for my surgery—June 2. After taking out the 2.1-centimeter tumor, the doctor confirmed that what I had was Stage 2A left breast cancer. The surgery went well. I just couldn’t lift my left arm for a few months.

“I wanted everything to be positive”

After meeting my oncologist for my treatment, I was given eight cycles of chemotherapy every three weeks. I was scheduled on July 6 for my first session. I called it my parlor visit since it’s just like a drip session and I just wanted everything to be positive even if it’s the word “chemo.” The doctor said my hair will all fall off so I cut my hair short—my first ever pixie cut my whole life. It was hard to see my hair all over the place. I started to feel and look sick, and that I really have cancer. My husband shaved my head. He too shaved his and my son wanted to shave his as well too. I was really touched by his gesture. How much love and support he’s showing me. even at that his age (he was five-years-old then). 

How Triathlete Mom is Outrunning Breast Cancer

Just another bike leg day

“I fought the fatigue”

Living with cancer is hard, especially with the lockdown and the pandemic. You can’t get a massage to relax your body or go to the beach or some place else to relax your mind. And with chemotherapy, you’ll never know what you’ll feel after every session. I fought the fatigue, yes, but I was lucky enough to not have side effects. I was still able to stay with the kids during their online school and ran with them while they were biking or doing the IronKids virtual run. I didn’t stop working out but I wasn’t consistent. I prepared my body by making it stronger for my next “parlor” visit. I started with 30 minutes on the bike but I got so tired that I needed a nap right after. But the next sessions got longer and longer until I biked for 1:30 while in treatment. Last September, I even got to swim two or three sessions before my oncologist restricted me given that the last four cycles are stronger.

Pre-surgery when I just cut my hair

“Finally, I graduated”

Nov. 30 marked my last cycle. Finally, I graduated. I can call myself in remission. But I gained 20 pounds and I couldn’t even run 10 minutes straight. I had to stop every five minutes then walk for a minute then continue running again for five mins just to complete running for 10 minutes at six kph. And I was like super tired.

“I started consistently working out again”

I’m an active person so feeling weak and heavy really made me sad. In December, I started consistently working out again. And now I’m training for Ironman Philippines in June 2021 (if it will push through!). I got my pre-cancer weight back and yes after two months of working out, I can now run 30 seconds at 16 kph, 45 seconds at 14 kph, two hours of easy run, 4:30 hours on a bike, do brick workouts—and I am truly proud of that.

“I was at my fittest when I got diagnosed with cancer and in a snap my health was taken away from me,” she says. “Coming from a person who’s rarely sick, who doesn’t even go to the hospital and doesn’t drink medicine when sick, who just did Ironmans and Spartans, who would have thought?” 

“It’s like preparing for the finish line”

I realized that in those years that I did triathlon, it was to prepare me for this hurdle. It made my body stronger, my mind more powerful and my heart tougher. I remember that I used to eat goji berries and drank lots of vitamins to prepare for my Ironman races. When I was doing chemotherapy, I was advised to eat goji berries to help with my white blood cell count. The first thing that came to my mind was ‘Wow it’s really like preparing for the finish line. Preparing for the race of my life! The biggest and the grandest one.’

“I can’t let it define me”

I’m truly thankful and grateful to God. It was only by His grace that I was able to be proactive and remain as active and hopeful as I did. I always reminded myself that God will not give anything we cannot handle or surpass. He has a reason for everything. A bigger plan for us. 

My husband Peejay is my source of strength. He’s literally my rock. He was there every step of the way. He held my hand from the start to the finish line. Never missed a parlor session. Told me all the time ‘ang ganda ng asawa ko kahit kalbo, partida pa yan ah’ and hearing those words comforted me. 

First swim in February 2021 after I graduated from my treatment on Nov 30

I had the best support crew during my journey. A few, yes, but they were all I needed. Only a handful of family and friends. I was really happy with that decision. I blocked all the negativity that can and will harm me. I chose to be private with this matter because I know people will label you or pity you. But the fact is, we’re still living. There is no weakness in any of this. The diagnosis and the disease don’t have to be a definition of who we are. I can’t let it define me. And I am going to do so with a good attitude.

“Don’t waste your precious time”

Always choose positivity. Choose kindness. Choose what’s good for you and your soul. Eliminate toxic people in your life. Always be positive especially with your outlook in life. It is how you perceive life.

If you need help, ask for it. Don’t be embarrassed; everyone is struggling in their own way. It is important that we take care of ourselves so we can take care of the people we love. But we have to love and take care of ourselves first in order to do that. Do what you love. Don’t waste your precious time. Say ‘I love you’ while you still can. Show it while you still can. Do things you love while you can. I was at my fittest when I got diagnosed with cancer and in a snap my health was taken away from me—coming from a person who’s rarely sick, who doesn’t even go to the hospital and doesn’t drink medicine when sick, who just did Ironmans and Spartans. Who would have thought? But I’m still here.  

Sheilla Gagui: ‘We can come back stronger’

Sheilla Gagui, breast cancer survivor and Ironwoman

Our “youngest” member is Rachel Sheila Gagui, 41, a housewife, mother of two and a dazzling triathlete—by that, I mean she’s drop-dead gorgeous, is also a gymnast, and knocks down Ironman races like nobody’s business.

It was May 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. “It was like my world fell apart when I found out, because I was at my fittest when I was diagnosed; I had just finished my Full Ironman at Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, in 2019, and was training for a back-to-back Full Ironman and the Berlin Marathon for 2020. Plus, I never got sick.”

Of course she asked, “Why me?” But even then, this fighter knew, “I could beat this, and I was going to do so with a good attitude. I stayed strong for myself so I could stay strong for my kids and husband. I knew that there would be a good outcome for all this.”

Sheila actually breast-fed her kids until the age of 2, and even donated breastmilk to hospitals and friends. “I remember bringing my breast pump everywhere, even if I was doing a 200-kilometer bike ride! If I wanted to continue my triathlon, I had to continue being a mom to my kids.” Her husband’s dad had passed away of pancreatic cancer in 2017, so her family was actually terrified—but she told them, “It’s not as if we can’t beat it.”

Sheila had surgery, a mastectomy and chemotherapy. “One of the most difficult parts for me was the drawing of blood every three weeks before and after chemo, because they couldn’t find my veins anymore. Plus, the fatigue sets in; I couldn’t go biking or running with my family because I felt tired easily. It was frustrating.” Dealing with this during lockdown was an even bigger challenge. “You had to take care of your body, plus your mental health, too.”

To motivate herself, Sheila vowed to do a triathlon again after it was over. “Yes, we got sick, but we can come back stronger. We are stronger than we think.” How does she deal with the survivor’s omnipresent reality of a recurrence? “I pray. I work out. My mindset is, if it’s meant to be, it will be. So I’m just doing whatever makes me happy. Happiness is very important. It is the key to a longer life. No negative thoughts.”

Her work now, Sheila says, is to inspire people to get a life after cancer.

“You can still get back up and pick up where you left off.”

Which is exactly what she did: After finishing her chemo in Nov. 2020, she ran her first 70.3-km race in March 2022, and has since raced—and placed—in August, September and October. Talk about a strong finish!

SOURCE: What we can learn from this triathlete’s cancer experience – Multisport.ph

Winning the Race Against Breast Cancer – Santé PH Store

Welcome to The Life Doula Podcast:

Where each story shared is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Today, we delve into the world of triumph against adversity as we hear empowering journeys of those who have faced the most aggressive forms of breast cancer and emerged victorious. I’m your host, Charity Marohombsar , and in this episode, we bring you the remarkable story of a Triple Negative Breast Cancer survivor who proved that resilience and willpower can conquer even the toughest challenges. Guest: Sheilla Gagui

Thoroughbred Champions | Horse Family Tree: r/Useful Charts

Secretariat’s mother, Somethingroyal, was a remarkable Thoroughbred mare

Born on July 16, 1952, at The Meadow in Virginia, owned by Christopher Chenery. Sired by Princequillo, a stamina-rich stallion, and out of Imperatrice, a speedy mare, she blended endurance and pace in her pedigree—traits that would define her legendary son. Somethingroyal raced lightly, running six times at ages two and three with modest results: one win, two seconds, and a third. Her true legacy emerged as a broodmare. Over 20 years, she produced 18 foals, including four stakes winners, with Secretariat, born March 30, 1970, as her crowning achievement.

Her role in Secretariat’s story began with a coin toss in 1969 between Chenery’s daughter, Penny, and Ogden Phipps. Phipps won, choosing a filly from Hasty Matelda, leaving Penny with Somethingroyal’s unborn foal by Bold Ruler—Secretariat. Known for her strong build and calm demeanor, Somethingroyal nurtured Secretariat’s early days at The Meadow, where he stood out as a robust, eager colt. She lived until January 8, 1983, dying at 30 from a ruptured intestine, having left an indelible mark on racing history through her Triple Crown-winning son. 

The journey began under the bright skies of Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby awaited. As the gates flew open, Secretariat settled into his rhythm, biding his time as the field thundered around the track. Then, as they charged into the homestretch, he made his move. His greatest rival, Sham, fought to keep up, but Secretariat had another gear—one no other horse could match. With each stride, he pulled ahead, crossing the finish line two lengths in front. It was the fastest Derby ever run.

Two weeks later, at Pimlico Race Course, the Preakness Stakes unfolded in dramatic fashion. The crowd gasped as Secretariat, without warning, surged forward on the first turn—a bold, unexpected move rarely seen so early in a race. His jockey, Ron Turcotte, simply let him go. The colt’s acceleration was breathtaking, his speed almost supernatural. He stormed ahead, never looking back, and claimed the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

But it was at Belmont Park, on a warm June afternoon, that Secretariat became a legend. The air was thick with anticipation. No horse had won the Triple Crown in 25 years, and many doubted it would ever happen again. As the race began, Secretariat and Sham locked into an early duel, matching each other stride for stride. Then, on the backstretch, it happened.

Secretariat began to pull away. First by a length. Then two. Then five. The crowd roared as the gap widened. The chestnut colt, bathed in sunlight, was running as if he had no limits. His strides were impossibly smooth, his speed increasing rather than fading. The rest of the field was left in the distance, struggling to keep up. By the final turn, Secretariat was alone—his lead stretching with every powerful step.

As he charged toward the wire, 31 lengths ahead, the crowd was no longer cheering; they were in awe. It was not just a victory—it was domination, a performance so perfect that it seemed almost unreal. He shattered the world record for a mile and a half, a time that still stands today.

In that moment, Secretariat became immortal. He had not just won the Triple Crown—he had redefined what a racehorse could be.

May 5 1973 post race…

Sham’s team was heartbroken…It was a stunned silence…no one knew what to say… they had just watched their horse run the Kentucky Derby in 1:59 4/5 and not win…A stunned Sigmund Sommer quietly said Secretariat beat us fair and square. As Pincay brought Sham over to meet Frank Martin, Martin and groom Gato noticed blood trickling from Sham’s mouth. Martin struggled to stop the bleeding, there was so much blood Gato was sickened by the sight and he had to be removed from the area.

It took almost half an hour to stop the bleeding. Two teeth were knocked loose on the gate, Martin remarked that Sham looked like a four-legged hockey player. Pincay said I didn’t think anyone would be able to catch him… I still had some horse at the finish. On this afternoon Sham with a time of 1:59 4/5 broke Northern Dancer’s record of two minutes flat, Martin was right when he predicted Sham could do it. Sham ran faster in losing the derby than any horse( previously) had ever done in winning. Martin pointed out.

God Bless Sham for the horse that he was, he’s probably still chasing Secretariat above!

From Sham fb page.

The move Secretariat put on around the first turn, exploding from the back of the pack to the front in 15 seconds, was one of the freakiest things he did.

Many observers, including Secretariat’s trainer, Lucien Laurin, thought jockey Ron Turcotte had moved too soon and might pay for his impatience. Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. loved what he saw from atop Secretariat’s chief rival, Sham, figuring Secretariat would be a sitting duck by the stretch run.

“Well, you saw what happened,” Pincay said recently, reflecting on the duel.

Turcotte did not like the slow early pace set by Ecole Etage, so with the slightest movement of his hands – he equated it to pulling a shirt collar straight – he asked the rocket ship he was aboard to launch. Once Secretariat fired, no horse, not even a game Sham, had the juice to catch up.

SECRETARIAT

“He’s 1,100 pounds of baby fat, eats too much and too often. The only reason he doesn’t eat more is because he’s too busy sleeping. He only does what he wants to do, exactly when he wants to do it. He lays against the back of the starting gate like he’s in a hammock in the Caribbean. When he finally does get out of the gate, it takes him forever to find his stride.”

~ Lucien Laurin, Secretariat’s trainer

Did You Know? Secretariat wasn’t just an extraordinary horse because of his speed—he was built differently. His heart was three times the size of an average horse’s heart, giving him a massive cardiovascular advantage. But that wasn’t all. His stride angle, the distance between his front and rear legs as they stretched during each step, was much wider than most other racehorses.

Secretariat’s stride angle was a massive 110°—much greater than the typical 80° to 90° seen in most horses. And here’s where it gets impressive: researchers found that every degree a horse increases their stride angle results in a 2% increase in stride length. This means that with just a 10° increase, a horse like Secretariat could cover 20% more ground with each stride! A true physical marvel, his body gave him the ability to fly across the track in ways no other horse could. It’s no wonder Secretariat became the legend he is—his unique physical traits made him a one-of-a-kind racehorse!

Secretariat had a Heart of a Champion – SearchSecretariat had an unusually large heart, estimated at 22 pounds, while the average Thoroughbred heart is 8.5 pounds. This tremendous cardiovascular system, pumping oxygen into his lungs at an abnormally high rate, was clearly a source of his stamina and power. Upon Secretariat’s death from laminitis in 1989, an autopsy revealed that his heart was about 2.5 times larger than an average horse. This fact confirmed what every racing fan already knew—that Secretariat had the heart of a champion. 

TwinSpires+2

Secretariat From the first time he saw Secretariat, Ron Turcotte knew this horse was special. He loved Secretariat’s playful spirit, his easy disposition, his complete absence of meanness, observing once, “You could ride him any way you wanted. And what a heart. He would go through anything. He never backed down. He’d fly around turns

“I Never Saw A Horse Look Like That Before”

One elderly turf-writer who had seen the grandmothers but never the grandson was quietly awaiting the colt’s arrival for the fourth. (Allowance, July 31, 1972).

Wearing tinted glasses and a summer suit, smoking mentholated cigarettes in a holder, his gray hair drawn back, his voice carried along on the soft southerlies of an old Louisville accent, Charles Hatton sat on a bench near the paddock and watched for Secretariat.

Hatton had been coming to the races for more than fifty years, working around them almost as long. His tutor was the former black slave and the rider of Ten Broeck, Billy Walker. Walker had retired as a jockey and was timing horses in Kentucky when Hatton came under his tutorial care. Billy Walker taught him the intricacies of a horse’s conformation—the proper angulation of the skeletal parts, the muscular investiture, the set of the eyes and the jowls and the length of the cannon bone relative to the length of the forearm. Horses were anatomical puzzles, all of a piece but in pieces.

Hatton had no way of knowing it then as he sat on the bench, but there was a young racehorse turning the corner of the racetrack—perhaps 150 yards away—who would fulfill some ideal that he had been turning over in his head since Billy Walker put it there more than fifty years ago.

Secretariat walked down the pathway toward the paddock, toward the towering canopy of trees above the saddling area, toward Hatton, who saw the colt and came to his feet. The red horse filled Hatton’s eyes for an instant, not striding into his field of vision but swimming into it, pulling Hatton from the bench to a standstill before him.

Hatton had seen thousands of horses in his life, thousands of two-year-olds, and suddenly on this July afternoon of 1972 he found the 106-carat diamond: “It was like seeing a bunch of gravel and there was the Kohinoor lying in there. It was so unexpected. I thought, ‘Jesus Christ, I never saw a horse look in his eyes like Secretariat

Sovereignty is a fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat, and just won this year’s Kentucky Derby 

Sovereignty is a fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat, and he recently won the Kentucky Derby1. He is the son of Into Mischief and Crowned1. Trained by a top-tier team, Sovereignty showcased his potential in various preparatory races2.  

What’s its pedigree?

Sire: Into Mischief

Dam: Crowned by Bernardini.

Sovereignty was bred in Kentucky by Godolphin.

Who is the horse’s trainer?

Bill Mott, 71, of South Dakota is Sovereignty’s trainer. Prior to his win Saturday, Mott had one other win in 13 Derby starts with Country House via disqualification in 2019.  

Who’s its jockey?

Prior to Saturday, Alvarado, 38, had five Kentucky Derby starts under his belt with the best finish coming on Mohayem (fourth) in 2026.

Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado, 38, described the win as a “dream come true” that “meant the world to me.”

“I thought I had a great chance,” said Alvarado, thanking Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott, for sticking by him even through an injury.  

Who owns the horse?

Godolphin LLC, which was founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai.

SOVEREIGNTY TURNED ON THE JETS DOWN THE STRETCH TO WIN THE 151ST KENTUCKY DERBY! 

Secretariat was going to win Saturday’s Kentucky Derby no matter what.

2025 Kentucky Derby: Every horse in field a descendant of the horse racing GOAT Secretariat

That includes Sovereignty, who showed great come-from-behind speed to win on the messy track at Churchill Downs.

Sovereignty is a fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat.

MORE: How Secretariat is related to every horse from 2025 Kentucky Derby

He also can claim as ancestors two of the other greatest race horses ever, Seattle Slew and Affirmed.

Sovereignty is the son of Into Mischief and Crowned. Into Mischief raced six times in his career, with three wins and three places. His mother never raced.

The great-grandsire of Sovereignty is Bernardini, who won the 2006 Preakness.

Other pieces of Sovereignty’s pedigree, according to the Louisville Courier Journal:

• Spectacular Bird
• A.P. Indy
• Unbridled
• Storm Cat

Not a bad group to draw genes from.

The Sporting News 

More on how the Secretariat is related to every horse. https://sn-now.com/4iOEJVv

MORE: Why Secretariat’s records have never been broken 

2025 Kentucky Derby Results – Search Videos

Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989),

Also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who was the ninth winner of the American Triple Crown, setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three of its constituent races. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and his record-breaking victory in the Belmont Stakes, which he won by 31 lengths, is often considered the greatest race ever run by a thoroughbred racehorse. During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honors at ages two and three. He was nominated to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, Secretariat was second to Man o’ War.

At age two, Secretariat finished fourth in his 1972 debut in a maiden race, but then won seven of his remaining eight starts, including five stakes victories. His only loss during this period was in the Champagne Stakes, where he finished first but was disqualified to second for interference. He received the Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old colt, and also was the 1972 Horse of the Year, a rare honor for a horse so young.

At age three, Secretariat not only won the Triple Crown, but he also set speed records in all three races. His time in the Kentucky Derby still stands as the Churchill Downs track record for 1+¹⁄₄ miles, and his time in the Belmont Stakes stands as the American record for 1+¹⁄₂ miles on the dirt. In 2012, his actual time of 1:53 in the Preakness Stakes was recognized as a stakes record after an official review.

Secretariat’s win in the Gotham Stakes tied the track record for 1 mile, he set a world record in the Marlboro Cup at 1+¹⁄₈ miles and further proved his versatility by winning two major stakes races on turf. He lost three times that year: in the Wood Memorial, Whitney, and Woodward Stakes, but the brilliance of his nine wins made him an American icon. He won his second Horse of the Year title, plus Eclipse Awards for champion three-year-old colt and champion turf horse.

At the beginning of his three-year-old year, Secretariat was syndicated for a record-breaking $6.08 million (equivalent to $43.1 million in 2024), on the condition that he be retired from racing by the end of the year. Although he sired several successful racehorses, he ultimately was most influential through his daughters’ offspring, becoming the leading broodmare sire in North America in 1992. His daughters produced several notable sires, including Storm Cat, A.P. Indy, Gone West, Dehere, Summer Squall, and Chief’s Crown, and through them Secretariat appears in the pedigree of many modern champions. Secretariat died in 1989 as a result of laminitis at age 19.  Source: Secretariat (horse) – Wikipedia 

And since Big Red was a direct descendent of Man a War, all 2025 Derby horses were descendants of Man a War. This is the non photoshopped version of his win at the 1973 Belmont Stakes…31 lengths clear of the entire field. To this day, he still finishes 2 seconds faster & approximately 110 FEET ahead of the second-fastest horse to ever run that race  To think 52 years later Secretariat still holds the records for the fastest Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont is mind blowing   

Secretariat was great to watch. Derby was 1.59, Preakness 1.53 Belmont 2.24 track record 31 lengths in front of pack Has Sired 660Beautiful to watch big red

If you’re wondering how every horse in the Kentucky Derby was a direct fifth descendant of Secretariat…

Wouldn’t he have been great, great, great, great, great grandfather or more to them, all starting with when he was alive and retired and used for stud with a multitude of pedigree females and then all those children had children for several more generations until here, we are today???

That’s the amazing thing. Today’s meds, feeds, foods, training, travel, track, housing or boarding if you will, all better, yet records stand!!!!!

He had a heart 3x larger and stride longer than all the others. Look it up his stride was 20% longer than the average racehorse.Secretariat was a damn freight train coming down the track and his will and love to run was 100% more than others. And look at the competition!! Holy cow those were some big contenders!

Absolutely beautiful…one of the astounding numbers to me was he ran the first 1-1/4 in the Belmont faster than he ran the Derby! And just think The second fastest Belmont Stakes winner ever loses to Secretariat by 8 to 10 lengths! However, after seeing that 9 track records were set that weekend you don’t believe that the track was prepared for record setting times. 

Never another has filled those Horseshoes the Belmont time will never be broken, it’s a full 2 seconds over second best. The other two records are a fraction of a second, half second tops, but 2 seconds in a century plus of racing is a big deal and preserves his legacy. 

However, with the genetic advancements in recent years coupled with the understanding of how his biomechanical makeup very much contributed to his success, and the horrible frequency with which young horses are breaking down and dying on the track, I predict in the future the Thoroughbred closed blood book may allow for some modern-day manipulation.

He looked back at the field going around the final turn. And he looked at the clock as they crossed the finish line. I just can’t believe every time his back hoofs hit the dirt he’s covered 24 feet 11inches!! That’s just hard to comprehend. He was the greatest thoroughbred and Ronnie Turcotte’s story is amazing too When he was passing Sham on the end of the backstretch, you can see Secretariat was taking a little over 3 strides to Sham’s 4 and not even working that hard.

Turcotte said after the race, he wasn’t even breathing that hard and when he removed the saddle, he hadn’t sweated under it. Look at his neck… no sweat or lather. Just an amazing horse. When they asked Ron Turcotte why he turned around he said he was curious why he didn’t hear any horse behind him…wow! Crazy… him and sham had 10 lengths on the field before he said, “see ya later sham”. poor sham.

That pace was too much, and he fell off hard. 

Sham broke his cannon bone during the race, which is why he fell back into the field. Although Secretariat most likely would have still won, Sham would have been a close second if it weren’t for the injury. Always felt bad for Sham, he was a beast himself compared to most other racehorses back then…just unfortunately for him, Secretariat was alive at the same time.

Sham was an impressive racehorse, no doubt, but Secretariat was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. The comparison to Tiger Woods is spot-on—just as Tiger redefined golf, Secretariat dominated horse racing in a way that left even the best in his dust. That 1973 Belmont Stakes performance, winning by 31 lengths, is still one of the greatest moments in sports history!  

Sham was a solid horse not a great one. Five horses not named Secretariat defeated him in various races, but he had the misfortune of running against a true legend.

He would have beaten Seattle Slew by 25+ lengths, & he was the next triple crown winner. Imagine his time if there had been another horse anywhere nearby… With no one in sight, Big Red jogged home the last 1/4 in 25 sec.

However, He almost didn’t leave that legacy. In the beginning of his stud career he couldn’t settle a mare. The owners tried to collect insurance for the loss. Lloyd‘s of London told them they had to try one more time. The only mare in the pasture that could be caught that day and was in heat was an Appaloosa mare belonging to one of the grooms. (Just grab her. It doesn’t matter.) ) It worked.

She gave birth to a blanketed stud colt that was named First Secretary. The Appaloosa world was ecstatic. Secretariat genes are coming through more from the mares he sired rather than Secretariat colts. Super mares.  Doesn’t explain at all how every horse is a direct descendant…. Forgot to mention how much they breed him after these iconic wins until he was put down for laminitis. And also funny enough, his “daughters” are the ones who keep siring the great racing horses.

No, winning the Belmont, doesn’t not explain how all the derby runners were his descendants. But he was not bred any more than any other top Thoroughbred. It is a well-known phenomenon in TB breeding that some stallions are “broodmare” sires. Their sons may be good, but their daughters’ offspring are outstanding.   

Secretariat was one of these.  

Secretariat’s most outstanding trait was his heart, which was 3 times the size of a normal thoroughbred’s. Incidentally, that particular trait, often referred to as the X factor, is only passed down from father to daughter. For some horses their best breeding comes through on the female side and that’s true with Secretariat.

Therefore, Secretariat’s best descendants were the sons of his daughters, the two most notable were Storm Cat, whose mother was Terlingua, and AP Indy, whose mother was Weekend Surprise. Either Storm Cat or AP Indy appear in the pedigrees of all of the horses in the Derby this year, so two generations further back you find the greatest broodmare sire of all time, Secretariat. 

Secretariat sired more than 660 registered foals in his lifetime, with several such sires or dams showing up in each Kentucky Derby horse’s pedigree. I remember the exhilaration following Secretariat in 73. He was running to be the first Triple Crown champion in 25 years. The greatest horse to ever race. sired over 650 colts which spread his DNA far and wide in the horse racing world that is how it came to be.

 I heard Sovereignty had Secretariat and Northern Dancer Bloodlines.   Every time I watch the Belmont race when Secretariat is rounding the far turn, passing a huge American Flag, while the announcer yells ‘ he’s running like a tremendous machine’ I get goose bumps! lol Wow, beautiful! I saw Secretariat lose to a horse named Onion in Saratoga and collected $10 on the win ticket

Fun fact: to be registered as a thoroughbred, the mare must be live covered by the stallion. There’s no “sperm floating around” out there from Secretariat. Other breeds use/allow Artificial Insemination, thoroughbred registry does not allow/recognize it. 

SECRETARIAT – Big Red’s Last Race – Part I

SECRETARIAT – Big Red’s Last Race – Part II

Secretariat – the movie – is a wonderful movie. 

Secretariat (2010) Welcome to the movies and televisionHave watched it many times and it still brings tears to my eyes!! What a horse!!

The ESPN special that was made in 1999 when Secretariat was named the 35th greatest athlete of the 20th century is available on YouTube – Search

Secretariat – All 3 1973 Triple Crown Races – 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes

 I believe. It’s certainly worth your time to watch it.

Kentucky Derby start time:

Post time for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is 7:02 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 3.

Although the theme song of the TV show Mr. Ed tried to tell us all differently (“A horse is a horse, of course, of course…”), s0 a horse is not just any horse where Thoroughbreds are concerned. S0 I’m taking you way back to explore the “founding fathers” of the modern Thoroughbred racehorse.

Thoroughbred horses have minutely monitored family trees—called pedigrees—that allow their breeders, owners, and trainers to prove one very important fact: that every horse registered as a Thoroughbred must be able to trace its lineage far back to three influential horses, called “foundation sires.”

The Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerly Turk landed on English soil from the Middle East in the seventeenth century, imported by three savvy horsemen intent on improving the native English breed.

Likewise, in 1730, another horseman sent a Thoroughbred named Bulle Rock—bred from the Darley Arabian and a Byerly Turk mare—to the colony of Virginia for the purpose of creating a faster, stronger, American-bred equine family.

Over the next century over 300 more imported Thoroughbreds would reach America to found dynasties of their own, many establishing kingdoms in the Bluegrass region of what would soon be the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

TOP to Bottom

The Darley Arabian
The Godolphin Arabian
The Byerly Turk
Julie Wear, 1991
Oil on canvas

Kentucky Derby Museum Permanent Collection

Godolphin’s Kentucky Derby hope! SOVEREIGNTY comes from last to first in 2025 Fountain of Youth! / The ancestry of thoroughbred horses can be traced back to one of three ‘foundation’ sires – the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerly Turk. 1. Sovereignty is a serious Kentucky Derby contender 2 5 . He has a combination of tactical speed and finishing power that makes him a classic prospect 2 . Sovereignty is the initial stakes runner produced from the unraced Bernardini mare Crowned, 3 who is out of Grade-1 winning millionaire Mushka 1 4 .

Sovereignty wins the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby – NewsBreak

Over a century and a half after Bulle Rock reached American shores, fifteen horses went to post in the inaugural Kentucky Derby, held at the new Louisville Jockey Club course in Louisville, Kentucky on May 17, 1875. Each of the fifteen sported impressive pedigrees that included the names of the greatest sires in American history somewhere in their charts: thirteen could claim descent from Sir Archy (occasionally spelled “Archie”), twelve claimed Boston, nine claimed Lexington, and so on.

 But all of them, through the many generations of sires and dams that came before, still carried the blood of those three stallions from the Middle East, by way of Britain.

Those bloodlines lived on in the twentieth century equine heroes and heroines of the Kentucky Derby. The 1926 first and second place finishers, Bubbling Over and Bagenbaggage, were bred by E. R. Bradley at his Idle Hour Stock Farm. One of Bradley’s most prolific and influential sires, Black Toney, would produce Derby winners Black Gold (1924) and Brokers Tip (1933).

Regret, the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 1915, came from another important sire line in Derby history. Her sire, Broomstick, was the progeny of Ben Brush, winner of the 1896 Kentucky Derby. Ben Brush’s line runs back to other Thoroughbreds, like: Bramble, Bonnie Scotland, Leamington, Eclipse, and Lexington. And, of course, the Darley and Godolphin Arabians and the Byerly Turk.

What Are The Three Sires The Thoroughbred Ancestry Traces Back To?

Published by Clayton Newton on November 29, 2022

Most racehorses traced back to single ancestor
Science Editor, Steve Connor

Do All Thoroughbred Horses Have A Common Ancestor? – Great American Adventures
A genetic analysis of more than 200 thoroughbreds and a computer check of a million race-horse pedigrees has confirmed the highly inbred status of the modern racing champion.

Professor Patrick Cunningham of Trinity College, Dublin, said a combination of modern molecular genetics and a trawl through 300 years of pedigree stud books has identified the key ancestors of the half-million thoroughbreds in the world today.

Scientists trace origin of ‘speed gene’ in modern racehorses to a British mare of 300 years ago. One stallion, a bay colt called the Darley Arabian, stands out.

The study found that his Y chromosome, which carries the male genes, is found in 95 per cent of modern thoroughbred stallions. The Darley Arabian was born in 1700 and brought to England from Syria in 1704 by the British consul of the day, Thomas Darley, who made the stallion into a champion stud.

A mare called Tregonwell’s Natural Barb contributed the largest proportion – 14 percent – of the genes passed down the female line of racehorses, Professor Cunningham told the British Association’s Festival of Science in Dublin. By analysing the pedigree status of all horses registered in the General Stud Book over the past three centuries, Professor Cunningham found that a small number of stallions began to emerge as the founders of the male line.

“In the early days there was some jockeying for position between the early stallions but after about 70 years, some dropped away and three survived,” he said. The three stallions found to contribute most of the genes to today’s stallions were the Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Godolphin Barb, “and eventually the Darley Arabian raced to supremacy,” Professor Cunningham told the conference.

The findings came out of a wider scientific investigation into the genetics of the thoroughbred racehorse, the origin of which began when about 80 horses from the Middle East and North Africa were imported into England for breeding. An analysis of the pedigree status and the DNA of about 211 race horses showed that most of the genes of this original group of 80 have been lost over time, Professor Cunningham said.

“The effective number of founders was about 28 – there were about 28 horses contributing pretty well to all the genes in today’s population, that’s despite the fact that there were about 80 horses recorded in the first stud book,” he said. “We’ve been able to measure the contribution of these founders to today’s population and the top 10 contribute about 80 per cent of the genes,” he said.

“We’ve measured the inbreeding over that time and there’s about a 15 per cent accumulation of inbreeding. For every two horses in our sample we were able to get a molecular measure of their relationship. It turned out that on average that was 47 per cent, so any two horses share 47 per cent of their genes,” he said.

Virtually all 500,000 of the world’s thoroughbred racehorses are descended from 28 ancestors, born in the 18th and 19th centuries 2. Up to 95% of male thoroughbreds can be traced back to just one stallion 2. 

Researchers have claimed that all the best thoroughbreds of racing are very distantly related after tracing the ‘speed gene’ they all share to a single ancestor from the 17th century 3. These Arabian horses were imported into England between the late 17th and early 18th Century by gentlemen who wanted to breed better racehorses.  

What are the three major bloodlines of horses?

THREE BLOODLINES THAT SHAPED HORSE RACING. History states that Henry VIII, his daughter, Elizabeth 1, and then the subsequent Stewart monarchs, had over time laid down rules and regulations to govern the breeding of horses and the records of which sire mated with which mate to produce which offspring.

What are thoroughbreds descended from?

All modern Thoroughbreds trace back to three stallions imported into England from the Middle East in the late 17th and early 18th centuries: the Byerley Turk (1680s), the Darley Arabian (1704), and the Godolphin Arabian (1729).

What are foundation sires names?

Foundation Sires. Breed histories of the Thoroughbred often focus on the three foundation sires — the Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Arabian — who were brought to England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and crossed on English and imported mares.

Are there any horses with Secretariat bloodline?

Today, there are two living Secretariat offspring: 34-year-old Border Run and 33-year-old Trusted Company, both of whom celebrated birthdays on Jan. 1, reports Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

What is the best bloodline horse?

When it comes to breeding, there are multiple ranch and Quarter horse bloodlines famous for producing top-quality horses. Seven of the most famous ranch and quarter horse bloodlines are Doc Bar, Driftwood, Two Eyed Jack, Joe Hancock, Playgun, Old Sorrel, and Peppy San Badger.

What are the 3 types of cowboy horses?

In the old west, cowboys rode all kinds of different breeds, but some were more popular than others-quarter horses were by far the favorite because of their speed, athletic ability, and hardiness. Other common breeds included the Appaloosa, Morgan, and American Quarter Horse.

What two breeds make a Morgan horse?

The founding stallion of the breed was a horse named Figure, owned by Vermont schoolteacher Justin Morgan in the late 1700s. No one knows for certain what Figure’s pedigree was, but it’s generally accepted that it was the offspring of horses with Arabian, thoroughbred, and perhaps Welsh cob or Friesian bloodlines.

Secretariat Heart Of A Champion

this is a short documentary on the amazing Secretariat who will be forever remembered!

What bloodline was Secretariat from?

Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler and his dam was Somethingroyal, a daughter of Princequillo. 

Bold Ruler was the leading sire in North America from 1963 to 1969 and again in 1973.

What breeds make up a Thoroughbred horse?

The term Thoroughbred describes a breed of horse whose ancestry traces back to three foundation sires — the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerly Turk.

Are Thoroughbreds descended from Arabians?

The key to the Thoroughbred’s greatness is its speed and endurance, for which it has been bred for over 300 years. The Thoroughbred originated in Great Britain and its genetic origin is Arabian. The “foundation” stallions of the breed were: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian and the Godolphin Arabian.

Do Thoroughbreds have Arabian in them?

One of the hard and fast rules of the Thoroughbred breed is that a registered horse must have descended from one of three foundation sires: The Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, or the Byerley Turk.

What are the 3 types of foundations?

There are three main foundation types: full basement, crawl space and concrete slab.

What are the three parts of a foundation?

First, the footing is placed. Second, the walls are constructed and poured. Lastly, the slab is placed.

What are the 4 types of foundation?

• Types of Foundation and their Uses.
• Spread footings or Strip footings and Wall footings.
• Raft or Mat Foundations.
• Pile Foundations.
• Drilled Shafts or Caisson Foundation.

Who owned Secretariat when he died?

Helen “Penny” Chenery, owner of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat and a well-loved figure in her own right as a champion of Thoroughbreds and women in business and sports, died Sept. 16, in her Colorado home following complications from a stroke. She was 95.

Who is Secretariat’s most famous offspring?

Secretariat is best known for his daughters and in 1992 was the leading sire of broodmares in North America. The most successful racehorse he ever produced was Lady’s Secret, a multiple stakes winner that won an Eclipse Award as horse of the year.

Sovereignty is a fifth-generation descendant of Secretariat,

and just won this year’s Kentucky Derby

Is the Secretariat buried whole?

Secretariat, Mr. Prospector, Round Table, Nijinsky and Swale are all buried whole. Even more rare than being buried whole, Secretariat and Man O’ War were both embalmed as well. Secretariat’s last footage.

10 Things you didn’t know about Secretariat

And of course, this horse went Last to First Secretariat – Preakness Stakes

We all know Secretariat is Truly Epic, but let’s not forget how good of a horse Sham was.

Who was the greatest racehorse sire of all time?

No. 1: First Down Dash, $89,707,366. Inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2011, First Down Dash is arguably the greatest race sire of all time. From 31 crops to race, First Down Dash has sired 1,462 winners, which includes 258 stakes winners.

What is the rarest horse breed on earth?

The rarest horse breeds in the world are the Sorraia, Nokota Horse, Galiceño, Dales Pony, and the Choctaw Indian Pony. There are less than 250 of each of these horse breeds globally, making them critically endangered. Conservation efforts are currently ongoing to try and save these endangered horse breeds.

15 Greatest Race Horses That Have Ever Graced Our Planet !

🏇 Greatest Horse Races: Legends of the Turf Unveiled! 🏇 Watch our “Top 10 Legendary Racehorses of the 21st Century!” video here:   • Top 10 Legendary Racehorses of the 21st Century | Unforgettable Champions and Their Stories – YouTube

🔥 #HorseRacingHistory #EquestrianTales 🔥 Seabiscuit – Dive into Seabiscuit’s legacy, an emblem of American horse racing.

Witness how this underdog inspired a nation during its toughest times, showcasing the #PowerOfPerseverance.

Red Rum – Relive the drama of the British Isles with Red Rum, a symbol of endurance and #TripleCrown aspirations. Discover the legend that left the world in awe.

Spectacular Bid – Step into the vibrant 70s, unveiling Spectacular Bid’s thrilling escapades. With unmatched prowess, this #RacingProdigy changed the course of horse racing.

Kincsem – Venture into Europe’s rich tapestry with Kincsem, the unbeatable mare. Explore her tales that made her a horse racing sensation, setting the #GoldStandard in equestrian performances. Sea Bird – Experience the beauty of French racing history with Sea Bird. His tales of sheer excellence are a testament to the #EleganceOfHorseRacing.

Makybe Diva – Celebrate Makybe Diva, the pride of Australia’s horse racing scene. Dive deep into her unmatched legacy, an epitome of #EquestrianBrilliance.

Seattle Slew – Relish the legacy of Seattle Slew, a 70s icon who combined grace with unmatched power, marking his name in the #HorseRacingHallOfFame.

American Pharoah – Explore the tales of American Pharoah, who not only clinched titles but also captured hearts, showcasing #RacingRoyalty at its finest. Cigar – Step into the 90s with Cigar, whose victories and global appeal reshaped the #WorldOfHorseRacing.

Zenyatta – Experience Zenyatta, the equine queen of the 21st century. Her tales of drama and determination have redefined #EquestrianLegends.

Phar Lap – Explore Phar Lap’s mystique, whose tales of victories and undying spirit remain a cornerstone in the #EpicsofEquine.

Black Caviar – Celebrate the tales of Black Caviar, Australia’s sprinting sensation, setting #RacecourseRecords that still dazzle.

Frankel – Dive into the modern legends with Frankel, the UK’s unbeaten marvel, a testament to #BritishHorseRacing supremacy.

Man o’ War – Revel in the tales of Man o’ War, a timeless icon, and discover why he remains the #EquineGoldStandard.

Secretariat – Stand in awe of Secretariat, the ultimate racing legend, whose tales of unmatched brilliance resonate in every #RacingChronicle.

Thoroughbreds get their speed from just a few ancestors

Conclusion: From the racecourses to legends, these titans have left legacies that inspire.

Relive these tales of determination, brilliance, and unparalleled spirit.

#ThoroughbredHeroes #EquineEpics #RacecourseRoyalty #TurfTitans #GallopingGlory 🌌🏇

Legends of Horse Racing: TOP 10 Greatest Thoroughbreds of All Time

Horse racing, a sport steeped in tradition and adrenaline, has witnessed the rise of numerous extraordinary athletes over the years. Among them, a select few have etched their names into the annals of history as the greatest thoroughbreds to ever grace the tracks. In this video, we embark on a thrilling journey through time to uncover the top 10 legendary horses whose feats of speed, endurance, and sheer brilliance have captivated the hearts of racing enthusiasts worldwide.

 👉 Get expert race tips & strategies here: https://topracetips.com/ 🐴: Spectacular Bid, Black Caviar, Zenyatta, Frankel, Seabiscuit, Citation, Deep Impact, Phar Lap, Man o’ War, Secretariat

Legends of Horse Racing: TOP 10 Greatest Thoroughbreds of All Time

HORSES WHO NEVER LOST A SINGLE RACE IN THEIR WHOLE LIFE.

Peppers Pride – Unmatched Perfection in New Mexico 🇺🇲 Discover Peppers Pride, the embodiment of resilience and excellence in horse racing. 🏇✨ Born in New Mexico, she captured hearts with a perfect record of 19 wins, becoming a local legend. A beacon of perfection, her story is a testament to the pursuit of excellence. #PeppersPride #PerfectRecord #RacingLegend 

Personal Ensign – The Epitome of Will and Perfection 🇺🇲 Celebrate Personal Ensign, a symbol of undying will and racing perfection. 🌟🐴 With 13 wins from 13 starts, her dramatic victory in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff left an indelible mark on the sport. Her legacy lives on, inspiring both fans and future generations. #PersonalEnsign #UndefeatedLegend #HorseRacingHistory 

Ribot – European Racing’s Unparalleled Legend Honor Ribot, the unparalleled legend of European horse racing. 🏆🇬🇧 With a flawless record of 16 wins, his back-to-back Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victories showcase his exceptional talent. Ribot’s legacy as one of the greatest racehorses endures through his significant impact on the sport. #Ribot #RacingPerfection #LegendaryRacehorse 

Black Caviar – Australia’s Racing Titan Witness the legendary Black Caviar, Australia’s titan of horse racing. 🇦🇺🏇 Her unmatched 25 wins from 25 starts, including a triumphant victory at Royal Ascot, have captivated the world, making her an icon of sporting perfection and a beloved figure in racing folklore. #BlackCaviar #AustralianLegend #RacingIcon 

Frankel – The Embodiment of Racing Perfection Behold Frankel, the pinnacle of racing perfection and equine excellence. 🌟🏇 Born in Great Britain, 🇬🇧 his legendary unbeaten record of 14 wins has set him apart as the greatest racehorse of his generation, captivating fans worldwide with his power and speed.  #Frankel #RacingGreatness #UnbeatenLegend 

Join us in celebrating these incredible stories of undefeated racehorses, whose legacies of perfection and resilience continue to inspire and awe. Which legend amazed you the most? Share your thoughts and join our community of horse racing enthusiasts. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and support our journey through the annals of horse racing history. #UndefeatedRacehorses #HorseRacingLegends #subscribeformore

R.I.P Secretariat, the greatest racehorse to ever set four hooves on a racetrack.

History of the Thoroughbred: Racing Before The Breed for Speed (Part 1) – Diary of an OTTB

History of the Thoroughbred: The Three Foundation Stallions (Part 2) – Diary of an OTTB

History of the Thoroughbred: American Triple Crowns & A Lasting Legacy (Part 3) – Diary of an OTTB

TOP 10 SIRES | WORLD’S HIGHEST STUD FEES | MOST VALUABLE BLOODLINES

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Still peaking: ‘Cancer climber’ finds new ways to keep inspiring

Jon Spencer

Mansfield News Journal

Sean Swarner: The First Cancer Survivor To Stand On Top Of The World | EP. 440

MANSFIELD – Sean Swarner went to great lengths — and greater heights — to practice social distancing even before it became a thing. There was no mass gathering waiting for him when he reached the top of Mount Everest in 2002. Or when he scaled the highest peak on the other six continents to complete the Seven Summits. Or when he trekked to the South Pole in 2015 and the North Pole in 2017.

The 1993 Willard High School graduate literally stood alone in becoming the first cancer survivor to climb Everest as well as the only person to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam — reaching the Seven Summits and both Poles — and finish the Ironman Triathlon, the almost inhuman three-pronged race of swimming, biking and running that he tackled in 2008 at age 34. 

He did it all after surviving two terminal cases of cancer as a teenager and being left with only one functioning lung.

Love of Life Over fear of cancer – Search

But, hey, he’s always had a healthy sense of humor.

“I have no idea why they call it the Explorer’s Grand Slam,” he said recently about being one of only 69 adventurers to accomplish that goal. “To me it sounds like a Denny’s breakfast platter.” You’ve heard about laughter being the best medicine? 

Swarner, as a teenager, needed it in large doses.

Nothing is more devastating than finding out, at 13, you’ve got Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have three months to live. You survive that only to learn, at 16, you have an unrelated form of cancer called Askin’s Sarcoma and are given two weeks to live. He was listed in the medical journals as the only person to ever have both forms of deadly cancer. That’s the kind of distancing from people that no one seeks.

But Swarner beat incredible odds both times and would continue to do so with his inspiring feats of physical and spiritual strength. Each time he completed a leg of the Grand Slam he carried a flag dedicated to everyone impacted in some way by cancer. Inscribed on the rainbow-colored flag he took to the North Pole were 1,960 names and the word HOPE.

“It’s amazing how the body adjusts,” he said. “I think I have one big, bulldog lung that over the years I’ve trained to get stronger and stronger. It’s more psychological than anything else.”  For someone so averse to sitting still and staying put, COVID-19 has probably been every bit as nerve-wracking as walking precariously across aluminum ladders, sometimes three of them fastened together, over bottomless crevasses on his ascent of Everest — all 29,029 feet.

This health crisis has made him stir crazy.

“Last year I put in about 250,000 miles on American Airlines traveling around, making (motivational) presentations,” Swarner said when reached at his home in Castle Rock, Colorado, “and this is the longest I’ve been home in 15 years. So I’m jumping out of my skin to go somewhere and just travel.”

Still climbing

When it’s safer to fly, he’s looking at taking a group, through Swarner Expeditions, to Everest base camp, possibly next spring. The campsites at 17,600 feet on the mountain and takes two weeks to reach. “I would be using that trip as a vehicle to help people overcome their fears and gain their confidence back,” the 45-year-old Swarner said. “It’s kind of like an immersive experience to empower people.”

Swarner estimates he’s been to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa at 19,341 feet, 18 or 19 times. He tries to take a small group up every year and offers a free trip to a cancer survivor. That survivor, in turn, is responsible for using the climb as a fund-raiser to send another survivor the following year.

“It’s kind of paying it forward and keeping it in the cancer community,” Swarner said. “We actually raised enough money to take three survivors this year and would have left (this) week. All three said they want to go next year.” At this point, Swarner could probably scale Kilimanjaro blindfolded.

“I don’t know about that,” he said, laughing, “but they did adopt me into the Chagga Tribe, a local (Tanzanian) tribe at the base of the mountain. They gave me a name in Swahili.”

It’s Mzungu kichaa.

“Loosely translated,” Swarner said, “it means crazy white man.”

  The Power of Resilience with Sean Swarner – YouTube

Love of Life Over fear of cancer – Search

Sounds about right.

Last Friday was the 13th anniversary of Swarner’s ascent of Alaska’s Mount Denali, also known as McKinley, which completed his climb of the Seven Summits in a six-year span.

Eight years would pass before he skied to the South Pole and then three years ago, in April, he made it to the North Pole. That latter adventure — a seven-day, 80-mile journey over floating ice in which his party braved minus-70 wind chills, pulled 150-pound sleds, risked frostbite and kept a wary eye on polar bears — was captured in a one-hour documentary called “True North: The Sean Swarner Story.” It  can be streamed at Amazon.com.

Travel to the North Pole with Sean Swarner

“Both (poles) are unique and have different obstacles to overcome,” Swarner said, “but the North Pole, hands down, is much more dangerous.” Of the 15 people who set out for the North Pole, several had to be evacuated for frostbite or exhaustion, including Swarner’s team doctor.

And for those who made it, the only way they knew they arrived at the earth’s true north (90 degrees north latitude) was by GPS. There’s no land mass, no distinguishing features, just polar ice. And that ice is constantly shifting.

“If you look at the world as a glass of ice water, the northern polar ice cap is like the ice cubes floating on the water,” Swarner said. “You have these arctic currents flowing underneath. One night we set up camp and literally floated 2 miles backwards. It’s insane.

“In the middle of the night, you could hear the ice cracking all around you.”

True North, The Sean Swarner Story is a jaw-dropping look at how far a man will go to feel alive, and to bring hope to millions of people touched by cancer around the world.

When he was young, Swarner was diagnosed with two life threatening forms of cancer. Now, the unshakeable survivor has set his sights on the North Pole. True North follows Swarner as he tries to make history and inspire cancer fighters to keep pushing forward.

Welcome to SurvivorNetTV’s film True North. This documentary follows the story of author and adventurer Sean Swarner as he takes on his most daunting challenge yet.

As a teenager, Swarner was diagnosed with two lethal forms of cancer. Now, he’s trekking to the brutal and unforgiving North Pole. True North is the inspiring account of Swarner’s quest to bring hope to millions of people touched by cancer around the world.

“I didn’t choose to go crawl up in a corner and die and think, ‘Okay, well, that’s it, I’m done, game over,” Swarner tells SurvivorNet about his cancer battles. Swarner was first diagnosed with cancer at just 13-years-old, and was diagnosed with a separate second cancer at 16. His oncologists declared his condition as terminal, and he was told he would only have two weeks to live.

He battled the odds, and he came out on top. “Nobody knows how much time you have left on the planet. So, what I wanted to do was make the most of it. If the prognosis is going to be alive for 14 days, I want to truly love and live life. I still do,” Swarner continues. Swarner is on a mission, a Mission of Hope, a profound and symbolic honor for the millions affected by cancer worldwide. 

He has dedicated each one of his climbs to the cancer patients he hopes to inspire, symbolized by a flag he carries with him to each peak. His exploration to the North Pole is no different. With the help of Vern Yip, television personality and interior designer, Swarner designs the Flag of Hope. Months leading up to his final endeavor, Swarner takes the Flag of Hope across the country. One by one, those affected by cancer put their names on the flag. 

United by one purpose, Swarner hopes to cover the world in hope.

If he’s successful, Swarner stands to become the world’s first cancer survivor to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam–scaling the highest point on all seven continents and then hiking to the North and South Poles. Only a handful of people have ever done it, but no one who’s faced the overwhelming odds Swarner has.

Learn more about SurvivorNet’s rigorous medical review process.

SurvivorNetTV Presents: ‘True North’ – A Story of Formidable Obstacles and Unwavering Determination – SurvivorNet

Marriage Pole-posal

It’s easy for Swarner to romanticize that sometimes-harrowing experience, especially since he proposed to his girlfriend, Julissa Perez, on his satellite phone from the North Pole.

“I go, ‘Hey, when I get home, let’s go somewhere warm, so I can thaw out,'” Swarner recounted. “My brain … you know how fast your brain thinks. I said, ‘Let’s get married.’ There was this long pause and I’m thinking, oh, crap, did we get disconnected? Is she thinking about this? What’s going on? Then she said yes.” It gets better.

“Later I called her and I told her out of respect for her family and culture (Julissa is from Puerto Rico), don’t tell anybody,” Swarner said. “I want to ask your parents for permission. She said, ‘Well, everybody already knows.’

“She went on to tell me that when I called from the North Pole, she knew I was going to make it that day. So when I called she had me on speaker phone and her whole family was there.”  They met in 2011 when Swarner was giving a presentation in San Juan. Julissa was in the front row and he had to keep telling himself during his address to stop staring. They were sitting at separate tables afterward, neither making a move, when he found out from her friend that Julissa wanted to meet him as much as he wanted to meet her.

Marriage doesn’t mean Swarner is going to settle down. Now that he’s also a certified performance coach as well as a motivational speaker, author (his book “Keep Climbing” was on the New York Times bestseller list), and founder of the nonprofit organization, The Cancer Climber Association, he plans to launch “The Summit Challenge” at SeanSwarner.com on July 1.

He will be giving clients a series of seven challenges, each to be completed in three weeks. 

“The goal is to really impact their lives,” he said. “We can stay in a state of suffering from pain or grief or we can choose to change into a state of joy and happiness.” 

New goals to reach

Swarner, who was back home last year to receive the Distinguished W Alumni Award from the Willard City Schools, also has two new extreme adventures on his radar.

Next year he’d like to run a marathon on each of the seven continents in seven days. That’s 26.2 miles a day. 

“You get off the plane, you run, you eat, you get back on the plane, you fall asleep, you wake up, you run, you eat, you get back on the plane, you sleep … repeat, repeat, repeat,” he said of the whirlwind pace he would keep.

.

Why couldn’t he? He spent only seven months training to climb Everest and just five months preparing for the Ironman, against the advice from experts. And unlike most Seven Summiteers, he started with Everest instead of finishing with the highest and hardest peak.

He’s not wired like you or me. Or anybody. As for the other goal on Swarner’s wish list, that would truly test his motto: Redefining Impossible. “I’d love to get in touch with Elon Musk or Richard Branson,” he said, “and take a ride into space.”  Makes perfect sense. Space … the final frontier for Sean Swarner to conquer.

Space for Humanity by Sean Swarner

Meet two-time terminal cancer survivor Sean Swarner.

His first goal was to crawl 8 feet from the hospital bed to the bathroom. He went on to climb the highest point on every continent (including Mt. Everest), skied to both the North and South Poles, and completed the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii – all with one lung.  Sean was diagnosed with two deadly, different, and unrelated forms of cancer, once at the age of thirteen and again at the age of sixteen, where he was given only 3 months and then 14 days to live, respectively. He was in a coma for a year and lost the function of his right lung. 

However, Sean astounded the medical community when he survived both these deadly diseases and realized that after defeating cancer twice, no challenge would ever be too great, no peak too high, and no obstacle too difficult. Always inspiring, his goal is to take a million people touched by cancer on a flag into space, to change peoples’ perspectives on possibilities, uniting humanity and the globe – shining light in a world of darkness.

Sean says, 2017 was an amazing year and I’m grateful for the completion of the Explorer’s Grand Slam (highest mountain on every continent and the North and South Poles), and completing something no other person in history has ever accomplished.

But it was more than that.
What meant the most was taking a flag that had thousands of people touched by cancer to the top of the world – the North Pole.

The struggles people endure, the hardships people face, but within it all, there remains one common thread … HOPE!

Losing hope can easily mean death when you’re fighting for your life, and I want to encourage people battling for survival to never give up.

Sean Swarner was voted one of the top 8 most inspirational people in history and was the recipient of the Don’t Ever Give Up Award presented by the Jimmy V Foundation and ESPN. Sean is the only person in history to climb Everest, the highest mountain on every continent, ski to both Poles and complete the Hawaii Ironman triathlon.

He only has one lung. Sean is a two-time cancer survivor who was first diagnosed at age 13 with Hodgkin’s Disease and later with Askin’s sarcoma. He was given just 14 days to live and is the only person in the world to ever have been diagnosed with both these deadly cancers. Sean told ESPN Radio‘s Bob Valvano, brother of Jimmy, that he would have been more likely to win the lottery four or five times with the same numbers than to have survived both these terminal cancers.

However, he did survive, although he has only one fully functioning lung.

Sean was featured on ESPN (July 27, 2007) with a 10-minute segment on his life story and struggle. Amazon recently posted a film about his recent expedition to the North {ole. He established his own foundation (The Cancer Climber Association) which promotes cancer awareness and completely funds a survivor’s trip to Africa. He also authored his book Keep Climbing, which recounts his story and journey from the depths of his near death experience to the peaks he climbed to reach the top of the world 17 years later. 

Other books include his 7 Summits to Success series, empowering others to their best.  

On April 11, 2017, Sean completed a trek to the North Pole.

On May 16, 2002, Sean summited Mount Everest. Again – Search

Sean Swarner climbed Mount Everest once, in 2002, becoming the first cancer survivor to reach the summit. His achievement is even more remarkable considering he did it with only one lung after surviving two different types of cancer. 1

Swarner has since gone on to climb the highest mountain on every continent and continues to inspire others through his foundation, the Cancer Climber Association. 2

His story is truly one of resilience and determination!    1guideposts.org  2www.today.com

Sean Swarner, a two-time cancer survivor, successfully climbed Mount Everest in 2002124. 

He is one of less than 200 people in the world to have climbed all seven peaks3.

What challenges did Swarner face while climbing Everest?

Sean Swarner faced immense challenges while climbing Mount Everest, beyond the usual dangers of extreme cold, avalanches, and low oxygen levels. His biggest obstacle was his own body—having survived two aggressive cancers, he climbed with only one functioning lung.

The lack of oxygen at high altitudes is already a major challenge for climbers, but for Swarner, it was even more difficult. He had to carefully manage his breathing and energy levels to avoid exhaustion. Additionally, his past cancer treatments had weakened his body, making the physical demands of the climb even more grueling3.

Despite these challenges, Swarner persevered, proving that determination and hope can overcome even the most daunting obstacles. His journey continues to inspire cancer survivors and adventurers alike.

Would you like to hear more about his other incredible achievements?

1guideposts.org  2 news.cancerconnect.com  3www.today.com

What strategies did Swarner use to manage his health during the climb?

Sean Swarner had to be incredibly strategic in managing his health while climbing Mount Everest, especially since he was doing it with only one lung. Here are some key strategies he used:

• Controlled Breathing: With reduced lung capacity, Swarner had to be mindful of his oxygen intake, pacing himself carefully to avoid exhaustion.
• Physical Conditioning: He trained rigorously beforehand to strengthen his body and improve endurance, ensuring he could handle the extreme conditions.
• Mental Resilience: Swarner relied on a strong mindset, using hope and determination to push through the toughest moments.
• Careful Acclimatization: He took time to adjust to the altitude, minimizing the risk of altitude sickness, which could be especially dangerous given his medical history.
• Support System: He had a team to monitor his health and provide assistance when needed, ensuring he could safely navigate the climb.

His journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and preparation. Would you like to learn more about his other adventures?

1www.today.com 2guideposts.org 3news.cancerconnect.com

What kind of physical training did Swarner undergo?

Sean Swarner underwent intense physical training to prepare for climbing Mount Everest, especially given his unique challenge of having only one functioning lung. His training included:

• Cardiovascular Endurance: He focused on improving his lung capacity and stamina through activities like running, swimming, and cycling.
• Strength Training: He built muscle strength to handle the physical demands of climbing, including carrying heavy gear and navigating steep terrain.
• Altitude Acclimatization: He trained at high elevations to adapt to lower oxygen levels, reducing the risk of altitude sickness.
• Mental Conditioning: He practiced visualization techniques and mental resilience exercises to stay focused and motivated during the climb.
• Expedition-Specific Training: He simulated climbing conditions by hiking with weighted backpacks and practicing technical climbing skills.

His preparation was crucial in overcoming the extreme challenges of Everest. You can read more about his journey HERE and HERE.

Would you like to explore more about his other adventures?

How many times did Sean Swarner climb Mount Everesett – Search

How many times did Sean Swarner climb Mount Everest – Search

SEAN SWARNER WILLARD OHIO – Search Videos 1

SEAN SWARNER WILLARD OHIO – Search Videos 2

Sean Swarner: Explorer and cancer survivor *interview*

LIVESTRONG Films: Sean Swarner – Search

Sean Swarner Wikipedia – Search

December 27, 2017Filed Under: Stories of Hope

Tagged With: Stories of hope

“Eventually you will come to understand love heals everything, and love is all there is.” — Gary Zukav

Reconnect With Your Soul

“What is love?”

“The total absence of fear,” said the Master.

“What is it we fear?”

He concluded: “If the withered tree had survived, nothing would have induced the bird to give up its security and fly.”

“Love,” said the Master.

Such is the power of love, it surrenders itself so its presence is known.

I am reminded of the quote by author Leo Buscaglia who writes: “Love and self are one and the discovery of either is the realisation of both.”

The realisation he speaks of is that at the core of our being we are pure unbounded love. Any thoughts you hold to the contrary distort this truth.

You must go to the source of your pain to heal any thoughts of separation.

When you let go of resistance, what is discovered is pure love. To heal the physical body of undesirable symptoms, reconnect to that source.

Healing signifies a return to wholeness.

Through distorted beliefs, the mind reinforces this image by disrupting the body’s homeostasis.

It was Eugene T. Gendlin, the American philosopher and psychotherapist who coined the term felt sense. He was referring to an internal bodily awareness or body-sense of meaning that develops when we align with the truth.

If you perpetuate fear, your body responds by adopting the physiology of this fearful state. However, love heals and brings the body back into balance when you associate with this all-powerful energy.

It was the late David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., a renowned psychiatrist and consciousness researcher who said: “If we are willing to let go of our illness, then we have to be willing to let go of the attitude that brought about the illness because disease is an expression of one’s attitude and habitual way of looking at things.”

When you disconnect from your authentic nature, you detach from your state of ease and the body becomes dis-eased.

Dis-ease signifies disharmony in one’s thoughts.

Love renews and restores inner harmony because every cell in your body is attuned to this natural healing state. I liken it to returning home after being away, to find your key still fits the same door lock.

Healing arises when you align your mental and emotional frequency to coincide with love.

Love is a healing agent because its energetic frequency is stronger than other emotions and is the foundation of universal order.

“Your body is your subconscious mind and you can’t heal it by talk alone,” affirmed the neuroscientist and pharmacologist Candace Pert.

As an example of the healing power of love, the Institute of HeartMath states that your heart has an electromagnetic field 50,000 times stronger than the brain’s.

Ancient wisdom has known for centuries the heart is the seat of the soul.

To heal means to reconnect with your soul within the embodiment of love. So, at the deepest level, healing is a return to the source of your being.

You disconnect from this wisdom by identifying with fear and anxiety. This creates an inaccurate mental image expressed in the body as illness and disease.

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

A Toxic Cocktail Of Messages

“Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.” — Sai Baba

In his book Healing and Recovery, Dr. David Hawkins affirms: “A loving thought then heals and a negative thought creates illness. Choosing to become a loving person results in the release of endorphins by the brain which has a profound effect on the body’s health and happiness.”

I consider the cause of illness and disease a spiritual abandonment from oneself. The body is crying out to reunite with its core self.

We internalise fear in all forms nowadays to the detriment of our physiology. Over time, your body learns the language of fear by inhibiting vital biological processes.

You must learn to love yourself and embrace the wholeness of your being if you seek to heal any physical symptoms.

Consider this.

How is your body able to heal when it receives negative messages on how it looks or cannot act?

To heal, you no longer oppose what is, yet embrace it.

Love means accepting your current circumstances without opposition.

Your opposition to what is, manifests as fear. Thus, turn your attention away from fear and embrace your core nature.

At the deepest level, your separation from the Self intensifies disease and illness. To merge with the wholeness of your being is a call to love as Marianne Williamson states.

Self-criticism and self-hate instructs the body to turn on itself.

The rise of cancers, diabetes and autoimmune conditions have accelerated over the years. We are feeding our bodies with a toxic cocktail of messages that manifest as unhealthy conditions.

In summary, this article may be condensed to the following points:

1. Love is the healing agent in the body.

2. Fear, anxiety, anger and other lower emotions overshadow this healing force.

3. You are not broken or flawed.

4. Learn to embrace your wholeness and perfection.

5. Transform your thoughts relating to your unworthiness or imperfections.

6. As you heal your thoughts, your body discovers its inherent healing power.

7. Meditate on aspects of love in your daily life.

I wish to leave you with something the Master knew all along: love is simply the absence of fear.

For what is eternal is love’s enduring power.

Dr. Jill C. Carnahan, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP – Search Videos

Dr. Jill is Your Functional Medicine Expert!

She uses functional medicine to help you find answers to the cause of your illness and addresses the biochemical imbalances that may be making you feel ill. She’ll help you search for underlying triggers contributing to your illness through cutting edge lab testing and tailor the intervention to your specific needs as an individual.

She may use diet, supplements, lifestyle changes or medication to treat your illness but will seek the gentlest way to help your body restore balance along with the least invasive treatment possible. Dr. Jill is a functional medicine expert consultant and treats environmental and mold-related illness as well

Love is you and is healing you – Search Videos

We’ve all heard some version of the phrase “Love heals all wounds”.  And while this line might sound a little corny, there’s actually more truth to that statement than you might think. As it turns out, love really does have the power to heal us from the inside out.

So, let’s dive into the science behind exactly why love is so important for your health and how you can cultivate more lovely health benefits.

Loneliness: The Silent Epidemic

We’ve all felt the pang of loneliness at some point in our lives. But when feelings of loneliness and social isolation become a constant part of life, it can take a disastrous toll on your emotional and physical health.

Loneliness has been linked to:

• Chronic inflammation
• Immune system dysfunction
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Elevated blood pressure
• Increased cortisol levels
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Increased reactivity to stress

Loneliness has even been associated with a 26 percent increase in the risk of premature death – making loneliness on par with cigarette smoking in terms of risk of mortality. While the physiological effects of loneliness are serious and even deadly, it doesn’t end there. Loneliness is also a major risk factor for suicide – which has sadly been reflected by a huge jump in suicide rates in recent years. 

Loneliness truly is a silent killer in more ways than one. So what’s the antidote to the deleterious effects of loneliness? The answer is unconditional love. 

The Healing Power Of Unconditional Love

Love quite literally has the power to not only heal but to also have a positive impact on your overall health and longevity. 

• Studies have found that couples in happy, loving relationships have significantly faster wound healing times than those lacking love in their lives.3
• Cultures that prioritize social connections (like regular family gatherings) and feelings of love are some of the healthiest and longest-living populations on the planet. In fact, having loving healthy relationships predicts a 50 percent increase in longevity.4 
• Chronically ill patients that have a strong loving relationship with God, have a 40 percent more positive perception of their health than those without a strong connection to spiritual love.5

There’s no denying that giving, receiving, and feeling love is a potent form of medicine. But what exactly is love? Love is an emotional and mental state of being that encompasses a wide range of thoughts and feelings:

• It’s the strong romantic love you feel when you embrace your spouse 
• It’s the parental love you feel when you look at your children
• It’s the joy you feel when you get a phone call from an old friend
• Or it can even be as simple as the pleasure of enjoying a delicious bite of your favorite dessert

Love encompasses all feelings of kindness, compassion, affection, and feelings of goodwill towards others, yourself, and life in general. It’s not just about the number and depth of relationships in your life, but also about the attitude with which you move through life. And this attitude creates a distinct physiological response that triggers some incredible health benefits.  

The “Love” Hormones and How They Affect Your Well-Being

When you experience loving thoughts, you set off a response that releases a cocktail of hormones and neurotransmitters. Two of the most notable “love” hormones and their health-boosting effects are oxytocin and dopamine.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is also known as “the love hormone” or “the cuddle chemical.” It’s the trademark neurotransmitter released when we experience feelings of love. It’s the hormone that makes us feel warm and fuzzy and attached to the people and things we love. But oxytocin has many positive effects on the rest of your body by:6,7

• Reducing cortisol levels (cortisol is the signature stress hormone)
• Lowering blood pressure
• Increasing pain thresholds
• Promoting growth and healing
• Improving memory
• Promoting sexual health
• Preventing neuroinflammation (which protects your brain)

So, as you can see, oxytocin gives us a lot more than the “warm fuzzies”, it positively affects our entire wellbeing. 

Dopamine

Dopamine is known as the “feel-good hormone” because of its mood-boosting effects. Dopamine’s feel-good effects stem from its association with pleasure. When we anticipate or experience something pleasurable – like spending time with loved ones or enjoying a batch of fresh-baked cookies, we get a hit of dopamine. Besides giving us temporary feelings of euphoria, dopamine also:8

• Improves memory and learning
• Boosts motivation
• Decreases inflammation
• Promotes healthy sleep
• Increases bone strength
• Prevents Parkinson’s and other movement disorders
• Improves sexual health

In this way, dopamine’s positive effects are worth cultivating more pleasurable experiences in our lives. 

How to Cultivate More Love for Improved Life and Longevity

Love is a state of being, not just the intimate head-over-heels in love you have with your partner. Actively and intentionally seeking, giving, and experiencing love creates an upward spiral – the more you love life, the more life loves you back. So here are some simple ways to cultivate more love in your everyday life.

Stay Connected

Reach out to family and friends and engage in real-life connections – not just text messages or phone calls. Regularly connecting with others face to face is crucial for developing the deep meaningful relationships we all seek. 

Whether it’s re-connecting with old friends or meeting new and interesting people, there are endless ways to create more frequent and meaningful encounters in your life. You just have to be intentional about your actions. Get off your phone and connect with people in real life more. Schedule time with friends and family. It takes a little more attention, but it’s so worth it. 

Tell Others How You Feel

Tell people you love them. Show your appreciation when someone does something kind. Give compliments freely. Expressing and giving love, gratitude, and kindness is one of the very best ways to cultivate more love in your life.

And this goes the other way too. Don’t be afraid to reach out and seek support or let others know you need them. Being vulnerable and seeking connection in times of need can strengthen bonds and provide you with the love and support you need.

Be Generous

Participating in selfless giving and generosity is not only a powerful way to create more love in your life, but it also has some potent health benefits. Studies have found that altruism is a strong predictor of a longer lifespan.9 

Whether you’re giving time or money when you sincerely strive to help others, it turns out you reap the benefits as well. It’s just like the old saying, “what goes around comes around.” When you practice generosity, I think you’ll find more of it coming your way. 

Physical Touch

Physical touch releases the “love hormones” and makes us feel good. Any form of positive physical affection can give you a boost, whether its:

• Hugging
• Kissing
• Holding hands
• Cuddling
• Massage
• Or even petting your dog 

Try to find ways to intentionally incorporate more physical touch in your life. 

Meditate and Pray

Meditation and prayer are powerful ways to feel more connected to yourself and to God. Taking time to cultivate a deeper relationship with yourself and a higher power is one of the most compelling forms of love. 

Meditation and prayer literally have the capacity to rewire your brain and help you create a happier, more love-filled life. If you need help getting started with meditation, head over to my article: Be Happier & Less Anxious With 7 Minutes A Day.

Eat Well

The food you eat is the foundation for the neurotransmitters and hormones your body needs to feel good. In fact, new research is revealing just how influential our diets are to our mental health. Scientists are finding specific connections between gut health and brain health that could even change how we treat mental illness. 

In the meantime, eating a well-rounded and healthy diet will help your body maintain balance, and produce hormones and neurotransmitters properly. Plus, actively loving and appreciating your physical body by treating it well is an excellent way to practice “self-love”.

Commit to a Life of Love 

Now it’s time to hear from you? Are you surprised to hear that love really does have the power to heal? How do you plan to cultivate more love in your life?

References:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159102000739
2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30142-9/fulltext
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2888874/
4. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15834840
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5908892/
7. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300876
8. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118539415.wbwell046?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

Love is you and is healing you – Search Videos

The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease state or medical condition and hasn’t been evaluated by the “https://www.fda.gov/“. This is not intended to replace any recommendations by or relationship with your physician. The references included in each article allude to the level of scientific rigor I have applied to my writing. When changes become apparent, we will update the information if appropriate.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician.  Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.

While Jenica Matos can’t see home plate when she is standing in the pitcher’s circle, she can find the strike zone with her fastball. © Corley Fleming/Special to USA TODAY

She can’t see home plate. But this softball pitcher just landed a D1 scholarship

Story by David Dusek, USA TODAY

CHESHIRE, Conn. – As a Cheshire High School sophomore, Jenica Matos threw three no-hitters last season before the Rams squared off against their archrival, Southington High School, in a Connecticut Class LL State Championship semifinal game last June. One of those no-hitters came at the expense of the Blue Knights, so they were focused heading into the game, but Matos nearly repeated her performance, yielding just one hit while striking out 13 to help Cheshire win 4-0.   

A few days later, Chesire lost the state championship game to Fairfield Ludlowe, 3-2 in 10 innings, but Matos sparkled again as she threw 191 pitches, allowed just three hits and recorded 16 strikeouts. Not bad for a young woman who is legally blind. 

A rare diagnosis 

In 2018, after her 10-year-old daughter complained that her vision was fuzzy, Becky Matos took Jenica to a local eye doctor to have her vision checked. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the doctor felt the girl needed glasses and fit her for them. However, as days and weeks passed, Becky Matos noticed her daughter was striking out a lot, and her maternal intuition told her something was wrong. 

“We took her back to the eye doctor, and this time the doctor was like, ‘Can I check the back of her eyes?'” Becky Matos said. “We’re like, ‘Yeah, sure, do what you’ve got to do.'” 

The local eye doctor ran tests, got the results and sent them to doctors at nearby Yale New Haven Hospital for a second opinion. Henri Matos, Jenica’s father, got the call and immediately reached out to his wife. 

“He called me and said, ‘I need to take her to Yale, like, now. Today,'” Becky Matos recalled. 

After a battery of tests, doctors determined that Jenica Matos has a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt disease. It is linked to a mutation in the ABCA4 gene, which is responsible for making proteins that remove toxic substances from the retina.

In people with Stargardt disease, fatty deposits and material form over time on a small part of the retina called the macula, which is used for sharp, central vision. As the deposits enlarge or grow in number, central vision gets blurrier, sensitivity to bright light often develops, and dark areas form in a person’s central vision. 

There is no treatment or cure for Stargardt disease, and while estimates on the number of people in the United States who have it vary, according to the Cleveland Clinic, the number is between 30,000 and 200,000.

“We left after everything and I went to my mom’s house and just broke down,” Becky Matos said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ I came home and talked to Henri, and we just cried.” 

“It started getting blurrier when I was 11 or so,” Jenica Matos said. “When I was maybe 13, I really couldn’t see. Since I was 13, I think it got a little bit worse, but right now, it’s steady.” 

Today, Matos is legally blind but does not see a world of black or total darkness. If you talk with her, she looks at you but even faces across a kitchen table are somewhat blurry. She can’t clearly see someone standing 5 or 6 feet away, and while contact lenses help, they don’t fix the problem. 

“It’s just like, it goes from everything being blurry to being more clear, but if there is a sign somewhere, I can’t really read it,” she explained. “But without them, everything just looks like a big blur and the colors kind of blend.” 

(2) Greg Lederer on X: “Final: Cheshire softball (11-1) wins 11-inning marathon, 1-0, at Amity (8-1). Jenica Matos pitched a 2-hitter with 2 walks and 25 strikeouts (CH). #ctsb https://t.co/3PVAUJudKL” / X

Overcoming challenges 

Matos turned 17 on April 17, but her vision will prevent her from ever having a driver’s license, and she can’t read the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Her teachers often provide her with notes she can copy and study. 

While Matos can’t see home plate when she is standing in the pitcher’s circle, she can find the strike zone with her fastball, which reaches speeds up to 64 mph. For context, that translates to a baseball pitcher throwing in the low 90s. 

In addition to playing for Cheshire High School, Matos plays for a travel team, the Empire State Huskies 16U National, and has competed in events as far from New England as Colorado, Florida and Georgia. At 5 feet, 6 inches tall, she is not as physically imposing as some pitchers, but Matos is powerful and intense on the mound, with her sunglasses – which she wears rain or shine – giving her an imposing presence. 

“She’s a competitor, and she’s a thinking competitor,” said Kristine Drust, Cheshire’s head softball coach. “She truly does seek out the game within the game to beat her opponents. When you see her, you will see that she is a gritty, gritty competitor.” 

Drust said that while she and her coaching staff could make defensive accommodations for Matos’ vision, that hasn’t been necessary. 

“She’s a great defensive player, she really is, and I wish that we could all really understand what she sees and how she sees it. But she does, and she gets it done,” Drust said. “We have never, ever found any holes in how she feels about her position on the mound.” 

Matos only needs two accommodations in order to pitch. First, her catcher needs to have a chest protector and glove that are in contrasting colors. To make sure that happens, the family bought a white chest protector and brings it to games because most catcher’s gloves are black or dark brown. 

Last season, Cheshire’s catcher had a white chest protector and a white glove, which necessitated some creativity. “We colored in the webbing of her glove with a black Sharpie,” Matos said. 

The second thing Matos needs is a way to get pitching signals from her coaches. Ordinarily, catchers relay signals and information on what pitch to throw, but Matos can’t tell how many fingers her catcher may be flashing, so once again, Matos’s coaches have used some creativity. 

“Coach Kelly (Brenner-Hennessey, Cheshire’s pitching coach) also wears a black coat or black clothes, and she wears a neon winter glove,” Drust said. “That’s how she signals the signs to the catcher and Jenica.” 

Starting in January, when she played for the Empire State Huskies, Matos and her coaches began using a high-tech watch. 

“It’s got a white screen with black lettering, and it’ll say ‘FB Out’ for fastball outside,” Jenica explained, gesturing that she needs to hold the watch close to her eyes to read the notes. “It’s kind of simple.” 

Recruiting and college commitment 

A high school sophomore who throws in the 60s, tosses three no-hitters and routinely collects double-digit strikeouts will get the attention of college softball coaches, but the Matos family was nervous about the recruiting process. 

“I was kind of concerned that, like, colleges wouldn’t look at me or take me because of (my condition),” said Jenica Matos, who is now a junior. “At the same time, I kind of wanted them to know, rather than not know, because if they knew and they still contacted me, then I’d know that it wouldn’t bother them as much.” 

Drust, on the other hand, saw the challenges Matos faced and her track record of success as a positive—something that could attract coaches. 

“I had concerns, but it was super important to get out to the public just how much success, even with some adversity, she was obtaining,” Drust said. “In my conversations with the coaches that were recruiting her, that was a huge plus.

Yes, she does have a disability, but to know how much grit, resiliency and success she has found. That is a player that every coach wants.” It turns out Drust’s instincts were correct, and Matos had no reason to worry. 

At midnight on Sept. 1, the moment college coaches could contact her, Matos started receiving text messages and emails. “She went from 8 a.m. on Sept. 1 until like 8 or 9 at night talking to college coaches,” Becky Matos said. 

After being contacted and visiting schools such as Seton Hall, the University of Massachusetts and other northeastern colleges, on Nov. 3, Matos announced her verbal commitment to play college softball at St. John’s University on X. Located on Long Island in Jamaica, New York, the Red Storm’s campus is less than 100 miles from Matos’ house. 

“I want my parents to be able to come and see my games,” she said. 

Erin Hersh (catcher, left) and pitcher Jenica Matos are part of a Cheshire softball team that has epitomized cohesiveness and success as the Rams are 19-1 and will be top-seeded in the Class LL state tournament, which begins May 28 (Lori Riley photo)

Looking ahead 

For the last four years, Matos’ central vision has not deteriorated as quickly as it has for others diagnosed with Stargardt disease. She gets her eyes checked routinely, and while Stargardt disease typically does not lead to complete blindness, that does not provide much comfort. 

“I don’t know if I’m going lose my vision or not,” she said, sitting at her family’s dinner table. “That’s kind of hard.” 

Many things about Jenica Matos’s future are out of her control, but with the winter’s snow gone and her high school team’s season started, she is back in a place where she is in total control—the softball field.  

“I want to get the Gatorade Player of the Year award,” she said, referring to an all-sport honor bestowed every year on one athlete in every state. As lofty as that goal may seem, it’s attainable. Matos was named to the Connecticut Class LL All-State team and was the Pitcher of the Year last season after posting a record of 21-2 while compiling 318 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings.  

As for her high school team, Matos wants the Rams to repeat as the Southern Connecticut Conference champions and win the state championship. Through April 29, the team was 11-1, with the lone loss to LaSalle Academy, a private school in Rhode Island. Cheshire is ranked No. 1 in the state.

On Monday, Cheshire defeated No. 4 Amity 1-0 in 11 innings, behind Matos’ two-hitter with 25 strikeouts. “Even though I have an eye disease, it doesn’t really shape who I am as a player and a person,” Matos said.

“It’s my talent and how hard I work. I don’t get anything given to me because I have an eye disease. I actually work for it, and I love doing what I do, even if it’s hard most of the time.” 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: She can’t see home plate. But this softball pitcher just landed a D1 scholarship

About Mike “Mish” Shedlock

Mish is a highly acclaimed macro-economic writer who typically posts several articles a day on his MishTalk website.

Topics include interest rates, central bank policy, gold and precious metals, jobs, and economic reports, typically from an Austrian Economic perspective.

Twitter Handle: Mike “Mish” Shedlock (@MishGEA) / X

Citations

New York Times: NYT 10th Annual Year in Ideas – #1 Idea of the Year ‘Do-It-Yourself Macroeconomics’

Time Magazine: Best 25 Financial Blogs

CNBC: Best Alternative Financial Websites

Intelligent Economist: Top 100 Economics Blogs of 2023

Personal Life

My wife Joanne, for 27 years, passed away on May 16, 2012, from ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I am proud to have raised through my website, about $500,000 for the Les Turner ALS foundation.

I was their 2012 man of the year.

I remarried in June of 2013 to Liz Hintz. Joanne’s best friend, Kathy, was my “best man” at the wedding.

Photography

When not writing about stocks or the economy I spend a great deal of time on photography. I have over 80 magazine and book cover credits.

Please check out my MishMoments photography website. The main website consists of my images for sale. But there is a section called Mish’s Articles where I describe where to go, when to be there, how I made many of my images.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock, an economic analyst, shared his personal journey with prostate cancer. 

In October 2012, He was diagnosed after a biopsy revealed cancer in one of the samples, with a Gleason score of 6, indicating an early-stage cancer. Shedlock explored various treatment options, including surgery, radiation, and active surveillance. He also created a supplement regimen, which he referred to as a “Prostate Cancer Cocktail,” (See Below) to manage his condition. While his oncologist was skeptical about its effectiveness, Shedlock believed it helped him.

His story highlights the complexities of interpreting medical information and making treatment decisions, especially for conditions like prostate cancer. If you’d like to dive deeper into his experience, let me know!

Cancer: Story of a Real Patient – Search Videos

A large number of papers get published on cancer cell-lines, cancer GWAS – Search, cancer microarray analysis and so on. Doing research on cancer is quite lucrative for the researchers, who made their self-serving measure of productivity (number of publications) to keep the racket going. The real productivity should be defined in terms of the number of patients cured, but that aspect gets lost in the whole process.

Research production and international cooperative teamwork in the 2 main journals of gynecologic oncology increased within the 10 last years; 65.3% of all published articles dealt either with epithelial ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer had the worst ratio of publications to estimated national incidence (United States, 2007).

The United States (41.15%) and Europe (29.72%) make up a striking 70.87% of the world’s research production in the field of gynecologic oncology. However, the highest rate of increase shows in Turkey (22.5), the People’s Republic of China (6.87), and South Korea (5.83). Adjusted to the national GDP per capita and population for the year 2006, research productivity seems best in Israel, Austria, and Turkey.

Real patients, on the other hand:

Are figuring out that leaving the cancer racket altogether and taking matters in their own hand works better for them. Here is a beautiful story of a blogger, who cured his own cancer. Mish is one of my favorite financial bloggers.

He began writing his blog in early 2005 around the time I posted my deflation articles at safehaven. Not only are his economic views very similar to mine, but our original training also happened to be in the same field (electrical engineering). His blog usually ranks around the top among the alternate economic and financial websites, which says a lot about academic economists.

Today he wrote in “Cancer Free: I Beat Prostate Cancer; Mish the Guinea Pig”:

In October 2012 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am now cancer free. Here is my story, a detailed one, with test results.

I have been taking PSA tests every couple years since 2007. It’s a routine blood test recommended for men as they get older.

PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen. Elevated readings may indicate evidence of prostate cancer. Any reading under 3.0 is normal but some doctors may say 4.0 and others 2.5. It’s not an exact science to be sure.

My test in August of 2012 was elevated (6.65). Another test in October was also elevated (7.13)

My regular doctor strongly recommended a biopsy.

The biopsy showed I had cancer.

It is a fascinating story that includes many aspects of the fraudulent medical system, the cancer research racket, other freely available information on cancer-curing agents and how a curious person can heal himself by taking calculated risks.

Following is the cocktail he designed for himself. For details on why, please go through Mish’s story.

What follows is the cocktail that it took. It is based on the above research as well as numerous other articles. The first four items in my cocktail mix list were mentioned above.

I also took a few other things for other reasons. Explanations follow my list.

This is not a recommendation. Consult your doctor.

**Mish Cocktail **

Resveratrol: 250 mg twice daily

Indole-3-Carbinol: 200mg twice daily

Bromelain: 500mg twice daily

Quercetin: 300 mg twice daily

Turmeric Extract: 300 mg twice daily

Vitamin D3: 5,000 IU twice daily

Vitamin K2: 100 mcg twice daily

Vitamin B12: 100 mcg twice daily

Selenium: 50 mcg twice daily

Sodium bicarbonate orally: One half teaspoon twice daily – 1 hour in the morning right after I get up, and again in the evening right before bed empty stomach

I am noticing other similar stories popping up at various places online. We are talking about real people getting cured and not scientific theories. Hopefully, the general public will soon reach the same conclusion as the researchers like MIT professor M. B. Yaffe that the gigantic cancer genome sequencing projects are extremely wasteful.

Checkout –  “Cancer Genomics and Parable of Streetlight Effect” 

The massive resources devoted to genome sequencing of human tumors have produced important data sets for the cancer biology community. Paradoxically, however, these studies have revealed very little new biology. Despite this, additional resources in the United States are slated to continue such work and to expand similar efforts in genome sequencing to mouse tumors.

It may be that scientists are addicted to the large amounts of data that can be relatively easily obtained, even though these data seem unlikely, on their own, to unveil new cancer treatment options or result in the ultimate goal of a cancer cure. Rather than using more tumor genetic sequences, a better strategy for identifying new treatment options may be to develop methods for analyzing the signaling networks that underlie cancer development, progression, and therapeutic resistance at both a personal and systems-wide level.

Also note that the prevalence of cancer, stroke and diabetes in USA have the same geographical distribution, closely matching poverty distribution. That alone suggests that lifestyle has a much bigger contribution to these diseases than the genomes.

Cancer, Stroke and Diabetes in USA Environment versus Genetics

Written by M. //2013-12-18

On Wed, Apr 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM K Goubeaux <gooberism102@gmail.com> wrote:

County-Level Disparities Found in Cancer Deaths – NCI

1sciencebasedmedicine.org2elitemanliness.com

Another Misguided Cancer Testimonial –

Cancer Free: I Beat Prostate Cancer; Mish the Guinea Pig – MishTalk15 Year Old Kid Develops Foolproof Test for Pancreatic, Ovarian and Lung Cancer; Test Costs 3 Cents, Takes 5 Minutes – MishTalk

Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis: Cancer Free: I Beat Prostate Cancer; Mish the Guinea Pig

Mish is a highly acclaimed macro-economic writer and one of the early financial pioneer bloggers. Mish has written articles every day since 2003. That’s 20 straight years of publishing at least one economic post per day allowing for “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” articles.

In summer of 2006, Mish called the top of the residential housing bubble, and the bottom in March of 2009.

In 2009, Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis was on the cover of online Time Magazine, Best 25 Financial Blogs.

In 2010, the New York Times cited Mish along with Barry Ritholtz and Calculated Risk in its #1 Idea of the year called: Do-It-Yourself Macroeconomics. The article was about people who called the global economy better than any formally trained economists.

Mish is a believer in free markets and small government. He writes from a Libertarian and Austrian economist point of view.

Discussion posts, typically multiple times a day, include interest rates, central bank policy, gold and precious metals, jobs, global politics, and economic reports from the BLS, BEA, and Commerce Department. On the first Friday of every month, Mish goes over the monthly job statistics in much greater detail than anything in mainstream media. The same applies to the monthly CPI, PPI, and housing reports from the BLS and commerce department.

You can follow Mish on Twitter at @MishGEA

Citations
New York Times: NYT 10th Annual Year in Ideas – #1 Idea of the Year ‘Do-It-Yourself Macroeconomics’
Time Magazine: Best 25 Financial Blogs
CNBC: Best Alternative Financial Websites
Intelligent Economist: Top 100 Economics Blogs of 2023

Counties With the Highest Cancer Rates in the U.S. | Healthiest Communities Health News | U.S. News

Cancerville, USA: Shocking interactive map reveals hotspots where young people are worst hit by disease – see rates in your county | Daily Mail Online

Cancer: Story of a Real Patient

Cancer Rates by State 2025

Tackle the epic Appalachian Trail©MarkVanDykePhotography/Shutterstock

The Appalachian Trail might be the world’s most iconic hiking route. The pathway runs from Maine to Georgia, spanning 14 states and winding for more than 2,180 miles and is the longest continuous hiking-only stretch in the world. Whether you pick a portion or tackle the entire route (which typically takes around six months), it’s sure to be a walk to remember, traversing some of the country’s most breathtaking mountain scenery.

Key Takeaways

• The Appalachian Mountains are one of the oldest mountain systems and once stood as tall as the Himalayas.
• The Appalachians are divided into seven regions, with different rock types showing their rich geologic past.
• Four major mountain-building events formed the Appalachians, with each adding layers to its complex history.

The Appalachian Mountain range is one of the oldest continental mountain systems in the world. The tallest mountain in the range is the 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, located in North Carolina. Compared with the Rocky Mountains of western North America, which have 50 plus peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation, the Appalachians are rather modest in height. At their tallest, however, they rose to Himalayan-scale heights before being weathered and eroded down over the past ~200 million years.

A Physiographic Overview

The Appalachian Mountains trend southwest to northeast from central Alabama all the way to Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Along this 1,500-mile path, the system is split up into 7 different physiographic provinces that contain distinct geologic backgrounds.

In the southern section, the Appalachian Plateau and Valley and Ridge provinces make up the western border of the system and are composed of sedimentary rocks like sandstone, limestone, and shale. To the east lie the Blue Ridge Mountains and Piedmont, composed primarily of metamorphic and igneous rocks. In some areas, like Red Top Mountain in northern Georgia or Blowing Rock in northern North Carolina, the rock has eroded down to where one can see basement rocks that formed over a billion years ago during the Grenville Orogeny. 

The northern Appalachians are made up of two parts: the St. Lawrence Valley, a small region defined by the St. Lawrence River and St. Lawrence rift system, and the New England province, which formed hundreds of millions of years ago and owes much of its present topography to recent glacial episodes. Geologically speaking, the Adirondack Mountains are quite different than the Appalachian Mountains; however, they are included by the USGS in the Appalachian Highland region. 

Coal’s demise in Appalachia leaves education in the lurch – ThinkProgress

About the Appalachian Region – Appalachian Regional Commission

Geologic History

To a geologist, the rocks of the Appalachian Mountains reveal a billion-year story of violent continental collisions and the subsequent mountain building, erosion, deposition and/or volcanism that came with. The geologic history of the area is complex but can be broken down into four major orogenies, or mountain building events. It is important to remember that between each of these orogenies, millions of years of weathering and erosion wore the mountains down and deposited sediment in the surrounding areas. This sediment was often subjected to intense heat and pressure as the mountains were uplifted again during the next orogeny. 

• Grenville Orogeny: This mountain-building event occurred around 1 billion years ago, creating the supercontinent Rodinia. The collision formed tall mountains along with the igneous and metamorphic rocks that make up the very core of the Appalachians. The supercontinent began to break apart around 750 million years ago and by 540 million years ago, an ocean (the Iapetus Ocean) existed between the paleocontinents. 
• Taconic Orogeny: Approximately 460 million years ago, as the Iapetus Ocean was closing, a volcanic island arc chain collided with the North American Craton. The remnants of these mountains can still be seen in the Taconic Range of New York.
• Acadian Orogeny: Starting 375 million years ago, this mountain-building episode occurred as the Avalonian terrane collided with the North American Craton. The collision did not happen head on, as it struck the northern section of the protocontinent and then slowly moved southward. Index minerals show us that the Avalonian terrane struck the North American craton at different times and with different collisional forces.
• Alleghanian Orogeny: This event (sometimes referred to as the Appalachian orogeny) formed the supercontinent Pangea ~325 million years ago. The ancestral North American and African continents collided, forming Himalayan-scaled mountain chains known as the Central Pangean Mountains. The modern-day Anti-Atlas Mountains of northwestern Africa were part of this chain. The mountain building ended some 265 million years ago, and the ancestral North American and African continents began drifting apart ~200 million years ago (and continue to do so to this day).

The Appalachians have weathered and eroded away over the past hundreds of millions of years, leaving only remnants of the mountain system that once reached record heights. The strata of the Atlantic Coastal Plain are made up of sediment from their weathering,  transportation, and deposition. 

Hiking the Appalachian trail – Search

Geology of the Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Mountains States – WorldAtlas

Take Me Home Country Roads: A Trip Through Appalachia – Newsweek

Trump slashes Appalachian agency funding that helps Eastern Ky. | Lexington Herald Leader

Tornado Alley Is Expanding South: Here’s Where Deadly Outbreaks Are Becoming More Common

What Is the Meaning of Life for You? Ask Yourself These 8 Questions to Find Out! – Learning Mind

Why Life Exists | Watch

The big question of why life exists has challenged minds for countless centuries, but what does science have to say on this matter? Could life arise on other worlds and in other Universes, and what is the reason for it?

Ah, the timeless question!

Philosophers, scientists, artists, and dreamers have pondered this for centuries. 

While there’s no definitive answer, some might say the meaning of life is about finding joy in the connections we build—relationships, experiences, and the impact we have on others. Others might argue it’s about self-discovery, pursuing passions, or understanding the universe around us.

For many, the meaning of life is deeply personal, shaped by beliefs, values, and the unique journey each person takes. But perhaps it’s less about finding one singular answer and more about embracing the mystery, creating purpose, and savoring the moments along the way.

 Philosophers, poets, scientists, and dreamers have wrestled with this mystery for centuries. Some find meaning in relationships, love, and human connection. Others seek purpose in creativity, knowledge, or the pursuit of truth. For some, it lies in faith, spirituality, or contributing to a greater good.

What resonates most often is that meaning isn’t singular—it’s deeply personal. The beauty of life might just lie in the journey of discovering what feels most meaningful to you. 

What’s your take? Do you think life’s meaning is found, or created?

What are ways to discover personal meaning in life?

Discovering personal meaning in life can be a deeply rewarding journey. Here are a few approaches to guide the process:

1. Reflect on Values: Spend time identifying what matters most to you—family, creativity, growth, helping others, or perhaps adventure. Aligning your actions with your values can bring a sense of purpose.
2. Explore Passions: Try out activities that spark curiosity or joy. Whether it’s art, sports, volunteering, or learning, new experiences might illuminate what feels meaningful.
3. Seek Connection: Meaning often thrives in relationships. Build and nurture bonds with loved ones, friends, or communities to deepen your sense of belonging.
4. Contribute to Something Bigger: Engage in causes or projects that have a positive impact on others or the environment. Giving back can provide fulfillment and purpose.
5. Practice Mindfulness: Pause to appreciate the present moment—nature, art, or even small acts of kindness. Sometimes meaning emerges in simplicity.
6. Set Goals: Define what success looks like for you—personally, professionally, spiritually—and work steadily toward achieving it.
7. Embrace Challenges: Personal growth often happens through overcoming difficulties. Reflecting on what you’ve learned can provide insight into your strengths and purpose.

These aren’t one-size-fits-all, but perhaps one or more could resonate with your own journey. Are there any areas you’d like to explore more deeply?

What gives your life meaning or makes you feel fulfilled?

The meaning of life is a deeply philosophical question that varies across cultures and individuals. Here are some perspectives:

• Subjective Meaning: The meaning of life is often seen as something we choose to give it, rather than a predetermined purpose. 1
• Philosophical and Religious Views: It can be derived from philosophical contemplation, religious beliefs, and scientific inquiries about existence and happiness. 1
• Cultural Perspectives: Different cultures and philosophies offer diverse interpretations, from ancient thinkers to modern perspectives. 1
• Philosophical Diversity: Various philosophical approaches, such as existentialism, suggest that life may inherently lack meaning, prompting individuals to create their own. 1
• Multiple Solutions: There are numerous proposed solutions to the meaning of life, reflecting the complexity of human thought. 1
  
• Ultimately, the meaning of life is a personal journey shaped by individual beliefs and experiences.

Every Person You Meet has a Purpose in Your Life: Are They?

I will repeat every person you meet has a purpose in your life, whether it is to teach you a lesson, inspire you to grow, or support you in your journey. No encounter is accidental or meaningless. Each person is a reflection of yourself and an opportunity to learn more about who you are and what you want. By appreciating the value of every person you meet, you can enrich your life and theirs

What are some famous philosophical perspectives on life’s meaning?

There are many profound and varied perspectives on the meaning of life from philosophers throughout history. Here are a few influential ones:

• Aristotle: He believed the purpose of life is to achieve eudaimonia, often translated as “flourishing” or “happiness.” According to him, this comes from living a virtuous life, fulfilling one’s potential, and engaging in rational thought.
• Existentialism (Søren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, etc.): Existentialists emphasize individual freedom and responsibility in creating meaning. Sartre famously said, “Existence precedes essence,” meaning humans are not born with an inherent purpose but must create their own meaning through choices and actions.
• Friedrich Nietzsche: He rejected traditional notions of life’s meaning and instead championed the idea of creating one’s own values and purpose. His concept of the “Übermensch” symbolizes striving for greatness and self-overcoming.
• Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill): According to this view, the meaning of life is connected to maximizing happiness and reducing suffering for the greatest number of people.
• Albert Camus: He explored the idea of the “Absurd,” the conflict between humanity’s search for meaning and the universe’s indifference. Camus proposed embracing life’s lack of inherent meaning and finding joy in the struggle itself.
• Buddhism: Life’s meaning is often tied to the cessation of suffering and achieving enlightenment through practices like mindfulness, compassion, and understanding the nature of reality.
• Confucianism: Confucius focused on living a life of harmony and fulfilling one’s role within society, emphasizing virtues like benevolence and respect.
• Modern perspectives: Thinkers like Viktor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, argued that meaning comes from finding purpose in suffering and living for something greater—whether it’s love, work, or helping others.

Each of these philosophies offers a unique lens through which to reflect on life’s purpose. Do any of these resonate with you? Or would you like to dive deeper into one?

Can you elaborate on Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia?

Certainly! Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia is central to his ethical philosophy, particularly as outlined in his work Nicomachean Ethics. Eudaimonia is often translated as “happiness,” but a more accurate interpretation might be “flourishing” or “living well.” It’s not about fleeting pleasure or momentary satisfaction, but rather achieving a fulfilled and meaningful life over the long term.

Here are the key elements of eudaimonia according to Aristotle:

1. Living a Virtuous Life: Aristotle argued that eudaimonia is achieved by living in accordance with virtue (arete). Virtues are character traits that lie between extremes (the “golden mean”). For example, courage is the virtue between recklessness and cowardice. Practicing virtues helps individuals achieve balance and excellence in their actions.
2. Rational Activity: Aristotle viewed humans as rational beings, and he believed our highest fulfillment comes from exercising our rational capacities. Engaging in activities like learning, thinking, and making wise decisions is essential to achieving eudaimonia.
3. A Lifelong Process: Eudaimonia is not a momentary state but a lifelong journey. It requires ongoing effort, reflection, and the cultivation of good habits. It is only fully accessible at the end of a life well-lived.
4. External Factors: While Aristotle emphasized individual virtue, he acknowledged that external factors (such as health, friendships, and material stability) also play a role in achieving eudaimonia. These factors provide the conditions in which a virtuous life can thrive.
5. Engagement with Society: Aristotle believed that humans are social beings, and living well involves contributing to the community. Interpersonal relationships and fulfilling societal roles are integral to flourishing.

In essence, eudaimonia is about reaching one’s full potential through a harmonious combination of virtuous behavior, intellectual activity, and engagement with others. It’s a comprehensive and holistic view of personal fulfillment.

Does this perspective resonate with you or spark any thoughts? 

I’d love to hear how you see these ideas connecting with modern life!

It seems like you’re delving into the profound impact of modern philosophy on personal fulfillment! There are some intriguing books that explore these themes further, such as “Universal Holistic Philosophy: And How To Understand The Universe” and “Fulfilled: How The Science Of Spirituality Can Help You Live A Happier, More Meaningful Life.” These could provide valuable insights and deepen your understanding of how philosophy can enhance personal fulfillment.

What are some modern philosophical views on life’s meaning?

What activities can help me discover my passions?

Discovering your passions often involves exploration and self-discovery. Here are some activities that can help you along the way:

1. Try Creative Hobbies: Experiment with painting, writing, photography, music, or crafting. You might uncover a hidden talent or simply enjoy the creative process.
2. Volunteer: Helping others can introduce you to new environments, skills, and perspectives while giving a sense of purpose.
3. Take Classes or Workshops: Sign up for lessons in something new—dance, coding, cooking, woodworking, or even pottery. Learning something unfamiliar can be eye-opening.
4. Engage in Physical Activities: Whether it’s yoga, hiking, cycling, or martial arts, physical pursuits can be both invigorating and inspiring.
5. Travel or Explore Locally: Visiting new places or even rediscovering your hometown can spark curiosity and a love for culture, history, or adventure.
6. Read or Listen Widely: Dive into books, articles, podcasts, or audiobooks on various topics. Something might ignite your interest.
7. Meet People with Different Interests: Joining clubs, communities, or attending social events can expose you to new passions through shared experiences.
8. Reflect on Childhood Joys: Think about activities you loved as a child—these can sometimes point to overlooked passions.
9. Experiment with DIY Projects: Tackling something hands-on, like gardening, furniture upcycling, or home improvement, might surprise you.
10. Take Time to Reflect: Spend quiet moments journaling or meditating on what excites and motivates you. Sometimes introspection reveals more than action.

Have any of these sparked an idea or intrigued you? Or would you like me to dive deeper into any specific activity?

It seems like you’re delving into the profound impact of modern philosophy on personal fulfillment! There are some intriguing books that explore these themes further, such as “Universal Holistic Philosophy: And How to Understand the Universe” and “Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live A Happier, More Meaningful Life.” These could provide valuable insights and deepen your understanding of how philosophy can enhance personal fulfillment.

A groundbreaking meta-analysis study, published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, 

Has revealed overwhelming scientific support for the use of medical cannabis in cancer treatment.

The extensive research, which analyzed data from over 10,000 peer-reviewed research papers, found that more than 70% of studies support the therapeutic benefits of cannabis for cancer patients. 

Researchers from the Whole Health Oncology Institute and Chopra Foundation reviewed findings from studies containing nearly 40,000 data points related to cannabis and various health outcomes. 

Their analysis revealed that “support for medical cannabis is 31.38× stronger than opposition to it” across all cancer topics examined.

“The findings indicate a strong and growing consensus within the scientific community regarding the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, particularly in the context of cancer,” the study authors stated. “The consistent correlation strengths for cannabis as both a palliative adjunct and a potential anticarcinogenic agent redefine the consensus around cannabis as a medical intervention.”

The meta-analysis, described as “the largest ever conducted on medical cannabis and its effects on cancer-related symptoms,” examined three main categories: health metrics, cancer treatments, and cancer dynamics. In health-related measures, the supportive sentiment was nearly 47 times stronger than opposition, with researchers noting “a robust consensus indicating that cannabis’ benefits in reducing inflammation significantly outweigh potential risks.”

For managing cancer treatment side effects, the study found strong support for cannabis use in alleviating pain, nausea, and appetite loss. The evidence for pain relief was particularly compelling, with supported sentiments being 211.96% more likely than not supported sentiments. “This indicates that studies involving medical cannabis and pain were significantly more likely than average to result in supported sentiment and significantly less likely than average to report not supported sentiments,” the researchers explained.

Perhaps most striking was the evidence supporting cannabis as a potential anticarcinogenic agent. The analysis revealed particularly strong associations between cannabis and reduced tumour growth, with no significant opposition found in the literature. “Studies investigating therapeutic use of cannabis were overwhelmingly likely to present supported sentiments, with inverse relationships between not supported and unclear sentiments,” the study noted.

“We expected controversy. What we found was overwhelming scientific consensus. This is one of the clearest, most dramatic validations of medical cannabis in cancer care that the scientific community has ever seen,” said Ryan Castle, Head of Research at Whole Health Oncology Institute, in a press release.

The findings are especially significant given the legal restrictions on cannabis, which have historically complicated research into its therapeutic potential. The authors suggest that their results challenge this classification, stating that “the strong consensus supporting the therapeutic use of cannabis, particularly in the context of cancer, suggests that there is a substantial scientific basis for re-evaluating cannabis’ legal status.”

The meta-analysis also identified areas requiring further research, including the precise mechanisms of cannabinoid interaction with inflammatory processes and the topic of cannabis and opioid use in pain management. Despite these knowledge gaps, the study concludes that “the consistency of positive sentiments across a wide range of studies suggests that cannabis should be re-evaluated within the medical community as a treatment option.”

The findings have significant implications for public health research, clinical practice, and policy discussions surrounding the legal status of medical cannabis. As the researchers note, “These results suggest a need for further research to explore the full therapeutic potential of cannabis and address knowledge gaps.”

Cannabis Use in Patients With Cancer: A Clinical Review

Authors: Brooke Worster, MD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6687-1760 Brooke.Worster@jefferson.edu, Emily R. Hajjar, PharmD, and Nathan Handley, MD, MBA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5804-4784Authors Info & Affiliations

Abstract

Cannabis use and interest continues to increase among patients with cancer and caregivers. High-quality research remains scant in many areas, causing hesitancy or discomfort among most clinical providers. Although we have limitations on hard outcomes, we can provide some guidance and more proactively engage in conversations with patients and family about cannabis. 

Several studies support the efficacy of cannabis for various cancer and treatment-related symptoms, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and cancer pain. Although formulations and dosing guidelines for clinicians do not formally exist at present, attention to tetrahydrocannabinol concentration and understanding of risks with inhalation can reduce risk. 

Conflicting information exists on the interaction between cannabis and immunotherapy as well as estrogen receptor interactions. Motivational interviewing can help engage in more productive, less stigmatized conversations.

Accompanying Article

Free access

CLINICAL REVIEWS

Understanding the Role of Cannabis in Cancer Care: An Emerging Priority

Publication: JCO Oncology Practice

Volume 18, Number 11

https://doi.org/10.1200/OP.22.00080

Mr Jones is a 55-year-old man with a medical history of hypertension, gastrointestinal reflux disease and ulcerative colitis who presented to a local hospital with weight loss and jaundice. He received a diagnosis of metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, underwent stent placement, and recently began systemic chemotherapy. 

He is six feet tall and originally weighed 215 lbs. When he comes in for treatment today, his weight has decreased to 192 lbs. He reports that he has pain with anything he tries to eat. He does not like how much constipation resulted from opiates, so he is using only sparingly. He currently takes acetaminophen, famotidine, amlodipine/hydrochlorothiazide senna, and oxycodone as needed. He asks you what can be done for his appetite and pain.

Introduction

Of the 15.5 million Americans living with cancer,1 moderate to severe pain (0-10 numerical rating score ≥ 5) is experienced by more than a third because of consequences of cancer, its treatments, or both.2 According to a large, longitudinal study done by the American Cancer Society, pain was among the top three symptoms contributing the greatest negative impact to patients’ quality of life (QoL).3

Although improving QoL in patients with cancer remains a top priority, we continue to struggle with effective and safe interventions for many of the cancer and cancer treatment–related side effects including pain and anorexia. Given the increasing awareness of risks associated with long-term or high-dose opioid use, many patients now want to limit or avoid opioid use when possible.4,5 Recent surveys report that between 25% and 40% of patients with cancer use cannabis in any form, from a state-regulated dispensary or obtained from illicit sources,6,7 and among those, a large majority report using it to manage symptoms such as pain or anxiety.8

At least 36 states and the District of Columbia have approved cannabis for medical use, and 18 have laws allowing legal recreational access.9 Understanding the terminology associated with cannabis is important to have a basis for composition, safety, or availability.

The US government created the distinction between high (> 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) and low THC (< 0.3% THC) cannabis as a regulatory mechanism. The Farm Bill10 of 2018 deregulated low THC cannabis, known as hemp. Hemp is often referred to as cannabidiol (CBD); however, this nomenclature is inaccurate, as hemp contains numerous compounds, including THC.

Subsequently, innumerable CBD-based products flooded the marketplace with little to no regulation in content or quality.11 Although patients have online or even convenience store access to these CBD products, there is minimal assurance of composition (Table 1).

Table 1. Distinguishing Factors: Cannabis, Marijuana, and HempOpen in viewer

There remains wide discrepancy between state-to-state regulation and operational procedures surrounding cannabis. Rapid expansion of legislation allows greater access, but high-grade scientific evidence remains limited.12 Thus, it is not surprising that national guidelines lack recommendations about possible therapeutic uses of cannabis, which creates clinical challenges for clinicians.13 A recent nationally representative sample of medical oncologists found that 70% of oncologists did not feel equipped to make clinical recommendations regarding cannabis, and only 46% had recommended its use.13

Mr Jones reports a desire to avoid higher-dose opioids and denies significant nausea as the cause of his poor appetite. In conversation with his care team, cannabis use is brought up as a potential treatment. He does not feel comfortable smoking or inhaling anything and wonders if there is another way for him to use cannabis.

Formulations, Pharmacokinetics, and the Endocannabinoid System

It is important to understand both the endocannabinoid system, where phytocannabinoids are primarily active, and the range of cannabis-based products available to patients, as the potency, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics can vary widely (Table 2).

Table 2. Potential Benefits and Risks of Cannabis on the Basis of FormulationOpen in viewer

Although there are more than 100 known phytocannabinoids, the most well recognized are Δ9 THC and CBD. The two best-studied targets for cannabinoids in the human body are the endocannabinoid system receptors CB1 and CB2.14 There are other receptors that both THC and CBD activate or antagonize; however, these remain less mapped than the CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 is found predominantly in the central and peripheral nervous system, whereas CB2 has a more limited distribution in the immune and hematopoietic system.15

There are four main methods of ingesting cannabis: inhalation (vaporization or smoking), oral, sublingual, and topical. Each method has unique pharmacokinetics and other considerations that may make it more or less tolerable to specific patients (Table 3). Cannabis is metabolized by the liver and primarily excreted in feces. Metabolites are highly lipophilic, leading to a very long half-life in humans (up to 70 days).16

Table 3. Cannabis PharmacokineticsOpen in viewer

Inhalation

Inhalation remains the most common method of cannabis consumption in the United States and worldwide.17 This can include smoking, which is the burning of the dried flower and inhaling the components that are released. Smoking can occur via several forms (eg, rolled cigarette joint v pipe bong). Vaporization is similar; however, the plant is not burned, but instead heated to a temperature at which the active ingredients in the plant are released as vapor that is inhaled by the consumer. 

Although much is still unknown about long-term side effects of inhalation of cannabis via vaporization, a meta-analysis from 2018 published in Annals of Internal Medicine showed minimal impact on pulmonary function with short-term cannabis vaporization.18 However, vaporizers use concentrated oil extracted from the plant and can contain up to as much as 90% THC, which can result in serious side effects for a novice consumer. 

Inhaling high THC concentrations, via either smoking or vaporizing, may increase risk for arrhythmia or myocardial infarction in susceptible patients.19 Common side effects specific to inhalation include sore throat, irritation of oral mucosa, and cough. A potential benefit of inhalation is both rapid onset of action (helpful when nausea is a prominent symptom) and ability to easily titrate one’s dose, making overconsumption less likely.20

Oral/Sublingual

Oral ingestion is rapidly becoming a more prominent form of cannabis ingestion, and much research and development has gone into formulations of cannabis-infused candy, beverages, and other food products.21 Formulations include pills, edibles (food-based products and candies), and beverages. 

Sublingual ingestion includes sprays, dissolvable strips, tinctures, and lozenges. The largest limitation in oral or sublingual ingestion is poor pharmacokinetics: bioavailability is low (between 6% and 25%) because of the lipophilic nature of the bioactive substances and absorption is erratic, as it can be delayed and otherwise affected by other stomach contents.22

This makes oral ingestion difficult to effectively titrate as well as more prone to overconsumption, especially with high-THC products, in that patients may need to wait longer than expected for the onset of effect and assume they need more. Over Ingestion of THC can lead to nausea, anxiety, paranoia, disorientation, and short-term psychosis.23  Additionally, most edible products are potentially appealing to children or pets (candy, cookies, and flavored drinks); so, caution must be used in storage.

Sublingual use may improve bioavailability and absorption. Sativex (nabiximols), the one plant-based cannabinoid medication, approved for medical use in Canada and parts of Europe but not yet in the United States, includes the entire spectrum of natural cannabinoids and is delivered as a sublingual spray. The time of onset is similar to those seen in general oral consumption; however, some studies have reported an earlier onset.22

Topical

A final common way to consume cannabis is topical use in the form of lotions, salves, oils, and patches. Topical administration of cannabis potentially allows a steady infusion of a drug to be delivered over a prolonged period of time, while also minimizing the adverse effects of higher drug peak concentrations because of limited systemic availability, which can reduce unwanted side effects. 

Topical administration is potentially ideal for localized symptoms, such as those found in dermatologic conditions and arthritis. However, local skin irritation can occur, and the absorption capacity of both the cannabis preparation and the additives may not be well described.24 Topical use is often popular in novice users or older adults who wish to avoid the intoxicating effects of cannabinoids.

Rick Simpson Oil

Rick Simpson oil (RSO) refers to a full-spectrum extract that is known to be high in THC. These products are highly potent and have a viscous consistency.25 Because of the activation of the THC in the extraction process, RSO can be ingested orally, sublingually, or topically. It does not need to be heated to work like other preparations require.26  Although RSO products have the same considerations as other formulations listed above, special consideration should be noted on the potency, as unintentional overdose can occur more frequently with this type of product. Although some believe the topical application of RSO products may cure cancers, this is only supported by anecdotal stories.27

Risks

It is important to consider risks and side effects of cannabis use when counseling patients. Cannabis smoke carries many of the same carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. However, large cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have not found a link between cannabis smoking and long-term pulmonary consequences, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.28,29

More recent evidence highlights cardiovascular concerns among cannabis users as well. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the therapeutic use and safety of cannabis are lacking, but a growing body of evidence suggests that marijuana consumption may be associated with adverse cardiovascular risks.30 There is much to be learned, and most studies now are retrospective analyses with confounding variable such as high prevalence of tobacco use in the populations as well.31

Data regarding the relationship between cannabis use and psychiatric disorders are incompletely understood, often in conflict, and vary on the basis of cannabinoid type, potency, and composition, with synthetic, illicit THC products carrying a much higher risk than whole plant or extract.32

Mr Jones has an appointment with the interprofessional Supportive Oncology team.

The team evaluates his perceptions and prior experiences surrounding cannabis use in an effort to create open dialogue about his fears and interest in using cannabis. He admits that a friend gave him a gummy that was helpful for both pain and appetite but made him somewhat dizzy. He is not sure what the composition of that product was. 

The physician certifies him for the state-approved medical cannabis program, and the social worker helps guide him through the cost, payment, and dispensary access, reminding him that these are all state-specific. Recommendations given for a tincture to use for both pain and appetite with initial use of a 2.5 mg dose of THC and to prioritize formulations that also have CBD.

Select Indications and Evidence Base

Pain

Very few well-designed, randomized controlled trials exist examining medical cannabis in patients with cancer pain. However, there has been increasing interest in cannabis use for cancer pain, given the lack of safety or tolerability of opioids and other analgesics (eg, renal impairment and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, polypharmacy, and risk of addiction). 

Although evidence is mixed,33 there appears to be at least a weak indication for cannabis use if standard of care has failed across pain types. Although the evidence is somewhat better for neuropathic pain34 and cancer pain,34 it is difficult to control for route of administration as well as composition of products. The risks of inhalation as the route of administration often lead many guidelines to steer away from this as a method of consumption.35

Therapeutic trials of cannabis for naive users should start with low dose, non inhaled products, possibly with higher CBD component or a CBD:THC 1:1 ratio with slow increases of THC as indicated and tolerable (Table 4). Patients who have had prior exposure to cannabis may be able to tolerate higher THC concentrations. Dosing or oral or sublingual products should start with no higher than 5 mg THC for inexperienced users. Dosing of CBD can be more liberal and is generally well tolerated.

Table 4. Guidelines for Initial Dosing on the Basis of THC Amount for Cannabis-Naive UsersOpen in viewer

Insomnia

Impaired sleep onset and latency are frequent concerns among patients with cancer and may affect up to 19% of the general population.36 One very common patient-reported use of cannabis is to treat insomnia. However, research into cannabis use and sleep is very conflicting. There is some evidence that short-term, high-dose CBD may be helpful in decreasing sleep onset and lengthening time asleep37 possibly through its anxiolytic effects.38 Conflicting evidence suggests that cannabis cessation after prolonged use can cause or exacerbate insomnia.39

Chronic pain affects individuals’ ability to get restful sleep. Research, primarily with nabiximols (Sativex THC:CBD 1:1 oromucosal spray), has started to examine the potential role of cannabinoids in addressing sleep disturbances in the context of pain. A significant majority of study patients reported a subjective improvement in sleep quality, although possibly more related to reduced pain levels than a change in biological sleep patterns. Frequent cannabis use, especially with high-THC products, results in tolerance and may trigger self-titration and very high THC use over prolonged exposure for sleep.40

Although many patients may turn to cannabis for help with sleep impairments, there is little in the way of evidence-based guidance for dosing or composition of product to recommend. Given the longer half-life of oral or sublingual products, this may be the preferred formulation to help with sleep duration.

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders, as a group, are the most common mental illness in the world, leading to high psychosocial and financial burden.41 The first-line treatment of anxiety disorders includes various antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and benzodiazepines as well as psychotherapy. Up to 40% of patients still experience anxiety symptoms despite this treatment,42 thus driving interest in additional effective therapeutics. 

CBD has therapeutic potential as a treatment for anxiety as shown by the burgeoning number of studies and meta-analysis examining use in several anxiety disorders, ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to public speaking. There is well-supported data that high THC can exacerbate anxiety, induce panic attacks, or even trigger transient psychosis in infrequent users or if overingested,43 whereas CBD has shown tolerability and effectiveness in social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and general anxiety treatment.44 Studies have examined both oral and inhaled forms of CBD predominant cannabis with similar efficacy.

Nausea and Anorexia

There are two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved delta-9-THC pharmaceutical agents, dronabinol and nabilone, for use in treating nausea and vomiting associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy. A meta-analysis summarizing 28 trials, most completed before 2000, favored these over placebo or other antiemetics available.45

Additional studies completed more recently also support that although patients reported more frequent side effects, they preferred cannabinoids over other antiemetics.46 There are no published trials examining the impact of CBD alone on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. A review published in 2020 demonstrated a small number of smoked or inhaled plant strains with CBD present but no controlled data regarding CBD-predominant cannabis formulations for appetite or nausea currently exist.12

Similarly, patients often subjectively report improvements in appetite with cannabis use. Marinol originally received FDA approval for this indication in HIV patients in the 1980s. Studies show that smoked cannabis increase blood levels of ghrelin and leptin, hormones associated with hunger.47 Small trials of THC supplementation in patients with advanced cancer have shown subjective reports of improved taste and appetite.48 However, there are minimal studies examining CBD-predominant products in appetite stimulation or weight gain to date.

It is important to note that of all the antiemetics currently available, cannabis and corticosteroids are the only two options with both antiemetic and orexigenic effects. Balancing risk, benefit, or drug-drug interactions between corticosteroids may limit its use at times, especially in those patients with cancer receiving immunotherapy.

Cancer-specific Concerns for Cannabis

Immunotherapy

The biological impact of cannabis is mediated by the endocannabinoid system. Although the two best-studied targets for cannabinoids in the human body are the endocannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, it is increasingly recognized that additional receptors, enzymes, and endocannabinoid-like lipids appear to be part of an extended endocannabinoid system, or endocannabinoidome.49–51

This extended system has been implicated in immune system regulation, leading to the hypothesis that cannabis may affect the activity of immunomodulatory agents, including immunotherapy for patients with cancer. Some preliminary data suggest this may be the case. In one retrospective study of 140 patients with melanoma, small-cell lung cancer, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma, receiving either nivolumab alone or nivolumab and cannabis, cannabis use was the only significant factor that decreased response rate (37.5% relative risk in nivolumab alone versus 15.9% in the nivolumab-cannabis group; P = .016; odds ratio = 3.13; 95% CI, 1.24 to 8.1). 

However, cannabis use did not significantly affect either progression-free survival or overall survival.52

Similarly, a prospective observational study including 102 patients with metastatic disease (68 receiving immunotherapy—pembrolizumab, nivolumab, durvalumab, atezolizumab, or ipilimumab and nivolumab—and 34 receiving immunotherapy plus cannabis) suggested that cannabis users had a lower rate of clinical benefit (39% in users v 59% in nonusers, P = .035). 

Similarly, median time to progression was 3.4 months (95% CI, 1.8 to 6.0) for users versus 13.1 months (95% CI, 60 to not available) for nonusers, and median overall survival was 6.4 months versus 28.5 months (P = .0025).53 Cannabis users also had a significant reduction in immune-related adverse events (P = .057). Although these studies raise some concerns, additional prospective studies are needed to further examine the association between cannabis use and immunotherapy efficacy.

Antitumor Characteristics

Several cancer types express cannabinoid receptors in a manner related to the degree of anaplasia and grade of the tumor.54 In vitro and in vivo cancer models have demonstrated that cannabinoids can modulate tumor growth, although the data remain nascent.55 Similarly, cell- and animal-based studies have demonstrated similar anticancer effects to plant-derived cannabinoids.56

Understanding the process by which cannabinoids regulate cellular processes involved in tumor development remains an important area of research. In 2017, the National Academy of Sciences convened a committee to review the health effects of marijuana.57 In evaluating potential antitumor characteristics for patients with cancer, the committee found one systematic review focusing specifically on gliomas.58

The review identified 2,260 studies. Of these, 35 met inclusion, and all were preclinical (with the exception of one small clinical trial); all 16 of the in vivo studies described an antitumor effect of cannabinoids. The committee concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support or refute the conclusion that cannabinoids are an effective treatment for cancers (including glioma), and suggested that signals from the preclinical literature suggest additional clinical research needs to be conducted.

Estrogen Receptor Interactions

Animal models demonstrate that cannabinoids can alter multiple hormonal systems—including suppression of gonadal steroids, growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid hormone, and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.59 Crude marijuana extract and condensed marijuana smoke can compete with estradiol for binding to the estrogen receptor; of purified cannabinoids, CBD also demonstrates binding.60

These observations have led to the hypothesis that cannabis may play a role in hormone-positive breast cancer. Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that THC, CBD, and other CBs can inhibit disease progression in breast cancer models.61 One study suggests that the effect of a botanical drug formulation may have greater antiproliferative effects than that of pure CBs.62 

Additionally, one study of human breast cancer tissue specimens demonstrated that 75.6% of breast adenocarcinoma expressed CB2, regardless of the subtype (although expression was most highly associated with tumors expressing human epidermal growth factor 2.63 However, there are not yet clinical data evaluating the effect of either exogenous or endogenous CBs on treatment outcomes or disease prognosis of any breast cancer subtype.64

Talking with Patients About Cannabis

Given the social, cultural, and regulatory complexity surrounding cannabis, discussing its use with patients can pose a challenge. Motivational interviewing, which seeks to understand a patient’s perspective before attempting to impart information, can be an effective tool to have these discussions when a provider senses that cannabis may be of benefit to a patient. In motivational interviewing, a health care provider uses a four-step approach to engage the patient: engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning.65

In the engaging phase, a provider first listens to the patient to elicit their pre-existing perceptions regarding cannabis. In the focusing phase, a provider then clarifies the goal of the treatment (in this case, symptom management). In evoking, the provider then works to understand motivations that may support or inhibit use of cannabis. Finally, in the planning phase, the provider and patient work together to develop a mutually agreeable plan for cannabis use, if appropriate.

In conclusion, improving QoL in patients with cancer remains a top priority. Although the field is early in development, cannabis may play an important role for symptom management in this population. It is important to discuss the potential benefits and adverse effects of cannabis along with counseling points to allow patients to use each dosage form properly.

SOURCE: Cannabis Use in Patients With Cancer: A Clinical Review | JCO Oncology

Search Results for Cannabis Oil | Cancer Quick Facts

Cannabis Studies and Cancer – Search Videos

Foods That Fight Cancer: The Ultimate Science-Based List

Foods That Fight Cancer: The Ultimate Science-Based List

Story by Marian Avila

In the fight against cancer, nutrition has become a scientific ally. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, 30-40% of cases could be prevented with dietary changes. The secret lies in phytochemicals: bioactive compounds that modulate gene expression and create a hostile environment for cancer cells.

These foods work through proven mechanisms:

? Inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death)

? Inhibiting angiogenesis (cutting off blood supply to tumors)

? Detoxifying carcinogens

? Protecting DNA

Discover how to transform your plate into an evidence-based preventive strategy.

Key Takeaways:

The best diet for cancer-prevention is a plant-based eating pattern.

No single food can prevent, cure or treat cancer, so the pattern matters more than any single food.Top 10 cancer prevention foods to include in a plant-based diet include leafy greens, beans, nuts and whole grain, plus beverages such as coffee and tea.

No single food can prevent cancer by itself, but dietary patterns than include an array of nourishing foods can certainly help reduce cancer risk. Research shows that a plant-based diet helps lower cancer risk, so it’s not surprise that all 10 foods on this list come from plants!

What kind of diet helps prevent cancer?

Research shows that eating mostly plant-based foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans, plays a big role in preventing cancer and contributing to a healthier life.

That’s because plant-based foods are high in fiber, nutrients and phytochemicals (natural substances) that may help prevent cancer.

One of the 10 Cancer Prevention Recommendations from AICR is to eat a diet that’s rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans. Independent studies show that the more closely you follow AICR recommendations (which also include advice to be physically active and cut back on sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food), the more you reduce risk of developing cancer.

What are the Top 10 Cancer-Fighting Foods?

Plant-based diet for cancer prevention

Here is a list of top cancer-fighting foods that can be included in your cancer prevention diet:

Leafy greens: Carotenoids found in leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale act as antioxidants and boost the body’s own defenses. You can also try romaine, arugula, Swiss chard and collards. Enjoy this recipe for Warm kale salad.

Whole grains: Whole grains such as oats, barley and quinoa provide fiber, which can help reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer. They also help stop free radical damage (that’s a good thing, since free radicals can increase cancer risk).

Soy foods: Limited but suggestive evidence supports the potential for greater overall breast cancer survival and perhaps decreased breast cancer recurrence in women who eat soy-based foods, such as tofu and edamame.

Try this Scrambled turmeric tofu with greens.

Walnuts: All nuts contain beneficial cancer-fighting nutrients. Walnuts have been specifically researched because they contain ellagitannins, melatonin and gamma- tocopherol, which help reduce oxidative stress, inflammation and gene expression that can lead to certain cancers.

Pulses: Beans and lentils contain fiber, resistant starch and phenolic compounds, which may support the growth of health promoting gut bacteria. Research is ongoing on how these contribute to cancer risk reduction. Use chickpeas or another favorite bean in this Moroccan chickpea sorghum bowl recipe.

Citrus fruits: Lemons, oranges and other citrus fruits provide phytochemicals and vitamins that act as antioxidants and help protect against cell damage. Enjoy the refreshing citrus flavors in this Quinoa citrus avocado salad.

Berries: The phytochemicals and nutrients in berries show potential anti-cancer effects in laboratory studies. For example, blueberries increase antioxidant activity in the blood and may help prevent DNA damage.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower: Glucosinolates in these vegetables may help thwart the development and progression of certain cancers. Try this Creamy broccoli apple salad

Coffee: Phytochemicals in coffee are linked to a lower risk of developing endometrial and liver cancers.

Tea: Limited evidence suggests that tea may decrease the risk of bladder cancer. This refers specifically to black or green tea, not to herbal teas such as peppermint or camomile.

A combination of these foods that prevent cancer can form a dietary pattern that’s nutritious and delicious. There is no single food that can cure, treat or prevent cancer—it’s the whole dietary pattern that matters most.

You can read more about Foods that Fight Cancer here.

Food Synergy – The Art of Matching and Combining

December 4, 2013 | Author: Judith DeCava, CNC, LNC.

Fish is good for you, and broccoli is good for you.

Fish with broccoli must be twice as good, right?

Actually, together just looking at two nutrients, the selenium in fish and the sulforaphane in broccoli they are up to 13 times more effective than either nutrient alone. This is food synergy: food components working in concert to produce a symphony of health benefits.

And because other examples of this type of cooperation between food factors have been identified, the focus in nutrition research is shifting. The old way was to look for one variable, but now scientists are looking at the synergy of dietary patterns.

For example, vitamin C increases absorption of iron, giving food combinations like red peppers with quinoa or steak a new power image.

Inulin, a type of carbohydrate found in bananas, provides nourishment for beneficial bacteria such as yogurt’s bifidus, which aids digestion and boosts immune function. Innumerable synergies have yet to be discovered. You don’t find a single nutrient in a single food; foods come as packages of nutrients, and the nutrients we know about don’t tell the whole story.

Several studies have shown a connection between consumption of vegetables and fruits and body weight. People who eat plenty of produce have lower weights, whereas those who consume only a little have higher weights. In a study that boosted participants’ intake of fruits and vegetables by four servings a day, there was a 24 percent lower risk of obesity for those who cut their fruits and veggies by two servings a day.

For more insightful combinations…

Read:  The Cancer-Fighting Fruits and its Cancer-Fighting Properties 

and The Cancer-Fighting Vegetables that Should be Top of your List!

5 gut-healthy foods everyone should be eating, according to science

10 Foods You Didn’t Know Were Good for Digestion | Watch

The best foods to eat for a healthy stomach

The Best-Studied Anti-Cancer Foods.

Broccoli (and other cruciferous veggies)

Star compound: Sulforaphane

Study: Reduces prostate cancer risk by 41% (Journal of Nutrition)

Effective dose: 1/2 cup daily (best raw or lightly steamed).

Matcha Green Tea

Polyphenols: EGCG inhibits telomerase (a key enzyme in cancer cell division)

Protocol: 2-3 cups/day (158°F to preserve compounds).

Brazil Nuts

Key mineral: Selenium (1 nut = 175% DV)Meta-analysis: Linked to 50% lower breast cancer risk (Nutrients 2023)

The full list includes turmeric, dark berries, garlic, pomegranates, medicinal mushrooms, flaxseeds, fatty fish, cooked tomatoes, and legumes.

Related video: 10 Common Foods That Reduce Inflammation (TheQuickReport) – Search

Powerful Combinations1. Turmeric + Black Pepper + Olive Oil

Piperine increases curcumin bioavailability by 2000%. Tomato + Avocado

Healthy fats enhance lycopene absorption by 400%. Green Tea + Lemon Juice

Vitamin C triples catechin uptake

Optimal Preparation

Garlic: Chop and let sit for 10 min before cooking (activates allicinase)

Broccoli: Steam for a maximum of 3 min to preserve myrosinase.

Tomatoes: Cooking increases bioavailable lycopene.

Common Mistake Consuming isolated supplements:

Solution: Whole foods offer synergies that pills can’t replicateA Harvard University trial showed that women with higher flavonoid intake (berries, tea) had a 31% lower risk of ovarian cancer.

Sample Anticancer Menu

Breakfast: Spinach, blueberry, and ground flaxseed smoothie

Lunch: Wild salmon with steamed broccoli and quinoa

Dinner: Tomato and garlic soup with turmeric + 1 ounce dark chocolate

Chemo FAQ | Cancer Quick Facts

Home Page – Chemocare.com is a comprehensive resource for cancer patients and their caregivers that provides chemotherapy drug and side effect information, cancer wellness information, and links to additional reliable resources and organizations.

All information provided on this website is created and reviewed by a multidisciplinary team at Cleveland Clinic or is referenced from reliable medical and community resources.

While undergoing chemotherapy, it is recommended to eat thoroughly cooked foods and washed produce1. Avoid uncooked and unpasteurized foods, including meat and produce1.

 Additionally, consider trying new foods, choosing different plant-based foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, and limiting red or processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed foods2.

 When it comes to produce, use the Environmental Working Group’s list to determine which items may have higher pesticide levels and consider buying organic for those items3.

Eat to Defeat Cancer: 7 Steps for Fighting Cancer Every Day50 Jaw Droppingly Toxic Food Ingredients & Artificial Additives to Avoid | MPHProgramsList.com36 foods that can help lower your cancer risk | MD Anderson Cancer Center

Top-rated diet lowers cancer risk in a surprising way, new study finds Foods to avoid while undergoing chemotherapy – Search

8 Best Foods That Support Your Heart & Gut at the Same Time, Recommended by Dietitians

These 20 Foods Are the Healthiest You Can Put on Your Plate

Red Raspberry and cancer stem cells | Elyn Jacobs

What Should You Eat While Fighting Cancer?

Eating in Synergy to beat cancer – Search Videos

Avoid jawbreaking food additive – Search