It’s often said that I have one of the best jobs ever. Well, let me quickly clarify.

I have the best three jobs ever!

Shell, for obvious reasons. Ever challenging positions. Under appreciated business and industry. And one of the best respected companies in the world.

Second, CBS Sports. A great place to catch sports of any…or most kind. A fun group of people to work with…even though their stress levels get epic at times.

And of course Friday Harbour. Although this organization was founded out of frustration with jobs one and two. And also out of the sheer sadness of losing a loved one to cancer and the financial or stress related burdens left in its wake.

Nonetheless, this charity is built on a strong future of hope, support, education, solace, celebration and recovery.

Therefore, as I travel the country for work, fun, retooling or all the above. I will now dedicate myself to honoring those of our friends, families and coworkers impacted by cancer by calling on the locals to know Friday Harbour…and to consider the many sacrifices friends and families endure as they care for their loved ones.

First, I will place a FirdayHarbour.org sticker “wherever legal” in each city that I visit. I will also add a name/family to each sticker. Kinda my “lasting impression” along the way.

Additionally, I will become more diligent on initiating and having that sometimes awkward conversation with that person seated next to me on the plane, bar seat or conference room, to tell them the good news that Friday Harbour…and many other great cancer causes are helping to fight the “all too powerful” burden caused by the illness of cancer.

Stress, pain, fear, hopelessness, pride, concern and financial strain…all caused by cancer!

I hope you don’t find MY WAY of adding more meaning to my many blessings and fortunes as I travel to and through many of our great towns and cities as part of my careers/choices. I only hope that others follow suit.

What “lasting impression” will you leave behind.

If you’d like some Friday Harbour stickers to leave behind during your next trip…please send me an email and I’ll mail them to you! Or maybe even deliver them myself on my next trip.

Together we can Beat The Hell Outta the impact of cancer!!

Til next time…Brian.Hall@FridayHarbour.org

Do soy foods increase cancer risk?

Focused on Health – May 2013

by Amber Presley

Soy is on the menu at restaurants and in our markets. But what is soy and can it increase or decrease cancer risks? It’s a hot topic that’s confusing, so let’s start with the basics.

Get protein from soy

Soy is a plant protein full of fiber, potassium, magnesium and other vitamins. Popular soy foods include tofu, edamame, miso and soy milk.

“Soy contains all the essential amino acids that play a role in supporting the body’s vital functions,” says Clare McKindley, clinical dietitian in MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Center. “It can be an easy way for people on a vegan or vegetarian diet and those with food allergies to get those required amino acids. But, as with any food, eating in moderation is recommended.”

A moderate amount of whole soy foods is up to three daily servings. Examples of a single serving include: 1 cup of soy milk, 1/2 cup cooked soy beans, 1/2 cup edamame or 1/3 cup tofu.

Soy and breast cancer

Because natural soy foods contain isoflavones, similar to estrogen, some people fear that soy may raise their risks for certain cancers. This is because estrogen is linked to hormonally-sensitive cancers, like breast cancer.

But according to the American Cancer Society, when it comes to soy, isoflavones may act like estrogen, but they have anti-estrogen properties as well. Some studies even show that people who ate soy were less likely to get breast cancer.

“The current research does not support avoiding whole soy foods–even for cancer patients or survivors,” McKindley says.

READ ALSO: The pros and cons of soy

Soy might lower the risk of other cancers

Soybeans, soy nuts and edamame all contain fiber. And, a diet high in fiber may lower your risks for several cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Studies among prostate cancer survivors indicate that eating soy foods may lower PSA levels. Among men in various stages of prostate cancer, those who consumed soy milk or isolated soy isoflavones saw their PSA levels rise at a slower rate. The effect was stronger in some men than others, making it unclear whether genetics or metabolism made a difference in lowering PSA levels.

A healthy balanced diet can include soy

It’s important to have a variety of foods in your diet, including soy.

“If you’re still uncomfortable adding whole soy foods to your diet yet want to reduce how much animal protein you eat, try these common alternatives: beans, lentils, nuts and seeds,” McKindley says. “The protein (and amino acid) content will vary for each.”

If you want to add soy to your diet, eat fewer processed soy foods, and choose more whole foods like edamame, tofu and soynuts. Does that mean you should skip the soy nuggets? Not necessarily. That’s a personal choice. But, remember that a processed soy nugget is just that—processed food. And, avoiding processed foods is another way to keep your cancer risks low.

If eating certain foods, like soy, gives you anxiety, skip them.

“Consider talking with a dietitian if you have questions about going meatless,” McKindley says. “It’s important to make sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Talking with an expert will help you go in the right direction.”

READ ALSO: Where’s the beef? The trouble with processed food.

Daily Health Tip:
Want some tea? Maximize your cancer-fighting antioxidants by choosing white or green over black tea.

Look for our updated events calendar soon.

Let me tell you about New York City. I spent the holidays there, with a purpose of relaxing and finding myself. Imagine going into the largest city in the world, during the Christmas and New Years time with any expectation of relaxing. Well that’s just how crazy 2012 was for me. And I needed it to come to a relaxing and profound end. And what better place to be when you need something to come to an end? Here are just some of the highlights of my time in the Apple.

I fought a driving windy snow barrage that made me wonder why I didn’t bring a helmet with a face shield. Ouch ouch ouch! I was determined to find Walkers in TriBeCa, a place that I have been to many a time before. But there is something about wind, snow, the wrong shoes and no headgear that will make you forget your name. Oh, we found it.

Then there was the trip to the lower east side to meet a friend for the best biscuits in town. A sure tourist trap for sure. However, I get the ONE NYC taxi driver who had no idea where the lower east side was, nor just how to get there in a hurry. I was late as usual. We finally found the place. Tourist trap it was. And after hearing of a 2 hour wait, I quickly second-guessed my decision. But friendship runs deeper than a wait time. The wait was far less, and the food was pretty darn good. Check.

Then there was the gourmet cookies that the brother to just HAD to have from the upper west side. Train ride to 34th street, blustery wind made me get back downstairs and get back on that train. Stop at 71st and a short walk later, I find another cue, and think to myself…what the hell is in these damn cookies? As I drew closer to the basement establishment, I found the smell of walnuts, chocolates and raisins simply intoxicating. After receiving my two boxes of cookies neatly gift wrapped, I wondered just how those were gonna make it back to Houston intact. And I’m not talking about TSA tearing them apart.

To do the World Trade Center Memorial Tour or not? I still couldn’t do it. However, on this wonderfully sunny day in the city, I made my way down to pay my style of respect to the two spires that reached to the sky as a historic reminder of our nations glory. Now, just a few hundred feet away peers a majestic replacement…bp mind me, a majestic re-dedication to our nations ability to take to the sky’s as a symbol of our ability, strength and our dreams.

Then came the famed New Years Eve…Manhattan style. A 4pm jaunt through Times Square was just enough to confirm that I had absolutely no plans to spend Midnight crammed in the Times Square “can” like a sardine out of water. A few high-fives with the already reveling internationals, it was on to the train and back down to my favorite TriBeCa haunts. Knickerbockers, The Raccoon Lounge, Frances Tavern which is still recovering for the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
This NYE was to be spent with close friends at a private party in the Wall Street district. But let me tell you, a last minute call from a friend with Jay-z tickets for his NYE show in Brooklyn, had me torn between showplace and or bring in the new year with close friends. Maybe next year Beyonce.

Quote of the night “honey F a ruffie, you can put a skittle in my drink and I’d go home with you”.

Only in New York! Love it!

Well, your first stop should be Hospitality Apartments (www.hospitalityapartments.org) located at 7300 Bertner near Old Spanish Trail. They have forty-six fully furnished units that are provide a welcome and comfortable stay for you and your caregiver.

This nonprofit is deeply rooted in faith-based service that dates back to its 1968 establishment by members of Bering Drive Church of Christ. Operated as the Human Resources Development Foundation, the noprofit benefits from generous support from individuals, foundations, businesses and more than 20 local churches representing multiple denominations.

The resident managers, Gladys and Paul Nicholas (Paul is a cancer survivor) take their hospitality to heart. These units come with many amenities and very few, but important rules. Guests may stay from two weeks to three months at a time. They must live more than 50 miles from the Houston area, and have a caregiver stay with them. A three month block of time must pass before your next stay. And while there are no income or financial status requirements, patients with communicable diseases are not permitted to stay.

Reports show that Hospitality Apartments has housed nearly 7,000 patients from 67 countries and almost every state in the union.

As we work to grow FridayHarbour.org, we will continue to learn from hospitality pioneers like Hospitality Apartments and their huge impact on visiting patients and families.

Looking into the future, we know that together, our impact will be huge!

NOTE:
Information for this blog post were taken from a story by ksmith@texasmedicalcent.org in the November 1st edition of Texas Medical Center News.

Make today great in everyday.

Brian

Benefitting www.FridayHarbour.org

Blue skies, beautiful people, hundreds of craft draft beer, and music to move the soul. That’s was the atmosphere in Guadalupe Park Plaza just north east of Minute Maid Park on this perfect Saturday afternoon.

The Draft Festival event, formerly “Monsters of Beer”, was the final bookend to Houston’s Beer Week. Carefully monikered as “100s of Beers, 8 Days, All Over Houston”, HBW was celebrated throughout Houston brew houses and breweries, including beers from around the country and celebrated by those individuals who wake up to craft beer as well as those brought over from the wine and whisky fancy!

Guadalupe Plaza Park, the host park for the second year in a row, proved yet again to be perfectly situated to host the thousands of revelers who came out to stroll the beer, food and merchandise booths all to celebrate life’s loves.
From beer of every hop, color and tast. To the tasty treats of Ninfa’s tacos, amazons famous PoBoys. There seemed to be good things for every taste bud. The music stage was front and center and was alive with local sounds throughout e festival. Park benches, shade trees, beer garden and a special VIP section provided all the space needed for the thirsty crowd and many volunteers.

Is a wonderful thing when you can mix a persons love of beer and music with a fundraising event, all to help kids in need and relieve a burden for someone on the cancer journey.

Friday Harbour.org is pleased to have a deep friendship and robust partnership with Cathy Clark Rascoe and the entire LiveItBig.org team.
Together, great things continue to happen here in Houston. Impacting everyday people around the city, state, country and even the world.

We hope to see you at the next event!

Help us ease the burden of the Cancer Journey!

By now you have probably read the story of my brothers cancer journey posted on our FridayHarbour.org website.

You’ll recall that he decided to start his treatment in 2008 at Scott & White hospital in Temple Texas. It was my hope that he would transfer his care to MD Anderson for several reasons. It would have been 15 minutes from my house. It would have potentially lessened the burden on our mother. And as I know now, the level of care, expertise and resources available at MD Anderson are really second to none. All in all, Tank fight the good fight for almost a year, and I am thankful for all that Scott & White did for him during his journey. 

As Friday Harbour approaches its 3 year anniversary, I’ll begin to reflect a bit on what we’ve accomplished as a startup non-profit in Houston. Help us by sharing your story on how MD Anderson has impacted your cancer journey.

Remember that sharing is caring!
Brian

It’s inspiring to walk by hundreds of people in each block and think about their underlying needs, as they navigate the streets of one of the worlds most exciting cities. They are our friends, co-workers, family members and such. So they must have some of the same needs, right.

So here’s what we need to do. When we are visiting our friends and family somewhere outside of our own town, ask a few questions about what is driving their world. If you give it time, you will find that we share the same troubles and opportunities, especially when it comes to the things that get us up in the morning and what keeps us up at night.

As I head to Baltimore tonight, the promise I make is that I will take a moment tomorrow to ask a couple of questions. Find out more. And show that what matters, is what matters to the person that I am talking to at that time. 
It’s not that I want to embarrass the person I’m speaking to. Nor do I want them to fell or seem vulnerable to my inquiry. In fact, I think that each of us deep down would beckon at the opportunity to share a ,moment of our lives with someone who would just simply listen and let us get it all out. 

That one moment in town, while it might not ever solve the true problem of the one embellishing it’s description. It might however give the host an opportunity to move to the next stage of addressing the issue. And therefore miraculously gaining the courage to forge ahead.

Because as we all know, there are usually challenges lined up in the que just testing our very ability to meet the, he’d on, one at a time. 
So let’s help each other stay on track, tackling them one at a time, one liberating conversation at a time.

Will you ask the question…and then just listen?
I will.

Sometimes it that “significant other” of yours that you committed to love and honor til death do you part. I know, you may recall the good ole days when you were so smitten with love that you overlooked the little itty bitty things they do to get on your nerves. Well, get over it, forgive them and move on. None of us are perfect. Except you right?!?

Then there is that special co-worker or boss or employee whom you are convinced only exists to make your daily work life a living hell. They talk too much. They are disruptive in meetings. They are always late to meetings, with assignments or just basically just not good at doing their job. Well, we all have one or two of them in our life. And we can’t just go around firing folks just because they are not as AWESOME as we are. So again, get over it, forgive them and move on. That’s way you get paid way more money than they do. Right?!?!

The PAIN that I’m talking about is real pain in your body. You know, the one that you feel every now and again when you first wake up. Or maybe you feel it when preparing for bed. Maybe you feel it dueing that work meeting. Or perhaps while you’re in class listening to your long-winded professor. Sometimes you are just sitting there minding your own business and you feel it in your arm, your side, your back or chest.

The problem is that Americans are more likely to ignore basic pains whenever and however often they occur. Sometimes we go as far as recalling a time you stubbed your toe, ran into that wall, lifted that box or slipped and fell (3 years ago on vacation), and calmly attribute this new pain to that long-ago occurance.

This dumb logic could be part of the reason why one third of patients with invasive cancer are under treated for their PAIN, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Furthermore, they say that minorities are twice as likely to forego treatment for basic pains. The researchers cite a number of possible reasons for the discrepancy in findings, including: cultural and communication barriers; access to care; concerns about addiction and reluctance to admit pain; expert symptom management and access to effective patient education.

You can read more about the findings of this study at http://jco.ascopubs.org/.

But I can tell you this. I may work harder at building up my tolerance for annoying co-workers. And I may choose to focus on the good genes in my significant other. But when I feel pain in this awesome human body of mine, you can bet you “overpaid salary” that I’m gonna get that PAIN checked out!

What about you?
Take care, Briano

Helping others through www.FridayHarbour.org

Get rid of your stress!

I mean it. Do whatever it takes. Say whatever it takes. Stay away from whomever it takes. Ride, run, cycle, drive, read, eat, watch or call, whomever and whatever it takes. But please get rid of the stress.

Here are a few things that I do:
1. I pray, give praise and thank the Lord for all that He has and will provide me on this earth. I’m not asking you to start up a prayer group, or sit for hours on end trying to think of just the right prayer to pray. I simply take those moments when my muscles begin to tighten and I simply say, Thank You Lord for Your Bountiful Blessings! See, I just said it again. That was easy.
2. I write and mail one card per day to an old friend, just to let them know I’m thinking about them and wish them well. This keep you in better touch, and when you are thinking of others, your problems and challenges become smaller and unimportant. They really do.
3. And finally, I take control of my day, by making a list of 3 things I want to accomplish personally, for Friday Harbour, and for work. Trust me, I end up doing much more during the day, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself by having a 20-Item TO DO list.

PLEASE GET RID OF THE STRESS: Travis Giddings recently wrote the following article in the Daily RX

“Cancer is a lot like a runaway train. In order for it to happen, not only did a lot of things go wrong, but the built-in safety mechanisms failed as well.

A team of researchers studied chronic inflammation of tissues and found that inflammation can cause those anti-cancer safety mechanisms to quit working.

Ask your doctor about ways to reduce your cancer risk.
Inflammation over a long period of time does not give the tissue a chance to rest. These cells don’t repair damage, including damage to the DNA, because they are in alert mode.

When no DNA repair proteins are made, this is known as gene silencing. Genetic silencing occurs by a chemical process to the DNA itself, known as methylation.

The group from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center looked at how a process known as DNA methylation was influenced by a chemical produced during stress called PGE2.

Mice in the study were given drugs to reverse the methylation process, stop the inflammation, or they received both drugs together.

Combination therapy produced the best results, reducing the number of tumors by 93 percent and shrinking tumor sizes by half as cancer fighting genes came back to life.

“We’ve known that chronic inflammation increases the risk of developing cancer and progression of disease,” said senior author Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., and executive VP at MD Anderson.

Studying this mechanism of methylation in inflammation could lead to better information about the most influential factors in preventing and reversing cancer.

The drugs used in the study were most effective when used together. Combining the anti-inflammatory drugs such as Celebrex (celecoxib) with demethylating agents such as Vidaza (azacitidine) produced much better results than either alone did.

“One potential application of our research would be a clinical trial for patients who are at extremely high risk for developing colorectal cancer, such as those with a genetic predisposition, to see if treatment with these agents would decrease their risk,” Dr. DuBois said.

Research was published in the January, 2012 edition of Nature Medicine.

The authors declared no competing financial interests.”

After much deliberation and thought, we recently began to cap our free night offer to a maximum of 3 nights per family per year.

This has already begun to impact our returning families, which really sucks.

I was sharing this impact with a friend of Friday Harbour’s during dinner the other evening…and she looked me in the eye and asked how can she help. Well I told her that I received an email from a patient we helped a few months ago. I told her that they were having a tough time finding alternative housing, but I had made it clear that our program change was best longterm. 

She quickly interrupted and said, I’ll be the difference maker. Christie said she’d personally sponsor this patients expenses during their holiday-week appointment. When the news was shared with the family, they could only say…what a Christmas miracle. 

It’s imperative that Friday Harbour maintains a clear process that our patients both understand and appreciate. That will not change. But there is no real process for individual generosity. Only sincere appreciation.

It’s pretty tough doing what we do here at Friday Harbour. But I continue to get those reminders that we never have to  handle it alone! 

Christy, thanks for your Christmastime random act of kindness!