By Brooks Laber D.C.
CANCER, just the sound of the word brings chills down most people’s spine. We all have loved ones that battle with cancer every day. For those of us lucky enough not to have it yet it’s not the thought of what if, nowadays it’s the thought of when! According the World Health Organization in the next 20 years cancer rates will rise 57%, or that an estimated annual total of 14 million people will rise to 22 million a year, and deaths are expected to rise from 8.2 million to 13 million people a year.
Now for a little bit of hope, what most people don’t know about cancer? It is estimated that upwards of 50 percent of all cancer cases are deemed preventable through a combination of diet, exercise, and early detection. We aren’t doomed to accept that chances of getting cancer is left to a roll of the dice. The director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer noted “We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem” and continued with “more commitment to prevention and early detection is needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally”.
So where to start, let’s keep it simple “put the good stuff in, keep the bad stuff out”. For starters it is really as simple as that.
Let’s start by talking about food, and I’ll keep it simple. What should I avoid in the super market? You’re going to hate me for this one, but you need to avoid or at least cut back on processed white flour. This includes most breads, pasta, and cookies. Unfortunately white flour has virtually no nutritious value to it, and is probably the leading cause in blood sugar issues that lead to weight gain, diabetes, and you guessed it cancer. Along with white flour, try and avoid all highly processed foods, as well as highly processed oils. For oils I like to stick to olive oil for salads, and try and cook with coconut oil as it can be used at medium heats without going rancid “bad”.
At this point you’re probably thinking what can I eat if I’m not supposed to use bread? Start with lots of vegetables and fruits, they are loaded with anti-cancer vitamins and phytonutrients. Try not to just stick with a couple of different vegetables, you’ve probably heard eat the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a unique carotenoid to it, and each one of them have different health benefits, so load up on all different colors.
Next if your budget allows, find a source for high quality meat. For example, if you like beef find a farmer who is raising a grass fed animal, with no antibiotics and growth hormone. This type of meat is loaded with healthy fats and not the bad stuff you find in commercially raised beef. The same goes for pork, chicken, and fish. Find a source that allows them to eat a natural diet, and where they are not locked up in cages.
Lastly, throw some nuts, seeds, spices, and fermented foods into the equation. If you simply start with this your well on your way.
Next up, you need to get out and get moving! The American Society of Clinical Oncology recently posted that “physical activity may lower the risk of cancer by preventing obesity, reducing inflammation and hormone levels, and improving insulin resistance and immune system functioning. According to the National Cancer Institute, people who exercise regularly have a 40 to 50 percent lower risk of colon cancer, and a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of breast cancer regardless of their family history or risk level of breast cancer, THAT’S HUGE!
Start slowly with brisk walking, or if you have joint pain try and find a pool to walk in. From this point slowly ramp up into swimming, biking, and running. If you’re really ambitious throw in some weight training as well.
Lastly, when we talk about keeping the bad stuff out we need to talk about toxins. This will be a future blog, but for now start with some simple things. Try and remove toxic household chemicals from your house. A lot of household cleaning supplies are horribly toxic and carcinogenic, instead try something like Norwex cleaning products which are much cleaner, and don’t pose the large toxic burden on you and your loved ones.
Remember that although our genes influence our risk of cancer, most of the risk from person to person is due to factors that are not inherited. Avoid smoking, stay at a healthy weight, stay active throughout life, avoid toxins, and eating healthy can help greatly reduce a person’s lifetime risk of developing or dying from cancer.