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Health & Fitness

How Can We Lessen Our Chances of Getting Cancer?

Can we lessen our chances of getting a cancer?

Hi, everyone!

Usually, I try to keep things pretty light and upbeat, however, today I'm going to tackle something a little more serious than usual. Cancer. Yes, the Big "C." I think you'll all agree that we all either know someone directly or indirectly who has had some form of cancer. It is tragic. It is horrible. But is it preventable? We have all heard of the person who never smoked a day in his life but ended up with lung cancer. Or about the woman who faithfully got her yearly check-ups and screenings, yet found out she had an advanced case of cervical or ovarian cancer. What about all those men who feel great, yet their bodies have hidden prostrate cancer for years? Or the woman who just had a mammogram and suddenly felt a lump that turned out to be breast cancer? These are all horrifying, scary and yes, even frustrating. But the big question is, what can we do?

Cancer struck my family for the first time about 18 years ago. I was pregnant with my daughter and my dad found out he had prostrate cancer. Back then the standard treatment of this type of cancer was surgery and possibly radiation and/or chemotherapy. Dad had surgery and, I believe, radiation, and it took care of it.

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The second time it struck our family was about four years ago (my family will correct me on this if I'm wrong, but I believe it was about four years ago). My dad, AGAIN, found out he had cancer. This time it was esophageal cancer. My dad was very lucky. Usually this type of cancer is not found until it is too late. Dad just had excessive heartburn and the mass was found "by accident" (are there REALLY any "accidents"?? That's another blog post altogether!) Dad weathered this one. Had his entire esophagus removed. Recovered fabulously! Back to normal.

Then the final blow came last September. Dad found out he had YET ANOTHER cancer. His shoulder was hurting him. After an x-ray and several tests, we were given the devastating news he had a sarcomatoid carcinoma. For those of you who know a bit about cancer, you will understand how devastating this diagnosis was. My dad was diagnosed last September (2010) and we lost him on March 23, 2011. Almost six months to the date of diagnosis. He fought hard. Went through boatloads of radiation and chemo...bone strengthening shots...EVERYTHING. But this cancer never, ever, throughout ALL of this intense treatment, receded. In truth, it actually kept growing.

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So, what happened? Why did my dad, who had/has more than 50 patents for various chemicals/chemical structures, who was brought up on a farm (pretty healthy lifestyle) and the smartest man I have ever known (I may be a bit biased!), why did he end up with not one, not two but THREE cancers? To be fair, my dad smoked a good portion of his life. However, he did quit when he found out about the prostrate cancer. (After going to the Health & Fitness Expo in D.C. this weekend I found that your lungs never recover from smoking...just a thought.)

Now that some time has passed, I can think about my dad and his cancers a little more objectively. I have done research and tried to find out WHY certain people get cancer and certain people do not. What I found out was...no one knows. There are certainly very risky behaviors and situations that are proven to cause cancer. However, even some of these behaviors/situations do not often result in the person getting cancer. I am not comfortable with the "luck of the draw" scenario. I don't like that. I like to think we have some control.

As I was doing my research I wrote down a lot of the things I found that were consistently coming up in every article, book and document I looked at. I wanted to make a list of what all the doctors, nurses, scientists, holistic practitioners and people who had been through it thought we could do to try, and I say TRY, to minimize our risk of getting some sort of cancer (and there are many, many types of cancer).

We all know that putting down or never starting on cigarettes definitely helps. Exercise is a huge factor. Believe me, I am not a good "exerciser." I hate to sweat and I get B-O-R-E-D! I like to call it a necessary evil. (I do not quite understand someone when they say they LOVE to exercise! [Brandi]). But it must be done. Another activity that has some proven result is meditation. I will go further into this subject on another blog, however, without getting too technical, it reduces the amount of cortisol your brain produces and that is a big factor in keeping your weight down. Research it. You'll find a better way than mine of explaining it! Then, of course, there's what you put into your body. So, by controlling your weight, moving (exercise) and watching what you eat you can put a pretty strong fight in keeping the multitudes of cancers at bay. I'm not saying you will not get a cancer. I'm just saying that many, many studies have indicated that all three of these help.

Below I have listed a few foods that have all been studied, and the results indicate they help fight against cancer. Some of these you will know. Some will come as a surprise.

Here goes:

Orange juice/oranges/spinach/romaine leaves/dried beans/peas/peanuts/asparagus/brussel sprouts: All of these are folate-rich foods that contain the B-complex vitamins. Low levels of folate = mutations in the DNA. Mutations in your DNA = bad news. Possibly cancer.

Vitamin D: Curbs cancer cell growth. Find it in milk, cod, shrimp, eggs and SUNSHINE!!!!! (No, not my dog!)

Tea: Green tea. Many antioxidants and has been used for hundreds of years by other cultures as a preventative measure for disease.

Cruciferous vegetables: Antioxidant rich green leafy vegetables. The entire cabbage family, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts.

Curcumin: Indian spice used throughout history and proven through many studies to fight/prevent disease.

Ginger: Antioxidant rich, anti-inflammatory. Use fresh with meats, vegetables and as a tasty garnish.

Avocados: Attacks free radicals in the body. Use in salads or on sandwiches.

Carrots: Beta-carotene rich vegetable. Beta carotene is fast becoming more and more valuable as a natural way of preventing a whole bunch of illnesses, and many studies show a good indication that it has cancer fighting properties. Eat your carrots!!

Garlic: Allium compounds in garlic block carcinogens from getting into your cells. They also slow down tumor development.

Seaweed: Rich in beta carotene, protein, B12, fiber and other minerals/vitamins. Studies have consistently shown it contains important fatty acids that could help fight off breast cancer.

Flaxseed: Oil and/or meal contain phytoestrogens that reduce the risk of breast, skin and lung cancer.

Grapes: Contain resveratrol, which is a proven antioxidant/anti-inflammatory that works at preventing cell damage before it begins. (Yes, that's wine, Brandi!!!)

Now, I'm not saying that if you eat only these foods you will never, ever get any type of cancer. I do not know that. However, study, after study has shown that the food we eat has an enormous impact on our fight against cancer. Try to eat predominantly plant-based food. That seems to be the best.

My dad's cancers opened my eyes to a lot of things. It would seem that he was a "Cancer Magnet." He was/is my dad. Maybe I am a "Cancer Magnet" too. Then again, maybe not. But if I can take steps to, hopefully, not have to go through what my dad went through, then I will do that and encourage everyone I know to do that as well.

And if that does not work and I end up with some sort of cancer, I just hope I handle it with the same dignity and strength that my dad did. I hope.

Thanks for reading. Have a great week. Eat well, stay healthy and find the happiness in everything you do!!!

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