Cancer Prevention
Did you know that about 15% of cancer is genetic and 85% is due to lifestyle habits? That means through these prevention steps, we can lower our chances of getting it. It is important if there is a family history of cancer, to get yearly check ups since the genetic factors place you at higher risk.
In this blog we will explore prevention tips that are about food recommendations, environmental tips, and the emotional side of prevention. After researching this topic, it answered my question as to why a lot of incredible people have gotten cancer? I used to ask myself, why do the good ones have to get sick? I did get my question answered and it turns out that prevention is not just about the foods we are eating but also our ability to own our emotions and how we handle conflict. Did that last part sound a little out there? Keep reading and I hopefully will answer some of your questions. As always, you are welcome to leave a comment and I will get back to you.
Here are some insights on cancer prevention:
- Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your risk for lung and breast cancer. Second hand smoke can be just as dangerous. If you live with a smoker, you are at a 24% greater risk of getting lung cancer.
- Go easy on the booze. High consumption of alcohol increases the risk of liver, throat, colon, and breast cancer. This is because of the free radicals and inflammation that alcohol causes.
- Move your body. The more you move your body, the less chances you have of getting cancer. In particular colon and breast cancer.
- Check your vitamin D levels. There is a strong correlation between low vitamin D levels and cancer.
- Eat organic food! Pesticides and herbicides have been linked to increased risk of cancer.
- Eat more of these rainbow looking organic whole foods.
Cruciferous vegetables because they contain glutathione which aids in our bodies ability to detoxify toxins.
Some examples are: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Berries because they are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which can be food for cancer growth.
Some examples are: Blueberries, Raspberries, Cherries, Camu Camu, strawberries, and goji berries.
Herbs and Spices!
Turmeric fights cancer and inflammation in the body.
Cilantro has also been shown to fight inflammation.
- Be your authentic self.
I saved this one for last because it is not talked about as much. According to The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine page 100, C types of personalities are found to be more cancer prone.
What does C type mean?
C type personalities tend to suppress their emotions, especially the angry ones. They are overly nice, avoid conflict, overly patient, and often feel hopeless. My theory is that these emotions get bottled up inside and create acidic environments in our bodies. So, if you are reading this and struggle with setting boundaries, please seek help. I know there can be a lot of fear around saying no to people or being seen as rude. I used to be this way and suffered from chronic pain in my body. That energy has to go somewhere. It can get stuck inside of your body and cause an acidic environment for your cells.
Whenever you are feeling angry…
Scream into a pillow, shake your body out, sing loudly in your car, talk to a therapist, or learn what skills work through those emotions. Anger is a powerful emotion, so choose a powerful tool to work through it.
I hope this blog post provided some reminders of cancer prevention and that you also learned something new.
Have a wonderful week!
Resources:
The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine Third Edition, Page 99
https://draxe.com/nutrition/cancer-fighting-foods/ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/anti-cancer-diet/