Steps for Cancer Prevention
An old saying goes, the best medicine is prevention. alternative medicine for cancer has been known to perform miracles for curing serious and advanced cases, but fighting off a disease like cancer is hard on the body and mind.
According to the American Cancer Society Web site .one third of the 550,000 cancer deaths that occur in the United States each year are due to unhealthy diet and insufficient physical activity." But it is never too late to start. Diet and exercise are not just preventative measures but they can also be alternative medicine for cancer patients. The curative power of diet and exercise is so strong that they can often be considered medicine."
Exercise such as yoga, qigong and tai chi include both the body and the mind,
working to rid the body of toxins, strengthen immunity and balance emotional
and physical energy. Extremely strict dietary measures such as juice fasting
and eating raw, organic fruit and vegetables can have a powerfully healing effect
on the body and has been know to shrink cancerous and precancerous tumors.
Learning about prevention helps put you in control of your health. Being in control reduces fear and empowers the individual to take care of themselves. Knowledge is not only power, but it can save lives. It is a lot easier emotionally to learn about cancer prevention than to research the most effective conventional or alternative medicine for cancer treatment.
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It is no surprise that eating well and being active are the best and most basic tool of prevention available. But what does eating well mean? And how much physical activity is recommended? Some of the following recommendations from the American Cancer Society's Web page (www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_3_1x_Link_Between_Lifestyle_and_CancerMarch03.asp) give a more specific, detailed break down of what it mean to follow these two golden rules.
Eat a variety of healthy foods each day with an emphasis on produce
"Eat five or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day. Choose whole grains in preference to processed (refined) grains and sugars. Limit consumption of red meats, especially those high in fat and processed" and choose foods that will help you maintain a healthful weight.
Be physically active
Today's world of cars, food delivery, office jobs and remote controls don't encourage much physical movement. Humans were not built to sit all day. It is recommended that "adults engage in at least moderate activity for 30 minutes or more on 5 or more days of the week. To further enhance reductions in the risk of breast and colon cancer 45 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on 5 or more days per week is recommended. For children and adolescents it is recommend to engage in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at least 5 days per week."
Always maintain a health weight
Extra weight is a big risk factor in many diseases including cancer. It is particularly problematic for certain types of cancers, such as breast cancer. Part of eating a healthy diet is not over eating. If a person does not overeat and consumes a healthy diet such as the one recommended to prevent cancer, and stays moderately active they will maintain a healthy weight.
Limit the consumption of alcohol and don't smoke
Even healthy things in excess are bad for you. A moderate consumption of alcohol is not bad for you, it is overdoing it that causes a strain on the body. And alcohol, like sweets or sunbathing, is an easy pleasure to overdo. Some studies have shown that moderate alcoholic consumption can be very healthy, not only because of what it does to the body, but its effects on the mind.
The relaxing, pleasant effects of alcohol can be extremely beneficial. But because it is a depressant, taken to the level of intoxication, the effects of alcohol become quite negative. Smoking has been linked to lung cancer and generally lowers the body's immunity.
The effect of weight gain on contracting breast cancer
One year ago the Associated Press reported on an American Cancer Society study that found that "the amount of weight a woman gains after age 18 is a strong signal as to whether she will get breast cancer later in life. In one of the largest studies of weight and breast cancer to date, researchers said older women who gained 20 to 30 pounds after high school graduation were 40 percent more likely to get breast cancer than women who kept the weight off.
"The risk doubled if a woman gained more than 70 pounds, said Heather Spencer Feigelson, senior epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society. The cancer society estimates weight contributes to between one-third and one-half of all breast cancer deaths among older women. Weight gain also is the second leading cause of all cancers, according to research the Atlanta-based society published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine." (www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/26/health/main602352.php)
No one is an island
Because humans don't live in isolation, one of the most useful tools for living a healthier lifestyle is support from friends, family or the community. It is hard to munch on apples and carrot sticks when your husband or wife is eating apple pie. Enlisting as many people in your healthy eating and exercise program as possible will help ensure your success and the health of your loved ones.
The best kind of support comes at a community level. Increased access to healthy food at the school or work cafeteria and an enjoyable and safe outdoor environment for exercise is one of the ways a community can contribute to the health of its residents.
Have you read our information on Diabetes Alternative Medicine,
or Allergy Herbal Medicine? Trinity Clinic is a
Seattle Holistic Center that strives to provide excellent information and services.
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