Helpful tips for preventing Cancer
The big C, a word that alone can evoke incredible pain, struggle and hardship. There is no doubt that this word often represents a battle with life and death, often too early and of course never at an opportune time. That one word can take dreams, aspirations and hopes and turn them into background noise as treatments and plans for fighting the battle get underway. Currently in America, one out of every four of us will get cancer, so this fear is, or will be, an unfortunate reality for many. But the great thing about statistics is that they can be changed. A society may no longer be doomed to a particular fate, if one important factor can be implemented: education. I Have devoted my life to obtaining scientifically supported ways to heal and stay healthy. The medical paradigm I was taught in medical school was one of prevention, empowering patients, and finding the root cause of a condition. While there is no easy slam dunk answer when it comes to cancer, there are ways we can all help avoid ever having to hear the big C out of our doctor.
Cancer is a multifaceted disease, which really should be classified into many diseases. The word cancer encompasses over 100 different types of conditions that behave differently depending on their designated classification and how progressed they are. But although most types of cancers act differently, there are a couple common themes among them all: Inflammation and a loss of the ‘checks and balances’ on a cellular level leading to uncontrolled growth. The literature is full of speculation as to the cause of this omnipotent disease and no doubt there are probably hundreds of factors that play into the equation. Through research I have found that a few themes keep repeating themselves, and while there are many more that are probably just as valid, the list below seemed like a good place to start.
Get moving
I know you know that exercise is essential, but a recent poll by WebMD estimated that only ½ of Americans exercise regularly. Our bodies are designed for physical labor and regular movement, and modern living with lack of movement and exercise has lead to obesity and disease. Exercise is essential to not only keep the pounds off (which puts us in an inflammatory state), but to help us eliminate toxins through sweat. The key to exercise is to find an activity you love which also gets the heart rate going. Exercise does not have to mean going to a gym and running in place while you watch TV. For some the gym works great, for others another option must be explored. Try activities like taking dancing lessons, riding your bike to work instead of driving (helpful for the environment too), finding a partner to walk outside with, or finding a new sport that you have always had interest in. Find something that you love so it is not a chore, it is something you look forward to.
Do not use soft plastic, especially if it’s warm
Soft plastics, like those in water bottles and plastic wraps, contain a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. This chemical has been found to act like an estrogen, promoting estrogen sensitive tumors (breast and prostate), and can potentially disrupt female hormone balance, and neurologic processing. This research came from a review of 500 studies on lab animals in which the same conclusion was made every time: there is ‘some concern’ using plastics, especially for children. It seems that the effects are more concerning for children, where they might get programmed early on to have a cancer promoting body. So parents please avoid soft plastics with your children. Plastics also leach bisphenol A at higher rates when warmed, so never leave plastic bottles in the car in the summer……but in my opinion, just don’t drink out of plastic bottles at all, it is bad for you and is bad for the environment. Also do not heat food in the microwave with plastic over it, use a paper towel, to avoid exposure.
Chemical, chemicals and more chemicals
We are living in a toxic world. Since 1945 pesticide use alone has risen 3300%. Remember I mentioned before cancer cells have a disabled ‘off’ switch leading to uncontrolled growth, well these may be part of the culprits. The Environmental Working Group estimates that the average Child consumes 8 different types of toxic pesticides a day and recently umbilical cord blood was tested in a group of minority women and found to contain an average of 232 toxic chemicals. Now if that isn’t setting us up for failure from the start I don’t know what is. So what’s the problem? Well pesticides work by either acting as a neurotoxin (block a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine) or disrupting endocrine processes. Pesticides work so well they were implemented in World War II as a toxic nerve gas that was used to KILL people…yes these are the same pesticides/herbicides that you eat on your fruit and spray on your lawn. Some 'experts' and companies want to make the argument that these substances cause no harm at the doses that are sprayed on foods and sprayed on lawns. They claim that until a lethal dose is reached we, the unsuspecting public, should not have any ill effects from these chemicals….but the truth is nobody really knows, and it does not seem like a far extrapolation to me to think that a substance that is deadly in large doses, is toxic in small doses. I for one do not want to find out. Ways to reduce exposure are: eat organic as much as possible, take your shoes off before entering your home as to not track pesticides in your house, and do not spray the lawn the herbicides and pesticides, especially if you have animals and children. Also instead of using chemical cleaners in your home, consider using vinegar in water instead, it works!
Take some time to relax and enjoy life
I knew we were in trouble when a former president praised a woman on national television for having 2 jobs and working 7 days a week. But this is what many of us do, for some reason in this country we think a 40 hour work week is slacking! While it may be good for business, it is not good for our health. Many studies have shown that increased work week hours lead to chronic stress. Chronic stress then leads to chronically elevated cortisol (a stress hormone) which causes insomnia, obesity and eventually depression (all of which are related to inflammation)…sound like a familiar trio in our nation? I respect the need to be a hard worker to increase production and maintain employment but a few tricks can be done to help reduce the stress. The first is breath. Stop a few times a day to take 5-10 deep breaths, placing one hand on your belly and feeling it rise a fall. I know it sounds hooky, but deep breathing relaxes the central nervous system and helps oxygenate organs and tissue that get stagnant from sitting all day. The second is Play outside. There is now actually a diagnostic code for “nature deprivation syndrome” which tells me that the medical model is finally admitting that we get sick when we are not in nature. Take time to walk in the morning or evening, have a picnic at lunch in the park or find a new hiking trail or national park to explore. The third is laugh. There are some German studies showing that ‘laughter therapy’ visibly shrunk tumors in persons previously diagnosed with cancer. So my thought is if laughter can shrink a tumor, why can’t it prevent them? Spending quality time with friends and family talking and laughing truly is essential to health. Don’t live to work, work to live.
In good health,
Sincerely,
Dr. Nina Lewis
