Archive for October, 2009
Improve Your Odds
Richard Carmona, former United States Surgeon General, has stated that nearly 40-50% of cancers could be avoided by following better lifestyle and nutrition practices.
There is also a growing body of research suggesting that only 5-10% of cancers in humans are caused by genetic defects. This would seem to indicate that the vast majority of cancers are caused by environmental situations, nutritional and behavioral patterns.
Whoa…
So what does that really mean?
Well, the good news is that this means that we can really fight cancer…on a very personal level.
We can beat cancer, we can save ourselves, our friends and our family members from the ravaging effects of that nauseously devastating, absolutely incapacitating, depressing and deadly disease of cellular corruption -(cancer) …90 to 95% of the time.
How empowering is that, huh?
So, how do we do that?
Well, the first thing we do is avoid all the behaviors that we know darn well increase our cancer risk:
- Avoid tobacco and tobacco products
- Avoid second-hand smoke
- Avoid alcohol in excess (daily alcohol consumption has been found to increase cancer risk by over 40%)
- Avoid processed meats (hot dogs, lunch meats etc..) and foods containing nitrates
- Avoid trans-fats and hydrogenated oils (chips, fries and fried foods)
- Avoid sugars and simple starches (cancer cells thrive is glucose-rich environments and depend on simple sugars to grow and to spread)
- Avoid excessive sun exposure (use sunscreen) and exposure to tanning beds (in 2009, the World Health Organization elevated tanning beds to its highest cancer risk category)
Next, we fortify our bodies with valuable antioxidants, fiber, lingans, monoterpenes and phytochemicals that boost our immune system -fight off disease -strengthen our cells and fight free-radicals which are known to cause cancer.
And just how do we fortify our bodies with these magical, disease fighting compounds?
Cancer Fighting Goodness
Why, by consuming copious amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables -of course! Fresh fruits and vegetables contain all of these wonderful compounds as well as plenty of water, essential minerals, nutrients and valuable fiber.
How much fruit and how many vegetables?
It’s really kind of tough to overeat fruits and especially vegetables -they are so full of goodness that they tend to fill us up pretty quickly. However, do your best to eat servings of each at every meal. And, it is certainly a good idea to balance your consumption of both -don’t favor one over the other.
A good rule of thumb suggests that children need 4 – 6 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day, while adults should enjoy at least 6-8 servings -even more for athletes and physically active individuals.
Here’s a simple strategy to remember. – It’s called the 4-P’s of cancer prevention:
- Plants -eat more plant based foods -Like fruits and vegetables
- Physical activity -as little as 30 minutes of brisk activity a day can greatly improve your health, shrink your waistline and reduce your risk of cancer by as much as 40%
- Portion control -eating smaller portions throughout the day instead of a few large meals has been shown to reduce stress, balance blood glucose and help curb appetite and cravings for sweets.
- Practical -none of these habits are going to come easily or become part of your routine unless they can be maintained. Work on the 4-P’s consistently -and over time, you will find that your life and your health have improved, while your risk of cancer has greatly decreased.
New habits are never easy to implement -but you can do it -you know you can.
Start simply and stay with it.
Decrease your odds of developing cancer -and win the battle before you have to ever fight it.
-To your Good Health!
A Mind to Change
Can you truly change your mind?
Do you even have a mind to change?
Are you sure?
Neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, brain researchers and psychologists have long held that the “mind” is simply what the brain does -that there is no separate, independent ‘thinking substance’ that we call the “I” or “me” in which (or from where) we are ultimately in control.
Our actions, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs are nothing more than neuro-chemical reactions, electronic pulsing and neurons firing (or not firing) over and over and over again.
A look inside your "mind"
Our mind is not separate from our body.
Our brain is indeed very much connected to our body (we would really be in trouble if it were not) and the brain is all we have to think with.
But does that adequately explain our experience?
I don’t know…you tell me.
If your mind really is in control of your body…can you tell me why we make some of the unhealthy choices we make?
Shouldn’t our minds ‘know better’ and do a better job of controlling our actions?
Isn’t it more likely that we eat that milk chocolate because we have come to expect and to crave the pleasurable sensations it provides?
Don’t we really eat that milk chocolate (or insert your guilty pleasure here) because of the chemical reactions that take place –namely the release of the ‘feel good’ hormone serotonin? I think it is.
We could probably argue about this for hours….but that’s not my point.
My point is….that real and lasting change is more about repetitive effort than it is about having some sort of magical thing called “Will Power.”
Ask anyone who has ever succeeded…at anything…and you will find that the decision to succeed was just the beginning. The work, the trial, the error, the tiny successes and the huge failures that occur after the decision to succeed….that’s the secret to real success.
‘Changing your mind’ and changing your life -really is a change -a physical, neurological change. And that kind of thing just doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a multiplicity of efforts to re-wire your brain and your psychology in order to succeed.
So….you’ve heard it before, but it still bears repeating:
If at first you don’t succeed -Try -Try -Again!
To your good health!
