Eat less processed foods, live more

It’s disheartening to note that the American Institute of Cancer Research estimated that about 40 percent of US breast cancer cases (and probably other diseases) could be prevented if only people made wiser, healthier lifestyle choices. If only we took charge of our own health. From the mouths of the experts come these all-natural tips on how to lick disease, live long, and live more (as can be gleaned from www.mercola.com):

• Starve cancer and obesity. Avoid frying or charbroiling; boil, poach or steam your food instead. Beef up your diet with cancer-fighting whole foods, herbs, spices, and supplements such as broccoli, curcumin (an orange-yellow colored powder which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits), and resveratrol (an excellent source is red wine).

• Avoid or reduce your intake of processed foods, sugar/fructose, and grain-based foods. That includes whole unprocessed organic grains as well because they tend to rapidly break down and increase your insulin level. Sugar, especially fructose (fruit sugar), feeds cancer cells and promotes their growth.

• Avoid sweetened drinks (whether they’re sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners). Replace them with plenty of pure, clean water.

• Increase high quality fat, reduce protein. Think about reducing your protein levels to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight. Replace excess protein with high quality fats, such as organic eggs, high quality meats, coconut oil (which is aplenty in our country), avocados, and nuts (like macadamia, which is higher in fat and lower in protein).

• Drink a half to a whole quart of organic green vegetable juice daily. Invest in a good blender and discover the joys of juicy.

• Eat fresh, locally grown food. We can’t stress enough that fresh is best.

• Avoid unfermented soy products. Some studies show that soy appears to work in concert with human estrogen to increase breast cell proliferation, which increases the chances for mutations and cancerous cells.

• Normalize your Omega-3 to Omega-6 fats ratio. Normalize your ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil and reducing your intake of processed vegetable oils.

• Make exercise a regular habit . Cancer organizations highly prescribe regular exercise to reduce the risk of cancer. Exercise has been found to lower insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Research indicates that exercise can help trigger apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.

• Optimize your Vitamin D level. Scientific evidence proves that you can decrease your risk of cancer by more than half simply by optimizing your Vitamin D levels with appropriate sun exposure.

• Get plenty of natural Vitamin A. There’s solid proof that Vitamin A also plays a role in helping prevent breast cancer. Best to get it from Vitamin A-rich foods, rather than a supplement. The best sources are organic egg yolks, raw butter, raw whole milk, and beef or chicken liver.

• Make sure you’re not iodine deficient. There’s strong evidence linking iodine deficiency with breast cancer. Iodine has potent anticancer properties.

• Optimize your sleep. Make sure you’re getting enough restorative vitamin Zzzz. Poor sleep can interfere with your melatonin production, which is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which promote the growth of cancer.

• Limit your exposure to toxins. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners, and toxic cosmetics. Avoid BPA, phthalates, and other xenoestrogens —estrogen-like compounds that have been linked to increased breast cancer risk.

• Limit your exposure to radiation. Protect yourself against radiation produced by cell phones, towers, base stations, and Wi-Fi stations, as well as minimize your exposure to radiation-based medical scans, including dental x-rays, CT scans, and mammograms.

• Avoid synthetic hormone replacement therapy. Breast cancer is an estrogen-related cancer, and according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer rates for women dropped in tandem with decreased use of hormone replacement therapy.

• Manage stress.  Addressing stress and unresolved emotional issues may be more important than the physical ones. Authorities assert that stress (from all causes) is a major contributor to disease. They note with concern that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotional factors.

As they say, it’s not what you eat but what’s eating you up that could impact your health.