It's Time to Change Your Lifestyle

In the past few years my husband and I have witnessed four close relatives die and numerous friends die of cancer, or get diagnosed with cancer. As a young person, cancer seemed like a distant, rare disease and I don't remember knowing very many people who had cancer. Now, everywhere we turn friends and friends and family are turning up with cancer. We hear people saying things like, "why are so many people getting cancer?" and "I wish they would finally discover a cure for cancer."

 The truth is, we do know what causes cancer. Scientists have uncovered most of the facts about cancer, and are making amazing breakthroughs. There are literally thousands of evidence-based research studies on scholarly websites outlining everything from the locations of exact gene mutations causing specific cancers to what food products fight cancer the best and which are the most harmful. We know that cancer is caused by genetic mutations to cells, and we know a lot now about what kinds of things and environments make those mutations happen. We know that there are some genetic factors are involved causing some people to inherit a greater risk. Still, so much is known now that can be done to prevent cancer. So why aren't people taking these preventative measures more seriously?


I get it, I really do. I spent most of the first four decades of my life popping candies of all colors and sweets (especially chocolates!) into my mouth, feasting on barbecue pork steaks, hamburgers, French fries, and the like. These things are comfort foods, and I enjoy eating them as much as the next person. But there is nothing like friends and family dying all around you to give you a wake-up call.
The National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society now tell us that over 1/3 of Americans have or will have cancer in their lifetime. 1 in 3 people! And, if that's not bad enough, the numbers are rising, and the worldwide incidence of cancer is expected to double by the year 2030.
Ever since my husband and I decided to radically change our diet to prevent cancer (since I have already had tumors with suspicious cells, and my husband has a strong family history of cancer), we feel sometimes like others perceive us as odd. Really, we don't know why more friends aren't listening to the latest research and taken seriously the warnings about how we as Americans live is killing us. We get the flu vaccine when the risk of dying from the flu is less than odds of getting cancer. We take shelter in our basement when there is a tornado which will likely not touch our house. Yet one thing we can do that will help to prevent 1 out of 3 of us from getting cancer, we don't do.


The American Cancer Society also has a few words of wisdom to share, which come from evidence-based research:

1.      Stay away from tobacco, the cause of 1/3 of cancers in the US.

2.      Be as lean as possible throughout your lifetime – stay slim!

3.      Get regular physical activity, cardio several times a week – cancer dies in oxygen rich environment.

4.      Breathe deeply – again, cancer hates oxygen

5.      Limit sedentary behavior – inhibits the lymph and circulatory systems

6.      Limit processed and red meat (best to limit animal protein to 5-10% of diet).

7.      Eat raw fruits and vegetables – at least 2 ½ cups a day

8.      Choose vegetables, whole fruit, and other low-calorie foods instead of calorie-dense foods such as French fries, potato and other chips, ice cream, donuts, and other sweets.

9.      Emphasize whole fruits and vegetables; choose 100% juice if you drink vegetable or fruit juices.

10.  Limit your use of creamy sauces, dressings, and dips with fruits and vegetables.

11.  Eat whole grains like oats and brown rice instead of refined grain products like white rice or things made with wheat flour (that means no donuts, white bread, bagels, pasta, most boxed cereals)

12.  Drink very little alcohol

13.  Eat organic as much as possible – avoid foods that might have pesticides and herbicides like soy, wheat, corn in particular which are often farmed with these

14.  Eat whole foods – that means avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, additives, and any

15.  Avoid foods packaged in BPA plastics

16.  Limit intake of ocean fish – although a lean meat, the risk is rising of mercury and radiation contamination

17.  Avoid meats with nitrites

18.  Avoid meats that are charred or heated at high temperatures – that means no grilling, frying, etc. Better to boil, bake, poach or broil.

19.  Avoid foods that are genetically modified (GMO)

20.  Avoid animal protein that is fed antibiotics

21.  Limit your intake of refined carbohydrate foods, including pastries, candy, sugar-sweetened breakfast cereals, and other high-sugar foods.

So I challenge you to take charge of your future and make some changes. Read over these things carefully and see which ones you can slowly incorporate into your lifestyle. Little changes go a long way. You may be saving your own life, and the life of your whole family. We need to learn to eat to live, not live to eat. And I hope you will discover that many of the good things for you are actually quite delicious. I hope you find as I have that I no longer crave the things that are bad for my body.

American Cancer Society. (2018). Stay healthy. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/healthy.html
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2018). Cancer statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics