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Revive Wellness Center Newsletter: Natural Cancer Prevention

In This Issue: Cancer protection and healing

Greetings!

Wishing you health and happiness. While we have the spring and summer sun, make sure to take time to get nature's free vitamin, Vitamin D, from at least 20 minutes a day of natural unprotected sunlight! Vitamin D is also important for cancer prevention, which is the subject of this months newsletter.

"Lose yourself in nature and you will find yourself at home"

Blessings, Dr. Artemis Morris, ND, L.Ac and Revive wellness center team

Cancer Protection & Healing

Cancer was first described in Greek by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, and later on by the Roman physician, Celsus, as a word for the crab due cancer's finger-like projections. Cancer is expected to become the leading cause of death worldwide in 2010 and is, in many cases, a preventable disease. It is true that our bodies are continually "fighting off" cancer by getting rid of potentially cancer causing cells and activity. In this article, you will learn the factors that are under our control to prevent and maximizing healing of this crab-like activity, called cancer. Factors influencing cancer include family history, genetics, environmental and toxic exposure, nutritional status, your immune system, state of mind, and diet. The factors that are under our control include exposure to toxins, state of mind, and diet. The factors that can be improved with the help of a qualified naturopathic physician by improving your immune system with natural medicines, detoxification of cancer-causing toxins, and the prevention and optimization of cancer healing with diet.

Healing and preventing cancer with food:

Multiple studies have shown that at least 15% percent of cancer risk can be prevented by following the Mediterranean Diet. You can maximize your survival by following the Mediterranean Diet if you have or had cancer.

The Mediterranean Diet includes:

1. Abundant plant foods (fruits, vegetables, breads, other forms of cereals, beans, nuts and seeds); 5-7 servings of vegetables and 2-3 servings of fruit.
2. Minimally processed (organic), seasonally fresh and locally grown foods;
3. Fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert, with sweets based on nuts, olive oil and concentrated sugars or honey consumed during feast days;
4. Olive oil as the principal source of dietary lipids; High monounsaturated-to-saturated lipid ratio.
5. Dairy products (mainly cheese and yoghurt) consumed in low to moderate amounts;
6. Fewer than four eggs consumed per week;
7. Red meat consumed in low frequency and amounts; High consumption of legumes and cereals.
8. Wine consumed in low to moderate amounts, generally with meals (optional).

Willett, W. C., Sacks, F., Trichopoulou, A., Drescher, G., Ferro-Luzzi, A., Helsing, E., Trichopoulos, D. (1995). Mediterreanean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. Am J Clin Nutr, 61 (suppl). p. 1402S- 6s.

Specific foods for healing and preventing cancer include green tea, blueberries, and the Indian spice, turmeric. Eating a lot of blueberries have also been shown to prevent skin cancer due to sun exposure.

Toxins and cancer

We are continually being exposed to cancer causing substances in our environment, food, and daily living. For example, cancer causing materials are found in new carpets, cleaning products, cigarette smoke, cosmetics, sodas, clothing, etc. See www.familiesagainstcancer.org for more information on cancer and environmental toxins.

Children that drink sodas containing sodium benzoate, a preservative, and ascorbic acid or Vitamin C, are consuming benzene that is a known cause of leukemia. The sodium benzoate in the soda reacts with the ascorbic acid in a chemical reaction creating the cancer causing benzene substance. The benzene levels would be even higher if the soda bottle was left out on the shelf or in sunlight. Our plastic water bottles can leach hormone disrupting chemicals, especially when left out in the sunlight or car, and increase the risk of breast cancer.

Cow's milk containing recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBST) upregulates an inflammatory mediator in our body called IGF-1 that promotes tumor growth in susceptible individuals, especially children. Hormone treated milk is disrupting young women and men's hormone levels and increasing their risk of cancer. Smoked and cured meats contain nitrites which can turn into nitrosamines, a cancer causing substance in food.

Over eating smoked and cured meats, such as, sausage, bacon, deli meats, and the like increase our exposure to nitrites and potentially cancer-causing nitrosamines. There are many things that we ingest willfully or are exposed to in our environment which increases our risk of cancer and poor outcomes with cancer.

SOME FOOD TOXINS TO AVOID FOR CANCER PROTECTION:

1. Hormone treated milk. If you use cow's milk look for a label that says no rBGST, hormone free, or organic.
2. Soda- don't risk it.
3. Cured meat and smoked meats in large quantities
4. Artificial sweeteners and artificial anything.

Besides minimizing your exposure to cancer causing substances in our environment, such as, soda, plastic bottles, benzene, parabens, and the like, another way to protect yourself against cancer is by removing the toxins from your body. When you are exposed to toxins your liver is the main organ that detoxifies these substances so that they can be excreted. Mutations are the genetic changes that happen to turn healthy cells into tumors and cancer.

Keeping your liver healthy and getting rid of toxins on a regular basis is another way to prevent cancer cells from forming by getting rid of the cause of mutations. Doing a detoxification plan at least once a year for someone with a low-level exposure to environmental toxins will help to keep the liver and body clear of cancer causing substances.

You can discuss a detoxification plan with your Naturopathic physician that addresses the types of toxins found in your body, family history, and individual needs for optimal cancer protection and prevention with detoxification.

Some foods that are especially helpful for detoxification include brussel sprouts (also has cancer-protective properties), dandelion greens, beets, and artichokes.

Cancer and the immune system

While your liver helps to "detoxify" potentially cancer-causing substances from your body, your immune system is important for helping to recognize and destroy harmful substances we are exposed to on a daily basis from our environment and food. There are many things that can compromise our immune system, including stress, digestive system imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, overgrowth of yeast, bacteria, and viral diseases, and toxin exposure.

How to keep your immune system healthy: Sleep, reduce stress and worry, eat lots of vegetables and fruits, avoid too much sugar and refined carbohydrates, keep your digestive system balanced with probiotics and heal any imbalances. Your digestive system is a key component of your immune system thanks to a specialized tissue called GALT (Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue). Immune supportive foods- garlic, onions, scallions, mushrooms. If you already have or have had cancer what to do?

All of the above applies in preventing recurrence. You can consult with a Naturopath skilled in adjunctive complementary cancer care if you want to maximize your conventional medical treatments success and minimize side-effects. Have a healthy and happy summer and remember "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

Sincerely,
Dr. Artemis Morris, ND, L.Ac

REVIVE WELLNESS CENTER STUDIO

• Martial Arts: Tang Soo Do, Kung Fu
• Belly Dancing
• Music Together Classes
• Yoga - coming back soon!

For an updated schedule, go to the Studio section.

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