National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Taking Your Power Back
Doctors often cannot explain why one person develops cancer and another does not. But research shows that certain risk factors increase the chance that a person will develop cancer. Risk factors in which you have some amount of control include:
-poor food choices -lack of exercise -high stress levels -inflammation -disruptions in your wake/sleep cycles
The destructive power of one benign cancer cell can manifest in a bad inner environment and, therefore, increase your chances of getting cancer in the first place. By improving your inner environment and overall health habits, you can keep the benign cancer cells at bay or from developing into malignant cancer in the first place.
First and foremost, stress is a major body manipulator. It affects every aspect of your body’s internal environment. Overscheduled, overstimulated and overworked these three factors are the most common causes of long-term stress. You start your de-stressing program by reframing your day. Try fitting 3 things into your day instead of 10. Avoid stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine and sugar. Start practicing meditation, yoga or a exercise you like doing.
Inflammation is a trigger. High acidity levels, poor diet, drugs and alcohol, all play a role by increasing the inflamatory response. One of the reasons inflammation occurs is from a rapid rise in blood sugar, which causes biochemical changes in the cell. Staying away from sugar and high-glycemic (simple) carbohydrates, which the body rapidly converts to sugar, is one of the best ways to decrease inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a key factor of inflammation. In a major study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, people with elevated CRP levels were four and one-half times more likely to have a heart attack. Not only is elevated CRP more accurate than cholesterol in predicting heart attack risk, but high CRP levels have turned up in people with diabetes and pre-diabetes and in people who are overweight.
Excessive estrogen from many sources, can be a cause of cancer. Internally (endogenously) such as the Pill, the patch or HRT (hormone replacemeng therapy) or environmental estrogens (exogenously), which are found in pesticides, plastics, and PCB’s (chemical pollutants in the water, air, and soil). These forms of estrogen are thought to have a major influence on the excessive amounts of estrogen that are being found in both men and women. Poor diet, with too much refined carbohydrate and saturated animal fat and too little fiber is also responsible.
Our Circadian Rhythm is our internal daily biological clock. This clock can be influenced by many different elements, such as light and darkness, time of day and temperature. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the clock shows us how our energy cycles its course through the 12 organ meridians over a period of 24 hours, spending two hours at maximal levels in each organ. Our Circadian Rhythm has a direct affect on hormone levels, body temperature and cortisol production. Recent studies have suggested that our Circadian Rhythm, in particular, our sleep and wake cycles, when chronically disrupted (like with nurses or shift workers) is possibly carcinogenic, according to the International Agency on Research in Cancer.
Solutions You Can Control
Many of these risk factors can be avoided. Others, such as family history, cannot be avoided. People can help protect themselves by staying away from known risk factors whenever possible.
Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight is something you can change. People who have a poor diet, do not have enough physical activity, or are overweight may be at increased risk of several types of cancer. For example, studies suggest that people whose diet is high in fat have an increased risk of cancers of the colon, uterus, and prostate. Lack of physical activity and being overweight are risk factors for cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, and uterus.
Water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the basic building blocks of a good diet. By choosing the healthiest forms of each of these nutrients, and eating them in the proper balance, you enable your body to function at its optimal level.
Reducing fat in the diet is an important component of breast health. Foods with a high proportion of calories from fat should be eliminated or limited in the diet; these include red meat high in fat content, poultry with skin, dark poultry meat, fried foods, butter, margarine, cheese, milk (except skim milk), junk foods, and most processed foods. Vegetable oils should also be restricted.
Good fats can help reduce the risk of cancer. The good fats include Borage oil, evening primerose oil, (which both contain GLA – gamma linolenic acid) flax oil, (which is rich in ALA – alpha linolenic acid) shark oil and olive oil. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, which have been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer is ideal. A new study finds that derivatives from two omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) significantly inhibited cell adhesion (15 to 30%) and migration (about 50%) and induced apoptosis (about 40%) in breast cancer cells.
A low fat high fiber diet, live yogurt (encourage excretion of estrogen), eating cabbage-family veggies (cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and califlower) increases the rate at which the liver converts estrogen into a water-soluble form that can be excreted, increase protein intake to improve estrogen metabolism in the liver, vitamin B6 reduces the effects of excess estrogen, more exercise, less stress, and lose weight. These cruciferous vegetables contain anti-cancer and detoxing abilities as well as Indole-3-carbinol, which may have anti-carcinogenic effects.
For years, studies have indicated that the antioxidants in green tea offer protection against diseases, including cancer, and even fight dental cavities. One of the most beneficial of these antioxidants is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). According to the University of California Wellness Letter, Mar 2002, regular black tea is turning out to be just as healthful as green tea. The evidence for tea’s health effects comes mainly from lab studies, though some human studies point to possible benefits in preventing heart disease and cancer. EGCG, inhibited an enzyme that cancer cells need in order to grow. The cancer cells that couldn’t grow big enough to divide self-destructed. It would take about 4-10 cups of green tea a day to get the blood levels of EGCG that inhibited cancer in the study. Black tea also contains EGCG, but at lower concentrations.
Balance the Body’s pH
It is important to keep the body as pH balanced as possible. Most people’s diets tend to be more on the acidic side. Therefore, eating more alkaline forming foods (plant based) helps to maintain proper pH balance. Eat foods such as non citrus fruits and plenty of vegetables, some dairy such as cottage cheese and yogurt, organic skinless chicken, turkey or grass feed, lean beef and fish. Buy dried beans such as garbanzo beans and black beans, consider whole grains such as brown rice and oats, as well as a handful of healthy fats in nuts and seeds.
Add Healthy Seasonings, Vitamins and Herbs
There are very beneficial herbs containing antioxidant, antimicrobal, and antifungal properties. Consider cinammon, ginger, curry powder, onions, garlic and stevia.
Turmeric has been shown as a powerful anti-inflammatory. Several studies have suggested that adding turmeric to their diet, have lower rates of breast cancer.
Vitamin D may not only help brighten your mood, but according to the German Cancer Research Center, supplementing with at least 2,000 IU a day, may counter estrogen growth.
Now is the time to take back your power. Having one or more risk factors does not mean that you will get cancer. Most people who have risk factors never develop cancer.
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Andrew Pacholyk MS, L.Ac. Alternative medicine and therapies for healing mind, body & spirit! http://www.peacefulmind.com
