Simple steps to combat cancer

June 19, 1:56 PMTampa Mind and Body ExaminerNancy Nahas

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Fruits and vegetables can
help ward off cancer.

All of us have cancer cells that lie dormant in our body, but not all of us will develop cancer. What determines who will get cancer and who has the ability to keep cancer at bay? Surprisingly, lifestyle may play a larger role than genetics.

Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life, battled brain cancer with traditional treatments for 15 years, but did not have success until he combined chemotherapy and radiation with changes to his diet, exercise and psyche. He asserts that learning to manage your “terrain” can optimize your body’s ability to prevent cancer, and is a key component in the treatment of cancer.

Dormant cancer cells can gain a foothold in the cells in your body by infiltrating areas of inflammation. Servan-Schreiber argues that by reducing inflammation through proper diet, exercise and meditation, we can keep cancer cells in check.

Nutrition

He compares the typical Western diet to a “fertilizer” for cancer. When we eat sugar and white flour, our bodies release insulin and insulinlike growth factor (IGF) which help our cells process the sugar, but they also stimulate the growth of cancer cells and their ability to invade surrounding tissue.

Choosing foods low on the glycemic index, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, minimizes the body’s insulin and IGF reaction and vegetables and legumes have the added benefit of containing cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Reduce your intake of animal products laden with hormones to stimulate growth and milk production and containing harmful omega-6 fatty acids. Choose grass-fed, organic meat, cheese, eggs, milk and yogurt, which contain beneficial omega-3s whenever possible.

Incorporate foods and spices found to have cancer-fighting properties into your diet, including green tea, turmeric, curry, ginger, cruciform vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), foods in the alliaceous family (garlic, onions leeks, shallots and chives), fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids (carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, apricots and beets) tomatoes and tomato sauce, soy, mushrooms, probiotics, foods rich in omega-3s (fish, flaxseed) berries, citrus fruit, pomegranate juice, dark chocolate and red wine.
 

Moderate exercise can boost your immune system.

Body

Exercise is another way to stimulate your body’s defense mechanisms. Any method of physical activity that reduces fatty tissue, a primary storage site of cancer-causing toxins, is a great way to detoxify your body. Exercise also evens out any hormonal imbalance, reduces blood sugar levels and boosts our immune systems.

This activity can be as simple as a 30-minute walk, six times a week.
 

Meditation can help alleviate stress.

Mind

Stress and certain emotional states can also sabotage your immune system by triggering the body’s inflammatory substances. Feelings of persistent anger and despair provoke the secretion of hormones that can promote tumor growth. Studies suggest you should:
• Find coping mechanisms to deal with anger or despair
• Find ways to manage your stress.
• Turn to your network of family and friends
• Use laughter and lightheartedness to find serenity
• Practice a method of meditation or self-centering

Making small changes to your diet and lifestyle can optimize your body’s defense mechanisms against invasive cancer cells to prevent the disease, or as an essential component of traditional cancer treatments.