Breast Cancer: You Can Prevent It!

Today's post is about a very sensitive yet timely subject. Since October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month," I thought it would be good to cover this subject. Through the years, I've researched natural ways to prevent and treat cancer and would like to offer an overview, and suggestions, for a healthy lifestyle.

Basically, breast cancer is a hormone-dependent cancer, fueled by excess estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone naturally produced by a woman's body, and when it has served its purpose, the extra is processed by the liver in a specific enzyme pathway and eliminated. However, if the liver has been negatively affected by years of toxin exposure, poor nutrition, and stress, it won't be able to function at its optimal level. The undepleted estrogen can actually recycle back through the body and act as a carcinogen. Many women who have been on artificial hormone replacement therapy (HRT), have later come down with breast cancer. One popular HRT drug is made from conjugated estrogens. The source? "Pregnant mare urine" -- hence its name, Premarin.

There are also many man-made, artificial estrogen mimickers in our modern environment. These fake estrogens have been dubbed "xenoestrogens" and they put a heavy burden on the liver's detoxification processes, as well. Sources of xenoestrogens include industrial pollutants, chemicals from plastics (such as Bisphenol A; otherwise known as BPA), and phthalates, also found in many plastic products.

When the liver is overwhelmed by estrogen, whether produced internally or from external environmental sources, and cannot process it for elimination, it literally comes back to haunt the body as a cancer-causing agent (carcinogen).

 So one big key to preventing breast cancer is to make sure your liver is healthy. Diet plays a big contributing factor. In fact, sulfur-bearing cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale, can help activate the enzyme pathway in the liver responsible for neutralizing excess estrogen.

Detoxifying the liver can be as simple as drinking pure water with freshly squeezed lemon added to it, upon arising or at least an hour before your first meal. Also, give your liver a break by staying away from chemically laden, refined foods full of sugar, additives, and processed flour. Dairy products containing the artificial growth hormone (rBST or rBGH) has been shown to fan the flame of breast cancer. Following are some easy lifestyle tips to help you prevent this modern-day plague. Even if you have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, these suggestions can help you evaluate your lifestyle to make corrections and get on a positive path once again.

• Eat a high-fiber diet (beans, legumes, whole grains, and fresh, steamed or stir-fried veggies).

• Incorporate sulfur-rich foods into your daily meals (garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower)

• Maintain a healthy weight  

• Get enough sleep (at least 8 hours each night) to encourage release of cancer-fighting melatonin

•  Exercise regularly

• Drink lots of pure water (at least 8 eight-ounce glasses daily)

So your main goal is to keep your hormones balanced, cleanse your liver, and adopt a healthy lifestyle of proper diet, exercise, sleep, and regular detoxification. You will feel better, look better, and will stand a better chance of keeping cancer at bay! 

 References

1. http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/references.html

2. http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/factsheet/general/fs10.estrogen.cfm

3. Cos S, Alvarez-García V, González A, Alonso-González C, Martínez-Campa C.
Melatonin modulation of crosstalk among malignant epithelial, endothelial and adipose cells in breast cancer (Review). Oncol Lett. 2014 Aug;8(2):487-492.

 

 

The Immune System: Your Body’s Safeguard Against Cancer

Your immune system is responsible for keeping you well and it will fight to the death to do it! Members of this system are designed to work together like the brass, string, and wind instruments of a well-tuned orchestra. The immune system is your internal army, ready to pounce on a foreign invader at a moment’s notice.  Specialized immune cells play specific roles in this process. They include natural killer (NK) cells, whose main job it is to keep cancer cells at bay. 

The adult body is comprised of approximately 60 trillion cells, and in the course of their life cycles, some of them can become mutated. However, a robust immune system can detect and eliminate these sick cells before they have a chance to cause problems. But you must keep your immune soldiers healthy! If they become weak or their numbers are diminished, disease can more easily get the upper hand. Proper diet, rest, and exercise go a long way to helping ensure your body’s defenses are working in top condition.

The following issues can negatively impact your immune system. The solutions will help you identify some ways to keep your body's defenses functioning at a healthy level.

Issue: You eat a nutrient-depleted, fast food diet on the run. Ingesting too few nutrients and too much trans fat, sugar, and sodium can quickly imbalance the health of your body. Solution: Drench your body in nutrition! Your body needs enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and other key elements for proper regeneration and repair. Eat raw, unsprayed fruits and vegetables every day and supplement your diet with any missing nutritional factors.

Issue: Unresolved emotional conflict, including anger or grief over a divorce or death. Solution: Seek divine help through prayer, talk to the person with whom you have the rift, or visit with a professional counselor.

Issue: You are experiencing chronic and ongoing stress. Solution: Identify the source of the stress and either remove it or learn to manage it. Obtaining enough sleep every night and a routine of regular exercise each day can help keep your immune system from crashing.

Issue: When your cells, tissues and organs are overwhelmed by a toxic burden, chances for cancer increase. Solution: The liver is responsible for filtering pollutants from the body. Detox on a regular basis (such as fasting). This gives your liver a break and a chance to repair, regenerate, and “clean out the junk.” Drink plenty of pure (filtered, when possible) water throughout the day to help your organs flush out harmful substances.

Issue: Today’s world is full of chemicals, many of which have been proven to cause cancer. Solution: Avoid the use of pesticides in the home, herbicides in the yard and garden, and especially anything with a skull and crossbones on the container!

Issue: There are many types of cancer, but they all get their start from a single unhealthy cell. A modern byproduct of toxins is the free radical, an unbalanced molecule that can damage cells and pave the way for cancer. Solution: Protect your cells from free radical damage by increasing the level of antioxidants in your system. Your body produces some antioxidants but in today’s polluted world, it needs a lot of help so daily supplementation isa great help.

These are just examples of the many things that can influence your immune system's ability to help keep you well. Nearly a century ago, the scientist and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Otto H. Warburg, discovered that the body's pH (internal chemistry) needs to be kept in an alkaline state for best defense against cancer. His research showed that a low oxygen, acidic environment can foster cancer in the human body. Many toxic agents can cause your body's cells to to become acidic, especially diet and accumulation of heavy metals from dental work and other sources. You can test your body's pH easily at home with test strips, available in the pharmacy sections of stores. Your pH should ideally land between a range of 7.1 and 7.5. 

As you can see, maintaining a healthy immune system is a major key to preventing cancer and there are many ways to take a proactive stance. 

Because October is breast cancer awareness month, I will address this subject in my next blog on Tuesday, October 14. Stay tuned!

References

1. Marcus A, Gowen BG, Thompson TW, Iannello A, et al. Recognition of tumors by the innate immune system and natural killer cells. Adv Immunol. 2014; 122:91-128.

2. http://www.livestrong.com/article/88456-test-body-ph-levels/

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Heinrich_Warburg