Why Wait?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink is everywhere from the NFL field to Walk for a Cure events. The idea is to raise awareness of breast cancer, remind women to get their mammograms, and to raise money to find a cure.  Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States (lung cancer is #1).

Cancer kills more people worldwide than Aids, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.  According to the American Cancer Society, men in the United States have a one in two probability of developing cancer in their lifetime and women have a one in three probability of developing cancer. More than 1.6 million Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis in 2013. According to the Rockford Health Council’s 2010 Healthy Community Study, Winnebago and Boone counties, like the national statistics, reports cancer is the #2 cause of death in the region and is responsible for 24% of all deaths (2007). Nearly all of us have lost a friend or family member from this pervasive disease.

There is hope.  More and more lives are being saved.  Survivorship is increasing in part to more advanced treatments and new imaging technology. Millions of dollars continue to be spent on research to find a cure.

We, as individuals need to do more.  Our health system is designed to be reactive – we get sick, we go to the doctor.  What if we took a proactive approach to this disease and do our part to reduce the risks of getting many forms of cancer?  According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, 38% of all breast cancers are preventable. Three out of every five new cases of endometrial cancer could be prevented, 45% of colon cancers are preventable, and 47% of stomach cancers.  How? By improving our lifestyle. The American Institute for Cancer Research reports one third of all cancers are preventible if we do three things (I would add don’t smoke) –

1.  Maintain a Healthy Weight – Our fat cells are not dormant. They produce estrogen which promotes cancer cell growth.

2.  Eat a Healthy Diet – Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans and legumes.  Limit the consumption of red meat, avoid processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, sandwich meat, sausage), and sugar.  Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, cabbage), apples, berries, green tea, whole grains, beans and legumes, dark leafy vegetables, ground flaxseed, and walnuts are foods that fight cancer. Focus on whole foods and stay away from processed foods which are full of sugar, fat, salt, and additives. They do more to promote disease than prevent disease.

3.  Keep Moving – Get 30 minutes of exercise a day. Not only is exercise good for overall health, daily activity keeps our hormones in check and helps keep a healthy immune system and weight.

Your health is not completely dependent on your doctor.   Let’s not wait to get the diagnosis.  Be proactive. We need to fight cancer on all fronts – through research, treatment, and prevention.

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Maximize Those Nutrients!

The American Cancer Institute for Cancer Research conducted an analysis of over 7,000 scientific studies on food, nutrition, and physical activity as it relates to cancer. Amazingly what they found was diet and nutrition are responsible for up to 40% of all cancers.

Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals that fight cancer cells. Here are some methods of cooking that will retain the highest amount of these cancer fighting compounds.

1. Tomatoes have a cancer fighting antioxidant called lycopene. Cooking tomatoes and adding a small amount of oil to them will increase our body’s absorption of lycopene.

2. Chopping garlic and onions releases the compound allicin, which boosts our immune system – important in fighting cancer. Let chopped onions and garlic sit 5-10 minutes before using to maximize the effects of the allicin.
3. Cooking vegetables in water leaches water soluble vitamins from the vegetables into the water. To retain the maximum amount of cancer fighting nutrients, lightly steam your vegetables instead.
4. Avoid cooking meats at high temperatures including grilling, broiling, and frying. The carcinogens heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are released when meat is exposed to high heat and can damage our DNA and increase the risk for cancer.
5. Cook and eat fruits and vegetables with the skin on. A high concentration of nutrients are in the skin and just below the skin’s surface. For example, leaving the skin on an apple rather than peeling it will increase the cancer fighting chemical quercetin by about 75%.
6. Green tea has properties that inhibit tumor cell growth. Not only can you drink green tea, use it in place of water to cook brown rice, oatmeal, and other grains.

Try these methods of cooking to retain the highest amount of nutrients that will boost support of our body’s natural defense system to combat cancer and other diseases.

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Foods Protect Against Disease

February is Cancer Prevention Month and a perfect time to discuss what we can do to reduce the risk of getting cancer.

According to the American Institute of Cancer Research, 1/3 of the 1.5 million new cases of cancer in the US could be avoided if we made better lifestyle choices.  Our  last blog highlighted how tobacco and overweight increase the risk for certain cancers.  Today we’ll  focus on some aspects of how choosing healthier foods and avoiding processed meats  may reduce the cancer risk.

Cell damage in the human body largely due to free radicals  is a naturally occurring process. Phytochemicals  (they estimate more than 100,000) and antioxidants found in plants  protect against this cell damage. The best sources are  vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. They are protective  and can lessen the amount of cell damage. This, in turn, has been shown to be able to not only reduce the risk of cancer but also the risk of  heart disease, stroke,  type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory diseases.

On the other hand, processed meats, especially sausages and deli meats, contain nitrite,  a powerful preservative extremely toxic to bacteria. This nitrite can interact with meat to form nitrosamine, a known human carcinogen.  There is considerable concern that these nitrites from processed meat may be involved in carcinogenesis and associated with  cancer of the stomach, bladder, pancreas, and colon.  Just one 5 oz. serving of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21%.

We can actively reduce the risk of certain adult cancers  and their nonoccurrence  by increasing the consumption of whole foods that protect against cell damage and by decreasing or avoiding  the use of processed meats.

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February is Cancer Prevention Month

Nearly all of us have a family member or friend who has been touched by cancer, and we unite to support organizations and research moving forward to find a cure.

While these efforts are imperative, knowing how to reduce the risk of getting cancer needs more attention that it gets.  February is Cancer Prevention Month.  My next few blogs will discuss actions we can take to reduce the risk of getting cancer and increasing survivorship.

1.  Tobacco – About 30% of all cancers are a result of tobacco use.  Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and is associated with at least 15 different types of cancers.  It is also the most preventable cancer. For the price of a few packs of cigarettes, the Winnebago County Health Department offers a smoking cessation class.  They will even refund the cost if you successfully quit. For more information, call Larry Didier at 815-720-5060.

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight – This is one of the most significant things that can be done to avoid the risk of cancer.  Fat cells don’t lie dormant. They produce estrogen, a growth hormone. Obviously, this hormone promotes cell growth and that includes cancerous cells.  Try to move towards a desirable weight for your height, gender, and frame size.  This will help maintain estrogen at safe levels for both men and women.

This and other health topics will be covered at the next CHIP program beginning February 26th in Rockford.  Call 815-298-8482 for more information.

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