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The
feeling of total and utter helplessness when you are told that you have a
disease for which there is no cure is overwhelming.
However, the survival instinct in all of us is so strong that you look
for options which may offer some glimmer of hope which may be outside of normal
medical practice. The one recurring theme in the treatment and fight
against cancer is the body's own immune system. Therefore, it made sense
that good nutrition, herbal and vitamin supplements and exercise could only
strengthen the immune system.
Research
indicates that foods that are too rich and heavy in fats and sugars; meat
tainted by hormones and antibiotics; and vegetables and fruits saturated with
pesticides and fungicides all contribute to cell proliferation and growth.
However,
too much food is also a major contributor. In fact, several cancers such
as renal cell are associated with obesity. Moderation is really a key word
in healthy eating, of that there is no doubt.
The body is a finely tuned machine made up of a well defined mix of
chemicals that need to be kept in balance. If
the balance is tipped then, like any machine, it will start to malfunction and
not perform to its optimum performance level.
And, like a machine, the more use and the older it gets, the body
requires different levels and types of “additives” to keep it healthy and
running.
This
analogy explains, for example, why a growing child needs high levels of protein
in their diet and but for a fully grown adult, excessive levels could become
harmful. The reason:
protein acts like a fertilizer within the body, helping the young body to
grow and become strong. As we get
older, we no longer require the same levels of protein for cell generation and
growth as we did when we were younger. If
our diet is too high in protein it is possible that the “fertilizer”
attributes of the proteins will start to look for other things within our body
to grow, such as tumors.
High
levels of sugar and iron can also help to “grow” things in the adult body
and therefore should also be kept to a minimum.
Other culprits that can have adverse affects on a healthy body are
starches - the worst offenders are white. Included
in these are potatoes, white rice and white (bleached) flour.
These starches immediately turn into sugar when digested and for people
who have diabetes or who suffer with high triglyceride levels, they can be
deadly.
Many
who turn to homeopathic medicine and other nutrition based alternative
treatments may either become pure vegetarians or at the very least, cut out all
red meat from their diet. Some may continue to eat chicken an occasional
tenderloin of pork (organically fed of course with no antibiotics or growth
hormones), fish and a wealth of vegetables.
Included in the vegetable category should be lots and lots of beans –
navy beans, black beans, kidney beans, split pea, lentils and dahl – all
excellent sources of “healthy” proteins that, unlike protein derived from
meat and dairy, are easily absorbed and utilized by the body.
Recent
cancer studies in
Germany
have produced significant data that has shown that diets which include high
intakes of tomatoes are having positive results in the prevention of prostate
cancer. This being the case, a
similar rationale could be applied that it certainly could do no harm in
preventing, or perhaps even in stemming, other cancers.
Traditional
dairy foods should be replaced with soy based products which are widely
available and make very good substitutes. Whole
wheat bread (no sugar added), oatmeal and bran flakes should replace sugar laden
cereals and fresh fruit to start the day. And,
let us not forget that wonderful bright green nectar of the soil – freshly
juiced wheat grass.
Soups
- especially of the bean variety or minestrone laden with tomatoes and fresh
vegetables - make an excellent lunch.
Dinners
can still be tasty and interesting for healthy eating does not have to be
tasteless and boring Chicken
casseroles with lots of wonderful vegetables;
stir fries with shrimp, shitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage
and peppers; organic angel hair
pasta covered with a spicy Mediterranean sauce;
flaky white fish with a parsley white sauce; and aromatic vegetable
curries that will tempt the most selective of palates. are a few of the dishes
that can be easily prepared yet provide the right balance of nutrition to help
keep the immune system strong to help fight the cancer.
Substituting
flax seed oil for butter and soy milk for regular milk to make a basic white
sauce is an excellent alternative to the traditional roux.
Olive oil should figure strongly for sautéing and frying – where once
upon a time butter was used. To make
mouth-watering muffins, I add fresh apple sauce, flax seeds, and dried fruits to
organic unbleached flour. You
can use eggs when baking and a small amount of butter – but then that
is all part of the “in moderation” mantra.
Vitamin
supplements should also become an important part of the daily regimen.
These include a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, flax seed oil, vitamin
C, selenium, Vitamin E, Fish Oil and Calcium,/Magnesium/Zinc.
Green
tea is also receiving a lot of positive reaction from those who have adopted the
nutritional approach to fighting the disease - completely eliminating black tea
and coffee from their diets. There are many kinds from which to
select, but one which many cancer patients include in their dietary regimen
contains Echinacea - a herbal supplement recognized for boosting the immune
system. If you are a person who
historically took sugar in your tea, an alternative is to add a cinnamon
stick which many herbalists claim helps to lower blood glucose. And, let us not
forget one of the most important things of all -- water, lots and lots of water.
This will ensure that the toxins created in the body are constantly and
easily flushed out as well as keeping the kidneys healthy and strong.
This is particularly important for those on chemotherapy drugs where
toxic build-up can become quite serious and the body quickly dehydrated.
There
are several tinctures and herbs which can be made up into teas from time to time
to help in the battle. One example
is the root of the astragalus plant which is a common component of traditional
Chinese herbal formulas. It is
still used today in
China
for patients who are on chemotherapy to help stimulate the immune system.
The
world of natural herbal treatments and options is enormous and is starting to
gain the attention of doctors everywhere. No
longer are these natural remedies being considered “quackery” and “out
there” but are being viewed as viable contributors to the fight against a
number of diseases as well as in the prevention of others, working side by side
with more accepted drug therapies.
To
learn more about nutrition and alternative treatment options, you may wish to
visit the following sites that can provide additional information to help you to
formulate your own approach to what may be best for you.
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http://www.aicr.org/index.lasso
American Institute for Cancer Research - "Most
cancers can be prevented. And reducing cancer risk may be easier than you
imagine. Here at AICR you'll find news, research updates, recipes, free
publications and tips for good health – information to help you live a
healthier, cancer-free life."
-
http://www.garynull.com/
Gary Null, nationally syndicated
talk show host & producer of PBS specials, is a consumer advocate,
investigative reporter, NY Times best-selling author and an award-winning
documentary filmmaker. Gary believes that, "You must be empowered
before you can be whole," and he empowers all who will listen with
life-changing facts that promote wellness. He has
conducted over a hundred major investigations and has produced numerous
documentaries in which he encourages his viewers to take charge of their
lives and health. Among his dozens of videos are titles like "The
Pain, Profit and Politics of AIDS," "Chronic Fatigue,"
"Diet for a Lifetime, and "Cancer, A Natural Approach."
- http://www.4nutrition.com/
Dr. Patrick Quillin has served since 1990 as the Director of Nutrition
for Cancer Treatment
Centers of America (800-577-1255). His professional experience includes
work as an internationally respected author, lecturer, professor, and
consultant in the field of nutrition. His 15 books have sold OVER 1 MILLION
copies and include the best sellers BEATING CANCER WITH NUTRITION and
HEALING NUTRIENTS.
- http://www.drweilselfhealing.com/
Andrew Weil MD, is a Harvard Medical School graduate who also holds an AB
degree in biology (botany) from Harvard University. He is a clinical
professor of internal medicine as well as the founder and director of the Program
in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona's Health Sciences
Center in Tucson, where he is training a new generation of physicians.Dr.
Weil is an internationally recognized expert on medicinal herbs, mind-body
interactions, and integrative medicine. A frequent guest on Larry King Live
and Oprah, he has also hosted his own PBS-television specials. In addition,
Dr. Weil is the author of eight books including the national bestsellers
Spontaneous Healing, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, and Eating Well for
Optimum Health.
- http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/
The Annie Appleseed Project acts to inform, educate, advocate and raise
awareness for people with cancer, family and friends interested in, or using
CAM. Many contributors of the reports here are patients. Patient activity
has pushed the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), NCI (National Cancer
Institute) and other organizations to focus on the area of CAM therapies.
Latest studies show that almost 80% of cancer patients use some form of CAM.
- http://www.dianadyermsrd.com/
Diana Dyer received her B.S. degree in Biology
from Purdue University. Her M.S. degree in Nutritional Sciences and
Dietetic Internship were completed at The University of Wisconsin and
University of Wisconsin Hospitals, respectively. In between cancer
diagnoses, she has spent her 20-year career as a dietitian working in
hospitals around the Midwest, specializing in nutritional care for the
critically ill patient. She
is a frequently requested speaker,
and is the author of
"A Dietitian's Cancer Story: Information & Inspiration for Recovery
& Healing from a 3-time Cancer Survivor,"©2000.
- http://healthy.net/asp/templates/news.asp?Id=5508
More than 70 percent of adult cancer patients in western Washington use alternative therapies
and almost all report substantial improvements in well-being as a result of using alternative medicine, according to a Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center survey.
The results of this survey - the first population-based study of its
kind to look at predictors, motivators and costs of different types of alternative-medicine use in adults with cancer - appear today in The
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Research on Paradigm, Practice and Policy.
Ruth E. Patterson, Ph.D., R.D., and colleagues in Fred Hutchinson's
Public Health Sciences Division led the study, which was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and funds from Fred
Hutchinson. Researchers at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash., and Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore., also consulted
on the project.
or go to http://www.angelsofhope.net/othernews.html
to read entire article
The above links are only a sampling of the
information available on nutrition and cancer. We hope they help to put
you on the right road to a healthier body and strong immune system that will
enable your body to fight the disease and stem the tide.
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