The World Health Organization has found that dietary factors account for approximately 30% of all cancers in Western countries, and that diet is second only to tobacco use as a preventable cause. Following cardiovascular disease, it is the second biggest cause of death in developed countries. More than half of all new cancer cases are springing up in developing countries, already plagued by so many other diseases. What can be done about this startling statistic? The WHO has recognized that at least one-third of these cancer cases could be prevented. Smoking is one preventable cause of cancer. Overweight and obesity are considered the next major risk factors. Excessive alcohol consumption and inactivity are also related risk factors. There is no special science needed to understand that eating a healthy, whole foods-based diet and getting regular physical activity can be significantly linked to prevention of cancer, but the research that has been done does support this. We are fortunate in the Western world to have access to an abundance of whole foods. A variety of fruits and vegetables can be found in any supermarket, and whole grains in an array of choices can be found there, as well. We are fortunate and abundant in choice. Rich, fatty, and over-processed foods are detrimental to overall good health. Not only do they not provide the energy that the body needs to function, they provide an opening for serious health problems such as cancer to gain a foot-hold. Cancer is an alien form of normal tissue that grows in a haphazard and invasive way in the body. This causes healthy cells to mutate and attack the body itself. Of all the cells in the human body, it only takes one to mutate and begin to replicate itself, which it does with a vicious abandon. This is why early detection and treatment are so crucial to put the odds in favor of survival in this drama where the body becomes a battlefield. A diagnosis of cancer is stressful on the patient as well as on their families. Cancer patient care is expensive for the health system, and it can also have an effect within the family unit, with the patient unable to work while receiving treatment. Fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk of some forms of cancer, such as mouth, esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers. The vitamins provided by a whole foods diet give the body the tools it needs in order to do its job in order to function properly and fend off would-be attackers. While there are other risk factors involved, such as genetic predisposition, our personal habits far outweigh those risk factors. Personal responsibility for the state of our health can make a difference. Wouldn't it make sense to do everything at your disposal to preserve your good health? A body that is starving from lack of good nutritional food cannot be expected to perform adequately in day-to-day operations, let alone fend off a parasite such as cancer. No matter where you are starting from in your wholesome nutritional quest, the main thing is to begin! Give your body the gift of good, whole foods nutrition, and it will be able to give back to you abundantly in terms of radiant good health. You deserve the best possible health you can attain, and taking advantage of the choices that are available to you is your right. Any opportunity that affords you the best that you can be will reap you rewards in terms of feeling great and enjoying the life you have been given. |
