How To Prevent Cancer - Naturally:

Cancer rates have been rising for decades. Each year reports coming out of the National Cancer Institute have noted the increase in many cancers. It is estimated that 50 percent of us may develop cancer by the year 2010. The mainstream approach has been to do extensive research on finding a cure for cancer. This approach deals with the problem only after it has appeared. An alternative approach is to look at stopping cancer before it develops.

How Does It All Start:

Causes
There are many factors that may cause cancer. There are lifestyle factors such as diet and behavior. There are environmental factors such as pesticides, fertilizers and heavy metals. There are internal factors that include viruses, bacteria and parasites. There are even genetic inclination in each of us.

Of all of these factors, lifestyle seems to be the most important. Some experts estimate that 70 percent of cancers come from how we live. Some have said that 60 percent of all female cancers and 40 percent of male cancers come from faulty nutrition and lifestyle.

Think of your car for a moment. To keep your car healthy you need to have it checked regularly and give it the best gas, oil and fluids. If you fail to do these things, eventually the car breaks down. It is similar with us. If we do not check our status and feed our bodies the best nutrients, it eventually gives out. One way it does this is by being unable to fight off the development of disease, including cancer.

Lifestyle
Diet
Eating natural and whole foods, rather than processed denatured foods, keeps our bodies working to protect us from all diseases. Eating alkaline foods is especially important in preventing cancer. Alkaline foods balance the pH of the blood and help to prevent cancer cells from proliferating. These foods also contain phytochemicals which have proven to be potent cancer fighters. Our diets, ideally, should be 80 percent alkaline.

What are alkaline diets?
Alkaline forming foods are mostly fruits and vegetables plus, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes.

Some of the most important fruits for you to eat are avocados, figs, grapefruit, melons, bananas, lemons, nectarines, olives, oranges, pineapples, strawberries, watermelon, etc.

Good vegetables include: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, mustard greens, onions, bell peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, and yams.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
CLA is a fatty acid that has potent anticancer properties. In many animal and a few human studies CLA has been found to inhibit tumor development and prevent metastasis. CLA also improves insulin sensitivity, reduces body fat and increases lean muscle mass, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, enhances the immune system and may have some anti-osteoporosis effects. The traditional sources of CLA, beef, butter and cheese are, sadly, no longer as potent due to the modern feed used to raise cattle. The best way to get your daily fix of CLA is to purchase supplements at the health food store.

Green and Black Teas may postpone cancer development. Recent studies have indicated that green tea drinkers have significantly lower rates of rectal and pancreatic cancers. Black tea has been found effective in reducing skin cancer in mice.

Maitake Mushrooms have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumors in breast, lung and liver cancers. But not in bone and stomach cancers and leukemia.

Soy Products have been found helpful in reducing cancer risk. The Cancer Research Center in Hawaii reported that increased soy intake may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in particular. Soy is high in phytoestrogens that are potent antioxidants. Research has lead to the recommendation that we all consume at least 25 grams of soy protein a day.

Psychological Factors
There are some who theorize that there is a cancer personality. It is thought that people who hold in anger are more prone to developing cancer. Although the verdict is not in on this idea, it may be important for those who wish to prevent cancer to look at themselves in light of this research. Anger is a way of making us feel strong when we feel weak or not in control of something in our lives. It may be helpful to use anger as a way of identifying those aspects of ourselves we need to address. In any event, it is important for all of us to learn how to constructively express our emotions to ourselves and those around us.

Exercise
Few people realize that one of the benefits of exercise is that it reduces the chance of developing cancer. Those of us who exercise regularly have a lower incidence of cancers of the colon, prostate, endometrium and breast. Almost all research points to this fact. Sedentary lifestyles that create an overall sluggishness in the system also increase cancer propensity. Our bodies were made to move not sit.

What Not To Do
Besides living in a healthy and natural way that lowers our cancer risk, it is important to avoid some very common behaviors that increase our chances of developing cancer.

Smoking
It is now widely accepted that tobacco is a cause of one of the most prevalent cancers, cancer of the lungs. Second hand smoke is associated with 17 percent of lung cancers as well as with cervical cancer. Chewing tobacco can lead to cancer of the mouth. Stay away from all tobacco products!

Cautions

Meat
In recent research meat has not been found to be a direct cause of cancer. The manner of preparation is probably more the culprit. Cooking meat on high flames, such as barbecuing, can be dangerous if consumed in large amounts.

Vegetables
Produce grown in Pakistan are treated with large amounts of pesticides many of which have been shown to cause cancer under certain conditions. However, almost all current research indicates that eating produce grown commercially is better than not eating it at all. Clean your produce thoroughly and keep eating your veggies. If eating organic foods is an option, go for it.

Treatment Summary
The best approach to preventing cancer is to live as naturally as possible. There is no magic bullet. But with some resolve we can eat right, exercise, supplement our diets with needed antioxidants, and learn to express our emotions constructively. We can also stop consuming all tobacco products and drink very moderately, if at all.

Prevention comes down to living as naturally as possible in our modern culture. The resources are there, we only have to use them.