Ways to Prevent Cancer...

In the last few weeks or months I have collected ways to fight and/or prevent Cancer these are some random selections borrowed from a few sources from the web. Almost all of them touch on diet and exercise.


Eat an orange every day. It just may zap a strain of the H. pylori bacteria that causes peptic ulcers and can lead to stomach cancer. Researchers in San Francisco found that infected people with high levels of vitamin C in their blood were less likely to test positive for the cancer-causing strain.

Drop 10 pounds. Being overweight or obese accounts for 20% of all cancer deaths among women and 14% among men, notes the American Cancer Society. (You're overweight if your body mass index is between 25 and 29.9; you're obese if it's 30 or more.) Plus, losing excess pounds reduces the body's production of female hormones, which may protect against breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Even if you're not technically overweight, gaining just 10 pounds after the age of 30 increases your risk of developing breast, pancreatic, and cervical, among other cancers.

Sweat 30 minutes a day. One of the best anticancer potions is a half hour of motion at least 5 days a week. Any kind of physical activity modulates levels of androgens and estrogen, two things that can protect women against estrogen-driven cancers such as ovarian and endometrial, as well as some types of breast cancer. The latest proof comes by way of a Canadian study that finds regular, moderate exercise may lower a woman's risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 30%. Bonus: All that moving might speed everything through your colon, which may help stave off colon cancer.

Let garlic lie. Thanks to this bulbed wonder, you can ward off vampires and stave off cancer. To preserve the potential cancer-fighting power of garlic, chop it up and let it sit a bit. Research suggests that heating garlic can block 90% of the activity of alliinase, the enzyme that helps to form a cancer-fighting compound. Alliinase is activated when the cloves are crushed or cut, but if cut garlic cools its heels for 5 to 10 minutes before heating, enough compounds are formed to survive cooking. (I have always heard Garlic "cures what ails you")

Ditch the wieners. You can smother 'em in all the ketchup you want, but you can't negate a hot dog's, well, negatives. One study of 190,545 people found that eating a wiener daily may boost your risk of pancreatic cancer, which is nearly always fatal, by 67%. Same goes for sausage and other processed meats.


Foods To Eat Everyday...
Tomatoes

Cancer fighter, Heart healthy, Boosts immunity
There are two things you need to know about tomatoes: Red are the best, because they're packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene, and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it's easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Aim for 22 mg of lycopene a day, which is about eight red cherry tomatoes or a glass of tomato juice.


Blueberries

Brain stimulant, Cancer fighter, Heart healthy, Boosts immunity
Host to more antioxidants than any other popular fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes (hence the nickname "brain berry"). Studies show that blueberries, which are rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, boost cardiovascular health. Aim for 1 cup fresh blueberries a day, or 1/2 cup frozen or dried.


Oats

Muscle growth, Brain stimulant, Heart healthy
The éminence grise of health food, oats garnered the FDA's first seal of approval. They are packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease. Yes, oats are loaded with carbs, but the release of those sugars is slowed by the fiber, and because oats also have 10 grams of protein per ½-cup serving, they deliver steady muscle-building energy


Yogurt

Cancer fighter, Bone builder, Boosts immunity
Various cultures claim yogurt as their own creation, but the 2,000-year-old food's health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which boost the immune system and provide protection against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic though, so make sure the label says "live and active cultures." Aim for 1 cup of the calcium and protein-rich goop a day


Unleaded Coffee vs High test...Drink jolt-less java. Downing 2 or more cups of decaf a day may lower the incidence of rectal cancer by 52%, finds a study from two large and long-term research projects--the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study from Harvard University. One theory is that coffee increases bowel movements, which helps to reduce the risk. Why decaf reigns supreme, however, remains a mystery.

Keep away from the white bread. If you eat a lot of things with a high glycemic load--a measurement of how quickly food raises your blood sugar--you may run a higher risk of colorectal cancer than women who eat low-glycemic-load foods, finds a Harvard Medical School study.

The problem eats are mostly white: white bread, pasta, potatoes, and sugary pastries.

The low-glycemic-load stuff comes with fiber.

Pair these foods up for an extra Cancer KICK :

Fish + Broccoli
The benefit: You can sock it to cancer with this one-two punch.
The science: Tuna and halibut contain selenium, a mineral that raises your levels of a cancer-fighting enzyme called thioredoxin reductase (TR-1). Likewise, broccoli provides sulforaphane, a plant chemical that also boosts TR-1. When British researchers combined these two nutrients, they noticed that the tag team was 13 times more effective at slowing the growth of cancer cells than each was individually. The scientists believe that as selenium concentrations in your cells rise, the ability of sulforaphane to elevate TR-1 increases.

The Harvard School of Public Health found that men who ate fish five times a week or more had a 40 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than men who ate fish less than once a week.

"We already know that eating fish can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, and this might provide another reason to add fish to your diet," Previous research has shown that high fish consumption may reduce women's risk of renal cell carcinoma -- the most common form of kidney cancer -- by 44 percent.

Garlic + Fennel
The benefit: These foods fight disease, but without the need for an after-dinner mint.
The science: Both garlic and fennel contain active compounds that help prevent cancer, according to University of Texas researchers. In fact, these chemicals target cancer in different ways, so they complement each other. But the active compound in fennel — anethol — provides another perk: It helps neutralize garlic breath. Japanese researchers found that anethol speeds the rate at which you produce saliva. Saliva inhibits microbial overgrowth, and also clears the bad-breath-causing sulfur compounds that garlic releases.

Caffeine + Exercise
The benefit: A daily Starbucks run may protect your skin.
The science: Researchers from Rutgers University found that when sunburned mice guzzled caffeinated water and then hit the running wheel, their risk of developing skin cancer plummeted. Turns out both caffeine and cardio trigger damaged skin cells to self-destruct before they can turn cancerous. And when the two are combined, this effect isn't just cumulative; it's exponential. Case in point: The rodents that drank and ran had one-third as many damaged skin cells as mice that did only one or the other.


"The more we know about cancer, the more it's clear that diet is related to cancer, But the relationship is complex. Diet and cardiovascular disease is simple compared to diet and cancer because the risk factors differ for different cancers."

We've been told to eat right and exercise all of our lives. None of this is surprising. I once wrote in a post that I did not knowingly do anything to bring on cancer. (like smoking typically brings on Lung Cancer) -but in retrospect, diet and exercise is something I am at fault with. I am working on getting better about that.

Be well.