The War on Cancer

"1 out of every 2 males and females will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime."

                                                                              - The National Cancer Institute

In 1971 President Nixon declared "the war on cancer." Since that time cancer rates have continued to increase. It is now estimated that 1 out every 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Is that as alarming of a statistic to you as it was to me? We all know or will know people in our lives that have been diagnosed with cancer. Only about 5% of all diagnosed cancers can be attributed to genetics. What does this mean to us? This means cancer is a disease driven by environment. In order to optimize your body's ability to fight cancer, you have to optimize the environment your body is in. My goal today, is in no way to discourage you from the conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. I am not an oncologist and I don't treat cancer. My goal today is however to get you to start thinking about pro-active methods you can take to help improve your immune systems ability to fight cancer!

The number one thing any person can due to aid their body's ability to fight cancer is to change their diet.  One of the primary reasons food matters so much when it comes to cancer, is that many of today's foods are laden with environmental toxins. If your immune system is already in a stressed state the last thing you want to do is add more toxins into the body. Simple steps that can be taken to avoid toxins are to buy organic produce, grass fed beef, free range chicken, etc. Don't buy all the processed garbage with a bunch of words on the ingredient label that you can't even pronounce. Always make sure to clean produce thoroughly before consumption. The method of preparation matters as well. If you enjoy grilling meats make sure that you do not burn the meat. Eating burned meat increases the amount of carcinogens you are consuming.

You may have heard the saying that cancer cannot survive in an alkaline state. What this references is the idea that cancer needs an acidic environment to thrive. There are many companies and products that claim to help alkalize the body and reduce the potential for cancer. I could go into extensive detail here, but for the sake of keeping things simple let's put it this way. The best way for a person to alkalize their tissues is to eat a diet high in... vegetables and fruits!

And lastly for today, reduce sugar intake! This is crucial. The American Diet is saturated with all sorts of sugar. Glucose (sugar) and glutamine are the two primary fuels that cancer cells use to grow. Eating sugar rich foods, candy, and even simple carbohydrates (pastas, rice, bread) can be strengthening the hold cancer has on your body.

This is a very brief synopsis of steps that can be taken in the fight against cancer. In upcoming weeks I will delve into more specific detail. At this time it is my encouragement to you that if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer that you/they work with an oncologist, but also find a qualified professional that can help to provide supportive and adjunctive nutritional support in addition to the traditional approaches.

If you have any questions for me or would like to schedule a consultation my office can be reached at 763-398-7770.

God Bless,
Dr. Joshua Huffman
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine