Patrick Swayze dies of Cancer at 57, what are the chances you will too?
Patrick Swayze’s picture has been plastered over tabloid covers for the last several months giving a chronology of what dying from cancer looks like. He has finally ended the long and painful ordeal joining a list of several other famous individuals who have died from cancer this year Farrah Fawcett and Edward Kennedy.
With the death of a famous person from a cancer disease we think of it as perhaps a rare condition effecting only a few which is the furthest from the truth as you can get.
Who gets cancer?
According to current US medical statistics and the American Cancer Society cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US. 500,000 people die each year or put in another way 1,500 per day. 11.7 million people (1 in every 26) have a diagnosis of cancer and it is predicted that number will increase to 18.2 million (1 in every 19) by 2020.
What causes cancer?
The three categories of cancer are;
1. Lifestyle; includes diet, smoking, drinking alcohol, sun exposure and lack of exercise.
2. Internal; are from genetics and infections.
3. External; can come from the workplace, air pollution, water pollution, chemicals, pesticides herbicides.
Of all these conditions the big three according to the American Cancer Society is poor diet, lack of exercise and unhealthy lifestyle account for 65 percent of cancer deaths.
What is the best way to prevent cancer?
Cancer occurs when a normal cell doesn’t die as it is suppose to and begins to replicate out of control. It is widely understood that the DNA in the cell is damaged causing the internal messages to get mixed up creating the uncontrolled damage. All the cells of our body are totally replaced and new every two to seven years. Prevention comes in controlling the DNA damage to a cell which is created almost totally by the production of free radicals in the normal process of a cell. The free radicals create what scientists call Oxidative Stress when the cell gets overloaded by the normal oxidative process each cell of the body goes through as it processes nutrients we take in as food, water and air.
Reducing the free radicals has spawned a whole industry in anti-oxidant food, supplements and health care products. In previous articles written on this subject and referenced at the end of this article provide some of the latest information on super anti-oxidant therapy and research.
According to Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention Cancer is less prevalent in active people, as exercise decreases depression and increases oxygen to the tissues. The CEBP lists nine elements to prevent cancer and indicate if a person follows at least 6 of the 9 recommendations a person can reduce the risk of developing cancer by 35 per cent and 43 per cent less likely to die from cancer. The nine elements are;
1. Have a maximum Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25, limit adult weight gain to 11 lbs.
2. Eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily.
3. Eat seven or more portions of complex carbohydrates daily.
4. Decrease processed foods and refined sugars.
5. Limit alcoholic drinks; 1-women, 2-men daily.
6. Limit red meat to no more than 3 oz daily.
7. Decrease fatty foods, particularly animal fats.
8. Limit intake of salted foods and use in cooking.
9. Eliminate tobacco use of any kind.
The Truth about the Flu
Antibiotics still not recommended for colds, runny noses and flu symptoms
Too many patients are still being treated with antibiotics for viral infections according to a recent study published in the British medical journal Lancet. The study indicates that about a third of patients who go to their doctor for upper respiratory tract infections (UTIs) are diagnosed with acute rhinosinusitis, and 80 percent of those patients receive antibiotics – even though doctors don’t have clear criteria for distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections.
You may ask why this is important. It’s important because while bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, viral infections can not. If you take antibiotics for a viral infection, it won’t touch the virus but can disrupt the good bacterial colonies in your digestive system and colon. With chronic use antibiotics actually might harm you. The Centers for Disease Control emphasizes this point on its Web site:
“Are you aware that colds, flu, most sore throats, and bronchitis are caused by viruses? Did you know that antibiotics do not help fight viruses? It’s true. Plus, taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.”
The Lancet study involved 2,547 adults with clinical signs and symptoms of rhinosinusitis (nasal discharge, discomfort in the cheeks and/or face, cough, cold). The researchers determined that guidelines suggesting antibiotics be administered after seven days of symptoms were not supported by the evidence. They concluded that in general, adults diagnosed with acute rhinosinusitis should not receive antibiotics regardless of their symptoms due to the risks for adverse side effects and increased antimicrobial resistance.
No one enjoys being sick, but antibiotics aren’t the answer for common UTIs and cold symptoms. If you have used antibiotics for cold and flu symptoms either as an adult or child, consider the articles I have written regarding proper gut bacteria and how to maintain a proper balance to good colon health.
Food Combinations can be dangerous to your health
Certain foods enhance your health when combined with other certain foods. Conversely, some food pairing may decrease your overall health and even endanger your well being. Follow these simple rules from CNN.com to get the most out of your food choices:
DO mix grilled steak and brussels sprouts: Certain compounds in brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, may help rid the body of carcinogens that can form on meat during high-heat cooking. Nevertheless, charring meat on the barbeque is not the best preparation method. Instead, cook your meat or fish at low temperatures until done.
DO mix avocado and tomato: Tomatoes, which contain the antioxidant lycopene, are a superfood. If you eat some avocado at the same time, you’ve just made it even more super. The fat in the avocado helps the body absorb seven times more lycopene. Also, add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to your zucchini, spinach and other dark green vegetables to unleash the lutein, an antioxidant that may help protect against age-related macular degeneration.
DO mix spinach and oranges: Although spinach has lots of iron, your body doesn’t absorb it well when spinach is eaten alone. Add in some vitamin C and spinach becomes a veggie Popeye would be proud to eat. That’s because vitamin C converts the iron in spinach into a form that is more available to the body. This is also true for other foods that are sources of iron, such as broccoli and tofu. It doesn’t take a lot of vitamin C – one medium orange will do.
DON’T mix alcohol and energy drinks: Vodka mixed with an energy drink might be popular on the party circuit, but this combo can cause heart palpitations and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it could contribute to a heart attack or a stroke. Overloading the body with stimulants such as caffeine (which is found in many energy drinks) and alcohol, which is a depressant and a diuretic, puts tremendous stress on the central nervous system and heart.
DON’T mix alcohol and diet soda: You might cut calories but you also might get drunk faster. In a recent study, it took just 21 minutes for half a diet cocktail to leave the stomach and reach the small intestine, where most alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream, while the same amount of a non-diet cocktail took 36 minutes.
DON’T mix coffee and breakfast cereal: Most cereals sold in U.S. are fortified with iron. The problem is that polyphenols, an antioxidant in coffee, can hamper the body’s ability to absorb iron. Black tea and some herbal teas (including peppermint and chamomile), which also contain polyphenols, also may reduce iron absorption – by as much as 94 percent – and hot cocoa cuts it by 71 percent.
The solution is to have your java before or after your cereal. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a cup of coffee consumed one hour before an iron-rich meal didn’t affect absorption. If you choose to get your fix after breakfast, wait at least an hour or more.
Energy drinks and your health, it doesn’t add up
When you need a little energy boost while staying awake to study for finals or to make that extra hour driving home most everyone reaches for one of many energy drinks on the market. But, just because it’s labled as an energy drink doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you. 
What is the link between diet, inflamation and disease?
- Refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar,
- sweeteners and flour
- refined oils, and obese (fatty) meat
- whole grains and legumes (beans) can promote inflammation.
The five biggest mistakes with kids and athletic training
Let’s review the five biggest exercise mistakes youngsters can make, along with some safe and effective alternatives. Kids pick up the latest fitness magazine and start training like their favorite athletes do, thinking they can be just like them if they push hard enough. Unfortunately, their bodies are usually not ready for this level of training, and they can easily develop abnormal patterns of muscle movement and function. These abnormal patterns inhibit athletic performance and, if left uncorrected, may cause permanent injury
kids working out together under the direction of one trainer. Although this can be motivational and inspiring for the kids, not to mention financially successful for the trainer, it may foster injury and poor performance. Proper assessments must be done by the training facility to ensure that groups have a combination of equal fitness ability. It’s OK to be inspired to improve, but not at the expense of proper technique and training strategies. If your child exercises in a group setting make sure the trainer includes a “breakout routine” with one-on-one sessions to assess your child’s progress and share the results with you.Eating is fundemental so choose wisely
How the Body Creates Allergies
May 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under Allergy Health, Featured
Few of us are born with allergies. Most allergies are developed as a result of a weakened immune system. While we may not have allergies at birth, we certainly inherit the tendency to develop them from our parents. Many allergic children have allergic parents. Allergies are created because the body becomes overloaded with stress. Stress in the form of chemically toxicity, due to the foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the chemicals we are exposed to. Allergies are nothing more than an over-reaction of the immune system. When we get exposed to a food, chemical, pollen or any substance, if our immune system is overtaxed and weakened, the immune system may identify the substance as a threat. Once labeled as threat (or allergen), the body remembers and when exposed to the allergen again, the immune system runs this faulty allergy-over-reaction program and produces all of the symptoms. If the body is able to create a faulty response to a normal substance it makes sense that the body can re-create that abnormal response. Many people who have suffered from allergies “out-grow” them. This is because their body changes as they mature or their immune system gets healthier and reprograms itself. Our treatments simply help the body change this faulty programming much quicker.
