Cancer Prevention: How to be Your Own Watch Dog

Did you know that cancer in the United States kills about 550,000 people a year? In fact, there has been a noted increase in our community and continues to increase at an alarming rate. You don't have to get cancer. There are things you can do and personal choices you can make to help prevent cancer. Get educated about it and put it into practice in your every day life. There are organizations you can join and public actions you can take to further decrease your risks and the risks of others being afflicted with this terrible disease.

There are four major areas where your personal choices help determine your risks.

Lifestyle, product choices, occupation, detection and treatment help determine your fate. Smoking and alcohol consumption are two lifestyle choices that have great effect on your risk for multiple types of cancer. People who smoke increase their risk for lung cancer by 30 times that of non-smokers. Smoking also increases the risk for cancer of the larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. Alternatively, drinkers have increased risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, and liver cancer. These risks can be further worsened by the amount of smoking per day, drinking hard liquor, and the combination of smoking and drinking. Oral and esophageal cancer risks are increased 15 times in persons who are both heavy drinkers and heavy smokers.

Many product choices can be as detrimental as the lifestyle choices above.

Chemically and hormonally altered food products such as diary and meat products, industrially grown produce and processed foods with additives and preservatives all lead to increased risk for cancer. These alterations can further impair your health by stripping healthy foods of their vitamins and nutrients. So, what kind of food choices can you make to decrease your risk for developing cancer? Don't buy or consume rBGH treated milk or hormonally treated meats, fish or poultry. Avoid processed and junk foods and foods with cosmetic additives and colorings. Also avoid foods with nitrites and petroleum derived proteins such as torutein. The best dietary choices are for non-chemically treated fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat meats and meat products not altered by chemical or industrial means and non-contaminated water sources.

Be protective of yourself outwardly and inwardly. Choose wisely in your profession. Try to decrease your exposure to chemicals, petroleum products, smoke, smog, etc. Be aware of yourself and changes in your body. Examine yourself and if something occurs which arouses concern seek advice from healthcare providers. If you do become ill research your treatment options. Don't settle for a treatment or therapy just to follow the norm. Step outside the box and save yourself.

Don't be an ostrich. Get your head out of the sand. Read, listen and get involved. No one is going to do it for you. Most watch dog agencies such as the FDA, the AMA, the FD&C and even our government have underlying agendas which favor usage of these chemically treated and altered products. Even our treatments, drugs, x-rays, etc. can be as deadly, if not more so, than the disease they seek to conquer. Now, what can you do?

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• Don't smoke.
• Avoid smoke filled environments.
• If you drink, do so in moderation.
• Protect your skin.
• Choose natural products i.e. foods, cleaners, clothing whenever possible.
• Join forces with public interest groups such as Cancer Prevention Coalition, OSHA, environmental organizations, and public awareness campaigns.
• Demand rBGH free milk from your local grocer.
• Write to the FDA expressing concern about label accuracy on foods, milk, etc.
• Write to the FDA and demand removal of all petroleum derived products from our food system.
• Read, study, stay up to date on packaging, cooking and transport materials which can further contaminate or protect your food choices.
• Demand your health and beauty consultants utilize natural methods whenever possible.
• Choose your profession and living arrangements as wisely as possible to avoid chemical exposures from plants, refineries, mining, waste disposal and major cities and highways.

  The list grows endless. You must be wise, educated, and diligent. Most importantly, be your own watch dog. No one else will.