Keeping healthy is the best prevention against cancer. Avoid tobacco, keep your weight moderate, eat healthy and take regular exercise.
There has been a lot of chat about Antioxidants lately. These are substances that combat free radicals and help prevent disease. Antioxidant substances include:
Antioxidants are found in many foods including fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, some meats, poultry and fish. So what are free radicals?
Free radicals are highly instable molecules that are naturally formed when you exercise and when your body converts food into energy. Your body can also be exposed to free radicals in the environment; for example from air pollution, cigarette smoke and sunlight. Free radicals can cause cell damage and cause a variety of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's.
Experiments have shown that taking high doses of supplements can have the reverse effect and indeed be harmful so it's vital to include the above nutrients in the foods that you eat.
This basis of all life is often forgotten in our daily routines. Our bodies are made up of 60 - 75 % water so it makes sense that we need to replenish it. We need water for every cell process and every organ needs water to function efficiently. Our electrolyte balance; the minerals in our body fluids are essential for all aspects of our health and affect our emotional stability.
Keep a bottle with you and take sips regularly. Aim to drink at least a litre each day and more if you are a black tea or coffee drinker.
The general recommendation for exercise is little and often; it's more important to be regular than to exercise for long periods of time. If you are unused to exercising ½ hour, 3 times a week is a good start.
Find something you enjoy eg. Swimming, walking, tennis, yoga, canoeing, climbing or dancing. If you want the support of an instructor take one of the many gym classes from Zumba to pilates, body sculpt to circuits…. there's never been so much choice and professional help available for you to keep fit.
Walking is said to be the safest form of exercise and is a great place to start if you haven't exercised for a while. Swing your arms and pick up the pace. Walking can be a good all round aerobic activity and if you suffer from back problems, this is often a recommended part of your rehabilitation.
As you progress, you will want to vary your exercise to work the different muscles of the body. 20 min's of aerobic exercises followed by a yoga session or some home stretching can be rewarding. Perhaps you will swim on a Monday, take a gym class on Wednesday and go hiking at the weekend. Whatever you choose enjoy it, you will soon feel the benefits with weight loss, more available energy and a lifted mood.
Many of us find this difficult. We love our food, like to have regular treats and often find comfort in the foods that we eat. The truth is that if we eat healthy foods and exercise regularly, we can eat quite a lot without putting on weight.
If you find yourself in the majority; having put on weight and are finding it difficult to lose, here are a couple of guaranteed ways you can:
For information about the Naturopathic approach to prevention and Treatment Support of Cancer please visit our Cancer page.