F E A T U R E S
T By Dr. Kathy Gruver
here are certain phrases that people dread hearing in their lifetime, “Let’s just be friends”, “We have to talk” and “You have cancer”. The last phrase can instill fear and panic in the hearts of even the strongest people. Since the war on cancer began things have only gotten worse and you may wonder if modern medicine has the weapons needed to fight the war properly. Perhaps the mêlée should be fought on a smaller battlefield, inside each of us. What can we do to protect ourselves from cancer and fight it off if diagnosed with it? Cancer is the uncontrolled replication of cells. This happens all the time in our bodies and the immune system deals with the problem. When cancer takes hold however, we must boost the immune system to help fight. But
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June 2011
what are some things that lead to cancer? Studies have linked a high fat diet to increased risk of breast and colon cancer. (1) Cutting back on foods that are heavy in saturated fats like red meat and processed foods can help reduce that risk. Increasing foods that are rich in phytochemicals such as fruits and vegetables help keep your immune system strong and eliminate free-radicals. Also, estrogen has been shown to be related to breast and uterine cancer, among others. (2), (3) Estrogen is stored in body fat, so maintaining a healthy weight is valuable. We all know that smoking is bad news leading to both lung and bladder cancers, and that we should avoid this nasty habit. Avoid being in enclosed areas such as cars while someone is