CANCER AWARENESS

Although cancer can have specific and known causes, such as cigarette smoke or exposure to high doses of radiation, the majority of cancer are likely to result from a series of complex factors, many of which are poorly understood. A tendency to cancer can be inherited, but a strong family history of the disease is merely one factor among many, including being 50+, that should spur the active avoidance of carcinogens and a nurturing of the immune system.

Give your immune system a rest by minimizing exposure to cigarette smoke, which is associated with nearly all lung cancer, as well as some cancer in the upper digestive system, pancreas and bladder. Also ty to reduce your exposure to other potentially harmful chemicals.


Overexposure to the sun causes most types of skin cancer and we are now advised to protect our skins by applying sunblocking creams and sitting under the shade. Unfortunately these creams interfere with the production of vitamin D in the skin. It has been calculated that in latitudes you can overcome the problem by exposing the skin of your forearm, without sunblock, to summer sun in the middle of the day for about 15 minutes. During the winter, at the same latitude, the sun is never strong enough to produce vitamin D in the skin and you will have to rely on dietary sources, or take a supplement.

Malignant melanoma is a particularly dangerous type of skin cancer.

The Cancer Awareness Diet
The particular features of the Optimum Diet that may help to reduce your risk of developing specific cancers are :

• Eating 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit every day may reduce the risk of cancer of the digestive system and, in women, of breast cancer. It is thought that vegetables of the cabbage family, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, mustard greens, kohlrabi and turnips, are particularly beneficial. Other valuable vegetables are lettuce (especially the dark green varieties), spinach and parsnips.
• Limiting the amount of red and processed meat that you eat to about 90g (3oz) per day on average. This level is thought to reduce the risk of cancer of the rectum and colon, without your losing out on iron and the other essential minerals that are present in meat.
• Limiting or avoiding smoked, salt-cured, pickled, fried and barbecued food. These methods of treating food introduce chemicals, which, if eaten in excess, may increase cancer risks.
• Avoiding obesity. This is associated with an increased risk of breast and womb cancer, and possibly also some intestinal cancer.
• Increasing the fibre in your diet. This may reduce the risk of cancer of the rectum, colon, breast and possibly, the pancreas. Try to obtain fibre from eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, pulses and wholegrain cereals, rather than by adding fibre supplements, which may reduce the absorption of minerals. Nuts and seeds are rich in fibre, but high in calories, although the fat they contain is mostly unsaturated.

Over exposure to the sun causes most skin cancer