Cancer is the second leading cause of death in this country. It affects about 1 in 3 and is moving towards a ratio of 1 in 2. It strikes men, women, and children. Cancer is caused by a variety of factors, including exposure to environmental toxins, smoking, an unhealthy lifestyle, and genetic predisposition.

What is cancer? Our bodies are made up of billions of cells. When some of these cells deviate and do not perform as they should, they become cancer cells and must be removed. Otherwise, the cells will propagate and destroy the body from within.

STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

If your immune system is healthy, it is designed to eradicate these cancer cells before you are diagnosed with cancer. However, if the immune system is fragile or the cells multiply too quickly then cancer follows. Therefore, it is crucial to restore your immune system to its strongest state in order for it to battle the cancer cells.

There are many ways to strengthen the immune system. The first and easiest method is to make some changes in your diet and lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a nutritious diet are extremely important tools in your fight against cancer.

Nutrients found in certain foods strengthen your body's abilities to ward off diseases like cancer. Consuming a predominantly plant-based diet (fruits, vegetables, and beans), when matched with regular physical exercise and the avoidance of tobacco, can greatly decrease your cancer risk.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVE CANCER REMEDIES

If you have already been diagnosed with cancer, no matter what stage of cancer or what type of cancer, there are natural alternative methods of treatment available. Many people, who are given little hope by their doctors, choose to receive alternative treatments.

More and more people are now learning about the benefits of supplementing their conventional cancer treatments with natural therapies. These natural remedies improve the body's immune system instead of relying on the often inconsistent results from chemotherapy and radiation.

There are many natural alternative cancer treatments and remedies available today. Some of these methods, used in conjunction with conventional methods, strengthen the body and control the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Other methods are used in place of the conventional methods.

All alternative remedies share the belief that a genuinely healthy body, and thus a balanced immune system, is less susceptible to cancer and better equipped to fight off cancer cells if they develop. Their methods try to eliminate the fundamental problem that permitted the cancer to develop in the first place by restoring a healthy immune system, thus allowing the body to heal itself.

Alternative treatments, usually holistic (whole body treatment) in their methods, strive to treat the whole body of the person rather than only the affected area(s). They also care for the patient on many different levels not just the physical part. A patient's spiritual and emotional conditions are included in their treatments.

ALTERNATIVE CANCER THERAPIES:

METABOLIC THERAPIES: The basic premise of metabolic therapies is that due to the close connection between diet and disease, chronic and life-threatening diseases can be reversed by restricting the type of calories our bodies consume. Since diet determines the health of a person, the treatments must consist of ways to cleanse the body from within.

Metabolic therapy uses a combination of methods in an attempt to remove the toxins from the body. The treatments use detoxification to flush the toxins out of the body, plant-based diets consisting of whole foods, and a regimen of vitamins, minerals and enzymes which heal damaged tissues and strengthen and revitalize the immune system.

HERBAL THERAPIES: Herbal therapy is the oldest form of medicinal treatment in the world. This treatment uses herbs to strengthen the ability of the body to eradicate cancer cells. It has been around for thousands of years and was used as mainstream medicine by doctors until the late nineteenth century.

At that time, the AMA (American Medical Association), consisting of doctors who were in a partnership with a growing pharmaceutical industry, used its clout to abolish the use of natural substances. Because there is no profit to be had from these "natural" drugs, they were no longer considered viable treatments.

The established medical community does not encourage its patients to treat their own cancer by using inexpensive natural substances and therapies. Instead, millions of dollars are spent to create synthetic drugs.

MIND-BODY THERAPIES: Because our mind has a powerful effect on our body, these therapies concentrate on the function of emotions and spiritual faith in the recovery process from an illness. They do not guarantee a cure but they can greatly affect what happens in your body and have become an increasingly important part of cancer treatments.

Examples of these therapies include hypnosis, biofeedback, visualization techniques that help increase the effectiveness of the immune system, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and participating in pleasing activities like listening to music or taking walks. Anything that promotes improved emotional and spiritual well-being is a mind-body therapy.

Using these techniques can alleviate pain, enhance your quality of life, and in some cases eliminate or reduce the disease. Because you can do most of the mind-body therapies yourself, you feel like you are gaining back the control over your life that cancer has taken away from you.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, do not give up hope. You must be proactive and research the various alternative treatments that are available, and there are many. The more you do to help yourself, the better your chances will be to eliminate cancer from your life.

A sobering fact, cancer is the second leading cause of death in this country. It strikes men, women, and children. Cancer is caused by a variety of factors, including exposure to environmental toxins, smoking, an unhealthy lifestyle, and genetic predisposition.

However, the most staggering statistic is that improper diet accounts for almost 70% of cancers and is one of the main causes of death among human beings. Diet and cancer experts are beginning to identify more and more nutrients that we can include in our diet that may help reduce cancer risks.

Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a good nutritious diet are important elements in the fight against cancer. Making some changes in your diet and lifestyle can greatly reduce the probability of getting diagnosed with cancer, changes that are not as difficult as you may think.

SUGGESTED DIETARY GUIDELINES TO LOWER CANCER RISK:

*Drink lots of water. Water flushes toxins out of the body and hydrates your organs.

*Eat a primarily plant-based diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, beans and peas, and minimally processed starchy foods.

*Eat five or more portions a day of a variety of vegetables and fruits, all year round.

*Eat at least three portions a day of a variety of cereals, whole grains, beans and peas, and root vegetables. Minimally processed foods are preferable.

*Limit consumption of refined sugar and foods made with white flour. This includes most foods that are processed. Always check food labels.

*Alcohol consumption is not recommended. If consumed, limit alcoholic drinks to less than two drinks a day for men and one for women.

*If eaten at all, limit intake of red meat to less than 3 ounces daily. It is preferable to choose fish and poultry in place of red meat.

*Limit consumption of fatty foods, particularly those of animal origin. Choose modest amounts of appropriate vegetable oils.

*Limit consumption of salted foods and use of cooking and table salt. Use herbs and spices to season foods. Experiment with them. There are many to choose from and you may find you prefer their taste over salt.

*Do not smoke or use tobacco in any form.

A helpful hint for grocery shopping: when you go the store, stick to the areas around the perimeter of the store. This is where the fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy are located.

Stay away from the pre-packaged, over-processed foods that are in such plentiful supply. They contain unhealthy additives and preservatives.

EXERCISE AND FITNESS:

*Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, lose weight. Obesity is now a leading cause of some cancers.

*Be physically active. If occupational activity is low or moderate, take a brisk walk or similar exercise daily. Also exercise vigorously for a total of at least one hour a week. If you cannot manage vigorous exercise, any kind of movement is beneficial to your body.

The consumption of a predominantly plant-based diet, when matched with regular physical exercise and the avoidance of tobacco, can decrease cancer risk very significantly. A truly healthy body is far less vulnerable to cancer and more able to fight off its ravages. The guidelines listed above can help you in your fight against cancer.