Lifestyle and Cancer - Part I

November 24, 2012

 
It is true that most cancers are caused by cell mutations, genetic factors or metabolic dysfunctions and are unavoidable. But did you know that a whopping 40% or more of the cases of cancers are caused by factors that are well within our control? Several studies indicate that life style factors like consumption of alcohol, unbalanced diet, tobacco, obesity and lack of exercise are the real culprits when it comes of many types of cancers. This article looks at alcohol and diet related factors and their relationship to cancer.

Avoidable habits like drinking alcoholic beverages are known to increase the incidence of cancer. Do not justify your drinking with the adages like “red wine is good for the heart” or “beer is good for the kidneys”. There is no scientific evidence that beer or wine is good for health. Alcohol puts you at a higher risk for cancers of the mouth, esophagus (the food pipe), throat, palate, stomach, liver, colon, kidneys, bladder, and so on. Even small quantities can be quite deadly when there are other risk factors present.

Changes in lifestyle are relatively easy to achieve. For example, eating 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits a day does not require a lot of sacrifice, does it? Include a good helping of raw vegetables like cabbage, bell peppers, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, spinach, radish, turnips, carrots, etc at least once a day, preferably at lunchtime. Do not overcook vegetables- they lose anti-oxidants and nutrients. Anti-oxidants are cancer-fighting agents found in fresh fruits and vegetables which include selenium, beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C. Use ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon generously in your cooking. These condiments have cancer fighting properties and are known to strengthen the immune system. Wild berries (blue berries, black berries, goose berries) that are easily available in rural areas are a great source of anti-oxidants too.

Make it a habit to wash all the fruits and vegetables in salt water before you use them. Even oranges and bananas require to be washed in salt water to remove the artificial ripening agents and pesticides sprayed on them before you peel them to eat. If not, the chemicals from the peels transfer to your hands and then to the fruit.

Processed foods have excessive quantities of salt, preservatives and other additives that are potentially carcinogenic. Carcinogens are cancer causing substances in foods that are artificially processed. So, avoid canned meats, tinned fruits & vegetables, bacon, sausages, tuna etc. Dry fish contains more salt than your body can handle and excessive salt intake is directly linked to cancers of the stomach, liver, kidneys and bladder.

If you are a non-vegetarian, make sure the meat that you eat is cooked in a healthy manner. Consumption of beef, lamb and pork should be reduced to a minimum. It is not just the meats that you eat but the way they are prepared makes them more carcinogenic. Smoked, barbecued, flame-roasted, char-grilled meats are comparatively more hazardous than the same when they are boiled, broiled, steamed or oven-roasted. If you are a lover of barbecue and have weekly barbecues, you might want to consider an alternative that is healthier. A vegetarian diet is the best diet when it comes to fighting cancer.

Foods that are deep-fried at high temperatures are more carcinogenic than pan-fried items. Slow frying at medium temperature is a healthier option. Avoid oils that are hydrogenated and those that are high in saturated fats. Do not re-use the oil that is used for deep frying. Choose oils that have unsaturated fats like olive oil or canola. Plant based fats like omega-3 fatty acids found in avocado, flaxseeds are cancer fighting fats and are good for you.

Do not ignore constipation- it could be a symptom of something serious. Lack of fiber in the diet is directly related to colo-rectal cancers. Food should be expelled by the body within 24 hours. If it stays in the intestines longer, it becomes toxic. Increase the intake of fiber in your diet especially at breakfast- oatmeal, whole grains, pulses, nuts are rich in fiber. Not just almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts, even pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds are good enough and are comparatively more economical.

A minimum of 8-12 glasses of water a day is needed to flush out the toxins that are generated in the body. Drinking one or two glasses of warm water early in the morning is a good habit which stimulates bowel movement. Hydrotherapy is a better option to chemotherapy and is less expensive!

 

Dr Lavina Noronha - Archives :  


 

By Dr Lavina M Noronha
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • anita britto, Mangalore/Auckland

    Sat, Dec 08 2012

    Thanks Dr.Lavina. Very informative article.

  • Dev, Mangalore

    Thu, Nov 29 2012

    Amazing Statistics of Carbon Footprint!
    The Most Carbon Polluting Industry?
    Aviation till Now.
    Who has replaced it?
    Telecommunication Industry!
    Cellphone Towers, Cellphones, WiFi networks contribute 110.7 million tons of CO2/year. That is equal to 29 million cars going around everyday every year on roads in 1 country.
    In India with power-cuts towers operate on diesel most of the times.
    Scientific American data- carbon dioxide water= Carbolic Acid- sinking into oceans increasing acidity of them killing microbes & fish which get affected with slight variation of alkalinity of sea water.
    Why US & Western Governments hid scientific proof of microwave radiation affecting all living beings?
    They as well as their intelligence services can use it for their spying as well as its weapons capabilities & population control! Should future terrorists harness this technology- they never need to enter a country to carryout 26/11!
    Will give more details in future when the subject of article is specifically microwave induced cancers.
    @Kamal T-
    40% of the cancers are preventible while others can be stopped by consuming antioxidants which stop free radicals from damaging our DNA causing cancers as described by Dr Lavina.

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Tue, Nov 27 2012

    You are absolutely right Kamal. The fact of the matter is, in the name of civilization and development we have gotten ourselves into this vicious cycle, escape from which seems to be extremely difficult if not impossible. To give an example, petroleum and natural gas exploration and refining is a result of scientific and technological advancement and without hydrocarbon, not only our industry but our day to day life also likely to come to a standstill as there is no alternative energy source as of now (just consider life without petrol/diesel/cooking gas). But the supply of hydrocarbon is not infinite, but that’s a separate issue. Now the burning (literally) issue is, all the hydrocarbon that we tap from underground eventually has to burn in air and convert into water and carbon dioxide, not to mention the other pollutants such as sulfur compounds. Thus formed carbon dioxide is a major contributor of global warming. Country wise, China tops the list of carbon dioxide emission, we are not too far behind with fourth rank, US and European union are ahead of us. The developed countries preach the third world to reduce emission but they themselves do nothing in this regard.

  • Kamal Taiyyeb, Mangalore

    Tue, Nov 27 2012

    The air we breathe is polluted, the water we drink is much more polluted, the food we eat especially fruits and vegetables are full of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, readymade foods with full of artificial flavour, colour and preservatives, we live in houses constantly emitting poisonous fumes from paint, glue, varnish and dyes. I wonder how can a person keep himself safe and stay away from all the above. Unless people realise all the above and wake up from their deep sleep and work towards cancer free environment things will continue to as they are now.

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Mon, Nov 26 2012

    Alright Dev, with all your so called knowledge and determination to avoid all ‘factors that contribute towards an epidemic’ I hope you to live on planet earth forever without any ailments.

  • Dev, Mangalore

    Mon, Nov 26 2012

    @geoffrey,hathill-
    O K don't do any search (i only gave u 2 examples from u tube, that doesn't mean I don't have anything else as proof), or don't believe us be ignorant & indulge in all the things doctors & scientists say cause cancer, its your life.
    Why Brain Tumors have risen in those who use more cellphones,or why only those police got carcinogenic tumors in neck, where they place their communicating equipment?
    All people are not same! Some want proof that cancer is the result of x & x activities & factors, until proven they are not ready to agree because they are addicted, but it will be too late then!
    Don't believe in gravity, jump from high rise the result is same whether u believe or disagree.
    Its my duty to share my knowledge, to accept or reject is your freedom at your own peril.
    20 years back tobacco companies said cancer is not caused by cigarettes, now everybody agrees except you, that is the truth.
    All the risk factors contribute towards an epidemic- To prevent is WISER than SUFFER & REGRET when its TOO LATE.

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Mon, Nov 26 2012

    Dev, do my own search, where ? Utube which seems to be your major source of information? Certainly I wouldn’t consider U tube to be my gospel, the main interest of any website on the net is to get as many ‘hits’ (and hence revenue ) as they can. Brain’s composition of 90% water is no news to me and it’s mention here irrelevant too. Let’s consider the other great pop corm experiment that you’ve mentioned. Instead of blindly accepting the Utube info, do this experiment yourself. Believe me, corn has a snowball’s chance in hell of popping when placed in between cell phones for few minutes. The heating effect can be felt when cell is held close to the ear for a long time, but again this is non-ionizing radiation and high exposure can damage the tissue and the process of damage is by the transfer of heat, not the destruction of DNA or other molecules directly as caused by ionizing radiation of X-rays and cosmic rays.

  • Blaan Mendonca, USA

    Mon, Nov 26 2012

    Geoffrey if you feel you do not like to drink water again it is your choice. I have no problem with that. But I stick to the point that water is energy. I cannot live without it.

  • Dev, Mangalore

    Mon, Nov 26 2012

    @geoffry,hathill-
    Microwave radiation from towers & cellphones heats water molecules in cells by oscillation just like microwave ovens. Brain is 90% water!
    Please watch in "you tube" an experiment where corns are placed in between 2 cellphones getting popped within minutes of switching them on.
    Please listen to Barrie Trower who was a microwave weapons technologist in British Navy in U Tube.
    FDA Or USDA is controlled by the appointees from Big corporations like Monsanto & Cell Companies through US Presidents who get funded by them.
    These people were & are in the payroll of them & they bend the rules & relax regulations to allow their MASTERS products without testing by any neutral scientists with manipulated test reports conducted by the companies themselves getting preference.
    Do your own search & you will find how these corporations were & are PROFIT oriented rather than WELFARE of PEOPLE.
    DDT,BGH, Roundup(agent orange of Vietnam)herbicides, GE crops contributing to Cancer Epidemic are their FDA approved some products!

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    FDA is a man made organization and so is all the information that available to us on cancer or on any other subject for that matter. None of that ped from heaven. Agreed, knowledge and wisdom go together , but half knowledge is dangerous. Water is made up of Oxygen and Hydrogen but that Oxygen is not converted into energy in our body. It is the gaseous Oxygen that we inhale from atmosphere. Water does play a vital role in metabolic processes though. Because water makes up at least 90 percent of blood plasma, keeping your body well hydrated keeps blood volume high. Blood is what carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells. Therefore, increasing water intake gets more oxygen to the muscles so that they can expend energy. This information is not from heaven nor out of my creativity, but from primary school text books in India!

  • Blaan Mendonca, USA

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    Geoffrey nobody forces you to drink, you make the choice what is Good for you. Knowledge and wisdom goes together, health is wealth, Water is better than any other products such as juices or sodas, because water contains oxygen that gives you energy and is the most important aspect of life. Coffee and tea are beverages, the caffeine as well as sugar makes you feel energetic for a certain amount of time and then s you lower than the ground level. Work out everyday 30 minutes to one hour (30 minutes Cardio exercise (Ground exercise) to burn your fat ( such as weightless squat, sit ups, and push ups), and weight training to gain muscles and strength). Eat proper food such as one whole egg or one whole with two whites for protein, salad to make you full, cottage cheese, milk, fruits and vegetables for carbohydrates and good source of mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fats. Avoid sugar and Saturated fats. Make yourself flexible and creative.

  • Blaan Mendonca, USA

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    FDA and USDA did not come from heaven, These are all man made organizations. Business and taxes are important to run the economy.

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    If colas like Coke and Pepsi proven to be carcinogens, why the manufacturers of these sodas aren’t mandated to label them with the statutory warning as in the case cigarette ? The content of 4- MI in these colas has already been brought down to safer levels and as per FDA, US, “a person would have to drink "well over a thousand cans of soda a day to reach the doses administered in the studies that have shown links to cancer in rodents".
    As for radiation emitted by cell phones, it’s non-ionizing type and deemed safe, but long term effects can’t totally be ruled out.

  • Blaan Mendonca, USA

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    Cancer is also caused by Radiation from Transmission towers and repeaters and electro-magnetic waves. Cancer is also caused by cell phones. Beedi workers are also effected and cause Cancer because of the radiation from the beedi tobbaco leaves. Genetically engineered foods, plants, animals can also cause cancer. Genetic factors, are also reasons for Cancer. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said popular sodas contain high levels of a chemical that's used to give cola its caramel coloring - and that chemical could raise a soda-drinkers' cancer risk.the consumer watchdog found Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc's Dr. Pepper and Whole Foods' 365 Cola contained unsafe levels of the coloring Ingredient, 4-methylimidazole or 4-MI. The group estimates the amount of 4-MI in the Coke and Pepsi products tested is causing about 15,000 cancers among the U.S. population.

  • christine, mangalore/kuwait

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    Thank you for good advising article Dr Lavina. God bless you.

  • Jyothi Furtado, Barkur/USA

    Sun, Nov 25 2012

    Very good information.THANK YOU Dr.Lavina.

  • Ishan, Belman,Dubai

    Sat, Nov 24 2012

    thank you for tips to avoid cancers.

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Sat, Nov 24 2012

    When we attribute one of the causes of cancer to alcohol consumption, does it follow that all alcoholics get cancer or all teetotalers and non smokers don’t? The answer is no and therefore it can be deduced that at this stage there’s lot of guess work and shooting in the dark going on in this area. Same applies to microwave cooking and cell phone radiation, there’s no hard scientific evidence that these things are sources of carcinogens. The life style suggested by the author is practicable to those who have a garden where only organic manure is used. Or to those who are fortunate enough to have all their meals at home so that they can cook their food at right temperatures and give saline wash to the fruits before eating etc..

  • Prakash dsouza, Mangalore/Dubai

    Sat, Nov 24 2012

    Thanks for the information Dr.Lavina. People like you make the World a better place. Keep up the good spirit. and God bless you.

  • Dev, Mangalore

    Sat, Nov 24 2012

    Good article to prevent cancer by Dr Lavina.
    Modern day lifestyle along with processed & junk food consumption multiplies the risk factor in cancer epidemic.
    Other contributing factors which Lavina can research or highlight are- Microwave radiation through towers,excessive cellphone use, cooking with microwave ovens which alters the proteins in food we cook triggering carcinogenic tumors.
    Genetically engineered foods now widely propagated through false claims by Monsanto trigger future explosion of cancer epidemic.
    Aspartame marketed as weight loss alternative to sugar with false claims to be safe has now known to cause health problems such as insomnia,headache,dizziness,fatigue,visual-impairment,memoryloss,seizures,hallucination,fainting,loss of balance, cancers, ulcers, hyper activity,speach impairment giddiness (are some of hidden side-effects). Use less processed sugars or honey in its place.
    The above factors contribute to other ailments such as diabetes,cardiovascular ailments,impotency, allergies, ulcers & untimely avoidable deaths.


Leave a Comment

Title: Lifestyle and Cancer - Part I



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.