Fight Cancer by Choosing Organic Foods

Cancer is a growth in our bodies of cells that don’t contribute to our well being and shorten our life span. For example, those who are diagnosed with terminal cancers have a life expectancy of four months to a year and a half.
 
However, cancer is not a hopeless condition. Whether you are fighting breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer or any other type, in the battle to be well, food matters. Some foods strengthen the immune system and improve your disease fighting ability. Other foods, including processed foods, are best avoided.

Does eating locally grown food help cancer a patient? It seems to help everyone with physical and emotional problems. Integrating into your surroundings or “being in the present,” is part of the health cycle, and consuming locally grown food is a part of that process.

A diet that focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, less meat and uses unsaturated fats helps fight cancer. Proper choice of foods can increase your antioxidants. Colorful foods are high in phytochemicals, which are fighters and boosts the immune system. Tasty, strong flavored spices like garlic, curry powder and basil have cancer-fighting nutrients. Meats lack fiber, and fiber helps keep the digestive system healthy.

Organic farming means the food is not exposed to fertilizers such as raw manure, and livestock is not fed plastic pellets, animal byproducts or formulas that contain urea or manure. Generally, herbicides and pesticides can stay in the environment and in our bodies for a long time, so they are not used.

Farming organically creates a natural magnet for wildlife, insects and birds. Proper soil conservation practices can prevent erosion. Food grown locally means the distance between where the food was grown and your dinner table is not far, so the effects of packing materials on the food is minimal. A wider variety of foods can be grown because the farmer is not limited to varieties that have a long shelf life.

All this adds up to foods that are fresh, tastes great, and contain high levels of nutrients, such as Vitamin C. Phosphorus; iron and magnesium levels are higher. Cows milk has elevated amounts of conjugated linoleum acids, a link in cancer prevention.

There is a connection between diet and cancer. If you’re close enough, buy your foods directly from the farm. Get to know the farmer and eat foods that are in season. You can also search out farmer’s markets, or stores that offer locally grown foods. Read labels to find out where the food originated and what is in it.

Weight Management

The burning question on many people’s minds is this, “How can I control my weight?” Below, we’ll take a look at some of the facts associated with weight management and, more importantly, what you can do to control your weight.

Let’s be honest. In today’s age, it’s easier to gain weight than ever before. We need look no further than the sheer percentages of overweight and obese individuals in the United States. Why is this so? Why are we now so much more likely to gain weight? More importantly, what can we do to counter it?

Think about the last time you went to your favorite restaurant. Did the amount of food you were served resemble the size of a plate you’d prepare at home? Or did it look more like a “who can eat the most” competition? Portion sizes have become progressively larger in recent years. Perhaps this is due to a common misconception that more is better, or maybe it’s due to restaurants competing for customers.What this creates is a tendency to overeat and to get accustomed to these large serving sizes.

So how do you clean your plate (like our parents taught us) and still maintain a healthy weight? The answer is simple…limit the amount of food on your plate. Try ordering the lunch-sized portion of the meal if it’s offered. You could also split a meal with your date. The goal is to try and keep the amount of food on your plate to a normal-sized portion.

Adding to the obesity epidemic is the ease with which we can go and grab something quick. There seems to be a fast food restaurant on every corner. These meals are ready-to-eat, typically high in saturated fats, and usually lacking in nutrient density. It’s hard in such a fast paced society to take time out to eat healthy. It usually requires some willpower and a little extra time. One way to ensure you control what you eat is to regularly carry healthy snacks with. When you get the urge to throw down a burger and some french fries, opt for a healthy snack instead.

Another problem today is our lack of physical activity. Things are constantly getting easier. When was the last time you got up to change the channel? We take the elevator or escalator instead of the stairs. We park as close as we can to entrance of the grocery store. Even in the office, we opt for a phone call or email instead of the one-minute walk to our co-worker’s space. And the busier we get, the less time we make for working out. This requires a conscious effort to ensure we set time aside for physical activity. Make the decision to do a little more physical activity instead of a little less.

Finally, most people simply aren’t aware of the negative effects of many foods. Advertisements for unhealthy snacks and foods are abundant, but nutrition education is lacking. Seek credible sources of health and fitness information like Jackie’s Arc and TD Fitness.

It can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, but small changes can help you make the transition. Your body is the machine you use the most. Do all you can to take care of it and it will take care of you!

About the Author: Terence Taylor is an NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, founder and owner of TD Fitness. Follow him and TD Fitness on Facebook and Twitter.