Thursday, November 3, 2016

The Cancer Post

Currently, I have four people I know suffering from cancer and I lost a friend in August from this stupid disease.  So, I have been thinking a lot about it lately and wondering, in this day and age, with all our advancements in medicine, why there isn't a cure and what is the cause.  I do believe we know how to recognize it quicker and understand what it is. Maybe in days long ago, we just didn't know it was cancer.  I also believe some people's genetics are more prone to cancer than others.  BUT I am convinced, whether scientifically true or not, that something is going on in our environment causing healthy people to 'catch' this disease.  My grandfather passed away from lung cancer in his 70's. He was a heavy smoker, but he was in his 70's lived a long life and ate mostly what he made.  This question on why my healthy, young friends are becoming victims in our area got me to do a little research.

Now, this research was just a brief look at Fountain County, IN and some surrounding areas to see what is going on.  I have heard from a few people that the doctors in Indy are saying 'we have been seeing a lot of patients from your county.'  Here's what I found (statistics from CDC)  www.statecancerprofiles.cancer.

Mortality in Fountain County, IN  (Red indicated highest levels, Tan 2nd highest, Indiana has 92 counties)
Overall Cancers Fountain County 1 out of 17 counties in Red
Colon 1/15 counties in red
Breast 1/14 counties in red
Lung 1/17 counties in tan (second highest level) but Benton, Vermillion and Warren were in red

Incidence Rates
Overall Cancer in tan (second highest level) 1/18 Vermillion in Red 1/18
Breast- 1/18 tan,  Vermillion -Red 1/18
Lung- Fountain yellow (middle), Vermillion, Benton, Warren - Red 17 counties in Red
Uterus -1/14 Red
Prostate-tan, Vermillion-Red 1/18
Breast (in situ-not sure what that is) Fountain-tan, Vermillion, Parke-Red 13 counties in Red

Vermillion County, IL
Mortality
All cancers-1/9 Red
Leukemia-1/3 Red
Stomach-1/3 Red
Colon- 1/10 Tan
Lung-1/17 Tan
Ovary-1/5 Tan
Pancreas-1/6 Tan

Incidence (Vermillion, IL)
All Cancers 1/7 Red
Leukemia 1/6 Red
Ovary 1/5 Red
Cervix 1/2 Tan
Colon 1/2 Tan
Lung 1/2 Tan
Pancreas 1/9 Tan
Prostate 1/13 Tan
Stomach 1/3 Tan

My 'unscientific conclusion' is in Fountain County colon and breast cancer are deadly and lung, a close second.  We can survive uterus. I am not going to delve into the other counties.  What prompted me to do this research was an article I read from "Better Nutrition" magazine's October, 2016 edition article called "Preventing Cancer."  The question posed was "It seems like we're not winning the war on cancer, why not?"  The answer: increasing pollution.  Guess what the top 5 most deadly cancers caused by pollution were?  Lung/bronchial, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and prostate/ovarian cancer.

Humm....now what were the top 2 killers in Fountain County and the 2nd?  Colon and breast, lung was also the top killer in our neighbor, Vermillion County, IN.  I believe environmental factors DO play a big role in causing this disease.

What are the environmental factors?

Lung-not just your smoker's disease now.  I know this might cause some controversy, and I LOVE the farmer, respect the farmer, always thought it would be cool to live on a farm, and I understand they need to get a better yield and make a living but I can't help to think these insecticides, herbicides via crop dusting are a contributing factor. It's a chemical.  There has got to be a better way. We are smart.  There are lawsuits pending whether Round Up is cancer causing. Specifically, the ingredient glyphosate.  You can can google 'roundup and cancer' or 'monsato' and you will get differing opinions. Maybe this is the new asbestos? I fear these chemicals are leaking into our ground water also. To be fair to the farmer, there are lots of other crap flying around in the air we can't control either.

Colon-HELLO! We live in the mid-west. This is the hub of fried foods.  Foods that are high in hydrogenated oils and high fructose syrup should just be put back on the shelf.  Our local restaurants serve poor quality food. Demand healthier food and they will serve it.  I was impressed with a  local restaurant that served VERY nutritious food, but she was forced to cut back her menu because it wasn't selling.  I say, stay home, fix your own meals, eat organic, real food that you know every ingredient that goes  in your body.

Breast-excess hormones and  excess sugar are culprits.   The breast typically has excess fat which allows for excess toxin storage.  Food companies and farmers are getting better about not putting artificial hormones in our food but buyer beware, look for hormone free foods.  Also, birth control dumps excess hormones into the body.  Google 'birth control and cancer' to come to your own conclusion.  Cancer feeds on sugar. Don't fuel it.

Pancreatic-SUGAR is the cause. There is so much hidden SUGAR in our foods. High fructose corn syrup is like an addictive substance. Sugar is hidden under the word  "ose". Any food ingredient ending in that word, avoid! Remember, sugar feeds cancer.

Prostate/Ovarian Cancer-another hormonal cancer.  Excess hormones in our food supply plus in our environment.  The chemicals bisphenol-A and phthalates provoke hormonal changes in the body. They are in things like perfumes and plastics. Guess what, seems like everything is in plastic. BPA free plastics are OK.  Not sure how else to avoid this one. Deodorants have perfumes. Opt for all natural ones.

I mentioned these cancers because three are the most prevalent in our area and the highest environmental cancers.  Leukemia in Vermillion, county IL is the top killer, interesting.

Now, so what? Is there really anything you can do about these environmental factors? Not really. The only thing you can do is take charge of your own health, buy products/food that are not cancer causing and most important, take care of your nutrition.

I have been reading a lot about my gut.  Over and over, doctors and all-natural health professionals are saying your body must be alkaline. That an acidic body fuels many autoimmune diseases such as cancer, lupus, fibro and increases inflammation causing disease like arthritis, etc. Bodies should have a pH balance of 7-7.5. Anything under is acidic.  Now, this sounds all complicated and it is!  I have been playing around with my pH.  I bought the pH test strips tend to be in the 6ish range. To test your pH, you buy test strips at a local health food store or order online. You either pee on them or test your saliva.  I just found out you should test your 2nd pee of the day because your first pee is usually always acidic. I was happy to report my body is in  the normal range.  I did find it interesting the other day, I had a really bad tummy ache and tested my pH and it was in the 4's.  I thought about drinking some water and baking soda!

You will find controversy on whether or not having a proper pH is cancer preventing.  I say, who knows, but trying to regulate your pH is not a bad thing. It will force you to eat foods you already should be eating. I say, error on the side of pro-pH!

Because the  pH is so confusing. I want to invite you all to a challenge.  I am starting a facebook group for those interested in being proactive about changing their pH.  I figure if we all put our heads together we could figure this out, share recipes and our pH levels, discuss challenges.  This is not intended to be a diet, but a way to get our bodies in perfect pH balance (who knows, you might shed a few pounds because you will be paying attention to what you eat!).  I titled the group "The Alkaline Challenge".  Let me know if you want to join.

Disclaimer: all this information is just from what I have read.  My opinions are not scientific nor I claim to be an expert on anything!  I have not blogged very often lately but when a thought keeps coming back again and again, I feel it's the Holy Spirit prompting me.

In keeping with the theme of my blog, trying to live the simple life, cancer is complicated, pH is complicated.  However, eating simply, buying simply, and living a simple, stress free life are some of the best cancer-prevention tactics there are.

Are you up for the challenge?