21
Living Cancer-Free
IN THIS CHAPTER YOU’LL DISCOVER
→ Just How Preventable Cancer Is
→ The Necessity of Being Smoke-Free
→ The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Weight
→ Physical Fitness Goals to Strive For
→ Recommendations for Healthy Eating
WHEN ANNA STRAZZANTE LEARNED she had bladder cancer, she quickly formulated a plan that would not only carry her through her treatments, but beyond as well.
“About a year before my diagnosis, I had read the book The Secret, and it became my belief that I could become whatever I truly believed. So I started to think about the healthiest people I knew, and I realized they were all runners. So, at that moment, I decided that I would become a runner. I meditated on how it would feel to run a marathon and how exciting it would be to win. I started talking about it and planning for it in my mind,” she recalls.
The fact that she had just been diagnosed with bladder cancer and would have her bladder removed and reconstructed did not deter Strazzante. She carried out what she intended to do and, indeed, within a few years, she had not only become a runner, but she completed the Chicago Marathon.
You don’t necessarily need to become a marathon runner to live a healthy life after cancer; what you will need is to use all of the tools within your control: sticking to a nutrient-rich diet, regular exercise, and just as importantly, if not more, keeping a positive attitude. What Anne discovered in The Secret is the power to manifest a healthy existence using her everyday thoughts and meditations.
Remaining healthy both physically and mentally at the time of diagnosis, during treatment, and afterward is especially important because, now that an increasing number of cancer survivors are living longer, they are becoming more vulnerable to the deadly diseases that tend to be prevalent with aging, such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
How Preventable Is Cancer?
The development of cancer is linked to many different things, including aging, heredity, and environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, pesticides, and other cancer-causing agents, as well as other factors we don’t yet understand.
Although it’s impossible to say what will prevent cancer in a specific case, many experts agree that it is possible to lessen the likelihood of developing cancer by 30 to 40 percent by taking certain preventive measures, like quitting smoking and adopting healthy lifestyle changes.
QUITTING SMOKING
Experts agree that the most important thing you can do to ensure your cancer-free survival is to quit if you still smoke or use tobacco products.
Throughout this book, you will find that smoking tobacco is associated with the development of not only lung cancer, but other cancers as well. In addition, research finds that cancer patients who smoke die sooner, and can also go on to develop secondary cancers. Therefore, quitting smoking is imperative.
Some people who smoke quit instantly when they are diagnosed with cancer, but many others chose to continue smoking, or find they cannot quit. Quitting smoking can be difficult, but today there are more tools than ever before to help you kick the habit. In addition, hospitals and treatment centers have quitting programs, including many that are tailored to cancer survivors. For links to free smoking cessation programs, see the appendix.
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT
It is estimated that obesity contributes to one-third of all new cancers, so experts cite maintaining a healthy weight as one of the key ways to prevent several types of cancer. Staying lean also helps guard against heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other maladies that come with aging.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Funds (WCRF), two organizations that jointly issue a highly-esteemed report on cancer prevention, put staying at a healthy weight on the top of their list of recommendations. This is protective against cancer in general, but especially so in guarding against cancer of the colon, uterus, kidney, and esophagus, as well as breast cancer in women who are postmenopausal, their report says.
Experts also point out that they’re not just referring to the extremely obese, but those who are overweight, or even those on the heavier end of a normal weight, carry an increased risk as well.
With weight gain and obesity increasing throughout the United States, staying lean is not an easy goal. But it is a very worthwhile one and, especially if you are a cancer survivor, you should consider working with a registered dietitian or certified nutrition specialist to help you reach and stay at your goal weight.
ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical activity comes second only to keeping at your goal weight when it comes to preventing cancer. Over the years, Americans have become increasingly sedentary, which not only leads to obesity, but is a potential contributing cause of cancer in itself.
The AICR/WCRF report found convincing evidence that physical activity can help prevent colon cancer, and the American Cancer Society cites some 50 studies in its conclusion that adults who are physically active cut their colon cancer risk by 30 to 40 percent, with those who are the most active reaping the highest benefit.
There is also suggestive evidence that women who are physically active have lower rates of breast cancer, and that this effect is higher in postmenopausal women, but there is some research that shows it might be true for younger women as well. There is also some evidence that suggests that physical activity may also help to protect against lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and also some forms of aggressive prostate cancer.
But this isn’t all. Because physical activity helps prevent weight gain, this adds to the types of cancers for which you are reducing your risk. You didn’t fight your battle against cancer to be sidelined by other maladies, so this overwhelming evidence that physical activity is the key to preventing heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other deadly and debilitating diseases that come with aging should easily keep you in check. And lest we forget: exercise it the best way to keep your body younger longer.
Here are the AICR/WCRF’s physical fitness goals to strive for:
- • Be moderately physically active, equivalent to brisk walking for at least 30 minutes every day.
- • As fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate exercise, or 30 minutes or more of vigorous physical activity every day.
- • Limit sedentary habits such as watching television.
EATING HEALTHY
The type of diet that is recommended to help cancer is the same type that has been found to reduce heart disease risk; healthy eating also translates into longevity and feeling great.
Here are some general recommendations on how to shift your diet to a healthier one. Remember, you don’t have to make changes all at once — the important thing is to move in a healthier direction. The following are recommended ways to begin eating more healthfully:
Reduce Saturated Fat
Saturated fat, which is fat that typically hardens at room temperature, such as butter, lard, and the fat that marbles meat, has been linked to several different types of cancer, including breast cancer. One recent study found that total and saturated fat intake was associated with different sub-types of breast cancer. In addition, a diet high in saturated fat is linked with obesity, which contributes to many of the cancers discussed above. A healthy way to eliminate saturated fats is to replace them with monounsaturated fats. These are fats that are liquid at room temperature but tend to solidify when chilled. These “healthy” fats include olive oil, sunflower and safflower oils, avocado, grape seed oil, peanut, and sesame oil. They are calorie-dense, though, so use them in moderation.
Reduce Your Intake of Processed Foods
There is increasing evidence that eating processed meat that contains nitrates and nitrites is — foods like hot dogs, bacon, and salami — linked with an increased risk of colon and stomach cancer. Studies have found that the more these foods are eaten, the higher the risk of cancer.
Limit Calorie-Dense Foods
Another category the AICR/WCRF study recommends steering clear of is foods and drinks that promote weight gain. These are primarily processed and packaged foods that often contain substantial amounts of sugar and fat, like cake, cookies, and other types of pastries. They also recommend against sugary drinks and fast food, noting that all these foods contribute to obesity.
Increase Your Intake of Fruits and Vegetables
Eating at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of preventing cancer as well as heart disease, and possibly even stroke. A high intake of fruits and vegetables has been found to help protect against cancer in general, and also probably to help protect against several specific types of cancer, including the mouth, pharynx (part of throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus, stomach, lung, pancreas, and prostate, according to the AICR/WCRF.
Fruits and vegetables are believed to reduce cancer risk in large part because of the micronutrients, including antioxidants and other bioactive compounds they contain. One particularly potent possible cancer reducer is a group of chemicals known as the carotenoids. These are found in varying concentrations in all vegetables, particularly those that are red or orange. Among the carotenoids (which are converted in the body to vitamin A) is beta-carotene, which is essential for human health; based on the recommended daily allowance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as it provides about half of the vitamin A that Americans need daily.
Although research finds that beta-carotene is ineffective against many forms of cancer, there is evidence it may help protect against esophageal cancer as well as breast cancer, especially in women at high risk of it due to family history, excessive alcohol use, and ovarian cancer after menopause.
Lycopene is a carotenoid that has garnered interest because of its potential cancer preventing properties with respect to prostate, lung and stomach cancer. Lycopene is most closely associated with tomatoes, but it’s also found in watermelon, red (bell) peppers, pink or red grapefruit, pink-fleshed guava, and persimmons.
Flavonoids are another group of compounds that protect against cancer, and new research suggests that one flavonoid, apigenin, could take away cancer’s “superpower” to escape cell death on a molecular level. Parsley, celery, and chamomile tea are the most common sources of apigenin, but it is also found in many fruits and vegetables.
Cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale, contain indoles, which are phytochemicals that induce the formation of enzymes believed to protect against cancer as well.
You should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Limit starchy vegetables and include produce of different colors, like red, green, yellow, white, purple, and orange, and also include tomatoes and tomato-based products. Don’t overlook garlic, a terrific flavor enhancer that also may help protect against stomach cancer.
Supplements
Often, when people have had cancer or other serious illness, they may be tempted to over-supplement. Research that is done in laboratories may show that high-dose, nutrient supplements can be protective against or cause cancer, but the studies also show that such effects don’t relate to the general population.
This is why the general rule is that you should not resort to supplements to supply the nutrients that are found in whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Studies that have looked at these nutrients in isolation have invariably found them to be disappointing, so most researchers believe that it is the combination of these chemicals found in whole foods that imbue them with their cancer protective effects.
Bulk Up on Fiber
Fiber is a term for compounds from plants that are not digested by the body. It is found in the outer layer of grains as well as in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.
Fiber helps add bulk to stool and helps move food more quickly through the digestive system, and for that reason is believed to help prevent colon cancer. Fiber also helps prevent heart disease, particularly by lowering the amount of so-called “bad” cholesterol in the blood. In addition, some studies find that beans and legumes may protect against stomach and prostate cancer.
Most experts recommend that adults try to eat 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. Fiber also helps you feel satisfied, and in that way helps people lose weight. Most people think of oats and whole grains as containing fiber, but many fruits and vegetables are rich sources of fiber as well. This includes all types of beans, as well as many types of vegetables (asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, kale, corn, okra, and zucchini) and fruits (apples, figs, peaches, pears, prunes, raspberries, and strawberries). To bulk up fiber content, leave the skins on.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Alcohol consumption has been slowly rising in the United States and a recent Gallup survey shows that 67 percent of Americans imbibe. Beer remains the favorite among drinkers, followed by wine and hard liquor. But, although alcohol consumption brings about a very pleasurable effect, it is predominately composed of ethanol, which is a carcinogen. Convincing research shows that drinking alcohol is a cause of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon (particularly in men), and breast, and contributes to cancer of the liver and colon cancer in women as well. Therefore, the AICR/WCRF recommends that, if alcoholic drinks are consumed, they should be limited to two drinks a day for men and one drink for women.
This is, coincidentally, the same limit on alcohol drinking that the American Heart Association recommends because, even though alcohol is considered heart protective, imbibing too much can raise the risk of blood pressure and other cardiac problems. One drink is a 12-ounce bottle of beer (4.5 percent alcohol), a five-ounce glass of wine (12 percent alcohol) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Herbivore or Omnivore?
Although people who eat vegetarian diets appear to be at lower risk for some forms of cancer, it’s impossible to separate out the effect of going without meat from other healthful aspects of their lives. Therefore, most cancer experts do not prohibit meat, although they do recommend limiting it.
In their evaluation of research, the AICR/WCRF notes that meat is a valuable source of nutrients, particularly protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. They say research shows people could eat up to 18 ounces of red meat a week without raising cancer risk. Selecting lean cuts is important (such as flank steak or extra lean ground beef).
Other good protein choices include poultry and fish. Fish is also considered heart-protective because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce both cancer and heart disease risk. Salmon, herring, and mackerel are particularly good choices.