Surviving Cancer Your Way
By Mary Moskowitz, MS I
was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Since then, I have been on a mission to ensure that I never hear that diagnosis from my doctor again. Just as important, I have resolved to share the information that I wish I had known when I was fi rst diagnosed. If I can help just one person avoid this scary diagnosis or keep them from hearing it again, my efforts will have paid off immensely.
The fact is we all have cancer cells in our body. A healthy immune system is designed to recognize these cells and eliminate them. When our bodies become weakened and compromised, things start to go wrong. Cancer is a symptom of a weakened body that is hormonally imbalanced, nutrient defi cient, stressed-out and toxic. We can cut out, radiate and poison the tumors but ulti- mately they can come back if we don’t create an internal terrain, an inhospitable environment that will prevent the spread of cancer and its recurrence. This is where our medical system falls short.
With traditional medicine, we are only considering part of the big picture. Traditional medicine focuses on tumor type and location and the type of treatment that will eradicate that specifi c tumor. However, according to Dr. Mark Hyman, a leading expert in the fi eld of functional medicine, there are more important ques- tions to consider. Why did this cancer grow in our bodies in the fi rst place? How can we change the internal terrain that is allow- ing the cancer to grow and fl ourish in our bodies? How did our bodies become vulnerable to this disease process and how can we stop it from continuing? We can’t just blame it on our genes!
Less than 25% of cancers are genetic. Even if you have the genes that will make you more susceptible to getting cancer, they don’t necessarily get expressed unless our biological terrain becomes a breeding ground for cancer cell growth. You may have the genes but the environment pulls the trigger. My mother had breast cancer, but so did a lot of my neighbors and friends. We
20 Essential Living Maine ~ September/October 2016
don’t share the same genetic pool, but we do share the same food sources, air, water, culture and lifestyle.
Cancer affects 1 out of 3 people today. The rates have tripled
over the last 100 years. Our genetic pool doesn’t change that fast, so what has changed?
1. Food. We are eating processed, sugary, toxic food that our bodies weren’t designed to eat and absorb. This food comes from factories not fi elds and is full of questionable ingredients and toxins. If you want to grow cancer, eating this way is a great place to start!
2. Stress Levels. We are more stressed than ever! Stress destroys our immune systems and creates infl ammation. Many people who are diagnosed with cancer have had signifi cant stress in their lives leading up to their diagnosis. Chronic stress creates an environment ripe for cancer and all disease to fl ourish. Like they say…we can worry ourselves sick!
3. Lack of Movement. We have become increasingly sedentary. The majority of our days are spent sitting in chairs staring at a computer screen or sitting in a car. We have become a culture of spectators rather than doers. Our bodies were made to move and grow stronger. Sitting all day promotes sickness, weakness and atrophy. This is not conducive to a healthy body.
4. Sleep. We all need at least 7-8 hours of restful, restorative sleep each night. Insomnia has become rampant in recent years, doubling our risk for all disease and cancer.
5. Toxins in our Environment: We are exposed to more toxic compounds in our environment than ever before, in our air, food, water and homes. Toxins are carcinogenic and trigger the development of cancer and disease.
So, if these factors play such a large role in getting us all sick
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