I didn’t know a single person with cancer until I was in high school, and 12 years later my 6th childhood/college friend was recently diagnosed. Carcinoma, leukemia, testicular, brain, melanoma, and Hodgkin’s. This is too many people – all in my small network and all in their mid 20s to early 30s when diagnosed – for me to comprehend! All young, and all male. It’s hard not to be scared by it all.
Cancer seems scarier than other health issues, I think, because we don’t feel like we have any control over it. I’ve done a lot of reading over the past year and a half or so to try to understand the link between diet and cancer, and what I now know is encouraging. Here is a nutshell of what I know for sure:
- Cancer will exist in all of us at some point in time. Cancer is really just a cell with mutated DNA that has lost its ability to stop replicating. This isn’t uncommon at all.
- Our cells are quite intelligent – there are multiple processes in place to repair cell DNA, stop the replication, and either kill the cell or turn it into a normal one.
- Chemicals found in plants – especially fruits and vegetables – help cells do this.
- We can create environments in our bodies that either encourages or discourages the proliferation of cancer. Two main factors: our level of inflammation and our alkalinity are especially important. Diet heavily impacts both.
If you’d like to learn more about how to eat in a way that encourages healthy cells and discourages cancer growth, I’d recommend two things: 1) watch Forks over Knives, and 2) read Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, by Russell Blaylock. The book is especially helpful for those who have already experienced cancer, as it has recommendations for diet before, during and after conventional treatments. There is a lot you can do! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.