It seems every type of cancer has its own month. For colon cancer, the month of March is devoted to bringing attention to the reality of this killer. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. And it's the most preventable—in many ways. Is everyone listening now?
Throughout the month there are numerous fun runs/races that support awareness of the disease and raise funds for organizations that do research. March 7th provides a visual element with Dress in Blue Day. Perhaps if you wear a blue shirt, your fellow worker may ask you, "Hey, Fred, why are you wearing blue today?" Then you'll have the opportunity to launch into your pitch about scheduling a screening with your doctor—a primary point of prevention for colon cancer. Okay… maybe if a whole lot of people wear blue on March 7th, you'll get a question like that, but otherwise… not so sure anybody will be noticing.
Colon Cancer Prevention
Okay… enough of that. Cancer is serious, so let's talk seriously. I found this video on the Colon Cancer Alliance website wondering what it would say about prevention. Have a look...
I was pleasantly surprised to hear about the diet stuff, but disappointed that it seemed so low key.
Here are the points Dr. Byers made, but with added instruction and emphasis by me:
Go ahead wear blue and make some noise about Colon Cancer Awareness Month. I applaud the efforts to open eyes about a terrible disease. But remember that colon cancer is absolutely preventable, not simply by having regular colonoscopies, but by changing to a healthier lifestyle and diet. You heard it. Even traditional medical doctors like Dr. Byers say colon cancer can be prevented with diet.
So get a colonoscopy and for heaven's sake eat more vegetables.
Have you made changes to help your body be a cancer fighter? Let us know.
Here are the points Dr. Byers made, but with added instruction and emphasis by me:
- Get screened by having a colonoscopy to look for and remove polyps that, over time, will develop into cancer. Insist on a colonoscopy—not a sigmoidoscopy or a fecal occult blood test (FOBT).
- Improve nutritional habits: eat more vegetables and don't eat so much red meat. I say, get rid of all meat—red, white and in-between (except fish). Trust me! If you read the research... Focus on vegetables and spices to create meals that will delight your taste buds and have you asking, "Where has this wonderful tasting food been?"
- Pay attention to relatives that have colon cancer, you may be predisposed (I'm raising my hand here). Keep in mind, I'm predisposed because of a gene defect, yet none of my relatives had colon cancer. So when I had my first colonoscopy (finding a cancerous polyp with 25 other pre-cancerous polyps) they were surprised I had no family history of the disease. Don't think you're safe because there is no colon cancer in your family.
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of being bombarded with the plea to fight this cancer and that cancer by contributing money to "find the cure." Really? Now we have football players adorned in pink shoes, armbands, towels and the like to make us all think we are doing something to find the cure for cancer.
Back in 1971, President Richard Nixon declared war on cancer. 40 plus years later, we are no closer to victory over cancer than in 1971. Yet we've spent over $200 billion on this so-called war. In fact more people have cancer and are dying from it than ever.
Much of the money spent to find a cure has been towards creating drugs. Almost nothing is spent to seek the cause of cancer. It's easy to see the problem. If we found the cause then we wouldn't need a cure and all those organizations asking for money would lose their appeal… or would they?
The Cause Is the Cure
I declare the cause is the cure. But the cause requires personal responsibility to give your body the nutrient fuel it needs to be well and fight off disease. How does eating artificial ingredients, fake sugar, too much sugar, processed grains and breads, never eating vegetables (because french fries don't count), etc. feed a body's cells to remain healthy. The body is amazingly resilient, but after a while—if you live long enough—unhealthy lifestyle habits will catch up to you and disease sets in... and cancer is one of the worst.
I'll tell my story and the victory I've had over genetic cancer to anyone being treated by traditional medicine's poison, cut and burn approaches (i.e., chemo, surgery and radiation). But sadly many aren't willing to make the effort to address the cause of their disease. Those that do report amazing results. Those that don't usually die early.
The Cause Is the Cure
I declare the cause is the cure. But the cause requires personal responsibility to give your body the nutrient fuel it needs to be well and fight off disease. How does eating artificial ingredients, fake sugar, too much sugar, processed grains and breads, never eating vegetables (because french fries don't count), etc. feed a body's cells to remain healthy. The body is amazingly resilient, but after a while—if you live long enough—unhealthy lifestyle habits will catch up to you and disease sets in... and cancer is one of the worst.
I'll tell my story and the victory I've had over genetic cancer to anyone being treated by traditional medicine's poison, cut and burn approaches (i.e., chemo, surgery and radiation). But sadly many aren't willing to make the effort to address the cause of their disease. Those that do report amazing results. Those that don't usually die early.
Go ahead wear blue and make some noise about Colon Cancer Awareness Month. I applaud the efforts to open eyes about a terrible disease. But remember that colon cancer is absolutely preventable, not simply by having regular colonoscopies, but by changing to a healthier lifestyle and diet. You heard it. Even traditional medical doctors like Dr. Byers say colon cancer can be prevented with diet.
So get a colonoscopy and for heaven's sake eat more vegetables.
Have you made changes to help your body be a cancer fighter? Let us know.
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