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Be Fit For Life
Newsletter Published Quarterly by WAEdwards: [email protected]
Tipping the Scales in Your Favor
Volume 09 Issue 03 SEP 2014
What is Cancer?
Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases.
Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start because
abnormal cells grow out of control. The body is made up of trillions of
living cells. Normal body cells grow, divide to make new cells, and die
in an orderly way. During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells
divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an
adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to
repair injuries. Cancer starts when cells in a part of the body start to
grow out of control. Cancer cell growth is different from normal cell
growth. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new,
abnormal cells. Cancer cells can also invade (grow into) other tissues, LUNG TUMOR Photograph by Moredun Animal Health
something that normal cells cannot do. Growing out of control and
Ltd/Science Photo Library
invading other tissues are what makes a cell a cancer cell.
Cancer cells often travel to other parts of the body where they can grow and form new tumors. This happens when
the cancer cells get into the body’s bloodstream or lymph vessels. Over time, the tumors replace normal tissue,
crowd it, or push it aside. The process of cancer spreading is called metastasis. No matter where a cancer may
spread, it’s always named for the place where it started. For example, breast cancer that has spread to the liver is
called metastatic breast cancer, not liver cancer. Different types of cancer can behave very differently. For instance,
lung cancer and skin cancer are very different diseases. They grow at different rates and respond to different
treatments. This is why people with cancer need treatment that is aimed at their kind of cancer.
excerpts from the American Cancer Society website
Is Cancer Contagious? What can we do to help ourselves prevent getting Cancer?
Cancer is not a contagious disease like smallpox, typhoid, or the flu. It is a malfunctioning of our own immune
system. Since cancer cells are a natural part of our body, our immune system may not recognize these abnormal
cells as a threat and can avoid killing them. If left to propagate freely cancer cells can become deadly.
There are risk factors one can control that may help to avoid cancer from becoming chronic. For most Americans
who do not use tobacco, the most important cancer risk factors that can be changed are body weight, diet, and
physical activity. One-third of all cancer deaths in the United States each year are linked to diet and physical activity,
including being overweight or obese, while another third is caused by tobacco products.
Although our genes influence our risk of cancer, most of the difference in cancer risk between people is due to
factors that are not inherited. Avoiding tobacco products, staying at a healthy weight, staying active throughout life,
and eating a healthy diet may greatly reduce a person's lifetime risk of developing or dying from cancer. These
same behaviors are also linked with a lower risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.
Many substances are added to foods to prolong shelf and storage life and to enhance color, flavor, and texture.
The possible role of food additives in cancer risk is an area of great public interest. Additives are usually present in
very small quantities in food, but when a large amount of processed and packaged foods are consumed, the total
quantities of additives can become relatively large.
Other compounds find their way into the food supply through agricultural use, animal farming, or food processing,
even if their use is not directly intended for human consumption. Examples include growth hormones or antibiotics
used in animal farming, small amounts of pesticides and herbicides in plant-based foods, and compounds such as
bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates that enter food from packaging. Some of these compounds are not known to
directly cause cancer, but they may influence cancer risk in other ways – for example, by acting as hormone-like
substances in the body. Unintended contamination of food may also result in exposure to chemicals that are a
cause of concern and may be related to cancer risk. Toxic metals can enter the food supply if they build up in the
food chain, such as mercury from fish, or they may enter through contamination or their natural presence in soil or
water. For many other compounds, for which the effects on cancer risk are not clear, there may be other good
reasons to limit exposure.
The bottom line is this: Eat whole unprocessed foods from local growers and/or organic farmers whenever possible
to avoid possible contaminants and additives. Mankind has existed on whole unprocessed foods for thousands of
years. The industrialized food manufacturing industry is less than one hundred years old. Are the effects of
processed foods becoming more evident as Metabolic Diseases increase rapidly throughout the world?
Includes excerpts from the American Cancer Society website
Garlic is at the top of most lists of healthy foods.
Garlic is a powerful anti-inflammation
herb and inflammation is believed to be
the prelude to many diseases. A routine
Intake of garlic can help to protect you
from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. With its unique
combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients,
garlic belongs in your diet on a regular basis.
Native to Central Asia, garlic is one of the oldest known
cultivated plants in the world. It’s usage predates written
history. It has been used throughout the world to treat
atherosclerosis, coughs, dandruff, diarrhea, diphtheria,
dysentery, earache, hypertension, hysteria, toothache
and many other conditions. Garlic is an excellent source
of vitamin B6. It is also a very good source of
manganese, selenium, and vitamin C.
Roasted Garlic makes a Great Condiment
Whether eaten as a side dish or added to a main dish,
roasted garlic adds flavor and excitement to your meal.
Here is a simple recipe for roasting garlic.
Ingredients: 1 head of Garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Place in a piece
of foil. Drizzle olive oil inside the head of garlic until it is
completely filled and starts to overflow. Wrap the foil
tightly and place on a cookie tray. Bake until tender and
fragrant. ~ 35 min. Remove from oven and let cool. After
peeling the outside of the bulb the clove will gently
squeeze out. Try it as a spread on bread…. Ummmm.
Are your shoulders and neck
sore by the end of the day?
Working a desk job can tend to give
one a head forward posture.
Standing or sitting while leaning over
your work can do the same.
You can get some relief from this
discomfort by stretching while using
external shoulder rotations.
Grasp a towel behind your head as
shown and slowly pull on the towel
with your both hand. This action will
stretch your triceps and rotate both
shoulders backwards. The closer
together you position your hands the
more stretch you will feel. Swap
hands and repeat on the opposite
side. Repeat twice again, both sides.
CURIOSITY CORNER
Send in your questions and we will answer them in future issues.
Q? Are all processed foods bad for me?
A! Simple cooking techniques such as boiling, baking,
and even washing and slicing whole foods are a
form of processing. When we refer to processed
foods having dubious health benefits, we are
talking about highly processed foods.
The food manufacturing industry’s first concern is
product shelf life. Natural nutritional components of
the foods are removed to improve the amount of
time a product can be stored before using. For
example, grains, like wheat and rice may have their
germs, the plant embryos, removed as the germ
contains the majority of the grain’s fatty acids and
oils. (These oils can become rancid quickly.) The
germ also contains the bulk of a seed’s vitamins,
minerals and fiber.
An attempt is made to compensate for the loss of
nutrition, texture, color, and taste caused by
removing easily spoiled components of whole
foods. Long shelf life chemicals are added back
into the products: such as; artificial food colorings,
sweeteners, shelf stable but less nutritious plant
oils, texture additives, chemical vitamin analogs,
artificial flavorings and flavor enhancers.
These chemical derivatives are most likely
manufactured from corn and soy and sold to the
food manufacturers in bulk. By using bulk
ingredients it is cost effective and helps them to
market a consistent product.
Fast foods and restaurant foods are as highly
altered for the same purpose, and many are not
required by law to provide the complete list of their
ingredients.
It is up to you, the consumer, to control what you
eat. Eat an apple, not an apple-like ingredient in a
highly processed food. Many blueberry tarts,
muffins and other processed pastries contain no
actual blueberries. This is just one reason It Is
important that you read and understand the list of
ingredients in a product. As a general rule, the
longer the list of ingredients, the higher is the
probability that you are not getting proper nutrition
from this product, or even real food!
WAEdwards Health Fitness Professionals, LLC
ACSM Health Fitness Specialists
ACE Fitness Coaches, Ace Personal Trainers, ACE Group Fitness Instructors
Rise to the Challenge – Be Fit For Life
visit our web site at: http://www.waedwards.net
WAEdwards, Modesto, CA · 209-521-0689 · [email protected]