Thursday, April 23, 2009

FAQ Part III - How Come I Have Cancer???

Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:59am

FAQ Part III
I know this unspoken question is on a lot of minds:

Q. If you’re so darn healthy, how come you have cancer? Or -I eat lousy, I’m stressed and now I’m really afraid - could this happen to me?

A. We are born with genes that can’t be eliminated. However, how those genes are expressed, or play out, is profoundly affected by lifestyle - and the infinite variety of ways your personal biochemistry can react with the environment. Identical twins can be exposed to the same toxic load; one could be severely affected, and the other is not. This can make health a crapshoot, and frustrating if you are deciding between HaagenDas and steamed parsnips. All we can do is our very best to appreciate, honor and nourish the body, mind and soul on every level.

Among a gazillion relatives of the past 3 generations, only 4 have had cancer; I’m the first with breast cancer. If I were not so conscientious I would I have gotten it sooner and worse? Would I have been better or worse if I had thrown caution to the wind like some of my ancestors? Nonno encouraged us to put a splash of anisette in our morning coffee. He was still shooting pigeons off the garage roof at 92, and a darn good shot he was. Cousin Mario was an extreme party guy. By day, he tended his amazing vegetable garden tirelessly, and prepared a weekly pasta extravaganza dinner for 30 from scratch, until his knees gave out at 96 from too much dancing. He’s still sharp as a tack, just not moving as fast.

But their environmental baseline was 100 years ago. Now no one is completely safe. This is the first and last time I’ll rant on about this (maybe), but I love you and want to offer some resources to make the best choices for yourself. Based on way too much reading, I believe the increasing cancer rates are significantly impacted by stress, toxicity and the excessive intake of so-called “food” we call the Standard American Diet [“SAD” – how appropriate].

Over 100 years, we have managed to pollute the entire planet. There is no clean water, no clean air, and very little clear counter space in my kitchen. For the most part, fish is so contaminated by pollution and fish “farming” that it is no longer safe to eat more than once a week – and only if it’s wild. Unless they are organic, meats are loaded with hormones, pathogens and drugs. Don’t even get me started on packaged “food.”

Most major food crops in the US are genetically modified [GM] and produce DNA that is foreign to the planet, and unrecognizable to our immune system. The wind is indiscriminate, so non-GM crops and plants around the world are susceptible to cross breeding with the alien pollens. There are no labeling laws to identify foods containing GM products, but if it’s in a box or can, it’s probably loaded. Read ingredient labels – if you can’t pronounce it, I suggest you don’t eat it.

It is no longer a question of WHETHER your body is contaminated with an inescapable combination of heavy metals and/or over 100,000 chemicals that pervade our life. It is simply a question of HOW MANY you carry, how you can detoxify, de-stress, and build up your system to best protect yourself.

There are resources on my site for more info (not a plug; it’s all free unless you visit amazon.com). Read “Healthy Living in a Toxic World”. Take the Body Burden Quiz to see if your bloodstream is a rapidly deteriorating cesspool or a vibrant spring of life. You might make a different choice for your next meal.

Let’s lighten up:
Q. I'm ready to relax & watch a goofy movie; which one?

A. Some of my favorites, & considerations for kids: Family & little ones – Cars (no evil villains). 10 and older, Rat Race. Teens and adults, Legally Blonde (pretty safe); Hot Chick and Good Advice (some language, light sexual innuendos & roll-on-the-floor silly. Please think of me when you laugh; it sends angels my way. xoxoxo

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