When we think of the “C” word, it brings feelings of helplessness, anger, frustration, confusion and hurt just to name a few. Of course the “C” word I’m referencing to isn’t canker sores, calluses or the common cold, I’m talking about cancer.
Cancer is a topic of discussion that really hits home for me, as I assume it does for many reading this. I have been to the funeral home 3 times alone in the last 3 months to pay my final respects to those that lost their battle to this dreadful killer. In addition, within the last 6 months I have learned that a client of mine came down with cancer, my dog and even my mother. I have lost too many family and friends to cancer over the last few years and it doesn’t seem to be going away or getting better anytime soon.
Working in the health, fitness and wellness industry while simultaneously studying and learning the human body from many different aspects for the last 20 years has given me insight above and beyond the average person. I sometimes take for granted what I know to be second nature to me and I also sometimes am saddened at the reality that as a nation here in the United States, we really are clueless on how to take care of our health and our bodies. In addition to this, we are blindly and unknowingly poisoning ourselves daily with what is deliberately put in front of our face and encouraged for us to buy and consume.
It’s Up to US to Take Care of Our Bodies!
I could easily rant about how crooked our government is, how the food industry gets away with murder and lobbies for their profits over our well-being and how the pharmaceutical industry has us popping pills daily like they are candy. I could go on and on about what most just simply don’t realize, but my goal here is different.
My intentions here are, to give some basic but fundamental information on how to take a good strong step forward in controlling your own health, wellness and destiny of your body by giving you 4 things to avoid and 4 things that you must do in order to have a fighting chance of steering clear of cancer and disease. In other words, it is really up to us to take care of ourselves, I assure you that nobody else has your health and body at the top of their priority list, we get a backseat behind profits.
I will repeat that: Nobody is going to take care of your body for you and it is up to YOU to learn how. The food industry wants you eating Frankenstein-foods loaded with carcinogenic additives and sugar while being void of real nutrition, the pharmaceutical industry wants you popping their drugs prescribed by the doctors they influence that also, largely remain uneducated about proper nutrition which fuels our body and immune system the way it was intended.
Consuming chemicals and foreign substances that break the body down, only to then take more of them to “fix it” is not what our bodies are programmed to handle over long periods of time. They eventually break down, hence getting cancer, cardiovascular, inflammatory diseases and more.
Let’s Beat the Hell Out of Cancer with a 4 x 4!
If cancer was more of a tangible and physical thing that we could literally beat to the death with a 4 x 4, I think we could agree that would be an easy solution to its madness and sadness it rains down on us. Although we can’t do quite this, we can however learn to fight it and I believe steer clear of it with the 4 x 4 rules to follow here in a moment.
The following suggestions I am going to give are absolutely necessary to support your immune system and your bodies defense systems to fight off infection and disease. In addition, it is important that we learn to avoid some of the most common foreign substances that we are putting onto and into our bodies that are contributing to so many of the health problems we are facing. Many of these we aren’t even aware of and we are fooled into thinking they are good for us but nothing could be further from the truth.
DISCLAIMER: I, Roger Bowman am not a doctor or registered dietitian. Any contents of this article coming directly from me, Roger Bowman, and not being communicated from a licensed doctor should not be taken as medical advice. Any direct input from me, Roger Bowman is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. This is for entertainment purposes only. This is simply to give an alternate view outside of main stream media.
4 Things You MUST Do to Optimize Your Wellness and Immune System
#1 “Must” to Incorporate to Optimize Health: Eat Plenty of Organic Foods from Plant Origins, On a Regular Basis
This can’t be stressed enough. Loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber and so much more, organic vegetables pack a ton of punch from an overall health standpoint while contributing very little in the calorie department. These powerhouse foods also give your body what it needs to flourish its immune system to do its best job possible.
You can get creative with these if you’re not quite a fan of them yet. You can blend them in smoothies and you can also incorporate them to a degree in the form of spices such as turmeric, ginger, cayenne, garlic and more into your meals. You can make stews, chili or whatever fits your taste. Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, onions and mushrooms are best.
Fruits also provide many of these health benefits too! Although nature’s “candies” are loaded with these desired benefits, they can also can have a fairly large amount of sugar so don’t go too overboard. Stress vegetables first with fruits following behind them. Eat the rainbow, on a regular basis!!!
#2 “Must” to Incorporate to Optimize Health: Exercise at Least 30 Minutes On a Regular Basis
We all know we should do it but most of us are guilty of having it at the bottom of our priority list under a bunch of stuff that isn’t nearly as important as our health. Exercise is critical for keeping our weight in check, maintaining muscle and having a positive influence on our endocrine system and more.
Improves: The condition of your heart, lungs, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, blood lipid profile, body composition, self-esteem, immune system, mental clarity, stress, productivity, sleeping patterns, libido and all causes of mortality and morbidity.
Reduces: The risk for many lifestyle-associated diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, depression, cancer and osteoporosis.
#3 “Must” to Incorporate to Optimize Health: Eat Nuts and Seeds (well, most anyway)
Packed with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and healthy fats, nuts and seeds are a must to include in our diet on a regular basis to help our bodies stay healthy and vibrant to fight off disease and keep them all at bay. There are studies referenced to showing that within hours the blood of those fed walnuts is able to suppress the growth of breast cancer cells in a petri dish. There are more studies being performed showing tumors being reduced in lab mice which is encouraging as well.
Walnuts, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds are a few examples to give attention to. Cashews (my favorite) have been shown to be questionable here though, so there are a few to be cautious with.
Although not typically considered or thought about, even apricot (aka Apricot kernels) and apple seeds deserve a special mention due their high B-17 content that has been shown to be powerful cancer fighter. These and other bitter fruit seeds contain Amygdalin aka, Vitamin B17 which have impressive and powerful anti-cancer properties. There are many cases of people who claim to have cured their cancer with Apricot kernels alone.
The pharmaceutical Laetrile, which is a concentrated form of Amygdalin, has been used in cancer clinics outside the US for over 50 years. Not saying it is suitable for everyone, but it is definitely something worth learning about!
#4 To Incorporate for Optimized Health: Provide Your Body with a Supplement Insurance Plan
In today’s stress filled and over populated world that is overfed but VERY undernourished, it is a wise move to invest in a nutritional insurance plan for our bodies. The cost is small but the benefits may be worth a ton.
We often spend $3 to $6 a day insuring our automobiles so why wouldn’t we spend .30 cents on our body and health?? Nothing could, or should be more important than that. Here are some solid, “can’t go wrong with” basics that the vast majority should consider implementing into their daily regimen:
- Good quality food based multi-vitamin. New Chapter and Life Extension brands come to mind first here. This will provide an array of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ensure the body can function optimally each day and give the immune system the tools it needs to shine at its best for us.
- Vitamin D3. This sunshine vitamin is labeled as “Cholecalciferol” which is the superior supplemental form to get that mimics what we make in our bodies. Important for supporting mood, immune system, endocrine health and more, this is critical for many to take in today’s modern world. There is a deficiency epidemic going on currently while most of us are indoors with limited exposure to the sun outside, especially in the winter months.
- Vitamin C. Not only is this essential for a healthy immune system and neutralizing free radicals, but it helps the body’s adrenal glands and also helps us deal with physical stresses on the body such as ingestion of heavy metals, cigarette smoking and immune impairment. With a diet that may not provide quite enough to match our bodies ever so more demanding needs, it is a great investment to make here at a very reasonable cost.
- Turmeric. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant extract from the spice turmeric that has a wide range of health benefits with specific anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering effects. Cancer researchers are developing agents that induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) as potent anti-cancer drugs. What this has in common in conjunction with many nutrients such as selenium, vitamin A, green tea and vitamin D3in used in many well rounded cancer treatment protocols, is that the curcumin induces cancer cell apoptosis.
This is an area I could talk quite a bit about and offer more very helpful and beneficial supplements but these are some solid foundational ones most can’t go wrong with!
4 Things We MUST Avoid to Steer Clear of Cancer and Disease
Thinking about and avoiding carcinogenic foods is not something we tend to think about on a daily basis when eating, nor do we consider learning what they are in order to be armed with knowledge when eating out or grocery shopping for our food to be consumed for the week. We also don’t tend to think about even external toxins that we may be exposing our bodies to on a regular basis that may be harmful to us along with, contributing to health issues we face.
Deli meats, popcorn, diet soda, farmed fish, GMOs, concentrated juices and potato chips… Do some of these make their way into your diet plan week to week? If not you, others in your household that you care about?
Have you ever thought about the chemicals and aluminum that may be in your deodorant that you apply and leave on your skin all day, every day?
Or lotions loaded with parabens that are endocrine disruptors or mercury fillings that may be in your mouth?
Although we can’t avoid everything, we can surely minimize our exposure and for some, drastically cut down our exposure to these toxic and foreign substances so many of us unknowingly introduce into our bodies on a regular basis.
#1 Thing We Must Avoid: Sugar
High fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sugar and the list goes on when we look at food and beverage items such as soda, juices, cereals and so many other man-made Frankenstein-foods that fill up the majority of shelves at the grocery stores. If it says “sugar free” it most likely is loaded with AP, sucralose, aspartame and more to sweeten it with carcinogenic fillers that are no better.
Excessive sugar consumption is by far the biggest contributor to the majority of health diseases and complications we face as a nation today. I have talked about this countless amounts of times in other blogs, videos and with every client I have worked with and the importance of not abusing it.
Sugar, or excessive amounts of carbohydrates that all eventually break down into sugar, feeds cancer cells. It contributes largely to type 2 diabetes, obesity and more. We don’t need insane amounts of these on a daily basis. The area in this carb department that needs our attention is in “the rainbow”, which again is vegetables (emphasize 1st) and fruits. Minimize the boxed and bottled items. If it doesn’t grow on a tree or out of the ground, swim in water or live off the land it probably isn’t the best choice for us.
#2 Thing We Must Avoid: Processed Meats
Have you ever seen what goes into hot dogs? Like myself, have you been fooled into thinking that deli meats (in general) are good for you and for convenience reasons, you buy and consume them on a regular basis? A ballpark hot dog or a few slices of bacon once in a while won’t kill you, but don’t make them a staple of your diet. Some cured meats tend to be high in nitrites and nitrates, preservatives that can, in large amounts, potentially increase your risk of stomach and other cancers.
#3 Thing We Must Avoid: Hydrogenated Oils
Vegetable oils are chemically extracted from their source, chemically treated, and more chemicals are added to change the smell and taste. They’re packed with unhealthy omega-6 fats (the ones Americans already consume way too much of) and have been proven to alter the structure of our cell membranes. These also contribute to inflammatory disease and concerns.
When eating out, look or ask for baked chicken. Ask for greens and salads that are not drowned in these processed oils while asking for dressing on the side. Learn to look for more preferred oils to use in your home such as coconut oil (great choice), olive oil or even just plain real butter. You may want to think twice about industrial seed and vegetable oils that are highly processed such as: soybean, corn, cottonseed and similar oils.
#4 Thing We Must Avoid: Smoking
I understand habits are hard to break but the “pain” of giving up cigarettes is much less than the pain of fighting cancer, lung disease and many more of the associated repercussions of inhaling hundreds of chemicals on a daily basis for years of your life.
Lung cancer is not the only type of cancer that cigarettes play a role in causing. Cancers of the nasal cavity, throat, mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix, and some forms of leukemia have been linked to tobacco addiction.
If you’re like most smokers, you probably huddle in a designated smoking area, no matter the weather, feeding a habit that controls you far more than you have ever controlled the habit. The cost of smoking is a very high price tag, both in your pocket book and your health.
Decide and dedicate yourself to stop. You will not only smell better but you will also not offend the health of your children and others’ around you either. If you’re a smoker and really want to improve your health and do your best to avoid cancer and disease, you must decide to decide to “kick some butts” to the curb.
We Are a Reflection of What We Eat and Expose Ourselves To
As the old saying goes, we really are a reflection of what we eat and expose ourselves to on a consistent basis. Assuming you want to be the most vibrant and healthy version of yourself, these 4 things just mentioned Must be avoided or at the very least, drastically cut back on. In addition, the 4 “Must Haves” need to be included as well!
Remember: Good nutrition and avoiding these toxic contributors to our health makes a lot of sense but it doesn’t make a lot of dollars. You will not see commercials telling you to eat real, organic vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and more. Think about that for a second….
You will however, see tons of commercials for pharmaceutical drugs and fake, Frankenstein-foods shoved in front your face every time you turn on the TV, radio or walk into the store. These don’t make sense, but they make cent$. Our reasons and rates of death haven’t changed lately, despite all the money being thrown at “finding the cure” and much more of the mainstream headlines we see. Think about that for a second…
Now, it is up to us to educate ourselves so we can be our healthiest and steer clear of disease. Solutions and better ways are out there but it is up to us to find them. I assure you, they exist.
Let’s decide to be our healthiest,
Roger Bowman, CPT
Roger Bowman 
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