Spiritual Forum

“Modern medicine” has little interest in preventing disease, because there is little profit in it. That is why virtually the entire system is based on “managing” and “treating” illness, rather than preventing it in the first place.

And nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to cancer…

In May of 1986, the New England Journal of Medicine commented on the state of modern cancer treatment. They called it a “qualified failure.” The report strongly argued for an emphasis on prevention. Today – more than two decades later – that emphasis is still not there.

Currently, less than 10% of the National Cancer Institute budget is set aside to study the environmental causes of cancer. And less than 1% is budgeted for nutrition studies.

But our job here at Total Health Breakthroughs is not to decry the unfortunate politics of health or rail against the system. Our job is to provide you with solutions, to uncover breakthroughs, and to foster hope.

The great news is that there are proven solutions, powerful breakthroughs and great cause for hope in the prevention (and treatment) of cancer.

In fact, there are three simple things you can do that will dramatically reduce your risk. And for those who are already fighting the disease, these three steps are mandatory.

Here they are:

1. Optimize your levels of the “sunshine hormone”

2. Optimize your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio

3. Eat a low-glycemic diet to keep your insulin and blood sugar low

If you ignore these three factors, it will create an environment in your body that fuels cancer like gas on a fire. On the other hand, if you follow the advice I give you below, you will create an internal environment that is inhospitable to the disease. And you will dramatically lower your risk.

Optimize Your Levels of the “Sunshine Hormone”

In the 1940s, Dr. Frank Apperly discovered that there was an 85% higher overall cancer death rate in cities between 10 and 40 degrees latitude than cities farther south. In cities between 40 and 50 degrees, there was a 118% higher death rate. And farther north still – in cities between 50 and 60 degrees latitude – there was a 150% higher death rate from cancer.

Unfortunately, Apperly’s research was virtually ignored until 25 years ago. That is when it was discovered that the rates of breast and colon cancer were twice as high in the Northeast as in the Sun Belt. Only then did researchers begin to understand and acknowledge the connection between sunlight, vitamin D and cancer.

Since then, an inverse relationship between sun exposure and at least 17 different types of cancer has been shown.

It is beyond the scope of this article, but in the book I wrote with Dr. Al Sears – Your Best Health Under the Sun we document seven distinct ways that vitamin D fights and prevents cancer. Even if you don’t care to learn why this is true, you should optimize your vitamin D levels by spending time in the sun. During the winter months, most people should supplement with at least 2,000 IU per day.

Optimize Your Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio

Our ancient ancestors consumed roughly equal amounts of omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6 fatty acids. We evolved on this ideal 1:1 ratio. However, with the advent of food processing and the abundance of vegetable and seed oils in our diet, many people consume 20 to 50 times more omega-6 fats than omega-3s.

These fats are highly unstable and vulnerable to oxidation. The unnatural, excessive consumption of these fats strongly promotes free radicals, which can lead to DNA damage and cell mutation.

In a study published in the journal Cancer Research in 2000 researchers showed that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, inhibited the progression of exponentially growing cancer cells. This study also noted that omega-6 fatty acids are known to stimulate cancer.

The researchers summarized their findings, stating that “Epidemiological, experimental, and mechanistic data implicate omega-6 fat as stimulators and long-chain omega-3 fats as inhibitors of the development and progression of a range of human cancers.” Numerous studies confirm these findings.

Keep Your Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels Low

In the Women’s Health Study, researchers found that a consistently high glycemic diet significantly increased the risk of colon cancer in women. Other studies have clearly shown that high carbohydrate diets are linked with a broad range of cancers.

There are several reasons for this. First, these foods dramatically increase inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.

High-glycemic carbohydrates also stimulate the release of insulin. High insulin levels have been shown to fuel cancer growth. In fact, cancer cells have six to ten times more insulin receptors than normal cells!

Finally, sugar itself is like fertilizer for cancer. In 1931, German scientist Otto Warburg, Ph.D. won his first of two Nobel prizes. He discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. While all cells require glucose for fuel, cancer cells consume 4 to 5 times more glucose than normal cells. In other words, sugar feeds cancer.

One of the best ways to monitor your blood sugar metabolism is with a “fasting insulin test.” Dr. Joseph Mercola suggests that a normal fasting blood insulin level is below 5. Ideally, however, you want it to be below 3.

Three Steps to Stopping Cancer…

There are many things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer and increase your level of protection. But the three things I have listed in this issue are extraordinarily important. And the good news is that they are simple and inexpensive.

Optimize your vitamin D levels… choose healthy fats… and consume a low-sugar, low-glycemic diet. Follow these three steps consistently over a long period of time, and you will dramatically reduce your risk of cancer… and just about every other degenerative disease!