[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]National Cancer institute Visit HERE

Just as cancer affects your physical health, it can bring up a wide range of feelings you’re not used to dealing with. It can also make existing feelings seem more intense. They may change daily, hourly, or even minute to minute. This is true whether you’re currently in treatment, done with treatment, or a friend or family member. These feelings are all normal.

Often the values you grew up with affect how you think about and cope with cancer. For example some people:

Feel they have to be strong and protect their friends and families

Seek support and turn to loved ones or other cancer survivors

Ask for help from counselors or other professionals

Turn to their faith to help them cope

Whatever you decide, it’s important to do what’s right for you and not to compare yourself with others. Your friends and family members may share some of the same feelings. If you feel comfortable, share this information with them.

Overwhelmed

When you first learn that you have cancer, you may feel as if your life is out of control. This could be because:

You wonder if you’re going to live.

Your normal routine is disrupted by doctor visits and treatments.

People use medical terms that you don’t understand.

You feel like you can’t do the things you enjoy.

You feel helpless and lonely.

Even if you feel out of control, there are ways you can take charge. It may help to learn as much as you can about your cancer. The more you know, the more in control you’ll feel. Ask your doctor questions and don’t be afraid to say when you don’t understand.

For some people, it feels better to stay busy. If you have the energy, try taking part in activities such as music, crafts, reading, or learning something new.

Denial

When you were first diagnosed, you may have had trouble believing or accepting the fact that you have cancer. This is called denial. It can be helpful because it can give you time to adjust to your diagnosis. It can also give you time to feel hopeful and better about the future.

Sometimes, denial is a serious problem. If it lasts too long, it can keep you from getting the treatment you need.

The good news is that most people work through denial. Usually by the time treatment begins, most people accept the fact that they have cancer and move forward. This is true for those with cancer as well as the people they love and care about.

Anger

It’s very normal to ask, “Why me?” and be angry at the cancer. You may also feel anger or resentment towards your health care providers, your healthy friends and your loved ones. And if you’re religious, you may even feel angry with God.

Anger often comes from feelings that are hard to show. Common examples are:

-fear

-panic

-frustration

-anxiety

-helplessness

If you feel angry, you don’t have to pretend that everything is okay. It’s not healthy to keep it inside you. Talk with your family and friends about your anger. Or, ask your doctor to refer you to a counselor. And know that anger can be helpful in that it may motivate you to take action.

Fear and Worry

It’s scary to hear that you have cancer. You may be afraid or worried about:

-Being in pain, either from the cancer or the treatment

-Feeling sick or looking different as a result of your treatment

-Taking care of your family

-Paying your bills

-Keeping your job

-Dying

Some fears about cancer are based on stories, rumors, or wrong information. To cope with fears and worries, it often helps to be informed. Most people feel better when they learn the facts. They feel less afraid and know what to expect. Learn about your cancer and understand what you can do to be an active partner in your care. Some studies even suggest that people who are well-informed about their illness and treatment are more likely to follow their treatment plans and recover from cancer more quickly than those who are not.

Hope

Once people accept that they have cancer, they often feel a sense of hope. There are many reasons to feel hopeful. Millions of people who have had cancer are alive today. Your chances of living with cancer—and living beyond it—are better now than they have ever been before. And people with cancer can lead active lives, even during treatment.

Some doctors think that hope may help your body deal with cancer. So, scientists are studying whether a hopeful outlook and positive attitude helps people feel better. Here are some ways you can build your sense of hope:

Plan your days as you’ve always done.

Don’t limit the things you like to do just because you have cancer.

Look for reasons to have hope. If it helps, write them down or talk to others about them.

-Spend time in nature.

-Reflect on your religious or spiritual beliefs.

-Listen to stories about people with cancer who are leading active lives.

Stress and Anxiety

Both during and after treatment, it’s normal to have stress over all the life changes you are going through. Anxiety means you have extra worry, can’t relax, and feel tense. You may notice that:

-Your heart beats faster.

-You have headaches or muscle pains.

-You don’t feel like eating. Or you eat more.

-You feel sick to your stomach or have diarrhea.

-You feel shaky, weak, or dizzy.

-You have a tight feeling in your throat and chest.

-You sleep too much or too little.

-You find it hard to concentrate.

If you have any of these feelings, talk to your doctor. Though they are common signs of stress, you will want to make sure they aren’t due to medicines or treatment.

Stress can keep your body from healing as well as it should.

If you’re worried about your stress, ask your doctor to suggest a counselor for you to talk to. You could also take a class that teaches ways to deal with stress. The key is to find ways to control your stress and not to let it control you.

Sadness and Depression

Many people with cancer feel sad. They feel a sense of loss of their health, and the life they had before they learned they had the disease. Even when you’re done with treatment, you may still feel sad. This is a normal response to any serious illness. It may take time to work through and accept all the changes that are taking place.

When you’re sad, you may have very little energy, feel tired, or not want to eat. For some, these feelings go away or lessen over time. But for others, these emotions can become stronger. The painful feelings don’t get any better, and they get in the way of daily life. This may be a medical condition called depression. For some, cancer treatment may have added to this problem by changing the way the brain works.

Getting Help for Depression

Depression can be treated. Below are common signs of depression. If you have any of the following signs for more than 2 weeks, talk to your doctor about treatment. Be aware that some of these symptoms could be due to physical problems, so it’s important to talk about them with your doctor.

Emotional signs:

-Feelings of sadness that don’t go away

-Feeling emotionally numb

-Feeling nervous or shaky

-Having a sense of guilt or feeling unworthy

-Feeling helpless or hopeless, as if life has no meaning

-Feeling short-tempered, moody

-Having a hard time concentrating, feeling scatterbrained

-Crying for long periods of time or many times each day

-Focusing on worries and problems

-No interest in the hobbies and activities you used to enjoy

-Finding it hard to enjoy everyday things, such as food or being with family and friends

-Thinking about hurting yourself

-Thoughts about killing yourself

Body changes:

-Unintended weight gain or loss not due to illness or treatment

-Sleep problems, such as not being able to sleep, having nightmares, or sleeping too much

-Racing heart, dry mouth, increased perspiration, upset stomach, diarrhea

-Changes in energy level

-Fatigue that doesn’t go away

-Headaches, other aches and pains

If your doctor thinks that you suffer from depression, he or she may give you medicine to help you feel less tense. Or, he or she may refer you to other experts. Don’t feel that you should have to control these feelings on your own. Getting the help you need is important for your life and your health.

Guilt

If you feel guilty, know that many people with cancer feel this way. You may blame yourself for upsetting the people you love, or worry that you’re a burden in some way. Or, you may envy other people’s good health and be ashamed of this feeling. You might even blame yourself for lifestyle choices that you think could have led to your cancer.

These feelings are all very common. It may help you to share them with someone. Let your doctor know if you would like to talk with a counselor or go to a support group.

Loneliness

People with cancer often feel lonely or distant from others. This may be for a number of reasons:

-Friends sometimes have a hard time dealing with cancer and may not visit or call you.

-You may feel too sick to take part in the hobbies and activities you used to enjoy.

-Sometimes, even when you’re with people you care about, you may feel that no one understands what you’re going through.

-It’s also normal to feel alone after treatment. You may miss the support you got from your health care team. Many people have a sense that their safety net has been pulled away, and they get less attention. It’s common to still feel cut off from certain friends or family members. Some of them may think that now that treatment is over, you will be back to normal soon, even though this may not be true. Others may want to help but don’t know how.

Look for emotional support in different ways. It could help you to talk to other people who have cancer or to join a support group. Or, you may feel better talking only to a close friend or family member, or counselor, or a member of your faith or spiritual community. Do what feels right for you.

Gratitude

Some people see their cancer as a “wake-up call.” They realize the importance of enjoying the little things in life. They go places they’ve never been. They finish projects they had started but put aside. They spend more time with friends and family. They mend broken relationships.

It may be hard at first, but you can find joy in your life if you have cancer. Pay attention to the things you do each day that make you smile. They can be as simple as drinking a good cup of coffee, being with a child, or talking to a friend.

You can also do things that are more special to you, like being in nature or praying in a place that has meaning for you. Or, it could be playing a sport you love or cooking a good meal. Whatever you choose, embrace the things that bring you joy when you can.

Ways to Cope with Your Emotions

Express Your Feelings

People have found that when they express strong feelings like anger or sadness, they’re more able to let go of them. Some sort out their feelings by talking to friends or family, other cancer survivors, a support group, or a counselor. But even if you prefer not to discuss your cancer with others, you can still sort out your feelings by thinking about them or writing them down.

Look for the Positive

Sometimes this means looking for the good even in a bad time or trying to be hopeful instead of thinking the worst. Try to use your energy to focus on wellness and what you can do now to stay as healthy as possible.

Don’t Blame Yourself for Your Cancer

Some people believe that they got cancer because of something they did or did not do. But scientists don’t know why one person gets cancer and one person doesn’t. All bodies are different. Remember, cancer can happen to anyone.

Don’t Try to Be Upbeat If You’re Not

Many people say they want to have the freedom to give in to their feelings sometimes. As one woman said, “When it gets really bad, I just tell my family I’m having a bad cancer day and go upstairs and crawl into bed.”

You Choose When to Talk about Your Cancer

It can be hard for people to know how to talk to you about your cancer. Often loved ones mean well, but they don’t know what to say or how to act. You can make them feel more at ease by asking them what they think or how they feel.

Find Ways to Help Yourself Relax

Whatever activity helps you unwind, you should take some time to do it. Meditation, guided imagery, and relaxation exercises are just a few ways that have been shown to help others; these may help you relax when you feel worried.

Be as Active as You Can

Getting out of the house and doing something can help you focus on other things besides cancer and the worries it brings. Exercise or gentle yoga and stretching can help too.

Look for Things You Enjoy

You may like hobbies such as woodworking, photography, reading, or crafts. Or find creative outlets such as art, movies, music, or dance.

Look at What You Can Control

Some people say that putting their lives in order helps. Being involved in your health care, keeping your appointments, and making changes in your lifestyle are among the things you can control. Even setting a daily schedule can give you a sense of control. And while no one can control every thought, some say that they try not to dwell on the fearful ones, but instead do what they can to enjoy the positive parts of life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Are you worried about the long-term impact of a poor diet on your health? Do you walk around feeling exhausted most of the time? Are you stressed? Do you have difficulty sleeping? Would you like to be exercising regularly but haven’t managed to work it into your busy schedule? You’re not alone…

While conventional medicine wants you to think that disease is a matter of chance, the reality is that disease (or a lack thereof) is almost entirely under your control. If you wish to be healthy, there are certain things you can do that reliably and consistently produce a healthy outcome

Top 5 Cancer Prevention Strategies

In this article, I want to share with you my top five strategies for optimal health, specifically as it relates to fighting cancer or cancer prevention.

#1 – Diet is Primary

Starting on an alternative cancer treatment protocol is like putting wood into the fireplace (i.e. your body). Once that wood catches fire and starts burning, the fire is going to kill the cancer cells that have colonized in your fireplace. However, eating a poor diet is like pouring water on that same fire; a bad diet will destroy many alternative cancer treatments. In fact, many scientific studies have shown that a poor diet alone can cause cancer.

All too often people think they are cured of cancer when the tumor is gone or when the cancer cells are dead. They then revert to their old ways of life, their old diet, their old vices, and sadly, the cancer returns. What we must remember is that some internal condition allowed the cancer to grow initially and if that internal condition returns, due to poor diet, then the cancer will also return.

How do we keep our internal environment healthy? Eat organic whole foods. Avoid genetically modified foods (GMOs). Stay away from processed foods.

#2 – Detoxification is Critical

In reality, detoxification is probably the most important yet overlooked part of an overall health plan and is critical for cancer prevention.

Detoxification is the process of neutralizing, transforming and eliminating toxins from the body and clearing excess mucus and congestion. A poor diet, poor digestion, a sluggish colon, reduced function in the liver, and poor elimination from the kidneys all lead to increased toxicity.

What is the process of detoxification? First, cleanse the colon, then rid your body of parasites, then cleanse the kidneys, liver and gall bladder, the blood and the remaining organs. This may be best order to follow.

Detoxification is an essential part of overall health and it is a crucial part of the cancer-fighting regimen. Did you know that God has given us a natural system to assist us with internal detox? This leads me to my next strategy, which is a specific exercise similar to jumping on the trampoline… it’s called rebounding.

#3 – Exercise is Essential

Research has led many scientists to conclude that jumping on a mini-trampoline (i.e. rebounding) is possibly the most effective exercise devised by man, especially because of the effect rebounding has on the lymph system.

The human body needs to move. The lymph system bathes every cell and carries nutrients to them while removing toxins such as dead and cancerous cells, heavy metals, infectious viruses, and other assorted wastes. But unlike the blood (which is pumped by the heart), the lymph is totally dependent on physical exercise.

Without adequate movement, the cells are left stewing in their own waste products and starving for nutrients, a situation which contributes to cancer and other degenerative diseases − as well as premature aging. Rebounding has been shown to increase lymph flow by up to 30 times! Also, all of the body’s cells become stronger in response to the increased “G forces” during rebounding, and this cellular exercise results in the self-propelled immune cells being up to 5 times more active!

Rebounding on a mini-trampoline directly strengthens the immune system, increases lymph flow, and oxygenates the blood. In my opinion, it is the best exercise to prevent and fight cancer.

Exercise also causes the body to sweat, and sweating is essential in the detoxification process. In addition to exercising, I sit in a sauna nightly to make sure that I’m sweating out toxins every day.

#4 – Get Some Sun

Vitamin D is automatically produced when the cholesterol in your skin absorbs the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun. It then circulates throughout your body to prevent cancer (and other diseases). It’s interesting to note that your body automatically produces just the right amount of vitamin D. So, if you get more sunlight than you need, you cannot overdose on vitamin D. Your skin will produce only what’s needed, and no more. (You do need to be careful about burning in the sun as too much exposure can create a problem.)

Researchers in Belgium appear to be the first to show that vitamin D lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of systemic inflammation. In critically ill patients. CRP is elevated when there is inflammation, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of conditions including coronary heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.

Don’t fall for the “sunscreen myth.” The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth promoted by a greedy “tag-team” effort between the “cancer industry” and the sunscreen industry.

Sunlight is actually good for you (especially the UVB rays), and sunscreens filter out UVB! The main chemical used in sunscreens to filter out UVB is octyl methoxycinnamate (aka “OMC”) which has been shown to kill mouse cells even at low doses. Plus, it was shown to be particularly toxic when exposed to sunshine. And guess what? OMC is present in about 90% of sunscreens!

#5 – Sleep is Vital

No matter how well you eat, how often you exercise, and how much time you spend planning and cooking your meals, you can never be truly healthy if you don’t get enough quality sleep.

Lack of sleep can alter your metabolism, making you prone to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It can dampen your immune response, leaving you susceptible to colds and flu. Not getting enough sleep can make you feel so overwhelmed and exhausted that you stop making good choices and end up doing what is easiest at the time.

You spend 1/3 of your life in your bedroom, so you need to make sure that it’s conducive to rest and relaxation. At night, turn off the Wi-Fi in your house and make sure that the electronics are not too close to your bed, due to the damaging effects of EMF (electromagnetic frequencies).

Try to also avoid things that keep you awake (like coffee and sodas). Of course there are many more reasons to avoid sodas (especially diet sodas), but drinking these beverages before bed can keep you awake due to the caffein AND don’t eat a large meal before bed. A big meal at night can rev up your metabolism and make it difficult to wind down. Also, our internal clocks (circadian rhythm) work best when we stick to a predictable schedule. Try to go to bed around the same time every night and awaken at roughly the same time every morning.

 

By Ty Bollinger

The Truth about Cancer visit HERE. As good as it may taste, sugar is NOT your friend. It may “feel” like your friend when it comforts you (due to the beta-endorphin rush in your brain), but sugar is really your ENEMY.

Truth be told, regular consumption of sugary foods is one of the worst things that you can do for your health. Modern scientific research has shown us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that sugar in your food (in all its myriad forms) is taking a devastating toll on your health. We’ll explore cancer and sugar further down, but let’s first take a look at the sugar consumption trends over the past 300 years:

-In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.

-In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.

-In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.

-In 2012, more than 50% of all Americans consumed 1/2 pound of sugar per day — translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

-In 1890, only 3 people out of 100,000 had diabetes. In 2012, almost 8,000 out of every 100,000 people was diagnosed with diabetes (and this number is rising all the time)!

Creating Our Addiction to Sugar

The “sugar rush” has been targeted at our children. American children are consuming about 10 times as much sugar as they were in 1900, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is the average American’s greatest source of calories! Highly addictive HFCS contains fructose and glucose, but they are NOT bound together (as they are in table sugar) so the body doesn’t need to break it down. Therefore, the fructose is absorbed immediately, going straight to the liver, which turns it into fat (VLDL and triglycerides).

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola:

“Fructose also tricks the body into gaining weight by fooling your metabolism (it turns off the appetite-control system). Fructose does not appropriately stimulate insulin, which in turn does not suppress ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) and doesn’t stimulate leptin (the “satiety hormone”), which together result in your eating more and developing insulin resistance.” This process also suppresses the immune system.

But just because you avoid HFCS doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear. Excess intake of ALL processed sugars results in compromised immune function (decreasing the white blood cells’ ability to destroy bacteria), obesity, and diabetes.

And if that’s not enough, keep in mind that sugar is HIGHLY addictive! That’s right! Dr. Serge Ahmed of Bordeaux, France, has been working with rats and giving them the choice between cocaine and sugar. Guess which one wins, time and again?

That’s right… sugar!

It turns out that the sweet taste of sugar is more rewarding than the high of cocaine.

You see, sugar produces dopamine − a happy, feel-good chemical − in the brain. People get addicted to eating sugar, whereby they need it to feel “normal” and they undergo “withdrawal” if they cut sugar from their diets. If they go “cold turkey” for a few days, their brain will begin to produce dopamine on its own, but the discomfort of the withdrawal process keeps many “sugar addicts” trapped in their addiction.

Does Sugar Feed Cancer? Exploring the Sugar and Cancer Connection

Due to the anaerobic respiratory mechanism exhibited by ALL cancer cells, sugar is cancer’s favorite food! What this means is that cancer feeds on sugar. And since half of the white sugar in the USA comes from sugar beets, you should remember that most beets are now genetically modified with all the associated risks of GMOs. This is another reason to keep the “White Death” out of your diet and reduce your risk of various cancers, isn’t it?

Whether you are currently healing from a type of cancer such as breast cancer or prostate cancer, or are simply trying to maintain good dietary principles, I personally recommend that you avoid white sugar, brown sugar, agave, and all artificial sweeteners such as aspartame/AminoSweet, sucralose, and saccharin. If you have a sweet tooth, it’s best to stick with 100% organic green stevia, xylitol, raw honey, pure maple syrup, molasses, and coconut sugar.

The bottom line… if you want to be and stay healthy, you MUST take control of your sugar intake so that it doesn’t take control over you and your health!

Ending the Sugar Confusion

It’s easy to become confused by the various sugars and sweeteners, so here is a basic overview:

-Saccharide = sugar

-Glucose (aka “dextrose” or “grape sugar”), galactose (“milk sugar”), and fructose (“fruit sugar”) are all “monosaccharides” (i.e. single sugar molecules), known as “simple sugars.” The primary difference between them is the way your body metabolizes them.

-Glucose is a form of energy you were designed to run on. Every cell in your body uses glucose for energy.

-High amounts of fructose are very damaging to the body if it isn’t burned immediately for energy because it travels directly to the liver where it’s converted to triglycerides (fats). Excess triglycerides increase insulin resistance (and insulin production), thus contributing to diabetes in a “back door” fashion.

-The simple sugars can combine to form more complex sugars, like sucrose (“table sugar”) which is a “disaccharide” comprised of 50% glucose and 50% fructose.

-“Refined” white sugar (pure sucrose) is washed with a syrup solution, then with hot water, clarified (usually chemically) to remove impurities, decolorized, concentrated, evaporated, re-boiled until crystals form, centrifuged again to separate, then dried. By this point, any remnants of “natural goodness” and “nutritional value” have completely disappeared! Quite frankly, white sugar should be considered an “industrial product” rather than “food.”

-“Brown sugar” is white sugar mixed with molasses.

-“Raw” sugar is not really raw. It has been cooked, and most of the minerals and vitamins are gone. But it’s probably a little better than refined white sugar because it has a little of the molasses remaining.

-Aspartame or AminoSweet is a neurotoxic rat poison… need I say more?

-Splenda (sucralose) is NOT a sugar, despite its deceptive marketing slogan, “made from sugar.” It’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame.

-Honey is approximately 50% fructose, but in natural (raw and unpasteurized) form contains many health benefits. Buying honey that is local and unpasteurized is best.

-Stevia is an extremely sweet herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant, which is completely safe (in its natural form). Green stevia is the whole plant, while white stevia is processed and can often contain other ingredients like natural flavors or dextrose − a form of sugar. 100% organic green stevia in its natural state is what you want.

-Agave nectar is made from the agave plant, which is a cactus. Sounds natural, right? Like maple syrup from a tree, or honey from a beehive. Only it isn’t. Agave is HIGHLY processed while the end product does not even remotely resemble the original agave plant. Furthermore, agave is approximately 80% fructose (much higher than honey and maple syrup).

-HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. It is mostly genetically modified. Stay away!

-Rapadura is the pure juice extracted from the sugar cane (using a press), which is then evaporated over low heat, whilst being stirred with paddles, then sieve ground to produce a grainy sugar. It has not been cooked at high heats or spun to change it into crystals, and the molasses is maintained in the sugar. “Sucanat” is the USA trade name for Rapadura.

-Coconut sugar is made from the sweet watery sap that drips from the cut flower buds of the coconut palm. It has a low glycemic index (GI) and is rich in amino acids. It is typically less than 10% fructose, with sucrose being the primary component.

-Xylitol is a sweetener known as a “sugar alcohol” (or polyol). Sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohols − they are carbohydrates (with structures that happen to resemble sugar and alcohol). Xylitol is extracted from corn or birch cellulose. Unlike sugar, Xylitol is slowly absorbed, does not cause a rapid blood sugar increase, and does not require an immediate insulin response from the body to be metabolized. Moreover, many studies have shown that it actually helps prevent dental cavities, ear infections, and some evidence suggests that it helps prevent gum disease because Xylitol is anti-bacterial. However, Xylitol does have some potential health side effects (most notably gastrointestinal issues) and should be used with caution.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whether you have a toddler or a teen, here are five of the best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits:

• Have regular family meals.
• Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
• Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
• Avoid battles over food.
• Involve kids in the process.

Sure, eating well can be hard — family schedules are hectic and grab-and-go convenience food is readily available. But our tips can help make all five strategies part of your busy household.

Family Meals

Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. Children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids. Kids who take part in regular family meals are also:

• more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains
• less likely to snack on unhealthy foods
• less likely to smoke, use marijuana, or drink alcohol

Also, family meals are a chance for parents to introduce kids to new foods and to be role models for healthy eating.

Teens may turn up their noses at the prospect of a family meal — not surprising because they’re busy and want to be more independent. Yet studies find that teens still want their parents’ advice and counsel, so use mealtime as a chance to reconnect.

You might also try these tips:

• Let kids invite a friend to dinner.
• Involve your child in meal planning and preparation.
• Keep mealtime calm and friendly — no lectures or arguing.

What counts as a family meal? Whenever you and your family eat together — whether it’s takeout food or a home-cooked meal with all the trimmings. Strive for nutritious food and a time when everyone can be there. This may mean eating dinner a little later to accommodate a teen who’s at sports practice. It also can mean setting aside time on the weekends when it may be more convenient to gather as a group, such as for Sunday brunch.

Stock Up on Healthy Foods

Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what’s available at home. That’s why it’s important to control the supply lines — the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks.

Follow these basic guidelines:

• Work fruits and vegetables into the daily routine, aiming for the goal of at least five servings a day. Be sure you serve fruit or vegetables at every meal.
• Make it easy for kids to choose healthy snacks by keeping fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. Other good snacks include yogurt, peanut butter and celery, or whole-grain crackers and cheese.
• Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein, such as fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.
• Choose whole-grain breads and cereals so kids get more fiber.
• Choose healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming.
• Limit fast food and low-nutrient snacks, such as chips and candy. But don’t completely ban favorite snacks from your home. Instead, make them “once-in-a-while” foods, so kids don’t feel deprived.
• Limit sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Serve water and low-fat milk instead.

Be a Role Model

The best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Kids will follow the lead of the adults they see every day. By eating fruits and vegetables and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff, you’ll be sending the right message.

Another way to be a good role model is to serve appropriate portions and not overeat. Talk about your feelings of fullness, especially with younger children. You might say, “This is delicious, but I’m full, so I’m going to stop eating.” Similarly, parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies may foster these same negative feelings in their kids. Try to keep a positive approach about food.

Don’t Battle Over Food

It’s easy for food to become a source of conflict. Well-intentioned parents might find themselves bargaining or bribing kids so they eat the healthy food in front of them. A better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods available at home.

Kids should decide if they’re hungry, what they will eat from the foods served, and when they’re full. Parents control which foods are available to their kids, both at mealtime and between meals. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Establish a predictable schedule of meals and snacks. It’s OK to choose not to eat when both parents and kids know when to expect the next meal or snack.
• Don’t force kids to clean their plates. Doing so teaches kids to override feelings of fullness.
• Don’t bribe or reward kids with food. Avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal.
• Don’t use food as a way of showing love. When you want to show love, give kids a hug, some of your time, or praise.

Get Kids Involved

Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner. Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal. Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal. At the store, teach kids to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for.

In the kitchen, select age-appropriate tasks so kids can play a part without getting injured or feeling overwhelmed. And at the end of the meal, don’t forget to praise the chef.

School lunches can be another learning lesson for kids. More important, if you can get them thinking about what they eat for lunch, you might be able to help them make positive changes. Brainstorm about what kinds of foods they’d like for lunch or go to the grocery store to shop together for healthy, packable foods.

There’s another important reason why kids should be involved: It can help prepare them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat. That’s not to say they’ll suddenly want a salad instead of french fries, but the mealtime habits you help create now can lead to a lifetime of healthier choices.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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By Dr. Veronique Desaulniers

Written for The truth about Cancer, visit HERE[/vc_column_text][ultimate_spacer height=”20″][vc_column_text]Young men and women who are just starting out in life shouldn’t have to worry about something like cancer. The fact that there even needs to be a national awareness week for young adult cancer saddens me. But the facts don’t lie: cancer is on the rise when it comes to people under 50.

Even though currently only about 4% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States are of young people, that number is set to rise drastically in the coming years if nothing changes.

How can we stop the travesty of cancer from happening to the next generation of our youth?

Here are some cancer statistics that may surprise you:

• More than 60,000 American 20 and 30-something’s are currently diagnosed with cancer each year
• Cancer accounts for close to 10% of all deaths of young people in United States. It is the leading cause of death from disease for young girls
• Survival rates for young people with cancer in general have not changed much in the last decade, compared to slightly higher rates of survival for people 50 and older
• The number of people in this age group who will be diagnosed with colon cancer is expected to increase by 90% by 2030.
• The number of young people who will be diagnosed with rectal cancer could increase by 124%, according to a recent University of Texas study
• The number of young women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States has risen steadily over the last four decades.
• Aggressive forms of breast cancer are on the rise for young women in other countries as well. A 2007 study of Swiss women ages 25-39 saw an increase of close to 50% just in the years 2002-2004 alone
• Nearly two out of three cases of thyroid cancer are found in individuals under the age of 50, according to the American Cancer Society

As a Young Adult: 10 Things You Can Do To Prevent Cancer NOW

It is no surprise that rates for diseases such as breast, thyroid, and colon cancer are on the rise in young people. Like the population at large, lifestyle, eating habits, and environmental toxins are the common sense cancer culprits when it comes to young people.

People it their 20s and 30s, however, have some added hurdles to jump over. Heavy social stigma around the disease can come not just from peers; many conventional doctors still don’t take the possibility of cancer seriously for their younger patients. Couple this bias with the fact that individuals ages 20-40 are the least insured segment of the population, and many easily-reversible pre-cancerous conditions may go unnoticed until it’s too late.

If you are young and you are concerned about cancer, or if you are the concerned parent of a young adult, there are things you can do RIGHT NOW to keep healthy and cancer-free. Besides safe, very early detection, consider the following:

If you smoke, stop! In addition to lung cancer, smoking increases your risk of multiple cancers including cancers of the esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon and rectum, and myeloid leukemia.

If you drink more than 3 or more alcoholic beverages a week, cut back. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who have 3 drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer. The study also found that teenage girls who drink 3-5 alcoholic beverages per week have a greater risk of developing benign breast lumps which can turn into cancer later in life. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon cancer in men, including young men.

If you eat at fast food joints, start to wean yourself off. Processed foods contain trans-fats and high sugar and carbohydrate loads that can lead to cancer, along with clogged arteries and a host of other disease conditions. Not convinced? Watch the movie Supersize Me with independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. You will never touch a McDonald’s French fry again! On that note, did you know that there are actually 19 ingredients in a McD’s french fry? One of them is Dimethylpolysiloxane, also known as Silly Putty, an anti-foaming agent used mostly for silicone sealants and caulking.

Drink lots of fresh, pure water. Water is the best detoxifier. Also, choose a BPA-free plastic or glass container for your liquids and check the source of your drinking water. If you are drinking straight from the tap (or you have a simple under-the-sink filter), chances are you are taking in fluoride with each gulp. Fluoride has been added to most U.S. municipal water supplies since the 1960s and has been linked to neurological damage and hypothyroidism. Thyroid imbalance can develop into thyroid cancer if left unchecked. Reverse osmosis filtration is your best bet when it comes to filters.

Throw away your microwave oven now! Microwaving is a source of radiation and radiation exposure causes cancer. If you do decide to use a microwave, NEVER heat things up in it that are surrounded by plastic or Styrofoam. If you do, you will be eating a toxic soup, not leftover pizza.

If you eat meat, switch to those that have no hormones and no antibiotics. Eat only grass-fed, organic, and hormone-free. Cut back on your intake of pork as well, which tends to come with more toxin and parasitic build-up than other meat proteins do.

Use organic body care products and household cleaners. Avoid products that contain chemicals like formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Ladies – NEVER carry your cellphone in your bra. Gents – get your phone out of your pocket. When you talk on the phone, use the speaker function. Turn off your cell phone when you’re not using it. Also, don’t put your laptop or tablet on your lap when you are working online. EMF pollution (radiation) is real and it can cause cancer.

Include some cancer-fighting foods in your diet every day. These include broccoli, flax, green, leafy veggies and omega-3 fatty acids which can be found in fresh, organic cold water fish or as a supplement. Also consider getting your vitamin D and iodine levels checked. Iodine can combat the effects of fluoride-overload mentioned earlier and helps to regulate both endocrine and reproductive system hormone levels. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to not only cancer, but also diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions, and autism.

Finally, don’t stress out! Nothing is that important that you have to put your health at risk over it. And stress can be a killer that can lead to cancer. Instead, when you are feeling overwhelmed, take some deep, slow breaths, walk in nature, meditate, write in a journal, or do something creative that will help you nourish yourself, detox, de-stress, and feel vibrant every day!

Stay informed !!!

Article Summary

Currently, only about 4% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States are of young people. However that number is set to rise drastically in the coming years if nothing changes.

It’s no surprise that rates for diseases such as breast, thyroid, and colon cancer are on the rise in young people. Like the population at large, lifestyle, eating habits, and environmental toxins are the common cancer culprits when it comes to young people.

Young adults are the least insured and doctors may not take signs and symptoms seriously. As a result, many easily-reversible pre-cancerous conditions may go unnoticed until it’s too late.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]