Anti-Cancer Review

After I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I became very involved in posting on the YSC forum. YSC is a national organization for young breast cancer survivors. On the boards there was discussion about changing of lifestyle after our diagnosis. One of the books that was recommended for this lifestyle change was "Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life" by David Servan Schreiber.

I know you are probably thinking, how I could eat any healthier than I already do. Which poses another question, then why bother reading a book about being healthier when you are already healthy. The issue remains that you can never be healthy enough. I am not talking about being thin or athletic, I am speaking on more of the level of being more aware of the quality of what you put in your body and the quality of life you choose to live.

What I got from this book was really that us cancer people must treat our body as a temple. We must increase our consumption of foods that encourage healthy cell re-growth and decrease & eventually eliminate most processed foods from our diet. We should also care for our mental state and to recognize when we need emotional support or need to seek therapy about unresolved issues. Finally comes the exercise piece, it is important for us to get exercise most days of the week.

I do not want to give away what is in this book, as I feel it is a great read. You must actually read the book to truly understand this author's message. The author is a two time survivor of malignant brain tumors and has been cancer free for 14yrs. He changed his lifestyle, which this book is modeled by, when his tumor returned 14yrs ago. He truly believes, as do I, that we must care for our "terrain" because cancer feeds on a weak terrain.

After completing this book and getting completely sold by Servan-Schreiber's beliefs, I also made some mild changes in my life & some I have been doing pre-diagnosis.
           1. Drink 2-3 cups of green tea daily
           2. Only eat organic cheeses, meats, poultry, and eggs
           3. Get at least 60min of exercise 3x week
           4. Express and not repress concerns and issues
           5. Try to find the positive in every situation
           6. Increase my daily consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids with Chia Seeds in my Oatmeal and Flax Seeds in my Nut Butters
           7. Become more aware of the toxins on non-organic fruits/veggies and be a smarter consumer
           8. Minimize Alcohol consumption to 1 glass of red wine infrequently & only with meals

The book has much more to give, but I feel that these changes not only give us better insurance for a longer life, but they also give us more energy to have the most optimal life we could possibly live.