Dealing with Cancer during the festive season

Dear Readers and friends old and new.

As the year 2023 comes to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I hope that you have enjoyed reading my health-related articles throughout the year, and that you have learned something new and useful from them?

I also hope that you have applied some of the tips and advice that I have shared with you, and that you have seen some positive changes in your health and well-being.

The festive season is a time of joy, celebration, and gratitude, but it can also be a time of stress, pressure, and temptation, especially when it comes to food and drinks. Many people tend to overeat and indulge in unhealthy foods and drinks during the festive season, which can have negative consequences for their health and well-being.

Therefore, I would like to remind you that there are other things about the festive season more important than gorging on food, such as family time, spirituality, and generosity.

Family time is one of the most valuable and meaningful aspects of the festive season.

It is a time to reconnect, bond, and enjoy the company of your loved ones, whether they are your parents, siblings, children, spouses, relatives, or friends. Family time can provide you with a sense of belonging, support, and comfort, which can enhance your mental and emotional health.

Family time can also help you to appreciate and cherish the people who matter the most to you, and to express your gratitude and love for them. Family is those we choose.

Spirituality is another important aspect of the festive season. It is a time to reflect on the meaning and purpose of your life, and to connect with your inner self, your higher power, or your faith. Spirituality can provide you with a sense of peace, joy, and hope, which can enhance your psychological and emotional health. Spirituality can also help you to cope with the challenges and difficulties that you may face in your life, and to find strength and resilience to overcome them.

Generosity is the third important aspect of the festive season. It is a time to share your gifts, talents, and resources with others, and to make a positive difference in the world. Generosity can provide you with a sense of fulfilment, satisfaction, and happiness, which can enhance your social and emotional health. Generosity can also help you to cultivate a positive attitude and a grateful mindset, which can improve your outlook and perspective on life.

By focusing on these three aspects of the festive season, you can celebrate it in a healthy and happy way, and also honor and appreciate yourself and others. You can also avoid, or reduce the temptation to overeat and indulge in unhealthy foods and drinks, by providing yourself with alternative sources of satisfaction and fulfilment. By doing so, you can nourish your body, mind, and soul, and also improve your health and well-being.

Family time can take many forms and activities, depending on our preferences and traditions. Some examples of family time during the festive season are:

Decorating the house, the tree, or the table with festive ornaments, lights, and colors. This can create a festive atmosphere and a sense of teamwork and creativity among family members.

Cooking and baking a variety of healthy, yummy recipes together, or sharing healthy recipes, tips and dishes from different cultures and backgrounds. This can foster a sense of cooperation and generosity among family members, and expose them to new flavors and experiences.

Playing games, watching festive movies, or listening to music together. This can provide entertainment and fun for family members, and also stimulate their cognitive and emotional skills.

Reading stories, telling jokes, or sharing memories and experiences together. This can enrich the family’s knowledge and culture, and also strengthen their bonds and communication.

Volunteering, donating, or helping others in need together. This can instil a sense of compassion and altruism among family members, and also make a positive difference in the world.

These are just some of the ways that family time can enrich and enhance the festive season, and make it more meaningful and memorable. Family time can also help us to avoid or reduce the temptation to overeat and indulge in unhealthy foods and drinks, by providing us with alternative sources of satisfaction and fulfilment. By spending quality time with our family, we can nourish our body, mind, and soul, and also improve our health and well-being.

Therefore, family time is one of the most important things about the festive season, and we should make it a priority and a pleasure. By doing so, we can celebrate the festive season in a healthy and happy way, and honor and appreciate our family, who are the greatest gift.

Some people have had their health compromised by Cancer. Most are following strict dietary advice, we need to support them and never tempt them into foods not on their diet and new lifestyle changes.

Diet can affect cancer risk and progression in several ways. First, diet can influence the body’s immune system, which is responsible for fighting off infections and cancer cells. A healthy diet can boost the immune system and enhance its ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. On the other hand, a poor diet can weaken the immune system and make it more susceptible to infections and cancer.

Second, diet can affect the body’s hormonal balance, which can also affect cancer risk and progression. Some hormones, such as estrogen and insulin, can stimulate the growth and division of certain types of cancer cells, such as breast and prostate cancer. A healthy, clean diet can help regulate the levels of these hormones and prevent them from becoming too high or too low. A poor diet can disrupt the hormonal balance and increase the risk of hormone-related cancers

Third, diet can affect the body’s inflammation and oxidative stress, which are two processes that can damage the DNA and cause mutations that lead to cancer. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or infection, but chronic inflammation can also be caused by a poor diet. Oxidative stress is the imbalance between the production and elimination of free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage the cells and DNA.

A healthy diet can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress by providing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can protect the cells and DNA from damage. A poor diet can increase inflammation and oxidative stress by providing pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant compounds that can harm the cells and DNA.

Therefore, diet is a key part of cancer prevention and treatment. By eating a healthy and balanced diet, people can lower their risk of developing cancer and improve their chances of surviving and recovering from cancer. Conversely, by eating a poor diet, people can increase their risk of developing cancer and worsen their prognosis and quality of life.

What is a healthy and balanced diet for cancer prevention and treatment?

A diet of organic, pesticide spray free vegetables (eat or juice the rainbow) No sugar, no wheat, no processed foods, no dairy, no meat, no raw fish, no fish skin.

Small amounts of healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds, which provide monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that can lower inflammation and oxidative stress and protect the cells and DNA from damage. Healthy fats also provide essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, which are involved in the regulation of the immune system and the hormonal balance. We recommend limiting the intake of total fat to less than 30% of the daily energy intake, and choosing healthy fats over unhealthy fats, such as butter, margarine, lard, and palm oil, which contain saturated and trans fatty acids that can increase inflammation and oxidative stress and damage the cells and DNA.

Adequate amounts of good filtered, fluoride free water and other fluids, such as herbal teas, juices, and soups, which help hydrate the body and flush out toxins and waste products. Water and other fluids also help maintain the blood volume and the blood pressure, which are important for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and the removal of carbon dioxide and waste products from the cells.

We recommend drinking at least 1.5 liters of water and other fluids per day, preferably without added sugar, caffeine, or alcohol, which can dehydrate the body and interfere with the body’s functions and the immune system.

What is a poor and unbalanced diet for cancer prevention and treatment?

All processed foods, wheat, and sugar, which provide refined carbohydrates that can increase the blood glucose and insulin levels and stimulate the growth and division of cancer cells. Processed foods, wheat, and sugar also provide little or no fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that can prevent and fight cancer.

Moreover, processed foods, wheat, and sugar can increase inflammation and oxidative stress by providing pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant compounds that can damage the cells and DNA.

Too much salt or the wrong type of salt, can increase the blood pressure and the risk of stomach cancer. Salt can also damage the stomach lining and increase the exposure of the stomach to carcinogens, such as nitrosamines, which are formed from nitrites and nitrates that are added to some processed foods, such as bacon, ham, salami, and sausages, as preservatives.

Alcohol, which can increase the risk of several cancers, such as mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectal cancer. Alcohol can damage the cells and DNA directly, or indirectly, by increasing the production of acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol metabolism that can also damage the cells and DNA. Alcohol can also interfere with the absorption and metabolism of nutrients, such as folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E, that can prevent and fight cancer.

Alcohol can also affect the hormonal balance and the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to cancer.

People suffering with cancer should not be eating processed foods, wheat, and sugar, as these foods can increase their risk of developing cancer and worsen their prognosis and quality of life. Instead, they should eat a healthy and balanced diet that can lower their risk of developing cancer and improve their chances of surviving and recovering from cancer.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet for cancer prevention and treatment is not a temporary or occasional choice, but a lifelong and consistent commitment. If people suffering with cancer cheat on their diet, they are cheating on their life and themselves.

Cancer does not take a break, therefore the diet should not take a break. We see tumor markers and blood work decline annually during the months of February and March, this is the aftermath of what foods and liquids were consumed during Thanksgiving and the Festive season. These foods and liquids can trigger or fuel cancer cells and compromise the body’s defence’s and healing abilities. Therefore, people suffering with cancer should avoid or limit these foods and liquids, and stick to their healthy and balanced diet throughout the year. By doing so, they can improve their chances of preventing and beating cancer and living a longer and happier life.

I hope that you will have a wonderful and memorable festive season, and that you will enter the new year with optimism, enthusiasm, new found hope and better health as we make wiser decisions what is nutritional fuel for our bodies and what is not. I also hope that you will continue to read my health related articles in the new year, and that you will find them helpful and informative.

I look forward to sharing more health tips and advice with you, and to supporting you on your journey to a healthier and happier life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Your Health Writer

Maryjayne Aria

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