We live in a toxic world and there are so many things that cause cancer from our diet to the household products we use. We tend to think that if we carry our family’s genes, we will develop cancer. On the flip side, we think that if we don’t have the gene, we will not develop cancer. This isn’t true. We need to consider factors such as diet, lifestyle, and environment.
Here are some ways to to reduce your risk and create a cancer-free home.
12 Ways to Create a Cancer-Free Home
Step 1. Eat organic fruits and vegetables
Conventional produce is grown with chemical pesticides and herbicides, which are known carcinogens.
The most widely used brand of pesticide, RoundUp, took a major blow in the media when the World Health Organization announced that RoundUp’s active ingredient, glyphosate, is a type 2 (probable) carcinogen.
Even when washed thoroughly, traces of these toxins are still present on and in conventionally grown fruit and vegetables, due to absorption into produce itself, and via its soil and roots.
Note: Clean fruits and vegetable with a small amount baking soda and filtered water..let soak for a few minutes.
When possible, opt for organic produce, grown without the use of dangerous chemicals. Organic farmers use old fashioned methods to keep pests at bay. One such method is planting garlic near the crops, which naturally repels insects.
Check out the Environmental Working Groups’ Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen, to find out which conventionally raised fruits and vegetables are safe to eat and which varieties must be organic.
Step 2. Do not consume genetically modified foods (new terms: Bio-engineered or BE)
Do not eat soybeans, corn, wheat, sugar, cottonseed, or canola unless it is listed as non-GMO or organic. GMOs are extremely dangerous and have been shown to cause tumors.
Genetically modified foods should be eliminated from your diet at all costs, to avoid cancer and other serious illnesses and diseases.
Approximately 90% of U.S. grown soybeans, corn, wheat, sugar beets, cotton, and canola are genetically modified and they are used in nearly every packaged food on the market, especially in the United States.
The ingredients are often concealed with a name that appears to be a natural food source. For a list of ingredients to avoid, check out the Invisible GM Ingredients on the Institute for Responsible Technology website.
For in depth information about GMOs, including how they infiltrated our food supply and why they’re so toxic to all living creatures and our environment, check out Altered Genes, Twisted Truth and Genetic Roulette.
Step 3. Eliminate or reduce sugar consumption
You might say that cancer loves sugar as much as we do and that cancer and sugar have an obsessive love affair with each other.
Sugar is literally the top food choice for cancer and consuming sugar exacerbates cancerous cell activity, causing the formation of tumors as well as increasing the speed of
cancer growth.
As a matter of fact, because sugar is so drawn to cancer cells, certain cancer tests involve the injection of either glucose or sucrose (forms of sugar) into a patient. The sweetened liquid then acts as a tracking device for doctors and radiologists as it leads
them directly to the tumor.
However, sugar found in fruit and vegetables do not feed cancer cells, as proven by the Gerson Cancer Therapy.
It’s important to mention that for most people, the most abundant source of sugar comes from simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta, flour, rice, potatoes, etc… Once
ingested, these foods turn into a form of sugar. Another source of high sugar consumption comes from packaged foods, fast food, and soft drinks.
Often, sugar is hidden or disguised under names that sound like natural substances. You can find more information and a list of names on the Hungry For Change website.
Oncologists know about the sugar-cancer link! So why don’t they tell their patients to reduce their sugar intake? I’ll let you decide on the answer to that question.
Step 4. Avoid artificial sweeteners/sugar substitutes
The majority of artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic and should be eliminated from your diet. That includes the pink stuff, the blue stuff, and any other colorful package that you find on the table at restaurants.
If a product is marked “sugar free”, check the label for toxic, artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and high fructose corn syrup (made from GMO corn).
Opt for natural and whole food sweetener sources such as Stevia, Lakanto, honey, coconut cane sugar, molasses, applesauce, maple syrup or granules, xylitol, bananas, raisins, figs, and dates.
Preferably organic and raw products, where applicable. These options have varying textures and tastes so it will take some trial and error to determine which ones are best for each recipe or situation. You can also search for recipes that include these
ingredients.
Step 5. Restrict or eliminate your intake of starchy foods that are baked, fried, toasted or broiled
When starchy, high carbohydrate (high sugar) foods are baked, broiled, fried, or toasted in temperatures exceeding 248˚ Fahrenheit, they form a substance called acrylamide.
Acrylamide has been identified as a “probable human carcinogen” by the National
Toxicology Program as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Foods with the highest acrylamide levels include potato chips, french fries, coffee, breakfast cereals, cookies, and toast.
Longer cooking times also increase the amount of acrylamide, so it’s best to reduce the amount of time that you bake, broil, toast, or fry these foods.
To avoid acrylamide exposure completely, only consume starchy foods that have been boiled or steamed since these alternate cooking methods do not cause the formation of acrylamide.
Step 6. Remove processed meats/foods from your diet
Processed Meats i.e. bacon
After reviewing more than 800 scientific studies, the International Agency for
Research on Cancer classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogenic,
meaning that any animal meat that has been smoked, salted, cured, fermented,
flavored, or preserved in any way is definitely carcinogenic to humans. In
particular, this type of meat has been shown to cause colorectal cancer, one of the top three causes of cancer death worldwide.
In addition, the IARC noted that intake of red meat should be limited as evidence suggests an association between this type of animal product and colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. The study identified red meat as beef, pork, veal, lamb, mutton,
horse, and goat.
Other studies show that consumption of beef and dairy products elevates IGF-1 hormone levels and a nutrient called choline, in humans. Both IGF-1 and choline are linked to an increase in various cancers, such as colon, breast, and prostate cancer.
Most dangerous are commercially raised, factory farm animal products since they’re fed
a diet of GMO grains – primarily genetically modified corn and soy – and other ground up
animals that were given the same genetically modified feed.
Factory farm animals are also loaded with antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxins to help them grow faster and to keep them from contracting diseases due to the unsanitary conditions in which they’re raised. Many of these chemicals have been studied and are
also proven to directly cause cancer or increase cancer risk. Others remain untested so there is no evidence of the safety or long-term effect on humans.
To protect yourself and your loved ones, eliminate processed meats and moderate your intake of other animal-based protein sources, choosing only organic when possible. Also, increase your intake of plant based protein sources such as nuts, seeds, non-dairy milk,
legumes, whole grains, and vegetables. This option provides all the necessary amino acids for optimum health and muscle building plus the added benefits of nutrients, chlorophyll, and minerals which are not found in animal foods.
Package Foods
Packaged foods, most of which are highly processed, are notoriously unhealthy due to the amount of preservatives, additives, excess sugar, and salt they contain. These substances cause inflammation throughout the human body, now recognized as the
basis and catalyst for all disease, including cancer.
Of equal concern, are the preservatives and additives that have been proven to cause cancer by damaging human DNA, disrupting hormone levels, and reducing levels of good gut bacteria which fights disease and infection. These include chemicals such as nitrites, nitrates, sodium benzoate, potassium bromate, and others.
In addition, nearly all packaged foods contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The Seralini Study concluded that these genetically modified ingredients cause the growth of tumors. The DNA damaging effects of GMOs were also discovered by the
scientists who created the genetically altered seeds, although this information was hidden from the public.
Step 7. Eat As Many Cancer Fighting Foods As You Can
There is absolutely nothing that fights cancer and protects your cells from the damage of carcinogenic substances or prevents cancer from developing, more than vegetables and fruit particularly green, leafy vegetables (cruciferous). This is due to the phytonutrients and chlorophyll contained in these super hero foods.
Phytonutrients can only be found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. This is what gives plants their color, with each color providing a different type of nutrient, so it’s important to get a variety in your diet each and every day and at each meal.
Mushrooms, onions, and garlic contain a tremendous amount of cancer fighting antioxidants even though they lack any actual color.
Here is a good suggestion from Dr. Joel Fuhrman: Eat G-BOMBS! That means Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds! The Healthiest Anti-Cancer Foods!
Step 8. Use and drink filtered water
Regardless of where you live your tap water most likely contains a bunch of powerful toxic substances including fluoride, chlorine, arsenic, chromium, Atrazine, perchlorate, nitrobenzene, and/or lead.
These chemicals have been shown to cause numerous types of cancer, including bladder, breast, prostate, skin liver, kidney, brain, stomach, and lung cancer.
An affordable Reverse Osmosis system will filter out the majority of these harmful contaminants, as well as other nasty materials. Filtered water should be used for drinking, cooking, baking, and making ice cubes. Kangen is a well-known water system and can be expensive.
Step 9. Eliminate or reduce consumption of food from cans and plastic bottles and don’t store or heat food in plastic containers
The majority of food and water sold in cans or plastic bottles are exposed to a
chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) in the lining of the container.
BPA has been identified as an endocrine disrupter. Exposure to this chemical
increases the risk of breast and prostate cancer. BPA can even be passed onto infants via the umbilical cord and early exposure to BPA influences and increases the likelihood of contracting cancer as an adult. A recent study also showed that BPA masks markers in the urine, used by doctors to detect prostate cancer. This makes it harder to diagnose this deadly disease in the early stages.
Although some food producers are beginning to switch to BPA alternatives, there haven’t been enough scientific studies to predict the effects of long-term use of alternative materials.
To reduce your risk when storing or heating food, use only glass or corning ware containers and cookware. Likewise, when drinking or storing liquids, use only glass bottles or jars.
Step 10. Avoid non-stick products for cooking and baking
Non-stick cookware, such as those made with Teflon, contain a chemical called
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA is particularly dangerous due to the fact that the fumes that come from the chemical burn off can remain in your body and environment for long periods of time.
Animals are apparently highly sensitive to this toxin and the fumes are so potent that they have been traced to the deaths of pet birds.
This substance has been shown to increase the incidence of liver, testicular, mammary gland, and pancreas tumor growth in lab animals. Human studies showed an increased risk of bladder, kidney, and testicular cancer from PFOA exposure.
To reduce your risk of cancer and exposure to this carcinogenic substance, use only stainless steel or cast iron cookware.
Although there are brands on the market listed as “PFOA free” or “PTFE free” (PTFE is
Polytetrafluoroethylene, the trademark name for Duponts’ Teflon product), these products are made with aluminum, another heavy metal that accumulates in your body
(especially your brain), increasing your risk of cancer and other serious health
problems.
Step 11. Eliminate aluminum
Aluminum is a neurotoxic that accumulates in your bones and brain. Scientists have linked aluminum to breast cancer as well as many other disorders and diseases.
A 2012 study showed that aluminum concentration in foods increased by 76% to
378% when cooked in foil. The range was dependent on length of cooking time, temperature, fat content, and pH level of the food and the presence of added substances, such as seasoning.
Other sources of aluminum are baking powder, pancake and cake mix, self-rising flour, frozen dough, and processed cheese.
To avoid aluminum exposure from your food use parchment paper in place of aluminum foil, BBQ foods directly on the grill or on a non – aluminum grill pan, purchase aluminum free baking powder, make dough and batter from scratch, and avoid processed cheese and beverages in aluminum lined containers, such as soda and juice.
Step 12. Get rid of toxic cleaning products
Before you rush to tell your spouse, I must confess that this is not completely accurate.
While it is true that products used to freshen and clean your kitchen, dishes, and utensils may contain toxic substances that promote cancer, cleaning, in and of itself, does not.
Whether you’re eating, cooking, or cleaning in the kitchen, you’re likely ingesting, absorbing, or breathing in carcinogenic substances such as phenols, nitrobenzene, and formaldehyde which can be found in detergents, polishes, floor cleaners, and
air fresheners.
To find toxic-free products for your home visit the Environmental Working Group’s Guide To Healthy Cleaning web page. This organization is not influenced by corporations or special interest groups because they do not make money from advertisements,
as most informational websites do.
Environmental Working Group is a non-profit that performs research for consumers and publishes their findings on EWG.org. They make no money from the products listed on their site, and take no money from the corporations that manufacture the products.
If you’d like information about a product that EWG hasn’t researched yet you can enter the ingredients into their system, which will provide a detailed explanation of the toxicity level of each ingredient as well as an overall toxicity score for the product.
You can also make your own toxic-free cleaning products. White vinegar, lemon, and baking soda are all inexpensive and effective ways to clean and disinfect your kitchen and baths.
Dairy
Another item I would consider is reducing or eliminating dairy products. They contain high amounts of antibiotics and growth hormones. And another factor to consider is that the grains they eat contain pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides.
Lifestyle
Last but not least, lifestyle plays a big role. How stressed are you? Do you meditate to relieve your stress? Do you journal? Do you practice gratitude? Do you have anger or resentment that you’ve carried around for years?
As I listened to Chris Wark speak this morning on the Food Revolution Summit about how he beat cancer, he mentioned that a crucial factor that helped him was FORGIVENESS! We need to forgive people and then ask God to bless them! This was so powerful!
To your health and happiness,
Shaline
MY CLEAN FOOD LIFE 