“The more healthful his body the greater will be the power of the spirit…,

the power of the intellect, the power of the memory, the power of reflections will then be greater.” 

– ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, Vol. VIII, No. 18, p. 231

Watching my mother-in-law and sister-in-law suffer and die of breast cancer was devastating. The journey, as difficult as it was, ignited a flame of determination in me. I realized I didn’t want to suffer like they did. And more importantly, I didn’t want my daughters to suffer like their grandma and aunt did. I became determined to do everything possible to prevent cancer in myself and my daughters.  My in-laws chose conventional chemotherapy and radiation while refusing all holistic medical supportive care even though it was at their fingertips. If only they had used a combination of Western and Holistic medicine, their quality of life would have improved and their life span would have been longer. That’s what happens with every breast cancer patient who is dedicated to partnering with us in their life journey….their quality of life improves and they live longer, thriving!

Cancer: End-Stage of Chronic Inflammation

With all the billions of dollars and energy placed in to chemotherapy and radiation research, the risk of getting breast cancer has not declined over the past 60 years and neither have mortality rates from cancer. 1 in 8 women continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer every year. This is because the root cause of cancer has not been addressed.

Cancer is a result of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation over time leads to cancer production and growth. Overload of chemicals, metals, hormones, dietary imbalance, emotional toxins, etc, lead to chronic inflammation. If we only reduced inflammation, our risk for cancer would decline. Holistic medicine looks at identifying the cause of the inflammation and then minimizing it. Research on the benefits of holistic medicine to prevent and treat cancer continues to flourish at unsurmountable rates. Let’s look at some basic lifestyle shifts in order to minimize inflammation.

Eight Simple Steps to Breast Cancer Prevention

So what do I do to help my daughters and myself reduce our cancer risk? Here are few things to think about incorporating in your life to reduce your risk:

• Optimize Nutrition:
  • Avoid sugar as sugar feeds cancer cells to grow.
  • Reduce intake of animal fats and animal protein which contain toxic hormones which are inflammatory. Instead eat a more plant-based diet.
  • Avoid food preservatives and canned foods which tax the immune system, liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system.
  • Eat as much certified organic as possible to minimize chemical exposure and to increase minerals and nutrients to your cells.
  • Incorporate spices in your diet: cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, basil, caraway, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, rosemary, saffron, and thyme. Mounting evidence shows spices to reduce inflammation, cancer cell proliferation, immune modulation, etc. for many different types of cancers.
• Exercise 3-4 x per week. Make sure to move your upper arms to get the lymphatic system of the upper body moving. Lymphatic movement helps remove toxins from breast tissue.
• Sweat 3-5 x per week to detox. Infrared sauna is a great way to sweat out the toxic chemicals, hormones, metals, and mold we accumulate from our environment and diet.
• Meditate and pray daily to improve your immune system, your psyche and overall health and empty your emotional baggage frequently.
• Drink clean filtered water
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night to strengthen your immune system and decrease your cancer risk
• Do monthly self-breast exams and get yearly breast thermography in order to detect inflammatory and heat changes in the breast tissue before it becomes a bigger concern.
• Keep a positive attitude. Be grateful. Give to others. And hug people as often as possible.

Bottom Line

Besides reducing breast cancer risk by following the above simple steps, your mind also will become more clear, your intellect more keener, and your spirit highly elated.