There is evidence that cancer has been around for thousands of years, but over the last several decades, the number of cancer cases and deaths continues to increase…  Over 1500 people die from cancer everyday. Why is this happening?  Isn’t the medical community making advances? 

The answer is yes. Certainly, there have been advances made, particularly in extending the time that one can survive with cancer, but chemotherapies are still sometimes a shot in the dark.  I learned that when I was being treated with chemotherapy that there was about a 50 percent likelihood that the chemo would actually kill the cancer cells left behind in my body.  That’s 50 percent likelihood that the chemo wouldn’t work.  And there are side effects to chemotherapy, like heart failure and leukemia.  No guarantees, and yet what is a cancer patient to do? 

Better yet, what can you do to protect yourself from getting cancer in the first place?  1 in 8 women with breast cancer—1 in 3 men with prostate issues… Hello?  It seems that drug companies are finding success in extending progression free survival rates, but they are not curing cancer.  What’s the answer?  Nutrition.  Nutrition is your insurance against this awful disease—cancer is an immune system problem, and there are essential nutrients that you need to protect yourself.  But how do you know where to start, and what are the best nutritional choices for you?  There is no easy answer, but you must do something. 

Make sure you are introducing a fair amount of super foods into your diet.  Super foods are getting more press, as they should.  These foods provide natural protection as they are filled with essential nutrients that help you build your immune system.  What are some of these super foods?  Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, garlic, mushrooms, beans, broccoli, and spinach to name a few.

Super food for the day?  Cranberries.  You can pick up frozen cranberries from your local grocer and use them in blended drinks.  Dried cranberries or cranberry juice are also easy to find at your supermarket.  And you can even buy cranberries as a supplement. 

“Cranberries contain a number of substances with antioxidant activity, including anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins. These substances reduce oxidative stress, decrease cellular inflammation, and protect DNA, thereby reducing risk of cellular changes that could lead to cancer initiation and progression.” (Neto CC. Cranberry and blueberry: evidence for protective effects against cancer and vascular diseases. Mol Nut Food Res. 2007;51(6):653-64.”) Source: https://www.uscranberries.com/health/research.html

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