Cancer

Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Apr 06, 2001 by Douglas Dupler

Most practitioners agree that the best treatment for cancer is prevention. Having sound physical and mental health can significantly reduce the chances of getting cancer. The following guidelines are generally recommended by doctors, nutritionists, and alternative practitioners for cancer prevention and recovery:

• Do not smoke.
• Do not drink alcohol excessively.
• Exercise regularly, at least 20 minutes per day. Preferably exercise outdoors in the fresh air.
• Avoid exposure to radiation. This includes avoiding unnecessary x rays, not residing near sources of natural or human-made radiation, and avoiding occupational exposure to radiation.
• Avoid exposure to harmful chemicals, in the food, home, and workplace.
• Maintain proper body weight, particularly avoiding obesity.
• Practice safe sex.
• Protect the skin from overexposure to sunlight. Avoid the midday sun between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. Never allow the skin to become sunburned.
• Eat a healthy diet. Become educated on and practice dietary principles that reduce the risk of cancer. These principles include eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Consume organically grown foods when possible. Minimize overeating. Reduce the intake of meat and dairy products and increasing fiber. Avoid processed and canned foods, including soft drinks. Avoiding sugar and refined starch products like white flour. Reducing the intake of fat, avoiding hydrogenated vegetable oils like margarine and shortening. Drink filtered or spring water.
• Strive to maintain sound mental and emotional health. Learn a technique like yoga, t'ai chi, meditation, or others to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Maintain healthy relationships and social support systems.

• Galland, Leo, M.D. The Four Pillars of Healing. New York: Random House, 1997.
• Lerner, Michael. Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of the Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1994.
• Walters, Richard. Options: The Alternative Cancer Therapy Book. New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1993.
• Weil, Andrew, M.D. Natural Health, Natural Medicine. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
• Yance, Donald R. Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer. Chicago: Keats Publishing, 1999.

• Alternative Therapies Magazine. PO Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715. (919) 668-8825. http://www.alternative-therapies.com.

• The Alliance for Alternative Medicine. PO Box 59, Liberty Lake, WA 99019.
• American Cancer Society, National Headquarters.1599 Clifton Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30329 (800) 227-2345. http://www.cancer.org.
• The Health Resource. 209 Katherine Drive, Conway, AR 72032, (501) 329-5272.
• National Cancer Institute. 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 31, room 10A16, Bethesda, MD 20892. (800) 422-6237. http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov.

• Cancer Nutrition Center. http://www.cancernutrition.com (January 17, 2001).
• Cancer Prevention Coalition. http://www.preventcancer.com (January 17, 2001).
• Cancer Support and Education Center. http://www.cs-ec.org (January 17, 2001).