Nutrition News

Your Greatest Health Insurance is Prevention!
By Dr. Craig Bentham

Some things are sadly predictable. Cancer has now surpassed heart disease as the number one killer in America. In fact, cancer kills nearly 1,400 women each day. Enough is enough! We want to see a change in these statistics. Too many of our members' lives have been, or will be, affected by cancer. It is cancer awareness month, and we feel compelled to bring some important information on prevention to our 10 million members worldwide. This is a longer article than usual, but please read on because this information could save your life, or the life of someone you love.

Learn what you can do today
to save your life tomorrow.

It is a sobering fact that most of us have been touched in one way or another by cancer, whether it's directly, or through a family member, co-worker, or Curves buddy. Recently, researchers announced that cancer is the number one killer in the USA, surpassing heart disease. I personally consider Curves to be one big family, and I consider it to be our responsibility to discuss what can be done to prevent cancer, and share some health tips that you can pass on to your family, friends, co-workers, and even your workout buddies at Curves.

Have you ever stopped to consider why cancer is affecting so many people in North America, or why cancer has become such an epidemic in the past decade? In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, in 2005, over 1.3 million Americans will learn that they have cancer, and of those, 570,280 cancer deaths are expected. This is a frightening number. As we are immersed in such a large community of women at Curves, I'd like for you to take a moment, and think about all the women who have been working out beside you everyday. Ask yourself, "How many fellow Curves members will or have already been affected by cancer?" If the statistics are correct, there is a definite possibility that you are already working out with a cancer survivor.

I just read a touching 'story of hope' from a breast cancer survivor on the ACS website, and it got me thinking about all the amazing women I've come across through Curves. I had a sobering realization that cancer has and will affect a lot of women in our Curves family. I would like to share a portion of this touching story of hope, which came from a lady named April Fritz from Pound Ridge, New York. She is a mother of two young girls, who got up in front of a large audience for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, to tell her story of survival. She explained how very nervous she was to speak to the group, but by the end of her talk, she had a standing ovation and the conviction that her story could bring strength and hope to others affected by cancer. This event helped her to realize that she is not alone, as there were so many other women wearing their bright pink bandanas. However, her battle with cancer is far from over. She has had to face ongoing chemotherapy treatments, a full double-breast mastectomy, and the realization that cancer is now a part of her life. "I realize now it (cancer) is beside me each and every day," said April Fritz. But while she accepts the disease, she intends to live a long, full life. "I believe my beautiful daughters deserve to have their mom on this earth, mothering them from this side, standing firmly and full of health. I look forward to being a grandmother to their beautiful children one day."

April Fritz gathered her courage and spoke to a crowd of 4,000 people at last fall's "Making Strides" walk, explaining her plans to raise more money to fight breast cancer. "And God willing, I will see you all next year full of the spirit and healthy life that I pray for every day."

What can all of us learn from April Fritz's story? That we need to be proactive about our health and do whatever is needed to minimize our risk of developing cancer. The rate of cancer is simply too high, and too many people are dying every day from this disease! At curveshealthclub.com we've stated over and over again how important it is to take a preventive approach to your health. In fact, the American Cancer Society just made a major announcement through a large study called "Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures" (2005). They stated that "Americans could realistically cut their cancer death rate in half..." Let me restate that. We have the power to decrease cancer deaths by 50% with the implementation of effective prevention strategies.

Here is what you can do to limit your chances of developing cancer and optimize your health:

• More exercise...Curves ;-)
• Better nutrition...please review our past article Nutritional Philosophy-Redefined.
• Live a leaner life! A high percentage body fat is by far one of the worst health risks (J Amer Med Assoc 1993; 270:2823).
• Go organic...Look for vegetables, fruit, dairy, and meat that is "certified organic."
• Benefits of Lycopene. We recommend getting this cancer-fighting chemical from natural foods, preferably organic if possible. Lycopene content is highest in: (Nutrition Review,56(2)P35-51)
  • Tomato powder, drum or spray dried (112.63-126.49 mg/100g wet weight)
  • Tomato paste (5.40-150.00 mg/100g ww)
  • Tomato juice, soup, sauce (5.00-11.60 mg/100g ww)
  • Papaya & Watermelon, fresh (2.00-7.20 mg/100g ww)
• Special cancer fighting supplements:
  • Vitamin A – Vitamin A is one of the strongest immune boosting vitamins...check with your health care provider for a safe and appropriate dosage.
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E – To get the full benefits of the E-complex, you'll want to ensure that your supplement contains the full spectrum of eight E-complex vitamins: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols, with no missing molecules.
  • Selenium – One of the best cancer fighting supplements there is! Especially Se-methylselenocysteine (SeMC), a naturally occurring form of selenium which is simultaneously more potent in its cancer-battling prowess, and less toxic than any other selenium supplement available (JAMA. 1996. Dec 25; 276-(24): 1957-63).
  • CoQ10 – This is a powerful fat-soluble network antioxidant and cancer fighting substance.
• Quit smoking. Need we say more!
• Avoid rancid oils, trans-fats, and frying/deep-frying oils.
• Have a positive attitude and lower your stress levels. According to the CDC, up to 85% of disease is linked to stress.
• Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
• Get recommended cancer screenings.

The cold hard fact is that cancer is affecting too many people; family members, loved ones, friends and Curves members. In fact, in the USA Today issue, January 20, 2005, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the number one cause of death in America. What is really alarming is that the American Cancer Society has reported that approximately 175 people EVERY HOUR are being diagnosed with cancer and another 65 are actually dying from cancer. The scary truth is that in January 2004, the reported number was 156 Americans per hour. The rate has gone up approximately 10%...in only one year! Where will we be 10 years from now? Therefore, we suggest that it is time to take this issue of cancer very seriously; get with the program now to prevent this deadly disease from affecting you or your loved ones. Dr. Colgan, a brilliant pioneer in the quest for wellness, stated his viewpoint on the rise of cancer-"The increase in the cancer death rate, which means a decline in the cure rate, and which shows unequivocally that current medical treatment for cancer does not work, should convince you that the only answer is PREVENTION." We couldn't agree more!

This is a relevant issue for everyone in your life. Therefore, it might be a good article to forward to your friends and relatives. You can easily do this by using the "E-mail a friend" button. You can make a larger impact if you write them a personal message in the e-mail.