Healthy Priorities

As you know I am a cancer survivor for which I am indebted to legions of praying friends, competent medical personnel and family. Especially my wife who was a major factor in my recuperation. I don't smoke, drink, eat ravenously or recklessly and am not overweight yet cancer paid me a visit. I probably didn't exercise adequately although I am not a couch potato. But that dreaded disease did find me and now it has departed, hopefully forever.

Naturally, I am much more sensitive to those who suffer from a debilitating illness or injury as I should be. I therefore heartily recommend some of the things we can do (as well as those we ought not be doing). For the past few weeks, I have been getting at least one or two requests for donations. One day I received five. Many of these are very worthwhile endeavors, responsibly manned and worthy of our support.

However, it is impossible to acknowledge all of them and it is most difficult, or awkward, to pick and choose which must be done. Naturally, I have contributed to some cancer organizations and will share excerpts from a recent communique.

This American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) while asking for a donation included this headline: Did you know that one-third of the most common cancers are preventable? That is good to know. Here they are: Endometrium (lining of the uterus), Esophagus, Mouth, pharynx and larynx, Stomach, Colon, Pancreas, Breast, Lung, Kidney, Gallbladder, Liver and Prostate.

Of course, that leaves two-thirds that are more problematic. Still, this is good news, isn't it? My mother died of cancer when I was three years old. I do not know what kind it was (my father never discussed this with me later in life and I never thought of asking until it was too late). One guess is that it may have been a fast moving ovarian cancer.

Back to the Ten Recommendations for Cancer Prevention by AICR. Certainly worth trying for the above mentioned cancers as well as others. Are they impossible? Hardly. Are they seriously practiced? I sure hope so. Here they are:

1. Be as lean as possible without being underweight.
2. Be physically active for at least thirty minutes a day.
3. Avoid sugary drinks and limit consumption of energy-dense foods.
4. Eat a variety of vegetables and whole grains.
5. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats.
6. Limit alcoholic drinks (2 max for men, one for women).
7. Limit salty foods.
8. Don't use supplements to protect against cancer.
9. Best for mothers to breast feed infants for up to six months.
10. After treatment, cancer victims should follow recommendations for cancer prevention.

A word to the wise is [hopefully] sufficient. P.S. And not too much sun, please.