Cancer and Exercise

We all know there are many benefits of exercise - but did you know that balanced exercise (equal amounts of aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching) greatly lowers your risk of cancer?

A 2009 study showed that men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer. These findings suggest that muscle strength is just as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to cancer resistance.

One of the primary reasons exercise works to lower cancer risk is because it lowers insulin levels. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risk. It's also been suggested that apoptosis (also called programmed cell death) is triggered by exercise and causes cancer cells to die.

So, what are some other benefits of exercise? Here's a short list.

	Increases energy levels.
	Improves quality of sleep and may help with insomnia.
	Helps combat chronic disease.
	Improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
	Improves mood, promotes positive brain chemistry and elevates depression.
	Slows down aging.
	Increases confidence, grace and flexibility.
	Improves blood circulation and oxygenates the body.
	Increases metabolism and bone density.
	Improves posture, range of motion and overall body function.
	Increases growth hormone production.
	Promotes clearer thinking and boosts Intelligence Quotient.
	Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.
	Balances insulin levels to help manage diabetes.
	Boosts sex drive and prevents impotence.
	Promotes healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby.

Update on the Over-Weight Epidemic

Although the diet industry makes billions of dollars a year selling diet pills and potions, it offers very little in the way of success. Obesity rates exceed 25% of the population in more than two-thirds of the United States. (And that figure doesn't include those individuals overweight by 50 pounds or less.) Overall, 75% of American adults and nearly one-third of children and teens are currently obese or overweight - and the rate is climbing. High school dropouts have the highest rates of obesity.

It seems that most public health policies, agricultural propaganda and dietary recommendations that the U.S. uses as standards have, so far, been ineffective. Traditional ways of thinking and eating are not making the slightest dent in this epidemic - and in many ways could be contributing to it. There are at least 20 different diseases and conditions that are directly caused from obesity. All of these conditions are preventable with a natural holistic diet.

While health authorities insist that sugar is fine "in moderation" and that grains are an essential part of a healthy diet and can actually help you prevent heart disease, they fail to take into consideration that many people and children are allergic to Western wheat and refined carbohydrates (often found in breakfast cereals, bagels, waffles, etc.). These refined carbs quickly break down to sugar, increasing your insulin levels and causing insulin resistance, which is the major underlying factor of diabetes. Heart disease is also a possible risk with a high intake of refined carbohydrates. There is actually an opium-type high that can come from eating grains, making you want to eat more and more.

Fructose, a sugar that is very incompatible with healthy body function, is the number one source of calories in the U.S. This means it's far from being used moderately! It is not at all surprising, however, when you consider that fructose (primarily in the form of cheap high fructose corn syrup) can be found in just about everything - even in food items you'd never expect to find it: diet foods, 'enhanced' water products and infant formulas. Recent studies link fructose to increased weight gain because of the chemical reactions it creates in the body. Stay away from fructose!

Medical health authorities still claim that fats (especially saturated fats) are dietary villains that will increase your risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. However, the body needs saturated fat to function properly. These fats provide building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances that are essential to good health. Saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources (such as meat, certain oils, and tropical plants like coconut) provide a concentrated source of energy in your diet. This source of energy is far more ideal than carbohydrates or sugar, and can actually help you lose weight.

The bad fat is trans-fat. This type of fat is found in margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil. For a long time the public was told that these man-made, altered fats were the answer to reducing saturated fat. The marketing industry made a lot of money with that claim! Trans-fat raises LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' cholesterol) and thus raises risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Trans-fats clog arteries. Remember: any fat or oil that has been heated to a high temperature becomes useless and highly toxic to the body.

What is the cure for being overweight? Basically, it takes a complete diet and lifestyle change - and it takes a person educated in health to make that happen. So do your own research. If being overweight is your health problem, only you can set your change in motion. However, there are many alternative health professionals who can help you. Health coaching is a wonderfully effective way to help make lifestyle changes.