The Vegan way to beat cancer!

Common Carcinogens – Factors which cause cancer

Cancer is seen everywhere these days. The very diagnosis evokes a fear. What are the chances? In most cases cancer is treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Both these therapies can actually causecancer themselves, but when someone gets cancer, these lethal weapons are used to kill those cancer cells.

There is another way of looking at it. At any given time, cancer cells are circulating in the body. But in health the number of cancer cells are kept in control. When a situation arises where normal cells cease to thrive, cancer cells begin to multiply and take over.

If we understand this, we can begin to eliminate the causes of cancer in our lives and actually prevent cancer cells from multiplying. The more toxic and chemicalised our existence is, the higher the risks. The more natural, the lower the risks.

Excess Proteins
Proteins are foods that our body uses for growth and repair. Cancer is a growth. Excess proteins are acid yielding in our body – producing the perfect environment for cancer cells to grow. All those eggs and protein supplements that gym trainers advise can really go against you. Don’t forget that protein deficiency is very rare. Horses and elephants get enough for their strong bodies only from whole plants!

Animal Proteins
Not only are these acids yielding, but on cooking animal muscles form heterocyclic amines which are carcinogenic. So many reasons to switch to a plant based diet!

Pesticides
Like farmers in many parts of India, the farmers in Punjab, our bread basket, also use large amounts of pesticides in farming. Farmers routinely suffer from the ill effects of these chemicals. In Punjab, there is a special train called the Punjab Cancer Express which picks up small farmers with cancer from the Malwa region and takes them to the large hospital every day!

Pesticides, consumed over time form residues in our bodies which are highly carcinogenic too. It follows that animal products deliver even more pesticides than plants because animals concentrate the pesticides in their bodies. Organic plant based foods are an essential alternative.

Chemicals on body
Personal care products like deodorants, shampoos, hair dyes, perfumes, lotions and even toothpastes contain carcinogens. Sodium Laurel Sulphate, (SLS) a foaming agent commonly found in shampoos and toothpaste is a well-known carcinogen! It’s a good idea never to put on your skin what you would not put in your mouth. What you put on your body can be absorbed through the skin. Try looking for more natural alternatives for these products.

Chemicals in the environment
Although we are not in control of everything in our larger environment, we do have control on our immediate environment. Air fresheners, detergents, phenyls, insecticides are just some examples of how we make our personal environment toxic.

Packaged foods
These are typically filled with chemical ingredients (read that label carefully!). Meats are treated to keep their colour and freshness with nitrites which are also harmful.

Plastics
Plastics are known carcinogens but now they are everywhere in our lives. What can you do? Here are some ideas – Avoid storing water in plastic bottles or drinking bottled water. Avoid using microwaves or heating foods in plastic. Avoid having hot drinks in disposable plastic or thermocol cups. In fact avoid plastics where ever possible.

Fish
The sea is full of plastic waste which is broken down into microns and swallowed by fish. Therefore, these days fish too are full of plastic. But then so are the animals in our food chain because they are fed fishmeal!

Tap water
In most urban areas it is chlorinated. Unfortunately chlorine is a carcinogen! The answer – an RO filter to get rid of that chlorine in your tap water.

Hormones
Common cancers like breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, are hormone dependant cancers. Hormones are found in dairy and animal products as well as in medicines – such as the oral contraceptive or in hormone replacement therapy. They are also used in treating infertility and in IVF. Avoid animal products and other sources of hormones to avoid upsetting the hormonal balance of the body and to prevent these cancers.

EMF
No one knows for sure, but electromagnetic frequencies are suspected by some. Why not minimise the use of all those gadgets to the extent possible?