The Anticancer Book by David Servan-Schreiber
A cancer diagnosis is a shock. At the same time, cancer is a fascinating example of how diet, lifestyle, and attitude can be more powerful than genetic predisposition. This book will teach you how to activate your self-healing powers and give cancer the cold shoulder.
Preventing cancer and curing cancer – everything is possible
Medicine has made impressive discoveries in recent decades. Nevertheless, we cannot simply abdicate responsibility in the event of a cancer diagnosis. Resignation is the last thing our body and subconscious need. "Let food be thy medicine," Hippocrates recommended as early as 400 BC. He knew about the self-healing powers that lie dormant within our cells. A healthy diet and plenty of exercise play a significant role in cancer prevention and healing.
With the decoding of the genome, it was discovered that DNA, our genetic material, can be permanently influenced. Environmental conditions, dietary habits, and even passions shape our genetic makeup and can minimize the risk of hereditary cancer.
How not to offend
Our language sums it up: The influence of the psyche on our health is crucial. Feelings like rejection, overwhelm, powerlessness, and despair make people sick in the long run. Negative thought patterns become automatic – but the same applies to positive thoughts. Those who prefer to see the proverbial glass as half full are in a much better emotional position than those who think it's half empty.
Those who consciously choose a healthy diet , inspiring activities, sufficient exercise, and positive thinking don't want to hurt themselves. Cancer prevention begins in the mind. Curing cancer begins in the cells.
Rely on your immune system
Did you know that everyone has cancer cells? For some, they lie dormant throughout their lives. Others, however, become ill. Why is this? It's due to the readiness of the so-called NK cells . NK stands for natural killer cells. They play a key role in the immune system. As lymphocytes, they are a type of white blood cell and can distinguish tumor cells from healthy cells. Bad cells are eliminated, provided the body's immune response is strong.
An unpopular interplay: inflammation and cancer
Inflammation isn't really a bad thing. It indicates that your immune system is fighting invaders and repairing damage. It becomes unhealthy when inflammation becomes chronic, as it then provides a breeding ground for cancer cells. Tumor cells also release pro-inflammatory substances, such as cytokines and prostaglandins , to promote their own growth. Our killer cells fail in the face of this overwhelming enemy. Angiogenesis sets in: sprouts grow from blood vessels, spreading the cancer throughout the body. If you want to prevent cancer , pay attention to inflammation levels in your body.
Unhealthy fats promote cancer
Not all fats are created equal. While high-quality vegetable fats, such as olive, linseed, or hemp oil, are extremely healthy, animal fats and trans fats are pure poison for the body. The famous omega-3 fatty acids, like omega-6 fatty acids, are essential fatty acids. When they are in ideal ratios, as in hemp oil, for example, they are beneficial to health. However, when there is an excess of omega-6, inflammatory processes are promoted. Industrial livestock farming has dramatically changed the ratio of essential fatty acids in animal products. When cows ate green fodder, milk contained sufficient omega-3. But industrially farmed cows are fed (presumably genetically modified) soy, corn, and wheat. This has dramatically increased the omega-6 fatty acid content in milk and meat.
Trans fats or hydrogenated fats, which only become liquid when heated, are pure poison for the body. Studies show that people who consume high amounts of trans fat have twice(!) the risk of cancer. So, stay away from frozen pizza and other insidious trans fat bombs.
Sugar and environmental toxins are cancer's best friends
As early as 1930, the German biochemist and physician Otto Warburg discovered that malignant tumors feed primarily on simple carbohydrates, such as those found in sugar or white flour. These cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, prompting the body to release life-saving insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 . This releases inflammatory messengers that are eagerly received by hungry tumor cells.
Environmental toxins play a significant role in the development of cancer. Chemicals such as PVC and the BPA it contains release carcinogenic substances when heated. Microwave dishes, plastic baby bottles, kettles, and the coatings on cans should therefore be used with caution. Numerous synthetic chemicals promote the growth of hormone-dependent tumors (breast or prostate cancer). Researchers have found that even the amount released when pouring hot water into plastic cups impairs the results of chemotherapy medications. Inorganic phosphates, found in processed cheese, frozen pizza, baked goods, and soft drinks, are said to significantly increase the risk of lung cancer.
Conquering disease – nutrition for cancer
Many plants produce antibodies – originally to protect themselves from enemies – that also benefit humans. A wonderful remedy that can prevent and actively fight cancer is green tea. It stimulates detoxification processes in the liver, allowing toxins to be eliminated more quickly. Green tea also contains the catechin EGCG , which blocks inflammatory messengers released by cancer cells.
Berries and nuts are miracle healers. The darker the berry, the stronger its benefits. Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, and elderberries have been considered medicinal plants since ancient times. Nuts, especially walnuts and hazelnuts, contain ellagic acid , which is said to significantly slow tumor growth. Various mushrooms that strengthen the immune system are also particularly important. Along with button mushrooms, shiitake and maitake mushrooms are considered particularly healthy. In addition to the antioxidant lentinan, they also contain vitamin B12, which is otherwise rare in plants .
Lead actress Psyche
It's nothing new that the psyche and subconscious play a key role in life. But the power of emotions can also turn against us. Persistent stress and constant overexertion, feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness, eat deep into the psyche and affect the entire emotional spectrum. Depression and burnout don't just stay in the mind; they also weaken the immune system. Stress, trauma, and suffering promote all kinds of illnesses. The release of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol has a devastating effect on the body's own killer cells, facilitating inflammation and tumor formation.
Meditation, exercise and sport help against cancer
A healthy diet and applied mindfulness are healing. Meditation teaches you to rest within yourself and pay attention to your breathing and energy flow. It also stimulates your complex glandular system. Meditation can optimize your heart and circulation. Negative stress disappears as your brain waves drop from about 30 to 10 hertz.
Exercise and sport are also true healers. If you're not one of those sports enthusiasts who wants to jog for hours or sweat it out in the gym, you should try yoga and dancing. Dancing is proven to be one of the healthiest forms of exercise, as it synchronizes the right and left hemispheres of the body and brain. The emotional component of music leads to an increased release of endorphins (happy hormones).
Diagnosis as an opportunity
A cancer diagnosis can be an opportunity to reorganize your life. What you think, eat, and spend your day doing is entirely your decision.
- Eat healthily and consciously
- Enjoy the little things and think positively
- Meditate and practice yoga or dance
- Do sports and enjoy walks in the forest
- Avoid plastic and other environmentally harmful substances
- Avoid perfumes with plasticizers
- Avoid trans fats and animal products
- Laugh, live, love and surround yourself with friends
About the Author
David Servan-Schreiber researched and taught as a psychiatrist and neuroscientist in the USA. He was a founding member of the renowned UPMC for Integrative Medicine in Pittsburgh and the American chapter of Doctors Without Borders. As an author, he has published The New Medicine of Emotions (2006) and The Anti-Cancer Book .
You can find more tips and smart advice for healthy eating in the anti-cancer book by David Servan-Schreiber
You can order it here on Amazon.