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7 Steps of Prevention
3. Boost Immune Function
What you can do:
Rest! Adequate rest is vital to a healthy immune system. It cannot be stressed highly enough. Regular sleep and rest patterns will do more for your immune system than you might imagine. Sleeping between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am is very effective in allowing the immune system to function optimally. Stress management through rest and relaxation can give your immune system the strongest possible foundation to fight off infections and keep you healthy.
A positive mental attitude strengthens your immune system. A negative attitude weakens your immune system. This has been proven in laboratory studies over and over again. It is not so much the type of stress we are exposed to, as it is how we PERCEIVE and RESPOND to that stress. What is causing the stress may by out of our control, but how we perceive and respond to that stress is entirely within our control. Don't let it kill you! Things work out.
Stress triggers many physiologic responses within the body, which can weaken the immune system. The adrenal glands respond to stress (the "flight or fight" response) by releasing stress hormones, such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol. These cause an immediate rise in blood sugar, blood pressure, respirations, pulse rate and the constriction of peripheral blood vessels. If we experience chronic stress and these aforementioned physiologic responses become chronic as well, we are at higher risk for hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature aging and cancer. The very presence of these stress hormones can have a suppressive effect on the immune system.
Exercise! A regular workout schedule will not only help you build strength and endurance and burn fat, but it helps you feel great and really boosts immune function, too. Do NOT exercise to the point of exhaustion. This will have the opposite effect and will actually wear down the immune system! You should feel pleasantly invigorated after exercise. If you do not, cut it back to the point where you feel good when you are done. If this is a 5 or 10 minute walk around the block, that's okay. It's a starting point. Gradually add a minute or two and build up your endurance. Doing something you enjoy is critical if you are going to stick with it. Having a pal join you can also add to the fun and help you stick with a regular schedule. A combination of aerobic exercise, some light weight lifting and stretching, such as yoga will yield the best results. Bike riding, walking, swimming, hiking, kayaking and activities that get you outdoors have the added benefit of sunlight and fresh air, providing vitamin D exposure from the sun, a known breast cancer risk reducer!
Hydration is vital to a strong immune system. Eat well and drink lots of pure, filtered water. A minimum of 8 glasses a day of pure water. Drink more during hot weather, illness or exercise.
Eat a diet rich in anti-oxidants and phyto-nutrients. Loads of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables arm your immune system to stay in top shape and will keep your figure in top shape, too!
Limit Dairy Intake. Dairy foods, even organic ones, can be irritating to the immune system. They are often implicated in allergic response. And if the dairy food isn't non-fat, it can also contribute to inflammation through the formation of arachidonic acids.
Don't go overboard on protein consumption. High amounts of protein in the body and bloodstream are another source of immune system irritation. Try to eat more complex and balanced whole foods, such as beans, nuts and whole grains for your protein needs and less concentrated forms of protein such as meat, eggs dairy and fish. These animal-source foods trigger the release of prostaglandins and arachidonic acids, which irritate and suppress the immune system and cause inflammation responses in the body. When you do eat animal based protein, make sure it is from free-range, and organically fed animals, this seems in particular to diminish the release of arachidonic acid. Also, marinating meat in red wine and olive oil for a few hours before cooking will lower the arachinonic acid content.
Clear up low-grade chronic infections. If you have a chronic infection, be it sinus, bladder, and often an unrecognized DENTAL INFECTION; your immune system becomes depleted by constantly fighting it. It is essential to recognize and resolve infections in order to regain super health and not fall prey to any and every little bug that's "going around". Allicin, the active anti-infective found in garlic is an excellent addition to a program designed to help combat chronic infections.
Garlic is nature's antibiotic, able to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. It also has been shown in studies to reduce women's risk for breast cancer. An Iowa study of over 34,000 women found that those who consumed garlic regularly had a noticeably lower incidence of breast cancer. Even 1 clove per week can make a difference. Garlic seems to be so effective at least in part, because it has more anti-oxidants than any vegetable ever tested. Anti-oxidants protect your body from damage inflicted by free radicals, which can damage the cell membrane and DNA.
Garlic also contains selenium, and women with the highest amounts of selenium in their blood seem to have the lowest rates of cancer. Selenium also stimulates the production of glutathione, one of the body's natural antioxidants. Garlic can decrease the formation of carcinogens in breast tissue by 50-70 percent. It helps to avert the initiation of breast tumors by preventing toxins from binding to DNA in breast tissue. Garlic is also effective at lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.
It thins the blood very effectively, helping to prevent blood clots. If you are taking aspirin or anti-coagulation therapy and wish to consume lots of garlic, it might be a good idea to check your PT, PTT & INR times regularly to make sure your blood coagulation levels remain normal. These are tests your doctor can order and if you are taking Coumadin, you are probably already having these tests done on a regular basis. Eating garlic may lower the dose you need to take. Also if you are planning a surgery, be sure to stop garlic 2 weeks before, since garlic is such a potent blood thinner, it can cause bleeding problems during and after a surgical procedure.
A final note on garlic. Chopping or chewing it is what activates the allicin, which seems to contain much of garlic's extraordinary power. LET GARLIC SIT FOR 15 MINUTES AFTER CHOPPING AND BEFORE USING TO ALLOW THE ALLICIN TO BECOME FULLY ACTIVE. HEAT WILL DESTROY ALLICIN, SO USE AS LITTLE HEAT AS POSSIBLE, ONLY ADDING GARLIC AT THE END OF THE COOKING PROCESS.
With regards to breast cancer there are several substances that show great promise. Wild yew contains taxanes, the substance from which "Taxol", a chemotherapeutic agent is derived. But unlike Taxol, which takes a single element from the wild yew plant and isolates it in high concentrations in a petrochemical base, often causing women who take it to become very ill, natural wild yew has all the necessary co-factors and synergistic elements that allow it to work in a more holistic and gentle way in a woman's body, while still having a powerful effect on boosting her immune system and breast health.
Medicinal mushrooms such as Maitake and Reishi have been shown in studies to have powerful effects against breast cancer. Maitake mushrooms have cancer-fighting chemicals that can arrest the growth of tumors, cause them to shrink, and prevent them from spreading to other areas of the body. Maitake mushrooms also stimulate and boost the immune system by increasing the number and function of two important immune components: macrophages and T-cells. It appears the substance in mushrooms called beta-glucans, a type of polysaccharide, is what stimulates our immune system so effectively. In one study, women with stage 3 and stage 4 breast cancers were given whole maitake powder and the "D Fraction" (the polysaccharide that contains the beta-glucans). Tumors shrank and symptoms improved in 68.8 percent of the patients. Research has also shown Maitake to be helpful in cancers of the prostate, lung and liver. Maitake are also helpful for women undergoing chemotherapy. Normally chemotherapy dramatically weakens the immune system. Maitake mushrooms can counteract that effect and keep the immune system strong. The recommended dose of maitake is 3-5 grams a day or 10-30 drops of liquid extract.
Reishi mushrooms also have many other anti-cancer effects. They can suppress adhesion and migration of cancer cells as well as shutting off new blood vessel growth in tumors. These qualities mean that Reishi mushrooms can reduce the ability of a tumor to invade both the surrounding and distant tissues.
In Japan, the use of Coriolus mushrooms has gone completely mainstream and they are prescribed routinely for patients with all forms of cancer.
Cordyceps is another outstanding medicinal mushroom that builds immune function, and has anti-tumor effects. It is also an excellent blood builder, working within the bone marrow to assist the body in the creation of blood cells, and thus can combat anemia.
Even our typical little white button mushrooms contain large amounts of gamma linoleic acid (GLA), which has been shown to be effective against breast cancer.
Vitamin C is legendary in its ability to fight infections (look for natural source rather than synthetic ascorbic acid). Lemons are especially well known for their infection fighting abilities. They are rich in bioflavenoids in addition to vitamin C. They can be included in fresh fruit or vegetable juice cocktails. Cut a lemon into quarters and juice it, peel and all. The bioflavenoids are mainly in the peel. Even grating some of the peel into salad dressing will give you some benefits and add a nice zing to your meal!
Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and are rich in Lycopene, another phytonutrient compound that has shown dramatic anti-cancer benefits. It appears to be fully activated when the tomato is cooked, so spaghetti sauces or any type of cooked tomato dish would be a good source. Watermelon is another rich source. Lycopene shows particular power against breast and prostate cancer.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the food and Drug Administration. This Product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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