Tips for preventing disease

It’s a fact: Many people in the commonwealth have cancer or pre-cancerous conditions.

There are other diseases also, particularly diabetes and heart disease; and they all fall under the banner of non-communicable diseases (NCD’s). Once an individual develops one or more of these diseases, it begins a lifelong journey of heartbreak, treatment, and expense.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

By doing a few simple things, you can prevent most of the above diseases, and live a longer and happier life.

I was in Sunleader a while ago and I saw a beautiful Chamorro woman with her adorable daughter. The woman was buying betel nut. I said to her, as kindly as possible, “You know, that stuff can kill you.” She smiled and said, “I know.”

As many people have pointed out, old habits die hard, especially when they are ingrained as part of the local culture.

As new data comes to light about betel nut, it causes, or contributes to, a wide variety of disease—especially oral cancer.

As one dentist told me, “Once I see lesions in a patient’s mouth, I know that they have cancer.”

What baffles me is that some people would rather die than change their ways. It’s called “suicide on the installment plan.” It doesn’t have to be this way.

If an individual does a few simple things, most of the above diseases can be prevented. It’s not that hard, but it does require a little determination.

First, eliminate sugar from your diet. This means soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and all of the other sweet things we love.

Sugar is poison, and it can kill you if you eat too much. Sugar depresses the immune system, contributes to inflammation and contributes to a wide variety of diseases—most notably diabetes and cancer.

I am not suggesting that you eliminate sugar entirely, but to be mindful of the amount you take in. If you want a Coke, drink a little and then put it back in the refrigerator. One can per day probably won’t hurt you.

Baking soda (such as Arm & Hammer):

Of all the things you can do, this is one of the best, and least known.

Dissolve 1/2 tsp of baking soda in a glass of cool water and then drink it. This is a very healthy thing to do. Why?

Most of the foods we eat are acid-forming, and all diseases thrive in an acidic environment. The acid-forming foods are meat, breads, noodles, rice, and other starchy fare. Sugar is also acid-forming.

Baking soda is alkaline, and can neutralize the acid in your body. It is best to drink the baking soda mixture on its own—not immediately after a meal. Once your body becomes alkaline, it also becomes more disease-resistant. That is, your risk of getting sick drops significantly.

There are also alkaline-forming foods, such as celery and lettuce, and they are helpful also. One doctor suggested eating a stalk of celery before eating a meal. This way, the alkaline celery will help to neutralize the acid in the stomach when you eat other foods.

Turmeric

This lowly spice has phenomenal curative properties and can go a long way to preventing cancer, especially when combined with some fresh black pepper.

In fact, it is the only known substance which can kill cancer stem cells; chemo won’t do it. It is the cancer stem cells which keep the cancer alive in your body, and taking turmeric, with black pepper, will kill them. (There are many published scientific studies on this, by the way).

The ratio is this: 1 tablespoon of turmeric and ¼ tsp of fresh black pepper. The pepper acts as a catalyst to turmeric’s anti-cancer properties. You can add more of each, but keep the ratio consistent.

You can also make a hot drink with the above mixture, or add it to cooked rice, or even to your favorite soup. There is nothing healthier or more anti-cancer than turmeric with black pepper added.

And yet, people here eat a lot of white rice. Just think—adding turmeric and black pepper will not only make the white rice tastier, it will help to prevent cancer

All of the above suggestions are easy, and I hope you will consider them.

It is wise to cut down on all processed foods also. Instead of buying canned meat, buy a dozen eggs or some chicken quarters. Each costs around $2.50, and the eggs and the chicken are far more healthy than anything from a can. And, as you probably know, anything canned is full of chemicals; it also poses a health risk if eaten regularly.

It would be extremely naïve of me to thing that once someone reads this they will immediately change their eating habits. Yes, old habits die hard.

Therefore, what I encourage you to do is to begin gradually. That is, to start tapering off the bad foods (canned meat, for example) and begin to eat fresh food—if it’s only one meal per week.

Get a box of baking —it’s very inexpensive—and starting taking 1/2 tsp in a glass of water every day. It takes about one minute, and is one of the best things you can do if you want to stay healthy. It works wonders.

Cut way back on your sugar intake, and find other things to snack on, such as nuts, which are good for you. Eating a handful of peanuts is far healthier than eating a candy bar; plus they are nutritious. The healthiest nuts are walnuts, but they are also expensive.

Turmeric with black pepper is a very good idea, but not everyone has turmeric powder on their kitchen shelf. However, if you have cancer, or other pre-cancerous condition, I urge you to get some powdered turmeric, add some fresh black pepper, and start mixing it into your cooked rice or soups.

If you’re “on chemo” keep taking it, but add the turmeric and black pepper. As the Jewish mother once said, “It wouldn’t hurt!”

Saving your own life, and that of your kids, ought to be a priority for everyone. But, as I said, old habits die hard, and many of our beautiful locals will continue to get sick and die, unnecessarily.

It doesn’t have to be this way. You can prevent almost all disease; it just takes a little will-power.