The high prevalence rate of cancer and heart disease, even among the military personnel, has necessitated the need to underline not only the use of drugs in the military personnel, but also the role of nutrition in eradicating cancer and heart disease. This has been attributed to the fact that the high dependence on tobacco, instead of a healthy diet, has affected the readiness of the military personnel, thus weakening the county’s security department.
Over the years, eating habits have provoked scientific groups to study the nutritional value of food with regard to prevention of cancer as well as heart disease. Willett & Skerrett (2005) allege that reviewing the nutritional value in foods and the way it affects health, especially on people suffering from cancer and cardiovascular diseases, helps to substantiate the importance of verifying nutritional value of every meal served, since there are a number of contradictory views derived from various nutritionists’ studies. My personal experience in relation to cancer plays a very crucial role in substantiating facts about cancer and heart disease.
Nutritional value in meals has become a major concern in my life from the time I was diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor in the month of January this year. I had developed a very big tumor, which was almost the size of a golf ball. The tumor, however, was successfully removed, and in a bid to prevent a future reoccurrence of the tumor, I had to undergo a complete lifestyle change, especially with my diet. Given the slight improvement on the CGA blood test, which was from 131 to 99 from the month of March to May, my healthy eating habits have contributed greatly towards living healthier. In addition, being a survivor in the third stage of cancer, I am certain that I am on my way to achieving the normal CGA test, which is normally from 20 to 94. But is there any relationship between nutrition and cancer? Does cancer emanate from genetic factors?
According to Weinberg (1999), cancer emanates from uncontrolled growth of cells, which eventually destroy the genes. The spread of the tumor is facilitated by the presence of blood or lymph in the body. Given the high prevalence rate of cancer [1 in every 3], various scientific studies have delved into the study of identifying the very person who is at risk of being infected with cancer. Basing my knowledge on the inference of Weinberg (1999), who cites that the presence of foreign bodies, including smoke from tobacco, as well as internal origin play a major role in damaging DNA cells, I am in a position of evaluating the real cause of cancer in my life. The fact that I have never smoked and cancer does not run in my family eliminates the hereditary factors as well as the presence of foreign bodies from smoke in relation to cancer in my life.
Willett & Skerrett (2005) assert that nutrition plays a key role in eradicating the cancer as well as heart disease. However, eradicating cancer and heart disease has faced contradictory inferences, as some nutritionists are of the view that proper eating habits revolve around taking foods that serve the role of improving the health status as opposed to shedding weight. Therefore, consumption of fruits and vegetables in plenty is recommended because they contain photochemicals, which, according to Edlin & Golanty (2009), play a key role in eliminating toxins emanating from consumption of inorganic foods as well as refined oils that we consume in our day-to-day life.
High protein foods, on the other hand, are discouraged because they facilitate the growth of tumors if consumed in amounts above the required. Therefore, much emphasis should be put on consuming cruciferous vegetables, as they are rich in sulforaphane as well as isothiocyanates chemicals, which play a crucial role in prevention of cancer. Tomatoes, peaches, grapefruits, watermelon, and papaya should also be consumed in abundance, since the lycopene chemical found in them plays a crucial role in preventing oxidative damage, thus reducing the chances of being infected with cancer as well as heart disease. More so, even though much has not been credited to grapes, onions, and apples, they contribute greatly in decreasing chances of being infected with cancer as well as heart disease, since they are rich in photochemical known as flavanoids, according to Edlin & Golanty (2009).
Being a member of an active military service, which I am now serving for the 18th year, I need to incorporate sugar in my diet. However, the type of sugar that my family and I consume should only come from organic sugar or healthy sweeteners, since, according to Barnard (2004), refined sugar attracts growth of tumors. Given the current policy of providing information concerning nutritional value and the amount of calories in meals, one key question still remains: how much effort do you put in verifying the nutritional value of chemicals within diverse fruits and vegetables with regard to control of cancer and heart disease?
References
Barnard, R. J. (January 01, 2004). Prevention of Cancer Through Lifestyle Changes. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 1(3), 233-239.
Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2009). Health and wellness. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.
Weinberg, R. A. (1999). One Renegade Cell: The Quest for the Origin of Cancer. New York: Basic Books.
Willett, W. C., & Skerrett, P. J. (2005). Eat, drink, and be healthy: The Harvard Medical School guide to healthy eating ; a Harvard Medical School book co-developed with the Harvard School of Public Health : [includes new recipes and important new information about the just revised USDA guidelines]. New York: Free Press.