Live Well Clinic

How does cancer spread? All of our cells have a controlled, normal life cycle; a beginning and an end. Inflammation from toxins, viruses and bacteria, or just plain old stress, can cause mutations in normal cell DNA, which can disrupt the cell’s programmed cell death (apoptosis). Without this programmed end, the cell can continue to grow, i.e. forming cancer.   It doesn’t stop there. Once the cancer uses up the local resources, it can move and take over other areas. This spreading is called metastasis. One of the ways that cancer spreads is through inflammatory cell signaling.   Galectin-3 found in small amounts in normal cells.   If you have an infection, galectin-3 can cause an inflammatory reaction which calls more white blood cells into the area to help fight the infection. However, over-expression of galectin-3, especially on cancer cells, allows them to stick together, invade healthy tissue, and grow by making new blood vessels to take in more nutrients. ...

“What do I do to keep the cancer from coming back?” “What do I eat?” “What do I not eat?” “How do I live a cancer free life/lifestyle?”  These questions are ones that I hear from my patients every day.  Hippocrates said it best, “let your food be your medicine, and your medicine, your food.” Let’s start with establishing some basic food guidelines for cancer and chronic disease prevention. Reduce your risk factors through diet. Don’t get bogged down on all the different kinds of diets that you find online. Variety is the spice of life.   There is no “one diet” for everyone, however, there is a diet that everyone can certainly avoid; the “SAD” or “Standard American/Western Diet”.   It is estimated that dietary factors are related to 30% of all cancer development, and the SAD diet captures them all. When eaten over time, foods high in poor quality protein, refined sugars/carbohydrates, and bad fats (breads, processed foods, pastries, fried foods, fast foods) can...