According to a study published by the National Cancer Institute in 1992, a researcher from Johns Hopkins University discovered broccoli to be one of the best cancer fighting foods.

The research revealed there was a special compound in broccoli and it was responsible for reducing the size of cancer cells by nearly 75%. It was also found to prevent the development of cancer by nearly 60%.

Aside from this special compound, broccoli also contains vitamin C, fiber, calcium, vitamin K, beta-carotene and much more. It is also an amazing source of iron for everyone (especially, vegans, who sometimes have challenges here).

Broccoli also contains sulforaphane which scientific studies have shown to be effective against a specific bacterium that is a common cause of gastric ulcers and gastric cancer.

Also, smokers under the age of 65 are encouraged to indulge in a cup of broccoli a day as studies have shown it to help battle colon cancer cells as well.

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Wheatgrass is one of the most beneficial, complete foods there is!

Therefore, it’s no surprise that it is one of the best cancer fighting foods you can put into your body.

Wheatgrass, like all green vegetables, contain chlorophyll and are high in oxygen. Cells in the body thrive in a highly-oxygenated environment.

Wheatgrass, because it is very high in chlorophyll, provides natural detoxification. The chlorophyll found in this and other leafy greens not only cleanses and builds blood, but research now shows that it may also assist in offsetting the adverse effects of radiation. It is so nutritionally condensed that 15 pounds of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrot, lettuce, celery, and other juices.

I do my best to have 3-4 ounces of wheatgrass a day. It’s a great way to start your day. Wakes you right up – it’s better than coffee without the crash.

Actually, we drink wheatgrass as a family and make a race out of it to see who drinks it first (of course, the kids always win) and, of course, we celebrate who gets the biggest green mustache. Click Here for even more amazing benefits of Wheatgrass

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I was horrified when I saw the news of a 10 year old California girl who was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Eleven years ago, at age 33, I was diagnosed with breast cancer as well.

Everyone was shocked and horrified including the doctors especially since I had no family history of breast cancer.  I was the youngest woman being treated at the time at one of the largest cancer hospitals in NY.  Shortly after, to add more shock, my husband was diagnosed with malignant melanoma.  He was just 34.

I didn’t make any changes to my lifestyle, other than being told not to take vitamin C; I wasn’t told that I needed to make changes.  I wish I had made changes.

Nine years ago, the cancer returned and I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  I was told nothing could be done to save me.

At that point, I became passionate about learning why cancer and other illnesses happen and what we can do to prevent and heal from them.  We applied what we learned and my husband and I have been cancer free for 9 years.  It became our life mission to share this information.

As I began speaking and writing about cancer and other illnesses, I noticed that the age of both women and men being diagnosed with breast cancer became younger and younger.  Having been diagnosed with breast cancer in my thirties, it deeply saddened and frightened me that teenagers were now being diagnosed.

Now the worst news of all…
a 10-year old is diagnosed with breast cancer.  As a woman, mother and someone who lived through breast cancer twice, I am devastated for her and her family. Very sadly, though, I am not shocked.  These days, it’s not uncommon for 16- and 17-year olds to be diagnosed, however the large jump in age down to 10-years old has happened too quickly.

In my speaking and writing, I often talk about what is happening to our children’s health and the impact that our choices are having on them.  This is the first generation of children that is on a path to live shorter lives than their parents.

I urge you to please visit our site to learn more about why this is happening and how we can help not only ourselves, but more importantly, our children, and prevent a continuation of this terrifying destructive spiral.

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Given that meditation has been practiced for centuries, various movements have emerged. But regardless of their names or techniques, this can be grouped into two basic approaches.

The first is called concentrative meditation. Here, the person focuses attention on the breath, an image or a sound to create a greater awareness and clarity. Think of it as looking at something through a microscope so you are able to narrow your focus.

It’s easy…all you have to do is sit down and breathe. The correct way of doing it is to inhale and exhale slowly and through it, your focus becomes deeper and slower, your mind becomes more aware and tranquil. (more…)

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These days, going to the doctor when you are ill is not the only way you can feel better. We cover many alternative “feel better” ways on our site especially the why’s and the how-to-avoids.

According to the National Center for Complementary Medicine, meditation is among the top 10 alternative therapy treatments. But before we get into that, let’s review some meditation facts.

First, meditation means awareness.

Why? Your senses are heightened as you concentrate on your breathing and your hearing becomes sharper than before. Through meditation, you ask your mind to block out distractions so you are able to find inner peace. You can actually carry that with you when you open your eyes, too.

Some think that meditation is a religion when, in fact, it’s a science. Numerous studies done in the past show that those who practice it, feel relaxed, are more physically fit, have improvements in their academic standing and have an increase in their productivity at work.

Where did the word “meditation” come from?

It comes from two Latin words. The first is, “meditari,” which means to think, dwell upon or to exercise the mind. The second is, “mederi,” meaning, to heal. If you put these two together, it describes basically what this activity is — a time for you to reach deep into your mind and recharge.

As you can see, meditation has benefits that are physiological, physical and psychological. You don’t have to take any pills or get a prescription. It’s free and it doesn’t consume much time. It can be done in 5 to 20 minutes a day. Sit comfortably, quietly and close your eyes while focusing on your breath for 5 to 20 minutes then continue on with whatever you were doing before.

A fact about all meditation…it’s a focus to silence the busy mind.

It does not remove the stimulation which you feel around you but rather directs your concentration to something else to achieve increasing inner peace and improving wellness.

Keeping an open mind is essential so that this science can have its tremendously powerful effect.

Aside from all the benefits that we have covered here, on our website and in some of our other blogs, one of the greatest things that I have found with meditation is that the more I do it, the more I am able to bring incredible things into my life. Sometimes it is something physical and sometimes it is guidance, stronger intuition, answers, insight that enables me to help someone else, or, perhaps, it brings me in contact with people that I am meant to meet.

The possibilities are endless and the effects can be so subtle that you barely notice them at first, but once you pay attention to how much better your day goes when you meditate, you will probably find it’s definitely worth sticking with.

Next we will cover easy ways to meditate.

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“How Biological Medicine and a Cancer Reversing Diet Saved our Lives”

One day, Joyce and Kevin O’Brien were walking around thinking they were perfectly healthy. They were living life, working hard, playing hard and having fun just like any other 30-year-old couple. Their lives were ahead of them with nothing in the way. Same stuff, different day or so they thought.

Click here to read more

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In our last blog, we talked about hobbies as stress relievers, now we are going to tap into more adventurous stress relievers…

Going Outdoors or Indoors

Sports are not only good for stress but also for your body. They require both physical and mental ability. If you feel that you need to break away from all the problems you have, invite a friend or group of friends to have a friendly outdoor game. There are many activities that you can engage yourself in. There is basketball, volleyball, even badminton and ping pong. All of these activities do not require long attention spans and are a sure way to change your focus. Sweating from more strenuous activities has the added benefit of releasing tension in your body and provides long lasting relief.

There are also many indoor sports that you can try. Table tennis only takes up a small amount of space and can be played by many. Board games like Scrabble, Word Factory and bridge are also sports. The only difference is they require you to use your brain. Keep those brain cells alive by getting your hands on board games.

Take A Break

Long hours of work or monthly activities that are monotonous can cause stress as well.

Taking a vacation and breaking yourself away from your work is absolutely a great idea. If you think you deserve the break, ask for some vacation time and go somewhere where work can’t get to you. A change of scenery can keep you from getting all stressed out, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive spa! Anywhere in nature will do and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Vacations offer a lot of things that you can try, but so many of us don’t give ourselves that invaluable gift. There is fishing, kayaking, even rock climbing if you are the extreme type. My mother has a friend who is 91 who started camping when she was a kid and she still goes camping with her family every year! But if you are not into serene or quiet hideaways, seeing a new city or experiencing a new culture and their food and history can take you to a whole new world. You can take your vacation anywhere, even if you only have 30 minutes in your bathtub. Calgon…take me away.

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Working requires long hours of concentration and complete dedication. You may feel compelled to finish work to achieve a deadline, meet client satisfaction, or attain a quota. All these factors can be very stressful but they are inevitable since they motivate people to strive harder.

Even at home we all have stress. Your child may be failing in her studies, or you are late with your rent or bills. These things can be stressful even if we are just thinking about them. If you cannot prioritize what is important, you may feel stress every single day. Sometimes, you have no choice but to remove yourself from a stressful situation and just break away from everything.

Hobbies

Hobbies and pastimes are very good stress relievers. You can take your mind away from problems by having some balance in your life and concentrating on things that are enjoyable and fun. There are several activities that you can enjoy depending on what suits you best.

If you are into singing, go out with your friends and enjoy a sing-a-long at a karaoke bar. Even singing inside your bathroom is not a bad idea. You can enjoy singing almost anywhere as long as you are not bothering anyone. I love to really belt it out in the car! Doesn’t everyone? Oh, come on don’t tell me you don’t.

Dance when no one is around, or even better do it when everyone is looking! We embarrass the heck out of our daughter when we dance in public, the crazier the better, then we laugh hysterically (she is secretly laughing too — she just doesn’t want her friends to know she thinks it’s funny).

If you are not into singing or dancing but are more artistic, purchase a sketchpad and a pencil or any art materials and sketch or paint away. This is a great stress reliever. If that’s too much, you can do paint by numbers or just borrow some crayons and a coloring book from one of your kids or nieces or nephews. These are great stress relievers!

The possibilities are endless when it comes to hobbies. Other people like to tinker on things when they feel stressed. Find the things that you like doing the most and use it to relieve yourself from stress. Not one good thing comes from allowing stress to affect you. Hobbies do not need long hours of attention and they can be done anywhere and are usually cheap.

Check back for our next blog with more fun stress free tips…

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Making the most of what you have physically, emotionally and spiritually is what wellness is all about:

If you don’t have time to do a full workout, don’t let it stop you from making the most out of what time you do have.

I have an elliptical machine that has very strong resistance. If I only have 5 minutes, I will do 5 minutes. I’m 5 minutes closer to my goals of improving wellness and I feel better about myself than if I hadn’t done it.

If the weather is good, take a 5 minute walk. You might be surprised by how much you will love clearing your head and, with that positive experience under your belt, you might have the incentive to do 6 minutes the next day. You can also just bounce in place for a few minutes by lifting your heel off the ground and back down again in a quick but gentle motion. This gets the lymphatic system and circulation going.

Getting in a five or six minute burst of exercise is better than not doing it at all. It will give you the oxygen that you need to provide an energy boost, especially, when done in the middle of the day. And, of course, fresh air will help your body re-oxygenate, assisting in the recovery from accumulated stress.

Whatever you can do, just do it! Your body will love you for it and it will pay you back 10 fold with increasing wellness.

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Exercise tips

You will want to follow an exercise routine to make the most out of your valuable time and have the results you desire. Jogging around the block or lifting some weights will not provide the desired overall effect of a complete workout.

Here are some tips that will help in releasing stress through physical exercise:

1. Time. Before indulging in some serious sweating, it’s important to set some time aside allowing you to have an uninterrupted workout. No screaming kids to drag you down, no phone solicitors, no nosy neighbors knocking at your door. Getting going before anyone gets you going — usually early morning– is the best time for exercise.

2. Warm-up exercise. It is very important to engage in “light” exercise to warm up before engaging in a heavy-duty workout. Painful cramping and soreness can be avoided by doing some light stretches, bending, flexing, etc., utilizing all muscle groups from your feet up to your head.

Make sure you do this slowly and with pre-set time intervals so your body won’t react negatively.

Why warm-up? It allows your body to adapt to the work-out slowly, safely and comfortably.

3. Tools. If you decide not to go to the gym and choose to exercise at home, there are a myriad of books and videos to which you can and should refer to ensure you exercise safely. Choose the one you feel you would most enjoy while making sure you incorporate routines for different parts of your body.

If you want to create a serious exercise routine you might want to consider purchasing equipment that will enhance your workout and improve your body’s performance. A machine can make it so much easier and more effective, especially, since it serves as that friend who reminds you that it really needs you to make it work. Aww, isn’t that sweet? It also can make the workout itself so much easier since it takes some of the thinking and planning work out of it.

4. Proper Diet. Probably, the most important facet of health and, of course, your physical workout is your food intake.

While improving your muscles, make sure that your internal organs are supported through a healthy diet. Make sure that you eat enough so that your body won’t get tired from the physical exercise, but also avoid unwanted cholesterol and calories. Stay away from fast and junk foods. Stick with fruits and veggies…they’re always a healthier choice. Please see our site, www.BeingCancerFree.com for some healthy alternatives.

Next we will talk about the 5 minute workout…

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