May 1, 2013

"O" Zone


A new article, titled "Latin America Faces Cancer Epidemic," states the following about a recent study1 in Latin America:
Latin America's growing prosperity is fueling a cancer epidemic that threatens to overwhelm the region unless governments take urgent preventive action, a study published on Friday warned.
A multinational team of researchers found the current state of cancer care and prevention in Latin America incompatible with the socioeconomic changes taking place in the region, where an increasingly urban populace faces mounting lifestyle-related cancer risks.
Writing in The Lancet Oncology medical journal, researchers said Latin Americans are enjoying the benefits of growing economic prosperity but also are leading longer, more sedentary lives, accompanied by a rise in alcohol consumption, smoking and obesity. That is not only leading to an increase in cancer rates, which are expected to rise more than 33 percent in the region by 2020, but a disproportionately high number of cancer deaths.
"If corrective action is not taken this problem will become magnitudes of order bigger than it is today, it will create massive human suffering and it will threaten the economies of the region," Paul Goss, a professor at Harvard Medical School who led the study, said at an event in Sao Paulo on Friday."2
It is interesting that the cause of cancer is being addressed here: a so-called advanced society, and economic prosperity. But in our country the emphasis is on treatment of the condition after the condition has already settled into the body. We see the results of this approach. We spend nearly twice as much per person as any other country on health care, and we rank near 30th in outcomes.  
So, what is the answer? The answer lies in a healthy lifestyle. Once cancer shows up, it is hard to heal. Once diabetes is present, it is a slow decline to the end stages of life, and the list goes on. So the answer is to stay healthy, avoiding the pitfalls of a so-called prosperous society. So what should we do?
Stay active. That means stay off the couch. Exercise regularly. It doesn't take much. Just walk a few times a week. Be able to go hike and not worry if you can make it up a hill. Be active. 
Eat well. That means to determine what your body needs, and feed it clean, seasonally available foods that are organic, if possible. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, beans, clean meats, and healthy grains, according to your Metabolic Profile. If you don't know what that is, stop by the office and take the test—it’s free—to determine what your profile is. Then start planning your food choices.  
Come in and get your body balanced with the seasons with acupuncture. We just shifted into the spring season and it has sprouted a lot of allergy- and viral-related illnesses. Come in and get balanced and stay healthy, instead of trying to regain lost momentum.  
Lastly, seek an avenue to help you become more spiritually and emotionally healthy. Of all of the aspects of health, this is the most difficult to achieve and the most important to work on. It is the foundation of all the other aspects of your health makeup. If you don't know where to start, or are stuck on your current path and it no longer gives you the passion you need, it is time for a visit to Dr. Olson. Come in and we'll get you on an active path toward spiritual and emotional health again.
It is surprising what medical science knows, that they don't preach. So take control of your own health. Plan where you need to improve. Start today. Tomorrow may be much harder or too late. 

1.            “Planning cancer control in Latin America and the Caribbean.” http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(13)70048-2/abstract