Today I had the opportunity to speak about Nutrition and Cancer Coaching close to home as a guest on Rogers Daytime York Region, hosted by Jaqueline Betterton (@HostJacqueline). Jacqueline is a great host and guided our conversation through areas of my cancer coaching and nutrition practice.
The importance of addressing nutrition and lifestyle during cancer care is an approach that is truly a coming of age. As guests of the show we all wait in the “Green Room” before we go on to the set. Today there were five of us and as we discussed our reasons for appearing on the show we found out that 3 of us had gone through a cancer diagnosis and one had a spouse who had gone through cancer. So to recount, 3 of 5 had experienced a cancer diagnosis on the patient front and one on the support front. To me that is a staggering number.
Looking at the 2015 publication of Canadian Cancer Statistics it is estimated that 1 in 2.2 men and 1 in 2.4 females will develop cancer in their lifetime and while the survival rate has improved over the last 20 years we still have such a very long way to go.
In January 2015 the World Cancer Congress in Melbourne identified “cancer as an environmental disease caused mainly by avoidable lifestyle factors”. Such lifestyle factors include smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet which may lead to obesity.
Obesity as a risk factor on its own is associated with increased risks of:
- Esophagus
- Pancreas
- Colon and rectum
- Breast (after menopause)
- Endometrium (lining of the uterus)
- Kidney
- Thyroid
- Gallbladder
Causation is not a straight line but the path to cancer care is becoming clearer. Successful cancer protocols must not only incorporate allopathic care but also a very strong nutritional and lifestyle component. It will take an integrative approach to truly start making a positive change to cancer statistics.