I posted stories on this relationship between flight crews and cancer in 2000 and in 1999.

One of the best things you can do to limit your risk of cancer, whether you are a pilot, flight attendant or otherwise, is to make certain you are eating healthy food. This is virtually impossible with the decreasing quality of airline food, especially coach, in the last few years. Even first-class food is not much better. So make sure you bring your own food on long trips and don't rely on the garbage the airlines seek to pass as food.

Some great snacks to take with you on the plane include (of course, you’ll want to pick foods that are best for your metabolic type):

• Hard-boiled eggs (organic, omega-3 eggs)
• Avocado
• Raw coconut
• Turkey or other meat slices (organic, free-range)
• Sliced vegetables
• Walnuts
• Cherry tomatoes
• Raw seeds
• Raw milk cheese

For some tips on how to prevent cancer, I encourage you to look through the articles below as well as--and this you can start today--start taking a regular dose of fish oil, which is an excellent source of omega-3 fats.

Always remember omega-3 fats are essential to your, and your children's, health. The best source for omega-3 is fish oil and cod liver oil, as, unlike other sources such as walnuts or flax seeds, it is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The human brain is also highly dependent on DHA--low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Now is the time when most people living in colder climates will want to switch from fish oil to cod liver oil, as it has the extra vitamin D that most people need at this time of year. However, it is possible to overdose on vitamin D, so the best way to know whether your vitamin D levels are within safe limits is to check your blood level of vitamin D.

When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is important to remember that not all brands are the same. In my research--and in my clinical experience with my patients--I have found that

1. the liquid form is superior to capsules
2. certain brands definitely seem inferior to others
3. the Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod liver oil is of an exceptional quality and purity

It is likely not the only brand in the world of such high quality, but up to this point it is the only one of such quality that I can recommend. You can look for it in your local health food store and we also carry it in our Web site store.

Generally, our diets contain not only far too little omega-3, but far too many omega-6 fats. Experts looking at the dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids suggest that in early human history the ratio was about 1:1. Currently most Americans eat a dietary ratio that falls between 20:1 and 50:1. The optimal ratio is most likely closer to the original ratio of 1:1. For most of us this means not only increasing our omega-3 intake through fish oil, but also greatly reducing the omega-6 fatty acids we consume.

Please recognize that we get ALL the omega-6 (and omega-9) fat we need from food. We do NOT need to take any supplements for these fats. Many of the omega fat supplements you see in health food stores will only serve to worsen your health, not improve it, as they contain omega-6 fats that will only worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

I strongly recommend avoiding sunflower, corn, soy, safflower, and canola oil, and products that contain these oils. This also means no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, no margarine, no vegetable oil and no shortening. These oils are full of omega-6 fats and will only worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

Acceptable oils include high-quality extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and organic butter ... or better yet, grass-fed organic butter.

Another way to improve your omega-6:3 ratio is to change the type of meat you are eating. Since I can't recommend fish due to their high levels of mercury and other toxins these days--unless they have been lab tested and found to be safe to eat--the best meats are those raised primarily or entirely on grass diets. Nearly all cattle found in grocery stores and restaurants are grain-fed before slaughter, so if you eat this type of beef, it will typically worsen you omega-6:omega-3 ratio.

Though it may sound unusual to some, two of the best meats on the planet--in terms of nutrition value and their incredible taste--are bison and ostrich. And on Mercola.com, I offer bison meat and our exclusive omega-3-rich ostrich meat, both of which are free-ranged, fed primarily grass/alfalfa diets, and contain no antibiotics or steroids. Whether from my site or elsewhere, I urge you to try bison and ostrich.

You can also consume a more "gamey" meat like venison, or try grass-fed beef, which I also highly recommend on Mercola.com. The grass-fed beef I recommend is even higher in omega-3 than fish, with a 6:3 ratio of 0.16 to 1 (this information is from a study done at Iowa State University in August 2001). It is still hard to find in grocery stores, however, and unlike bison and ostrich--which both taste like prime beef--some find the taste of grass-fed beef too lean.

On a side note, you should be cautious of stores advertising grass-fed beef that really isn't truly grass-fed. ALL cattle are grass-fed to some small extent, but the key is what they are fed the months prior to being processed. Most all cattle are shipped to giant feed lots and fed corn to fatten them up. Your best bet is to call the person who actually grew the beef, NOT the store manager, to find out the truth.

Another effective way to determine if the meat is really from a grass-fed animal is to purchase the ground beef and slowly cook it until it's done, then drain and collect all the fat. Grass-fed beef will contain a relatively small amount of such fat compared to traditionally prepared ground beef (which is why some find the taste of grass-fed too lean!).

In summary:

1. Most Americans, young and old, are highly deficient in omega-3, and one of the best things you can do for yourself and your children is routinely consume fish oil in warm months and cod liver oil in cool months, as they are high in the best kind of omega-3.

2. You should cut out or reduce the oils and foods high in omega-6 fats, as Americans get far too much of them. This includes corn, sunflower, soy, canola and safflower oil, margarine, vegetable oil and shortening.

3. You should eat healthy meats, as store-bought beef and other common meats can worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Bison and ostrich are two great-tasting and very healthy choices, and game animals or beef that is truly grass-fed are other good options.

Related Articles:

Vitamin D for Cancer

More Evidence That Sugar Increases Cancer

Cancer Deaths Increasing -- The One Simple Thing You Can Do to Dramatically Lower Your Risk

Raspberries Helpful for Throat Cancer

Slathering on Sunscreen Does Not Prevent Cancer