Lifestyle choices play a major role in achieving good health, for according to the Cancer Atlas of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland 1991-2000, geography contributes far less to the incidence of cancer in the UK than making the wrong health choices.
The 400-page atlas, published by the Office for National Statistics, recognizes areas such as northern England and Central Scotland where rates are far higher because of unhealthy lifestyles. People living in these communities are shown to be more prone to die of cancers linked to excessive alcohol and smoking such as:
In fact, 25,000 new cancer cases and more than 17,000 deaths in the UK could be prevented if all areas of the country matched those with the lowest mortality, explained the director of the National Cancer Intelligence Centre.
In other words: Places do not get cancer, people do.
Health Divide
The atlas also highlights the prominent health divide between the North and South of Britain and the strong link between poverty and social deprivation.
It contains several color-coded maps illustrating the distribution of 21 of the most common cancers between 1991 and 2000 and is the first attempt to map cancer trends for the UK and Ireland.
Among the statistics:
Bowel cancer rates for men and women were higher than average in Scotland and Northern Ireland and in men living in urban, northern England.
Male and female lung cancer rates were high in central Scotland and northern England.
There was a higher than average incidence of breast cancer among women in northern Scotland.
Incidence rates for esophagus (or gullet) cancer were noticeably higher than average in much of northern England and Scotland.
British Medical Journal July 9, 2005;331(65)
Times Online July 5, 2005
It is very clear that lifestyle plays a prominent role in your likelihood of developing cancer. However, I believe the authors, like most conventional researchers, fail to have a full appreciation of the benefit of sun exposure to decreasing cancer risk. The main issue here is that where you live can strongly influence the amount of sunshine you are able to get on a regular basis, which, in turn, influences how much vitamin D your body will make.
The connection between vitamin D levels and cancer has come into light over the last few years, and the evidence of a link continues to grow stronger as more investigations are completed.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to expose yourself to significant amounts of sunshine on a daily basis, it will be important for you to supplement your diet with extra amounts of vitamin D in order to make up for it. Before doing so, it is also important for you to have your doctor test your current vitamin D levels to see where, exactly, you stand before beginning supplementation.
Finally, it's also important to remember that sun exposure can increase your risk of certain types of skin cancer, if you are not careful about it.
Therefore, at the beginning of the season, go out gradually and limit your exposure to perhaps as little as five to 10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer. If you are really sensitive you can start by exposing only your feet and progressively more skin on your legs and then your arms. More details on this are available in my absolute favorite book on this topic, The Healing Sun.
While it's obviously important to never get burned, using sunscreen is not a good way to limit your sun exposure either. In fact, sunscreen is one of the last things you want to put on your body.
You can work around this quite effectively by avoiding the peak hours of sunlight, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., if you know you will be in it for a long enough time that a burn will occur. If you only plan on being in the sun for 20-30 minutes, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is the best time to do it because that will typically maximize your vitamin D production without burning you.
You can also use your clothing to block the sun's rays during your exposure time with the use of hats and light-weight, long-sleeve shirts and pants, or simply stay in the shade once you have reached your "dose."
Please remember, complete avoidance of the sun is nearly a guarantee that you will suffer health complications in the future.
Gary Craig’s Comment:
In support of Dr. Mercola’s recommendations of sunshine and natural methods for avoiding cancer and promoting health, I would also like to emphasize the value of “Inner Sunshine.” I speak here of emotional peace; the radiance that comes from within when forgiveness replaces anger, guilt, resentment and the like.
There is an often used Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) method for taking you in that direction that we call The Personal Peace Procedure.
Note: Those without an EFT background can receive an orientation by getting the free EFT Get Started Package, including a free download of the 79 page EFT Manual (it includes all the basics). Those wishing to save time and dive right in can get our very affordable training videos.
Gary Craig is a pioneering developer of EFT, a profoundly effective emotional/mental healing approach. Dr. Mercola attributes much of the incredible and permanent patient successes at his clinic, The Optimal Wellness Center, to the fact that EFT is used with every patient to address all three levels of healing: mind, body and spirit. Of the thousands of natural treatments Dr. Mercola has studied and used in his 20 years of practicing medicine, he feels that EFT is the greatest healing technique that exists.
Read more about Gary Craig's EFT Course.
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