Mysty PfefferAs you know, the month of October is breast cancer awareness month. Since all cancers combined are the #2 killer of women: What is your go-to cancer battle strategy?
I have a special friend beginning her battle to defeat the enemy of cancer as I write this. So, I’d like to spend our time together focusing on prayer, uplifting scripture, and discussing the wonderful provision God provides in his garden to battle this disease in all its forms.
Prayer
Dearest God, you know the heart of my friend battling cancer and what she needs today. I pray she feels your Holy Spirit holding her close and guiding her through this scary process. You see the uncertainty, the trepidation, and courage. She is resilient because she is well loved. She is thankful because you have placed people in her path who care and seek to help. Glorious God, you make a way for the heart of my friend to survive and be filled with all this support. I thank you and praise you for your loving care.
Scripture
“Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You. I said to Yahweh, ‘You are my lord; I have nothing good besides You. As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them. Psalm 16:1-3
Psalm 16 ESV – You Will Not Abandon My Soul – A Miktam – Bible Gateway
Provision
Prayer and scripture are powerful tools for battling the enemy of cancer, aren’t they? Another blessing for our arsenal is God’s wonderful provision in the garden. Here are a couple things to avoid and a few top things to consume when fighting this enemy.
One is to avoid highly processed food with additives, preservatives, and sugar. Plus…
—– All tobacco products and alcohol.
Major risk factors for breast cancer are genetic mutation, obesity, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, red meat consumption, and processed food intake. (1)
Two, is a no brainer… consume fresh fruits and vegetables. Plus eating lean sources of lean protein to keep up your strength.
Although there is no specific diet for fighting breast cancer (or other cancers), we can trace the general practices of populations with low incidences of cancer to get an idea of how to follow their lead.
What do they eat regularly to have such low rates? How do they live?
As with all healthy practices and efforts in improving our health, the L.E.A.N principle applies with cancer prevention too. L.E.A.N. stands for Lifestyle, exercise, attitude, and nutrition, they are the four pillars of health I teach in my family, pregnancy, and adult programs from the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute.
God ‘s powerful provision for battling this disease is so impressive! We can sample a few each day to build or restore our defenses.
“Lord you are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”
Psalm 16 ESV – You Will Not Abandon My Soul – A Miktam – Bible Gateway
Now let’s talk about the right fats to battle breast cancer
Here are a few facts I learned about fat this week when researching diet and breast cancer.
Since the last four decades have touted the benefits of low-fat dieting it’s going to take a while to cease and desist. Discernment in reading is imperative, as well as looking at who is funding the studies we are reading.
Please know, newer studies show that understanding “right fats” is more important to prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases, than a “low fat” concept.
Now, does that mean you can eat as much fat as you want? I’d say think about how God placed fat naturally in nature.
Did He create it alongside sugar cane or honey? No.
Did He put it in starchy vegetables or bread? No.
Did He put it alongside protein? Yes
Abundant healthy monosaturated fat sources are in things like fish, nuts, seeds, and some fruits. While its saturated sources are from beef, poultry, and others.
In Leviticus chapter 16 specific parts of the fat were to be removed and offered to God in the sacrifice. The fat around the entrails, the organs….in other words the “hard fat” around the meat was to be burned.
“It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”
I find it interesting; this is God’s way of protecting us from saturated fat that stores toxins and chemicals the animal consumes.
Several studies confirm this:
1. Experimental data shows the composition of dietary fat has a greater impact on the pathogenesis of cancer than the total fat. In fact, saturated fat does not pose a health risk within a ***balanced diet. *** (1)
2. An 8-year women’s study in 40 US clinics found no effect of low-fat interventions in lowering breast cancer risk. (2)
3. A clinical trial in Canada showed “fat intake at baseline and after intervention were not associated with changes in breast cancer risks. In this study, higher fat intake was associated with lower risk of Era negative breast cancer. (3)
4. A large meta-analysis study suggested a positive association between consumption of PUFAs and breast cancer incidence. These are the seed oils we talked about avoiding in the Women and Heart disease class! (4)
5. There is a beneficial effect on the long-term dietary use of extra virgin olive oil in the primary prevention of breast cancer. (5)
So, there you have it, the right fats are more important to overall health and reducing cancer risks.
The main point of concern is not abusing sugar laden items loaded with fat or eating large meals with saturated fat.
I’m here for you if you need further education or coaching on any of these matters on this site or by contacting mystypfefferwellness@gmail.com!
Thank you,
Mysty
Simplifying Health God’s Way
References:
1. Bojková B, Winklewski PJ, Wszedybyl-Winklewska M. Dietary Fat and Cancer-Which Is Good, Which Is Bad, and the Body of Evidence. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 9;21(11):4114. doi: 10.3390/ijms21114114. PMID: 32526973; PMCID: PMC7312362.
2. Donovan MG, Wren SN, Cenker M, Selmin OI, Romagnolo DF. Dietary fat and obesity as modulators of breast cancer risk: Focus on DNA methylation. Br J Pharmacol. 2020 Mar;177(6):1331-1350. doi: 10.1111/bph.14891. Epub 2020 Jan 26. PMID: 31691272; PMCID: PMC7056465.
3. Toledo E, Salas-Salvadó J, Donat-Vargas C, Buil-Cosiales P, Estruch R, Ros E, Corella D, Fitó M, Hu FB, Arós F, Gómez-Gracia E, Romaguera D, Ortega-Calvo M, Serra-Majem L, Pintó X, Schröder H, Basora J, Sorlí JV, Bulló M, Serra-Mir M, Martínez-González MA. Mediterranean Diet and Invasive Breast Cancer Risk Among Women at High Cardiovascular Risk in the PREDIMED Trial: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Nov;175(11):1752-1760. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.4838. Erratum in: JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Dec 1;178(12):1731-1732. PMID: 26365989.
4. Alegre MM, Knowles MH, Robison RA, O’Neill KL. Mechanics behind breast cancer prevention – focus on obesity, exercise and dietary fat. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2013;14(4):2207-12. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.4.2207. PMID: 23725113.
