Cancer Sucks!

So. It’s October. Yay Fall! Yay cool weather in Arizona! No more 10000000 degrees of heat!
It is also the month that David’s mom passed away as a result of cancer as you will hear on our October 24th broadcast.
The irony is that October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” Although Cec did not have breast cancer, she ovarian cancer – let’s face it… does it really matter in the end? My grandfather had esophageal cancer, my grandmother had stomach cancer, one of my dearest friends right now is fighting ovarian cancer, and a few of our female clients in our facility are breast cancer survivors and they will all say the exact same thing – Cancer sucks.
So what to do? It seems to be everywhere!
According to the American Cancer Society, TWO THIRDS that’s 2/3 of ALL Cancer is PREVENTABLE or should I say- 2/3’s of all cancer is “Self-Induced.”
Yes, I said that out loud.
Stop Smoking
Eat healthy
Exercise.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS): “most of the difference in cancer risk between people is due to factors that are NOT inherited.” They suggest the following:
1. Be as lean as you possibly can throughout your entire life without being underweight.
2. Avoid any and all excess weight gain – AT ANY AGE
3. Get regular physical activity
4. Limit your intake of high calorie foods and drinks
5. BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
6. Adults – Get 150 minutes of moderate intensity, 70 minutes of vigorous intensity or a combination of these, each week- preferably spaced out throughout the week (hmmmmm… Sounds A LOT like Dave Ashley’s Metabolic Intensity Training© or: D.A.M.I.T.© for short).
*Side note: the ACS also states that this type of exercise has been proven to show such clear health benefits such as: lowering the risk of dying at an early age and lowering the chance of getting or dying from certain types of cancer… even lowering the risk from certain types of cancer
The ACS also recommends that you “get your activity in separate sessions of at least 20-30 minutes each)… Ok, just a note for the future: Our D.A.M.I.T.© programs are ALL 30 minutes- high intensity and will be coming soon to both our landing page and our website- You will be able to download your daily work out from our site- so stay tuned!
7. Children- Get out of the FREAKING House! (Ok, they didn’t say it like that, but it’s what they meant! If you LOVE YOUR KIDS… turn OFF the TV and electronics and get them a bike!) – Children should be exercising “Vigorously intensity activity” (They said that and I don’t even think that’s a real thing…. So I think you get their point!) and they need to do it for at least an hour a day.
8. To Be “Physically Active” does NOT mean usual activities…. (Pastor of Pump note: If you can carry on a conversation, you’re not exerting enough energy to make whatever you are doing “healthy” exercise- You need to raise your heart rate, or your wasting your time).
9. Eat Healthy – Choose foods and drinks that help you maintain healthy body weight and body fat (we’ll talk more about Body Fat on the show).
10. Fruits and veggies – 2 ½ Cups a day! (that’s not much!!! Come on!)
11. Whole grain- not refined!
12. 2 Alcoholic beverages a day for men, 1 for women – (This does not mean you can save them all up till the end of the week either!).
That’s really it.
Eat right, exercise and find other ways, other than drinking to relax. 
And it’s not just cancer! Being overweight is contributor to almost all the major killers in America- whether it be cancer, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, COPD, you name it- it’s got “excessive fat” written all over it- and it is PREVENTABLE.
There is nothing genetic about being obese other than the bad habits passed on generation to generation. So…. Let’s change some habits!
Several organizations and studies prove that 2 out of 3 people in the USA are obese. Obesity will kill you.
I’m all for people to “accept themselves” and “love themselves” internally. Because God has designed you while you were “in your mother’s womb,” and He knows “every hair on your head.” Therefore, doesn’t He deserve you to maintain the gift He has given to you… that is, your very life?
Ok then.
I love you, your spouse and your family love you too. So, let’s “love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves,” Show them how much you care and that they all matter more to you, than your current lifestyle and bad habits…
“Excessive body weight is thought to contribute to as many as 1 out of 5 of all cancer-related deaths.” (ACS).
1. Lose weight.
“Having too much belly fat is linked with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and probably linked to a higher risk of cancers of the pancreas, endometrium (lining of the uterus) and breast cancer…. Some studies have shown a link between weight loss and a LOWER risk of breast cancer after menopause.”
2. Lose FAT
Rather than looking to the scale… Look at your overall body fat – NOT body mass (BMI) – But your Body FAT this can be done for free by most, qualified, ethical, personal trainers at no charge since it requires special equipment which they have (if they don’t…. you’re in the wrong place) – the reason we do not do BMI testing is because it is not accurate. We go into more detail on the broadcast, but in short, Dave’s bicep weight alone registers him as “obese” on the BMI scale…. So don’t use it.
The only way to really achieve a healthy body weight is to balance energy intake (what you eat and drink) with what energy you use (exercise).
3500 calories = 1 pound
Eat’em or Burn’em… It’s up to you.

Disclaimer: All men older than 40, women older than 50 and people with chronic illness or risk factors for heart disease should check with their doctors before starting a vigorous activity program.
With that said, if you are 40, 50 or chronically ill- and mobile… and your Dr. says “No” to exercise…. You need a new doctor!
So what to eat? How often do I eat? How much will this cost me?
Alrighty… Since we are all on a budget, let me start by saying that you need to eat 6 times per day. (Not full meals… 3 meals and 2 “snacks.” And it will be in your budget!
The good news is that without even going into your home, or out to eat with you… or even having you as a friend… I can pretty much guarantee that you will NOT increase your budget!
You know why! You’re going to quit drinking so much alcohol, You are going to quit smoking (holy crap that’s like $200/month right there!) And you are going to ONLY buy the food you will eat- and what you eat will be portioned controlled so that what you are eating in your 3 meals now… more than likely, will be ½ of what you are going to eat in all 6 meals combined… and we’re cutting out the “grazing” all day mentality…. 
And this is something that you will manage for the rest of your life! This is for the good of you and your family! This is a lifestyle change, NOT a fad-diet program, so you will shop, cook, and eat together, with your entire family.
So Holly… What do I buy? Organic/Non-Organic? Fruit- Canned or Fresh… what about pesticides? Fish? Chicken?
Got it! No problem!!!
You see… Some people are in this for the money…. And I believe that since people are more easily swayed with what is “easy” rather than what is hard, and takes motivation, determination and action…So, I’m going to tell you right now, what a non-biased non-profit organization that does nothing but research Cancer says:
Your Diet should revolve around these three main ingredients:
1. Whole Grain – stay away from white flour!
2. Fruit – Fresh or frozen but try to stay away from canned… and NO jelly is not a fruit!
3. Vegetables (frozen is preferred) they are usually picked FRESH and immediately frozen to preserve the taste, texture and nutrients.
You need to be eating 2 ½ cups of fruits and veggies per day – organic, non-organic, juiced, however you can get them down…. Just stay away from the sugar added, concentrates- go with 100% PURE juice and again I stress- STAY AWAY from Concentrate and the Sugar/Syrups
ORGANIC? Think again…. There is NO PROOF that organic food prevents, cures, or is better for you…. Other than the “research” from the growers themselves…. So save your money, wash your fruits and veggies.
Then you’re going to add protein to each and every single meal you eat
1. Fish- But YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT… If you eat fish that eats garbage (Carp, Tilapia (?) some say it’s ok…, Cod, etc) then guess what… you’re eating garbage too… that’s defeating the purpose! Not so good, YUCK! Try some Salmon or other lean fish- Stay away from packaged, breaded fish- that doesn’t count! Processed “fish sticks” NOT a good choice… So don’t get swept up in the “Gotta eat more fish” craze! The ACS also says that Tuna is NOT good for women who are pregnant, breast feeding or thinking about getting pregnant! So…. Read more, eat less. 

2. Chicken/poultry… This is where I go “organic” Here’s the issue that I was referring to earlier about those who wanna make a buck every time they turn around…. A few years back, we determined that dark meat was bad, so the poultry market started making chickens with bigger breasts so that we could have more white meat… how do they do this…. Hormones… yeah. Not so good! Stay away from the chicks with big breasts…. They’re not real, like life, they are just their tempt you into doing what you know is wrong…. Turn and walk away….

3. Red meat… Lean, Lean, LEAN!!!! And cook it medium-well or well done! This is a biggy! Red meat (Pastor of Pump’s FAVORITE, by the way)… contributes to heart disease as well… BUT is an excellent source of protein! I find that buying meat from the butcher- is THE best way to make sure I’m getting what I’m paying for, otherwise, start doing your homework and find grocers that sell local meats from good, non-commercial growers.

4. Other sources of protein are added to the last few pages of this blog for your information. And Provided by one our best diet resources-
Portion Control is going to be the BIGGEST change in your life! Here’s some information from the Center for Disease Control:

Another helpful document that will help you change your grocery list and meal planning is this printable document found here: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/Energy_Density.pdf