This post could save your life. These 3 simple lifestyle changes saved mine. Today I am going to simply share facts with you. These facts (if you let them) will dramatically improve your quality of life. Making these changes can even increase your life span.
1. Stop Smoking
FACTS: According to the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States, accounting for 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths.
Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women are due to smoking. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day, the more risk goes up.
Smoking also causes cancer of the voice box (larynx), mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and causes acute myeloid leukemia. Source.
FACTS: One year after passing smoking bans, communities in North America and Europe had 17 percent fewer heart attacks compared to communities without smoking restrictions, and the number of heart attacks kept decreasing with time, according to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Source.
FACTS: If you quit smoking, you will:
1. Prolong your life. According to the American Heart Association, smokers who quit between ages 35-39 add an average of 6-9 years to their lives. Smokers who quit between ages 65-69 increase their life expectancy by 1 – 4 years.
2. Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of repeat heart attacks and death from heart disease by 50 percent or more. Quitting smoking also reduces your risk of high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease and stroke.
3. Reduce your risk of developing a variety of other conditions including diabetes, lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, ulcers, gum disease and many other conditions.
4. Feel healthier. After quitting, you won’t cough as much, have as many sore throats and you will increase your energy.
5. Look and feel better. Quitting can help you prevent face wrinkles, get rid of stained teeth, improve your skin and even get rid of the stale smell in your clothes and hair.
6. Improve your sense of taste and smell.
7. Save money. Source.
FACTS: What Happens When You Quit:
After 20 minutes
o You stop polluting the air
o Your blood pressure and pulse decrease
o The temperature of your hands and feet increases
After 8 hours
o The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal
o Oxygen levels in your blood increase
After 24 hours
o Your risk of heart attack decreases
After 48 hours
o Nerve endings adjust to the absence of nicotine
o Your ability to taste and smell begin to return
After 2 weeks to 3 months
o Your circulation improves
o Your exercise tolerance improves
After 1 – 9 months
o Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease
o Your overall energy level increases
After 1 year
o Your risk of heart disease decreases to half that of a current smoker
After 5 – 15 years
o Your risk of stroke is reduced to that of people who have never smoked
After 10 years
o Your risk of dying from lung cancer drops to almost the same rate as a lifelong non- smoker
o You decrease the incidence of other cancers — of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas
After 15 years
o Your risk of heart disease is reduced to that of people who have never smoked
If you smoke again (called a relapse) do not lose hope. Seventy-five percent of those who quit relapse. Most smokers quit three times before they are successful. If you relapse, don’t give up! Review the reasons why you wanted to become a nonsmoker. Plan ahead and think about what you will do next time you get the urge to smoke. Source.
2. Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
QUESTION: How many people get cancer by being overweight or obese? How many die?
FACTS: In 2002, about 41,000 new cases of cancer in the United States were estimated to be due to obesity. This means that about 3.2 percent of all new cancers are linked to obesity.
A recent report estimated that, in the United States, 14 percent of deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of deaths in women were due to overweight and obesity.
Colon cancer occurs more frequently in people who are obese than in those of a healthy weight. An increased risk of colon cancer has been consistently reported for men with high BMIs.
Source.
FACTS: Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as “overweight” and “obesity,” the risks for the following conditions also increases:
* Coronary heart disease
* Type 2 diabetes
* Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
* Hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
* Stroke
* Liver and Gallbladder disease
* Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
* Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
* Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility) Source.
3. Eat Whole Foods, Not Processed
FACTS: The statistics are alarming:
– One in three people will get cancer at some time in their life
– Heart disease is the leading cause of death
– Poor nutrition and physical inactivity together are the second
actual cause of preventable death in the United States
On the other hand new evidence shows that:
– Eating five or more fruits and vegetables per day cuts cancer
risk in half
– People who eat more fruits and vegetables have a 30% lower risk
of premature heart attack than people who eat a few
– About 25% fewer strokes are projected for adults who eat 8 or
more servings of fruits and vegetables per day
– Fruits and vegetables may help keep blood sugar down and control diabetes.” Source.
FACTS: Processed meat consumption results in 67% increase in pancreatic cancer risk.
Source.
FACTS: Inorganic phosphates are found in a variety of processed foods, including meats, cheeses, beverages and bakery products. They are added to increase water retention and improve food texture. Studies suggests a diet high in inorganic phosphates could speed growth of cancerous tumors and contribute to the development of tumors in those predisposed to the disease. Source.
FACTS: Carcinogens in foods that may be naturally-occurring, caused by preparing or cooking certain foods, or added to it, include safrole, estragole and benzene. Processed foods such as sausages, bacon and canned meats contain high amounts of the preservative nitrite, another known carcinogen. Other carcinogens to look for in food products include:
* acetaldehyde
* acetamide
* azo color and compounds
* benzidine
* bis (2-Chloromethyl) ether
* cadmium
* chlorinated parraffin waxes
* 3,3-dichlorobenzidine
* dichloromethane
* hexachlorobenzene
* polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
* polychlorinated dibenzodioxins
* polychlorinated dibenzofurans
* sillica
* trichloroethylene
Though it is impossible to avoid every known carcinogen, to decrease risk of cancers and other illnesses, a balanced diet with more unprocessed, whole foods can decrease risk of some cancers and other diseases such as type two diabetes and heart disease. Source.
FACTS: Nutrients in Whole Foods that Protect Against Cancer:
1. Vitamin A: Strengthens the immune system. Essential for mineral metabolism and endocrine function. Helps detoxify. True vitamin A is found only in animal foods such as cod liver oil; fish and shellfish; and liver, butter and egg yolks from pasture-fed animals. Traditional diets contained ten times more vitamin A than the typical modern American diet.
2. Vitamin C: An important antioxidant that prevents damage by free radicals. Found in many fruits and vegetables but also in certain organ meats valued by primitive peoples.
3. Vitamin B6: Deficiencies are associated with cancer. Contributes to the function of over 100 enzymes. Most available from animal foods.
4. Vitamin B12: Deficiencies are associated with cancer. Found only in animal foods.
5. Vitamin B17: Protects against cancer. Found in a variety of organically grown grains, legumes, nuts and berries.
6. Vitamin D: Required for mineral absorption. Strongly protective against breast and colon cancer. Found only in animal foods such as cod liver oil, lard, shellfish and butterfat, organ meats and egg yolks from grass-fed animals. Traditional diets contained ten times more vitamin D than the typical modern American diet.
7. Vitamin E: Works as an antioxidant at the cellular level. Found in unprocessed oils as well as in animal fats like butter and egg yolks.
8. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Strongly protective against breast cancer. Found in the butterfat and meat fat of grass-fed ruminant animals.
9. Cholesterol: A potent antioxidant that protects against free radicals in cell membranes. Found only in animal foods.
10. Minerals: The body needs generous amounts of a wide variety of minerals to protect itself against cancer. Minerals like zinc, magnesium and selenium are vital components of enzymes that help the body fight carcinogens. Minerals are more easily absorbed from animal foods.
11. Lactic Acid and Friendly Bacteria: Contribute to the health of the digestive tract. Found in old fashioned lacto-fermented foods.
12. Saturated Fats: Strengthen the immune system. Needed for proper use of the essential fatty acids. The lungs cannot function without saturated fats. Found mostly in animal foods.
13. Long-Chain Fatty Acids: Arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) help fight cancer on the cellular level. They are found mostly in animal foods such as butter, organ meats, cod liver oil and seafood.
14. Co-enzyme Q10: Highly protective against cancer. Found only in animal foods. Source.
In closing: I truly hope that you will begin living these simple lifestyle changes. If you are non-smoker, not obese, and already eating whole foods, then I challenge you to help to spread this message to as many people as you can. All of the suffering and the disease mentioned above is not necessary. It can be prevented.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s so, so hard. I wasn’t ready to have another cat for 4 years after mine died suddenly.
Last winter within 3 weeks I lost 2 of the women I was most close to in my family/life – it was unbelievable and shocking. I held their light close to me, but I also let myself mourn, am still mourning every day. It’s profound, that kind of loss. But they created me, they gave me life, and I am so grateful.
@ Verhext – Is your first name Tamera? That is gorgeous.
Thank you so much for visiting & for your kind words. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your cat & about last winter. I can not imagine how difficult that must have been. I’ve never experienced loss like this before. I’ve been blessed thus far. As difficult as this has been, I know it is happening for a reason — I am stronger for it. Perhaps I am better prepared for what is to come next.
The fact that you look at your situation with gratitude is just beautiful. It speaks volume about you as a woman, as a wonderful soul.
I am really happy to have met you & look forward to know you better.
xo,
Dena
This post is beautiful. I lost my father only three months ago, and it’s been pretty difficult but everyday I remember him, how funny he was, and how much of him is in me and I keep walking.
@ Carol – Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your father, but I am inspired and amazed that you are able to look at the situation in such a positive, beautiful way. “He is in me and I keep walking.”
You are amazing. Your father must have been (must be) so incredibly proud of you.
I have a cat that means the world to me. I feel she is a once-in-a-lifetime cat and a soul mate. I’m very protective of her.
Something odd has been happening in my house, and it has changed how I view death.
We have ghost in our house. It’s not a human; it’s a cat ghost. It jumps on our beds at night and walks and purrs. I have a housemate and I asked him one day if he ever felt like a cat jumped on his bed, only to see nothing.
To my shock, he said said “Yes!” Just like me, he feels the impact on the bed and feels it take a couple of steps – and then nothing.
One night, it jumped on my bed with such force that all the springs creaked. I always think it’s my own living cat when it happens. A few nights ago, it jumped up and walked the length of the bed, purring the whole way. Thinking it was my cat for sure, I said “Hi Sweetie” and raised my hand to pet her, but nothing was there. I turned the light on and walked all around the room. My cat wasn’t even in the room.
The ghost cat will never jump on my bed as long as my cat is sleeping with me. It will only come when she isn’t in the room, which means it only happens once every week or two because she is usually with me. One night, my cat fell asleep on the sofa. When the ghost cat jumped on my bed, I thought it was her coming to bed. There was nothing there, so I checked the living room and my cat was still on the sofa.
I own two cats and I am involved with a cat rescue organization. I don’t have any idea where this cat ghost came from, but a couple of friends have suggested that maybe it was drawn to me from seeing me care for other cats.
I did some internet research on this and found that many people have had this experience. I even saw a book about ghost cats on Amazon. A lot of the reviewers said the book made them cry because most of the stories involve cats coming back to visit their owners.
I can’t deny that this has freaked me out, but it has also given me a gift. If this unknown cat can visit me from the other side, then I know I will always be connected to my own cats and I will meet them again. I can no longer speculate on the sad possibility that life ends at death.
I hope this brings you comfort. As weird as it’s been, it has brought me comfort.
@ Lori – Wow! Thank you so much. You know, this does bring me comfort! In fact, I have a similar experience and you’ve helped me remember it. See, my godfather inherited my great grandmother’s farm/boarding house many, many years ago. He has lived there ever since. Now if ever a house were haunted–this is it. And moreover, it’s not the entire house, just the upstairs.
The house is well over a hundred years old. Every time I go upstairs the hair on my body stands on end. it can be ten degrees colder up there than it is in the rest of the house for no explainable reason.
Anyway, ten-twenty years ago my godfather had frequent parties. One night his friend stayed over and in one of the upstairs bedrooms. In the morning my godfather asked his friend how he slept. His friend replied, “I slept fine except for that your cat jumped up on the bed all night and walked around on my legs.
Well, needless to say–my godfather didn’t have a cat. His cat–Gypsy–who was more like a member of the family than a pet had died a few months earlier. To this day — every now and then — she still visits.
It’s sort of incredible, yes! But somehow it is soothing. We are never really alone.
Thanks again for sharing. Please visit again! <3
Oh boy! The cat hasn’t walked on me yet, but as time has gone on, the incidents have gradually become more strong and undeniable. The purring only happened recently. But there was always that unmistakable sensation that only a cat makes when it jumps on a bed.
I am agnostic. I tend to think there is a God, or at least that there is something out there, but feel no need to define it. I’ve known people who have told me of personal ghost incidents, and as long as I knew them to be a truthful person I pretty much believed them. And many of the stories were wonderful, uplifting and positive ones with deceased family members.
It was those stories that made me think there was an afterlife. But I’ve also allowed myself at times to entertain the idea that maybe death is the end even though that made me sad. I guess I was trying to keep an open mind.
Now I can’t even consider the idea that there is an end at all!!! When it happens to you personally, it’s different than when you hear it from someone else.
Oh, and it’s funny that the upstairs was colder. Usually upstairs rooms are a lot warmer since heat rises. Glad my experience helped. I was a little afraid you’d think I was off my rocker. 😉
I choose the light! Great entry…very timely for me as well, although not the death of a beloved animal, the death of a beloved relationship. The past few months have been difficult, and it looks like things will not work out as I had hoped. That said; this article points out the need to continually strive, build, and create light, even what may seem like a dark hour. Thanks Dena.
@ Brian – I am so excited to hear that you’ve chosen the light. Great decision, friend. I’m sorry to hear about the death of your beloved relationship; but it sounds like you are in the right place to move forward and create even more love in the future. Thank you so much for stopping by, for sharing, and for helping me to spread the light. You are wonderful.
So sad to hear about your pets! Take care of yourself girl, and allow yourself the time to grieve. They really become like our children. x
@ Amy – Thank you, love. It has been incredibly difficult — I didn’t know what to expect as I’d never been through this before. It is not often in life, but this situation was in reality WORSE than I ever imagined it could be. So much pain.
But, I am healing. Every day is a bit easier than the one before. I’ve found a way to replace the grief with love.
Thank you so much for this post. We lost our 14-year-old grey tabby Zoey on Thursday. She had a mammary mass removed a year ago and the disease returned and spread to her lungs so we had to make the decision of letting her go.
It’s extremely difficult right now but I have saved this post as a reminder of how to move on when I am ready. I have definitely been replaying all her crazy, silly, funny antics over in my mind and I know one day they will not be so bittersweet.
@ Mary – I am so sorry to hear about Zoey. 14 years! I can only imagine what that sort of bond must be like. Just through your words, I can tell that you loved her deeply and that she knew it.
I will be thinking of you & sending love your way. Stay strong and I am so happy to know that this post helped you in some small way. xo
wow…dena i was crying reading your post about your pets….i saw the picture of your little doggie…and it reminds me of our lulu…i don’t know how i would be able to handle it…but i guess from your readings we must move forward…i know i will need to come back to this sometime in my life…thanks dena
@ Roberta – It is without a doubt the hardest thing that I have gone through in my life. When I lost my Mika I didn’t even want to go on. To this day, when I get reminded, it is like a knife to my heart. Extremely painful. I just do my best to replace the pain with love. It’s the only way to go on.