A Lesson About Life and Lifestyle

Leading an unhealthy lifestyle can cause many health problems and diseases; cancer is just one of those disease. The deadliest disease. In fact, every day over 200 Canadians die of cancer.

Last week an uncle passed away on my wife’s side. I knew him for 8 years, he was always a nice person to talk with and he never failed to have a genuine interest in my family. I fondly remember his parties, which were always interesting and entertaining.

As anyone who’s lost someone to cancer will know, processing through grief can be a long process.

Right now, I am working through regrets.

My most profound regret is that he never took care of his lifestyle before and after he was diagnosed with this cancer.

When he was diagnosed with colon cancer 3 years ago, I took some time to research. This is one of the most preventable cancers and one of the easiest to treat if you catch it early.

I spoke to expert oncologists and their advice for my uncle was to regulate his diet. To beat cancer, he should cut out all form of sugar, like rice, fruits and bread. He should switch to a protein-based diet, relying on foods like fish and eggs for strength.

The cancer cells die off when you stop feeding them with sugar and glucose.

I spoke with him extensively about this, “we can beat this,” I told him.

Contrary to what I expected, he continued with his old habits. Unsurprisingly, the cancer continued to grow until it reached his brain. The pain this caused not only himself but his wife and kids, is indescribable. In the last stages of cancer, you’re kept under sedation in the ICU. While you’re sleeping calmly, it’s your family, friends and loved ones that suffer.

Just a simple observation will make you realize the reality. Go to the nearest hospital and observe the crowd that visit daily. It’s not just the patient that’s suffering. When I see anyone suffering at a young age, I find myself asking how long it will take for the suffering to reach myself or my family. Could it be avoided?

I believe if my uncle had changed his lifestyle, his eating habits, he many have lived longer and improved the quality of his life.

Changing Our Lifestyles

Our lifestyles are influenced by our family and modern society. Since most of these influences are commercialized, no one is facing the harm we’re doing through the way we eat and live. We’re denying the consequences.

If you look, there are widespread conversations all over that place confirming that the modern and unhealthy lifestyle, starting with diet, leads to catastrophic health issues including cancer and early death. 

But we aren’t changing our bad habits, because our minds are more powerful than our brains. If we use our brain, use our intelligence and the knowledge we know about the impact of an unhealthy lifestyle, we could control it. We know deep down what’s good and bad for us, as we hear warnings daily. To use your brain to control impulses and desires to lead an unhealthy lifestyle requires a lot of emotional strength, or something I call depth of emotion. The more depth you have, the stronger you will be when making decisions.

Leading a healthy life is easy to say but hard in practice. It requires repeated affirmation, conviction and patience.

If we can master this, we can live longer. Live happier.

I have made a huge effort in the last 5 years to change the path I am on by adopting healthy eating habits and regularly exercising. Not just for myself, but for my family.