LegendaryLife Blog

There are two types of lies in this world, those you tell yourself and those you tell others… smokers seem to be experts in both! Caring about their health while smoking is one of the biggest.

Drug addicts are all the same

So far, I have talked to smokers from Canada, United States, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and Korea over an extended period of time and the excuses are all the same. They seem to relish describing how “addicted” or “hardcore” they are. I was talking to one addict yesterday and they where quite proud to say their breath smelled like that of an ash tray… interesting, another from Australia told me exactly the same thing while I was in that country! Here are some fantastically delusional lies you can expect to hear from a smoker (feel free to add more):

I can quit anytime

If this where true, they could quit right now but just try to get enough guts and throw their pack away in front of them… they will run like a squirrel right into the bin to get them. I know… I have done this several times with the same results.

I don’t smoke that much

Sadly, the effects of smoking both primary and second (onto non-smokers) is cumulative. You won’t die right away from emphysema or COD but I wouldn’t want to be a lung in a smokers body after a few decades of continual self-poisoning.

I feel fine

Next time a drug addict tells you that they feel fine, ask them to join you for a hike up a sizable hill… their tune will change guaranteed. The reason they feel fine is because they are use to living in a marginalized body, not because they are actually “fine”.

It helps me keep my shape (slim)

There are two ways to keep your body in shape, one is to exercise and the other is to under-feed it. Sure, smoking is keeping you slim, but guess what, you can accomplish far more by working out and quitting smoking then otherwise. What you are doing is actually starving your body, making it waste resources trying to clean the crap out of the air you take in instead of improving or optimizing it.

My father/mother/uncle smoked till they where 90 years old!

George Burns also smoked a cigar until he hit 100 years old, sure, there are some people out there with wonder genetics but odds are, you don’t have them. Imagine if George Burns never smoked, he might still be alive today! Regardless of how you cut it, smoking WILL reduce not only your lifespan but the quality of the live you live dramatically with time.

Smokers Facing Death

I had a grandfather who I wish everyday never smoked because he died a painful death over several years, his body was fine but his lungs where shot from a live addicted to cigarettes. Now, this week, I got news that one of my uncles, one who saw what my grandfather went through his final years, has been diagnosed with lunch cancer caused by smoking. My grandfather openly admitted that if he ever got a lung transplant that the first thing he would to is smoke and oddly, my uncle, even while at hospital surrounded by smokers slowly fading away, still had the conscience to go… you guessed it right… smoke in hiding! Each and every smokers has to face up to the fact that one day, guaranteed, they will face their maker far sooner then anticipated due to a slow, selfish, purposeful self-poisoning of the very body they inhabit.

Unfunny Joke

Here is an unfunny joke I seem to repeat to myself just about every time I see somebody smoking. What is the difference between a smoker and a junkie? One uses a legal substance. Sad isn’t it… mentally, a junkie is in the same place as a smoker.

How do I treat smokers?

I take my health very seriously, to the point that if I find out a friend smokes, they are no longer somebody I associate myself with. I would honestly prefer to be alone the rest of my life then to spend it with somebody hell bent on destroying their health. There is no sugar coating things, smokers have a death wish but are too much of a coward to get it over with, instead, they drag the emotions of those around them into the hole they inhabit. My only exception to this “banish them from my sight” rule is family but then I try to spend my time outdoors with them as much as possible, limiting exposure to second-hand smoke. Would I ever hire somebody who smoked? Nope, politically correct or not, why the hell would I want to invest my time and resources into somebody who doesn’t give a damn about themselves?

Spiders on Drugs

To some, alright, many out there, this may seem kinda harsh but I live my life by many simple rules, at the top of my list is that if you don’t care about yourself, then I don’t care about you. I do have a very well developed sense of humor so here is something to lighten up the mood on a serious topic. The effect of drugs on spiders! If you can’t laugh at even the worst of things, then the thoughts that follow them have no way out of your head.

The Bottom Line

Reversing a denial is the first step towards a successful life.

The American Cancer Society along with a list of Cancer experts has released a simple guideline that help women realize that they may be suffering Ovarian Cancer symptoms.

What is Ovarian Cancer?

Although the cause is unknown, like other cancers, they are a localized uncontrollable growth of cells, in this case, Ovarian Cancer occurs on the Ovaries which produce eggs and hormones for women. Because there may be very few noticeable symptoms until it reaches and advanced stage, early detection rarely occurs, as such, there is only a 50% survival rate after 5 years! Cancer sure does suck.

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Although the old guidelines still remain true such as:

• Abdominal discomfort and/or pain
• Gas, indigestion, pressure, swelling, bloating, or cramps
• Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or frequent urination
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling of fullness even after only a light meal
• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Abnormal bleeding from the vagina
• Hair growth, voice deepening, acne, loss of menstrual periods

This list is very generic and can be a host of any other less severe diseases, wasting precious time going down the wrong road. The American Cancer Society recently added the following to clarification to further promote early diagnosis of this treatable cancer.

If you experience any of the above for several weeks (ei: 2+) and it isn’t from a pre-existing condition, tell your doctor right away. I would suggest you be demand him to perform a CA-125 Assay which is a blood test to measure the amount of this substance in your body. If it’s elevated, it may mean Ovarian Cancer is present

Treatment and Prevention of Ovarian Cancer

Although there are no set guidelines for cancer prevention as the cause is still unknown, a good diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle will go a long way. If anything, this will allow your body to recover that much faster if you need to have surgery to remove the growth(s). Treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy and using radiation in various ways.

The Bottom Line

Cancer is an environmental and lifestyle condition 90% of the time, the healthier you are, the better your chances of not only avoidance but also pulling through in top shape.

References
American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org
http://myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/ovariancancer.html

I found out yesterday that my childhood dentist has been diagnosed with colon cancer… I then realized something I hadn’t previously thought about. No matter how impeccable your health is in one area, it’s the one that you are ignoring that will end up getting you.

The Irony of it all

My dentist had the most amazing teeth I have ever seen in an older person, very healthy gums, white teeth and always told me to brush, brush and brush some more. He was the embodiment of fanatical oral hygiene which is a difficult thing to achieve but in hind sight, my reply to him instead of “yes, I will brush some more” should have been “when was the last time you went for a colonoscopy”? His oral hygiene prevented him from getting gum disease, tooth loss and decay but he neglected a far more easily preventable condition that didn’t have to happen.

Colonoscopy

I went for a colonoscopy about a year ago, sure I was 30 but something wasn’t right and I always prefer to be safe then sorry. I was fine btw, what was causing my condition was eating rotten wheat germ for 3 months straight… that stuff smells like feet fresh or rotten! Anyways, after the age of 50, it is recommended that you get a colonoscopy for the prevention of colon cancer every 5 years. I dare say, go every year or two. It isn’t any fun but the peace of mind is well worth whatever feelings you may have and which would make you feel more embarrassed, showing your cute butt to a doctor or telling your family you have easily preventable colon cancer? The procedure is relatively painless and if your good, they give you a lolly pop at the end of it… kinda tough to refuse huh?

What is Colon Cancer (Colorectal Cancer)?

Colon cancer is one of the easiest cancers to prevent, regular screening and a very well sourced, high fiber diet will pay you huge dividends in this area. Although it’s unknown why it starts, like many cancers, part if it is genetic and an even larger part in my opinion is… you guessed it… LIFESTYLE. We take our bodies for granted, they will have the last laugh each and every time. Smoking, diabetes, alcohol consumption, being a couch potato and obesity are all leading risk factors as well. If you have stomach pains, anal bleeding and blood in your stool get yourself checked-up ASAP. Having Crohn’s disease is also a major risk factor.

What should you do if in doubt?

If you never got yourself checked-out, symptoms or not, then stop reading this, pick up the phone and give your doctor a call for a referral. Throw away all your junk food, adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes a lot of physical activity and turn your life around. Doing nothing is the best way to die a preventable early death. Still reading this? Call the doctor!

Realizations

I guess this whole experience made me realize how much WORK is involved in keeping yourself in top shape! Evaluating your general health, creating new exercise regimens, sourcing new diets and getting enough sleep at the end of the day to repeat this all over again the next. In a way, I am lucky because I spend much of my time researching health, constantly being exposed to what happens if you DON’T follow a healthy lifestyle is a great motivation for those days when the bed seems more attractive then stack of weights.

The Bottom Line

90% of ALL cancers are preventable by proper diet and lifestyle choices. Yes, 90%!

References
http://myfoodcount.com/healthylife/whatis/colorectalcancer.html

Cancer has grown increasingly prominent among western cultures whose population live their lives surrounded by a toxic soup that is a byproduct of their lifestyle. As incidents of smoking, pollution, poor diet and lack of activity take their toll slowly on the body, more of our internal systems to keep cancer at bay are damaged. It is estimated that 50% of all cancer incidences in women and 30% in men are directly associated with environmental factors.

The Bottom Line

The best way to fight cancer is not to get it in the first place, there is no 100% effective way to avoid cancer, but anything that reduces the risk should be adopted as part of any healthy lifestyle.

It seems I keep coming to the same themes in my quest to get health information out, I say one thing that sounds like a no-brainer and then a few months or years later, studies come out “discovering” what really is common sense. Cancer is no different.

I didn’t choose to get cancer

Let’s review, as much as 90% of ALL cancers are caused by lifestyle, the other 10% have strong genetic influences, for those unlucky 10%, I am truly sad for your plight and you have my deepest sympathies. If your entire family has gotten breast cancer by the age of 40 – there is a high likely hood that YOU will get it as well. What I don’t understand is why people simply accept this as a fact instead of doing lifestyle changes to reduce this likely hood. No, many people have not chosen to get cancer, nobody wants this condition but they do daily actions (knowingly or unknowingly) that lead to its development 90% of the time!

Two interesting studies to review if you have or worried about cancer

Here is a summary in plain English as to why people get cancer

Here is my list of things people do BY CHOICE to achieve the undesired goal of getting cancer:

1) Breath in contaminated air (smoking, smog, ozone, exhaust, particulate matter)
2) Eat contaminated food (fast food, processed food, junk food and “enriched” foods)
3) Sit on their ASS
4) Live within a contaminated body (if you maintain an unhealthy body, you are a cesspool of cancer causing agents waiting to get activated)
5) Drink unfiltered water (by the time city water gets to your tap, it has picked up so much junk that a mud pond is probably healthier to drink out of, reverse osmosis or distillation is the only way to go)
6) Avoid the doctor and dentist – these are your friends, a problem is easier to fix if you catch it EARLY.

But I have to…

Most of us live in a free society, we CHOOSE to go to work, we CHOOSE to commute, we CHOOSE to purchase junk food… the CHOICES are endless – if you make choices to stay in an unhealthy environment, then it is a choice. Don’t pass the buck and blame others or your boss, company, society or anybody else out there… YOU must make the choice. How important is your health to you? Well… how important is it? For me, my health is number one, above friends, family… anybody or anything. Without my health, I am nothing and neither are you.

“ME” Society

Right now, we live in a society that is “individualistic”, people prefer their own cars over public transportation, people want their own office instead of sharing, people want their own this, that and everything else. Cancer and many diseases are a warning sign that this kind of thinking is not healthy for any of us collectively as a species… natural selection is simply pecking off the weaker of us (genetically, habitually etc.) as it works it way up. Why are you obese? Because you don’t care about yourself… it’s that simple and guess what, others don’t care about you if you can’t take care of yourself.

Treatment vs Prevention

What does our society do in the wake of an epidemic? Forget about educating the public into doing some real action to prevent it, lets create a multi-billion dollar industry called “cancer treatment” whose sole focus is treating the people who have enough money to be able to undo the damage they have caused to themselves (again, directly or indirectly). We need a REAL change in our world societies, not this mickey mouse half-assed stuff we have done so far because of FEAR. EMBRASE change, don’t fear it!

The Bottom Line

Maybe I sound a bit rash, but I want you to get in your head that cancer in 90% can be traced back to lifestyle CHOICES, no matter how indirect. I am willing to wager that many other diseases would drop off the map as well.