Over the past hundred years there has been a very rapid upsurge in the incidence of cancer. As a matter of fact the upsurge has accelerated dramatically since the 50's and 60's. It is estimated that about one in two Americans will get cancer in their lifetimes if you include all types of cancer including skin cancer. It is also estimated that between one third and one fourth of Americans will die of cancer. This increase in cancer incidence coincides with the rapid increase in the incidence of chronic illness in general in our society and around the world, especially in industrialized countries.

There are certain types of cancer that are increasing more rapidly i.e. cancer of the lung, breast, prostate and colon. Not all types of cancer have increased and some have even decreased, for example cancer of the cervix in women and stomach cancer. The main reason for the decreased incidence of cervical cancer is because of better screening which helps to identify changes in the cervix before malignancy occurs thereby allowing for curative treatments. The question we have to ask is why this health scourge is increasing so much and affecting and even ending more and more lives. The fact is if we can find the reasons and reverse them, we will also be able to do what needs to be done to slow this tide of misery dramatically and will even find other key elements of the elusive cure.

A lot of medical scientists want to blame genetics, but if this was the main culprit, it would not explain the increasing incidence of cancer. In other words our forefathers would have had cancer nearly as frequently as we do. I am not denying that genetics might play some role in some individuals. It certainly does. More and more scientists are now of the opinion that lifestyle and environmental factors play the biggest role. Others believe that we should also look at other aspects of life including our emotional health, social health (relationships), mental health and spiritual health. Let's examine each of these factors one by one.

There are now hundreds, if not thousands of studies that link lifestyle to your risk of getting cancer. Diet seems to be the single most important lifestyle factor. It has been shown that a diet high in calories, sugar, refined grains, processed foods and animal fat leads to all kinds of health problems including cancer. On the other hand, a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and certain unprocessed whole grain foods are protective. Drinking lots of water in stead of sugar laden fluids with all kinds of chemicals in them is also very helpful. Keeping daily calorie intake down has not only been linked with a dramatic decrease in the incidence of chronic disease but with an increase in longevity. Regular exercise has also been linked to as much as a 66% decrease in the incidence of cancer.

Reducing your exposure to environmental toxins and giving your body maximum support to detox effectively is also critical. Other environmental factors such as regular exposure to sunlight (don't overdo it) and fresh air is also critical to decreasing your risk for cancer and other illnesses. Another commonly neglected healing influence is nature. Get out into it as often as you can because it helps to keep you grounded. Being around animals also promotes a healthy mind, body and immune system.

Stress is another more nebulous factor in this whole picture that is often underemphasized. Stress affects the immune system, hormonal systems and other systems adversely, increasing the likelihood of developing cancer. Unfortunately if you live in this society, stress is seemingly hard to avoid. It is therefore critical to learn to manage stress better. This means finding constructive outlets for stress like exercise, prayer, meditation, giving and receiving affection, dancing, singing ,etc. It also means learning to reframe everything in your life in a positive way. Develop an attitude of gratitude. It is critical to learn to see or even better, to surrender to the beauty in everything and the contribution that everything makes to your life including adversity and pain. This leads to a constant flow of positive emotion which is critical for maintaining a strong body and a strong immune system. Learn to see negative emotion as part of your intuition that tells you that something in your life is out of balance or needs to be reframed.

The mind is also critically important in the fight against cancer. It may make us vulnerable to expand our mind and belief systems but it is a critical part of healing and staying healthy. Being too dogmatic in our outlook at life and being to judgmental or too afraid of other's judgment to express ourselves freely also contributes to illness. Your mind, unleashed can be your greatest ally or it can be your greatest enemy and can keep you stuck in misery leading to the creation of lots of negative emotion that will destroy your health. Learn to use your mind to draw solutions to you instead of problems.

Relationships are also a key factor. The most important and often the most dysfunctional relationship is the one we have with ourselves. The vast majority of humanity violates the rule that in order to be healthy we have to learn to love ourselves unconditionally in spite of all our perceived challenges, weaknesses and past misdeeds. Next comes our closest, most intimate relationships. Research has shown that positive loving relationships are much more conducive to health than negative, destructive relationships. None of us are owed great relationships. We all have to clear the way by surrendering the ego.

Lastly and most importantly is our spiritual health. When we align the mind and body with the spirit, we maximize our chances of excellent health and paradoxically have a much greater tolerance for adversities such as cancer. Having a spiritual mission in life and being spiritually driven is essential to healing. We all have to fulfill the two most important spiritual needs and that is to grow and to contribute. Even those that are ill can and must contribute to others around them in order to heal and to thrive. This allows us to step outside of ourselves and into the lives of others where we find healing connections that strengthen us immensely. A belief in a higher power and the use of prayer and positive affirmations are also immensely powerful to bring about healing and to reduce the risk of cancer and other illnesses. As a matter of fact the only way to truly heal is by surrendering to God's will. The good news is that we were all created in God's image which to me means we all have the potential to be whole and complete if we are willing to embrace and accept this as our reality.

This time of year is the ideal time for us all to reflect on where we are in our lives and where we are going. Whether you are dealing with a deadly disease or just trying to stay healthy, embrace your potential and your opportunities to transcend or transform adversity.