By Rebecca Prescott

Dr Christiane Northrup has some interesting insights into the emotional and energetic issues associated with ovarian cancer. Whilst it is impossible to generalize emotional and energetic responses, she highlights the issue of rage in ovarian cancers. She describes the ovaries as being 'female balls' which means they relate to an active participation in the world in a way that expresses our unique creative potential, as women, on an individual basis.

She says: "…we as women must be open to the uniqueness of our creations and their own energies and impulses, without trying to force them into predetermined forms. Our ability to yield to our creativity, to acknowledge that we cannot control it with our intellects, is the key to understanding ovarian power." (p187, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom)

She relates the issue of rage as deriving from being in an abusive relationship - not necessarily physically abusive, though of course this could be the case. And it may not necessarily be a personal or intimate relationship. It could be with work, societal, or even spiritual. But it embodies a way of relating and dealing with something or someone, where the woman involved feels controlled by the situation and does not believe in her ability to change it, or herself. It is a denial of her innate power and self-sovereignty. A denial of a woman's innate dignity, creativity, spirituality, and complexity.

Interestingly, Dr Northrup notes that ovarian cancer is linked to a diet high in fat and dairy food. Dairy products in Oriental medicine, are associated with the liver meridian. Meridians are energy conduits, and though they have a specific anatomy, they are not equated necessarily with the organs of the same name, as understood in conventional western medicine. The emotion associated with a liver meridian that is out of balance, is rage and anger.

Oriental medicine believes that diseases start in our energetic body first, and then progress to the physical body. And certainly not all women who have a high fat and high dairy diet develop ovarian cancer. Dr Northrup suggests that women take care of their ovaries and uterus by reclaiming and expressing whatever this deep creative energy is for them. She suggests taking the time to do this daily.

A recent scientific study has also found that drinking two cups or more of tea a day can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 46%25. This study was done in Sweden over a 15 year period. Sweden is a country where there is a higher risk of ovarian cancer, as are other countries with a high dairy consumption (Denmark and Switzerland).

References:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=64537

Dr Christiane Northrup, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (Piatkus, 1995)

If you'd like to read more about supplements, herbs, and a deeper understanding of why we get sick, check out this article. If you enjoy the health benefits of tea, read this to discover why green tea is so beneficial, and how green tea weight loss helps.

 

By Samantha Kay

Most people know that smoking causes lung caner. They are also aware their smoke is bad for the health of their family, friends, or anyone else who comes in contact with the cigarette smoke. However, these people say they just can't stop smoking. It isn't easy.

Along with all of the cancer causing ingredients of cigarette smoke, one of the main ingredients of cigarette smoke is highly addictive. If you want to quit smoking but just can't seem to, here are some statistics that might help you put down your smokes for good. Also included are some suggestions to help you stop smoking.

First, smoking is responsible for eighty percent of lung cancer deaths in women while ninety percent of men who die of lung cancer were smokers or were exposed to second hand smoke. Next time you light up around your children, think about these statistics. You are not only damaging your health, you are also damaging their health.

In a recent study lead by Stephen S. Hecht, a professor at the University of Missouri, the main cancer causing ingredient of cigarette smoke was found in the urine of infants who lived with parents who smoked. Infants who lived with non-smoking parents did not have this chemical in their urine. This new information is in addition to the knowledge that children of smokers are more prone to ear and lung infections than those of non-smokers.

Of the more than 4,500 chemicals that make up cigarette smoke 60 of them are known to be cancer causing. If a place of business was emitting this many cancer causing agents, the business would be shut down until it could clean up its emissions and protect its workers from these dangerous chemicals. Yet, cigarettes are freely sold and openly smoked. Luckily for non-smokers, many public places are becoming aware of the dangers of cigarette smoke and are declaring themselves to be smoke free.

Even if you have smoked all of your life, it doesn't make since to assume it's too late to quit now. Researchers have found that those who smoke increase their risk of developing cancer with the number of years they have smoked and the number of cigarettes they smoke each day. However, they have also found that if any given smoker stops smoking, their risk of developing lung cancer will decreases.

If you do want to stop smoking, smoking cessation products have improved in the last several years. You can buy nicotine patches or gum specially designed to help ease you gradually off of smoking and make the transition easier. There is also a new prescription smoking cessation medication that seems to be very promising. If you want to quit smoking and be healthier, talk to your doctor about which options are best for you.

It is well known that cigarettes are not good for you. They are also not good for your family or those who inhale your smoke. While cigarettes are addictive, stopping smoking is worth the effort as it can cut your risk of developing lung cancer. If you want to quit, there is help. A wide variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications are available to help you stop smoking.

For more information on cancer try visiting http://www.cancercondition.com - a website that specializes in providing cancer related information and resources including information on lung cancer.