Breast Cancer.
Health Strategy.

Rules for a healthy life.

Everything stated in this section may at first glance seem banal, uninteresting and not deserving of attention. However, each of these claims has been supported by a wide variety of studies accumulated over the past 20-30 years. Most of them confirm what was previously known, but some data have been received only very recently. All of them are part of the overall treatment plan, or rather, a healthy lifestyle plan included in the treatment plan.

Each of them, taken separately, is unlikely to be decisive, but taken together as a style of behavior, they can have a profound impact not only on the risk of the onset of the disease, but also positively affect its prognosis.

A healthy lifestyle is the one cure for all degenerative diseases. No matter what health problem we have, its final solution is impossible without a healthy lifestyle. A tumor, like most other non-communicable diseases, is a consequence of a violation of the normal functioning of the body. And returning it to normal is a prerequisite for the success of treatment.

The body needs nutrition, physical activity, rest, and an adequate combination of all three of these components of health. All this is very easy to do, and the cost:benefit ratio can be incredibly profitable. By following simple rules and making them a habit, we can reduce the risk of not only cancer, but also many other common diseases. You just need to do it.

Daily regime.

A healthy daily routine involves alternating exercise and rest cycles in a natural circadian rhythm, synchronized with the time of day. The circadian clock regulates the response to oxidative stress, cell and body metabolism, cell cycle checkpoint control systems, DNA repair, and the activity of anti-inflammatory signaling pathways *.

Normalization of the coordinated work of all organs and systems of the body requires a combination of all known circadian rhythm modulators:
• Adequate solar illumination of the body (light:dark cycle).
• Intense activity and stress in the first half of daylight hours and relaxed activity and relaxation in the second half (load:rest cycle).
• Established meal times and a long break between dinner and breakfast (meal:fast cycle).
• Dependence of the calorie content of food and its composition on the time of day (energy consumption:accumulation cycle).
• Appropriate timing and duration of sleep and activity (wake:sleep cycle).
• Sleep in a cool temperature (warm:cool cycle).
• Avoiding certain drugs and substances at certain times of the day; avoidance in the evening of the blue part of the light spectrum, which destroys the daily cycles.

Ensure adequate exposure to natural light throughout the day, especially in the early part of the day. Unless absolutely necessary, do not wear sunglasses so that sunlight enters your eyes. Use them only when there is a clear excess of light.

An equally important point is the complete removal of all unnecessary prescription drugs (statins, antihypertensives, sleeping pills) and the use of only those that are absolutely necessary. Dosages of all those drugs that cannot be removed should be reviewed monthly downwards.

Many common medications can seriously disrupt the circadian rhythm, including cancer drugs, immunosuppressive drugs, cardiovascular drugs, gastrointestinal drugs, antiseptics, hormones and contraceptives, and vitamins and minerals *.

In addition to morning therapy with full spectrum bright light, regular light warm-ups at the beginning of the day help to strengthen the circadian rhythm. For this, a light jog, brisk walk or a short yoga session is sufficient.

As little as 0.5 hours a day of moderate-intensity exercise increases survival by 68% and reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 55% in patients at high risk of recurrence *.

To maintain tone, the following types of muscle load are also recommended:
• Aerobics, walking, cycling, easy running.
• Mini-trampoline, skipping rope.
• Swimming, skating, skiing.
• Athletics, gymnastics.
• Yoga.
• Measured work in the garden.

Physical activity should not be static. They should include twisting, bending and shaking exercises. In this case, there is a better massage of the internal organs and the movement of fluids, such as secreted juices and lymph.

Healthy sleep.

The US National Sleep Foundation * offers the following guidelines to help you get a good night's sleep:
• Maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule 7 days a week. Try to get up with the sun, and immediately after waking up, expose your eyes and body to sunlight.
• It's okay to start the day with coffee, tea, cocoa, or another food-stimulating food.
• Do a little exercise after waking up – this will cheer you up in the morning, and do not avoid constant physical activity during the day – this will ensure you fall asleep better in the evening.
• Breakfast should be taken after full awakening and after morning exercises.
• Avoid sleeping in the middle of the day, except at fixed times, and no more than 1 hour. The need for daytime sleep is considered a consequence of inadequate nighttime sleep.
• The last meal should be no later than 19:00. Food immediately before bedtime significantly impairs the quality of sleep.
• A diet rich in carbohydrates and poor in protein promotes the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin, thereby improving the quality of sleep.
• Alcohol in any amount is harmful to the female breast, but if alcohol is still taken, then it is better to do it for dinner (no more than 15 g of pure alcohol, and no later than 19:00).
• Do not take stimulating drinks in the afternoon. Do not go to bed too late, so as not to provoke a «night hunger».
• Avoid brain stimulants, such as coffee, chocolate, nicotine, or alcohol, near bedtime. 1 hour before bedtime, it is better to drink 1 glass of choice: carrot or sour cherry juice, malted milk with raspberries or goji berries, green tea with a teaspoon of honey, or eat 2 kiwi fruits.
• Set up a regular relaxing environment before bed.
• Keep your bedroom quiet, cool and fresh, oxygenated air.
• The bed should be reflexively associated only with sleep. Don't do anything else in bed – don't watch TV, don't listen to the radio, don't read, don't eat, and don't even lie awake. If you can't fall asleep within 30 minutes, get up, engage in monotonous or relaxing activities until you feel ready to sleep.
• Try not to take prescription sleeping pills for insomnia. The best sleeping pill is a healthy regimen. If it is not enough, you can take valerian root, gamma-aminobutyric acid or melatonin before bedtime.
• Go to bed at the same time. Do not go to bed later than 23:00 local time. Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours after midnight.
• Sleep in complete darkness; do not turn on any, even minimal, light sources.
• The duration of sleep should be at least 8 and not more than 9 hours.

Shorter sleep increases the risk of developing breast cancer, and longer sleep increases the risk of certain hematological malignancies *.

Healthy diet.

The food we eat is the most influential environmental factor.

According to the latest scientific recommendations *, a healthy diet includes mandatory breakfast, consuming the bulk of calories in the morning, reducing the frequency of meals to 2-3 times a day, a long period of night break, and regular periods of fasting. Following these guidelines will reduce inflammation, improve circadian rhythm, increase autophagy and stress tolerance, and improve gut microflora.

Healthy eating is thus both dietary chemoprophylaxis and dietary therapy.

Solid food.

The amount of food. The daily calorie content of food for women should be at least 1'600 kcal. The recommended daily calorie restriction for food is 2'400 kcal. Reduced calorie intake will not cause hunger if you consume foods rich in fiber and water *.
• Move all foods out of sight so they don't provoke you to eat.
• Focus on your meal and eat slowly so that your body has time to give you satiety signals.
• Use small plates to give the appearance of a large portion and small utensils to prevent you from overeating.
• Start your meal with water or unsweetened drinks to fill your stomach and reduce your appetite.

Food quality. Only eat food that you have prepared yourself. Make it a rule not to put anything in your mouth except what is really healthy, especially if it is high in calories. Do not buy products that do not provide any benefit.

Healthy foods are high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, olive and flaxseed oils, and fish (especially marine species), and low in saturated fats such as butter and other animal fats, red meat, poultry, dairy products and regular consumption of drinks high in plant polyphenols.

Minimize processed food and maximize whole foods: meat instead of sausage, tomato instead of ketchup, fruit instead of juice, whole wheat instead of semolina, nuts and seeds instead of vegetable oil.

Eliminate trans fats (such as margarine) from your diet, limit refined, canned, smoked, fried and salty foods as much as possible. Do not be surprised if it turns out that most of the products on the shelves of food supermarkets fall into this category. This is really unhealthy food. Food that makes us sick and decrepit. Avoid her.

The human body has a wide metabolic flexibility, and is capable of omnivory. However, it is not well adapted to food that the producer considers edible. Even those foods that are not considered carcinogenic, when consumed in large quantities, can have a carcinogenic effect. However, unlike cigarettes, we won't see warning labels on the packaging of sugar, bacon, white flour, butter, or ice cream.

The best food is vegetable. At least half of all food must be thermally unprocessed *.

The best types of heat treatment, in descending order of preference: baking in own juice → stewing → boiling → roasting.
If you do cook fried foods, use coconut oil or lard, not vegetable oil.
If you consume meat from animals and birds, then these animals must be raised on free range, and also without the use of growth hormones and artificial proteins. At the same time, people over the age of 40 should not neglect the addition of proteolytic enzymes, such as pancreatin.
If you eat fish, choose fatty ocean fish from the polar regions because they are the richest in omega-3 fats.

Food should be freshly prepared, taken without haste, have a pleasant appearance and a temperature of 30-38 °C. Colorful vegetables will not only make the finished dish colorful and attractive; they are a rich source of many beneficial phytonutrients. Don't forget about spices – they not only improve the taste of food, but also have significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.

Despite the generality of these general recommendations, there are notable individual differences between individuals that should also be taken into account. Listen to your body, monitor your condition. So it will be possible to choose the most appropriate diet or to identify allergic reactions to the products taken.

Eating mode. Eating should take place during the light period of the day, but no later than 19:00. Manipulation studies show that daytime eating keeps the cortisol peak in the natural time interval (8:00), while nighttime eating shifts the peak of the same amplitude to 16:00 * *. Peak body temperature during the night eating showed the same 8-hour time shift.

Eating after 10 pm can have several metabolic consequences that are very important for women's health. Eating late is very strongly associated with breast cancer *. Eating from 22:00 to 2:00 increases the risk of breast cancer by 1.5 times, and the longer this diet, the higher the risk. Interestingly, night eating increased the incidence only in those women who ate staple (caloric) foods at night, but not vegetables or fruits *.

The recommended distribution of daily calories looks like this: breakfast – 45-50%; lunch – 35-30%; dinner – 25-15%. More frequent meals, even low-calorie snacks, are not recommended.

It is important not only to distribute calories according to the day:night principle, but also to distribute them over meals during the day. The daily first meal sets the circadian phasing of peripheral clocks (eg, in the liver, stomach, and intestines), and the daily last meal determines lipid metabolism and adipose tissue storage *. Thus, you can noticeably improve your well-being, just by changing the time of consumption of the same foods.

Fatty and meaty foods are good in the morning, but not in the evening. Their consumption for breakfast contributes to the outflow of bile that has accumulated during the night of fasting. With a regimen of fat restriction, you can stimulate the outflow of bile in the morning by alternating foods and plants that create a bitter taste. These can be dandelion root, tansy, wormwood, milk thistle, burdock root, cloves, ginger, mustard, mint, other spices, coffee, and dark chocolate.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics agrees that consuming more of your energy early in the day can help you lose weight and continue to maintain normal weight levels *.

Finally, the duration of the break between meals is important. A weekly one to two days fast, as well as a daily 15-hour overnight fast, can significantly increase the state of low insulin levels in the blood, which significantly reduces the inflammatory status and reduces the risk of almost all degenerative diseases.

The order of food intake. There are also recommendations for the order in which food components are taken, because the same food composition, taken in a different order, can cause a different glycemic response.

Vegetables taken before carbohydrates cause lower blood glucose levels and, in the long term, lower glycated hemoglobin levels, compared to carbohydrates taken before vegetables * *.

Protein taken at the start of a meal also improves glycemic control *. Fish or meat taken before rice is more satiating, retains food longer in the stomach, lowers blood glucose levels and improves the production of the satiety hormone GLP-1 than the same taken after rice *.

Fats, in particular olive oil, taken before carbohydrates, as well as protein, improve glycemic control *. As you can see, no matter where we start our meal, carbohydrates are best consumed at its end.

The order that provides the best glycemic control moves from the least carbohydrate foods to the most carbohydrate foods, and from complex carbohydrates to simple ones: vegetables and greens * (with healthy oils) → proteins * → dense carbohydrates → fruits.

Eating low energy density foods * before a meal – a raw tomato *, a couple of apples *, vegetable soup *, 1-2 glasses of vegetable juice *, or even a glass of water can significantly reduce the amount of food eaten afterwards, and at the same time reduce it. calorie content, and in the long run helps to lose fat mass and maintain weight loss. Thus, the following sequence of dishes seems to be the best option: soup → vegetables → meat → legumes → grains.

You can even more rationalize the order of eating, for example, by referring to the so-called «separate meals». Initially, the apologists of this theory tried to explain the benefits of separate intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates by the incompatibility of enzymes that break down one or another nutrient, but this assumption has not received scientific confirmation. However, there is merit in this proposal for other reasons.

As you know, the combination of sugar molecules with molecules of proteins or fats produces glycation products that cause inflammatory reactions and accelerate the aging of the body. This is especially true for animal proteins and fats. Meat, and even fish, increase the release of carbohydrate-induced insulin *. At the same time, this does not happen with vegetable protein *.

Thus, the rejection of both simple carbohydrates and an excess of calories in food can reduce the activity of the glycation process, and the separation of the time of carbohydrate intake and intake of animal proteins and fats can weaken it even more.

Another important factor is the significant influence of the circadian rhythm on glucose metabolism *. Insulin sensitivity has been reported to decrease during the day and increase during the night *. A low-glycemic meal eaten late in the night causes greater spikes in blood glucose than the same meal eaten in the morning *. Therefore, low GI food is recommended for breakfast and high GI food is allowed for dinner.

Based on this, it seems more reasonable to prepare a breakfast based on fats, heavy proteins and vegetables; lunch – based on complex carbohydrates and fruits; and dinner is based on light proteins, vegetables and a small amount of simple carbohydrates *. However, whether such a diet will be convenient for the consumer is up to him to decide.

The calorie content of breakfast should be 40-45% of the total daily calorie intake, with the expectation that this energy will be spent during the next working hours – the time of the most intense daily activity. Current dietary recommendations suggest an even distribution of macronutrients throughout the day. However, such a decision can hardly be considered reasonable. For the same level of daily calorie intake, consuming more of them for breakfast and less for dinner provides a greater reduction in blood glucose and fasting insulin * * * *.

It is desirable that the vast majority of daily fats fall for breakfast. Morning intake of fat-rich foods such as avocados, fatty ocean fish, goat's milk and nuts also improves the flow of bile after a long night fast. In type II diabetes, a low-carbohydrate, high-protein * and high-fat * breakfast ensures acceptable blood glucose levels not only after breakfast, but throughout the day. It is expected that similar benefits will be for healthy people.

In addition, breakfast should provide the majority of your daily calcium and vitamin D intake *. They increase thermogenesis and the rate of fat oxidation, reducing dietary energy intake over the next 24 hours. Yogurt or fermented milk can reduce post-meal low-level inflammation that is caused by fatty foods *.

Dinner. The calorie content of dinner should be 30-35% of the total daily caloric intake.

At lunch, it is recommended to take foods of medium calorie content and with an average rate of assimilation, such as «long-digestible» carbohydrates. It can be legumes, flax, unground small grains and pseudo-cereals (false flax, chia, quinoa, millet), whole coarse grinding of large grains and pseudo-cereals (oats, barley, wheat, corn), whole non-yeast dough products. Alternatively, you can have this food for breakfast and the high-protein/high-fat part for lunch, but it is not recommended to mix both of these food groups.

For lunch, be sure to eat salads. At least half of the vegetables should be consumed raw, ie. thermally untreated.

It is not recommended to «snack» between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner; particularly sweet foods should be avoided. The desire to snack has a psychological, not a physiological, reason. If this can't be avoided, try snacking on low-calorie foods like unripe bananas, apples or green mixes (see below †).

Supper. The calorie content of supper should not exceed 20-25% of the total daily calorie content.

Dinner should be no later than 19 hours local time. These should be foods that quickly saturate and are quickly absorbed; like fish or yogurt. Both of these techniques should increase the overnight fasting gap, which should be at least 12 hours. To increase this period, it would be more useful to refuse dinner altogether, but since this is unrealistic for the vast majority of people, other solutions are offered, including limiting the calorie content of dinner and changing its structure.

For dinner, it is better to take easily digestible non-fatty foods, vegetables and fruits, such as bananas, kiwi, and others. Before going to bed, you can drink a glass of liquid without solid food – vegetable juice (for example, carrot-beetroot), some kind of fermented drink, or relaxing tea with 1 tsp. honey. Shifting the protein content of meals to the evening will allow you to achieve a feeling of fullness more quickly, as well as reduce excessive cortisol levels and make it easier to fall asleep *.

You should not eat long-digestible carbohydratesbefore bedtime, because due to the lack of physical activity and low insulin production in the evening, this will lead to high blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as excessive production of fat and cholesterol.

Do not abuse alcohol to relax. A glass of dry red wine or a glass of beer a day is a «red line» for a woman of any age.

The structure of consumption. Let's divide the list of food products into four levels according to their priority. Such a gradation will allow us not only to assess the degree of usefulness of food products, but also to vary the severity of the diet ourselves. Arguments in favor of the proposed nutrition structure are considered separately *, only the final conclusions are presented here.

Definitely «YES». The basic diet that provides the lowest risk of cancer.

Almost all of the foods listed above show antitumor activity in breast cancer *. The top ten most useful include: green tea, turmeric, cruciferous, flax, onion and garlic, beets, red wine extract, berries, pomegranate, ω-3 fats.

Rather «YES», than «NO». Less restrictive diet. The products listed below are occasionally allowed.

More likely «NO» than «YES». An unhealthy diet that poses a high risk of cancer.

Definitely «NO». Diet containing carcinogenic components.

A table compiled by the American College of Preventive Medicine * helps you visualize how healthy and complete a diet based on certain foods is. It is noticeable that experts recommend a diet based on vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and do not recommend animal fats and proteins.

Indeed, if we compare the food intake patterns of the 10 countries with the  highest  and 10 countries with the  lowest  incidence of breast cancer (adjusted for age and total risk), it is easy to see that consumption of grains and pseudocereals, legumes, and roots and tubers is associated with reducing the risk of disease. At the same time, the consumption of alcohol, eggs, animal fat and meat, dairy products and sugar is associated with increased risk.

In addition, large amounts of food consumed and high calorie content are also associated with a high risk of breast cancer. At the same time, the share of vegetables, vegetable oils, oilseeds and nuts in the total food energy in both compared groups is comparable.

A significant increase in the consumption of plant foods can not only slow down the development of tumor processes, but in some cases reverse them even in the late stages of the disease. Changing the habitual diet, giving up all unhealthy foods, in fact, is simple. And the result can exceed all expectations.

At the same time, while limiting the intake of animal protein, it is unwise to completely abandon it. Indeed, various vegetarian diets are more alkaline than omnivorous diets, resulting in increased bone mineral density *. However, in limited clinical studies, vegetarian diets have been associated with an increased risk of tooth decay *. The topical application of fluoride made it possible to reduce their risk of caries *, which speaks more about the dangers of mineral imbalance and the lack of fluorides in the diet of vegetarians than about the dangers of a vegetarian diet as such *. In their findings, the researchers suggested balancing the dietary intake of fruit and vegetables with the intake of meat and vegetable protein *.

An analysis of the diet of various countries of the world shows that the lowest incidence of breast cancer is observed when the principle of 70:12:18 is observed, i.e. the ratios in this proportion carbohydrates:proteins:fats in the total caloric intake, as well as with a total daily caloric intake of up to 2'200 kcal.

An increase in calorie intake, an increase in fat content, and an increase in the consumption of meat products at the expense of vegetables and complex carbohydrates can increase the risk of breast cancer by several times.

Diet therapy can sometimes produce an effect comparable to chemotherapy and, in contrast to the latter, does not entail negative side effects. However, it is worth recognizing that, despite the extreme importance of a healthy diet for the prevention of breast cancer, in most cases, it probably will not be enough to effectively fight against an already existing tumor.

Water is the main irreplaceable substance around which all biochemical processes in the body revolve. In fact, the human body is a 30% solution of water containing organic and inorganic molecules.

But water doesn't just fill the volume and create space for chemical reactions. It forms the structural scaffold that supports protein structures, including enzymes and DNA. It provides the dissolution and delivery of nutrients, metabolic processes and removal of metabolic products.

This imposes special requirements on the quantity and quality of fluids consumed. It is better if it is freshly squeezed vegetable juice, for example, carrot; or green smoothies; or mineralized water extracted from a well no more than 3 hours ago. In this case, drinking will be provided with favorable indicators for mineral saturation, acidity and redox potential. Fruit juices are a lesser choice than vegetable juices, as they are high in sugar and low in nutrients. Worse than them only sweet carbonated drinks.

Among herbal infusions, besides green tea, antioxidant drinks such as carob bark are most commonly recommended, as well as an alternation of adaptogenic plants such as lemongrass, ginseng, echinacea, eleutherococcus, astragalus, and licorice.

The amount of water consumed depends on many factors, such as the temperature and humidity of the surroundings, physical activity, loss of water in urine and stool. Due to the extreme variability in water demand, there are no single guidelines for water intake that will ensure adequate hydration. No convenient objective indicators have been developed to determine the lack of water in the body. A subjective indicator of water sufficiency in the body is the absence of thirst and the light color of urine with its unexpressed smell.

On average, for women, a daily intake of 2-2.2 liters of fluid from drinks * and liquid food is considered sufficient; and about 0.8 liters more coming from solid food *. Strenuous physical work, hot weather or diarrhea may require at least 0.5 liters more. Alcohol, caffeine, and other diuretics also increase the need for water. Intensive care requires increased detoxification, which also requires increased water intake.

Thirst can go unnoticed for a long time against the background of other centers of attention, for example, due to passion for some kind of occupation. Given these conditions, a significant proportion of people may experience latent water scarcity. The prevalence of varying degrees of dehydration in adults averages 16-28% *, and can even reach 75% *. And with age, the risk of dehydration and related diseases increases *.

Even a small but chronic water deficiency in the body can increase the risk of cancer *. Thickening of the intercellular fluid, lymph and blood impairs their movement. The loss of already 2% of water can lead to some deterioration in the state of the body, in particular, due to an increase in the concentration of substances dissolved in it and a deterioration in the functioning of enzymes.

Conversely, high water intake has been associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk, especially in postmenopausal women *. However, increasing your water intake to 8 glasses a day when you don't need to drink it may not provide any health benefits, and only lead to the loss of electrolytes and increased stress on the urinary system *.

Water quality is determined by a number of indicators, the most important of which are mineralization, chemical and biological contamination, acidity, redox potential.

The contamination of water coming from the water supply network is controlled by the supplier and does not exceed the established sanitary standards. The problem of biological contamination is solved centrally by chlorination or ozonation of water, and the problem of contamination with toxins is solved by installing chemical filters. However, obtaining water of adequate quality requires the installation of additional water treatment systems in each household.

The isotopic variations of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms that make up water are important for metabolism because the heavier isotopes do not participate properly in biochemical reactions. This mainly concerns the heavy isotope of hydrogen (deuterium). The ratio of deuterium to protium (a light isotope) in tap water is typically around 1:6'600, and seems negligible. However, even a small increase in the proportion of deuterium can significantly affect the general state of human health, primarily due to mitochondrial paralysis. This once again emphasizes the importance of the chemical purity of the water we drink.

The mineralization of water in the water supply network depends on the source of its intake. The water entering the water supply network is classified as table water, not mineralized water. Filtration of drinking water, especially by reverse osmosis, removes not only toxic impurities, but also many trace elements dissolved in it, which can cause their deficiency. Examples of such elements include iodine and fluorine. The demineralization of water as a result of its purification is a concern in the scientific community, which makes a difference between the concepts of «clean water» and «healthy water» *.

The waters of mineral springs have an increased concentration of certain chemical elements, and can be used to correct the mineral balance in the body. However, it is not necessary to count on obtaining an adequate amount of the minerals necessary for the body exclusively from mineralized water.

Acidity. The pH value of tap water usually ranges from 7-8, i.e. in the region of neutrality.

Reduction/Oxidation Potential (ORP), also known as redox potential (RedOx) characterizes the tendency of water to accept electrons (oxidize) or donate electrons (restore). In other words, the ORP shows how much water is an antioxidant or pro-oxidant. The more negative the ORP (Eh), measured in millivolts, the more electrons the water is able to give away; the higher its antioxidant capacity.

The ORP of the internal environment of a healthy person always has a negative value *. If drinking water has a positive ORP, then when it enters the body, it acquires a negative ORP due to the selection of electrons from cell membranes *. In other words, it exhibits an oxidizing effect on cells. It follows from this that it would make more sense for health to consume drinking water with a slight negative, or at least zero, ORP.

Natural waters interacting with atmospheric oxygen demonstrate more positive ORP values in contrast to groundwaters in contact with negatively charged earth and sulfides, silicates and organic substances (oil, coal, etc.) occurring in the soil *. This is especially true of the waters of healing springs. However, after being extracted from the underground storage, such water very quickly (within a few hours) loses its negative indicator.

Therefore, unlike spring or well water, ordinary tap, rain, well, bottled waters have a positive ORP (usually their Eh is from +200 to +400 mV); etc. exhibits a pro-oxidant effect. At the same time, freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, such as carrot juice, have a lower and even negative ORP *, and thus exhibit an anti-oxidant effect.

Molecular hydrogen saturation or electroactivation can significantly reduce the ORP of drinking water *. To provide a noticeable bioactive effect, the Eh value of water must be at least -400 mV, and the volume of its consumption must be at least 1/10 of the total volume of water consumed, counting the water received with food *.

In humans, a daily intake of 2 liters of hydrogenated water (H2 ~ 1.1 mM, Eh -400 mV, pH 9.3) can have an alkalizing effect on the body. During the 14 days of the experiment, the acidity index (pH) of plasma and arterial blood on an empty stomach was significantly increased – by 0.04 * *. Given that the acidity of the blood is one of the most strictly controlled parameters of the body, a decrease in its acidity may indicate a general decrease in the acidity of body tissues.

In experiments on mice, the consumption of catholyte water (Eh -800 mV; pH 10.8) instead of ordinary drinking water reduced the incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors by a factor of three, delayed their development, and significantly improved the survival of animals. Mice that consumed electron-rich catholyte (alkaline) water had a relative risk of developing tumors that was more than 22 times lower than control mice *.

However, excess consumption of high pH water can adversely affect digestion because alkali deactivates pepsin and stomach acid.

The principle of healthy eating also includes healthy fasting, i.e. a period of abstinence from food.

An example of a complete weekly diet.

Daily monitoring of nutritional value is troublesome, as a result of which most enthusiasts sooner or later refuse it.

However, there is a more convenient and more easily implemented approach – the control of purchases carried out once for the whole week ahead. In this case, of course, the consumption of food other than it will not be taken into account, and it will have to be controlled additionally. But if it is insignificant, it can be neglected.

The table presented here shows an example of a weekly food supply, the usefulness of which was assessed using specialized programs.

Of course, the composition of products can be changed; this diet is given as an example, and is far from ideal. It is still high in calories, exceeding our limit of 2'200 kcal/day; has not the best ratio of potassium:sodium and calcium:magnesium; and may also require vitamin D supplementation during the winter.

Computer applications such as «DietOrganizer», «Health-Diet» or «Мой здоровый рацион» can analyze your current diet and make it easier for you to shop for weekly groceries. In addition, they allow you to monitor the adequacy of the intake of nutrients from the food you eat – daily and weekly.

In addition, they can suggest which foods to choose to ensure an adequate supply of a particular nutrient.

Daily menu examples.

What can be prepared from the proposed set of products?

Vegetable salads.

Sprouts.

First meals.

Cooked grain.

Main meals.

Dessert.

Green mixes.

Beverages.

Healthy Supplements.

Age-related changes that might require supplementation usually begin to appear only after 40 years. Therefore, young people who follow a healthy lifestyle and diet should not need to take any supplements. But unfortunately, the vast majority of people do not care about their health. The Mayo Clinic estimates that less than 3% of Americans qualify for a healthy lifestyle *.

In addition, there are a number of other reasons why certain supplements can sometimes be useful. Among these reasons, individual genetic anomalies, unhealthy ecology, insufficient nutritional value and violation of the principles of a healthy lifestyle are most often cited. The list of necessary supplements depends not only on individual characteristics, but also on the age of the person, because over the years, the deficiency of many elements increases regardless of lifestyle.

People under 40 who are on a nutritious diet and have no health problems may benefit from the following supplements:

These supplements can compensate for the often observed deficiency of these substances in food.

People over 40 may additionally require:

These supplements reduce naturally increasing oxidative stress with age, reduce inflammation, have a beneficial epigenetic effect, and improve the function of various organs, thereby reducing the risk of cancer.

People over 60 may also need some items from the following list:

However, let's not forget that taking any supplements should be coordinated with your family doctor. Some of them may be contraindicated in certain conditions.

The over-the-counter remedies offered here are primarily not drugs, but herbal supplements or endogenous substances. All of them have a natural origin and many years of practice of safe use. And their complex use implies a cumulative or synergistic effect, which makes it possible to significantly reduce their usual dosages. This is more likely not a drug intervention, but a correction of metabolism.

Healthy spirit.

• Differentiate your stresses. Only a few of them are really of vital importance to us.
• Never panic or lose your cool. There is always the least painful way out of the most difficult situations.
• Avoid strong stimulants, including nicotine and excess caffeine to increase your activity.
• Do not use alcohol or psychotropic drugs to relieve stress.
• Find time for creativity or any hobby.
• If you are single or your current relationship is toxic, be sure to find yourself good company.
• Make more time for live communication with people you like.
• Use any free minute for relaxation. Depending on the setting, this could be music, comedy, a good book, a walk in nature, meditation, yoga, a warm bath, scents, shopping, massage, naps, or deep breathing techniques.
• Find an activity that makes you feel needed and important. Get a pet.
• Constantly learn something new. Be open to the world.

Hygiene.

Avoid contaminated air, water, food and contact with toxic substances. Do not smoke or be in a room with a smoker. Keep your home clean. Do not allow mold to appear in the premises.
• If you don't already have one, install a drinking water filter and a HEPA filter for room air.
• Do not use aluminum cookware. Do not use fluoride toothpaste. Bone destruction occurs more internally (due to high acid load by diet) than externally (due to acid release by bacteria). A 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is best for brushing your teeth.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages or carbonated drinks.
• Avoid frequent use of lotions, toxic hair sprays, synthetic cosmetics, lipstick, coal tar dyes, antiperspirants, especially those containing aluminum salts. Alcohol with a little tea tree oil is just as effective as well-advertised antiperspirants in helping to fight bacteria that cause bad breath.
• Have a bowel movement at least once a day. Use vegetable fiber to improve bowel activity.
• Do not delay emptying your bladder for a long time.
• Take warm baths regularly to stimulate circulation.
• Spend more time outdoors – in a park or forest, away from traffic and polluted air.
• Protect yourself from electromagnetic radiation from electrical and electronic devices. Avoid exposure to even low levels of electromagnetic fields in household electrical wiring.
• If possible, walk barefoot on the ground for at least 30 minutes a day.

Self control.

• Listen to your intuition.
• Try to pay attention to all the alarm signals that the body gives.
• Keep a health journal of your current symptoms.
• Don't be content with just the tests your doctor gives you. You should know as many indicators of your health as possible, including iron, copper, electrolytes, and vitamins.
• Regularly undergo medical examinations, monitor changes over the past year. Hypochondriacs live longer.

Next chapter