Center for Mind-Body Medicine Training
I attended a four-day training sponsored by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C. from June 11-14. It is called CancerGuides II and it was extraordinary. During this training, we learned to create safe, effective individualized programs of comprehensive and integrative care for people with cancer and their families. I met hundreds of practitioners and lay people from many fields who were there to learn and to help answer the question “What else can I do?” when a cancer patient comes to them for help.
One key take-away for me was that while every human carries cancer cells, which our exquisitely designed immune system can usually fight off, 1 out of 4 people will still get cancer in our lifetmes. The lesson: there are ways to improve your chances dramatically to avoid getting cancer.
It’s what you hear all the time: keep a healthy weight, exercise, eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. The science in this regard is overwhelming.
Yet the public health trend in our country is accelerating in the opposite direction. People are sicker, fatter and more sedentary than ever. The obesity crisis is truly catastophic on many levels. There is no doubt that a strong link exists between obesity and the likelihood of getting cancer.
I encourage anyone interested in learning more about the field of integrative care to explore the Center’s website at www.cmbm.org And then think about what you can do to make yourself healthier and to cherish the body you’ve been given, one little step at a time.
