Cancer is Preventable – Aarogya 2018

‘Aarogya Today’, India’s First Cancer Prevention Conference is being held at The Sheraton Hotel, Hyderabad on May 13th. Sponsored by Ayurway India, the speakers include medical experts like Dr. David Christopher and famous personalities like Gautami Tadimalla and Ananda Jayant, who are cancer survivors themselves.

‘Aarogya’, literally translates to the wellness of one’s mind, body and soul, was born from a need to create awareness around cancer and help people understand that there’s a way around the “C – word”. The mission is to focus on not just the treatment; but also on early diagnosis and steps that can be taken today to prevent cancer. The conference will feature talks by notable doctors who are pushing research and providing alternative methods to prevent cancer, and by survivors with their stories to share.It is a great way to not only interact but witness how medical advancements work to both cure cancer and be equipped with the knowledge to prevent it.

The conference hopes to address:
An integrated understanding of Allopathy, Naturopathy, Ayurveda…any and every way to combat.
Bringing together a group of experts from all these fields and talk primarily about prevention.
Realizing that prevention translates to not just ways of warding the disease off in the first place but also targeting the fear and state of relapse.
Talking about the hereditary nature of the disease and ways around it.

Elaborating on the need for dialogue around cancer prevention, Mr. Pankaj Singh, Founder of Aarogya said, “This is not just any social cause that we decided to take up. This is born from first-hand witnessing what Cancer does to a family and a personal understanding of the pain and sufferance. Cancer leaves families with so many unanswered questions- “Why us?”, “What can we do to make sure this never happens to us or to anyone else?” This program is created from a humane and urgent desire to reach out to people and tell them that we are eager to fight it with them.”

Actress Gautami, during her inspiring speech recollected her brave cancer journey. She said no one can prepare you for cancer but we absolutely need to take complete responsibility in understanding oneself and fight this disease. She urged everyone to take pride in oneself and one’s journey in life. There was no history of cancer in her family. Yet her emotional stress managed to manifest itself in the physical body and she realized the changes she needed to make to bring balance to her life. She further added that Cancer is a disease to be taken seriously but you don’t have to be defeated by it. Because the best weapon you have is your mind.

Ayurway is a herbal healthcare organization that actively works with cancer patients, among others and their journeys to full recovery using Ayurvedic medicinal practices. Sarat Addanki, CEO, is also an Ayurvedic Health Educator, who practices Vedic Counselling. The motivation he gathered after losing his mother to cancer, got him involved with his friends (as he call his patients) and helps them overcome their fear of this deadly disease.

In today’s world, awareness runs, cancer screening and treatments are highly advertised. But, despite that and the advancements in medical technology, 8.2 million people across the world die of cancer every year; some as early as 30. And this figure is expected to rise another 25% by 2020, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The same data also revealed that only 12.5% of patients seek treatment during their early stages.

According to a recent study conducted by Jama Oncology, 50% of cancer cases diagnosed are preventable. And the nature of cancer control is changing, with an increasing emphasis, fueled by public and political demand, on prevention, early diagnosis and patient experience during and after treatment.

Most common forms of cancer such as Lung, Oral, Skin and Cervical Cancer can be prevented just by making suitable lifestyle choices.
Don’t use tobacco
Protect your skin from the sun
Eat a healthy diet
Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active
Practice safe sex and avoid risky behaviors
Get immunized (HPV & Hepatitis vaccines)
Know your family medical history and get regular cancer screenings

Quotes from speakers:

Billions of dollars are spent on cancer research. However, very few funds are allocated to cancer prevention. I present an easily understood simple approach to the medically evasive field of cancer prevention. I focus on the environmental aspects of prevention including diet and herbal therapies, says, Dr David Christopher, Manager, Dr Christopher Herb Company -USA

Ms. Serena Malkani, Sound Practitioner, Ayurvedic Counselor, and Organizational Psychologist – The intention of working with healing sounds is to shift the body from a place of imbalance to a place of balance. Sound therapy helps with anxiety, depression, stress, PTSD, pain and negative thought processes. All of these issues manifest as disease in the physical body. This modality aims to induce a relaxation response in the subtle body, therefore causing all of the vital systems in the body to function with less stress. It is used as both as preventive measure and a therapeutic process for those who have become ill.

Mr. Sarat Addanki, CEO, Ayurway – Cancer is one of the major health problems around the globe and the numbers of cases of this disease are increasing gradually. Cancer prevention is an action taken to lower the risk of cancer. According to Ayurveda, this can be achieved by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and smart food choices.

Ms. Sunitha Tati, Cancer Survivor, Founder & MD, Support Cancer Awareness Foundation- INDIA – Cancer risk has increased by multi-fold over the last two decades in India. Preventive thinking is the critical need of the hour. I am living with Cancer for almost two decades now. I noticed that awareness and early detection are certainly the first two important steps to keep oneself clear off the Cancer radar. We can create awareness by talking about the root of the cause, by keeping ourselves open to new and ancient knowledge of this disease and primarily, the willingness to stay open to all forms of preventive methods. My journey in these last few years have been talking at multiple workshops and meeting masters of different methods of preventive care that helped me understand myself, my body but mostly to help me with Holistic healing and living a cancer free life.

Ms. Amarpali Singh, Founder, Cross Connection Poetree – India – So much of our effort and energy is going into fighting cancer, countering its sting that we have almost forgotten that prevention is better than cure. It’s time to take an alternative approach to defeat a disease that has taken so many of our loved ones away. I think darkness becomes our candle when we decide not to give up. I thought if I wrote poems on request and charge people for those,the money could be used for Anam’s treatment. And poetry was something I knew I was good at and that motivated me to at least try it.

Ms. Jeremy Ann Anderson, Clinical Ayurveda Specialist, Master Teacher at California College of Ayurveda – USA – To me, Ayurveda epitomizes the ideal in cancer prevention. As a complete science that understands each person uniquely, the wisdom, when utilized, can help create an optimal environment for svastha, for perfect health. Balancing body, mind and spirit through the knowledge of Ayurveda keeps the Agni balanced, ojas strong, stress levels down, and oxidized stress minimized, which are powerful steps in cancer prevention.
More specifically, Nisarga Chikitsa (Nature Therapy) addresses the root cause of cellular mutation, forgetting our true nature as spirit, by reminding us on a deep cellular level of the interconnectedness of all that is. Quality time in nature is a profoundly simple yet effective way to reduce stress, strengthen the immune system, and help to prevent cancer through reminding ourselves that we are all interconnected. We are not separate. We are part of something greater. We are whole.

Mr. Shankar Raventhiran, President, Green Anthem Foods Inc. – Canada – Poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise amount to 40% of the cause of cancer, which means a factor that is in our hands, has been the major cause of cancer. An anti-angiogenic diet is one composed of food and beverages containing naturally occurring substances shown to prevent harmful blood vessels that feed cancer cells. An Apoptosis diet is one that is composed of fruits and vegetables that causes the death of cancer cells. Now, how about a rainbow diet that’s a fusion of anti-angiogenic and apoptosis diet. What roles do the colors, the antioxidants and the polyphenols have to play to make this rainbow diet the best?  Let’s discuss the how, why and what about nutrition and its role in cancer prevention.

Dr. Aditi Kulkarni, Ayurway – The science of Ayurveda plays a highly potential role in cancer prevention due to its holistic approach to understanding health and illness. It’s well-accepted that our chances of developing cancer are affected by the lifestyle choices we make. So if each of us is concerned about cancer prevention (and we should be!) we need to implement some simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference. Never underestimate these little efforts that can bring back positive health into our lives.

Dr. Priti Parekh, Founder, Fountain of Health Wellness and Chronic Disease Clinic – USA – Simple lifestyle changes as mentioned below can make a big difference and help lower your cancer risk.

• Eat cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage; these contain vital cancer-fighting components.
• Eat berries like Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries; these are all rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients.
• Avoid tobacco in any form.
• Avoid processed and red meat.
• Physical activity counts; in addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own lowers the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.
• Regular self-exams and screenings for various types of cancers — such as cancer of the skin, colon, cervix, and breast — can increase your chances of discovering cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.
• Last, but not the least, developing a positive outlook on life does wonder to our immune system.

It is time to take charge of your health. As Jim Rohn once said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

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