It’s been less than three years since my father lost his long battle with cancer.
In April 2013, just a few months before his 71st birthday, my dad passed in his hospital bed with family by his side, and I’ll forever be grateful that I got to spend those last moments with him. Being with my father when he entered into his next phase of life was a privilege, but watching him battle cancer for seven years is something I hope never to repeat with someone I love.
The lessons I learned from my father are many: the value of honesty and hard work, how a good sense of humor is important in all situations, that humility and service always trump riches as the key to finding happiness.
I also learned a lot of lessons about what NOT to do based on his less-than-good decisions. I don’t think I ever saw my dad go to the doctor before he got sick, and he smoked at least 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years. He got a lot of exercise (he worked 7 days a week in construction my whole life), but his diet was mostly made up of convenience foods that he picked up on the run (think: cheap breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and coffee).
And when he wasn’t eating out, he was making some questionable choices with his at-home cuisine. He once described his home-cooked meals as the “type of food they’d make in the penitentiary.” (This made me laugh out loud and worry at the same time.)
It was a wonder that he stayed “healthy” for as long as he did.
So it’s not hard to figure out how or why my dad got sick. He smoked, ate terrible food, and never took the time to get a physical. He simply didn’t pay attention to what he was putting into his body or the consequences of his actions (or lack thereof) when it came to his health.
My dad was mindless about his self-care, and I’m determined to act differently.
How I Practice Mindfulness for Cancer Prevention
Every one of my days starts the same way—with meditation. Just a few moments spent in quiet contemplation allows me to express gratitude and set myself up for a successful day ahead.
How to I plan my day with meditation? I ask myself (and the Universe) one question: “How may I serve?” That question can be expanded to include service to friends and family, service to strangers, service to animals and the planet, and service to myself.
When I’m acting in service, I’m mindful to think, speak, and act in ways that uplift, inspire, and positively affect whatever and whomever I come into contact with during my day.
These positive acts of service also extend to how I think, speak, and act toward myself.
I’m careful to think positive thoughts about my body and myself. I acknowledge my worthiness in every moment by reciting silent mantras like, “I deserve to eat healthy food that nourishes my body” and “I exercise because I love my body, not because I hate it.”
I’d like to offer you one of my favorite mantras for mindful eating and exercise:
“When coming from a place of self-love and not from denial or punishment, all eating decisions become effortless and worthy or you.”
(You can get all 23 inspirational Eat Move Love mantra graphics and more exclusive bonus content in my Bliss Notes Archive when you click here to sign up for my weekly newsletter.)
Because my dad wasn’t my biological father and my mother was adopted, I haven’t been able to look at my family history to guide me on which diseases I should look out for.
Living well and taking care of my health through mindfulness and attentive self-care have been my only methods for staying healthy and preventing serious disease like cancer.
Don’t’ get me wrong—it’s a good plan, even if you do know your history. Being mindful and loving toward yourself in every moment allows you to make the best decisions for eating and exercise. Other areas of your life will benefit as well—relationships, your job, and your finances.
Asking yourself how you can be of service will make your whole life better—increasing your energy, reducing your stress, and boosting your immune system.
This method is so easy. Instead of worrying about long lists of specific healthy measures, just take the time to ask one simple question: “How may I serve?” Then, all decisions will lend themselves to the greater good of keeping you healthy and happy. Awesome, right?
But what if there was an easy way to take prevention to the next level?
I’m sure a lot of you share my desire to know more about your family health history and your personal risk factors, even if you’re close to your biological family. In Part 2 of this post, I’m going to share a very cool genetic screening test that I’m taking to see if I’m at risk for certain types of cancer.
Did you know that there are proactive steps you can take to get ahead of cancer?
To help you with this, Counsyl offers DNA testing and genetic counseling services as a simple way to learn your risks for certain types of cancer such as breast, ovarian, colon and others, and what you can do to stay ahead of it.
The Counsyl Inherited Cancer Screen assesses your risks based on your DNA, and if you test positive, you have the power to act early on. By working with your doctor, you can build a proactive health and risk reduction plan including early detection. Detecting cancer early increases survival rates—the 5-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 98.6% when caught in early stages.
I’m super excited about doing this testing, and I can’t wait to share my experience with you!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Counsyl. The opinions and text are all mine.