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Simple Way to Boost Cancer Survival Rates: Diet and Exercise, Studies Say

One more time, studies are showing that some of the best ways to boost cancer survival have nothing to do with drugs but, rather, everything to do with diet and exercise. According to The Guardian, the latest studies show that a healthy diet and exercise could reduce colon cancer patients’ chances of dying — and that simply walking works for breast cancer survivors.

This is exciting in more ways than one. I’ve long been a proponent of diet and exercise as the keys to both prevention and treatment of cancer. To that end, I’ve talked many times about exercise boosting cancer survival and slashing your risk of its return.

On many occasions, I’ve also addressed the importance of ditching processed foods, sugars and grains from your diet and concentrating on whole, organic, fresh foods as your mainstays. But, as I explain in my new book "Fat for Fuel," mitochondrial dysfunction seems to be at the foundational core of most all cancers, and anything that addresses that is likely to have a favorable impact on cancer.

To address this foundational aspect, we must address the metabolic mitochondrial defect, and this involves radically reducing the non-fiber carbohydrates in your diet and increasing high-quality fats. You may need up to 85 percent of your dietary calories from healthy fats, along with a moderate amount of high-quality protein, as excessive protein can also trigger cancer growth.

That's really the solution. When you switch from burning glucose as your primary fuel to burning fat for fuel, cancer cells really have to struggle to stay alive, as most of their mitochondria are dysfunctional and can't use oxygen to burn fuel.