Cancer is the kind of disease that strikes fear at its mere mention, much less a definite diagnosis. However, when Japanese doctor Takashi Funato was diagnosed with cancer, he began to reflect on his life.
After changing his lifestyle, he has not had a relapse for 15 years after the surgery.
Funato, director of the Funato Clinic in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007. After his surgery, he began to reflect on his living habits. He classified his lifestyle changes into five categories: diet, sleep, exercise, body temperature, and laughter.
1. Diet
Takashi said that before he got cancer, his diet was very unhealthy. He often used instant noodles to satisfy his stomach, and he had no restrictions on fast food and snacks. He considers his biggest mistakes in diet were “not caring about the diet” and “thinking that I will not get cancer.”After the surgery, Takashi said he made an important change: to restrict the ingredient of “the sugar that cancer likes.”
2. Adequate Sleep
Takashi believes that sleeping is one of the important keys to treating cancer. When he was a surgeon and on call at the hospital at any time of day, and his sleep was quite unstable. As a hospital surgeon, this practice was fairly common.Therefore he took his poor sleep habits for granted, and he did not realize how bad it was.
However, sleeping is a natural healing power.
The lymphocytes that eliminate cancer cells are mainly innervated by the parasympathetic nerves, which dominate at night.
If one’s sleeping time is short, the activity time of the parasympathetic nerve is short, and the time for lymphocytes to eliminate cancer cells will also be shortened.
3. Exercise
Takashi walked at least 3,000 steps every day after his surgery. He parks his car farther away when he has the consultation with the patients and then walks to the destination.He recommends that cancer patients walk as much as possible and exercise their muscles.
During exercise, body temperature rises, and lymphocytes are activated, so exercising muscles and raising body temperature strengthens the immune system.
4. Body Temperature
Takashi believes raising your body temperature makes you healthier because cancer likes low temperatures.He advises patients to take baths frequently, which he does once or twice a week. He also pays attention to keeping his body warm, especially in winter, and especially keeping his abdomen and lower body warm.
5. Laughter
Takashi also advises cancer patients to laugh more in order to stay happy. Even if you cannot smile naturally, you should smile intentionally. Try to take a deep breath and smile; you will feel more relaxed in your heart.Taken as a daily tip, this can become a key technique to reduce negative stress.