Why is cancer rate so high in Maine?

[OutDoorNut]

Originally Posted by elston

Unregulated industry routinely exposed workers to asbestos and other toxins, over a period of years.....even after the dangers were known and documented. I pray we are not entering into another period of weakened regulations....in the name of being business friendly.

I've read that the paper manufacturing industry is a major source of dioxin pollution, and that dioxin is a major carcinogen.

Wasn't the making of paper one of Maine's biggest industries?

[powermd]

As a physician fairly new to the state, I'm amazed by the numbers of patients I see who show up to my office on portable oxygen from end stage diseases related to smoking. It's way more than I've seen in other states where I've worked (MA, NY, IL, VA, MD, CA). This might explain some of the difference in cancer rates.

[countrylv22]

Originally Posted by powermd

As a physician fairly new to the state, I'm amazed by the numbers of patients I see who show up to my office on portable oxygen from end stage diseases related to smoking. It's way more than I've seen in other states where I've worked (MA, NY, IL, VA, MD, CA). This might explain some of the difference in cancer rates.

Thank you for your post "PowerMD"I agree with you, but I also
think there is a ton of environmental pollution to add to the damage
(junk dumped by corporations in the middle of the night....the company in the "Erin Brokovich" was guilty of this, and they have been caught recently doing it again....) I would love to hear more about what you see
in your practice. Thank you!

I have heard a lot about people with cancer along the Maine coast,
but it also goes into the Canadian coast as well...
I think they also had or have a lot of paper mills, right ?

I truly hate cancer!
And I miss our Dear "Island Mermaid" (a Maine poster & Friend) her Birthday would have been on September 27 but Cancer got the best of her!

[halfabuck]

Originally Posted by countrylv22

Thank you for your post "PowerMD"I agree with you, but I also
think there is a ton of environmental pollution to add to the damage
(junk dumped by corporations in the middle of the night....the company in the "Erin Brokovich" was guilty of this, and they have been caught recently doing it again....) I would love to hear more about what you see
in your practice. Thank you!

I have heard a lot about people with cancer along the Maine coast,
but it also goes into the Canadian coast as well...
I think they also had or have a lot of paper mills, right ?

I truly hate cancer!
And I miss our Dear "Island Mermaid" (a Maine poster & Friend) her Birthday would have been on September 27 but Cancer got the best of her!

I have heard that years ago large trucks would travel the highways during the night and open their spigots allowing toxic debris to spill out onto the roadways. There was no one there to observe it or stop them and they were making a ton of money to dispose of the wastes.

[Mike Mc]

I heard of that happening, but it wasn't up here, it was down in one of the southern states. The guy got caught, but died of cancer before he could be tried and convicted. Karma, that.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by halfabuck

I had this happen last night. I was alone at home and wanted some quick dinner so I went looking and all I could find was a frozen dinner from what I thought was a very healthy and reputable source. No one else was home and I needed something fast. As I got this "ready meal" ready to cook I had to go to the back of the box and to my dismay read the ingredients. The potassium was around 1500 mg. the sodium at about 2500 mg. and the fat was uncontrollable. I thought "I can't eat this". I was just back from some testing at a Boston hospital so I'm feeling a little rightous and trying to be a little careful about my choices. I know in the past I would have just put this little tray in the microwave in the absence of anyone being around to cook dinner for and in my haste to eat something hot.
I put that dinner right back into the freezer and settled for something a lot healthier. The moral is we do have choices and can keep on making the right ones. It's time to reverse the mindset that fast is good and convenience outweighs good nutrition. Simply not true in the long run.

Those prefab foods even from health food stores can have some questionable ingredients including canola oil and sugars.

In a pinch for dinner, it's much healthier to put an organic potato in the oven and toss up a quick salad with some sardines from the cupboard. A pressure cooker (stainless steel) can cook a cut potato in minutes. Sprinkle on some cheese and you have a meal.

[halfabuck]

Originally Posted by newenglandgirl

Those prefab foods even from health food stores can have some questionable ingredients including canola oil and sugars.

In a pinch for dinner, it's much healthier to put an organic potato in the oven and toss up a quick salad with some sardines from the cupboard. A pressure cooker (stainless steel) can cook a cut potato in minutes. Sprinkle on some cheese and you have a meal.

That sounds like a real plan. Have not had sardines in years but used to eat them right out of the can. I'll have to try that. I like the idea of a pressure cooker rather than a microwave.

[countrylv22]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

???

We already see it.

Today we have a selection of post-industrial diseases that were nearly non-existent 100 years ago.



"The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" is a documentary about the changes that occurred when Cuba lost all petroleum import [along with all pre-cooked frozen packaged mass-produced, GMO, chemical-laden food imports].

Their diet mirrored ours, and their national health stats were very close to ours.

Ten years after: heart disease, obesity, diabetes and many cancers are gone from the island.

Vanished.

It is a sad truth!
But, interesting how much can be accomplished in a short period of time!

We need to VOTE with our pockets!!!
If we do NOT buy the processed junk, they will eventually stop making it.....
(Eventually being the key word )
Our health is at stake here!
Thanks for your post Forest!
Peace to ALL!

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by halfabuck

That sounds like a real plan. Have not had sardines in years but used to eat them right out of the can. I'll have to try that. I like the idea of a pressure cooker rather than a microwave.

Get a good quality stainless steel pressure cooker, and a stainless steel steamer that inserts into it.

Put water in the cooker underneath the steamer (almost reaching the bottom of the steamer). Quickly cut up a potato and some carrots (skin on, if organic) and put them in the steamer with light sprinkle of seasalt.

Turn heat up to highest. When the gauge jiggles on top, lower the heat to medium (if the flame is too low, you'll lose the pressure) and cook for maybe 5 to 7 min. Pressure is maintained if the cooker continues to hiss.

Turn of burner. Let pressure come all the way down before opening the top (important for safety--pressure cookers these days are entirely safe ).

Pour out the water (save in the fridge for soup stocks, don't discard) and with a handy hand masher, mash the potato and carrot chunks together right in the pot with a dash of milk and butter, then whip with wire wisk till smooth.

Voila!--"carrot mashed potatoes" --one of the fasted healthiest things to make when you're too tired to cook--a real comfort food and the kids love it (the only way the'll eat their carrots). Also good cooked with some fresh grated ginger.

So fast easy things like that (without recipes), with sardines on crackers or cheese on bread, is a much better choice than some nutritionless frozen prepared meal from the supermarket.

BTW, veg's that can be hard to take like brussels sprouts, when cooked in a pressure cooker and dotted with butter and salt/pepper are delicious...

Apologies for going off topic-- part of protecting ourselves against cancer, etc. is really good nutrition.