The link between night lights and cancer

[Guest guest]

Dr. Ben Kim's Natural Health NewsletterAugust 1, 2008

Dear Reader,

Back when I was a student, I would sometimes treatmyself on weekends by getting half a dozen fresh bagels and a small container of herb-infused creamcheese at a local bagel shop.

Eating fresh bagels with a decadent cream cheese all weekend long never left me feeling so healthy, buthey, I was young and lonely, and it was the typeof indulgence that probably kept me from getting overwhelmed by my growing student loans and beingshort of funds most of the time.

These days, when I find myself thinking about cream cheese, I usually whip up a batch by combining cashews, fine extra-virgin olive oil, and a few other ingredients.

The result is a delicious, dairy-free version ofcream cheese that's totally satisfying and keepsme feeling strong and healthy.

For a look at the healthy cream cheese recipethat I follow, view:

Healthy Cream Cheese Recipe

For a look at the special cashews from Brazil that we use in our home, view:

Raw, Organic Cashews from Brazil

***

Earlier this year, an article in The WashingtonPost summarized the results of an interestingIsraeli study that indicates that women who live in areas that are highly illuminated at night are more likely to develop breast cancer than womenwho live in neighborhoods that are darker at night.

This study supports the hypothesis that melatonin,a hormone that is produced by your body mainly atnight, is capable of suppressing the growth oftumor cells.

This is something that I've written about before; if you'd like to get more information on thistopic, please feel free to view the followingarticles:

Importance of Sleeping in Darkness

Problems with Shift Work and Irregular Sleep

There is enough evidence to support the link between irregular sleep and an increased risk ofdeveloping cancer that the World Health Organization decided in December of 2007 to classify shift work as a "probable carcinogen."

This puts shift work in the same risk-for-cancercategory as exposure to diesel engine exhaust andtoxic chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) and some types of insecticides.

Getting back to light exposure during sleep time,you should know that your melatonin level dropsquickly when your eyes register light, but thedrop is quickest in response to light in the blue part of the light spectrum - fluorescentbulbs and computer monitors give off this type of light.

With this in mind, if you live in a brightlyilluminated neighborhood, it's probably a goodidea to have window coverings that block out the street lights at night, and to use faintnight lights in your bathrooms to help keepmelatonin levels as high as possible during sleep time.

Please consider sharing this information withfamily members who may benefit from it. ***

To end today's issue, here's an old Korean proverb for your consideration:

"Life is half spent before we know what it is."

I think that this proverb is meant to cautionyounger folks to stay humble about what theyknow, but for me, it's also a powerful reminder of how precious each day is.

Each new day that we get to experience on thisearth with loved ones should be cherished, andwe ought to remember this in deciding what wedo with our time and who we spend our days with.

Hope you and your loved ones have a fun andrestful weekend,

Ben Kim

Box 20185, Barrie, ON L4M 6E9, CANADA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TKzsjMzMtMxsDIwsLIwctEa0zGwsnCzsjA== -- Colin EasomPresidentCandlelighters Childhood CancerFoundation of Southern ArizonaPO Box 42436Tucson AZ 85733-2436http://www.candlelightersaz.org...because kids can't fight cancer alone!Save the date - Sept 27, 2008 for our next Walk 'n' Lemonade fundraiser! Visit www.walknlemonade.com for more details.For updates on Ilaria's progress visit www.caringbridge.com/visit/ilariaeasom

_______________________________________________Healingfriends mailing listHealingfriends@...http://healingintent.com/mailman/listinfo/healingfriends_healingintent.comHealing Friends Community Page: http://healingintent.com/HFs/index.html