Avoid Cancer.

Cancer is a word that when heard, tends to promote apprehension. Cancer and heart disease have been the greatest diseases suffered in the western worlds until recently, with the explosive increase of mental illness now joining the 'terrible two'.

Although public education would seem to have been given so that we would know how to avoid heart disease, there has been little education regarding avoidance of cancer or mental illness.

We should be better informed, particularly about the factors causing cancer. As a result of recent research many factors once considered potentially dangerous are now confirmed as carcinogens. This information allows us to take steps to avoid them. But we would expect our governments would also ensure the discontinued use of these elements in our society.

Prevention of mental illness would be effective if in school education students were informed of the principles of psychology and the need to follow a mental fitness programme as they do with physical fitness.

Nutritionists are united in telling us to avoid over-processed, commercially produced and fatty food. Although many of us live in a country with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables nuts being produced and cattle graze on good pasture, we are offered healthy alternatives. But this does not take into account our addiction to junk foods. These, our common sense tells us, are very likely the cancer culprits in our poor diet of suspect foods but they continue to have outlet and be available to consumers.

We all are able to accept that diet and exercise are fundamental in determining our mental health and physical well being. When we are told to exercise more there are few who disagree with the principle but choose not to follow the recommended discipline in spite of attractive equipment being freely available in gymnasiums and sporting centres. But many of us choose to continue just walking the dog.

We find that now, after decades of research and investigation there is a poverty of information about how to avoid cancer, and practically nothing about mental illness. Nor do we hear about specific treatment methods that are available.

With no assurance that there is any effective prevention method, nor indeed any reliable method of treatment that guarantee us a cure, cancer remains the most feared modern disease.

Sally Janssen is a writer and educator who from an early age trained in Raja Yoga--that branch of the ancient science that deals with the mind and its complexities. She subsequently gained an international reputation for her skills and her wisdom in the training of the mind.

In her wonderfully readable book entitled Mental Fitness: The Complete Self-help Guide she presents simple, self-help practices that help to generate and maintain mental fitness just as the natural principles of physical fitness can be personally applied by us all. The book may be found here: http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com This really is a must-read book for us all. Sally also welcomes you to visit her blog at http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog