Fran Drescher Offers 10 Steps for Cancer Survivors to Detoxify Their Homes

After feeling betrayed by her body, following a uterine cancer diagnosis nearly 17 years ago, actress, author, cancer survivor and advocate Fran Drescher wrote a best-selling book titled “Cancer Schmancer.” She realized after going on a book tour that there were millions of other patients with cancer and survivors who felt the same way. This is when the Cancer Schmancer Movement was born.

“The best cure for cancer is not to get sick in the first place.” That has become actress, author, cancer survivor and advocate Fran Drescher’s motto in life.

One of its outreach programs, Detox Your Home, gives people the tools to identify toxins, eliminate them and reduce their risk of cancer and other chronic disease. According to research, 90 percent of cancers are stimulated by lifestyle and environmental factors. Therefore, each individual holds some control over what they expose your body to.

In an interview with CURE, Drescher offered up 10 useful tips to get started on your detox. They include:

1. Become aware of what you put IN your mouth, ON your skin and AROUND your home and garden. Just the simple act of being conscious about your food, cosmetics and household cleaners is a good first step toward reducing toxic exposure.

2. Read labels. Drescher’s rule of thumb is, “If you can’t read it, don’t eat it.” That’s a good rule to follow for cosmetics and household cleaners, too. If you don’t know what you’re buying, why are you buying it? Why are you exposing yourself and your family to it?

3. Research your household products. Get rid of the bad ones and buy safer ones. Cancer Schmancer’s partner, Environmental Working Group (EWG), has assessed thousands of products for safety and created easy-to-use consumer guides to empower you to make informed choices when you shop for cosmetics, sunscreen, cleaning products and food. You can find the guides at cancerschmancer.org/check.

4. Buy organic food when possible, preferably from local sources. Organic food doesn’t mean no pesticides at all, it means naturally occurring, non-synthesized pesticides. Larger farms tend to use organic pesticides in larger quantities, so it’s best to buy from smaller, local farms — which has the bonus of reducing your carbon footprint, too.

5. Avoid GMOs. Genetically Modified Organisms, per se, may or may not harmful to you. The research is still out on that because GMOs haven’t been around long enough to know the long-term effects on health. Many plants have been altered to resist the pesticide and possible carcinogen glyphosate. It’s best to err on the side of caution.

6. Grow your own garden. What better way to know whether your food is safe than to grow it yourself? Fertilize with your own compost.

7. Make your own cleaning products. You can create an entire army of cleaners using white vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol and lemon juice, which are just as effective and cheaper than the ones in the store. Check out Cancer Schmancer’s video for some recipes.

8. Avoid synthetic fragrances. The word “fragrance” on a label is a big red flag and can hide a multitude of sins, says Drescher. If the fragrance in a cleaning product lasts more than a minute or so, don’t use it. That goes for scented candles and perfume, too. It’s more fun — and better for you — to make your own scents using essential oils.

9. Exercise. It’s impractical to think you can avoid all exposure, so make sure your body works as efficiently as it can. Exercise keeps your body functioning at a high level so that its natural detoxifying systems can do their job.

10. Don’t stress. Stress creates its own set of problems. Do what you can to detox your home and don’t beat yourself up for not doing everything or not doing it perfectly. Every little step adds up to big change.

For more information on Cancer Schmancer visit, http://www.cancerschmancer.org/.