On June 11, Dr. Christina Tondora of Scottsdale, Arizona and a motorcycle team hit the road for a 65-day, 20,000-mile
cancer awareness journey that will take them to all lower 48 states, as well as every Canadian province. The team rode through Seattle to start the trip and will be returning to the Pacific Northwest two months from now, on August 13.
Dr. Tondora is a former helicopter avionics test engineer who quit to become a naturopathic doctor in Scottsdale. Like the rest of her team, she has a personal connection to cancer. She treats cancer patients with naturopathic medicine and also developed a seminar called “Yoga, Cancer & Healing” with her friend and fellow yogini, Susan B. Smith, who passed away from cancer six months after they made a national presentation of the seminar.
Believing that 80 to 90 percent of all cancer can be prevented through healthier lifestyle choices, Dr. T and her Answer for Cancer team will speak at scheduled events along the route, sharing tips on how to lower the risk of cancer and raising funds for the San Francisco-based Breast Cancer Fund. The Answer for Cancer team has already raised more than $300,000.
Stages will range from 163 miles (Regina to Saskatoon, Canada) to 424 miles (Oklahoma City to Austin, Texas.) Supporters can make donations online, and motorcycle riders across North America will be encouraged to join each day’s stage for a $25 donation. All proceeds will go to support cancer prevention.
“When it comes to cancer, prevention really is the ultimate cure,”” said Dr. Tondora. “That’s why we want people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce or eliminate their cancer-causing exposures and seek natural options for cancer prevention and treatment.”
Other team members include Jason Bosa (president/co-founder of the Palladio jewelry store in Vancouver), Lori Losch (a member of the Iron Butt Association, the only woman to complete the Saddle Sore 1000 on a CBR motorcycle and the creator of Stretch Guru Mobile Apps) and Del Ferguson (a former horse breeder and current president of Multitech Industries.) Each team member has been inspired to ride by family members and friends they’ve lost to cancer.
The ACT 2011 Team hopes to inspire change in people by educating them on how to adopt a truly healthy lifestyle, reduce or eliminate cancer-causing exposures and seek natural options for cancer prevention and treatment. Here are a dozen lifestyle changes you can make now to help prevent cancer.
Dr. Tondora’s 12 Little Choices That Make A Big Difference
- Eat fewer refined foods—less sugar and flour??
- Eat more whole foods—go natural; avoid genetically modified foods??
- Eat more anticancer foods & supplements—green tea, soy, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, collard and mustard greens, some fruits, omega 3s and Vitamin D3??
- Don’t smoke—and avoid secondhand smoke??
- Drink plenty of water—filtered, mineral or spring??
- Be physically active—30 minutes of physical activity per day??
- Manage emotions and avoid stress—express emotions constructively and try yoga, relaxation, tai chi, prayer or meditation??
- Get plenty of sleep—aim for 7 to 8 hours per night??
- Be proactive and get regular health checkups—find a problem before it becomes a big one; ask for functional medical tests as well as pap tests, breast exams, colonoscopies, skin cancer screening, eye exams and oral exams
- Avoid chemical cleaning products—try alternatives like baking soda for scouring, vinegar and water for cleaning glass?
- Avoid certain plastics—use glass or ceramic containers for food preparation and choose BPA-free water bottles
- Reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields—less talk/more text, use headsets and avoid transmission lines
