I am a country girl at heart – and so I can definitely attest that living in the country is perhaps one of the things that you can do for not just yourself but also for your health.
It is not just about the cleaner air, the less traffic, and minimal or non-existent noise, as well as the wide, open spaces you can live and play in. Living in the country is now linked to a better chance, in fact, a 29% greater chance of not dying from cancer if you do.
Reportedly, some researchers at the University of Aberdeen in the UK conducted a study on 926 Scottish patients with bowel cancer. They used a database identifying the records of patients diagnosed with bowel cancer from 1997 to 1998. The scientists monitored the patients up to 2011.
They discovered that cancer patients who lived in countryside areas were 29% less inclined to die from the disease than those who lived in urban areas or the cities. Although the rural-based cancer patients took a longer time to seek medical attention, the researchers found out that their illness is not more advanced than those colleagues of them who lived in the cities.
Therefore, this study had also established that the waiting time to seek medical attention does not limit a cancer patient’s chances of survival.
Another study also established that urban dwellers may have quicker access to the cancer specialists’ clinics but those living in the rural areas can find doctors who are more available and may have more time in treating the cancer patient than those practicing in the big cities.
Stress-free Lifestyle for Country Folks
One of the best reasons for living in the country is the prospect of leading a “stress-free lifestyle”. According to another research, stress fuels cancer by triggering a “master switch gene” which stimulates the disease to spread throughout the body. Stress has been pointed as the culprit to the development of breast and prostate cancer; the mystery still remains why.
Since doctors have identified the stress gene “ATF3”, efforts are being made to develop a drug or remedy that can target this protein and stop the cancerous tumor cells from spreading to other vital organs and causing death.
If the body is in perfect balance, then the stress gene does not get activated and the cancer does not spread. But when the body gets stressed, it will changed the immune system and the cancer will be spreads rapidly.
Things You Can Do to Reduce Stress in your Life
- All of these are recommendations for relieving a large part of your stress in your daily activities:
- Massage
- Meditation
- Reflexology
- Eat fresh foods all the time, especially leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables and fruits
- Make sure your diet is balanced, meaning you have all or majority of the food groups there.
- Aside from a balanced diet, eat moderately (refrain from eating too many carbohydrates especially when you’re primarily sedentary and have chronic or serious diseases)
- Enough sleep and moderate, regular exercise helps. Exercise at least for at least a total of 2 hours per week.
Living in the countryside typically has fewer stress factors for most people, especially for cancer patients.
Image by chensiyuan/ CC BY-SA 4.0
