Anti-cancer dietary fads are as common as the “Big C” is deadly. But how many trendy nutritional approaches that promise to lower your cancer risk are actually backed by solid scientific research?

To answer that question, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine evaluated dozens of major studies involving diet and cancer to come up with six key science-based tips for eating healthy to reduce your risk for developing the disease.

The Washington, nonprofit group’s “Anti-Cancer Diet,” published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, is a combination of which foods to avoid and which to eat, based on studies reviewed by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.

“Overall, evidence suggests that diets emphasizing foods from plant sources—vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes—are associated with lower cancer risk, as well as reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension,” the PCRM report concludes.

“Plant-based diets tend to promote a healthy body weight, which, in turn, is associated with reduced risk of certain common forms of cancer. These suggested dietary recommendations are not a comprehensive dietary plan. Rather, they relate to specific areas where evidence is sufficiently compelling to merit dietary changes.”

Here are the organization’s six specific recommendations:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Scores of studies involving tens of thousands of people have found that plant-based foods help lower the risk for many varieties of cancer (including throat, colorectal, stomach and breast cancers) as well as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with protective compounds, such as phytochemicals and antioxidants, and are also terrific sources of natural fiber, essential vitamins and minerals. Some, such as leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, even contain beneficial nutrients that can combat the toxic effects of pollutants and industrial chemicals, such as benzene, according to research by Johns Hopkins University.

PCRM’s conclusion: “Emphasizing fruits and vegetables in your diet will likely reduce the risk of several common forms of cancer [and] there are no disadvantages for healthy people eating more fruits and vegetables.”

2: Eat soy products. Soy products—such as tofu, edamame and tempeh—contain anti-cancer properties and, if substituted for red meat, can help reduce exposure to fats and other chemicals that promote breast cancer and other forms of the disease as well as cardiovascular problems.

One study cited by the researchers found that Chinese women who consumed a single serving of soy protein—about one cup of fortified soy milk, a half-cup of tofu or cooked soybeans—on a daily basis during adolescence had a 43 percent reduced risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer. Another recent study found that every additional serving of tofu consumed per week reduced the risk of breast cancer by 15 percent in Asian-Americans. Soy products have also been linked to improved bone health and reduced fracture risk in women

PCRM’s conclusion: “Consumption of soy products during adolescence may reduce the risk of breast cancer arising in adulthood. Soy products may also reduce the risk of recurrence and mortality for women previously treated for breast cancer.”

3. Limit dairy consumption. Several studies have linked dairy products to prostate cancer, potentially because of their calcium content, while some have suggested consuming dairy might prevent colorectal cancer. The researchers concluded that it is important to weigh those risks and benefits, and that men should limit or avoid dairy if they have a family history of prostate cancer, based on an analysis of 25 separate studies.

In one, the so-called Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, men consuming two milk servings per day were 60 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who drank no milk, potentially by boosting calcium, which can suppress the action of vitamin D. They also noted limiting saturated fat and cholesterol intake from dairy products may decrease cardiovascular-disease risk.

PCRM conclusion: “Limiting or avoiding dairy products may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.”

4. Limit alcohol use. Many studies have concluded that moderate drinking (no more than one glass of beer or wine a day for women; two for men) can reduce the risk of heart disease—the nation’s No. 1 killer. But the PCRM report notes those benefits need to be weighed against research that shows heavy alcohol consumption can increase the risk of certain cancers in some people—notably cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon, rectum and breast.

Other factors may also compound those risks. For instance, mouth, pharynx and larynx cancers are rare in nonsmokers, so the heart-health benefits of alcohol may outweigh the risks for non-smokers.

PCRM’s conclusion: “Limiting or avoiding alcohol may reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, and breast [but] moderate alcohol use is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular … and Alzheimer’s disease.”

5.Avoid red and processed meats. Limiting or avoiding red meat will not only reduce your risk of developing cancers of the colon and rectum, but also helps prevent heart disease, stroke and diabetes, many studies have determined.

Research by the Harvard School of Public Health has found, for instance, that regular consumption of processed meats, such as sausages and cold cuts, will shorten your life. But PCRM notes that an occasional steak, burger or hotdog isn’t going to significantly raise your health risks.

PCRM’s conclusion: “Avoiding red and processed meat may reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum … Red meat is a concentrated source of protein, iron and zinc. However, adequate intakes of these nutrients can easily be obtained in varied plant-based diets.”

6. Steer clear of grilled, fried and broiled meats. Cancer-causing chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are created when creatine and amino acids in meat are cooked at high temperatures. Even the smoke from grilled meat can be harmful. Cutting back or avoiding such foods altogether can reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, prostate, kidney and pancreas.

PCRM’s conclusion: “Avoiding grilled, fried and broiled meats may reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, prostate, kidney and pancreas. In this context, meat refers to red meat, poultry and fish … Avoiding grilled, broiled and fried meats can reduce saturated fat and cholesterol intake, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. There are no disadvantages to avoiding meats cooked at high temperatures.”

The PCRM researchers also noted that diet is not the only factor involved in cancer risk. According to the World Health Organization, up to 30 percent of all cancers might be caused by a poor diet, but the rest are attributed to smoking, pollution and genetics, which can affect you no matter what you eat.

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Today, reaching younger men—especially millennials—is a hot topic. The deceiver wants us to think that suddenly, after all these centuries, there is now some new, mysterious, opaque wall between the generations that cannot be described or penetrated.

That’s Myth No. 1 and it’s nonsense. They’re our children, for Pete’s sake, not aliens.

What is Myth No. 2? It’s that we can’t reach them because they don’t want to be reached. Time out. Do any of us really believe that young men don’t have the same dreams and aspirations we also had at their age? Has there been a human-nature “reboot” in some secret corner of the cosmos? That’s ridiculous! We all want to love and be loved, to understand and be understood. But younger men need help.

For example, Trevor, a young man in his late 20s, asked me to mentor him. On our fourth visit (long enough for him to size up whether or not he would trust me), he sat down and blurted out, “I have a mediocre business, a mediocre marriage and a mediocre relationship with God.”

Trevor was already a Christian—that wasn’t the problem. But he just couldn’t see how he could ever become a joyful man passionately living for Christ. That’s because his father was never in the picture. What it meant to be a godly man, husband, and father was completely unexampled to him.

So how do we reach younger men like Trevor with the hope, nurture and guidance that can only be found in Jesus and His gospel?

Some Things Never Change
The way to reach younger men is the same as it has always been. We have to love them and mentor them into manhood, and that takes time. A man can resist, but it’s pretty difficult to resist unconditional love (think “dog”).

That’s what happened to me. Some men who had been discipled themselves and were walking with the Lord took me under their wings and showed me the ropes. Jim Gillean, in particular, made me his project. He gave me a vision for Biblical manhood. He spent time with me. He cared. And he inspired me to turn around and disciple others—like Trevor. Reaching younger men is that simple.

What can you do? Stay alert. Be intentional. Decide in advance that you want to disciple younger men. Make yourself accessible. Make time. You can disciple “along the way,” or you can lead a group, or you can meet one-on-one. Start with a decision to be part of God’s great plan for the next generation.

You may need to give it some time to gel. Twenty-five years ago God told one of my best friends, Rick, “Disciple young men so that they can go and disciple others.” But when my friend Rick went out to disciple young men, he couldn’t get any to join him—at least not right away. But today, he’s the master when it comes to discipling younger men.

Want to be like Rick? One thing to keep in mind is that it takes five years to fully sustain a new ministry, so we always use the axiom, “crawl, walk, run.” All disappointment is the result of unmet (overly optimistic?) expectations.

Silver Bullets
Here’s the silver bullet for discipleship: When God puts a man in your path who is stuck, discipleship means finding out why and then helping him solve that problem.

And here’s silver bullet No. 2: Care about people until they care about people. That’s how we change a young man’s world. Besides, you can’t get your official “I Am a Disciple” card until you are making other disciples. And by the way, start with the younger men in your our own family.

And here’s a different wrinkle: Don’t “mind your own business.” Men tend toward isolation when they have problems, so go ahead and intrude. Remember that no man fails on purpose. Yet many men make seemingly small compromises that slowly, over time, ruin their lives. So show young men the booby traps.

You may need some guidance and resources. The tried-and-true principles in the No Man Left Behind Model and book will work just fine with younger men too. Also, get The Young Man in the Mirror for high-school boys (read out loud together in small groups with an adult mentor/discipler). I think the devil wants to make us think that the tried and true “just won’t work here—ours is a special case”—but that’s just nonsense.

The Elephant Story
When elephants overcrowded South Africa’s Kruger National Park, the government authorized killing adult elephants and relocating their offspring to other parks.

As the orphaned male elephants became teenagers, they were clueless about what normal elephant behavior looked like. When their testosterone levels spiked, the orphaned bulls turned aggressive. In one park they savagely killed thirty-nine rhinos. A park ranger watched as a young bull elephant intentionally knocked over a rhino and trampled it. The situation was out of control.

Then rangers brought several adult bull elephants into one of the parks. Just by being themselves, these animals “mentored” the younger bulls, demonstrating to them what normal male elephant behavior looked like. No more rhinos were killed after the mature bulls arrived.

It’s not easy to become a man. Many young men like Trevor have grown up as “practical” orphans. They’ve been left to guess at what normal male behavior looks like. The faith of young men today is under severe attack. That’s where the battle is raging. And frankly, mature Christian men are just not getting the discipleship job done. Consider these challenging words:

“If I profess, with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity. Where the battle rages the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace to him if he flinches at that one point.”

It has been 40 years since Jim Gillean discipled me, and I’m still singing his praises. That’s the love and respect some young man can have for you too. So pass it on. Take a younger man (or several) under your wing and show him the ropes. That’s where the battle rages. That’s where you’re needed.

Patrick Morley is founder and CEO of Man in the Mirror. After building one of Florida’s 100 largest privately held companies, in 1991, he founded Man in the Mirror, a nonprofit organization to help men find meaning and purpose in life. Dr. Morley is the best-selling author of The Man in the Mirror, No Man Left Behind, Dad in the Mirror, and A Man’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines.

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It’s normal to binge on food when one feels hungry. But what if the foods you are eating are leaving you hungrier than before?

According to board-certified internist and weight-loss specialist Dr. Sue Decotiis, hunger is caused as a result of numerous intricate interactions that go on in the stomach, brain, pancreas, intestines and bloodstream. However, the concern is that this intricate circuit can be easily disrupted.

And, who’s the culprit? They are some of your favorite foods. Below are mentioned 11 types of foods that will keep you starving even when you have filled your stomach:

1. White bread. White bread is prepared from white flour, which is obtained from the grain whose outer shell, also known as bran, has been removed. This in turns depletes the full-fiber content of the grain.

According to Decotiis, eating foods prepared from white flour increases your insulin levels. In one of the recent studies done in Spain, researchers surveyed the eating habits and weights of more than 9,000 people. The results indicated that participants who consumed more than two servings of white bread every day were more vulnerable to become obese or overweight over a span of five years as compared to those who consumed less of it.

2. Salty snacks. Dulan says it is normal to have a sweet tooth after binging on a bag of potato chips. Salty snacks, pretzels and chips are quick-digesting carbohydrates that can instantly increase your insulin levels only to have them rapidly drop afterwards. And, because your brain and taste buds relate quick-energy to sweet foods, it is common to crave sweet foods after snacking on salty chips.

Moreover, because of the phenomenon termed sensory specific satiety, you can satisfy your salty stomach with a bag of chips. But, then you need to eat sweet foods to satisfy your sweet one. This way you eat double the amount of food says Dulan.

3. White pasta. Just like white bread, white pasta is also one of those foods that leave you starving. It is fairly easy to cook it since so many people rely on white pasta for lunch and dinner. Although, a standard serving size of pasta is considered only half a cup of cooked pasta, most restaurants serve up to four cups of cooked pasta in a single serving.

When you eat large amounts of simple carbohydrates in one go, your pancreas start to overwork in order to produce more insulin. After a while, your body also secretes large amounts of sugar-managing hormone, which reduces your blood sugar levels and makes you hungry again.

Also, have you thought about the pasta sauce you are pouring over your pasta? If it’s store-bought, chances are that is overloaded with more amounts of hunger-causing sugar.

4. Juices. Mitzi Dulan, RD, author of The Pinterest Diet: How to Pin Your Way Thin says that juice is one of the favorite drinks of health-conscious people. However, many of these so-called healthy drinks are only composed of sugar of fruits, but devoid of the skin and fiber containing pulp. This simply means that drinking a glass of juice can increase your sugar level and then decrease it again, just to make you hungry for a second time.

A healthier option is to prepare a smoothie using whole fruits and add a spoonful of protein powder or nut butter to make you full and balance your blood sugar levels as well.

5. Fast foods. Decotiis says that ingredients included in fast foods work to increase your hunger pangs. For example, trans fat contained in fast foods harms the gut and lessens your body’s ability to secrete more appetite-controlling neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

Moreover, the gastrointestinal tract quickly absorbs the fructose corn syrup found in desserts, condiments and buns, which then increases your insulin levels and makes you hungrier. Also, salt contained in fast foods can dehydrate your body and cause symptoms that emulate those of hunger. When you feel dehydrated, your body may be easily fooled into thinking it’s hungry again.

6. Alcohol. A study published in Alcohol & Alcoholism indicated that just three servings of alcohol can reduce your levels of the hormone leptin, which works to curb hunger and keep you feeling full by 30 percent.

According to Decotiis, drinking alcohol is also responsible for diminishing your stored carbohydrate, glycogen; thus making you long for carbohydrates to reimburse for what was gone. Furthermore, loss of electrolytes and dehydration may make your crave for salty foods.

7. Pizza. Decotiis says that it is just not possible to eat a single slice of pizza as you always want more. This mainly happens because your favorite pizza is prepared from white flour, processed cheeses, hydrogenated oils and preservatives that can increase your blood-sugar levels and imbalance the secretion of satiety hormones and hormone-regulating regions of the brain.  

If you really want to have the goodness of pizza, it is best to prepare it at home with whole-wheat dough and top it with lots of healthy vegetables, lean meat, and a sprinkling of cheese. This will turn out to be a perfect protein and fiber-filled meal that will not let you search for more food just after an hour.

8. Sushi rolls. According to dietitian Susan M. Kleiner, RD, a scientific consultant with USANA Health Sciences, people intend to consume sushi rolls in order to get the nutrients of fish, but they end up eating more rice.

The California roll is composed of 30 grams of carbohydrates, and consuming it means eating approximately three slices of white bread. Sushi rolls are quickly digested making your stomach empty because it is devoid of fiber or protein that leaves you feeling full for hours.

9. Monosodium glutamate or MSG. MSG is one of the common flavor-enhancing additives popularly used in Chinese cuisines as well as in many other food products such as processed meats, beer, canned vegetables, soups and even ice creams.

One of the studies conducted by Spanish researchers found that this chemical causes an increase in hunger by up to 40 percent. Furthermore, according to the study published in the journal Obesity, individuals who eat MSG frequently are likely to be three times more overweight than people who don’t consume MSG.

According to Dacotiis, the amounts of hunger hormone, leptin, are reduced because of the harsh effects of MSG on the hypothalamus. She further states that damaging effects of MSG will keep on piling up over time. So, the more you eat MSG, the more you will feel hungry.

10. Kids’ cereals. The morning starters for children that are prepared from white flour and loaded with table sugar may increase insulin and blood-sugar levels. Dacotiis has found that consuming such a high-carbohydrate food in the morning when cortisol levels are at their highest is a major blow to body’s metabolism.

Your body is naturally designed in a way to secrete large amounts of cortisol in the night and morning in order to prepare you for the stresses that come during the day. Dacotiis says that the large amounts of cortisol reduce your body’s ability to metabolize the consumed sugars. Thus, in spite of the fact that your blood sugar becomes high, it does not reach the tissues where it is required; thus, making you lethargic and hungry.

Better cereals are a healthier way to start your day. Be sure to choose the ones that are prepared from bran or whole-grain cereals and contain at least five grams of fiber and at most five grams of sugar per serving.

11. Artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, saccharine and sucralose are a few of the artificial sweeteners that are commonly found in your coffee or diet soda.

Dacotiis says that such artificial sweeteners trigger your brain cells to believe that you are taking a sweet serving composed of calories, but then let them down. This in turn makes you hungrier and you crave more sweet foods throughout the day in order to compensate for the letdown.

She further says that frequent consumption of artificial sweeteners negatively affects the hunger-managing centers of the brain. It is also important to note that artificial sweeteners cause increases in insulin level similar to real, calorie-packed sugar food products.

Don Colbert, M.D. has been board certified in Family Practice for over 25 years and practices Anti aging and Integrative medicine. He is a New York Times best-selling author of books such as The Bible Cure Series, What Would Jesus Eat, Deadly Emotions, What You Don’t Know May be Killing You, and many more with over 10 million books sold. He is the Medical Director of the Divine Health Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida where he has treated over 50,000 patients. He is also a internationally known expert and prolific speaker on Integrative Medicine.

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Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, has studied happiness for more than 20 years. In the Jan. 24, 2013 issue of U.S. News, Lyubomirsky wrote that positive activities and acts of kindness can boost positive emotions, thoughts, and behavior, in turn improving well-being.

David Hamilton, Ph.D., has also identified five positive effects of kindness:

1. Kindness makes us happier. Dr. Hamilton found that when we do something kind for someone else, we not only feel good, we tap into something deep and profound inside of us that says, “This is who I am.” Biochemically, levels of the brain’s natural versions of morphine and heroin, which we know as endogenous opioids, are increased. They cause elevated levels of dopamine in the brain and so we get a natural high, often referred to as “Helper’s High.”

2. Kindness gives us healthier hearts. Acts of kindness are often accompanied by emotional warmth, which produces the hormone oxytocin in the brain and throughout the body. It plays a significant role in cardiovascular health, causing the release of nitric oxide, which dilates (expands) the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure.

3. Kindness slows aging. Two culprits that speed the aging process are free radicals and Inflammation-–both of which can result from making unhealthy lifestyle choices. Remarkable research shows that oxytocin reduces levels of free radicals and inflammation and slows aging at the root level. Also free radicals and inflammation play a major role in heart disease, so this is another reason kindness is good for the heart.

There have also been references in scientific journals regarding the strong link between compassion and the activity of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve, as well as regulating heart rate, also controls inflammation levels in the body.

4. Kindness improves relationships. Kindness reduces the emotional distance between people causing us to feel more “bonded.” It’s something that is so strong in us that it affects us at the genetic level. We are wired for kindness. The stronger the emotional bonds within groups, the greater the chances of survival, and so ‘kindness genes’ were etched into the human genome. When we are kind to each other, we feel a connection and new relationships are forged, or existing ones are strengthened.

5. Kindness is contagious. When we’re kind, we inspire others to be kind. Studies show that it actually creates a ripple effect that spreads outward to our friends and beyond–-to “3 degrees of separation.” Just as a pebble creates waves when it is dropped into a pond, so acts of kindness ripple outward touching others’ lives and inspiring kindness everywhere the wave goes.

An Amazing Story of Kindness
When A.J. Star met former University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, his life changed forever—from despair to belonging and purpose. Through one act of kindness by McCarron, a disabled young man’s life was forever changed. I encourage you to watch this short video.  I think it will inspire you, as it did me. We are indeed “our brother’s keeper.”  It may take us out of our way a bit or cost us a little time and effort, but this is what life is all about—loving others.

Cherie Calbom, M.S., C.N., is the author of 24 books, including The Juice Lady’s Remedies for Allergies and Asthma, The Juice Lady’s Remedies for Stress and Adrenal Fatigue, The Juice Lady’s Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies and Juicing, Fasting and Detoxing for Life. She has devoted her life to teaching people how to care for their bodies so they might complete their destiny. For more information, visit her at .

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If you listen closely, you can probably hear the word “yes!” as well as mini-celebrations over the next several days and weeks. Why? Parents all over the country are celebrating as it’s time for our kids to go back to school! If your family is like most, including mine, then your summer has been pretty busy.

Each year as the summer winds down, we look up and wonder where the time went. The fun of vacations, summer camps and sports makes summer seem like a blur. If you aren’t careful, the summer can end and you’ll realize you had a blast, but you didn’t get as much one-on-one time with your wife. Back-to-school time provides a great opportunity to get some of that lost “adult time” back.

Here are four creative ways to date your wife when the kids go back to school:

The coffee house date for the couple that works outside the home. When both of you work outside the home, it can be challenging because after getting the kids together for school you are both off to work. One creative way to do this is to find a coffee shop that is mid-point between your places of work and/or your kids’ school. Plan a rendezvous time and meet up for a mini-date over coffee or a bagel.

The physical date for the fitness couple. If fitness is your thing, you can plan to meet at the gym, back at home, or your favorite running/biking course. This can be after the kids get dropped off, or you can coordinate to do it on your lunch break. If your schedules don’t permit either of those, then wake up early and get a nice morning aerobic workout at home or jog around the neighborhood.

The night owl date for the couple with very little time. Maybe the first two ideas don’t work for you because of work schedules or distance between school, home and work. Over the summer, our schedule is very flexible, especially bed times. When summer ends and school starts, we get back to predictable schedules and bed times. Get your kids to bed at a certain time consistently and be intentional about using that time before you go to bed. You can talk, watch your favorite show, exercise or read a book. Whatever it is, be intentional about doing something together during this time.

The vacation day date for the couple that wants more than a couple hours. Sometimes you want more than a couple hours in the evening or a few minutes between school drop-off and check-in time at work. Another creative way to date your wife is for both of you to take a day off from work. Plan in advance some things to do and just spend the day together while your kids are at school.

Depending on where you live, you could make a short road trip, go on a shopping spree, or do whatever you wish within the six or so hours your kids are at school.

No matter what type of couple you are, dating your wife is important. Back-to-school time for your kids provides consistency in your schedules that you can use to spend quality time with your wife when you get creative.

All Pro Dad is Family First’s innovative and unique program for every father. Their aim is to interlock the hearts of the fathers with their children and, as a byproduct, the hearts of the children with their dads. At , dads in any stage of fatherhood can find helpful resources to aid in their parenting. Resources include daily emails, blogs, Top 10 lists, articles, printable tools, videos and eBooks. From , fathers can join the highly engaged All Pro Dad social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

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I was on the way home from church with my husband and heading into a drive-thru car wash when my mom called with the news.

“Diana, I got the biopsy results back, is cancer…”

It was the fear that had been buried in the back of my mind for months, ever since my mom began complaining of a particularly itchy area that refused to relent, not even with the most potent ointment the doctor could prescribe. She calmly proceeded to inform me that she’d been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Perianal Paget’s disease.

“It isn’t that serious,” she tried to assure me. “They will likely remove it surgically. No chemo.”

And then she made a joke about the tumor’s location, but I couldn’t laugh; it was all I could do to hold back the torrent of tears I could feel burning to escape my eyes.

“It isn’t funny, mom—it’s cancer,” I said, my throat tightening around the word, that ugly, toxic, dark and oppressive, joy-stealing word that can effortlessly make one forget what faith is. At least that’s what it did to me.

After I said goodbye to her, I stared out the window, tried to drown out the barrage of thoughts and questions with the cacophony of the car-wash tunnel, and sat perfectly still, afraid to move for fear of what lay ahead. Just minutes ago the sunshine embodied the tone of a splendid Sunday morning, but now it shone with a sickening brightness that made me want to flee into the nearest patch of shade and weep within a shadowy shroud.

The enemy found a chink in my armor that day. In fact, he had observed that I was missing an entire piece of it, a crucial one that is referred to in the New Testament as the Shield of Faith; it is the very weapon with which we are to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” My first reaction to hearing the word “cancer” was not to hold up the shield and recall God’s promises, remember His faithfulness, or ask Him for peace and assurance, but to cower and retreat into darkness and isolation … the ideal place for dread and distress to consume me.

When we got home, my husband prayed with me, held me, and helped me call upon close friends and family to join us in intercession for my mother. The following day she would be having a colonoscopy and upper G.I. which would indicate whether the cancer had spread. My husband and I, along with a few incredible friends, fasted from food for 24 hours and prayed for a negative report.

Praise be to God, our prayers were answered. A CAT scan further confirmed that my mom’s tumor was localized. The next step would be to have it surgically removed six weeks later.

My mom’s surgery was last week, and I was blown away all morning long as dozens of friends, family and church members, even Facebook acquaintances whom I’ve never met in person, texted, messaged and called to tell me they were earnestly praying for her successful surgery. And into the evening, I received just as many follow-up messages and was thrilled to deliver the news: “They got all the cancer! She’s in recovery now. It was total success!”

Because that’s what the doctor told us.

During my mom’s surgery, a pathologist also biopsied another small area in the same section as the tumor. In fact, it was within the margin that the doctor excised. We just found out that there are still cancer cells left–microscopic ones that went undetected during the surgery.

When I received this bit of news, I didn’t crumple and cry as before. I bowed and I prayed. I surrendered my anxiety, my frustration and my anger to the Lord. No whys, hows, ifs or buts were permitted to attack and steal my soldier’s shoes “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:25, NIV, emphasis mine). I refused to slip and fall into fear.

Although there are moments when my flesh feels pulled toward the ground where a trap of worry lies in wait, my spirit is looking heavenward, because I know my Helper, my Healer, my King is there.

I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

 He won’t let you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep. (Psalm 121:1-4, MSG)

Civil-rights leader Ralph Abernathy once said, “I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know Who holds the future.”

How true that is. From relationship strife and rebellious children to a cancer diagnosis or an untimely death, no matter how well we prepare, we can never know with absolute certainty what lies ahead or when bad news will turn a sunny Sunday upside down. But we do know the One who sits above time, the One who created time, marked off Earth’s dimensions, laid its foundations, tells the ocean how far its waves may roll onto shore, commands the dawn to break and the rain to fall, who numbers the clouds, the stars and the hairs on our head.

I can think of no greater peace than the kind that flows from not merely a knowledge of, but a relationship with Almighty God. He loves us more than any human ever could. He desires to do “immeasurably more than all we ask for and imagine.” He has plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future.

This fallen, sin-cursed, swirling sphere called Earth is rife with brokenness, disappointments, tribulation and tragedies, all bitter repercussions still rippling out of Eden. But …

The Word of God promises a new heaven and a new Earth. All the pain and sorrow we endure today will not be remembered but wiped away forever along with every last tear.

” … creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21, NIV).

Until that day, we must make a choice whenever we are faced with adversity.

Will we stand firm in our armor and wield our shield, or will we dissolve under the weight of the fiery onslaught?

Will we turn to the world for wisdom and comfort or to the One who knows us best and loves us most, who suffered ridicule, rejection and a horrific death so we could be reconciled unto God and have life in abundance?

Whatever you are going through, I urge you using the exhortation of the apostle Paul: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

Diana Anderson-Tyler is the author of Creation House’s Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness and her latest book, Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness. Her popular website can be found at , and she is the owner and a coach at CrossFit 925. Diana can be reached on Twitter.

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Gazan families who have lost loved ones in the current conflict with Israel reportedly confronted a Hamas official at Shifa hospital in Gaza and blamed Hamas for the deaths.

“Hamas is responsible for the suffering and the destruction caused to residents of the Gaza Strip,” a bereaved family member told Hamas spokesman Mushir Al-Masri, who was at the hospital visiting Gazans injured during what the Israel Defense Forces calls Operation Protective Edge.

In the aftermath of the campaign, many Gazans are saying the impact this time is much greater than it has been after past operations.

“The damage done in past rounds of fighting is nothing compared to the destruction this time,” a Beit Hanoun resident told an Al-Arabiya reporter. “Entire neighborhoods were turned to rubble, and we have nowhere to return to. Our homes have been turned into piles of rocks.”

The Palestinian Authority says it will take several months to repair the damage done in Gaza, which is estimated at $6 billion to $9 billion. According to the Palestinians, more than 1,000 buildings and homes have been destroyed and several hundred more are badly damaged. There have also been reports of significant damage to sewage, electricity and drinking-water infrastructure.

UNWRA reported that nearly half a million Gazans fled their homes, with about half of them seeking shelter in U.N. buildings.

COGAT commander Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai approved the entrance of 300 trucks filled with goods and medical supplies into Gaza to be transferred to aid organizations. Egypt also opened the Rafah crossing to allow goods and humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, there are more than 1,800 dead in Gaza and nearly 10,000 injured a result of the fighting.

An Israeli official said the actual number of dead in Gaza is likely lower than 1,800, and the defense establishment already has identified about 30 percent of the dead as Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives. He thinks that ultimately about half of the Gazans killed in the conflict will prove to have been terrorists.

In Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority is advancing efforts to have Israeli political and military officials put on trial for war crimes. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki arrived in the Hague on Tuesday to meet with U.N. officials and discuss the possibility of the Palestinians joining the Rome Statute, which would allow them to take Israel to the International Criminal Court.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, was expected to tour Gaza and the West Bank on Wednesday to asses the damages first hand.

Meanwhile, Indian network NDTV aired a video showing the launch of a Hamas rocket from a densely populated civilian area, which was filmed from an adjacent hotel room window.

The video shows what appears to be three Hamas operatives preparing a rocket for launch in a tent they had set up. They then dismantled the tent and placed branches around the launch site, before the rocket was launched on Tuesday morning.

After the launch, an NDTV reporter left the hotel from where the video was filmed and went to see the launch site but was warned away by locals wary of a retaliatory Israeli attack.

The hotel has since been evacuated, as this was not the first rocket launched in the area, and the hotel management was concerned for its guests’ safety.

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Chances are you both are responsible for your marriage issues. Now, stay with me here.

My wife and I struggled for years when it came to our marriage issues, especially when it came to God.

Sunday morning is a great example. We would wake up Sunday and ask if church was on the schedule or not. I’d deflect and ask what time it started. She’d deflect and ask what else was going on that day. In short, we would “excuse” ourselves out of going to church. Then we would lie in bed, not helping our marriage and slowly destroying it. And for what?

As a changed husband looking back, I had to ask myself some hard questions. There may be some hard questions you need to be asking in your marriage too. How could I have approached situations differently? Was I really being the spiritual leader? Was I really loving my wife by giving in to laziness and fear?

What questions require honest answers in your marriage?

Let’s look at a few more scenarios …

You want to lead in your marriage, but instead of getting or asking for help, you hope the regular Sunday morning message at church will hold the answers you seek. Maybe.

So things are really rough in your marriage, and the only thing you do is pray. I am a firm believer in prayer, but I also believe that God has given certain people specific tools to use and help marriages grow. Don’t stop praying, but get off your butt and get some help from a counselor, mentor or pastor.

Say you’re dating this wonderful girl, and you’re thinking about marriage. That’s great, but the problem is you live together and continue to have sex. Who’s fault is it? I’ll say it’s both partners’ fault. My advice to the men is to step up and stop. Don’t wait for her to stop, be honest with her and let her know your heart. Wait for marriage. Trust me, it’s possible and it’s worth it.

So how can you lead? How can you stop blaming your spouse for all the issues and start taking responsibility in an effective and safe way?

Here are 5 questions you need to ask yourself:

1. Am I honestly doing everything I can to lead?

2. Have I communicated my feelings honestly to my spouse?

3. Have I honestly been praying about the situation on a daily basis and seeking God’s direction (not your own).

4. Have I honestly and maturely discussed the situation with a church elder,  pastor, a friend, a mentor or a marriage counselor?

5. How long have I been passing the blame onto my spouse, when the issue is really mine to take care of? 

Carefully consider the questions above and start making big changes in your marriage or relationship today! That’s right, don’t wait any longer!

Have you experienced this in your marriage or relationship? What are some ways you and your spouse effectively communicate with each other and throw water down on the blame-game fire?

Manturity is a blog built on establishing spiritual maturity in today’s man. The goal is to assist men in building better marriages and help them grow in maturity and explore different aspects of manhood. features new weekly blog posts, daily social-media updates and a powerful resources page. Stay up to date with the Manturity blog communities on Facebook and Twitter.

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Far too often we hear news of a deadly attack at a school, mall or military base—violent crimes committed by those we least suspect.

Many of those violent outbreaks have involved guns. Sometimes, however, there’s another common thread: anti-depressant medications.

Anti-depressants are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in America. Millions of doctors and their patients appear to like these drugs, but there is a darker side.

‘Medication Madness’

For decades, psychiatrist Peter Breggin has studied the link between anti-depressants and violent crimes.

“The anti-depressants cause violence and they cause suicide, and they do it in all age groups. We have studies in all age groups. There’s just no doubt about it,” Dr. Breggin said.

Anti-depressants work on the brain, thereby altering the way their users think.

“These drugs are causing agitation, anxiety, insomnia, hostility, aggression, mania,” said. “In addition to driving the person with this amphetamine-like effect, the anti-depressants do a bit of a lobotomy. You lose your empathy. You lose your caring.”

In his book, “Medication Madness,” Dr. Breggin cites examples of violence that he says can be blamed on anti-depressant use.

“An engineer who was given Paxil probably to help stop smoking, maybe for some tension, certainly not for any mental disorder,” he described. “And within a couple of doses he drowned his two children and himself in a tub.”

Dr. Breggin said that when it comes to emotional problems, counseling is a better treatment than anti-depressants.

Responsible consumption

But not all doctors view anti-depressants so harshly.

The Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Karen Jacobs sees patients from around the country who are suffering from depression. 

She said anti-depressants help vastly more people than they hurt. In fact, she says without anti-depressants, many people could not function properly.    

“They may not be able to work, they may not be able to interact with their peers, they may not be able to interact with their family, they’re really isolated and not very productive,” she said. “And you can turn a patient’s life around by finding the right medication.”

But she also said doctors must prescribe anti-depressants responsibly.

“Educating your patient how to use an anti-depressant, what to expect, not only the side effects, but some of the dangers, including making sure you educate either a caregiver or another family member, is really essential to prevent some of the side effects or some of the detrimental things that you might have read about in the press previously,” Jacobs added.

Dr. Jacobs said ideally, patients taking anti-depressants should also engage in counseling, and should exercise and eat a healthy diet.

As part of their “Choosing Wisely” campaign, the American Psychiatric Association urges doctors to exercise caution when prescribing anti-psychotic medication, which includes some anti-depressants, saying some uses could be harmful. 

The organization advises doctors to properly monitor patients using anti-psychotics and to avoid prescribing more than one at a time.

Underlying problems vs. anti-depressant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration receives some of its highest number of reports of violent behavior from people taking anti-depressants.

Some physicians speculate that violent acts committed by anti-depressant users might be blamed on the person’s underlying condition, not the anti-depressant.

However, Dr. Breggin says the opposite is true. He believes an underlying condition is made worse by the use of anti-depressants–especially in young people.

“If a child who is already angry and upset and withdrawn starts to feel agitated, anxious, hostility starts to increase, aggressivity [sic] starts to increase, the kid has no idea it’s a drug effect,” Breggin said.

“Even if you told him it was a drug effect he might not believe you. He’d say, ‘No, I’m just angry at my schoolmates. I’m just angry at my mother and father,’ because it feels like it.”

Distressing changes

Anti-depressants can be highly addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can be serious. 

People who wish to discontinue taking anti-depressants should do so very carefully and under the close supervision of a physician.

Dr. Breggin said the incidents of violence associated with anti-depressants often occur when the users do something different.

“It happens with a dose change, up or down, or starting or stopping, a change—because that’s what jars the brain the most, is the change,” he said.

So while anti-depressants are some of the most popular drugs among doctors and their patients, they can sometimes lead to unexpected and even dangerous results.

During the current conflict in Gaza, a number of celebrities have voiced their opinions in support of either the Israeli or Palestinian positions.

But others—be it during Operation Protective Edge or at other times—have gone further than simply supporting the Palestinians by actively supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, making false accusations about the Jewish state, ignoring Israel’s position on the conflict, or justifying the actions of the terrorist group Hamas. Many of these celebrities also endorse popular brands and products. 

The following is a list of such celebrities and some of the brands they have endorsed:

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. On July 28, actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who are married, signed an open letter along with dozens of other Spanish film stars, directors, musicians and writers, including renowned director Pedro Almodovar, denouncing Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza as “genocide.” ( published a rebuttal of the letter here.)

Cruz has endorsed products such as Lancôme, L’Oréal, Mango, Ralph Lauren, and Agent Provocateur. Bardem, who made a cameo appearance in Cruz’s Agent Provocateur ad, also appeared in a campaign for Doctors Without Borders.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. Roger Waters, front man for the band Pink Floyd, has long been an outspoken supporter of the BDS movement. In addition to refusing to perform in Israel and calling on other musicians to cancel their planned concerts there, Waters featured a giant pig-shaped balloon emblazoned with a Star of David in a 2013 concert, prompting accusations of anti-Semitism. He has also compared Israelis to Nazis.

In the 1990s, Volkswagen sponsored the tours of several bands, including Pink Floyd, and issued a special edition Golf car named after the band.

Russell Brand. In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, British comedian Russell Brand posted a YouTube video criticizing Fox News host Sean Hannity’s interview with Palestinian-American guest Yousef Munayyer. In the video, Brand said Hamas terrorists might use “what we would perceive or term as acts of terror” to defend themselves against Israel.  

In 2011, Brand appeared in a commercial for the HP TouchPad.

Zayn Malik of One Direction. Singer Zayn Malik of the British band One Direction posted the hashtag #FreePalestine on his Twitter amid the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. Unlike singer Rihanna, who also posted the hashtag and then deleted it, Malik kept his post online, garnering nearly 200,000 retweets.

One Direction recently appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement for Macy’s and released its own campaign for the Our Moment fragrance.

Danny Glover. Actor Danny Glover has also supported the BDS movement. In 2009, he signed on to a declaration condemning Israel as an “apartheid regime” and dismissing the work of the Tel Aviv filmmakers featured in the Toronto International Film Festival as “Israeli propaganda.”

In 2014, Glover joined others featured in “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs” in a statement lamenting the documentary film’s screening at the DocAviv festival in Tel Aviv on May 13 and 15. 

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and support their call for cultural and academic boycott of Israel,” stated Glover and the other signatories.

In 2010, Glover became a brand ambassador for the nutrition company Eiro.

Emma Thompson. In January 2014, British actress Emma Thompson participated in a call with other actors to boycott the Israeli Habima Theatre’s performance at the Globe Theatre in London. In a letter published by The Guardian, a London newspaper, Thompson and her co-signers berated Habima for its “shameful record of involvement with illegal Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

Thompson is currently a member of the lineup of “Leading Ladies” representing Marks & Spencer.

Dustin Hoffman. Hollywood star Dustin Hoffman had canceled plans to attend the Jerusalem Film Festival following the IDF’s raid of the 2010 flotilla that sought to break the blockade on Gaza. Hoffman, who is Jewish, was scheduled to appear at the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s (MPAC) 22nd Annual Media Awards to present an award to an anti-Israel film. MPAC is run by Salam al-Marayati, a radical leader who has called for Israel’s destruction. Hoffman pulled out at the last minute due to “a very serious virus.”

Hoffman has appeared in advertisements for Sky Atlantic, Telstra, Audi, and Caffe Vergnano.

Stevie Wonder. Singer Stevie Wonder backed out of a performance at a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) gala in Los Angeles in 2012 due to “a recommendation from the United Nations to withdraw.” Prior to Wonder’s decision to cancel his performance, BDS activists posted a petition on urging the singer to pull out. That petition garnered more than 4,600 signatures.

In 2013, Wonder appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Bud Light.

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