Eating To Save Your Life
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Six months later, my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer. At a time in our lives when we were facing mortality and feeling terrified, we made the difficult decision to take control of the direction of our healthcare. We were not happy with the recommendations that our mainstream doctors were making. They could not offer us an appealing level of benefit for the harsh treatments they were trying to sell us. When it came to chemotherapy for my breast cancer, the oncologist I saw told me there was anywhere between a 2% and 7% chance of benefitting from the treatment. But, there was a 100% chance of horrible side effects and the likelihood of long term damage was great. We learned that making changes in our lives offered a higher level of benefit without the harsh, damaging treatments.
The most important aspect to healing is taking care of your health. Detox is a major proponent in this. When I talk about detoxing my body, I am simply talking about the elimination of junk foods, refined foods and refined sugars. This is one of the first things we did for ourselves. We did a full evaluation of our lifestyle and removed all of the elements that could interfere with our healing process. I started to make our family meals from scratch. This was challenging at first, but with wonderful recipes available all over the internet as well as books with healthy and appealing recipes, the transition was not as painful as we expected. And, the foods we eat are now wholesome as well as being delicious.
We began to juice fresh, organic fruits and vegetables for the incredible health benefits. We invested in a Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer and at least three to four times a week, we enjoy a delicious nourishing blend of green vegetables. My favorite recipe is to add kale, collard, parsley, celery, swiss chard, carrot, green apple, lemon and a small piece of fresh ginger to my blend. I find that the lemon and ginger not only have wonderful health benefits but also add a tangy, delicious flavor to the juice.
In a lecture I saw recently given by a natural foods expert, the speaker was talking about someone he knew that died of cancer. He said that the biggest mistake his friend had made was to talk through the wrong doctor’s office door. This really hit home for me. I feel that I have made the right decisions in my healthcare and that by turning down the radiation and chemo offered by traditional doctors and opting for a more natural approach under the guidance of wonderful licensed healthcare professionals, I did walk through the right doctor’s doors. But, it all too often happens that when people are given the terrifying diagnosis of cancer, fear drives their decisions, sometimes ending in tragedy.
It is vital to get more than one opinion about the direction of your recovery. There are too many doctors who are still close minded about treatment options. When we came across a doctor who was not at least open to exploring all treatment / recovery options available, not just the traditional, we took them out of our recovery equation. We needed to feel comfortable about what went into our bodies. Not feeling good about your decisions or feeling like you may have made a mistake is not productive to recovery. Always do all of the research and investigation that you can before you take the plunge into your recovery. It is you whose life is at stake, not your doctor. You need to be comfortable about the course of your treatment. Peace of mind and a positive outlook has a huge impact on recovery.
Another important element to recovery is staying fit and active. Adding an exercise program to your life can cut the risk of recurrence dramatically. I have added Pilates and Yoga to my regime and my body feels strong and fit.
Remember, rounding the corner to good health starts with revamping your lifestyle and taking a total cleanse approach. The old adage, “You are what you eat,” could not be more true.
The most important aspect to healing is taking care of your health. Detox is a major proponent in this. When I talk about detoxing my body, I am simply talking about the elimination of junk foods, refined foods and refined sugars. This is one of the first things we did for ourselves. We did a full evaluation of our lifestyle and removed all of the elements that could interfere with our healing process. I started to make our family meals from scratch. This was challenging at first, but with wonderful recipes available all over the internet as well as books with healthy and appealing recipes, the transition was not as painful as we expected. And, the foods we eat are now wholesome as well as being delicious.
We began to juice fresh, organic fruits and vegetables for the incredible health benefits. We invested in a Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer and at least three to four times a week, we enjoy a delicious nourishing blend of green vegetables. My favorite recipe is to add kale, collard, parsley, celery, swiss chard, carrot, green apple, lemon and a small piece of fresh ginger to my blend. I find that the lemon and ginger not only have wonderful health benefits but also add a tangy, delicious flavor to the juice.
In a lecture I saw recently given by a natural foods expert, the speaker was talking about someone he knew that died of cancer. He said that the biggest mistake his friend had made was to talk through the wrong doctor’s office door. This really hit home for me. I feel that I have made the right decisions in my healthcare and that by turning down the radiation and chemo offered by traditional doctors and opting for a more natural approach under the guidance of wonderful licensed healthcare professionals, I did walk through the right doctor’s doors. But, it all too often happens that when people are given the terrifying diagnosis of cancer, fear drives their decisions, sometimes ending in tragedy.
It is vital to get more than one opinion about the direction of your recovery. There are too many doctors who are still close minded about treatment options. When we came across a doctor who was not at least open to exploring all treatment / recovery options available, not just the traditional, we took them out of our recovery equation. We needed to feel comfortable about what went into our bodies. Not feeling good about your decisions or feeling like you may have made a mistake is not productive to recovery. Always do all of the research and investigation that you can before you take the plunge into your recovery. It is you whose life is at stake, not your doctor. You need to be comfortable about the course of your treatment. Peace of mind and a positive outlook has a huge impact on recovery.
Another important element to recovery is staying fit and active. Adding an exercise program to your life can cut the risk of recurrence dramatically. I have added Pilates and Yoga to my regime and my body feels strong and fit.
Remember, rounding the corner to good health starts with revamping your lifestyle and taking a total cleanse approach. The old adage, “You are what you eat,” could not be more true.
