A year and a half ago, my husband was declared healed from bladder cancer. It had been a long road, but we succeeded! Periodic check-ups are now a part of his life, and, so are foods for living cancer free. Recently, he had his third exam. These are always scary because there’s always the fear that it might have come back.
When the day came to get the results, we both held our breath. Oh, the relief when we heard the words “all clear” once again. Thank God!
But, the situation did highlight the obvious: While he’s cancer free now—and we worked so incredibly hard to get there–what must we do to maintain it? This is a critically important aspect of living healed, healthy and whole.
The Hard Battle
As many of you know, beating cancer is fierce battle. For us, it took months of integrated and alternative therapies. We did not do chemo because my husband’s kind of cancer was unresponsive to this protocol. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it forced us to research other alternatives and we discovered the wonderful world of integrative therapies which restored him to health in less than a year. Healing often requires a holistic approach to restore greater balance to the physical, mental and emotional facets in order to achieve wellness again.
The Integrative Approach
Integrative therapies combine the best of conventional (in our case, surgery to remove the tumor) and alternative protocols to optimize healing. Alternative therapies are non invasive, non toxic, pain free treatments that repair the immune system so the body successfully fights disease. In our case some of these included a plant-based diet, a combination of hyperbaric oxygen and intravenous vitamin C therapy, infrared therapy, regular detoxing, and other specialized approaches. (Please see my book Healed, Healthy and Whole, How We Beat Cancer with Intergrative Therapies and Other Healing Strategies for details)
How We Found Our Way
We believe God guided our personal study and research. It convinced us that foods are living medicine! Specifically, I’m talking about a mostly raw, plant-based diet. While this is only one aspect of a comprehensive healing program, it is a huge one.
Today, about 80% of our diet is comprised of organic veggies, nuts, fruits, and moderate amounts of grains. The remaining 20% is vegetable protein as well as animal protein, such as organic fish, eggs and chicken, and on very rare occasions, organic, grass-fed beef.
Though they can be delicious, we are also extremely careful about soy substitutes. Many soy beans have been genetically modified and these types of foods (GMOs) are known to be carcinogen.
Nuts about Green
Every day, we relish drinking our raw organic veggie juices and smoothies, as
well as eating healthy green salads and vegetable dishes sprinkled with cashews, walnuts and/or sunflower seeds.
We also eat nuts as snacks: almonds, pecans, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, as well as the others listed above. Nuts can help lower the bad cholesterol (LDL), strengthen the lining of the arteries, and reduce the risk of blood clots.
Grains and Legumes
When it comes to grains, we no longer eat wheat, corn or white rice. Because
of the way these are stored in giant silos here in the U.S., these foods can be filled with mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are fungi capable of causing diseases such as cancer in both humans and animals.
Grains that are both safe and nutritious include quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, and very occasionally, brown rice. And then, there’s also beans and lentils! Legumes are packed with protein and fiber and make tasty additions to salads, main dishes and soups. But, we do eat these in moderation.
Oh, That Sweet Tooth
Cancer feeds on sugar, so we’ve eliminated every form of it including white, unrefined and brown sugar, raw honey, agave, molasses, and maple syrup. It goes without saying that we stay away from any kind of artificial sweetener. For a sweet touch, we use Stevia or a natural sugar alcohol such as Xylitol.
Fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) green apples and grapefruits are good and nutritious, so we enjoy these in our smoothies and meals. Sweeter fruits are not recommended.
Can I Make the Change?
While this approach can sound a little overwhelming or restrictive, all of us who have made the transition felt the same way, at first! Just remember though, we’re talking about life-saving natural therapies that heal. The change is worth it!
Making the Transition
When you transition from your old way of eating to a plant-based diet, your body will begin to detoxify. The process can be a little uncomfortable for the first few weeks, but releasing what’s making you sick is an essential part of getting well! We’ll get into more detail about this is subsequent articles.
In a short time, you will start to experience more energy, strength, mental clarity, better digestion, and a host of other ongoing benefits. Real healing will have begun!
The Healing Journey
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, this need not be the end of the journey, but simply the beginning. For more details, please check out my book Healed, Healthy and Whole, How We Beat Cancer with Integrative Therapies and Other Healing Strategies available at www.healedhealthyandwhole.com and established online retailers, or join us for one of our monthly Healed, Healthy and Whole seminars. Please visit the website for details.
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