When I was 16, I had an experience that changed my life, and informed the decisions I made when I was diagnosed with cancer. I had to be home-schooled for a semester during my junior year in high school because I was sick. I ran a fever and was tired all the time.
Doctors couldn’t find out what was “wrong” with me. No diagnosis. Symptoms of Mono, but not Mono. My parents took me to a chiropractor who said it didn’t matter if we ever named it, but my body (immune system) was meant to take care of it and we had to strengthen my immune system. He put me on a strict diet of no white sugar and no white flour. It was a big change for me at the time, and difficult to sustain, but I did it.
After 6 months on this plan, my symptoms were gone and I was healthier than I had been for years. No more flu every winter, and my hair got curly. It taught me that what I put in my mouth matters, especially to my immune system.
It is because of my experience of food making a difference that Healing Journeys offered Cancer-Fighting Kitchen workshops for several years. And it’s why I continue to do my best to keep up with the latest research related to nutrition and health.
When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was instructed to eat a low-fat vegetarian diet. I did that for 12 years and had many recurrences and not much improvement. Then I learned about eating for your metabolic type and learned that I needed meat. But conventionally raised meat in the U.S. is cancer-producing. Then I learned that grass-fed beef is actually cancer-protective (European studies).
Then my body let me know that it didn’t like any grains and I learned about the Paleo diet. So for the past year I haven’t eaten grains, and my cancer-markers are going down. Recently I have been hearing about the Ketogenic diet in relationship to cancer. I haven’t committed to doing it yet, but I want to learn more.
I discovered Nasha Winters, ND, who has a book coming out in May entitled The Metabolic Approach to Cancer: Integrating Deep Nutrition, the Ketogenic Diet, and Nontoxic Bio-Individualized Therapies. It’s a complex title, but I’ve had the privilege of reading part of the book and it’s easy to understand. The science is strong, and she is sharing information she has used to manage her own cancer.
I want to learn more, so we are presenting a workshop on June 17th in Sacramento called Cancer and Nutrition: How Food Can Create the Optimal Terrain for Health. Dr. Winters will present the evidence-based information, and Mayumi Tavalero will do a cooking demonstration. I’ve tasted her food and it’s over-the-top delicious.
I know many of you will be fascinated with this new information, and it could make a difference in your health. Please save the date and plan to join me.
You can read more about Nasha Winters, ND, here, and more about Mayumi Tavalero here.
As always, I welcome your comments; to reply please click here.
In the Spirit of Healing,
Jan Adrian, MSW
Founder and Executive Director