Over the years, I have asked myself, what would I add, delete or change about my diet and lifestyle if I was told I had cancer? Since my chances of getting cancer are equal or greater than anyone else, due to family history, stress and the toxic world we live in, I decided to “have a talk” with myself. And from those internal conversations, I figured that I might as well “act as if” and approach a regime that would be fitting for either cancer recovery or heart disease and see if I can beat the odds.
Purified Water: For the longest time, I didn’t take purified water seriously. I always thought the bottled water industry was a scam, and lately it’s been revealed that some water companies have just been filling their bottles with tap water. And even if the water is really from a pure, natural spring, it ends up in a bottle leaching plastic. So, I got a Berkey Water filter, one of the best, and use the water for cooking as well as for plain drinking water. I’ve had a shower filter for years. In a multi-pronged approach to better health, one goal is to take in less toxins through water, food, and air.
Turmeric: I have cooked with turmeric for over 30 years, but not on a daily basis. Now I also take a daily organic turmeric supplement because turmeric is known to shrink tumors and act as an anti-oxidant. It also metabolizes better when taken with foods that contain fat. if you think any supplement or nutrients may have been made in China, skip it, since apparently there is a high content of lead in much of what we import from China and also India. 🙁 ****Update 2024: After reading Norton’s book, Toxic Superfoods, my recommendation for turmeric is in question. Turmeric is high in oxalates, which can contribute to a long list of health issues. One may still be able to justify using turmeric if they can otherwise maintain a low oxalate diet and make consumption of turmeric an exception.
Dandelion Root Tea: You can buy fresh dandelion and add it to the other mixed greens in your salad. I try to drink dandelion in tea form at least every other day because it can de-toxify the liver. The better your liver functions, the easier it will be to eliminate toxins. Without a toxic build up in your body, you will be better equipped to fight all kinds of disease including cancer.
Lemon Water or Apple Cider Vinegar: take your pick, or alternate between the two. Cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment and these “acidic” foods actually turn your blood more alkaline. Each morning you can start your day on an empty stomach with lemon water or apple cider vinegar, about a tablespoon in a glass of pure water. If the taste is too sour for you, add a few drops of liquid Stevia and it will taste more like diluted lemonade or apple juice.
I don’t like to juice lemons every day, so we do a few at once and pour the lemon juice into ice maker trays. Then, for weeks at a time I can pop a frozen lemon cube into water each morning, with no prep time or mess. Baking Soda is another substance that can be used to make the body more alkaline. Add a pinch of baking soda to a glass of water each day. This might not be the best for people with high blood pressure or on a sodium restricted diet.
Garlic and Onions: Cooking regularly with onions and garlic can purify the blood stream and are major anti-oxidants. If you are not cooking daily with these super foods, add a garlic supplement to your regime.
Ginger: Like turmeric, ginger reduces inflammation, which is a precursor to cancer. Fresh ginger or a ginger supplement can improve your health. You can also boil fresh or frozen ginger slices as a ginger tea. And for one family member, ginger tea works as well as a prescription pain med!
Far Infrared Sauna: It’s not just a sauna to make you sweat; the far infrared rays can also help you eliminate toxins in a unique way and help with weight loss as well as cancer prevention. We got a great 1-person far infrared sauna that is about the size of an old fashioned phone booth. It’s about three square feet and seven feet tall. It can fit in a corner of a room or even a closet. I try to use it for 30 minutes every other day. A weekly bath in Epsom salt and baking soda can also help pull toxins out of the body.
Exercise and Meditate: If you can reduce stress, you can reduce cortisol levels and the chances of getting cancer. As well, people who are overweight have a much higher chance of getting cancer and also dementia. As a perfectionist, I used to get frustrated if I didn’t have a solid hour to myself in the morning for exercise. If it didn’t happen then, I would skip it. Stupid me! But now, since “sitting is the new smoking,” I take breaks throughout the day to find excuses not to sit and now I am no longer OCD about when I exercise or for how long. Ten minutes here and 15 minutes there, it all adds up. One of the best forms of exercise is bouncing on a rebounder (aka mini-trampoline.) This type of exercise offers a wide range of unique benefits and is great for clearing out the lymphatic system.
CBD Oil: From cannabis, CBD oil with a low-to-no THC content comes in pill form and can be used for a lengthy list of ailments, without the psycho-active experience. This is surely one of the most controversial recommendations, but medical marijuana in the form of CBD oil appears to kill cancer cells for many people. I have not yet used a high potency CBD oil for myself yet. If CBD oil can help cancer go into remission, surely it can help prevent cancer from starting.
Say Goodbye to Sugar: This is the final frontier for me. It is one thing to ADD supplements and nutrients to one’s diet, and something else to eliminate a highly addictive substance. That said, you don’t have to do without sweetness in your life. Honey actually has a lot of nutritional value and could be used in moderation. But processed sugar fuels cancer and it should be the first thing to leave your diet if you have been given a diagnosis of cancer. People can debate whether or not a vegan, macro-biotic or low-carb /high protein diet is good or bad for cancer. But everyone agrees that sugar is bad news.
Black Seed Oil: There are a number of very cleansing and rejuvenating oils, including coconut oil that you can add to your diet and Black Seed oil has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Apparently King Tut was buried with a bottle of it! It has many healing properties, including reducing inflammation. You only need to take a teaspoon a day and it could be taken straight, with food, or masked in a protein drink.
Shungite: There are a number of ways to block electro-magnetic radiation and the shungite stone is one of them. Place the shungite stones in every room and between where you sit and an electronic device (computer, TV, phone charger, etc). By reducing your exposure to electro-magnetic fields (and we are all bombarded with them), you can also improve your overall health and stamina.
There are many other things one can do to de-toxify and purify your body. It goes without saying that eating organic food and using air purifiers will also reduce the amount of chemicals ingested every day. There are other nutrients and practices, too many to list. I just wanted to find for myself, some the most potent, easiest and affordable things I could actually follow through on. Follow-through is the key and it did take me nearly a year to incorporate all the items on my list. I had been one of those people who would go on and off taking supplements, but I have linked taking them with breakfast and dinner and all it took was for me to place the supplement bottles right on the dining table, staring me in the face while eating. Who cares if it looks messy? When guests come over for dinner, I can put them back in the kitchen cabinet.
With the far infrared sauna, that was a big ticket item, but less expensive than a battery of medical tests. And with the frequency which I use it, the sauna has paid for itself in a couple months, compared to going to a spa and paying to use someone else’s equipment. For each thing I have suggested, you can find a mountain of information on it by searching the internet and recommended reading.
Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®
From the Tao of Organizing Blog Series
