By Jess Ainscough
October 19, 2010
Thinking back to when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I can’t believe how far I have come. Not just in my health, but in my whole perception of the disease. I’ll paint you a little picture: I was diagnosed with Epithelioid Sarcoma in my left arm in 2008. This is an extremely rare and very aggressive cancer, and one that those in the medical industry believe can only be beaten with amputation of the whole limb. To a completely vain 22-year-old writer, the idea of losing an arm was simply unthinkable. I remember being so distraught by the situation and actually wishing that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer so that I could just “have my boobs removed and replace them with a nice set of fakies”. I actually said that. Fast forward a little over two years and here I am, waxing lyrical on my blog about how mastectomies are not only extreme mutilation but completely unnecessary. Luckily for me I also smartened up pretty fast to the fact that having my arm cut off was not the answer to beating cancer. Today, I still have two arms and I am powering along the road to complete wellness. Since being graced with a diagnosis I have gone from being in fear of the disease to embracing it and all the lessons it offers. What was it that helped changed my mind? I now understand that in order for cancer to be reversed, we just have to thoroughly address each of the issues that contributed to its manifestation.
In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here is my guide to preventing and treating breast cancer (without chemotherapy, surgery, radiation or buying a pink-ribbon emblazoned bucket of KFC):
1. Opt for a thermogram instead of a mammogram: A mammogram blasts you with radiation while painfully squeezing your breasts (damaging tissue in the process). A safer option is a breast thermogram, which has the ability to identify a breast abnormality five to ten years before the problem can be found on a mammogram. Plus, a thermogram does not use radiation, and can be done as frequently as anyone thinks is necessary. Thermograms work by creating infrared images (heat pictures) that are then analyzed to find asymmetries anywhere in the chest and underarm area. Breast thermography detects patterns of heat generated by the increased circulation produced by abnormal metabolic activity in cancer cells. This activity occurs long before a cancer starts to invade new tissue.
2. Educate yourself: Education equals empowerment. If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, there is no need to rush into a treatment decision. Take the time to gather ALL information so you can make a decision you are completely comfortable with.
3. Change your diet: Studies show that eating a plant-based diet that is void of salt, refined sugar and bad fats will not only reduce your risk of breast cancer, but will also play a vital role in the treatment of the disease. Your diet should also be organic as the pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on conventional fruit and vegetables are toxic to your system and make the food nutritionally impotent. Changing your diet in this way will help you to achieve alkalinity in your body. The body needs to have a pH reading of between 7.35 - 7.45 in order to be alkaline. Anything below 7 (which is neutral) means your body is acidic. An acidic body does not absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and reduces our ability to repair cells. Acidity also prevents the blood from carrying oxygen. Cancer and ill health thrive in an acidic, oxygen-deprived environment. However, if your body is alkaline it will heal readily, be more oxygenated and cancer will not being able to survive.
4. Get stuck into veggie juices: When you drink veggie juices, your body will receive loads of nutrients without having to do any work. This is because the juicing process removes all the fiber, giving your digestive system a break and delivering all the nutrients straight to your cells.
5. Move your body every day: Studies show that exercise actually has a greater effect on treating breast cancer than chemotherapy. Crazy, innit! According to Dr Craig Hassed, author of The Essence of Health, chemotherapy only reduces the five-year mortality rate of breast cancer by 2.1 to 6.8 percent depending on the patient’s age and the stage of the cancer.
“Several studies have come out saying that if a person has cancer and they exercise regularly there are much more substantial reductions in mortality," said Dr Hassed. "For example, a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a halving of the 18 year mortality from breast cancer if women were regularly physically active after the time of diagnosis. If that was a new chemo drug that had had those effects it would have been the biggest break through in cancer therapy for those common cancers and yet it gets widely ignored.”
6. Detoxify your body with coffee enemas: If you want to rid your body of cancer, you must detoxify your liver and the most effective way to do this is with coffee enemas. Coffee enemas help to stimulate the liver and increase bile production to excrete toxins more rapidly. This is so important when embarking on a major detox. If the harmful toxins you are eliminating from your body aren’t flushed out, they will overburden the liver.
7. Include meditation in your daily routine: Regular meditation helps to nullify stress, balance your emotions and will create an environment in your body that is conducive to healing. Stress is a major culprit in the contraction of disease. It throws everything out of whack and prevents your body from absorbing any goodness. In his book, You Can Conquer Cancer, Ian Gawler speaks about how meditation played a vital role in recovering from his extremely advanced bone cancer. I can’t recommend meditation highly enough. Click here for a step-by-step guide to mindfulness meditation and here for a detailed breakdown of its benefits.
8. Give up alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine: This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but logic doesn’t make these habits any easier to kick. However, they are all highly toxic to your body and you will not be able to heal unless you say goodbye to them.
9. Detox your beauty routine: Everything you put on your skin is absorbed straight into your blood stream. This includes all of the toxic ingredients found in conventional beauty products. Everything from make-up, shampoo and body wash to deodorant, perfume and moisturizers are full of harmful ingredients. Don’t rely on products that claim to be “natural” or “organic." Always study the labels and make sure everything you are using is 100% natural. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. If the product is stamped with an organic certification, you should be safe.
10. Detox your cleaning cupboard: The conventional cleaning cupboard is a danger zone. It is full of toxic chemicals and harmful detergents. Go through your cleaners and swap everything for a natural alternative. Vinegar, bi-carb soda and borax are great natural products to use to clean your bathroom, kitchen and surfaces. Click here for more tips on detoxifying your home.
11. Install an appropriate water purifier: Fluoride and chlorine are just two of the harmful ingredients burdening most water supplies and leading to a host of health problems. It will be very difficult to get well if you are drinking, bathing and brushing your teeth in contaminated water. Find out what your water has in it and source a purification system that will remove all the nasties.
12. Sort out all stressful relationships: It is time to put yourself first. You will not get better if the people around you do not support you. Emotional unbalance is another strong contributor to diseases like cancer. Now is the time to assess all of your relationships. Ask yourself which ones are loving and supporting, and which are draining and destructive. Forgive others, release resentment, let go of bad relationships and, most importantly, love and forgive yourself
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1532/12-Steps-to-Preventing-Treating-Breast-Cancer.html
