One Thursday afternoon, my friend and her mom visited me at my nutrition clinic in Cebu. Let's just call my friend "Cherry" and her mom "Apple." They came from a check up with an oncologist. Cherry and Apple were given a dreadful news that day. Apple had stage 4 breast cancer and had already received doses of chemotherapy but apparently did not help alleviate her condition after all. The disease still progressed.
Desperate and looking for Hope, they asked me if I could help Apple control the cancer growth naturally. Apple told me that she did not desire another dose of chemotherapy anymore, which her oncologist still suggested despite the failure of it. Apple had enough. She wanted to treat herself naturally. And so I told them, there are no guarantees, but we can try. Let's have nature as our ally. Here is the advice I gave them:
Desperate and looking for Hope, they asked me if I could help Apple control the cancer growth naturally. Apple told me that she did not desire another dose of chemotherapy anymore, which her oncologist still suggested despite the failure of it. Apple had enough. She wanted to treat herself naturally. And so I told them, there are no guarantees, but we can try. Let's have nature as our ally. Here is the advice I gave them:
1. Build up your immune system
Cancer is really a disease of the immune system. When someone has cancer, it means to say that the body's immune system isn't functioning well. The immune system is supposed to detect and kill invaders that harm the body. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and cancer cells normally get killed and controlled when the immune system is functioning well. If the immune system is down, it is like having a fire alarm in a building that doesn't function in case of fire. To make your immune system function well I told her to...
Cancer is really a disease of the immune system. When someone has cancer, it means to say that the body's immune system isn't functioning well. The immune system is supposed to detect and kill invaders that harm the body. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and cancer cells normally get killed and controlled when the immune system is functioning well. If the immune system is down, it is like having a fire alarm in a building that doesn't function in case of fire. To make your immune system function well I told her to...
2. Eat fruits and vegetables
There have been numerous studies already showing how consumption of fruits and vegetables can help increase survival of cancer patients. There are new and exciting studies also that show how these foods reverse cancer and aging . The secret to fruits and vegetables are in the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. These compounds protect healthy cells from being damaged and lets cells function at their best. Thereby, preventing cancer from happening. People who eat more fruits and vegetables tend to have lower cancer incidence. Juicing a variety of fruits and vegetables is key to gaining more benefits to the body.
There have been numerous studies already showing how consumption of fruits and vegetables can help increase survival of cancer patients. There are new and exciting studies also that show how these foods reverse cancer and aging . The secret to fruits and vegetables are in the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. These compounds protect healthy cells from being damaged and lets cells function at their best. Thereby, preventing cancer from happening. People who eat more fruits and vegetables tend to have lower cancer incidence. Juicing a variety of fruits and vegetables is key to gaining more benefits to the body.
3. Exercise
Exercise and physical activity is very important. It cures a lot of diseases, not only cancer. What really happens when we exercise is like our immune system having a tune-up. It increases our white blood cell count; it boosts up our feel good hormone "dopamine;" It lowers down inflammation in the body; it regulates blood sugar; it regulates blood pressure; it even lengthens our telomeres which are responsible for making our body stronger, younger and even heal faster! Thirty minutes of exercise per day is ideal. Choose an exercise that you enjoy and do it with someone you love (for more happy hormones).
Exercise and physical activity is very important. It cures a lot of diseases, not only cancer. What really happens when we exercise is like our immune system having a tune-up. It increases our white blood cell count; it boosts up our feel good hormone "dopamine;" It lowers down inflammation in the body; it regulates blood sugar; it regulates blood pressure; it even lengthens our telomeres which are responsible for making our body stronger, younger and even heal faster! Thirty minutes of exercise per day is ideal. Choose an exercise that you enjoy and do it with someone you love (for more happy hormones).
4. Meditate to manage stress
Stress is a killer. A lot of diseases are caused by stress. One of if it is cancer. Stress disables the immune system. A congested, uptight body doesn't allow a flow of healing energy through the body.
Stress can be mental, emotional and physical . Most people who had cancer had experienced so much mental and emotional stress in their lives. Most of them carried it along with them for a long time. Meditation, is a way of relaxing the body, mind, and spirit. Leaving all the cares and worries and putting it into perspective. Every cancer patient should practice this art. Meditation can be done by not only sitting down and closing your eyes, it can also be done by visiting a park, going to the beach, climbing a mountain, looking at the stars and making an art. These activities relax your mind and fills up your soul. When your mind is relaxed and your soul is at peace, true healing begins.
Stress is a killer. A lot of diseases are caused by stress. One of if it is cancer. Stress disables the immune system. A congested, uptight body doesn't allow a flow of healing energy through the body.
Stress can be mental, emotional and physical . Most people who had cancer had experienced so much mental and emotional stress in their lives. Most of them carried it along with them for a long time. Meditation, is a way of relaxing the body, mind, and spirit. Leaving all the cares and worries and putting it into perspective. Every cancer patient should practice this art. Meditation can be done by not only sitting down and closing your eyes, it can also be done by visiting a park, going to the beach, climbing a mountain, looking at the stars and making an art. These activities relax your mind and fills up your soul. When your mind is relaxed and your soul is at peace, true healing begins.
5. Take good quality vitamins and supplements
I emphasize "good quality" since it is quite hard to distinguish what's good and what's not in the supplement industry. The supplement industry does not have a regulating body like the FDA or BFAD does on drugs. Here are the characteristics of a good supplement :
a. Standardized - each capsule should consistently deliver the amount stated in the label.
b. Safe - it has to be from a good source. No contaminants, additives and toxic metals.
c. Effective - at a certain dose, it causes a therapeutic effect in the body.
d. Clinical studies - a supplement that has gone through clinical studies with third-party clinical studies being the best (meaning it is not biased as most supplement manufacturers claim their product is number one thus, a third party validation proves it best).
e. Bioavailability - it is easily absorbed by the body (ask if it is of USP standard. A USP seal indicates that within 30 minutes of ingestion, the capsule disintegrates in the body and the contents of which are readily absorbed).
Some well meaning friends, relatives or sales persons promote their supplements by giving you brochures and let you hear testimonies. Just listen to them and give gratitude for their support. But don't believe them instantly. Do your homework and research on the product. Brochure is not equivalent to having clinical studies. Ask for a healthcare practitioner guide.
I emphasize "good quality" since it is quite hard to distinguish what's good and what's not in the supplement industry. The supplement industry does not have a regulating body like the FDA or BFAD does on drugs. Here are the characteristics of a good supplement :
a. Standardized - each capsule should consistently deliver the amount stated in the label.
b. Safe - it has to be from a good source. No contaminants, additives and toxic metals.
c. Effective - at a certain dose, it causes a therapeutic effect in the body.
d. Clinical studies - a supplement that has gone through clinical studies with third-party clinical studies being the best (meaning it is not biased as most supplement manufacturers claim their product is number one thus, a third party validation proves it best).
e. Bioavailability - it is easily absorbed by the body (ask if it is of USP standard. A USP seal indicates that within 30 minutes of ingestion, the capsule disintegrates in the body and the contents of which are readily absorbed).
Some well meaning friends, relatives or sales persons promote their supplements by giving you brochures and let you hear testimonies. Just listen to them and give gratitude for their support. But don't believe them instantly. Do your homework and research on the product. Brochure is not equivalent to having clinical studies. Ask for a healthcare practitioner guide.
6. Nurture relationships and enjoy your life
There was a study done by Dr. Dean Ornish that cancer patients who had loving and supportive relationships tend to heal faster while those who were depressed and who had a negative outlook in life tend to have a progression of their disease. This is a wonderful discovery. It reminds us that our relationships are very important and life is too short to be so serious. Physical life isn't meant to be lived forever so might as well enjoy it and extract the best out of it with the people we love and the people we enjoy being with.
7. Forgive and be grateful
It's easy to say but so hard to do. But it is possible. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Nobody is perfect. We are on this journey to experience fully our soul's yearning. To sometimes cause hurt and be hurt are both part of our journey. So does being loved and being able to give love. After all, we ought to be grateful that we have experienced this what we call "life." Life is wonderful. Life is magical. There's healing innate to all of us. Believing that in us are souls and that we are eternal frees us from the negative energy and invites good energy into our body.
So this was my radical advice to Apple. Most cancer patients get so confused and overwhelmed by too much information. As a nutritionist in Cebu, I wanted to keep it simple and natural. After all, what the body really needs is balance. To be at ease again. At this state, we call homeostasis, the body heals naturally, thrives naturally, functions perfectly.
Six months after, she is doing well. She is feeling no pain. Her disease had not progressed, it even regressed. I'm hopeful that Apple can really continue following the advice I gave her. She is on the path to natural healing.
Mark Joseph Ong, RND
Clinical Nutritionist Dietitian
DIETWISE NUTRITION CONSULTANCY
09277400363
There was a study done by Dr. Dean Ornish that cancer patients who had loving and supportive relationships tend to heal faster while those who were depressed and who had a negative outlook in life tend to have a progression of their disease. This is a wonderful discovery. It reminds us that our relationships are very important and life is too short to be so serious. Physical life isn't meant to be lived forever so might as well enjoy it and extract the best out of it with the people we love and the people we enjoy being with.
7. Forgive and be grateful
It's easy to say but so hard to do. But it is possible. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Nobody is perfect. We are on this journey to experience fully our soul's yearning. To sometimes cause hurt and be hurt are both part of our journey. So does being loved and being able to give love. After all, we ought to be grateful that we have experienced this what we call "life." Life is wonderful. Life is magical. There's healing innate to all of us. Believing that in us are souls and that we are eternal frees us from the negative energy and invites good energy into our body.
So this was my radical advice to Apple. Most cancer patients get so confused and overwhelmed by too much information. As a nutritionist in Cebu, I wanted to keep it simple and natural. After all, what the body really needs is balance. To be at ease again. At this state, we call homeostasis, the body heals naturally, thrives naturally, functions perfectly.
Six months after, she is doing well. She is feeling no pain. Her disease had not progressed, it even regressed. I'm hopeful that Apple can really continue following the advice I gave her. She is on the path to natural healing.
Mark Joseph Ong, RND
Clinical Nutritionist Dietitian
DIETWISE NUTRITION CONSULTANCY
09277400363
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