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Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Beating Cancer is Possible







Perhaps you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer. Perhaps you are simply aware of the increasing numbers of cancer diagnoses in this country, and would like to know what you can do to help prevent it. There really is something you can do to help your amazing body to heal, or become healthier than it is right now. If someone has cancer, they should explore all options, and whether or not they choose surgery, chemo, or radiation, the steps I will outline will definitely help to restore the body to wellness.

“You have cancer” are three words you never want to hear . . . Unfortunately; over 5,000 people in North America do hear those words every single day. Even worse, cancer has become the second leading cause of death for Americans. Even today, there is no foolproof procedure in cancer prevention or treatment (conventional or alternative) that is able to cure 100% of cases. So, the best way to protect or to treat yourself is by combining the largest possible number of anticancer approaches, attacking the disease from all sides. I hope from the bottom of my heart that the methods of diet and practices I am about to outline here can positively impact your life as well as your family’s and friends’ lives.

In April of 2014, I was diagnosed with stage IV (metastatic) ductal carcinoma: Breast Cancer: and was told with aggressive chemotherapy and radical bilateral surgery, I had a 20% chance of survival; and only for three to four months at best. I had already been researching nutrition extensively and had chosen a vegan diet (no animals; no meat, no dairy, no eggs) for health and ethical reasons when I found a breast lump. As you may know, by the time one finds a lump their self, it is pretty far along, and mine turned out to be stage 4 which had already spread throughout my lymph system into my lungs, liver, and bone.  Having been a nurse for 28 years, I knew far too well that chemo often kills the patient while making them look and feel their worst. I did not want to live whatever time I had left like that; this was my personal choice, not one I advocate for everyone. I decided that I had the power to choose what went into my body through my stomach, skin, or inhaled into my lungs, and I was determined to do all that I could to get my health back. Previously I had read
The China Study, and I had also seen the documentary Forks Over Knives, where Dr. T. Colin Campbell explains the research proving that animal protein turns cancer cells off and on like a light switch! I was quite confident that if I were not consuming animal protein or any carcinogens that our government deemed 'ok' to be in my food, water, or cosmetics, that my body would have its best chance to heal. I had read Louis Hay’s Meditations for Loving Yourself to Great Health and in addition to daily prayer to the Great Physician, I began the practice of visualizing my body whole and healed. I took a long hard look at everything in my life that I never thought about being carcinogenic, because I had always figured if it was harmful, the "government" would not allow it ..... WRONG. You see, there are federal guidelines that say an isolated chemical, in 'x' amount, does not cause cancer - by itself.  The problem is, that we have thousands upon thousands of incidental encounters daily with 'x' amount, making ourselves toxic. Through research, I discovered common household things in my home and probably yours, were the likely cause of my cancer, so I eliminated all that I could. Here is my list of what I did, and continue to do; and I am now cancer free because, I feel, I did my part! I encourage you to do all of things you can to be proactive in your health and recovery in addition to listening to your doctor's advice.
Only put ON your body or IN your body what you recognize as safe and pure.

Here is my personal regimen of what I do every day and will continue the rest of my life:


1. Eliminate ALL dairy. Milk, cheese, butter, margarine, milk chocolate, yogurt, ice cream, sherbet, etc. Read labels on everything: milk, whey, casein, lactose, etc. is in everything! The safest thing to do for the next month (or until you are found to be "in remission") is eat no processed food. There are healthy plant based alternatives to all of these items, so don’t panic!


2. Eat no meat, meat products, no chicken broth, etc. including avoiding gelatin (it is made from animal bones, yuck!) Read labels, look for the word 'vegan' if you are not sure. Don’t worry about protein, the meat and dairy industry created the myth that we need tons of protein because it sells their product. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains contain protein, and you will get plenty.


3. Eliminate eggs. It has animal protein too, and like all meat, chickens are injected with huge amounts of steroids, antibiotics, and bunch of crap that gets into their bodies and the eggs as well, it can't possibly be good for us! Vegetarian products may be meat free, but can contain milk or eggs.


4. Eat all organic. ALL! Certified organic produce is grown in very closely monitored conditions with no toxic chemicals used for fertilizer or pest control. Organic also means the seed must be organic, which precludes any possibility of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which you probably know can also cause multitudes of health problems including horrendous cancerous tumors in lab rats. Only buy organic produce and only buy organic corn meal, oats, soy milk, etc. everything that goes in your body for the next few months at least must be organic. The easiest way is to only eat at home, things you prepared, no processed food or restaurant food for now. Eat as much as you can raw: salads, smoothies, juices, raw recipes for raw soups, dishes like raw lasagna, cookies, etc. Tons of free raw recipes are on the internet, get a raw cookbook, or just do what I did and entirely smoothies and juices for a few weeks. raw organic produce is alive with cancer fighting minerals, enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants that are destroyed in cooking. If you need a juicer, here is my blog post on
how to choose one:


WATER. Our body is 98% water. Most of us live in a constant state of dehydration because we don't drink enough. We need a half ounce per pound of body weight daily (that means for a 150 pound person, 75 ounces of water). When we are sick and especially when cancer is present, we need to double that, 1 ounce per pound. I keep my BPA free plastic, glass, or steel (never aluminum or unsafe plastic!) water bottle beside me constantly (and take it with me when I leave the house) and sip frequently, it is easy to get your water needs met this way. I fill my containers every morning that I know hold the number of ounces I must drink a day, that way I don’t forget. When I only had one container and refilled it, I would lose track of where I was, could not remember how many ounces so far I had ... it was hard to keep track of until I got all my 'duckies in a row' as my husband calls it, and line up my three huge bottles on the counter! I have one bottle that holds 75 ounces by itself that I use at home and travel with my others.

Many researchers believe disease of ALL kinds stem from dehydration, still others say all disease develop in an acid body. It is very important to drink enough water, but even more important that it be alkaline water. Disease and especially cancer, thrive in an acid environment. There is so much on this subject I shall not try to explain it, you can read up on it: Read the book,
The pH Miracle, or visit their website. I have never used any of their products, but they are plenty to try that are organic and promote alkaline health. The longest lived humans on earth are the Okinawans, who drink water from their area that is naturally high in alkalinity and minerals, and is thought to be the "fountain of youth"!


Also, I use alkaline, antioxidant water made right in my water bottle by DYLN. If I could afford it I would have a  Kangen machine that sits on top of the counter and both ionizes and alkalizes your water. Here is a video of a water demo that you will find very interesting. The ph miracle website also sells water ionizers, and they are less expensive than the one I use. Kangen is the "cadillac" of them all, I believe it far superior but the important thing is to drink alkaline water any way you can!  There are many documented stories of persons who cured cancer with alkaline, antioxidant water. Japan uses only Kangen in their hospitals, and cure many patients with the water and no medicines.


Other Resources

Don't just take my word for it that you can help your body heal itself of cancer. There are many doctors (shunned by mainstream doctors of course, they threaten their livlihood!) Look into
The Gerson Institute, and/or read The Gerson Miracle, or The Gerson Method . Insurance won't pay for the therapy, but the Gerson Method has been curing cancer for 80+ years. Their therapy is all I am telling you, plus huge IV doses of vitamin C, and detoxing with coffee enemas. You can find all you need to know from the Gerson website as to what foods to stock up on, which to avoid, and coffee enema instructions. You need to rid the body of the toxins and cancer as fast as possible, juicing and coffee enemas will do it!! I did my best to mimic the therapy at home, on their website are lists of foods to eat and to avoid, all organic and vegan. Basically the idea is get tons of organic healing foods from nature in your body!! We cannot possibly eat enough, so the premise is juicing. You can juice 60 pounds of produce a day and get mega health benefits from it, or you can eat at most 15 pounds. Juicing makes more sense, eh? I add 5 or 6 (organic of course) apples to vegetable mixtures and it always tastes better. After just a few days your body gets over sugar cravings (we all have them) and the veggies start tasting better, trust me!
I was also greatly inspired by each of these books:
Cancer Is Not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism  Crazy, Sexy, CancerBeating Cancer with Nutrition, and Waking The Warrior Goddess; Dr. Christine Horner's Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer


Detoxing

Everyone is different, but when you eliminate all the dead foods and toxic, acidic food, you will experience detox symptoms. This can be unpleasant, but stick with it as the liver begins pulling toxins from the body into the blood, kidneys, and intestines and you will feel like you have the flu. The more you juice and do the coffee enemas, the faster this will end. Expect to feel yucky for 4-7 days. Then, you will feel amazing! You will have tons of energy, sleep better, and actually feel happier. Your every cell will be thanking you!!





Dry brush your body daily before you shower or bathe. If you haven't heard of this, it is just what it sounds like. You get a natural bristle bath brush, stand unclothed in your shower or tub, and brush your skin towards the heart in quick, one direction strokes. Repeat in each area 8-10 times, and move to the next area. Do not forget the soles of your feet! Dry brushing helps shed dead skin, stimulates the lymph system all over your body to detox, unclogs pores, stimulates skin to renew, improves circulation, and helps rid cellulite


Becoming alkaline and detoxing also means avoiding acidity like animal products, highly acidic fruits such as pineapple and tomatoes, and some very toxic things we like to drink are super acidic and must be avoided. These include coffee, decaf or regular (don't worry about your "caffeine fix, you will absorb your caffeine from the mucosa of the bowel during your daily coffee enemas!), avoid all tea except green tea (Matcha tea powder is optimum!) sodas, so-called sports drinks, etc. Remember, no plastic bottled or canned drinks!



STOP allowing the following chemicals on your body and in your home NOW. 

1. Chlorine is used by municipalities to kill bacteria in our water. Do not underestimate the harm your water is doing to your body! Chlorine is absorbed in a just a few seconds when we touch it - whether it is washing dishes, bathing, brushing our teeth, or drinking it. Showers are a double whammy because the heated chlorine is causing a concentrated chlorine gas as it steams and we inhale that too. You must get chlorine filters for ALL faucets and your shower, they are not very expensive.  There are also more expensive whole house filtration systems that remove chlorine as well as many other possibly harmful contaminates such as lead and arsenic. I have Aquasana shower filters, supposedly the best, and I bought various brands of a water filter for the kitchen & bathroom faucets. There is even a ball type for the bathtub faucet. If you are on well water, then you don't have to do this step, if you test your water and its chlorine free (simple pool test kit for like $10).  This also means avoid pools unless they are salt water or a silver filter is employed instead of chlorine. That's right, no swimming in the chlorinated pools, ever again!


2. Paraben. A high rate of cancer comes from this common ingredient, particularly breast cancer. It is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin as well. It is in your makeup, deodorant, lotions, etc. Stop using all immediately. You can find paraben free cosmetics, deodorant, shampoo, etc. online and in your Health Food Store or Whole Foods Market. You can also make your own deodorant like I do, for pennies. Here is
my recipe on how to do this: Remember to buy only organic ingredients! Find organic coconut oil here. I use either organic arrowroot or organic tapioca starch with the same results.



3. SLS or Sodium Laurel Sulfate. It is a foaming agent added to everything we buy: detergent, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and surfactants that pose serious health threats. Also used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers – and the label of these products recommend OSHA protective gear when using! Animals exposed to SLS experience eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS because proteins are dissolved. SLS may also damage the skins immune system by causing layers to separate and inflame. When combined with other chemicals, SLS can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens. Your body may retain the SLS for up to five days, during which tie it may enter and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, the lungs, and the brain.

The first SLS-free toothpaste that I found is Sensodyne. I used it at first, then just went to pure baking soda. I get my toothbrush wet and dip it in the baking soda, then brush normally. The
Honest Company has delightful toothpaste that even kids like that is free of SLS and fluoride.I wash my clothes with baking soda only, and I buy pure fragrance free Castille soap or Ivory soap only for bathing and hand washing. Castille soap liquid form makes great shampoo as well, I ad about 20 drops of my favorite essential oil (lavender!) to the bottle, or you could add a different oil with a few drops each time you shampoo for a variety of heavenly scents. I use only pure organic coconut oil as a conditioner for my naturally curly hair, and it never looked better. Getting all those chemicals out of my life has saved me tons of money, and my skin, hair, nails, and teeth reflect how much healthier my body is not having to try to filter and get rid of all the junk I used to bombard myself with.


4. Aluminum. A major carcinogen. It is the active ingredient in antiperspirants that work; STOP using it! Check out
my recipe on how to make a healthy safe deodorant for pennies. It is worth noting here that when you eliminate all acidic food (meat, dairy, & eggs, mainly) your body has less need to rid toxins through sweat; in other words you perspire far less so you won't need the heavy duty antiperspirant! Also avoid aluminum cookware, food from cans, and don't cook in aluminum foil.



5. Teflon, or nonstick cookware: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)—also known as C-8—a chemical used to bond the nonstick coating to the pan. PFOA has been shown to cause cancer, low birth weight and a suppressed immune system in laboratory animals exposed to high doses of PFOA. Studies have shown the chemical to be present at low levels in the bloodstream of 9 out of 10 Americans, and in the blood of most newborns.I first became concerned about non stick cookware when my daughter wanted a pet bird, and we were told not to cook with Teflon, that it would kill the bird. What? You have heard of the canary in the coal mine, haven't you? Then why on earth would we want these chemicals in our body and air if they are deadly? The EPA has ordered DuPont and other makers of nonstick coating pans to
eliminate PFOA—which they labeled a likely carcinogen—by 2015. Meanwhile our kitchens are filled with the stuff, and poisoning us regularly. I threw all of mine out and bought 1 good stainless saucepan and 1 good iron skillet at first, later added a stainless skillet, and a ceramic skillet that I really love. It performs like a nonstick pan without the dangers.


6. BPA. It is in many plastics, and lines a lot of aluminum cans (to protect us from aluminum poisoning, but BPA poisoning is just as bad!) For the rest of your life you want to avoid all these things I am pointing out, and for your whole family's sake, throw out the tupperware, the rubbermaid, etc!!! Invest in some nice glass containers for storing leftovers, they are heavy glass and dont break, dont worry about that. Saran wrap, glad wrap, etc has BPAs too, stop using it! (This was my major use of BPA, I cooked all the time in the microwave with saran wrap). It is better to use a glass cover to cook in the microwave, if you use a microwave at all (I have seen no real science indicating microwave cooking is bad for you, but there are many who claim so, so I err on the side of caution and only use it for reheating items that I don't consume purely raw, which is rare). This also saves you money, don't need foil or saran wrap anymore! BPAs are in plastic bottles of water. If you buy bottled water, STOP. Get a couple of BPA free water bottles and refill them with chlorine free water, preferably alkaline water.



7. Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40): a very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator that strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier, making you more venerable to bacteria, molds and viruses. It is made from propylene, a petroleum derivative and is found in many skin and hair products, fragrance, antibacterial hand washes as well as shellac and antifreeze. It can act as a “carrier” accelerating the penetration of other harmful chemicals into your skin. It may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin. A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says it may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis, anesthesia, and coma. Fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less.


8. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine): hormone-disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines. These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects. In the United States however, they are still used despite the fact that Americans may be exposed to them 10-20 times per day with products such as shampoos, shaving creams and bubble baths. Dr. Samuel Epstein (Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois) says that repeated skin applications…. of DEA-based detergents resulted in major increase in incidence of liver and kidney cancer. The FDA’s John Bailey says this is especially important since “the risk equation changes significantly for children”.



9. Phthalates: Found in most cosmetics and personal care items.Research indicates phthalates disrupt hormones, cause birth defects and fertility problems, and have been shown to cause a proliferation of breast cancer cells.



10. DMDM Hydantion & Urea (Imidazolidinyl): just two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may also irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer.



11. FD&C Color Pigments: synthetic colors made from coal tar, containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins into the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.



12. Fragrances: Perfumes, air fresheners, etc. These are mostly synthetic ingredients and can indicate the presence of up to four thousand separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic. Symptoms reported to the FDA include headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and skin irritation. Clinical observation proves fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes. If you can smell something, you are inhaling and then absorbing the chemicals!!



13. Mineral Oil: petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. Used in many products such as baby oil which is 100% mineral oil!



14. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): potentially carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that can alter and reduce the skin’s natural moisture factor. This could increase the appearance of aging and leave you more vulnerable to bacteria. Used in cleansers to dissolve oil and grease. It adjusts the melting point and thickens products. Also used in caustic spray-on oven cleaners.


15. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: gaseous hydrocarbons which in a liquid state act as “surfactant” (wetting olagents and solvents). They easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. Commonly used to make extracts from herbs. PG is strong enough to remove barnacles from boats! The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles and to dispose of any PG solutions by burying them in the ground. Because PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. But there isn’t even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications.



16. Triclosan: a synthetic “antibacterial” ingredient – with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange! The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. It is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion; that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools! Hormone disruptors pose enormous long-term chronic health risks by interfering with the way hormones perform, such as changing genetic material, decreasing fertility and sexual function, and fostering birth defects. It can temporarily deactivate sensory nerve endings, so contact with it often causes little or no pain. Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, and convulsions. Stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys and lungs and can cause paralysis, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhages, and heart problems. Tufts University School of Medicine says that triclosan is capable of forcing the emergence of “super bugs” that it cannot kill. Its widespread use in popular antibacterial cleaners, tooth pasts and household products may have nightmare implications for our future.


17, 18. BHA & BHT: Preservatives that are common in processed foods. Toxic to liver, brain, nervous system, endocrine disruptor, and carcinogens, and linked strongly to ADHD and Autism.


19. Cigarette smoke (primary or secondary smoke) contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds and 400 other toxins. These include nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT. Nicotine is highly addictive. Nicotine in small doses acts as a stimulant to the brain. In large doses, it's a depressant, inhibiting the flow of signals between nerve cells. In even larger doses, it's a lethal poison, affecting the heart, blood vessels, and hormones. Nicotine in the bloodstream acts to make the smoker feel calm.  Formaldehyde may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may also irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer.

The complete list of chemicals added to your cigarettes is too long to list here. Here are some examples that will surprise you:
Ammonia: Household cleaner
Angelica root extract: Known to cause cancer in animals
Arsenic: Used in rat poisons
Benzene: Used in making dyes, synthetic rubber
Butane: Gas; used in lighter fluid
Carbon monoxide: Poisonous gas
Cadmium: Used in batteries
Cyanide: Deadly poison
DDT: A banned insecticide
Ethyl Furoate: Causes liver damage in animals
Lead: Poisonous in high doses
Formaldehyde: Used to preserve dead specimens
Methoprene: Insecticide
Megastigmatrienone: Chemical naturally found in grapefruit juice
Maltitol: Sweetener for diabetics
Napthalene: Ingredient in mothballs
Methyl isocyanate: Its accidental release killed 2000 people in Bhopal, India in 1984
Polonium: Cancer-causing radioactive element
Fungicides and pesticides -- Cause many types of cancers and birth defects.
Cadmium -- Linked to lung and prostate cancer.
Benzene -- Linked to leukemia.
Formaldehyde -- Linked to lung cancer.
Nickel -- Causes increased susceptibility to lung infections.
If you are angry that so many things have been added to the cigarettes you enjoy so much, you should be. Many of these chemicals were added to make you better able to tolerate toxic amounts of cigarette smoke. They were added without regard to your health and with the intent to keep you addicted. As the tobacco industry saying goes, "An addicted customer is a customer for life, no matter how short that life is."
Make sure that you have the last laugh. Regardless of the countless chemicals in your cigarettes, quitting is always your option.

 What I do: I use hand, bath, laundry and dish soap from Method or Honest Company. I use plain castille soap to shampoo, and make my own deodorant and toothpaste as mentioned above. I use authentic (never doTerra or Living) essential oils for freshening my home or laundry and as perfume. (Check testing reports of essential oil before you buy by going to Essential Oil University. I have Himalayan Salt lamps in every room to give off negative ions into the air and clean the air naturally.

Companies that manufacture personal and household products without these carcinogens include Method, Seventh Generation, Toms, Jason, Honest Company, Kiss My Face, and others: read labels, read the company profiles, and be sure. 

More on chemical additives here: 
naturalnews.com/FDA_toxic_chemicals

Whole healing includes the mind

Make time for yourself to pray or meditate, and make it a routine. Do it every day at the same time, make an appointment with YOU! First thing in the morning, last thing at night, after your chores are done each day, during your lunch hour, whenever works for you. This quiet time is vitally important to overall balance and peace, and in itself can be extremely healing.
Taking up an exercise routine if you don't already have one is also critical. Our American lifestyles are so busy and so sedentary that we are depriving our bodies of the ability to oxygenate and move toxins out of the body. Take a daily walk, do yoga, Tai Chi, aerobics, go to the gym, whatever you like, just do something, and do it daily!


Emotional Health
Lastly, but most importantly, is your emotional health. I truly believe that you can't get better with toxic relationships in your life. For some people this may be a friend who is a "Debbie Downer" or it may be a family member that always manages to upset you. For me, it was a person who loves to fight with me and put me down. Whomever it may be, and most of us have at least 1 toxic person in their life - if you don’t you are truly blessed - cut the tie with this (these) person(s) at least for now. Don't be around them at all while you are healing yourself.
Is there an easy One Stop way to avoid all those chemicals? 
Why, yes, there is. There is a wonderful cruelty free, eco-friendly company that produces baby care, cleaning, and personal care items without any of the above mentioned harsh chemicals!  It is the Honest Company, and absolutely lives up to the name and the standards I look for in purchasing cleaning or personal care products. I have never been disappointed with anything I have purchased from Honest!

Start your Journey to Wellness

You have just been made aware, now give yourself time to understand and accept all of the new information here and everywhere you can read more about alkaline diet, natural cancer therapy, vegan or raw diets, avoiding chemicals, juicing, etc. Read all you can, and glean what you will, but in the end the answer really is simple: avoid toxins everywhere, drink enough alkaline water, and consume as many raw organic foods as possible!

I know you are going to do whatever you need to do to get better, and I hope and pray my story has given you a little more insight into how to be proactive and to make the best decision for you. I wish you peace, light, love, health, and God’s blessings.


This is me at 57, two years after the oncologist gave me 3-4 months to live. I am healthy, happy, and thriving, and helping my body to be its very best. We only get one body, take care of it!
With love,
Shelley, stage IV cancer survivor

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

The Incredibly Refreshing Summer Salad

It is summer, and it is getting hot here in south Texas. Nothing quite refreshes my palate like watermelon, mint, or something with lemon juice; so why not combine them with other seasonal delights from the garden?  Now I may be gluten free and vegan - but as a rule, I DO NOT LIKE SALAD. So this not only caught my eye, but my palate as well! I love keeping things simple, raw whenever possible, and bursting with flavor; this dish does all of that! A friend shared this recipe with me, and I have got to tell you, it is absolutely amazing!

*NOTE:Please use organic ingredients whenever possible; particularly the optional apple which is always on the EWG's dirty dozen list!
I personally like to add the avocado and apple, and tossed in the lemon juice before adding to keep it from oxidizing and turning brown, but it is perfectly wonderful was pictured, without it.

                      RECIPE & PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Rudolph Dendinger

1 Cup cubed watermelon (seeds removed or seedless variety)
3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 small English cucumber, cut into chunks
¼ cup sliced (pickled or fresh) red onion
½ tsp. chopped fresh mint
½ tsp. chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
optional: Add 1 peeled and cubed avocado, or apple cored and diced (leave the nutritious skin ON!) tossed in the lemon juice before adding



Toss together watermelon, tomatoes, and onions. Add herbs, lemon juice, and seasoning and give a final toss. Chill and serve!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Strawberry Cheesecake (oil-free)

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This beautiful confection is by Ania at Lazy Cat Kitchen.

This recipe features the miraculous aquafaba! Aquafaba is the water from cooked or canned chickpeas (but can be any bean) used as an egg substitute. I am finding wonderul uses for aquafaba, as it can be whipped into a meringue, a dreamy topping, and substituted in practically any recipe in place of egg. Here is a shining example of this magical stuff!

Ingredients
  • makes: 6 " dia cheesecake
  • preparation time: 30 min
  • cooking time: 10 min
CHEESECAKE BASE
  • 20 dates / 6 oz pitted and soaked in boiling water
  • a few pinches of fine salt
  • heaped 1 cup almonds
  • 1½ tbsp raw cacao (optional)
CHEESECAKE
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight)
  • 21 oz RIPE strawberries, de-stemmed (weigh after de-stemming)
  • 4-6 tbsp liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, liquid sugar in the raw, etc) adjust to taste
  • 6½ level tsp agar agar flakes*
  • ½ cup coconut cream, chilled (from a tin)
  • ½ cup reduced aquafaba*
DECORATION (optional)
  • chocolate shavings
  • fresh strawberries
Method
  1. Line the bottom of your spring form tin (mine was 6 ” across and  2.5 ” tall) with a circle of baking paper and cut out a long rectangle to line the sides with.
CHEESECAKE BASE
  1. Grind your almonds in a food processor until you get a coarse crumb. Take them out of the food processor and set aside.
  2. Drain your dates and chop them roughly. Put into a food processor and process into a paste. Add cacao powder and a bit of salt to taste and process some more.
  3. In a bowl, mix date paste with enough ground almonds to obtain a dough that isn’t too sticky yet still holds together well. I prefer doing it by hand to get a feel for exactly how many almonds I should be adding.
  4. Line the sides of the baking tin and then mould the base mixture to the bottom of your spring form tin. Press the mixture down well with your fingers so that there are no gaps / air-bubbles. Put a bit if baking paper on top of the base and weigh it down with something heavy (I used a round container of similar size, filled with sugar). Put into the fridge while you make your cheesecake mixture.
CHEESECAKE MIXTURE
  1. Just before you are ready to start blending the cheesecake, put agar flakes, ½ cup of reduced aquafaba (or water if you don’t want to use aquafaba) and ½ cup of coconut cream into a small pot. Let the mixture come to the boil and simmer on low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until flakes almost dissolve and the mixture thickens (about 10 mins). From that point onwards, you’ll need to work fast as agar sets as soon as it cools down.
  2. Chuck in cashews, de-stemmed strawberries, maple syrup and warm agar (not hot, let it cool down a little) mixture into a blender. Blend, scraping the sides of the blender from time to time as the set agar likes to stay on those. Adjust the sweetness to taste. Blend until completely smooth.
  3. As soon as the cheesecake mixture is super smooth, take the spring form tin out of the freezer and pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the set base. Make sure you do it very quickly to get a smooth finish as, like I mentioned before, agar sets very quickly. Gently hit the filled spring form tin against your work surface a few times to get rid of air pockets/bubbles.
  4. You don’t need to put this cheesecake into the freezer as it will set beautifully at room temperature or in the fridge. Once set, decorate at will.
Notes
*I have never used agar powder, but if that’s the only agar you have, conventional wisdom says that 3 tsp agar flakes equals 1 tsp agar powder, so for this recipe I would use a touch over 2 tsp of agar powder.

**Aquafaba – water from a can of low-sodium chickpeas or from cooking dry chickpeas at home, reduced on the stove to achieve thicker consistency.


Recipe by Ania at Lazy Cat Kitchen 

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Creamy Sweet Potato Enchiladas

This Tex-Mex style dish will definitely fool your dairy loving friends and family. I am a Texan through and through, but I like my mexican food on the milder side. You can take this one as hot as you like by adding Pablano, Serrano, or Jalapeno peppers to the filling or the cheeze sauce.  and whipping up this recipe in vegan, gluten free, and all organic style was almost as if I have been making it all my life; and that's what my family thought too the first time we had it! This one is guaranteed to please your palate! So if you are craving something that is creamy, a little spicy, and tastes like it is from south of the Texas border, here it is! Spice it up with peppers inside or salsa/hot sauce outside  just the way you like it.

I use organic ingredients whenever possible, including my herbs/spices, for health reasons. I do not want additional poisons-pesticides-chemicals in my body. If you are in the USA and use conventional (non-organic) please consider at the very lest using non-GMO or organic (which by definition cannot be GMO) corn tortillas. 95% of US corn is GMO; look up the dangers for yourself if this is news to you.
  
NOTE:Organic sweet potatoes can be substituted with organic pumpkin puree.



Recipe:

15 organic corn tortillas
2 medium organic sweet potatoes, baked
2 medium organic  onions, diced
2 fresh organic tomatoes, diced 
4 cloves of fresh organic garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper for MILD (more to taste)
1 Tbsp oregano
1 can light organic coconut milk
1 pkg Daiya shreds: pepper jack or cheddar
chopped organic cilantro and salsa of choice for garnish

*Optional: diced Serrano, Poblano, or Jalapeno pepper added to stuffing for more spiciness

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onion until translucent (approx 25 mins) add tomato, garlic, sweet potatoes,  and spices and cook together until tomatoes tender, approx 15 minutes.
Pour coconut milk into a saucepan and add Daiya cheese, heat over medium stirring occasionally to melt cheese. 
Warm the tortillas over hot griddle or in un-greased skillet for about 20 seconds each. Stuff with sweet potato filling, roll, and place in 9"x13"  baking pan 7 to a row: the last one fills the space on the end. Pour cheese sauce over enchiladas and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped organic cilantro and salsa if desired, serve and enjoy with Spanish rice, beans, and salad of choice!