Nutrition

I got a lot of advice when I was diagnosed with cancer; and I mean a LOT of advise.  The conversation of diet was also a hot topic.

From my doctors who just said, "Eat as you always did, trying to be healthy." to others who said I must cut out meat, cut out dairy, cut out carbs, only eat organic, or even become Vegan. 

"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him...I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Romans 14:1-3, 14

And I have to admit, initially I did get caught up in that.  I really started to stress about food and whether what I was eating was helping or killing me.  I became so paranoid that I would feel like there was nothing for me to eat, even though there was food in the kitchen.

What eventually gave me peace of course was the word of God.

"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." I Timothy 4:4-5

Everything God has created is good and - if received with thanksgiving - is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Yes, we should try to eat healthy and be wise in our food choices, doing everything in moderation.  Yes, pesticides, preservatives, cloning, and other modern agricultural inventions are doing some strange and unnatural things to food.  Yes, organic is better.  Yet, my point is that - even in doing what we can to have a well-balanced diet - we must still trust the Lord!   Either we believe His word or we don't.   I came to truly believe that if I prayed over my food and asked that the Lord sanctify it for my consumption, then guess what?  He would!

In my early days, however, one of the diet changes I tried to adopt was based on the research of Dr. Lorraine Day, MD.   Dr. Day is an Orthopedic Surgeon who was diagnosed with breast cancer and declined to pursue "conventional" treatment in favor of finding God's way for her to beat this disease.  As stated on her site:

"Dr. Day was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer but rejected standard therapies because of their destructive side effects and because those therapies often lead to death. She chose instead to rebuild her immune system using the natural, simple, inexpensive therapies designed by God and outlined in the Bible, so her body could heal itself."

The fact that Dr. Day beat cancer without surgery, chemo, or radiation - combined with the fact that she sought to find her solution in the Lord - definitely was a draw to me.  In fact, she has remained cancer-free as a result for over 19 years!

So while I completely applaud Dr. Day's efforts, I realized very soon that this was not for me.  As a wife, mom, and working woman, it was simply too hard for me (personally) to stay with.   So as not to wear myself out, I really needed to find something that my whole family could enjoy; so that I am not having to fix separate meals for them and myself.  This was also was the beginning of me learning that there are in fact numerous ways to beat cancer outside of "conventional" therapies, not just one.

One thing that I did retain from Dr. Day's diet suggestions was juicing.  I began juicing every day and believe that this is a great addition to one's diet, whether fighting cancer or not.  A resource that is particularly interesting in this area is the work of Dr. Dr David Servan-Schreiber, a Neuroscientist who used a change in diet and juicing to combat his own brain cancer.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber has written a book on his research entitled "Anticancer: A New Way of Life".  There is also a pocket guide to the book which summarizes many of his findings.  I will say that some of his suggestions are new agey and not in line with a Christian outlook at all.  However, his findings about the right "anticancer plate" as well as charts identifying which foods fight best against which types of cancer are worth reviewing.

So, outside of trying to be healthy overall, incorporating juicing, and limiting sugars/starches, there is really no other major changes I have made to diet.  This is a comfortable approach for me and I rest in knowing that God is more than able to supernaturally protect me as I live my life for Him.