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I BELIEVE THAT DIET, WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY, IS THE KEY TO HEALTH. To use an obvious analogy, if you put bad gas into your car would you expect it to run well? Of course not. Higher octane fuel gives your car better performance. It's the same thing with the human body. If you put premium "high octane" products into your body, you can expect better performance.
Our diets can effect us immediately and also over a longer-term. For example, what I eat today may be burned for energy tomorrow. And some of the raw ingredients that keep us healthy have to be ingested continually because we cannot manufacture them ourselves from the foods we eat. Other necessary dietary elements can actually be stored by our bodies. Therefore, what is running our body today may be the result of what we have eaten over several months. But, this picture becomes more complex if we consider the toxicities that may keep us from absorbing the nutrition we need and may actually keep our immune systems distracted.
Detoxification
Detoxification is a subject that is taken very seriously by many holistic and alternative practitioners. Max Gerson, M.D., an alternative physician who reportedly treated cancer successfully using detoxification and nutrition was one of the first to write about the subject. Of course, nearly all conventional cancer doctors believe that our body's state of toxicity (or lack of toxicity) have absolutely no bearing on our cancer diagnosis or prognosis. I disagree. I believe that there are so many toxic chemicals in our food, water, and air that they can accumulate in our organs. If these toxic accumulations negatively impact the organ's functioning then the body pays a price.
During my first visit with my nutritionist, she told me that we needed to clean out my system. She explained that if my liver and kidneys were clean and less toxic then they would filter the blood appropriately and the blood (including the white blood cells that are inside) could then function more optimally. She explained that the same applied to my colon and digestive tract. She said that if they were clean and functioning optimally then the nutritional foods and supplements that I ingested could be more fully utilized and I would receive the maximum benefit.
In addition to filtering and cleaning my blood more efficiently, I learned that detoxification could potentially benefit my immune system in another way. Toxins such as chemicals, artificial hormones, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in our food and water may stay in the colon for many years. In fact, I have read that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly a half a million different chemicals are used today, and that 5,000 new chemical substances are added each year. Once inside the body, these unhealthy, exogenous substances may trigger the immune system. After all, the immune system is designed to attack and eliminate foreign invaders. If the immune system becomes distracted by fighting toxic foreign invaders, how much of this system is left to fight serious diseases like cancer?
To help in my detoxification process, I used a variety of products and supplements under the care of my nutritionist. These included: Natures Life Ultimate Fiber and Ultimate Herbs (after a couple of years I changed to the Super Cleanse), lecithin, thisilin, and marshmallow (the herb not the confection).
My Diet
Since my mesothelioma diagnosis I have been working with my nutritionist who helps me manage my diet and supplements. My diet consists of range-fed beef (about once a week) and no other red or white meats. I especially stay away from any animal protein that contains added hormones. In some cancers, the cancer cells can have hormone receptors and artificial or supplemental hormones can trigger these cells to multiply. I also eat a lot of fresh fish and vegetables. I try to make sure these foods are wholesome and organically grown if possible. In addition, I have cut out all sugar, hydrogenated oils, and fried foods.
I focus on organic foods and try to stay away from foods that are sprayed with chemicals. For example, most stores will spray fruits and vegetables (even those that are organic) with water that contains chemicals to enhance their color. Therefore, we always wash produce with a light vinegar solution to eliminate the toxins so we do not ingest them.
No Sugar
I have read that the average American consumes between two and three pounds of sugar each week. That's an incredible statistic! Highly refined sugars come in a variety of forms including:
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