Fighting Cancer Naturally, Part 1

I get so many questions about fighting cancer naturally — what it means, how I did it, what tips I have, who guided me/was involved in this process, if it means I’m anti-science or not, and more...

So, I decided to compile my best summary of what I did to fight cancer naturally. I did not reject science or experiment with quackery; The methods I used are now at the forefront of medical studies and innovations for new cancer treatments.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The topic of fighting cancer naturally can be addressed from a personal standpoint (what my life looked like during this process), and from a scientific standpoint (why I chose to do this and what the latest research says about nutrition, lifestyle and cancer). Addressing all of this in one post would be too lengthy, so I am doing this first post (Part 1) about what it looked like to fight cancer naturally, and will release a second post soon about the science behind fighting cancer naturally (Part 2).

Fighting cancer naturally is the method of using nutrition and healthy lifestyle to boost the immune system to get rid of the cancer on it's own, as our bodies are designed and able to do when given the proper tools, without the use of chemotherapy, radiation, drugs, or surgery. The purpose is to rid the body of disease without unnecessary side effects that gamble with the patient's life; It is now recognized by the modern medical community that even cancer patients who choose to undergo chemo or radiation should still adopt these healthy lifestyle changes in order to increase their chance of survival, and lower their risk of relapse. (Read medical statistics on how healthy lifestyle changes helps cancer patients survive harsh treatments HERE and HERE)

Fighting cancer naturally requires lifestyle changes in the areas of your support group, nutrition/diet, personal care and household products, exercise and rest patterns, choice of doctors, and more. I will describe each category in detail below. . .

1. SUPPORT GROUP:

Find people who will support you throughout this time. Some of your friends and family may not agree with your choices, no matter what you choose, so be prepared to know who you want to spend time giving a defense to, and who you would rather not argue with.

It is very helpful to have someone to be able to vent to, pray with, cry on, or whatever you need, but be aware that if you are getting all of your support from one person, they may become drained over time. Always be sure to give support back to those who are supporting you-- listen to them and be their friend as well. During this time it is best to consider finding a group of people to be your support-- it could be made up of an online group, a family member, and a therapist, etc-- this will allow you to get the support you need. During this time I found my husband (then boyfriend) to be my greatest support, however I also made sure to find support from other people and groups.

2. NUTRITION / DIETARY CHANGES:

The most drastic change I had to make was my diet. I also had to change my thinking of the word "diet" from something that was temporary, to a lifelong choice to eat healthy.

• Change my diet to eating all organic, fresh, home-made foods, and took specific prescribed vitamin supplements and a prescribed liquid medicine (100% natural made out of minerals and herbs that would boost my immune system and target the tumor cells) Prescribed by my doctors at the cancer center.

• Find a balance between grace and self discipline: Take your doctor-prescribed diet seriously, because it can be the determining factor between life and death if you are fighting a disease. At the very least, it will determine your quality of life.

• My eating habits were horrible. I knew what healthy eating looked like, but I preferred to buy a quart of ice cream almost every night and devour the entire container in one sitting. I did this every week, multiple nights a week, for about a year. It never made me sick or gave me stomach aches, so I thought to myself "awesome! I can eat as much ice cream as I want!" The truth is, if you're eating massive amounts of an unhealthy food over a long period of time and not seeing some obvious and common side effects, your body is doing something else with it inside. For me, it was feeding the cancer.

What did the diet look like?

• Diet #1 was prescribed to me by my doctors at the cancer center.

• Diet #2 was the diet I decided to combine with the first diet after lots of additional research and talking with my dietitian.

DIET #1:

DIET #2: Below is a partial screenshot of the food guidelines from the two dietary guidelines combined. (Note: this screenshot is from the list I typed up, reflecting the list I was given by my doctor, verbatim).

When it refers to "Hoxsey" that is the cancer center I went to and "yes"/"no" refers to whether or not the specific food was permitted by them during my treatment.

The science behind these dietary changes will be described in the next, science-focused post I make on this topic.

Summary of the two dietary lists combined:

• NO sugar, wheat, dairy, non-organic foods, GMOs, dyes, alcohol, processed foods, condiments, vinegar, barbecued foods or smoked foods

• Only certain vegetables allowed (based on blood type)

• Only certain fruits allowed (based on blood type)

• Only certain meats, fish and poultry allowed (based on blood type)

• Only certain nuts, grains and seeds allowed (based on blood type)

• Only certain beans, peas and legumes allowed (based on blood type)

• Only certain spices and beverages allowed (based on blood type)

3. PERSONAL CARE AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS:

Switched these products to be all-natural. Often times the best way to ensure I was avoiding harsh chemicals, fragrances and dyes was to make DIY versions of these products:

• Household cleaners (surface cleaners, dish soap, toilet cleaner, glass cleaner, etc)

• Shampoo and conditioners

• Soaps

• Makeup - I just stopped wearing makeup altogether

• Facial cleansers

• Lotion, chapstick

• Toothpaste

• Sunscreen

• Cookware -- switched from nonstick and aluminum cookware to stainless steel and cast iron. Also no aluminum foil

• Plastic food containers switched out for glass

• No microwave

• And more items listed that you can find in these blogs: Tips for Healthy Living and Does This Cause Cancer??

4. EXERCISE AND REST PATTERNS:

If your body is fighting cancer, there is a high likelihood that you are going to be more tired than normal.

I was highly active my entire life -- hiking, mountain climbing, skydiving, sports, gym, etc. But I found myself exhausted when my body was fighting cancer. Even though I did not change my physical activity habits, I found them becoming increasingly harder to do -- I couldn't keep up with my regular gym routines, I was out of breath and light-headed within just a few minutes of walking.... The solution was not to stop my physical activity, but to change the type of activity; Instead of skydiving and climbing mountains, I tried yoga, walking to school every day, and exploring, rather than intense hiking, etc. Eventually, as my body got the cancer under control I saw my endurance increase again, but they key was that I did not ever stop trying to exercise.

Regular physical activity is essential for good health -- just as important as good nutrition! It doesn't have to be a specific, rigorous daily exercise routine, it can be anything that moves your body! Going for a walk, playing tennis, doing yoga, going to the gym, a full day of housework, hiking...these are all adequate ways of moving your body enough to meet the minimum recommended activity levels set by the CDC and ACSM.

Exercise:

• Boosts the immune system and overall health

• Reduces your risk for common cold and flu! Read more about this HERE (Your immune system should be completely focused on the cancer, not fighting additional infections, colds and flus. So it is important to do what you can to ward off colds and flus for this reason as well.)

• Physical inactivity is cited as an actual risk factor for chronic diseases. Simply moving your body every day reduces your risk for chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, osteoporosis and even cancer. Read more about physical activity and cancer risk HERE.

• Different types of physical activity: strength and resistance training, flexibility, and neuromotor. Your body needs all of these.

• Reduces stress, anger, anxiety, and mild depression.

• Increase happiness (exercise releases endorphins, the "happiness hormones" in our brains)

• Improves sleep! Speaking of sleep, research has found sleep to be extremely important for fighting cancer! Here's why...

SLEEP:

• Sleep deprivation weakens our immune system

• Miraculous Melatonin: Our body releases this hormone when we sleep. Research has shown that our naturally occurring melatonin fights cancer! Melatonin specifically targets and rids the body of free radicals, stimulates the production of immune cells, protects cells from the toxic effects of chemo and radiation drugs, and even inhibits the growth of tumors!

"Melatonin has been shown to inhibit growth of different tumors under both in vitro and in vivo conditions"

Quote source: here

• Some studies detailing the roles of melatonin and cancer can be found HERE and HERE

OVERALL EXERCISE & SLEEP SUMMARY:

My body felt best when I did something active everyday, usually walking to school or walking around the park, with occasional more rigorous activities such as bike riding, tennis, gym workouts, and occasional rest days with just housework as my activity. I went to sleep around 10PM and woke up about 8AM, consistently. I had the most energy and got sick least frequently with this routine.

CHOOSING YOUR DOCTORS:

Fighting cancer naturally does not mean fighting it alone, or without experts. I did so much research on my own simply because I wanted to be educated, but also because it is my passion and is directly related to my in-progress college degree.

I chose my doctors based on their ability to give me the expertise and professional/certified education that I did not have, and to gather a well-rounded variety of professional opinions, while also sharing my values for more natural-based treatment options.

My team of doctors:

• MDs from the cancer center: Hoxsey BioMedical Center in Tijuana, Mexico.

• Dietitian

• Licensed Naturopathic Doctor, ND/NMD, specializing in women with cancer. for additional advisement on how to safely take my large amount of prescribed supplements and vitamins without them cross-canceling, as well as overall health monitoring. Certain vitamins cannot be taken at the same time or else they will cancel each other out, some foods will interact with different supplements, etc... More information on the importance of having a professional guide you through taking supplements can be found HERE.

• Chiropractor, D.C., specializing in nutrition. Great for conversations about how my body was feeling throughout different changes and stages.

OTHER LIFESTYLE CHANGES:

• Increase time in fresh air/nature

• Decrease stress --whatever helps you do this. Not gonna lie, for me it was watching lots of old TV shows, as well as going to church regularly, traveling, and spending more time with friends.

Left image: 2016 me standing in the cancer clinic waiting room, before my blood tests, urine tests, and x-rays.

Right image: 2020 my husband and I in Yosemite National Park

I am not a doctor or dietitian, this is meant to simply share the information that I learn and find helpful from various credible sources (cited throughout). I encourage everyone to do research for themselves from credible sources. To learn more about my education, head to the About Me section.