Thursday, October 14, 2010

Alkalize or Die

When I got diagnosed with colon cancer I immediately called a highly regarded naturopathic doctor in my area to ask him how I could change my diet to fight the cancer. I was still planning on doing surgery but I had made the decision to not do chemo or radiation unless my situation was marked as terminal. Not that I have anything against those treatments, in fact chemo saved my husband's life when he had childhood cancer, but I didn't feel it was right for me (and my oncologist actually agreed... man was I surprised!). So I wanted to learn some different ways that I could fight the cancer off naturally. This doctor recommended one book..."Alkalize or Die" by Theodore Baroody. When I saw that the book was actually published in the early 90s I was taken aback... surely there had to be a more recent book? Something cutting edge? But now I can say that after reading numerous cancer-diet-plan type books this book is surely the best.

To get a detailed overview of the alkaline diet read over this website: http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/

But the gist of it is focusing on our ph levels. You see, our bodies have a ph level, kind of like a pool does, and that ph level can tell us how healthy our bodies are. You're either on the alkaline end of the spectrum or on the acidic end. The majority of people today (almost all actually) would be classified as acidic, and when your body is acidic cancer grows rapidly. The theory with this diet is that if you are able to change your ph level to the alkaline end then cancer will be incapable of growing, and if you have cancer it will eventually die (I say theory here because I have not truly tested it on myself, though after studying it I have to say I'm inclined to agree that it sounds like it would work, even though I know it sounds a little cooky).

I was sick for over 4 years prior to being diagnosed (I went through years of misdiagnosis) and there was only one time in those fours years that I felt healthy. That same naturopathic doctor that recommended the book to me put me on an alkaline diet about a year before I was diagnosed with cancer. I thought I might have something called Leaky Gut Syndrome since I always felt worse when I ate (at the time I didn't think I could have cancer because I had been tested and the tests came back negative). Two weeks after being put on this diet I saw a drastic difference. At this point I had been having intestinal bleeding for several years on a daily basis but two weeks after being put on this diet it stopped. I went a month with no bleeding and had I been more disciplined in that diet I think it might have cured my cancer, but it was very hard to stick to.

That, I have found, is the most difficult part of treating cancer naturally. It is so important to be vigilant and stick to it. I was a college student at the time and just had a really hard time saying no to going out to dinner with my friends. That is the one regret I have, not sticking to that diet... I think my treatment would have gone more smoothly and who knows, I might not even have had to have surgery! But I can't say that for sure.

I wanted to post this because I truly believe that there are so many options out there for cancer patients that doctors don't make us aware of. Even my best doctors had no suggestions for me as far as diet after surgery... even my dietitian at the hospital told me to eat whatever I wanted as long as I felt ok! Cancer has been proven in most cases to be largely diet related... what we are exposed to can greatly effect our health (this could include food, hazardous chemicals, or even things such as laundry detergent and cleaning products). Therefore it seems only rational to think that exposing ourselves to healthy things could prevent cancer and possibly cure it. Just a thought.

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"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting..... 'WHAT A RIDE!'"