When you find out you have cancer, it's frightening and foggy-like walking in a murky, surreal haze. It's easy to fall into a fearful spin and let others make all our decisions for us. It's important to stop, pause, and quiet ourselves long enough to listen to our instincts... even when they go against what is considered the norm. Our bodies do "speak" to us and they know what they need to heal.
Before cancer, I didn't always listen.
When told I had stage 3 breast cancer, my sadness quickly turned to anger. And for me, that worked. At that time, wallowing in grief would have depleted my energy and gotten me nowhere-that emotional release and healing would come later. I refused to feel sorry for myself, a wellness attitude I find imperative, and one I upheld throughout my journey. Yet my anger that day fueled me.
While I now prefer to use words such as "heal", back then I was determined to fight. If I wanted to fully recover, I could not stand by passively and hope for others to cure me. I had an active role to play.
With most diseases, there are many things we can control. Knowledge is empowering.
Immediately after my diagnosis that day, I went to Barnes and Noble. A few of these books I bought then, and the others found their way to me. While there are many more fantastic books out there, these became part of my healing arsenal. Some I read all the way though, others became essential references. In very case, I always "opened" to what I needed.
Cancer Free with Food is my all time favorite. It's well organized and very easy to read-something that was important for me when I was grappling with so much. This book was my food reference bible, and I still refer to it for healthy recipes. Eating well will always be part of my life now. Some of my favorite chapters are: The Top 15 Cancer Healing Foods, and Avoid the 15 Most Toxic Foods on the Planet. Guess what is #1 on that toxic list? Refined sugars. I was addicted to sugar, and I write about that in my posting Ditching Sugar, Part 1
Liana Werner-Gray is a holistic and natural health advocate who healed herself of a 3.7 centimeter tumor by embracing a healthy lifestyle. She was also inspired by her own mother's breast cancer journey. Liana has a vibrant Instagram page and actively posts delicious recipes!
I originally bought this book for someone else who was eating badly. Ha. Ha. Little did I know it was meant for me. Dr. Michael Greger has almost 100 pages of footnotes.The research is astounding! The chapters are listed by disease: How Not to Die from Lung Disease, How Not to Die From Diabetes. And then mine, How Not To Die from Breast Cancer. What I really took away from that chapter was the cancer fighting power of sulforaphane (broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables) and how it attacks breast cancer stem cells. Those stem cells are the root of cancer. I write about all of this (including growing your own sprouts!) in my posting, Super Sulforaphane-Kick Cancer with Broccoli and Broccoli Sprouts
Another great fact find was the tumor fighting power of apple peels. Read in my posting here. Dr. Greger also has a new book out called, How Not To Diet.
How to Starve Cancer planted the seed of empowerment for me. It kept me energized knowing I could absolutely do something about my cancer. I was in awe of Jane's determination and grit. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, she refused to die and instead poured her energy into exhaustive research to save her life (and now others). This is not a book about starving yourself, but rather creating an environment in your body where cancer can't survive. Jane combined traditional medicine (chemo) with alternative medicine, diet, and her own “cocktail” of low toxicity drugs not normally used for cancer. Alongside a low glycaemic diet and powerful supplements Jane ‘starved’ her cancer of glucose, glutamine and fat. It's a very personal narrative fueled with knowledge.
A wealth of information in a simple to read format. Each chapter is about three pages long and packed with empowerment. I love his writing style-Greg says it like it is. From the back flap: "Greg Anderson was diagnosed with Stage 1V lung cancer. He was given only 30 days to live. Refusing to give up, he set out to find what he could learn from others who had been diagnosed as "terminal." and lived. Based on decades of research and the experiences of more than 16,000 survivors, this book teaches the practical, holistic steps that can help you create wellness." One of my favorite quotes below:
As I write many times in this blog, cancer came to heal me on many levels. I knew dealing with only the physical level would not be enough. I had to dig deeper. Anatomy of the Spirit focuses on energy medicine and the body's seven centers of spiritual and physical power. "Based on 15 years of research into energy medicine, Dr Myss's works shows how every illness corresponds to a pattern of emotional and psychological stresses, beliefs, and attitudes that have influenced corresponding parts of the human body." Caroline's basic premise is that healing is not a passive event that we hand over to someone else. We have our own inner & spiritual work to do.
Healing Books Part 2 and Part 3 on the horizon!
Comments