The Disease Dilemma – prevention, caring & curing
[Jason]
Just this past week a friend’s young daughter was diagnosed with a rare strain of brain cancer that additionally affected her spinal cord and adjacent vertebrae. Many of us are doing all we can to find ways to support the family and dig up useful information that may aid in her fight for survival. Emotionally, it’s a difficult situation and we all struggle to settle on the best course of action to treat this terrible ailment. Being a former nutritional physiology student, I felt compelled to rack my brain and determine what else she can do to strengthen her body and immune system to beat back the invasive cancer. We are praying for her and the family every step of the way.
Medicine can be complicated and the the number of theories, new technologies, drugs and protocols are overwhelming. In researching the arenas of cancer treatment in the U.S., the settled upon actions are typically surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. They can be effective, but with the billions of dollars spend each year on cancer research there have been very few if any breakthroughs to replace these toxic treatments. In some cases, evasive action is necessary to eradicate cancer. Same goes with certain other diseases. The evolution of technological breakthroughs in our developed world does save lives. But, statistically, we as a nation are sicker than ever and more people are developing chronic diseases. Maybe prevention should perhaps be on the forefront of medical studies? Perhaps the same mechanisms that prevent cancer (and other diseases) should be the same used to heal those stricken by illness? This is a tough topic which is front-and-center on the battlefield when it comes to modern science and popular medicine v.s. naturopathic therapy.
So, medically, hospitals in 2016 will treat cancer in pretty much the same fashion for most patients with some variability based on the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer. The focus is primarily killing or removing the cancer cells until the patient is in remission and hopefully the body will strengthen and repair itself. Hopefully the cancer will not return. The process of doing this is typically invasive and detrimental to the patient’s overall well-being. Again, in certain cases this course of treatment is essential. In other cases perhaps it’s not necessary or even diminishes the chances of patient survival? Perhaps more often than not, treating disease with medicine should only be a last resort? This seems to be a common theme in medicine: to treat the symptom or treat the byproduct rather than nurture the body to heal itself.
Rather than ramble on about the politics of modern medicine, I felt compelled to write about this from a nutritional “wellness” point of view. Here forward that will be the focus. How can we take responsibility for health so we can stop disease and not rely on last resorts such as drugs or invasive therapies? There is, in my mind, 3 principles of wellness we must incorporate if we wish to prevent or combat disease.
- Awareness – In a modern technological world we have a tendency to rely on big medicine and society to tell us what is healthy and what is not. Truth is, there is less money and hence less research in the area of prevention v.s. treatment. So, it’s imperative we become aware of alternative options out there that can help us live a more healthful life and prevent both acute and chronic disease. Prevention is the key and the mechanisms of prevention may be the key to eliminating acquired diseases even after they become chronic. Expand your awareness of how your body works through education of simple biology and nutritional principles.
- Education – Here’s where modern technology makes it very easy for us. We can find tons of information on the internet and with careful research, we can find common principles that have been proven to prevent and beat diseases, including cancer. Your health practitioner is a good, but not complete source of information. They have their hands tied by a very strict and influential industry. There are many things they cannot suggest or prescribe for you. They are not dietitians so they will make a very broad, safe claim of what is good and what is not good for you to consume. So take matters into your own hands and develop your own personal arsenal to fight disease.
- Action – Be assertive and put your nutritional education to work to influence your health and the health of those around you. It matters. Most of us depend on a system that often fails us. Become more self-sufficient, expand your horizons and use your education. The only caution here before you embark on combating disease is to do so only with methods that cannot harm you. Fortunately, the most effective way to prevent and combat disease is 100% natural!
Disease and Healing: Biology 101
So, disease in general can only proliferate in particular environments. The human species is the sickest of all mammals on earth. Why? Because we are environmentally unstable inside and out. We have created this imbalance and we can’t avoid it. Chimpanzees in their natural environment typically don’t get sick until the time in which their life expectancy is running short. In their ideal environment, with proper nutrition, clean water, clean air, and ruling out predation and accidents; most chimps will live out their average lifespan with little variation. Humans in a natural environment are no different. Inuits of Northwest Alaska have a lifestyle and diet that has changed little in hundreds of years. They have little to no instance of heart disease or cancer. Why? Like the chimpanzee, they live with clean water, nutrient rich natural diets and have little external environmental influences that tamper with their immune system. This changes dramatically if you move an indigenous person to the city and put them on a supermarket diet. Cancer occurrences in our country 200 years ago were likely highly genetic, whereas at present cancer is mainly due to environmental causes. The main cause is typically a change to the body’s internal environment leading one to be more susceptible to diseases such as cancer. In modern society, we have become success-driven. We are moving to cities, treating our water, dirtying our air, preserving our food and living a more sedentary work-based lifestyle. These among a ever-growing list of other factors have altered the environmental of our bodies and curbed all ability for the body to prevent disease or heal itself. Even those of us that work out at the gym, watch our diet, don’t smoke and curb our dietary desires are still prone to environmental toxins out of our control. The growing world population is not making it easier to live healthy as we mass produce foods in altered ways to find easy ways to feed the hungry. Our external environment is changing our internal environment. This leads us to live a more diseased existence. The only “cure” is to reverse it.
What I’ve Learned about Cancer
There are common themes when it comes to cancer patients. Although there cannot legally be direct claim by anyone that these factors cause cancer, these conditions are evident with nearly all occurrences of cancer: 1) Acidosis (low blood ph) 2) Toxicity 3) Low blood Oxygen 4) Nutrient Deficiency
Acidosis can be caused by undigested food (primarily meat, dairy or complex non-organic processed foods) that our body can’t break down. The undigested food matter can build up or create plaques in the small intestine (site of the majority of your food absorption). This excess matter eventually ferments, causing an acid intestinal environment. The acidity and free radicals (un-processed matter) leech into the bloodstream through the intestinal walls. The blood pH becomes more acidic, changing the chemistry of your organs, glands and other internal tissues. Undigested proteins are transferred to the bloodstream as well creating toxicity. Detrimental fungi such as Candida can grow readily in the altered environment of the small intestine. Candida feeds off nutrients that normally would fortify your body. Nutrients therefore are blocked from being absorbed to the bloodstream, leading to nutrient deficiency. The body, which is designed as a healing mechanism, is compromised. Enter disease. Once disease takes over, such as cancer, it is relentless under these conditions. However, if you believe these basic biological principles, these diseases can be reversed if we can change the internal environment of our body. To do this, we must change our diet and be aware of other environmental exposures that may be affecting our health and encouraging disease.
Ironically, Sondra and I watched an impactful documentary on Dr. Max Gerson called The Gerson Miracle
The final takeaway I have from researching a diet-based regimen to healing to disease and cancer-fighting via Gerson Therapy is as follows.
Eating a variety whole organic foods aid the body by delivering all essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes to encourage a healthy digestive system. By eliminating or minimizing consumption of certain environmental toxins can help the immune system to operate more effectively to combat disease. By being aware of what these toxins are and their source, we can greatly diminish our exposure. As per Dr. Gerson’s research and testimonies of other modern practitioners, eating alkaline food or those that don’t clog digestion leading to acid body pH, maintain an alkali environment in which disease struggles to proliferate. Regularly, process green vegetable and organic fruits to their purest nutrient delivering constitution: Juice. This creates a easy medium for nutrient delivery with little stress to the digestive system. This is the core treatment in the Gerson diet of disease prevention and healing. Finally, understand how your detoxification system works and supplement your diet with foods that encourage optimal function of your liver, kidneys and colon.
Overall, the message is to keep it simple. Something we just don’t do in this day in age. Eat simple, real food. Drink clean, untreated water. Move to a place with clean air. Do not eat food with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Don’t rely on someone else to tell you how to be healthy. Don’t rely solely on doctors to fix you after you are already broken. Don’t let technological miracles cloud your brain. Your body itself is the miracle healer. God created it to be that way as long as we don’t alter it’s chemistry. Treat your body like you would treat a car you wish to run for 300,000 miles without a hiccup. Be 1) Aware 2) Educate yourself on wellness and nutrition 3) Be assertive and put your education into action. Lastly, pass it on so we have a healthier, happier world.
Some reading and video material on the topic we think you will enjoy:
Our content is for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for direct consultation with a qualified medical health professional.
