NUTRITION AND CANCER

NUTRITION AND CANCER

Today, we had a speaker at the Amuma. She is a pediatrician at the Fe del Mundo Medical Center.

Her story is really amazing that kept us, her audience oohing and aahing. Hers has been the most astonishing cancer story I’ve heard. I’ll just give a super short gist of it.

She lost both of her parents to cancer. And then, out of nine siblings, six of them (including herself) got cancer.
In the mid-90’s, a mass as big as a head of a new-born baby was detected in her cervix. Added to that, she also had breast cancer. Having witnessed patients in chemotherapy, she refused to undergo one herself.

Until she had a blessed encounter with another doctor from the U.S., who was also a cancer survivor, and who shared with her about nutrition as a weapon against cancer. Now, our good doctor is already twelve years cancer-free. And she has made it her advocacy to share her experiences to the people especially to the ones afflicted with diseases. And I am lucky to have been one of those who are able to listen and learn from her.

The doctor just confirmed what I have already research about cancer—that it can be prevented and reversed. And at the risk of stepping on some capitalists’ toes, and even those of her colleagues, she candidly talked about the prescription drugs and other cancer treatments’ adverse effects to some other parts of one’s body while treating one part. So, she shared to us the 10 natural steps to fighting diseases including cancer.

10 Essentials of Health

1. Nutrition

She recommended the genesis diet, citing when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were vegetarian, and they were in perfect health. She recommended eliminating in the diet the following: red meat because they come from animals fed with artificial food; dairy milk since they come from animals fed with chemicals to produce more milk she recommends soy milk instead; white sugar because it feeds cancer cells although mascovado sugar and honey are ok because they are natural; processed food because they undergo chemical processes and they are added with foreign substances to lengthen their shelf life; and food with heated oil which are trans-fat, or, as she called it—plastic fat because they clog the organs thereby disrupting the natural flow of the body’s system. But she suggested virgin oils and add them only after the food is cooked. Therefore, frying and sautéing are strongly discouraged.

2. Exercise

The Doctor suggested at least four hours a week will weaken the tumor cells.

3. Water

We have already heard of this before. At least 8 glasses of water is recommended per day. The speaker, however, suggested 3 – 4 liters of water a day.

4. Sunlight

Again, this is nothing new—we have known about this since grade school. We get vitamins—particularly vitamin D from sunlight—something, which, lately has been found out to have a very significant effect on cancer. The doctor recommends go out and greet Mr. Sunshine before 9 o’clock in the morning and after 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

5. Temperance

Lately, a lot of studies have shown that stress, worries, negative emotions and negative environment shortens a person’s life. And with cancer patients, those who have sunny disposition, and are optimistic, have more chances of longer life and even surviving the disease. So, the Doctor suggested avoiding anything negative: pessimistic people, upsetting movies and shows, depressing news. Instead, be a patron of everything positive.

6. Clean Air

If you live in the city where there is so much pollution, you need to get out of this kind of environment at least once a week or better yet, live somewhere in the rural areas with less impure atmosphere.

7. Rest

Our bodies, like anything that works, need rest. Dr. Catibog strongly suggests setting your body clock to sleep at 9 o’clock at night to give our body ample time to cleanse and repair itself. She further said (and I just knew this from her) that the body's most active release of “repairing chemicals” or healing hormones is at 12 o’clock at night. So if you slept at twelve, your body won’t have enough time to fix itself.

8. Trust in God

It is said that stress can kill. It can also cause cancer. But worse than stress is despair: it can lead to self destruction. Therefore, turn to Someone who loves you unconditionally, put your trust, confidence and hope in Him. Leave everything to Him so you won’t worry about anything. Always lean on His love.

9. Gratefulness

Count the good things that you have and be grateful for them. For a grateful heart is a cheerful heart. And “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”

10. Benevolence

Once you are aware of and grateful for the things around you, you will recognize that you have so much to give. Then you can afford to be generous. Share God’s love.

If we just have a balance of all ten of these, then, Dr. Marylou Catibog assured, we can have a great disease-free life.