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Tag Archives: cancer


Rise & SHINE: We’re on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas!

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has Comments Off on Rise & SHINE: We’re on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas!

See how a breast cancer diagnosis 12 years ago inspired co-founders Leslie Needleman and Mary Kathryn Bass to open The GEM in an exclusive interview with WFAA’s Hannah Davis on Good Morning Texas!


ORDER ORGANIC GREEN BITES, JUICES & SMOOTHIES FOR PICKUP & DELIVERY !


In 2009, more than 100,000 people were diagnosed with breast cancer — and Leslie Needleman was one of them. Despite this devastating news, Leslie decided to take the lemons she was handed and make juice…literally. She and disco soul sister Mary Kathryn opened Dallas’ first free standing organic juice bar in 2012, inspired by Leslie’s cancer journey and a desire to take charge of their health. 

WFAA’s Hannah Davis recently interviewed the co-founders on Good Morning Texas to find out more about their journey to starting The GEM. Check out the full interview below.


A Letter to My Cancer Warriors

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 6 Comments on A Letter to My Cancer Warriors

Dealing with cancer is a scary proposition. Like a sucker punch to the gut scary. I know this because it happened to me. At 40, I was diagnosed with breast cancer that spread to my lymph nodes. Scared doesn’t even scratch the surface of the emotions I felt. Faced with this fear, I immediately made changes to my diet and my life to make sure that once my cancer was gone, I would do everything within my power to make sure it didn’t come back.


EXPLORE MORE TIPS FOR LIVING AN ANTI-CANCER LIFE.


I am often asked to share advice to those facing the same uncertain journey. I certainly DO NOT have all the answers. What I do have, however, is my own insight and what worked for me. 

These tips below include simple actions that I took — and some that I didn’t realize until later. These are applicable to any major illness or challenge you or a loved one may be facing.

10 Cancer Warrior Tips from a Breast Cancer Survivor

  1. Take care of YOU. Not the time to worry about what others think. Also, NO thank you notes (unless it makes you feel better in the moment). Those that care about a note are helping for the wrong reasons. Write special notes when you are healed. 
  2. Educate yourself about your illness. Get a notebook and write it all down. Make your decisions to the best of your ability and then be confident in them. It’s your diagnosis, your journey.
  3. Eat clean and vibrant. It’s another way to cleanse your body and fuel it with cancer-fighting nutrients. Incorporate daily, organic green juice into your day, even when you don’t feel like it. You will feel its power immediately. Cut the sugar. Period. Bone broth, clean protein smoothies and all of our offerings are rooted in anti-cancer principles. The GEM was created as an oasis for supporting a healthy, healing, anti-cancer lifestyle. The goal should be not only to heal during the treatment, but to make changes to ensure that the cancer never returns. You have to change the environment on the inside.
  4. Get some good super-soft button down pajamas. Especially helpful for post surgery. A cashmere wrap for your visits and chemo sessions. You spend a lot of time with nothing but a cold, crinkly hospital top on while folks poke and prod. You will thank me.
  5. Accept all support that doesn’t have strings attached. You will need all of it. Ask someone to be the point person to set up MealTrain.com. This site helps manage food and even carpool schedules.
  6. Tell your friends what you want and need. Be specific. They want to help and aren’t sure what to do. Set boundaries with energy vampires in your life (those who suck the energy out of you). You DO NOT have to respond to their needs. You will find incredible people who seem to come out of nowhere.
  7. Exercise every day. Even if you just stretch for 10 minutes and walk around the block for 20. You will feel better.
  8. Use Caringbridge to communicate. That way you only have to say it once. Plus it can be a great place to document your journey. It helps keep those energy vampires out.
  9. Breathe. And do it deeply. For those new to it, it sounds corny. To those who understand it, it is imperative. Also try mediation by downloading Headspace and Calm apps and begin to see what it is all about.
  10. Love. Every. Minute. Life is important. Make yours count.

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine”

As far as specific food items to help you through your cancer journey, our Green Glow is a great place to start for daily juicing. I consumed large quantities daily of that particular green juice back in the day (with additional kale and ginger). It made all the difference to my energy and overall healing. Hot drinks like Matcha Lattes, Ginger tea, smoothies such as the Tahitian Pearl (no dates) or Cameo with protein, and our soups and Immunity bone broths offer amazingly nourishing sustenance. Using homemade cashew milk instead of dairy will help keep inflammation at bay. Food as medicine is SO powerful.

I am grateful that so many people reach out to me about their own cancer experience. It is a scary time for everyone. Throughout my cancer journey, the most amazing people came to my side. AND I KNOW YOU’VE GOT SOME BADASS SUPER HEROS IN YOUR LIFE FOR THAT TOO! But of course I am always available to talk, answer questions, whatever! 

Sending you good vibes and prayers for the scans, tests, treatments, and transformations. It will be a whirlwind, but YOU’VE GOT THIS.

I hope this helps. ☀️

Peace, love & healing,

Leslie

Recommended Reading List:

  • Kris Carr: Crazy Sexy Cancer, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, Crazy Sexy Diet (www.kriscarr.com)
  • Dr. Kelly Turner: Radical Remission
  • Dr. Keith Block: Life Over Cancer Book (www.blockmd.com)
  • Dr. Susan Love: Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book
  • Jen Rozenbaum: What the Fuck Just Happened? A Survivor’s Guide to Life After Breast Cancer


Inspired to Change? Share Your Transformation

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 4 Comments on Inspired to Change? Share Your Transformation

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you handle it. If Life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If the lemons are rotten, take out the seeds and plant them in order to grow new lemons.”
~ Louise Hay

There are life altering challenges that hit you. Good things and bad things. Most want to focus on the “what.” But it’s not really WHAT happens that is important. It’s HOW you respond to it that counts.

Leslie transformationMy story of transformation began eight long, juice-filled years ago. You possibly wouldn’t have liked me before October of 2009. Or at the very least, not recognized me. I was my own version of a lemon. Don’t get me wrong, I was loads of fun if you were with me at a party, but daily I was overly stressed, unnecessarily impatient and invariably cramming fairly toxic food and drink down my throat on an all too often basis.

Well, 19 days into “Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” I got that rotten lemon thrown my way: I was diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes. Whaaaaa? Me? This was the sucker punch that woke me up to transformation.

With three small kids, a kick-ass husband and a CADRE of warrior friends, I was still frozen with fear. What would I do? Control?

I needed someone to light the path and guide me into a healthier lifestyle – one that managed stress, incorporated green veggies and JUICE and excluded toxic people and thoughts. As I researched, I found folks I could follow – folks whose stories and background I could trust. Folks who could help me plant those seeds. The first book I read was about a super groovy girl named Kris Carr whose toxic life was also blindsided by a cancer diagnosis.

The book was Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor by Kris Carr. Holy Batman! I literally scoured every page for knowledge, inspiration, guidance and understanding not just how, but WHY I needed to change. This lit my fire to learn more — do more — be more. With her incredible, unicorn-filled thoughts and info, I finished my treatments and decided to dive deep, changing not just my eating (which was jacked up and toxic), but my thoughts (same), my work (same), and my life. Kris is an inspiration — my lighthouse that brought me to my Peace, my Happy and my Healthy.

With some of that knowledge and inspiration, we opened the very first organic juice bar in Dallas (The GEM) with my disco BFF Mary Kathryn, complete with disco ball and Donna Summer tunes—all as a result of this new-found knowledge and lifestyle and need for change.

Everyday, we share this knowledge with any GEM who wants to FEEL BETTER and BE BETTER. It has become our daily passion.

We hear your stories all the time of how The GEM has transformed you – helped light the path and guide you into a healthier lifestyle. Sure do hope so, because as much as this groovy community inspires YOU, YOU continue to inspire and transform us every single day. Let us hear more!

Have we inspired a transformation for you or your family?

We want to be encouraged by those of you whose lives have been changed, inspired by your stories of hope and transformation. Do you have a story of how The GEM has inspired you and your family in some way? LOVE to hear it. Please share the love with us and others of how you’ve made specific changes to your life.

And if you are at a place in your life where you feel stuck and unable to change course, it is through the act of moving forward with your best intentions, those grounded in profound love and respect for yourself, that you will make the changes needed to transform your life. If I can decide to be healthier, lighter (literally and figuratively), brighter … so can you.

“If you don’t like where you are, MOVE. You are not a tree.” Jim Rohn

 

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8 Things Sweet Sugar Does to You and Your Health

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has Comments Off on 8 Things Sweet Sugar Does to You and Your Health

As yummy and sweet as it is, Sugar is NOT good for your health. With Halloween just a couple weeks away, beware. It tricks you into thinking it’s just simple treats.

Well, it ain’t. Excessive sugar in fact, promotes illness and “un” health. While many of you may know this, few of us are doing anything about it. But do you really know what it does TO you?

sugarblog2

It plays a starring role in your ultimate health—and not for the good of it. If you really knew what it was doing to your body, you might just put it at the top of your “foods to avoid” list. Here are a few things it does to you and your health.

  1. Sweet sugar does NOT heart your heart. It can actually affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and increase the risk for heart failure.
  2. It makes your belly fat. Yeah.  It’s not the planks you missed in the Pilates class that did it.
  3. It grows cancer and may affect cancer survival. High sugar and starch intake negatively affects survival rates in both breast and colon cancer patients.
  4. Sugar jacks with the liver. Poor nutrition and sugar intake is a major cause of fatty liver. A sluggish liver contributes to LOTS of problems in your body.
  5. Sugar sucks your brain power. It causes deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive health. Duh.
  6. It makes you old. Yep, it ages you! Aging of the cells (oxidative stress) can be the cause of those tired wrinkles to something as dire as chronic disease.
  7. It hides in everything. It’s a sneaky little sucker. Some of your favorite foods contain lots of sugar include tomato sauce, fat free dressing, crackers and even bread. And those healthy energy bars?! Don’t even get me started!
  8. Sugar makes us want more sugar and adds to the stress response. It IS a drug—more addictive than cocaine. SO: SAY. NO.

sugar

Sugar is an addictive substance shown to actually change your biochemical pathways, ambush your self-control mechanisms and lure you into eating more and more.

It is a major roadblock to optimal health. It is the root of many ailments including obesity, acne, depression, infertility and cancer.

Want to know more about sugar, stress and how to detox it from your daily life? Our next continuing education group session, Sugared UP and Stressed Out, does just that! Learn what both stress and sugar do to your body and ways to detox from sugar—and don’t let it rule you!

Be there ~ our Forest location ~ or be square, Wednesday, October 26. We now have two classes available:

  • 11 a.m.
  • 12:30 p.m.

 

Cost is $50. Lunch will be served. Call us at 214.792-9928 or email [email protected] to register.








An anti-cancer life: Sugar

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 3 Comments on An anti-cancer life: Sugar

Next in our Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Guide is SUGAR. The sweet stuff that is everywhere. In everything.

Photo credit: Robin Finney

Photo credit: Robin Finney

Here’s the deal: Sugar is a problem. A big problem. And as it turns out, many of us are actually addicted to sugar … it is a REAL addiction.

This just in: there is scientific proof that sugar (not fat!) is the root cause of obesity. Sugar feeds inflammation, disease AND CANCER. Yeesh. Not so sweet now, huh? Oh, and that belly fat? The joint pain? That can also come from high sugar intake.

Sugar contributes to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, infertility, impotence and depression. It makes me cranky as all get out. And listen up kids, the inflammation caused by sugar consumption causes acne. Yes. Nasty breakouts are probably caused by excess sugar consumption. Sugar may give you a quick rush of energy and happiness, but after a few minutes, the crash zaps you of your vibrance.

They say the average American adult consumes the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of sugar each day. Kids consume even more—like 34 teaspoons a day. Is that you?

Are you addicted to sugar? Do you answer yes to any of the following questions:

  • Do you binge on sugar when you are alone?
  • Do you have a secret sugar stash?
  • Feel the need to end every meal with something sweet?
  • Reward yourself with sweet treats?
  • You can’t cut back, even when you try?

Bingeing on sugar causes an excessive spike in insulin, leading to wide swings in glucose and setting you up for fat storage and more cravings. Your body can’t burn this huge caloric load for energy, so the fat storage hormones get turned on, get super excited and stockpile these sugar calories as fat. Holy (literal) cow.

I implore you to get on a sugar busting detox. When you cut out sugar, you’d be shocked at how easy it is to pop out of bed in the morning, feel better, think more clearly and look better!  Here’s how:

  1. FLUSH IT OUT. Eliminate the toxins that make you crave more junk. The quickest way to kick sugar cravings to the curb and reduce your toxic overload is with a 3 or 5 day organic juice cleanse containing little or no fruit sugars. This will quickly reboot your system and eliminate some of your cravings. Look for juices that are ORGANIC, NON-HPP. Just like we do inside The GEM. No exceptions.
  2. GO COLD TURKEY. Yeah, there’s really no big secret answer. The problem with a sugar addiction is that if you feed it just a little bit, you crave even more! I mean, can you really just have a bite of Ben & Jerry’s?
  3. READ THE LABELS. There is sugar hidden in everything from pasta sauce to salad dressings. Just read that Prego tomato sauce has the same amount of sugars as serving of Oreos. Dangg. Stay clear of products that list ANY type of sugar in the first three ingredients.
  4. Eat slow to digest foods like nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables. Nutrient dense foods satisfy your body and lessen cravings.
  5. EAT FAT. Healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, olive oils. When your body is depleted of healthy fat, it craves sugar and starch!
  6. BREAK FAST. Eat a balanced breakfast, rich in protein and healthy fats. Add pastured eggs scrambled in coconut oil, avocado on Ezekial toast, carefully selected smoothies with good fats and superfoods.
  7. SLEEP BETTER. It’s harder to say no when you are tired!
  8. GET A LITTLE HELP. Add supplements like probiotics and fish oil. They help quell inflammation and boost digestion.
  9. HAPPY SNACKS. Keep good snacks close by, high in protein and good fats. Sugar cravings can indicate a lack of protein in your diet. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almond butter with green apple slices, hummus, etc. Dark chocolate is a great way to get a sweet treat without a sugar overload.
  10. NEVER NEVER NEVER substitute with artificial sweeteners. These toxins will fool your body into thinking its getting sugar, making your insulin rise and creating MORE sugar cravings.

And if all else fails just get OUT of the kitchen to reduce temptation! Brush your teeth (it works). Take a shower. Anything. Just don’t jump off the sugar cliff!

We’re not on the Good Ship Lollipop anymore. You’ve got to dig deeper and refine your palate to eliminate excess sugar from your world. Kick off your journey with a juice cleanse to quickly crack down on cravings. Your body will thank you!

We’ve now covered three of the top 10 Anti-Cancer Rules in our Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Series.

What have you done to add anti-cancer practices into your daily routine? It’s a nice little perk that any of these tips will bring you more vibrance, clarity and energy into your day. Let me know what you think! I hope you’ve tried!








An anti-cancer life: artificial coloring and artificial sweeteners

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 7 Comments on An anti-cancer life: artificial coloring and artificial sweeteners

If you are not incorporating any of our anti-cancer life tips yet, let us sway you by sharing the ugly on artificial coloring and artificial sweeteners.Real food

Some of the anti-cancer tips can be easily implemented. Others take a little more commitment to your well-being. You fall off the healthy happy wagon, you get back on. That’s okay. Key Lime Pie happens. Then there are deal breakers. Things you should NEVER do. Not in moderation. NOT EVER.

We are going to dive deep into the one about artificial ingredients. Knowledge is power and makes choices easier when you know WHY this stuff is not to be messed with.

Here’s my take on it: NO FAKE STUFF: NOT a little bit, NOT EVER. Artificial Colors, Artificial Sweeteners, Artificial Flavors and Preservatives. I can get really angry about this stuff that somehow has been OK’d by the FDA. These have known dangerous side effects, but are “generally regarded as safe.” I call bullsh*t on that.

Everything we hear these days is about if it feels good do it, — in “moderation” of course. THAT is sheer propaganda. Don’t get me wrong, “moderation” can still means the occasional Hopdoddy grassfed burger, Mema Mary’s caramel cake, Ben & Jerry’s hot fudge sundae … those things are still ok once in a while. HOWEVER, there are some things should never hit your lips. I mean it. Never.

Here are two of those things:

Artificial Colorings

I was shocked to see that even Kraft Marshmallows have food coloring in them. They sneak it into everything! These are chemicals made from petroleum derivatives and are linked to cancer, allergic reactions and ADHD in children.Artificial Colors

Most of Europe has banned food coloring in the same foods that have them here in the USA, or at least make manufacturers put WARNING labels on it.

The FDA? Not a chance. Those food industry lobbyists (the Fruit Loop loving folks from General Mills and the like) are just too tight with the government. Food coloring is a derivative of PETROLEUM, people. Yes, petroleum. Would you spread 40 weight oil on your cupcake?

It’s important to know that the M&M’s in Europe do not contain artificial food dyes. McDonald’s strawberry sundae either. So, why are you still sucking on those Skittles? And giving your kids blue Gatorade?? When Europe firmly refuses to be poisoned!

Robyn O’Brien, the Erin Brockovich of food, is a fierce warrior in the fight against toxins and the quality of our food. Follow her! You will be more than enlightened … hopefully it will set your hair on fire and you will start to make radical change happen within your own family and beyond!

Artificial Sugars

Let’s talk about Aspartame. (NutraSweet, Equal)

This zero calorie sweetener is touted to be the perfect way to have your cake and eat it too. Well, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Nearly 100% of all outside research revealed problems with it. Some of them, BIG problems. Like what, you ask? What could possibly be so bad about a little artificial sweetener that’s in every thing imaginable?

Aspartame (NutraSweet) has been linked to brain tumors and 91 other really unpleasant side effects:

  • Fibromyalgia, joint pain, fatigue
  • memory loss
  • migraines
  • dizziness
  • depression
  • panic attacks
  • hair loss

And if those things don’t change your mind, I’ll appeal to your vanity: this neurotoxin makes you fatter. Your body is tricked into thinking it is getting sugar, so your insulin levels rise making your crave more sugar than before.

WHAT. THE. HELL? Doesn’t anyone know about this? This is serious stuff! Yes, as a matter of fact, Monsanto (the creator of aspartame) does. So does the FDA. Those 92 side effects? They have all been repeatedly submitted to the FDA, even before it was approved for use. Read more about it here.

It is in EVERY stick of gum you currently know. Diet drinks, Crystal Lite, “Lite” yogurts and “sugar free” junk should be tossed. NOW.

These chemicals can have surprising side effects: depression (yes, I swear), fatigue, headaches, and skin irritations to just name a few. Not so sweet now, right?

And Splenda isn’t any better. This sweet poison causes:

  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Seizures, dizziness and migraines
  • Blurred vision
  • Allergic reactions
  • Blood sugar increases and weight gain

AND contrary to its claims, it is not safe for baking. The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health reveals an extensive list of safety concerns, including toxicity, DNA damage, as well as, “heightened carcinogenic potential when used in cooking.”

COME ON PEOPLE. What else do you need to hear to drop the fake stuff? PLEASE!

Use coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, real maple syrup, raw honey, dates. Or, try to wean yourself off sweet stuff altogether. Your brain, your body and your future self will thank you.

Hugs and the REAL sweet stuff to you and yours. KEEPING IT REAL FROM THE INSIDE …








The Anti-Cancer Life: Healing Powers of Water – Water Therapy

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 9 Comments on The Anti-Cancer Life: Healing Powers of Water – Water Therapy

Last week’s post about leading an anti-cancer life received an amazing outpouring of interest, excitement and gratitude. You truly want to know how to make changes to ensure your optimal health! Optimal health is what we all want to achieve, right?water therapy

The guide is concise and easy to understand, but many of our GEMs questioned deeper into each of the 12 points on the list. The next few posts will dive deep into each one, in no particular order, giving a broader understanding and direction to follow.

One of the easiest actions to incorporate is number 5: It’s called water therapy and it’s a GAME CHANGER. We GEMs do it every day. It is quite a simple concept: Drink 32 ounces of filtered, FLUORIDE FREE water on an empty stomach immediately upon waking. The results are remarkable–amazing therapeutic effects for a multitude of health conditions—ranging from pain to asthma to cancer.

This unpretentious morning regimen originates from ancient Ayurvedic medicine. Drinking water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach purifies the body’s internal system. A particularly important result of this treatment is that it cleanses the colon, making it easier for the body to absorb nutrients from food. This is achieved through the production of new blood. This fresh blood has an immense restorative effect in the body and can even cure existing ailments. There are secondary symptoms of dehydration which include: constipation, skin eruptions, colitis, kidney stones, “hunger” pains, headaches and lots more. Daily water therapy alleviates these issues.

What is the thinking behind this?

Your body has been in a state of fasting overnight. It’s been resting and repairing itself. An empty stomach allows for more energy to be allocated to the healing and reparation process that your body is going through while sleeping. You don’t want to compromise these effects with heavy meals before bed or by a big breakfast right when you wake up. In addition, you are dehydrated from the overnight ‘fast’. Follow your water with daily green juice or a smoothie 30-45 minutes later. You’re gonna love this!

What does this do for you on a daily basis?

Morning Water Therapy Regimen will:

  • Purify the colon and allow for better absorption of nutrients in your system. Clean it up, baby!
  • Aid with weight loss, drinking 32 oz. of water in the morning can boost metabolism by up to 24%.
  • Hydrate your cells at a superior rate. The hydration rush to the cells helps increase production of blood and muscle cells.
  • Purge your system of toxins and make your skin glow!
  • Flush and balance your lymphatic system leading to increased immunity.
  • Energize you for your day!

What kind of filtered water do we recommend?

Reverse osmosis is good, and solid carbon block filters are the best option for home use. Use glass or stainless bottles when available.

Creating a new morning ritual of drinking water is one that is healthy and super beneficial to your overall long-term health care. It is an easy way to detoxify your system without having to make major changes to your lifestyle. Try it. I think you will be amazed!








Leading an Anti-Cancer Life

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 23 Comments on Leading an Anti-Cancer Life

Since The GEM’s inception, I have put off posting a blog directly related to cancer, including leading Fighting Cancer; Now Leading an Anti-Cancer Lifean anti-cancer life. I did this for several (no good) reasons. Primarily, I thought, incorrectly I am sure, most non-cancer folks don’t want to hear about something that either a) doesn’t affect them, or b) bums them out.

Last week, 7, SEVEN, yes 7, people I know were either newly diagnosed, toughing out terrible treatment side effects or received news of a nasty recurrence.

Well, I’ve had it. I don’t know if it was just all the dark stars aligned around me, but I decided to hit this one head on with all of you ~ hence, this post about leading an anti-cancer life. It will be the most important thing you read today.

As you may know, five years ago I was broadsided with a diagnosis of breast cancer that spread to my lymph nodes. During my year-long treatment, I started to dig deep into illness and disease and what I could do to help in the healing process AND make certain it never came back.

We talk about alkalinity and inflammation every chance we getBecause those are things that ensure optimal health. Cancer and disease does not thrive in an alkaline environment (your body). Inflammation is the root of illness and disease. We must work constantly to quell the fire of inflammation in our bodies.

Last week’s bad news compelled me to share priceless anti-cancer tips I’ve learned. EVERYONE needs to incorporate these things into daily life, because, frankly, we ALL have cancer cells in our bodies. How you trigger those cells into proliferation is what makes the difference.

My previous lifestyle did nothing for my optimal health. That’s OK. Because I set out to make a change. You can too. These are your new food rules to live by. Treat your body like a GEM.

ANTI CANCER FOOD RULES. 

  1. 80:20 rule: Your plate should be 80 percent vegetables, nuts and seeds. It’s a WHOLE FOOD, PLANT BASED DIET–an alkaline dream! Live it, love it. If you choose to consume animal products, use them sparingly. They should NOT be the main part of your meal. Meats MUST be organic, free-range, grass-fed. This is a tough tip to swallow, but it really should be eliminated, using beans, nuts, quinoa and seeds as pro-alkalinity protein sources. I just read that women who eat meat 2x or more a day quadruple their risk of a breast cancer recurrence. Snap. That does it for me!
  2. RAINBOW GREENS: Many veggies can actually limit the growth of certain cancer cells. Shoot for 8-10 servings of veggies each day. Vary the vegetables you eat or mix them together — broccoli is an effective anticancer food, and is even more effective when combined with tomatoes, onions and garlic. AND, nothing is more powerful than the phytonutrients found in veggies and super berries. DAILY RAW, ORGANIC GREEN JUICE is a critical way to flood your body with cancer fighting warriors.
  3. ORGANIC IS KING: Choose organic foods when possible. For those of you who don’t live in areas where organic is readily available, it’s better to eat broccoli that’s been exposed to pesticides than to not eat broccoli at all. If 100% organic is not possible, familiarize yourself with the “dirty dozen” vegetables and eat accordingly. When something says organic that also means it is non-GMO. I am pretty certain that Monsanto’s Round Up Ready corn and soy beans spawns cancer cells like crazy. I mean, seeds injected with pesticides? NOT FOR ME.
  4. SPICE IT UP: Add turmeric to your diet. It is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent. They call it Nature’s Advil for a reason! We press turmeric into a liquid form and you can purchase turmeric in concentrated supplement form, but any turmeric can be of benefit! Generously add herbs like thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, cilantro, mint, etc. They don’t just add flavor, they help reduce the growth of cancer cells.
  5. Drink UP! Water Therapy is Magic: 32 ounces of filtered (fluoride-free) water to start your morning, plus another 4-6 glasses per day. It flushes toxins, viruses and bacteria and provide the cells with much-needed hydration. Your body will thank you.
  6. GET AN OIL CHANGE: Get rid of those nasty, acid-forming vegetable oils: corn, soybean, sunflower, regular canola. NOW. But don’t be afraid of fats, they really nourish your nervous system, brain and joints. Use olive, coconut, walnut oils in cooking and (make your own) salad dressings. The others are rancid and riddled with inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.
  7. Drop refined grains: Go for heirloom grains, organic or brown. Eat your grains whole and mixed and favor organic whole grains when possible. Avoid refined, white flour, (ie, bagels, muffins, bread). It is crap.
  8. CUT OUT THE SWEET STUFF: Sugar feeds inflammation, disease AND CANCER. Cut the sodas and skip dessert, or replace it with fruit (especially stone fruits and berries) after most meals. Stay clear of products that list ANY type of sugar in the first three ingredients. For a treat, grab a few squares of dark chocolate containing more than 70% cacao. The GEM loves the Great Bean Chocolate brand of raw organic chocolates. The Bliss Bar, vanilla and cacao flavor, rocks my world!
  9. Learn to love GREEN tea: Instead of coffee or black tea, drink three cups of green tea per day. Regular consumption of green tea has been linked to a significant reduction in the risk for developing cancer. Flying Bird Botanicals’ jasmine green tea is amazing! (Grab some inside The GEM!)
  10. DAIRY IS FOR BABY COWS. We are the only species that consumes another animal’s breast milk–Milk that is laden with hormones that baby cows need to grow. Dairy is extremely acidic. The China Study, a book that reveals an undeniable connection between dairy/animal protein and cancer, changed my entire love affair with dairy. If that doesn’t do it, I’ll appeal to your vanity: bloating and bad skin are definite clues you do dairy.
  11. NO FAKE STUFF: NOT a little bit, NOT ever. Artificial Colors, Artificial Sweeteners, Artificial Flavors and Preservatives. I can get really angry about this stuff that somehow has been OK’d by the FDA. These have known dangerous side effects, but are “generally regarded as safe.” I call bullsh*t on that.
  12. BANISH THE BAD: Manage your environment. This is not food, but it’s critical. Avoid exposure to common household chemical contaminants. Use a green dry cleaner or air your clothes for two hours before storing or wearing it; use organic cleaning products or wear gloves; NEVER heat liquids or food in plastic; dump cosmetics with parabens and phthalates; toss Teflon pans and get enameled ones; filter your tap water; don’t keep your cell phone close to you when it is turned on and use earphones. This is scary stuff, people. There is even legal info about it on your phones in that general section that no one ever reads.
  13. Don’t run scared. Don’t let these tips make you so obsessed that you allow stress to be a negative factor on your body. If you fall off, get back on the wagon. What matters is your daily routine, not the occasional treat.

 

These body nourishing habits are designed to keep cancer at bay and keep you at your optimal health. Incorporate these into your daily routine. Immunity, energy and vibrant health are certain to follow.

P.S. Books to read: Radical Remission and Crazy Sexy Cancer.

P.P.S. Healthy mind and spirit habits are critical components, too. We will cover those in a later post. Stay tuned!