Chris Pedersen's Blog, page 8

Wisdom Wednesday

Here's a Wisdom Wednesday nugget that should be shared everywhere. How This Family Doctor Lost 75 Pounds Easily Without Portion Control.

This story is very powerful. Not so much because Dr. Lawenda has done a total lifestyle change to get healthy and then dropped 75 pounds in the process. The power comes in the fact that he is a doctor. A doctor practicing conventional medicine until he had his eyes opened through his own life experience. He went from using medicines, procedures and surgeries to recommending his patients adopt a plant-based lifestyle.

"Never once did I imagine that something as simple as changing what I ate, instead of how much I ate, could change my life in such profound ways." Steve Lawenda, MD

Read his story and then share it with your doctor. We are living in a time when we just might begin to make a difference in disease.

Kevin Benkowski—Prostate Cancer Survivor Revisited

The interview with Kevin last month brought questions about what supplements he included in his protocol to address the prostate cancer. Needing to compose the list for himself to take to his doctors, he happily obliged.

But first, "What's going on in the photo?" you ask. During the Integrated Health Conference—Cure to Cancer Summit, Kevin, like myself, was interviewed by Ty Bollinger (shown in the photo with Kevin) for the next edition of the Quest for the Cures... Continues. Ty wanted Kevin to tell his amazing story how he healed his prostate cancer with diet, supplements and lifestyle changes in just three months!

Here is the extensive list of Kevin's supplements, which he continues to take. Please note this is not a recommendation for what to take. Every person should do their own research as Kevin has done. The list is for educational use only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Acetyl-L-carnitine: 500 mg (supports memory, energy and nerve function)Beta-carotene: 25,000 IU (antioxidant to support immune function)Beta 1,3D Glucan: 1500 mg (boosts the immune system)Beta-Sitosterol Complex: 800 mg (lowers cholesterol, enhances effects of natural killer cells and reduces prostate enlargement)Co-enzyme Q10: 400mgCurcumin: 500 mg (anti-inflammatory, inhibits cancer and enhances cancer cell death, aka  apoptosis)Di-indolyl methane (DIM): 200 mg Ellagic acid: 50 to 200 mg (inhibits cancer and enhances apoptosis)Flaxseed oil: 2500 mgInulin FOS: 750 mg Fruit pectin: 3 grams Garlic extract: 500 mg Glucosamine: 500 mg to 1,000 mg L-glutamine: 1,000 mg 2X Milk thistle: 600mg 2X (stimulates liver regrowth, inhibits cancer and enhances apoptosis)Zinc: 22mg Selenium: 800mg N-Acetyl Cysteine: 600 mg Phosphatidyl serine (PS): 100 mg Quercetin: 1000 mg Resveratrol: 500mg Soy isoflavones: 40 mg of daidzein and genistein Vitamin C: 500 mg Vitamin D3: 20,000 IU Vitamin E: 400 IU Vitamin B17 (Leatrile) (safe and effective cancer killer)Vitamin B Complex Iodine: 225 mcg Fulvic/Humic Acid Astaxanthin: 12mg LDN (low-dose Naltrexone): 5mg Cat’s Claw: 1000 mg Spirulina/Chlorella Reishi, Shitake, Maitake mushrooms Alpha Lipoic Acid: 600mg Essiac Tea: 2X daily Melatonin: 20mg Raw Fresh Vegetable Juice w/ Max Vibrance as daily meal replacement Noni Juice Dandelion root Digestive Enzymes Probiotics Daily green coffee enema (part of Gerson Therapy regimen) Kevin also recommended the book Cancer Free! Are You Sure? by Jenny Hrbacek. This book is unlike any other cancer book. It covers the latest tests available, which are far more effective at detecting cancer than conventional diagnosis methods like mammograms, biopsies or PET scans. Read all about the book on the Cancer Free! Are you Sure? website.

If you have more questions for Kevin, he invites you to contact him at the following address: kb[at]intraderma[dot]net.

Thank you, Kevin, for being an advocate for change in how cancer is treated and healed.

Interview with Anna Parr—Breast Cancer Survivor

Here's another wonderful seeker of optimum health I had the pleasure of meeting at the Integrated Health Conference—Cure to Cancer Summit this past March. Like many, Anna dealt with cancer using diet and alternative treatments. Anna's story began before her own as she came along side her sister who had breast cancer and took the conventional treatment route. When Anna found herself with the same diagnosis, she chose differently.

I met Anna in a workshop. She sat next to me typing notes on her laptop. Like most at the conference, we were taking in as much as we could. But it was a bit like drinking from a fire hose—lots of information to digest.

Anna told me she was a chemical engineer, which explained her ferocious note-taking. But she really wanted to do what I do—coach people through the process of healing their cancer with good nutrition and targeted therapies. She really endeared herself to me when she whipped out her reworked schedule (not a small task to accomplish) showing all the talks and workshops by time of day, rather than location. She found their program very confusing and made it right. Yep—my kind a gal!

I know you'll find Anna's story very compelling... and thorough.

How did you learn you had cancer?
Believe it or not I had a clear mammogram only a year and a half before my diagnosis (Oct 2011). In April 2013, my husband discovered a lump in my right breast and alerted me that I should get it checked out. At first I thought that it may have been normal breast tissue that I just could never feel before because I had been losing weight.

I had just returned from Colorado Springs the week before with my sister who was battling breast cancer that had spread to her bones. I was caring for her at the time and was under a tremendous amount of stress. I had a breast exam (4/18/2013) followed by a mammogram and ultrasound (4/19/2013). There was a 1 cm tumor clear as day and three tiny suspicious specks. Since I had just learned the week before how to do a juice fast and cleansing for treating cancer the healthy way, I immediately started my detox. I did not wait for a biopsy before starting the healing journey. I was glad I did too because 10 days into my detox is when I had the biopsy (5/1/2013).

As I'm sure you are aware puncturing a tumor multiple times gives cancer cells a means of escape to spread further. I wanted my body to be stronger and less cancer-friendly before I did such a procedure. Only 10 days into my detox they could not find the suspicious specs that appeared on my first mammogram so they could not biopsy that area. That alone was comforting knowing what I was doing was already moving in the right direction. They did biopsy the 1 centimeter tumor and determined that it was breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma and ductal carcinoma. I got those results Friday May 3, 2013.

What did you think and do following your diagnosis?
I was one of the fortunate few that was already aware of what cancer actually is before being diagnosed myself. My sister already walked the road of conventional medicine which did not do anything at all to heal her condition. Although she had chemo and a double mastectomy, her cancer spread quickly to her bones within the year after her surgery. It was clear to me that conventional medicine did not have the answer.

Fortunately we got connected with a group in Colorado Springs called HealthQuarters who were well aware of things that ARE effective—things that boost your immune system rather than demolish it. I consider myself very fortunate that God saw fit to show me that cancer is NOT some mysterious illness that strikes people at random with no identifiable causes. Because of all of the health tips I was learning, I myself was already planning on making incremental changes to the way I eat and other lifestyle changes. But when I received a cancer diagnosis, the incremental plan turned into the immediate and extreme plan.

I am a mother of three lovely girls and have every intention of being around for their future. I was not going to wait to cut out sugar. I was not going to wait to eat more vegetables and juice and detox and make relationship changes and sleep better and breathe deeply and all those wonderful things. I will admit that although I knew those things were effective, I was still a little afraid because of the stigma that cancer carries along with it. But it just didn't make sense to me that God would teach me all about these wonderful and carefully orchestrated healing mechanisms that are already in place in my body only for them to fail me.

Did you follow any conventional doctor prescribed treatments, if so what were they?
Being what I call "immune system power enlightened," I had a little bit of fun with my doctors. I knew that what I was doing with my detox and my deep breathing and my gratitude journal and my forgiveness journal WAS in fact fighting cancer... Probably more than anything conventional medicine had to offer. But I did still see medical oncologists to hear what they would have to say about my case. Sadly, they all said the same thing.

First of all, they were all nervous that I wasn't rushing to the operating room or the poison center for killing cancer (and good cells). It’s not what they’re used to. They’re used to telling the patient what he/she is going to do – not asking them what they have decided. It was very much like an assembly line – just follow along and don’t ask questions. I could tell that my doctors were NOT used to meeting someone who did not automatically fall in line with what THEY thought I should be doing right away. But I was taking my time because I knew that I was already fighting cancer.

It felt weird to experience firsthand how one-sided and limited conventional treatments really are. Part of me wanted to hear more than just surgery, radiation or chemo - but it didn't surprise me that's really all they have to offer to this day. I was very forthright with the doctors I saw about all of the supplements I was taking and my juice fasting and my deep breathing for oxygen intake and all those things including healthy relationships and emotional healing. The doctors that I saw were really able to do no more than say, "Well, it can't hurt."

I finally found a surgical oncologist who acknowledged the effectiveness of what I was doing more so with his attitude than with his words. He did not pressure me to rush into surgery or anything like that. I did not do chemo or radiation but I did eventually have a lumpectomy five months later. I did not believe that by delaying my surgery I delayed my healing because I believed strongly and still do that healing begins with repairing your immune system.

For me I believe that spiritual agony and emotional dysfunction were huge contributors to the breakdown of my immune system. So I focused a lot of my energy on those areas and it was hard work. I believe that more often than not emotional healing can be harder than cutting out sugar or eating more raw veggies. All the while the tumor in my breast went from hard like a marble too "mushy."

Interesting side-note... when my sister was doing chemo the year before and the tumor in her breast went from hard to "mushy," the doctors boldly proclaimed that it was a sure sign that "it's working"—the tumor is responding positively to the chemo treatments!! I was in the doctors office with my sister and heard them say that to her myself. There were no lab tests or anything like that done to prove the tumor was responding. It just got "mushy." You could clearly feel the difference in the tumor, which they proclaimed as a positive response to treatment. But when I was doing my detox and taking steps for emotional healing, the tumor in my breast got "mushy" too... the doctors were silent. They could not conclude anything at all about that because I was not undergoing any medical treatments. Hhhmmmm... 

Anyway, I was confident that my healing steps were working—but I still thought that removing a few billion cancer cells from my breast might help in the battle. So I finally had a lumpectomy later that year to remove that mushy and dying tumor (Sept 2013). My surgical oncologist was also recommending I take Tamoxifen because he said the side effects are less severe for premenopausal women. Considering the fact that it does—in some way—mess with your hormones, I saw no need to go that route because it seemed to work against the philosophy that every choice I make should STRENGTHEN my immune system—not compromise it. Cancer doesn't stand a chance against a fully functional immune system. 

I followed up with an MRI and later with an ultrasound because those are the only screening methods accepted by conventional medical care. At the Intergrative Health Conference in San Diego, I had thermography done on my torso which showed no abnormal patterns in my breast tissue (woohooo!!), but [thermography] is not currently prescribed by conventional doctors that I know of—especially in Chicago.

I know I am cancer free because I am still living a healthy lifestyle and because there is nothing forming in my breasts, but I am still searching for better cancer screening options that are currently not available with conventional medicine.

What alternative treatments did you incorporate into your healing journey? Did you visit a particular alternative or integrated health clinic for treatment? 
Finding an integrated health clinic in the Chicago area is extremely difficult. Prior to my diagnosis, I traveled to Colorado Springs with my sister to attend what's called a "lodge program" at HealthQuarters. The program they teach was the basis for the detox (juice fast) I did when I received my own diagnosis. It included deep breathing, gratitude and forgiveness journals, coffee enemas, juicing, and supplementation. I have a naturopathic doctor that tests me for weaknesses and recommends supplements as needed. I do not recommend figuring out supplements on your own.

The part of my "non-conventional" treatments that I believe made all the difference in my healing journey was the emotional healing. I received personal counsel on a regular basis from two close friends and mentors. They helped me through extremely difficult changes in relationships and self-realizations. Changing how you relate to the people you love—for the better—was the most difficult thing I had to do, especially when it's not well received by those you love. I encourage those who have received a cancer diagnosis to ALWAYS look at the impact emotional health has on your healing journey because it can make all the difference in the world. Neglecting emotional health can truly sabotage anyone's healing regimen.

Are there books or websites you found particularly helpful that you can list for us?
Oddly enough the first book I read is the one I still love the most and the first time I read it was before I even had a cancer diagnosis myself. It's called The Cancer Battle Plan by Anne Frahm. I like it because it's very straightforward, easy to remember and it lays out a great strategy for regaining your health.

Another book that helped me immediately after my diagnosis was the famous Beating Cancer With Nutrition by Patrick Quillan.

Today my favorite website help is www.TrulyHeal.com. They have a free online cancer guide that gives you a plethora of information on several different categories. Their free documentary is also very good. What I particularly appreciate is their emphasis on attitude, life outlook and emotional health as an integral part of the healing journey. This often gets missed in the search for the right diet, supplements and treatments.

Did your cancer heal? What do you attribute your healing to (diet, herbs, alternative therapies, attitude, exercise, sleep)?
Yes. Just as expected, by making the changes that I made, God's perfect design for healing (AKA my immune system) slowly repaired and began to work as it should. In general, I believe that everything you do to strengthen your body's healing mechanism contributes to your healing. Knowing that makes it difficult to discern what part made the biggest difference. However, I presume the most effective part of your healing would be reversing what you believe is making you sick the most.

When you receive a cancer diagnosis, I recommend looking at your life and being honest about what could be making you sick. Ask yourself what area in your life is lacking the most attention and care? I think the patient knows more than the doctor what isn't right in their lives. It could be stress. It could be loneliness. You may be an emotionally healthy person who simply eats garbage!

The primary cause of cancer is not the same for everyone. For me, I believe the largest factor that caused a breakdown in my immune system was spiritual agony and emotional stress. I spent a year and a half not being able to trust God after my sister was diagnosed with cancer. It's a long story how, but God met me where I was and gave me a faith I never had before—go figure—on the day I had a troublesome mammogram. A spiritual burden was lifted from me that day and I was no longer in spiritual agony.

The spiritual unrest and chronic emotional stress due to unhealthy relationships were clear contributors to my illness. So I believe the emotional healing and God given faith were the primary contributors to my healing. I wasn't going to take any chances, so I was sure to do anything else I could to repair my broken down immune system that was clearly not strong enough to keep cancer at bay. To list a few:
Daily coffee enemasLOTS of juicingCutting out sugarContinued exerciseBreathing deeply (2-3 times per day)Massage therapyLooking back what would you do differently?
If I were to do it all over again I would try to be less anxious about doing EVERYTHING I learned all at once. I did feel a bit anxious about not having done IR saunas or hyperbaric chambers or not adding curcumin and other supplements, etc.

Looking back I recommend just breathing easy and having confidence that the diet and lifestyle changes you are making WILL work for the better. You can always add to your regimen in due time. I recently added acupuncture and IR sauna treatments—but that’s only after I got used to all the supplements and coffee enemas.

I also have plans to do colonics which I've never done before. Some day I'll increase my raw food intake with a dehydrator. But not yet. One thing at a time. I know now that I don't have to do it ALL right away.

Do you have thoughts on why you had cancer?
Yes. I believe that my body was already loaded with toxins because I had never done any kind of detoxing and anyone who lives in this country and eats the standard American diet (SAD) is loaded with toxins. I exercised regularly, but my diet was low in nutrients because most of what I ate was cooked foods and I definitely had more than my share of sugary sweets. That just laid the groundwork for a breakdown of my immune system.

I believe—for me—that the breakdown came as a result of chronic emotional stress and an inability to trust God as I described in my previous answers. Spiritual unrest (lack of peace) or unresolved emotional issues can shut down your immune system. I think that was definitely the case for me.

Are there things you continue to do? What are they?
Yes. Pretty much every change I made in life is permanent. The things I started to do to rebuild my health are the things I still do to keep my health: 
Exercise gratitude and forgivenessRegular checks with naturopath for supplement schedule (I go to Trinity Holistic Health Center)Acupuncture for stress reduction (Deerfield Community Acupuncture is my favorite)Daily coffee enemas for detoxingJuicing especially after a workout (green juice and carrot juice)High intensity training (I LOVE working out to dance music with Dzika Fitness in Chicago)Deep breathing

The things I started to do to rebuild my health are the things I still do to keep my health. ~ Anna Parr

What words of comfort or wisdom do you have for those facing a cancer diagnosis?
Your body has a perfectly designed healing mechanism that DOES work when you give it what it needs to function properly. If you have a cancer diagnosis, conventional medicine will treat you like you've been given a death sentence with X number of years to live and—only if you're lucky—you might beat the odds. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

The truth is, nothing fights cancer better than your own immune system. Cancer is an invitation (or mandate if you will) to change—and change for the better. Cancer is reversible if and only if you accept that invitation and make the changes your immune system needs to fight cancer and win. If you can overcome the common belief that cancer is random and untreatable apart from conventional medicine, then you CAN beat cancer.

I view cancer as a sign that the body has BEEN in need of help, but we just weren’t listening. It whispers, “I need better sleep,” “that meal didn’t go well,” “I need more nutrients,” “please stop overloading me with stress,”… in small ways, it’s telling us that we need to take better care of ourselves, but we’re usually not listening.

Cancer is when our body stops whispering and starts screaming, “Stop putting off better choices for your health. The time for change is NOW!” Many cancer survivors like myself view cancer as the best thing that ever happened to them because it ushered in long awaited healthy changes for the better—and now, we’re healthier than we’ve ever been in our lives. I am healthier now as a 39-year-old woman than I was as a 19-year-old girl!!

I urge you to reject the common view of cancer as a death sentence—instead, let cancer be a wake up call for better health.
_________________________

Mmmmmm! Washed with the wise and refreshing words of someone who knows firsthand how it feels to be healed.

Thank you, Anna. I know readers have been truly blessed with what you've shared.

Are there any questions you might have for Anna?

Quinoa Chili Recipe

Seems I'm on a quinoa kick lately. But then it's versatile, delicious and so good for you. My latest quinoa recipe is inspired by one I saw at the 1/2 Marathon my husband ran last month in Nashville. Of course I had to go with him and we did a lot of fun things.

We have friends who joined the exodus from California and moved to Nashville (Franklin actually) three years ago. They've had an open invitation to come stay, with a promise to show us around. We started out in Memphis with a visit to Graceland. Then on to Nashville for the 1/2 marathon, the Franklin countryside, the honky tonks of Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium. And let's not forget tea at the Frothy Monkey, touring Dave Ramsey's headquarters, seeing Brad Paisley up close and personal backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and a road trip to Lexington to see horse farms and historical bourbon distilleries. We had a blast!

Back to the chili.

This is a simple recipe that you can pull together in a pinch. I did not have green peppers, but I had zucchini's so that's what I used. Be creative. Don't be afraid to experiment.

It's a little early for fresh corn so you'll be using frozen until summer. I always keep some in my freezer to throw into dishes I'm preparing.

A couple notes about the spices: sumac and chili powder. I've seen sumac in various recipes, but was never able to find any. Then I found some at Trader Joe's in a four-pack spice mix. Now I see why it's so liked. It's got a sweet and sour flavor on my taste buds. I hope you can find some. Let me know what you think.

As far as the chili powder, start with just 1/4 teaspoon, then taste. Chili can so easily overwhelm a recipe—so take care.

Quinoa Chili
from Chris Pedersen yield 6-8 servings
category Main Coursecuisine Vegan
ingredients1 medium, yellow onion, chopped1 medium green pepper or zuchinni, chopped4 cloves of garlic, pressed1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro2 ears corn or 1-10 oz pkg of orgainc frozen corn1 C organic vegetable broth1/2 C rinsed quinoa1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 15 oz cans of organic black beans, rinsed and drained1 15 oz can of organic diced tomatoes1/2 -1 tsp chili powder1 1/2 tsp sumac1 lime, optional
directions1. If using fresh corn, cut corn from the cob (about 1 1/2 C).2. Bring vegetable broth to a boil in medium sauce pan. Add quinoa—stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer until water is absorbed (12-15 mintues).3. While quinoa cooks, preheat large stock pot on medium-high then add olive oil and stir in peppers or zuchinni, corn and garlic. Cook while stiring 4-5 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.4. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in beans, tomatoes and seasoning. Add quinoa and stir. Cook for 20 minutes to heat through.5. Stir in cilantro and serve with a wedge of lime (optional).
If your prefer a soupier chili, you can add a can of tomato sauce. The quinoa makes this chili a lighter version of chili—perfect for spring or summer. Plan on making this when you can get fresh corn.

Do you eat soups all year? What are your favorite soups for summer?

Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
Onion skins are the most nutritious part of the onion. Yup! That's right! Add them to soup stocks to enrich the broth with flavors and nutrients. Strain the skins from the broth with the other ingredients you make the broth from. You can also put the skins in cheese cloth, netted bag or tea ball to enhance a soup. Now I'm saving the onion skins to boost my soups rather than throw them away.

Source: Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson

Blueberry Crisp Recipe

We enjoy honoring those who've paid the ultimate price on Memorial Day. This year we found an event close by—at Green Valley Cemetery—mile and a half away. We decided to incorporate our daily exercise by running to the location and running back (at least as far as Starbucks located between our house and the cemetery).

After finishing my Starbucks' hot green tea, I harvested a cup of blueberries from our backyard blueberry bush. "I'm gonna make a dessert with these," I said to my husband Bob.

And this is what I came up with. Simple. Fast. Utterly delicious! I hope you enjoy it. Double or triple the recipe to make more servings.

Blueberry Crisp
from Chris Pedersenyield 2 servings
category Dessertcuisine Vegan
ingredients1C fresh blueberries1/2 Tbsp coconut oil1/4 C quinoa flour3 dates, diced3 walnuts, diced
directions1. Preheat toaster oven on convection to 350°.2. Melt the coconut oil and mix with quinoa flour, dates and walnuts.3. Add half of mixture to two ramikins. 4. Add half of the blueberries to each ramikin and top with remaining flour mixture.5. Bake for 15 minutes. 6. Add scoop of coconut ice cream (optional). Serve.
The ingredients are all items I have in my pantry. I even have fresh frozen blueberries in the freezer. No shopping necessary. That's how you learn to cook without a recipe—check out what you have on hand and make something up. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Believe me I've made plenty.

Most mistakes amount to the finished recipe not tasting as good as originally envisioned (after all we see a picture and skim the recipe to determine what looks good). Big deal! Consider the healthy ingredients used (Right? You only make healthy recipes), which fuel your body with great nutrients. Yeah I know food should taste good, but really shouldn't our primary goal be eating to live? Not living to eat! Think about it.

What camp do you fall in: Eating to live OR Living to eat?

Tips to Grow Healthy Kids ~ Guest Post

I wanted to point you to a guest post I did this week over at Grace for Moms. Most parents are challenged to get their kids to eat healthy foods. The key is start early. First foods are very important and interaction (yes, getting messy) with those foods is part of gaining a love for healthy stuff.

Pop on over to the post at Grace for Moms to add some tips to your arsenal.

NOTE:
You'll see there was a giveaway for promo codes of The Prisoner of Carrot Castle iPad storybook. No worries. I'll give out 5 codes to 5 commenters on this blog. Spread the word to moms and dads to read the article then scoot over here to post comments for a chance to get a code for your own personal copy of The Prisoner of Carrot Castle*—a fun way to encourage eating veggies for your kids.

*iPad required to download the book app. However, if you have an iPhone, there is a FREE game app kids LOVE that goes with the story. Download the iPhone app here.

Interview with Kevin Benkowski—Prostate Cancer Survivor

When I attended the Integrated Health Conference—Cure to Cancer Summit this past March, I had the opportunity to meet many folks who dealt with their cancer using diet and alternative treatments. It's very encouraging to see many sought alternative treatments instead of the conventional procedures. They saw, usually first-hand, that conventional therapies often left the cancer patient weak and sick with a seriously compromised immune system—later face a recurrence of cancer and then die.

I met Kevin at lunch. We were both seeking the organic vegan lunch choice offered to conference attendees. Vegan tomato soup. Delicious!

Kevin came to the conference to learn what more he could do to continue enjoying his cancer-free life. Here is Kevin's story.

How did you learn you had cancer?
I began to experience urinary issues a few years ago and just considered it somewhat normal as I was over 50 and understood that the prostate enlarges in most men my age. Though my PSA numbers were in the normal range they were still on the high side, but about a year ago it creeped up to just above 4, which is the threshold for “normal.”

Upon my primary physician’s advice, I decided to see a urologist. When I did, an MRI was prescribed which showed a small dark spot on the anterior side of the prostate, but this was not definitive…and so I somewhat reluctantly agreed to a biopsy. The procedure confirmed that there was cancer present in 2 of the 14 biopsies. This was in September of 2014. 

What did you think and do following your diagnosis?
I wasn’t shocked, as my father and brother both had prostate cancer. But I was surprised that the urologist immediately advised me that my best option at that point was a radical prostatectomy—to be performed by him using his DaVinci four-armed robot. I left the office with my wife quite confused. My only option, according to this urologist, was to have a surgical procedure with a 30% risk of both incontinence and impotency, not to mention having a bag attached to my leg with a catheter inserted for 6 months so I could urinate. I wasn’t thrilled with those odds, even though my brother had the surgery done successfully ten years previously.

Did you follow any conventional doctor prescribed treatments, if so what were they?
The urologist did not prescribe any treatment, conventional or otherwise [except the surgery]. He only advised me that because my Gleason score was a 7 (3+4) out of 10, I really couldn’t wait too long as the cancer had progressed beyond the “watch and wait” stage. I had to decide within a matter of months. My decision was made about a week later, when it was decided that I would find natural treatments to boost my immune system and fight it on my own. I was certain I could do it.

What alternative treatments did you incorporate into your healing journey? Did you visit a particular alternative or integrated health clinic for treatment?
I knew of a few people in the alternative healing world who offered some advice, mostly suggestions on websites to look at…which I did for weeks on end (and still do)! A friend of my wife’s offered me his “Quest for the Cures” library in November of last year and I watched it beginning to end, fascinated by everything I didn’t know about cancer, the science and the business. What this video series made me realize was that there ARE cures out there for cancer…but big medicine simply doesn’t want you to know about them!

Are there books or websites you found particularly helpful that you can list for us?
www.treating-cancer-alternatively.com
www.cancertutor.com
www.gerson.org
www.livingfuel.com
www.chrisbeatcancer.com
www.beating-cancer-gently.com

These are just a few! There are also links on these sites to many others, including ones on social media.

Did your cancer heal? What do you attribute your healing to (diet, herbs, alternative therapies, attitude, exercise, sleep)?
Well, after making major discoveries on how to detox and boost my immune system through diet and supplements, I embarked on a massive shift in my attitude towards food, while taking bits and pieces of numerous therapies, treatments, and protocols that resonated with me. There are definitely some contradictory opinions out there. After a month of detoxing and 3 months of eating an organic diet (and eliminating meat, dairy, coffee, alcohol and sugar), I took a Red Drop blood test which indicated no detectable signs of cancer.

Looking back what would you do differently?
I would have declined the biopsy as I found out subsequently it is not a safe procedure, at least not in the case of the prostate.

Do you have thoughts on why you had cancer?
I’m quite certain it was due to high stress levels during the bad economic times several years ago, during which I divorced, filed for bankruptcy, and lost my home. My diet at the time was also less than ideal…I was taking pharmaceuticals and drinking alcohol and coffee daily. I was an emotional train wreck.

Are there things you continue to do? What are they?
Today I look at this ordeal as a blessing…and a wakeup call. I have a new attitude on food and life in general. It’s definitely helped me spiritually…I’ve learned to meditate and to be at peace with myself and those around me. I will continue to eat clean organic food (in the process I lost 35 lbs!), and I will also continue to take immunity building supplements, as I have truly never felt better than I do now, at 60.

What words of comfort or wisdom do you have for those facing a cancer diagnosis?
Listen, but be skeptical of what the doctors tell you. You would like to think they have your best interest in mind, but I have concluded otherwise. Doctors are trained, not educated. They know one way, and that is to treat the symptom, not the cause. They need our business. Assuming there was a cure that was endorsed by big medicine, and they couldn’t then treat (or manage) cancer, they’d be out of work! My advice is to look at cancer as an opportunity to grow, heal, and change your life for the better, all the time knowing that your body has all the tools it needs to heal, while mother earth provides us with all of the “medicine” we need!

Well said, Kevin.

Jamie Oliver—Fighting for Food Education

Happy Food Education Day!

Worldwide, there are more than 42 million children under the age of five who are either overweight or obese, and it's the first time that the next generation will live shorter lives than their parents if things don't change.

We eat, but we eat foods high in calories and low in nutrients. We are overfed yet undernourished. So much so that the world's biggest killers are now diet-related diseases, including heart failure and stroke. So what can we do?

It all starts with education. It’s essential that we arm future generations with the life skills they urgently need in order to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives. Educating the next generation about real, nourishing foods and supporting them to live healthier lifestyles is the key to a real food revolution.

Jamie Oliver has made it his lifelong work to teach kids to eat a healthy diet. Join Jamie and other health-minded people like him and sign the petition to educate our kids.

As a children's author and health blogger I am doing my part. Get the popular kid's book app The Prisoner of Carrot Castle with curriculum and message of eating vegetables.

Happy Mother's Day ~ Celebrate the Mom You Are

Let's celebrate the hardest job on the planet. Motherhood. Celebrate the Mom YOU are!

It's not one size fits all. Many flavors color this oftentimes underrated and over looked calling. Grace for Moms (skillfully run by Jessica Wolstenholm) has gathered moms (including me) at different stations to Celebrate the Mom YOU are.

Check out all the blog posts about mothering and share them with your mom friends. Oh, and don't forget to enter the Giveaway.

Subscribe to Grace for Moms to get posts delivered to your inbox. Don't miss my post on Teaching Your Child to Love Healthy Food.

Join Joanne Kraft and Jessica on Facebook for the grand finale party on May 12th at 8PM CST (6PM PST). I'll be there along with many of the moms who've passed along their grace and wisdom for this Mother's Day celebration.

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