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Cancer – Part 2 (Revised Jan 25)

More people than ever before are surviving cancer today.

The aim, however, should be to do more than just survive but rather to thrive. Thriving starts by minimizing the negative effects of conventional cancer treatments, achieving remission, and then living a healthy, vibrant life thereafter.

Recent studies have explored the extent to which cancer may be influenced by lifestyle choices and environmental conditions. While some researchers suggest that modern lifestyle factors contribute significantly to the prevalence of certain cancers, the disease’s complexity underscores the interplay of genetic predisposition, environmental exposures, and individual behaviors. For instance, research published in “Nature Reviews Cancer” highlights that environmental factors such as tobacco use, diet, and exposure to carcinogens are major contributors to cancer risk, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures. Dr. Rachel Thompson of the World Cancer Research Fund remarked, “About one in three people in the UK will get cancer, so it is fairly commonplace in the modern world. Scientists now say a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight can prevent about 40% of the most common cancers.”1

It makes sense, therefore, to pay attention to lifestyle choices and environmental conditions if one has cancer, eliminating or minimizing those that negatively impact recovery chances. For more info on how lifestyle choices affect your cancer risk READ THIS

Empowering Your Immune System

We have all overcome cancer many times. Our immune system has protected us and will continue to do so, provided we give it the correct tools (nutrients) and conditions.

The biggest mistake a cancer patient can make is believing there’s nothing they can do to help themselves. The reality is that personal actions are more important than all the cancer treatments combined. This report provides proven strategies to help overcome cancer, achieve survival, and prevent recurrence.

Choosing the Right Care Team

Who you choose to treat you is as important as the treatment itself. Dr. Patrick Quillin, former Vice President of Nutrition for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, has highlighted that complications from malnutrition contribute significantly to cancer-related mortality, a concern echoed in recent research. For instance, a 2023 study published in the “Journal of Oncology Nutrition” underscores the ongoing challenges of malnutrition among cancer patients, exacerbated by treatment-induced appetite loss and metabolic alterations. The study emphasizes the importance of nutritional interventions in improving outcomes for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, which can cause severe appetite suppression and metabolic stress.2

Your body cannot fight back if it’s undernourished and your immune system is compromised. It is vital to receive super nutrition and choose a doctor willing to adopt a holistic approach, incorporating nutrition and supplementation alongside conventional treatments. Research supports that certain dietary and nutritional supplements can improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.

Changing the Conditions for Cancer

Cancer needs specific conditions to thrive: sugars, an acidic and anaerobic environment, and a compromised immune system.3 Altering these conditions increases the effectiveness of treatments and makes it harder for cancer to grow.

Mental Attitude Matters

Stress decreases the body’s ability to overcome disease by lowering the immune system. Emerging research suggests that a positive mental outlook may influence recovery outcomes, with recent studies highlighting links between mental well-being, stress management, and immune system functionality.4,5, Focusing on the good in life, practising gratitude, and fostering positive relationships can profoundly improve mental health and recovery.

Proven Strategies to Survive Cancer

1. Diet and Supplementation

Nourishing the body strengthens it to cope with cancer and treatments:

  • Eliminate harmful substances:
    • Refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup feed cancer and suppress the immune system.
    • Avoid preservatives, additives, alcohol, caffeine, red meat, and processed foods.
  • Increase beneficial foods:
    • Fresh fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, and cruciferous compounds.6,7
    • Juicing or pureeing vegetables (e.g., carrot, beetroot, celery, apple) to maximize nutrient absorption.
    • Drink 2 liters of good quality water daily to flush toxins and hydrate cells.
    • Consume quality proteins (e.g., fish, legumes, free-range chicken) and whole grains.
    • Incorporate probiotic foods (e.g., yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut).
  • Supplementation: Use whole-food, organic supplements for vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Research suggests supplementation can enhance conventional treatments without adverse effects.,8,9,10 For more on how supplementation can help you READ THIS

2. Reduce Toxins and Pollutants

  • Quit smoking and reduce alcohol, tea, coffee, and soft drinks.
  • Use natural deodorants and avoid chemical sprays.
  • Switch to stainless steel or glass cookware and avoid plastic containers.
  • Invest in a water purifier.

3. Increase Oxygen Levels

Cancer thrives in low-oxygen environments. Increase oxygenation through:

  • Deep breathing exercises.
  • Daily exercise, even light activity.
  • Supplementing with full-spectrum vitamin E to boost oxygen-carrying capacity.11

4. Balance pH Levels

Cancer thrives in acidic environments. Increase alkalinity by:

  • Eating more fruits and vegetables.
  • Drinking water with freshly squeezed lemon juice each morning.

Choosing the Right Treatment

Recent advances in oncology suggest that alternatives to traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy are gaining traction, particularly the use of repurposed drugs. For example, ivermectin and fenbendazole, originally developed as antiparasitic agents, have shown potential anticancer properties in preclinical studies.12 These drugs are believed to interfere with cancer cell metabolism and proliferation, offering a promising adjunct or alternative to conventional treatments. Additionally, treatments like immunotherapy and targeted therapies are increasingly being tailored to individual patient profiles, providing more effective and less toxic options. Patients are encouraged to explore these alternatives with their healthcare providers, ensuring a treatment plan aligned with the latest research and their specific needs. For more info on alternative treatments and drugs look at the Resources below

Detoxification Post-Treatment

Chemotherapy and radiation leave toxic residues in the body, which can cause secondary cancers.13,14 Detoxifying the body after treatments is crucial, especially for children with developing immune systems.

Taking Control

Your survival depends largely on you. The more informed you are, the better decisions you can make. There is overwhelming evidence showing it is possible to survive cancer and live a healthy life. Choosing an oncologist who integrates diet, supplementation, mental attitude, and exercise alongside conventional treatments will give your body the best chance to thrive.

References

  1. https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-many-cancers-linked-to-modifiable-lifestyle-risk-factors-8690109
  2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7694504
  3. Warburg, O. Science, vol. 123, no. 3191, pg 309, Feb 1956
  4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1948078
  5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6467795
  6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10084981/
  7. https://aacrjournals.org/cancerpreventionresearch/article/3/7/818/49496/A-Novel-Mechanism-of-Indole-3-Carbinol-Effects-on
  8. https://nypost.com/2024/12/04/lifestyle/pancreatic-cancer-patient-survival-doubled-with-high-dose-of-common-vitamin-study-finds
  9. Medical Xpress on Fish Oil Benefits
  10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8812486/
  11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26780276/
  12. https://covid19criticalcare.com/reviews-and-monographs/cancer-care/
  13. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/long-term-health-concerns/second-cancers-in-adults/treatment-risks.html
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK13999/
Recommended Reading
  • Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Phyllis A. Balch, 2006
  • Beating Cancer with Nutrition, Dr. Patrick Quillin, 2005
  • The Probiotic Revolution, Dr. Gary Huffnagle, 2007
  • The Rainbow Diet, Chris Woollams, 2008

Resources

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Heart Disease – Part 1 (revised Jan 2025)

Heart Disease – the world’s biggest killer

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2021 that “an estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019, representing 32% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke.”1

This is aggravated by the fact that as a country’s GDP increases, so does the incidence of HD2. This has dire consequences for developing countries like South Africa, India, China, etc. Deaths due to HD in low income countries = 103/100000 in 2011 while in high income countries it was 208/100000, a +100% increase! This is because as people’s incomes go up, they tend to eat more processed and pre-prepared foods. These statistics confirm what every health authority states: that HD is primarily caused by lifestyle choices. This means that changing our lifestyles changes our risk of HD.    

What is amazing is that the medical profession generally ignores this and treats HD with drugs that aren’t that effective and have many nasty side effects. It’s often safer, and much cheaper, to use natural remedies to control cholesterol, blood pressure and homocysteine – the major causes of HD.

In this, the first in a series of 3 articles on HD, we’ll take a look at cholesterol.

Does cholesterol cause HD?

Cholesterol is touted as the mother of all evils according to modern medicine. For the last 40+ years we’ve been told that cholesterol is the major cause of HD. We’ve been told that we eat too much cholesterol and that we need to cut out all fatty foods and only eat low fat/no fat processed foods. We need to check our cholesterol levels regularly and take statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) if our blood cholesterol levels are even slightly elevated. In fact, one prominent doctor in the USA has suggested that every adult should take a statin as a preventative measure! 

The truth is that there are now a number of major studies worldwide3,4,5 that show that our diet has nothing to do with our blood cholesterol levels. Nor does cholesterol cause HD! In 2018 a major review of studies concluded that “In our analysis of three major reviews, that claim the cholesterol hypothesis is indisputable and that statin treatment is an effective and safe way to lower the risk of CVD, we have found that their statements are invalid, compromised by misleading statistics, excluding unsuccessful trials, minimizing the side effects of cholesterol lowering, and ignoring contradictory observations from independent investigators.”6.

Why this massive bombardment of (mis)information portraying cholesterol as bad? Well, quite simply, because cholesterol is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide. Just think of all the cholesterol lowering drugs prescribed annually, all the cholesterol tests and all the low fat/no fat foods. All the margarines, cooking oils, mayonnaises, low fat dairy products, diet drinks and snacks, etc.  All of these are huge money spinners, so we’ll keep on getting told that cholesterol is the evil that causes HD.

Let’s look at what we’ve been told about cholesterol. Specifically, that it clogs the arteries, raising blood pressure and increasing the risk of HD. If this were true, why are only the arteries around the heart affected? Why not all the arteries in the body and all the veins? How come surgeons are able to take ‘clean’ arteries out of someone’s leg to bypass the blocked arteries around their heart? It doesn’t make sense, does it?

What is actually happening is that the arteries become inflamed, causing them to swell and restricting blood flow. Science is telling us that this is caused by an imbalance in our omega 3/omega 6 ratios. This ratio should be 1:1 but in developed countries, eating ‘western diets’, the ratio is 1:15/1:16.7 Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory, while omega 6 causes inflammation.  Western diets contain masses of omega 6. It’s in all the plant oils (sunflower, canola, palm, etc) that are found in just about every processed, packaged and baked foods. It’s also in all the maize derivatives like modified corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, etc., that are predominant ingredients in modern manufactured foods. High homocysteine levels also increase inflammation – see Part 3 for more info

The body tries to protect the wall lining of the arteries using cholesterol. It’s actually using cholesterol as a ‘band aid’ by laying down a protective layer of cholesterol over the inflamed areas. Currently, science isn’t quite sure why the arteries around the heart are the most susceptible to this inflammation, but they do know it’s happening. The question then is, does it make sense to treat the problem by trying to lower the cholesterol level? Surely it would be far more sensible to treat the cause of the problem, inflammation? One would think so, but something as simple as increasing the intake of omega 3 won’t make billions for the pharmaceutical, medical and food industries.       

 The sensible thing to do is to improve our diets, eliminating the processed foods (all of which contain huge amounts of omega 6 as already mentioned) and increase our intake of omega 3 and anti-oxidants, which also combat inflammation. 

Are Statins the answer?

What about using statins to reduce cholesterol levels? Well, firstly, studies show that they only reduce the risk of HD by ±0.05%. Not much to get excited about! What most people aren’t aware of is how statistics are manipulated. For instance, a study published to prove the efficiency of a major statin stated that the drug reduced the risk of HD by 30%. What they didn’t mention is that the actual risk was reduced from 0.05% to 0.03%! This infinitesimal benefit can never counter all the negative side effects of taking the drug. Statins have horrendous side effects, including dizziness, muscle and joint pains, memory loss, swelling (inflammation – the cause of the problem in the first place!), reduced immunity, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer. In addition, studies show that they have little or no benefit the older one gets.

On the other hand, there are literally thousands of studies showing the benefits of supplementing with omega 38,9  (a Google search of ‘omega 3 heart health’  yielded 13,5 million entries!), improving one’s diet and increasing exercise levels. All of which are free of side effects and not expensive. The bottom line is, there is no longer any justifiable reason why anyone would take, or prescribe, statins as a remedy for HD.

What can we do?

Here are the basic things we can do to keep our hearts healthy and control our cholesterol levels.

  • Clean up the diet. Cut down (best of all eliminate) processed, packaged and baked (biscuits, cookies, etc.) foods and eat more fresh fruits and veg. Use butter instead of margarine and olive oil instead of other plant oils. Become a label reader, if a product contains plant oils and un-natural (i.e. man made) substances, don’t buy it. Sugar also adds to inflammation in the body, so decrease your intake. Try to eat 80% good and only 20% bad – life doesn’t have to be dull and dreary!
  • Exercise more. Exercising helps the body rid itself of toxins, increases the heart rate (the heart is a muscle and, like all muscles, exercise makes it stronger) and gets more oxygen into the blood.
  • Supplement with
    • a good quality omega 3 supplement. Look for one containing all eight omega 3 factors and not just EPA and DHA.
    • a good anti-oxidant containing the full spectrum of carotenoids. Carotenoids are the brightly coloured pigments (the reds, yellows, oranges and dark greens) in fruit and veg. They are super anti-oxidants, protect the cells and help prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. Vitamin C and E are also powerful anti-oxidants with proven heart health benefits. Always look for organic, whole food based supplements for the best results.

For more information on health go to the Health News page

References

1. htthttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-cvds

2. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/index1.html

3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=rethinking+dietary+cholesterol

4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19852882

5. http:// http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20685950?dopt=AbstractPlus

6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17512433.2018.1519391?src=recsys#abstract

7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909

8. http://www.gnldcontent.com/omega3/SA/faseb.html

9. http://www.gnldcontent.com/omega3/SA/ACN.html     

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Heart Disease -Part 2

Hypertension

High blood pressure or hypertension (HT), often referred to as ‘the silent killer’, is another factor causing millions of deaths worldwide.   The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say one in three Americans over the age of 20 have hypertension. And over 40 million people wind up in hospital each year with it. These statistics are similar in all the developed countries and, as poorer countries GDP’s increase, so does the incidence of HT. It’s estimated that HT causes ±7 million deaths worldwide annually. Continue reading “Heart Disease -Part 2”

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Heart Health – Part 3

Homocysteine – the little known killer

 Few people are aware that Homocysteine, a blood amino acid, is far more likely to cause heart disease than cholesterol. In fact, a 2002 study published in the British Medical Journal found that a 5% increase in blood homocysteine levels increased the risk of heart attacks by 42%, strokes by 65% and deep vein thrombosis by 60%!1 Continue reading “Heart Health – Part 3”