7 Natural Ways to Fight Cancer

It’s been two months since they found a tumor on my mom’s lung and she still has not started treatment.  Why?  Because the lab in NJ (where my mother lived) refused to do the test on her biopsy tissue that would reveal the specific type of cancer cells she has.  Why?  Because, “they were afraid they wouldn’t get paid by Medicare.”

I’m too angry to really focus on that right now, so let’s keep this post positive.  Since she hasn’t yet start traditional medicine, I’ve been doing the following things based on articles and information friends, family and blog readers have sent me (thank you!) and hope they may help you too:

7 Natural Ways to Fight Cancer

1. Eat clean.  Cancer seems to love sugar, so we have cut out all processed foods and junk foods from her diet.  I have her eating blueberries and strawberries followed by eggs with turmeric for breakfast, salad with tomatoes and chicken for lunch and meat, potatoes and vegetables for dinner. For morning and afternoon snacks she eats either a small cup of yogurt, celery sticks with peanut butter or carrot sticks with hummus.  Here are some foods rich in antioxidants for your reference:  12 Cancer-Fighting Superfoods
2. Eat turmeric.

   

   Turmeric is a spice found in India and can be purchased as a spice in stores and also in pill form.  It’s used as an anti-inflammatory and has reduced cancer growth in animals.  Several clinical trials are being conducted to see if it will work on people.  It’s not known how much turmeric you need to consume to see any results, especially since it is difficult to absorb in the bloodstream, but it does stay in the intestines.  Since my mom’s stage 3, we figure it couldn’t hurt to try this.  So we’re putting 1 tsp of turmeric on her eggs every morning.  Here is an article about the medical benefits of this spice from the American Cancer Society:  Turmeric.

3. Drink green tea.

   

   This is a pretty well known cancer fighter.  Here’s some more info:  Benefits of Drinking Tea

4. Keep the weight on.  She lost 20 lbs. in six weeks, which really frightened me.  Although she needed to lose some weight, she needs all the strength she can get.  Last week I began giving her high protein Boost shakes (360 calories) between meals (two shakes per day).  She still lost weight, but this week it was only 1/2 a pound versus the 3 lbs. per week she was doing before.
5. Get vitamin D through sunlight.  This was suggested by my sister-in-law (along with eating clean.)  Her father-in-law also had lung cancer and was given 6 months to live.  He lived five years longer than that!  So we are taking short walks outside every day, about 10 minutes per day. If nothing else she’s getting a nice tan.  (And we’re using sunscreen.)
6. Exercise.

   

   Making matters more difficult, my mother fell and hurt her hip and knee on the day she moved from NJ to TX.  Under normal circumstances, the goal is to exercise 30 minutes every day.  For now I have her doing gentle flexibility stretches my physical therapist friend, Janice, gave me to help loosen her hip flexors.  I’m also having her do light strength training arm, shoulder and back exercises with 2 lb. weights to build up some lean muscle mass.  (My personal training certificate is coming in handy here…)

7. Laugh therapy.

   

   You can’t sit around and cry all day, but you can sit around and laugh for an hour or two.  We’ve been binge watching “Mom” and “The Big Bang Theory.”  Here are some reasons why this is helpful:  Laugh Therapy.

Hope that helps any of you fighting cancer!

And now some good news.  Mom starts radiation and chemo next week for her lung cancer (finally!)  I am seeking advice.  Do any of you (or your friends/family) who went through chemo and/or radiation therapy have any practical tips for getting through it? 

Thanks,

Lisa 

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