Why a cure, by our definition, won't be found: Fight, don't Feed, Cancer

People pray for a CURE FOR CANCER or wonder why in this day in age there isn’t one.

Now that I’ve learned so much about cancer it seems silly to even think of it in terms of ‘finding a cure’. Society trains us to think that every health condition should be coupled with a straight forward cure.  But like most diseases, if you take the time to understand what cancer is and how it grows/endures, you learn two things.

(1) It doesn’t happen over night. Overtime, our bodies have trouble removing cancerous cells and they spread. (We ALL have cancer cells—but we have “Natural Killer Cells” that destroy them.) Cancer is discovered when those NK cells are no longer destroying cancer at a rate they are capable of.

(2) Cancer either grows and shrinks based on what our bodies allow. Cancer becomes life-threatening by spreading and there are scientifically-proven REASONS it spreads. We may not know them all or why it spreads to certain areas of the body when it does, but we know a LOT about what cancer feeds on and the environment allows it to thrive.

Isn't it crazy that this was discovered nearly 100 years ago yet as a society part of "being healthy" isn't being sure we keep our bodies in an alkaline state?

We get frustrated that there isn’t an injection or a pill to swallow to simply wipe out cancer. We even try chemo as an attempt to “wipe it out”. That would be nice, but if you look at all diseases—like autoimmune issues—you see that the problem isn’t that there is a foreign invader in your body that needs to be destroyed, it’s that your body has lost control and is being overthrown by cells who are no longer playing their proper role. Our bodies attack themselves.

When you understand that you also realize there is hope. You realize there doesn’t have to be a CURE discovered, but that you have to instead take a new approach and say, “What does my body need to get back on track? How can I help the good guys take back over my body?” And the good news is… We know a lot about the answer to that question.  

****The information shared by Michala Peterson, Pharm.D, is incredible if you or someone you know wants to understand what things cause cancer to thrive or die. Take time for it. Someone you know needs this information. I am happy to share the recording.****

Why I Choose Juice Plus+ as my Pre-Natal

It's not labeled a "pre-natal"; for that matter, it's not even a vitamin. But in my book, that is a plus.

I like natural. Most know that... So the automatic questioning I have for anything is, "Is this the way things were intended to happen naturally?" Because I believe in the power of both God and science. I think they are one in the same honestly... I think science is so complex because God created it and only something that mighty could create something so perfectly planned and well thought-out.

Today's world is full of artificials and shortcuts. I admit sometimes these options, at first glance, are way more appealing than their alternative. But I always come back to what was the way the world was created to work and can I take that route?

But let's also be clear that I'm not an All-Natural-Only-Nazi about life. I take each situation as its own and try to decide what will be best for me, my family and anyone else involved. For example, I wanted to have an all-natural birth, but after 50+ hours of labor and Lou being face-up... my options were to see if an epidural would relax my body enough for her to turn and come out... or a C-section. I chose the epidural and gratefully delivered a healthy baby without having my belly cut open. Every situation is its own.

So when it came to taking pre-natal vitamins, my immediate thought was, "When did this start? Pre-natals haven't always existed and there have been healthy babies for centuries." ...Followed by... "God did not create procreation with the idea we would need to assist our bodies in that creation." So why had pre-natals become a "must" in pregnancy?

It's because we want and need to make sure our bodies are getting everything they need to grow a healthy baby. Nothing wrong with that. I think it's wonderful that we are: 
(a) so aware of this and 
(b) science has allowed us to understand what those highly important things are we need when growing a new life 
But it only makes sense that God created us to naturally have what we needed...and I think if we were eating the way God intended we would. But the truth is, today, we don't eat healthy. Even when we try to...it's nearly impossible. Even if you are eating fruits and vegetables and whole foods, it's so hard to get ones not dowsed in GMOs and chemicals AND ones that have the nutritional content that existed a century ago. (Why do you think the recommended number of fruit and vegetable servings keeps going up?)

I truly believe eating whole foods--especially fruits and vegetables--is the key to our health; therefore I also believe it is the key to a healthy pregnancy. Juice Plus IS fruits and vegetables. AND it is not a supplement. There are more and more studies/revelations saying that vitamins aren't doing the wonders we thought and hoped because our bodies cannot absorb the nutrients at the levels vitamins provide so we end up sending out and wasting so much of what we put in with vitamins. 

Not only is Juice Plus+ not a vitamin, but it actually was studied specifically to see that it is 
(a) getting into the blood stream and 
(b) having a positive difference on cell regeneration. 
The studies say YES to both--and these are just some of the peer reviewed studies out there...Need I say more?!

When I first got pregnant, I was only using the Orchard and Garden blend Juice Plus+. Like any first-time Mom, I wanted the confidence I was doing as much right as I possibly could, so I didn't forego standard pre-natal vitamins and go with JP+ without researching the option. With folic acid being what was the most stressed piece of the "pre-natal" discussion I decided to add the Vineyard blend to my daily JP+ regimen. This would give me nearly double the amount of folic acid recommended--and I could know it was getting into my system, therefore my little one's.

I realize an apple or broccoli is the more natural choice than Juice Plus+, that's why we call it "the next best thing"...and not "exactly the same." I also realize that I could get regular pre-natals cheaper--possibly free. But again, sometimes the cheaper, more convenient option isn't the best route. 

I've continued to take all three JP+ blends since delivery and will continue to do so. You see, my other thought that occurred with my first pregnancy...what with all of the "pre-natal needs" and daily food recommendations through each trimester is... Why is it only in pregnancy that we should eat so well? Isn't the pregnancy "diet" a diet we should follow all of the time? Growing a life is important...but maintaining our own is pretty darn important also.

Editor's Note: I should note that I am not discouraging the use of pre-natals other than Juice Plus+. I simply find JP+ to be a wonderful, whole food option. I think it's wonderful anytime an expectant mother is taking JP+ even if it is in addition to other pre-natal vitamins. Any extra nutrition for that growing and developing baby is a blessing!

My Story: Seeking Perfection

I am such a lover of the Juice Plus+ products, but those who know me, know that I am the furthest thing from a sales person as one can get. In fact it stresses me out beyond belief. Despite the fact I sat side by side two of the best sales people I know for two years and heard every tactic and approach out there (I could coach someone to do sales no problem!), I still nerve out and babble if you ask me to sell and I give the prospect every possible out and am probably welcoming them to say "no".

So I have a hard time figuring out my approach to people I genuinely want to share Juice Plus+ with--whether I think their profession fits, their passion for good health or because they have health issues that I know Juice Plus+ could have help turn around. Sometimes I even feel guilty that I have not shared JP+ with certain people but my sales-aversion keeps me from it. The thing is, I know JP+ is a wonderful thing for everyone.

They say to tell your "story" when sharing Juice Plus+. Some people have great stories--and I love to hear them. People who were in pitiful health and made a complete turn around through Juice Plus+ and changing their diet to whole foods. People who beat the odds with cancer. People who got off years of medication. Children who kicked what doctors had thought would be life-long problems. But what do I have? A young woman who has always been pretty darn healthy, always eaten pretty decent and always been pretty fit? Why am I using Juice Plus+ and how do I know it's even doing anything for me?

Well today it struck me... "young woman"... Yes I still fit that bill, but at the same time... I am just over a year from entering the next decade of my life. A decade, when they say, I'll start seeing some of the "youth" of my body and its ability to recover from anything slip away. I am young...but not THAT young. And then the second thought hit me... When I started taking Juice Plus I was only 25. An age when anybody should be in great health--and I was. My story is that I am trying to write as perfect of a story as possible. I'm trying to hold on to that health as long as possible.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a very whole-food aware family eating organic veggies from our garden, shopping organic before it was easy readily available... steering clear of processed foods... And about the time I was really out "on my own" (two years out of college and spreading my wings) I was introduced to Juice Plus+. It helped me refocus on the importance of what we fuel our bodies with--not to mention I started using the products to increase my fruit and vegetable intake since I did not exactly have a large income to be buying the healthiest stuff in the world. 

It's been four years and it's actually exciting for me to realize that I have done this for myself for four years... I know JP+ is doing wonders for me because there are not just one, two or three--Over 30 and growing--published scientific research studies proving it IS doing something for me... And, well, to put it most simply, I trust science. 

What's most exciting for me is to think all the years I have ahead. Some people only find out about JP+ once sickness or disease strikes. I have it building in my system now and am creating such a foundation of good health. It's not to say I won't get sick or I won't encounter disease even. But this gives me the confidence that if/when I do... my body will handle it 100x better than it ever would have without this foundation I've built into my make-up for years. 

My victory story with Juice Plus+ isn't that I had a major turn around or recovery. It's that I plan to maintain my age 25 health for as long as possible. 

Confession: I Have the World's Biggest Sweet Tooth

It's true... I love sweets way more than any person who claims to be a "healthy eater" ever should and still claim to be "health conscious".

FitSugar.com: The Battle of Added and Natural Sugars

I'm not just any one kind of sweet tooth either. I love chocolate--all forms: brownies, hot chocolate, mochas, Valentine's Day chocolate, M&Ms, cookies... I'll stop before I have to go hunting around the house for a snack...

I love candy--suckers, skittles, suck-ons, mints, gummies, starbursts.....
I love ice cream--bars, cones, sherbet, frozen yogurt, soft serve, from a store, from a carton....
I love pastries--donuts, cupcakes, cookies, breads, scones, cakes...
I love drinks--lattes, cappuccinos, frappes, sodas, juices...

And even when I'm trying to be "healthy", I often attempt to 'disguise' my sugar-love... By getting a bagel instead of a donut...but getting the cinnamon sprinkled (+sugar) bagel... Or by eating oatmeal instead of Lucky Charms--but that instant oatmeal is full of sugar itself. 

But when it comes down to it, I KNOW... I know, know, know, sugar is terrible for me. There is absolutely nothing good about sugar for me... Nothing. The natural sugars in fruits, veggies, etc, are all my body needs. 

You’ll Stop Eating Sugar After Reading This Post

I know all of this, but, oh, how our world is filled with sugar. Sugar is even in the things we least expect, making it that much harder to cut out or steer clear of the sneaky sweetener.

It's funny, though, isn't it, that we are super concerned with keeping sugar away from our youngsters, yet we are completely OK with making the exception for ourselves? Is it because have fooled ourselves into thinking we only make our kids avoid it as to avoid the "sugar buzz" effect--and not the actual health aspect of it: that sugar is NOT good for our kids? Because if we face this fact, we must also face the fact that it is also NOT good for us!

My sister posted a link to this article and it's gotten me thinking about my sugar addiction--because, let's be honest, that's what it is. (Thank goodness Mingus and I try to keep most sugars out of our house, but I'm still amazed at the amount here...hot chocolate, ice cream, graham crackers, granola bars, canned fruit, yogurt...) 

I've been recently thinking about what I will give up for Lent this year. Luckily, Easter is coming late in 2014, making Ash Wednesday not come until March, meaning I have more time do make up my mind about my Lenten sacrifice (and I got to enjoy Valentine's Day sweets). Reading this post about sugar, and having a young baybo who will sooner rather than later be looking to me as an example, I think I have decided what I will do for Lent.

I would like to give up sugar completely. I really have no idea, though, how realistic this is and know going to an extreme like that is asking for failure. As slide #13 says, "Sugar is Sneaky". It's true. It has so many forms and names on labels. Of course, looking at the nutritional facts is the easiest way to find out sugar content. But how many things is sugar in that I don't even realize as I type this??

No Sugar, More Spice Blog

So, my goal over the next two weeks, before March 5, is to pay attention to labels--especially of the things I keep in the house and eat regularly. (Yes, yes...obviously I KNOW my instant oatmeal is out!) I will definitely cut out all obvious sugars--candy, ice cream. I will allow for honey as a sweetener as well as other natural sweeteners. As this article points out, it's the sugar we ADD to things that makes our intake level so poor. I think if I can go the 40 days of Lent with much LESS sugar--all while becoming aware of where it is hiding--it may help me at least cut back on the amount I consume after the fact. After all, Lent is how I learned to like to drink my coffee black! I found this blog to help keep me motivated.

How much does sugar run your life and you don't even think about it? Please take a moment to flip through these slides to read a little more into just how BAD sugar is for us--cancer stimulant, bad on our skin, addictive, an energy-suck, immune system killer and the REAL reason we're all FAT--the list goes on and on. Honestly, the cancer part scares me most, as I know too many people who get it and you never really know why... meaning I'm just as viable a candidate for it as anyone.

You don't have to go to the extreme of giving it up completely--I admit that's hard, but at least start becoming aware of the amount of sugar you consume on a daily basis and try cutting it out with some of the easier daily decisions--like in your beverages--skip the sugar in your coffee or pass on the soda. This article will help you figure out what sugar substitutes are actually OK for you--as opposed to those trying to pose as a positive alternative, when really they are no better, maybe worse. 

Everything begins with baby steps.

~~~~~~~~
Food for Thought:

"Sugar is added to dozens of foods you didn't know about, especially "healthy" options. A 2013 study by the University of Copenhagen shows that sugar actually aids the growth of malignant (cancerous) cells." -25 Reasons to Stop

"We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally." -Excessive Sugar

"Twenty years ago I wasn’t sure, but now there's little doubt in my mind  that artificial sweeteners can be far worse for you than sugar and fructose, and there is plenty of scientific evidence to back up that conclusion." -Sugar Substitutes

After 3 Years... I finally said, "I Do!"

Our relationship really began more than three years ago, but you were more just like a good friend that I took for granted. Either way there is no denying that you helped me grow and develop into the woman I became and even though I definitely went through an era of blowing you off more than embracing you, you were always there and I always knew you were an important part of my life.

Then, three years ago, I looked back to my roots and to the ups and downs myself and those close to me had been through. I knew it was time to bring you back into my life and embrace you and all you were willing to do for me. So I did. Healthy eating and getting the nutrients my body yearned for became a daily part of my life again, as well as my husband's (then boyfriend). With that, together we began eating healthy meals together, made from whole, raw fruits and vegetables. We set on a track to begin gardening and preserving our own foods. We also began taking Juice Plus+.

Source

My commitment to "walk the walk" about healthy eating really began three years ago, as Mingus and I were dating and his food allergies (no dairy, eggs, red meat) forced him to do a lot of in-home cooking. At this time I also began to understand that even with my best efforts to eat well, fruits and vegetables were miracle workers when it came to my health and getting enough on a daily basis was next to impossible. In addition to smoothies being part of "walking the walk", Juice Plus+ also became a part of this walk.

Most people need to be told to "walk the walk" if they are going to "talk the talk". I, on the other hand, have spent three years walking the walk and have finally taken up the courage to "talk the talk".

I'm the furthest thing from a salesman anyone could be as I don't even like to push my general opinions with people unless I know they are are on the same page as me. (Unless we're talking about the color purple. I'll always tell you it's the best color ever.) 

But after three years of learning about Juice Plus+ and making it a part of mine and my husband's life and knowing our good health is a results of it, I can no longer not talk the talk. So I made the commitment to no longer be scared to bring the product to other people, if for no other reason than to simply reinforce and educate people on the unbelievable things fruits and vegetables can do for our health and futures. Health solutions are not all about medications and drugs after the fact. Prevention is a lot easier and cheaper. 

We all know fruits and veggies are healthy for us, but I don't think most people understand the miracle workers they are--and how badly we ALL need MORE of them with the direction our overall health as a society is headed.

I have much to share overtime about Juice Plus+ and why I've chosen to take it, support it, and now share it, but here are the highlights:

• It's whole-food based nutrition (REAL fruits and vegetables, check the ingredients for yourself)
• Fruits and vegetables have important antioxidants and phytonutrients our bodies need that we cannot get through vitamins or anything besides the fruits and veggies themselves, but eating enough a day, everyday, is VERY hard. Juice Plus+ helps bridge the gap.
• Currently 29 Juice Plus+ published research studies have been conducted in leading hospitals and universities around the world proving its value--That's not to mention the studies that have not been published.
• It's not a multivitamin, medicine, treatment or cure for any disease. It's prevention and has been proven in numerous studies to improve poor health.

Juice Plus+ or not, start considering how you can get more fruits and veggies in your daily routine even if you're healthy as a horse. Future you will thank you.

A Cart Full of Junk

I had a realization about myself on a shopping trip this week. Mingus was prepping for a four-day camping trip and I was having a couple of girl friends down, so I wasn't on a regular grocery trip. It was definitely a defined list of items he need (wanted) for camping and some things I knew my friends and I would enjoy (as well as I few easy dinner/snack items for the days when I was home solo). 

As I pushed my cart around Walmart I became more and more self-conscious about its contents and the items I was adding to it. What a disaster. Soda, hot dogs, oatmeal cream pies, bacon, white buns, chips, cinnamon rolls....Yikes! By the time I was through I looked at my cart and I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a junk-filled trip. 

Now, in the back of my mind I knew a few self-redeeming things about this trip:

1. There were some OK things in the cart: oranges, grapes, potato salad...
2. Our trips are never very produce section heavy... Why? Because we rely on our garden for our produce for the most part. A bulk of our food--even meat--we produce ourselves. We eat whatever we have in season. And while I am glad people shop out of the produce section, I find comfort in knowing we have our home-grown goods, which I know exactly how they were grown--chemical free.
3. This particular trip was a one of a kind.... Filled with items we NEVER buy, but I'm fine with letting me or Mingus splurge on junk when it's a rare fun event with friends.

Despite these things, I still felt like the crazy pregnant lady with the food I was buying. That's when it hit me that what was bothering me wasn't about fatty, sugary or high calorie foods. It was about the literal JUNK in the "foods" (if you can call some of it that) in my cart. To think people thought The JUNK in these things would be going into my body,and, in turn, into my baby's as well. 

Because of my small frame, I've always been fortunate to not have to worry much about my weight. I've had more and more friends, as I get older, pay attention to calories or certain diets in order to lose weight. I respect that--I hope I would/will have the discipline to follow a strict diet if I find myself in a situation of gaining too much weight. 

No, it's not about the fact I wasn't buying low-fat, low-sugar, low sodium, weight-watcher friendly items. I realized what bothered me about this trip wasn't the lack of health labels on the items in my cart. It was what FDA doesn't require: all of the bizarre, weird, unpronounceable junk listed under "ingredients"--and worse off, the randomness that goes into those things that aren't required on the label. 

It's what makes me eat an oatmeal cream pie and, while loving it, still asking myself exactly what makes it sooo good and last for months on end without going bad. It's what makes me gag a little when I drink too much soda, wondering what exactly goes into the sugary syrupy substance that makes it sweet. It's what makes me not even want to look at the ingredients list when I know I already know it's incredibly too long full of things no common person has ever heard of. 

All I can think of looking at a cart like I was pushing are the chemicals going into my body, my husband's body and my baby's growing body. And the thing is, I know that by eating all of the junk in my cart I probably won't see immediate effects (maybe a tummy ache if I ate it all at once).  My fear is the future. 

It seems new allergy problems are becoming common on a regular basis in our society. More and more people experience heart and health problems at an earlier age. That's not to mention cancer--something it seems no one can hide from. I can't help but wonder and fear, as I eat things full of weird ingredients, that I am setting myself up for a future of dealing with weird food intolerance, other health issues, or heaven forbid, cancer. 

I am far from a "perfect" eater. I have the world's worst sweet tooth, salty foods call my name, and I've definitely used pregnancy as a crutch for my ice cream weakness. As terrible as it is, I love McDonald's french fries. I do put bad things in my body. But I do usually feel badly about it and I try my very best to balance these impulses with also eating fresh goodness from our garden, taking my Juice Plus and putting off the time until my next splurge.

Despite your weight or body type, start taking some note of the extra "junk" you are putting in your body. You don't have to become a saint about leaving it out, but remember there are so many unknowns about what effects these things we consume are having on our bodies and health. The least you can do is be sure you are balancing out the bad with plenty of good: lots of organic fruits and vegetables.