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. 

Sugar Count? ...Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' Dat!

I will start off by admitting I do not have numbers for you this week. And I will also admit that while I did better in some aspects this week, I did much worse with the overarching goals: No Sugar.

Well, I think I did worse at least... While I did continue to track my food and sugar content this week, the problem came in the fact Mingus packed LouLou "over the river and through the woods" to Mamaw's house in Indiana. 

While Mingus and I are very conscious of our food intake and working to get good nutritional value (and keep out the bad stuff), we are far from perfect. This means, when we travel, usually fast food is involved. That's where things got dicey this week. Over the three days we were away from home we had Long John Silvers, Chick-Fil-A and Arby's. Additionally, we also ate Mexican out with the family. It's not that we indulged in treats on any of these occasions. I even passed on Chick-Fil-A's Polynesian Sauce after I looked at the ingredients and saw that high fructose corn syrup was the first thing listed. (I shouldn't be surprised at all, but it was still a major disappointment... I love that stuff!) We skipped sodas and really we just ate sandwiches and fries on all occasions (minus the Mexican of course). But based on what I am learning about sugar's sneaky ways of getting into our foods, something tells me those sandwiches and fries had sugar in them--at least to some extend, if not a major extent. 

I know I probably could spend a good chunk of time with Dr. Google and find out the exacts on everything I ate, but, really... Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.

In addition to the fast food, we weren't overly picky about the food that was available to us and I'm sure we picked up a little extra sugar in things like the peanut butter I ate or the crescent rolls for breakfast.

Next confessions: I used my once a week cheat allowance.

32oz Frozen Margarita: 156g Sugar Source

Mingus and I split a frozen margarita... Although we didn't exactly split it as half of it was remaining when we left the restaurant. Neither of us had had one in ages. For whatever reason, I felt better about this being my 'cheat' than something like cake. Maybe, because it's truly something I rarely indulge in and in the big scheme of things, when Lent is over, I hope to avoid indulging in sugary treats on a regular occasion (ie, any time the opportunity presents itself) and only for the rarities. The margarita is a perfect example: something I don't have the opportunity to enjoy too often. (The fact Mingus and I agreed, together, to allow this cheating moment also made it feel OK. He and I are in this together.)

Since it was my 'cheat', I did look up the sugar content of the margarita. I found that a standard 32oz drink has 156g of sugar!! Wowzers! Luckily, Mingus and I only had a 20oz drink... But only drank half of it (10oz) and I (at most) had half of that (5oz)... Which means I had approximately 24g of sugar. Still...so much sugar from 5oz!

Considering what this week could have meant... I did really well. Before our margarita splurge we'd attended our nephew's 4th birthday party, complete with a beautiful cake and scrumptious looking cupcakes. I originally thought this would be my cheat... But when it came time for cake cutting, it just didn't seem worth it. Probably the harder temptation to turn down this week was a brownie... Ooooh brownies. Nothing gets me quite like a ooey, gooey, chewy brownie full of chocolate goodness... But I resisted nonetheless.

At home, everything actually progressed (if that makes up for the weekend at all..) The only bad sugar I consumed came from ketchup, hot dog buns and one can of Campbell's soup. All other sugar was primarily natural occurring with a few things that had natural sweeteners like honey and agave syrup.

What I have learned is what a HUGE amount of sugar--naturally occurring sugar--we get from our fruits. It's crazy actually and when you do realize this, you truly understand why there is absolutely no reason to add sugar to your diet. Our bodies do need some, yes, but when you can easily get more than enough from a single apple, the refined sugars are completely uncalled for. I eat raisins practically everyday because of my oatmeal which means I'm probably getting over 20g of sugar just from that!

Source

If you are more of visual person, this blog post gives a very simple and easy to understand picture of how much sugar we get from fruits, as well as from other foods. Take a look...then consider what you're eating for breakfast... or what you are feeding your kids for breakfast. 

Source

On to another week... No major traveling happening so hopefully I'll be back on track!