I've been reading this book Radical Remission over the past several weeks and I wanted to share some of the insights from it as I think it makes alot of sense.
The book talks about 9 key factors that can make a real difference for those of us with cancer.
1) radically changing your diet
this is really around the eat to live philosophy that i've read about before and partly why i changed my diet to alot of plant based foods during my first diagnosis. there's definitely ways to be more strict - eg: no sugar at all, zero alcohol - things to consider going forward. Also really restricting any processed foods and focusing on whole foods in your diet.
2) taking control of your health
this talked about more than just physical health - of course exercise is key, however healing also could including things like going to a naturopath doctor, going to a psychotherapist, going to an energy healer, even things like massage and acupuncture. mental, emotional and spiritual health is important too.
3) following your intuition
this was interesting - it was about quieting your mind through things like medication and guided imagery and then charting a course for yourself to heal based on your intuition. journalling can help too. it's about discovering what will help you heal from a holistic perspective. it could be something like a gratitude practice that you begin. or it could be other concrete actions too. it talked about how cancer is built up or blocked energy, that can be released.
4) using herbs and supplements
this section spoke about various herbs and supplements people have taken to help heal their cancer. something as simple as a probiotic to anti fungals and liver detoxifiers (eg: garlic, oil of oregano) and also immune system boosters - 12, vitamin C and D, tumeric, Green Tea etc. I could see the guidance of a naturopath being helpful here. Or - even pursuing chinese herbs/medicine.
5) releasing suppressed emotions
the next few sections I found super interesting! this section talked about how releasing stress actually builds your immune system. the key is to find a place a peace. at peace with dying and at peace with living. not an easy task but if you bring your body into neutrality it can be in rest and repair mode. so I need to let go of fear and uncertainty, and stay peacefully centred in the present moment - then my body has the ability to heal.
journalling can release emotions! you can even write something out and burn it (more on that later :))
also practice daily forgiveness of myself and others.
therapy is also very beneficial here :)
6) increasing positive emotions
this is pretty self explanatory but some ideas to do this were:
start and end day with gratitude!
find ways to smile and laugh each day - boost your immune system with comedy! and also surround yourself with people that energize you
also get active - get out in nature, dance, do meditation, call a friend
7) embracing social support
thing like wellspring, support groups, and ways to connect with others are so important and helpful for healing! i'm doing the healing journey class with wellspring right now and it's awesome.
8) deepening your spiritual connection
this section went into things like deep breathing, walking outside in nature, doing guided meditation and following guided imagery practices, as well as looking at things like daily prayer and spiritual groups.
9) having strong reasons for living
i loved this section. there are a few exercises suggested that I will do.
Write down how many years you want to live
Write down your ideal obituary of how you want to be remembered and what you have accomplished
Make a list of all your current reasons for living and enjoying life!
Think about what you'd change in your life - and make your remaining time on this planet as enjoyable as possible. - eg: career, relationships, hobbies, spirit
Have strong dreams and a desire to be well.
Think about what you'd regret not doing if you have 2 years to live?
Why do you want to stay alive?
What activities bring you energy and joy?
Great thought provoking questions that I will be journalling about :)
Some other quotes/insights:
be grateful for every day and do what you can to make a lot of good days happen!!!
What I am taking away from this is there is much more than just traditional treatment for cancer that can help you heal. Lots to think about and put into practice here for total healing.
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