Vol. 29 No.2
winter 2013
“ The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body. “ Dr Bruce H. Lipton
wellness, support, information and healing 24 Hour Cancer Support Line (08) 9384 3544
www.cancersupportwa.org.au
wellness news
Wellness News is published by Cancer Support WA and distributed free to members. Wellness News is dedicated entirely to publishing informative, inspiring and helpful articles related to wellness and healing. The magazine is for people with cancer and other serious health issues; for people who want to maintain their good health naturally; and for integrative and natural health professionals who are looking for a deeper understanding of wellness.
editorial & production... Editor & Design Mandy BeckerKnox mandy@cancersupportassociation.org.au Advertising/Sponsorship Adam Bennett adam@cancersupportwa.org.au Distribution To our dedicated volunteers – thankyou, your efforts are sincerely appreciated!
contact...
e info@cancersupportassociation.org.au ph (08) 9384 3544 f 9384 6196 a 80 Railway St Cottesloe WA p PO Box 325 Cottesloe WA 6911
social media...
www.cancersupportwa.org.au Facebook: Cancer Support WA Twitter: CSAWA1
disclaimer The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cancer Support WA and should not be construed as medical advice. Cancer Support WA encourages readers to be discerning with information presented and make treatment, dietary and lifestyle choices in consultation with a team of health-care professionals. © Copyright of all articles and images remains with individual contributors.
a new cancer support wa blog for daily news news & inspiration Dear members and friends, I’d like to welcome you to this edition of Wellness News magazine and also to our fresh, new blog we recently launched featuring Cancer Support WA’s wellness team and invited guest contributors who collectively specialise in every aspect of cancer wellness. Much like our Cottesloe welness centre and our print magazine, our blog brings together healers, nutritional experts, naturopaths, counsellors, integrative cancer specialists, spiritual teachers and others all sharing their wisdom and healing insights to inspire and support you on your cancer wellness journey. Our wellness team knows what it takes to be well, to be happy and to heal. Some of our team have faced a terminal cancer diagnosis themselves and survived, some of us have worked in the field for decades – together we know exactly what it takes! It is our purpose to share our knowledge, wisdom and bring joy and support to people in their difficult times. What we know about cancer is that healing is not an overnight process. It is a daily commitment to being well and there are many ups and downs along the way. We also know that regardless of the treatment path you choose to take, everyone does better with a supportive, loving team, the right information at the right time and when you belong to a community. Cancer is a universally difficult journey. It is tough knowing there is no one cause and no easy cure. The key to healing is your commitment to take consistent action. It’s not about taking huge steps and making sweeping changes, it’s about little steps done over and over again. It’s about never giving up and being an inspiration to yourself and to others around you. As motivational guru Tony Robbins says, “Ordinary efforts consistently applied yield extraordinary results.” So how do you choose which methods of healing and lifestyle changes are best for you? Our magazine and our new blog will help you answer this question to an extent. Choice is a very personal thing though and there is noone on earth who can or should tell you what to do. Cancer Support WA’s new blog is a resource to help you stay on track, believe in yourself and your innate ability to heal, helping you to find the inspiration within and in the world around you. By subscribing to our blog you become part of a caring, committed online community supporting each other on the path of wellness. We welcome you and look forward to walking beside you and helping you along the way. Mandy BeckerKnox Chief Executive Officer
blog: cancersupportwa.wordpress.com
INTRODUCTION
wellness, support services and healing Cancer Support WA is the only cancer wellness organisation in WA which directly supports people through every stage of every type of cancer. For almost 30 years, Cancer Support WA has helped and supported thousands of West Australians with cancer to achieve wellness and healing. Cancer Support WA is a pioneer of the “wellness approach” to cancer which integrates wellbeing therapies such as nutrition, exercise and meditation with mainstream treatment.
Cancer Support WA
During 2013 and 2014 major works will occur on the Wanslea site and will see many of Cancer Support WA’s core services conducted at the nearby Cottesloe Civic Centre and also our Armadale venue, Kookaburra Creek Yoga Retreat Centre.
Information & Resources • Library & Resource Centre • Cancer Wellness Handbook • Cancer Care Packs • Wellness News magazine • Moss Reports • Referral Network
Wellness Program • • • • • • •
5 Week Wellness Courses 1 Day Cancer Wellness Workshop Emotional Wellbeing Workshops Guest Speaker Program Inspired Living Series Regular Classes and Sessions 1 Day Retreats
the healing gift We often equate loss, destruction of our existing structures and broken relationships with pain, but when we surrender and trust the breaking because we understand that it is a necessary part of our self discovery and spiritual evolution, the pain that is the "resistance" is no longer there and the grief instead of being devastating is held in the loving arms of peace.
Support Services
• Support Groups – Cancer Wellness Support Group – Grief & Loss Support Group – Women’s Healing Circle • Wellness counselling for emotional wellbeing • Mentoring • 24 hour cancer support phone line • Financial counselling • Advance care planning
Community Events
• Annual Concert • Healthy Habits Week • Healing and Meditation Outreach Program • You Are Beautiful Exhibition • Adventure Travel Program
what’s on
at Cancer Support WA Download Cancer Support WA’s 48 page 2013 Program from our website www.cancersupportwa.org.au or phone our 24 hour Cancer Support Phone Line (08) 9384 3544 to have a copy posted to you. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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about Wellness News mind-body healing integrative therapies lifestyle & environment inspiring personal stories current news & information nutrition & recipes inspirations Welcome to the Winter 2013 Print Edition of Wellness News. This edition is inspired by the more introverted season of winter which for us means the season of inner reflection, deep healing, self care and nurturing. Wellness News is unique in that it is an extremely positive, uplifting, intelligent and beautiful publication focusing on wellness, healing and the environment. Wellness News is designed to offer hope and life-enhancing wellness strategies for people who may be seriously ill, and a broad spectrum of information for people interested in maintaining good health. Wellness News articles are commissioned or sourced from highly regarded international journals, publications and websites and are divided into seven key areas for complete cancer wellness and healing: mind-body healing; integrative therapies; nutrition and recipes; inspiring personal stories; lifestyle and environment; current news & information; inspirations. Topics covered are spirituality, healing modalities, complementary therapies, integrative medicine – balanced with inspirational stories, recipes and the latest nutrition and wellness trends, and also information on how the environment can impact on health and wellbeing. We place great value on personal cancer stories for their insight into how people manage in challenging circumstances. Also important to our balance of content is poetry and art for the healing potential of words and images. Visually, our magazine is designed to inspire the healing spirit. Please enjoy this edition!
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
contents... news & information What’s on at Cancer Support WA in 2013. . . . . . . . 6 Cancer Support WA Timetable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Stress doubles cancer risk. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 8 Meditation lowers risk of disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Today Tonight Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Anxiety lingers long after cancer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 New titles in Cancer Support WA library. . .. . .. 30 You are Beautiful Exhibition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
mind-body healing What really leads to change in people’s lives?.20 Mind over genes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Hands-on miracles: more questions than answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Patient yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 A healing intent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
integrative therapies Taking charge of cancer. One day at a time. . . 13 Beating cancer with nutrition. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 19 Healing with nature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Cancer breakthrough: probiotics may counter chemo damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
5 Suggestions to improve your gut health . . .. Discover the secrets of super foods. . . . . . . . . . . . The year of quinoa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 herbs for anxiety & stress reduction . . . . . . . . .
43 44 46 48
Learn strategies to regain health and find your life purpose. Simple to use and you can apply them right away. Tuesday 3rd Sept 6pm-8pm
inspirations What if . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . Change . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . Freedom is letting go . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. At the end. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .
Michelle Alexander Life Skills to Overcome Cancer
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recipes
Curried veggies and quinoa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warm mushroom, brown rice & rocket salad. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. Cauliflower soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power protein smoothie. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. Acai smoothie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scott Russell Hill Opening to Spirituality Well known psychic and author, Scott provides deep and fascinating insights into life purpose and spirituality. Tuesday 1st Oct 6pm-8pm 46
HELEN FROST Cancer & Nutrition
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Give yourself more time, more quality, more hope using nutrition and food to prevent and fight cancer. Tuesday 5th Nov 6pm-8pm
personal story Peta Hurley – I am Invincible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ALI JARDINE The Colour of Health Ali will show you how colour in your environment and food relates to health and wellbeing. Tuesday 3rd Dec 6pm-8pm
No charge. Bookings essential: www.cancersupportwa.org.au
The Daphne Grobicki Bursary The Daphne Grobicki Bursary Fund was established through a generous bequest made in 2013 by Ted Grobicki in honour of his beloved wife Daphne. The Daphne Grobicki Bursary Fund is the legacy of Daphne’s selfless wish for others, and will cover the entire program costs for eligible Cancer Support WA members to attend the Gawler Foundation Residential Program in Victoria. Cancer Support WA members who wish to attend the program, but are unable to afford it, are invited to apply for a $2,000 bursary. If you would like further information about the Daphne Grobicki Bursary Fund or wish to apply please talk directly with a Cancer Support WA Facilitator, or call (08) 9384 3544. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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CONTENTS
nutrition & food
our upcoming guest speakers
reiki community clinic Monday evenings 7pm-8.30pm The International Institute for Reiki Training (IIRT) and Reiki Association (WA) Inc. have partnered with Cancer Support WA to provide reiki as a community service to our members and the broader West Australian community.
Cancer Care Pack The Cancer Care Pack is a new initiative of Cancer Support WA and is a valuable resource for people in WA diagnosed with cancer this year. Thanks to generous donations received from our supporters, the Cancer Care Pack valued at more than $200 is available for free to anyone newly diagnosed. Each Cancer Care Pack contains: • Gift Card for major retailer to help ease the financial burden of cancer. • Beautiful plain dyed 100% silk scarf to wear during the period of hair loss associated with chemotherapy or to simply bring colour and comfort. • Book: Living Simply with Cancer by Ross Taylor. An invaluable resource written by an author who beat a diagnosis of terminal melanoma. • Cancer Wellness Handbook for People Diagnosed with Cancer. • Relaxation and Meditation CD by Cathy Brown. An aid to help restore peace and wellbeing. • Gift Voucher to attend 1 Day Cancer Wellness Workshop for People Newly Diagnosed. • 2 Wellness News magazines. • Cancer Support WA Program & Information. If you have been diagnosed with cancer recently, please get in touch to receive a Cancer Care Pack. Call our 24 hour Cancer Support Phone Line or order on our website www.cancersupportwa.org.au
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
Reiki is an energy based therapy which promotes healing and overall wellness. A trained, accredited reiki practitioner uses his or her hands to transmit energy to the recipient. Reiki has been proven to help with pain management, relaxation and the side effects of cancer treatment. Reiki healing sessions are also available to people with cancer, who are unable to travel, in their homes or hospital through our Reiki Outreach Program. Reiki in this context can be profoundly relaxing and help the recipient to be at peace. Please phone to enquire or make a booking. Bookings essential for Monday Clinic. Two 30 minute timeslots available: 7pm-7.30pm and 7.45pm-8.15pm. Initial consultation is free, subsequent bookings $15. Book online. Tuesday afternoon sessions are for 15 minutes and there is no charge.
healing & reiki outreach home or hospital visits Reiki is a gentle healing art which brings peace and calm to the recipient. At the end of life, reiki can potentially help with the process of healing, forgiveness and acceptance. In partnership with the International Institute for Reiki Training, reiki and meditation practitioners are able to visit homes or hospitals to provide a reiki session or guided meditation for people who are terminally ill and/or their family members. This is a free community service. Please phone the 24 hour Cancer Support Phone Line or see our website for more information.
Please check website before attending as venues and times ocassionally change Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
8-9am Wellness Walking Group Free
10am-12pm Cancer & Carers Support Group Free
9.30-11am Meditation Made Easy $5/$10
12-1.30pm Reiki Clinic Free
9.30am-4pm Counselling (Individual, Family, Group) $50/$75 9.30am-11.00am Healing Yoga $10
11am-12pm Tai Chi $5/$10
1.30-3.30pm 5 Week Journey to Wellness $100/$150*
7-7.30pm Reiki Clinic $15
1-4pm Counselling $50/$75
7.45-8.15pm Reiki Clinic $15
4-5pm 5 Week Absolute Beginners Yoga $50/$75*
10.00am-12.00pm Women’s Healing Circle Support Group for women 1.30pm-3.00pm Qi Gong $5/$10
Thursday 9.30am-4pm Counselling (Individual, Family, Group) $50/$75 9.30am-10.45am Gentle Healing Yoga $5/$10 1-3pm Grief and Loss Support Group Free 1.30-3.30pm 5 Week Eating for Recovery Course $100/$150*
Friday 9.30am-4.30pm 1 Day Cancer Wellness Workshop – Meeting the Challenge 1st Friday of each month Cottesloe. See monthly program for Armadale, Mandurah and Joondalup dates. Free/$50* Sessions from 10am Reflexology $50
4-5pm 5 Week Introduction to Meditation Course $50/$75*
4-6pm Sound Healing $18/$25 3rd Tuesday of each month 6-8pm Special Guest Speaker 1st Tuesday of each month
Cancer Support WA 80 Railway St, Cottesloe
Cottesloe Civic Centre 109 Broome St, Cottesloe
Located centrally in Cottesloe, Cancer Support WA is on the grounds of Wanslea, also housing North Cottesloe Primary School.
Located 2 minutes from Cancer Support WA, the Cottesloe Civic Centre is located in tranquil grounds overlooking the sea.
Nearest main intersection: Eric St. Nearest train station: Grant St 15 minutes from Fremantle 25 minutes from CBD (by car)
Nearest main intersection: Eric St. Nearest train station: Grant St 15 minutes from Fremantle 25 minutes from CBD (by car)
Kookaburra Creek Yoga Centre 210 Carradine Rd, Bedfordale
Kookaburra Creek Yoga Centre is a serene and peaceful centre in the hills outside Armadale. Nearest intersection: Albany Hwy. Nearest train station: Armadale 5 minutes from Armadale 40 minutes from Fremantle 40 minutes from CBD (by car)
Cost: members price / public price * = 1 full year membership included in fee Other venues. Check program. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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TIMETABLE
weekly timetable
in the news...
Stress doubles cancer risk
Women who suffer stress are twice as likely to develop breast
cancer, a study suggests. Worries about work and family, which lead to tension, fear, anxiety and sleep disturbance, appear to raise the risk of suffering the disease later in life. The damaging effect of stress is on a par with recently documented dangers of taking HRT – which also doubles the risk of breast cancer. The findings also help to explain the rises in breast cancer incidence – but the results are controversial, as the study is the best evidence so far of the power of feelings to trigger disease – a theory which is discounted by many medics. Doctors from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden, carried out a 24-year study of almost 1,500 women to make the unprecedented findings.Their research was presented at the European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen in May. The group of healthy women aged 38 to 60 were examined by doctors 35 years ago, during 1968 and 1969. They were also questioned about their stress levels over the previous five years. Women had follow-up examinations during 1974, 1980 and 1992. After the final check-ups, doctors compared which women had suffered more breast cancer. Those who had reported stress for a month or more during the five years preceding the start of the study had double the risk. Other factors which would almost certainly increase the risk of disease – including smoking, weight, alcohol intake, age of first pregnancy and age at the menopause – were all taken into account. Yet still the increase in breast cancer risk remained, with stress the only obvious causal factor.
FREE for new members
Lead author Dr Osten Helgesson said: “This study showed a statistically significant, positive relationship between stress and breast cancer.” Out of 1,350 women for whom there was complete data, 456 reported stress and 24 of them – or 5.26 per cent – developed breast cancer. A total of 894 said they had no stress and 23 – or 2.5 per cent of them – developed the disease. However, Dr Helgesson said one weakness was the study did not try to pinpoint exactly how much stress was needed to cause the disease. He added: “I would emphasise that more research needs to be carried out before it can be said that stress definitely increases a woman’s risk.” Some experts believe the link could be due to hormonal changes which the body undergoes at times of stress. Breast cancer is largely a disease driven by the hormone oestrogen, and it is possible that feelings of stress could cause changes in hormone levels which then affect healthy cell growth within the breast. Stress is thought to lead to changes in the immune system – which could damage the body’s ability to kill off cancerous cells, allowing disease to proliferate. Delyth Morgan, chief executive of the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said:“Further research is needed before any direct association between stress and increased breast cancer risk is confirmed.” F
From: www.dailymail.co.uk/health, May 2013
1 Day Cancer Wellness Workshop for people diagnosed with cancer
Our powerful, informative 1 Day Cancer Wellness Workshop is the first step on your cancer wellness journey. The workshop is suitable for anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer and their partners or carers looking for balanced, holistic information on how best to meet the challenges of cancer and integrate wellness strategies, nutrition and natural healthcare into your cancer care plan.
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1st Friday of each month at Cancer Support WA, Cottesloe. 9.30am-4.30pm. Includes morning tea. Book online: www.cancersupportwa.org.au
Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
IN THE NEWS
Rachel Kierath
Strongest study yet shows meditation lowers risk of disease Most doctors say meditation can’t hurt you, but now there’s reassuring evidence that it may help you as well when it comes to warding off disease. Previous studies have linked better health outcomes among heart patients who practiced meditation compared to those who did not, but none of those trials could definitively credit the brain-focusing program with the better health results. In the latest trial to address those limitations, however, meditation does appear to have an effect on reducing heart attack, stroke and even early death from heart disease. “The main finding [of our research] is that, added on top of usual medical care, intervention with a mind-body technique – transcendental meditation – can have a major effect on cardiovascular events,”says Robert Schneider, lead author on the study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. He and his colleagues followed 201 men and women who were randomly assigned to participate in either a health education class about heart-friendly diet and exercise, or to attend a transcendental meditation program. Transcendental meditation involves shutting out the outside world and focusing thoughts inward, or resting while remaining alert. All of the participants continued to receive their normal medical care as well, including appropriate medication. After roughly five years of follow-up, the researchers found a 48% reduction in the overall risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause among members of the meditation group compared to those from the health education group. The meditating group enjoyed an average drop of 4.9 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure compared to the control group and also reported less stress and less anger. “It’s like discovering a whole new class of medications,” Schneider says of the power of meditation in improving the patients’ health. On the surface, it’s intuitively obvious that stress management can affect heart health for the better; anxiety and stress cause blood pressure to shoot up and leave us on edge, triggering spikes in heart-harming stress hormones like cortisol. But many experts are skeptical of the alleged benefits of techniques such as meditation that claim to reduce stress by a substantial amount. The great lengths to which the researchers of the Circulation study went to make their trial scientifically rigorous, however, should reinforce the results. The scientists adjusted for the effects of weight, smoking behaviour, exercise and diet, all of which can influence heart attack, stroke and early death rates.
Featured on Today Tonight Cancer Support WA members and You
Are Beautiful participants Rachel Kierath and Lisa Taylor were recently featured on Channel 7’s Today Tonight program. Rachel Kierath shared her remarkable cancer healing story. Diagnosed with aggressive, secondary breast cancer during pregnancy Rachel opted to keep her baby, despite medical advice to terminate, and to focus on using nutritional and natural therapies. Rachel Taylor shared her cancer story from a carer’s perspective. Her father was diagnosed with secondary melanoma when Lisa was only 10 years old. Less than a decade later, Lisa’s fiance was diagnosed with brain cancer and she cared for him until he died. Both Rachel and Lisa are featured in Cancer Support WA’s You Are Beautiful exhibition and website of portraits and stories.
Watch the interview online. You will find the link on the media page at: www.youarebeautiful. cancersupportwa.org.au
Lisa, Ross & Kathy
Taylor
While the findings aren’t likely to resolve questions over whether meditation should become a standard part of chronic disease care, the results should give more doctors confidence in discussing the practice with their patients and providing scientifically based information that’s an improvement over the advice that “it can’t hurt to try.”
From: www.healthland.time.com, November 2012
Mandy BeckerKnox, CEO
Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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Anxiety lingers long after cancer Unlike depression, anxiety has not been looked at extensively in the long-term cancer population, and even less so in partners. From the shock of the cancer diagnosis onward, depression can
take its well-documented toll on patients. Even patients who appear to pack away their fears during the grinding treatment journey to becoming cancer-free concede that when the regimen ends, they unspool emotionally. There has been less attention paid to the disease’s emotional impact on spouses. They, too, can become depressed. But with the roles of caregiver and cheerleader thrust upon them, they may feel constrained about expressing their darker feelings. Now a new analysis finds that within two years of a cancer diagnosis, the pervasiveness of depression in patients and their spouses tends to drop back to roughly the same levels as in the general population, only to be replaced by another mind-demon: anxiety, which can even intensify as time passes. The analysis, which looked at 43 studies involving 51,381 patients with a range of cancers, found that over all, nearly 18 percent of patients experienced serious anxiety two to 10 years after their diagnosis, compared with about 14 percent of the general population. But in a cluster of studies that looked at couples, anxiety levels in that time frame grew to as high as 28 percent in patients and 40 percent in their spouses. “Anxiety is a persistent problem long after the cancer has been diagnosed,”said Dr. Alex J. Mitchell, the lead author of the study, which appeared in The Lancet Oncology, and a senior lecturer in psycho-oncology at the University of Leicester in England. Psycho-oncologists, often based at cancer centers, look at the psychological and social effects of cancer on patients during and after treatment. Unlike depression, anxiety has not been looked at extensively in the long-term cancer population, and even less so in partners. “It appears to be at least equal and perhaps more of a problem for spouses than patients,” Dr. Mitchell said. “But at least in the U.K., we’re poor at helping family members when the patient is affected.” People who have not confronted a life-challenging illness may be perplexed by the residual anxiety in patients, long after they have successfully completed treatment. “They think that when it’s over, it should be over,” said Jane Hyman, 66, a retired elementary school principal, who was treated for breast cancer 16 years ago. “But the downside to
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
being further out is that I’ve known many people who have had cancer more than once. “ Her body works like an unconscious calendar. In early June, she becomes edgy and nervous and begins staying awake till 2 a.m., reading. Then she and her husband check their real calendars and, sure enough, her annual checkup is just a few weeks away. Dr. Laura B. Dunn, a professor of psychiatry and director of psycho-oncology at the University of California, San Francisco, said that although cancer is increasingly labeled a chronic illness, “it’s different from arthritis in that it’s more of a chronic threat. Some of us are wired to be attuned to threat.” The anxiety is understandable, she said, because “no one can guarantee you a cancer-free survival.” “Some people can say, ’Yeah, it might recur, but I can’t control that,’ and they live their life anyway,” she continued. But others, because of genes, past experience or temperament, have more difficulty doing that, she said, and “the anxiety may not decrease over time.” Dr. Mitchell said that in his clinical practice, key predictors of anxiety in family members included whether a caregiver felt out of control and unable to participate in the patient’s care; witnessed an unexpected or unpredictable deterioration of a loved one; and“transitioned from being in an equal relationship to being a caregiver, a role you didn’t ask for.” In at least two of the studies, more women than men turned out to have greater rates of anxiety. In a prostate cancer study, more spouses than patients experienced it, while in a study of gynecological cancers, the patients tended to be more anxious than their spouses. A couple’s ability to manage anxiety may be more challenging when men are the patients, said Dr. Dunn, because the husband “doesn’t want to worry his wife with every ache and pain, so he doesn’t mention them. And he doesn’t want to be micromanaged over every little symptom. But if the wife finds out, she’ll worry even more because he didn’t tell her.” The analysis did not identify certain cancers as having more psychological impact than others. Rather, the burden of the disease on an individual patient, including symptoms and treatment complications, was more telling than the type of cancer, Dr. Mitchell said.
IN THE NEWS
Although the Lancet Oncology study did not look at the effects of cancer on children, other studies have noted the considerable emotional turmoil they can experience. Risk factors were variable, including the severity of the parent’s disease, the depression exhibited by the parents themselves, and the age of the child – teenagers tended to have more psychosocial problems than younger children. There were drawbacks to the current analysis. Most of the studies had little information about the precancer mental histories of the patients, for example, and they used variable methods to screen for depression and anxiety. But the findings underscore the need to address the long-term consequences of anxiety and other mood disorders among patients and those closest to them. “Even in an era of scarce resources, hospital-based psycho-oncology programs should probably not be exclusively reserved for patients,” said Dr. Ilana M. Braun, chief of the adult psychosocial oncology division at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston Such programs, she says, should “be made available in some capacity to those in remission and to loved ones impacted by cancer in their family.” F
By Jan Hoffman, New York Times: well.blogs.nytimes.com, July 2013
We are here for you, even when our centre is closed. Cancer Support WA members and families are invited to utilise the 24/7 Cancer Support Phone Line for practical and emotional support at any time the need arises. Your call will be put through to our qualified cancer counsellor. The 24 Hour Cancer Support Phone Support is available as a free community service.
What if our religion was each other If our practice was our life If prayer, our words. What if the temple was the earth If forests were our church If holy water – the rivers, lakes and oceans. Whatifmeditationwasourrelationships If the Teacher was life If wisdom was self-knowledge if love was the centre of our being. ~ Ganga White
phone (08) 9384 3544 Supported by the Brady Cancer Support Foundation
Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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by Patrick Quillin, PHD, RD, CNS
A cancer diagnosis can turn your world as you know it upside down and can be completely overwhelming. The best approach is to take time to integrate meaningful change and wellness practices into your life. Rather than overwhelm yourself with information Patrick Quillin suggests considering one aspect of cancer wellness each day for 21 days. 12
Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES
DAY 1: HOPE, OPTIMISM AND A FIGHTING SPIRIT Focus on the parts of your body that are working properly, not on the cancer. Since you are alive enough to read this book, then something and perhaps quite a bit is working in your body. Give thanks for everything that you can think of. Thanksgiving is a healing balm on the body and soul. What are your priorities in life? Have they changed since finding out about your cancer diagnosis? Have they changed for the better? Is it possible that cancer has become a lifethreatening yet valuable wakeup call for you? We are all going to die. The question is not “if” but rather “when.” For cancer patients, sometimes this “when” becomes a more immediate issue. But our finite lives should be an issue for all of us all of the time. Life is precious. Not to be wasted. Many of us cram our days with minutia, trivial details. We spend too much time worrying about insignificant events and lose sight of the real issues in life: • be here now • value your mission • cherish your friends and family • savour sunsets and sunrises • soak up the beauty and music and laughter and play that is all around you but drowned out by the cacophony of crass commercialism • be at peace with your Creator, however you conceive that Higher Power People beat cancer all the time. But fear of death is not a reason to live. What do you want them to say at your funeral? “Look, I think she’s moving!” Not going to happen. Begin today with a renewed sense of purpose and appreciation and proper perspective for the truly memorable things in life. Build a fighting “can-do” spirit that will serve you well for the coming journey of treating your cancer. Find a “co-patient”, a loved one, or family member who is so supportive that they will keep you motivated when you have run out of steam.
Begintodaywitharenewed sense of purpose and appreciation and proper perspective for the truly memorablethingsinlife.Build a fighting “can-do” spirit thatwillserveyouwellforthe comingjourneyoftreating your cancer.
Be enthusiastic. The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words meaning “God within”. With joy, enthusiasm, appreciation, and altruism, we literally become a conduit for God’s life itself.
DAY 2: KNOWLEDGE, OPTIONS, DATA GATHERING While your doctor who made the cancer diagnosis may have a plan for you, it is probably not the only therapy that is appropriate for your cancer and may not even be the best therapy. You need to explore your options. In today’s society, getting information is easier than ever before. Get on the Internet and spend a few hours gathering data and phone numbers on who can help you with your particular cancer. The more knowledge that you have on the treatment and curing of your cancer, the more likely you are to make the right decision on which “wagon master” to choose for your vital treatment ahead. If you are too tired and not well suited to research, then consult the Moss Reports by Rslph W. Moss Ph.D. The Moss reports contain the most up-to-date information on the efficacy of various treatments available for each type of cancer including nutritional and non-medical options. [Cancer Support WA holds the entire Moss Reports in closed reserve in our library. You are invited to come in and read the report relevant to you].
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DAY 3: THE POWER OF NUTRITIONAL SYNERGISM Synergism means that 1 + 1 = 3 or 500, but a whole lot more than 2. Synergism tells us that the combined efforts of certain factors yield more than what would have been expected. Do not rely on any “magic bullet” nutrient to beat your cancer. There are no such things. Your body needs the 50 recognised essential nutrients plus a couple of hundred other valuable nutrients that can only be found in a wholesome diet that is supplemented with the right nutrients. “What is the most important part of a car?” Some people answer: “The engine.” Fine. Then I will give you an engine and let’s see you drive it home. A car, like a healthy human body, is composed of many essential parts. The most important one is the one that you are missing. In building a house, all of the raw materials must arrive in the proper ratio at the proper time, otherwise you cannot build a sturdy home. Same thing with the human body. Nutritional synergism says that when you gather the right nutrients together at the right time in the right ratio, the body becomes a lean, mean, disease-fighting machine. Nothing less will do to beat cancer.
Tryingtobeatcancer whileeatingadietthat constantlyraisesblood glucoseisliketrying toputoutaforestfire whilesomeonenearby isthrowingpetrolon the trees.
DAY 4: STARVE THE CANCER Cancer is a sugar-feeder. The scientists call it an “obligate glucose metaboliser”. You can slow cancer growth by lowering the amount of fuel available to the tumour cells. In the western world we have become humming birds in our constant consumption of sweet fluids and foods. The resulting constant high blood glucose levels yield many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and yeast infections. Trying to beat cancer while eating a diet that constantly raises blood glucose is like trying to put out a forest fire while someone nearby is throwing petrol on the trees. Stop eating sugar. Eat very few sweet foods, including fruits. Begin an exercise program to burn blood glucose down to a manageable level. Your cancer is not going to be happy as you begin to starve it. You will develop sugar cravings worse than you currently have. Ignore them and push through the discomfort. Make fish and colourful vegetables the staples in your diet. Eat small amounts of fresh fruits at a mixed meal, which will blunt the rises in blood glucose. Use cinnamon liberally, since it helps to stabilise blood glucose. Take supplements of chromium and magnesium. I have yet to see a cancer patient beat the disease who continued to load up on the average amounts of sugar in our diet, which is 63kg per year per person.
DAY 5: AVOID MALNUTRITION Cancer is a wasting disease. Over 40% of cancer patients actually die from malnutrition, not from the cancer. Cancer generates chemicals that lower appetite while increasing calorie needs. The net effect is that many cancer patients begin to lose weight. You cannot fight a life-threatening disease while malnourished. You need all the proper nutrition you can get to feed your immune system, which is your army assigned to killing the cancer cells. The backbone of the immune system is protein. If you cannot eat solid foods, then try the Dragon-slayer shake mentioned in my book Beating Cancer with Nutrition.
DAY 6: NUTRITION + MEDICINE = IMPROVED RESULTS While chemotherapy and radiation can kill cancer cells, these therapies are general toxins against your body cells also. A well-nourished cancer patient can protect healthy cells against the toxic
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DAY 7: TURBO CHARGE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM Your immune system consists of 20 trillion cells that compose your police force and garbage collectors. The immune system is responsible for killing the bad guys, any cells that are not participating in the processes of your body, including cancer, yeast, bacteria, virus, and dead cells. “Kill the bad guys and take out the trash.” That is what your immune system is supposed to do. But since you have cancer, something is wrong with your immune system: usually either stress, toxic burden, or malnutrition. Eat well and take professionally designed nutritional supplements. Lower your stress levels. Use guided imagery to imagine your immune cells like sharks gobbling up the cancer cells. This technique really works! Detoxify your body. The average Western body has 1,000 times more heavy toxic metals than our primitive ancestors before the dawning of the industrial age. Toxins shut down the ability of the immune system to mount a good battle against the cancer cells. As your cells divide billions of times daily, mistake cells are the inevitable consequence. These mistake cells sometimes grow into cancer cells, which your immune system recognises as being defective and then gobbles them up like Pac Man. The average adult gets 6 bouts of cancer in a lifetime, yet only 42% of us will end up in a cancer hospital. The other 58% had a respectable immune system, which protected the person against defective cells rising up to become palpable life-threatening cancer. Get your immune system working and the end of your cancer is in sight. Nutrition products that have demonstrated an ability to bolster immune functions include: colostrum extracts (lactoferrin, transfer factor), whey extracts, aloe extracts, mushroom extracts (Maitake D-fraction), yeast cell wall extracts (1,3 beta glucan), IP-6 (phytic acid), MGM-3 (mushroom extract plus IP-6), ImmKine (Aidan 480-446-8181) and Essiac tea.
DAY 8: THE HEALING POWER OF WHOLE FOODS It is amazing how simple the answer to cancer can be. Our brilliant researchers have spent 30 years and billions of your tax dollars wrestling with the complex issue of curing cancer. Yet Nature has been solving the dilemma for thousands of years. All of us get cancer all of the time, yet magical ingredients in a whole food diet are there to help the body beat cancer. Ellagic
acid from berries induces “suicide” in the cancer cells. Lycopenes from tomatoes help to suppress cancer growth. Genistein in soy, glutathione in green leafy vegetables, S-allyl cysteine in garlic, and much more are the new scientifically validated cancer fighters of the 21st century. You don’t have to wait for 7 years while a drug company goes through clinical trials, nor for FDA approval, nor for a doctor’s prescription for some drug that has many toxic side effects and costs thousands of dollars each month. These miracle anti-cancer agents are waiting patiently at your nearby grocery store and health food store. • Eat foods in as close to their natural state as is possible. • Eat as much colourful vegetables as your colon can tolerate. • If a food will not rot or sprout, then throw it out. • Avoid chemicals. Eat organic. • Shop the perimeter (outside aisles) of the grocery store.
DAY 9: NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS RECIPES Now that you understand the importance of eating wholesome foods to beat your cancer, you will need some tips on making this food palatable. See the chapter on “Nutritious & Delicious” in my book Beating Cancer with Nutrition for many great tasting recipes. I have hosted many classes with hundreds of cancer patients where we would share what foods might help them to beat their cancer. Women, in general, seem more receptive to these new cooking ideas. Men, in general, seem less interested in changing 50 years of eating habits. You are trying to take simple food straight from Nature and use healthy seasonings to make a quick and tasty meal. Crock pot, pressure cooker, steamer and grilling are all wonderful means of cooking nourishing foods. Some produce is most nutritious when eaten raw, such as many vegetables and all fruit. A high speed blender can take any leftovers or foods that are not appealing and blend them in to a smoothie or a nice soup. Try a bowl of oatmeal and a half cup of rockmelon for breakfast or a berry, banana and coconut water smoothie. Move on to a lunch with grilled organic chicken breast with spinach and onions, wild rice, a bowl of deep-coloured fresh vegetables and a half cup of raspberries for dessert. A sample dinner might be grilled halibut with lemon, baked sweet potatoes, fresh tomato slices with onions and a dessert of a half cup of fresh papaya. This is all nourishing food that you can grow to savour, easy to prepare, and easy to find at your local grocery store. And it will help you to beat your cancer.
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INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES
effects of chemo and radiation, thus making the cancer cells more vulnerable to the medicine. Proper nutrition can make chemo and radiation more of a selective toxin against the cancer and less damaging to the patient.
DAY 10: HERBAL MEDICINE
DAY 13: VITAMINS
There are thousands of herbs that have been used for hundreds of years to treat cancer. None are guaranteed cures for all cancers, but many are non-toxic boosters of immune function and detoxification pathways. If you want just the basic herb that all cancer patients should be using daily, then start with garlic – as a food, seasoning, and/or pill supplement.
Vitamins are the factory workers that get things done. Calories are the fuel for energy and minerals are part of the structure and help vitamins to get things done. Most of us are deficient in vitamins, even on the survival Recommended Dietary Allowance level. You will benefit from a quality broad spectrum vitamin supplement. Add some vitamin C (1-4 grams per day) and E (400-800 iu/day) if your budget allows. If your stomach and wallet can tolerate it, take ImmunoPower (www. immunopower.com), a broad spectrum mixture of 77 nutrition ingredients designed to be one-stop-shopping for nutrition support in cancer treatment.
Many other herbs merit attention, as you will see in the chapter in Beating Cancer with Nutrition on herbs. Astragalus, echinacea, goldenseal, licorice, ginseng, ginkgo, ginger and PCSPES are on the golden hit parade of herbs to help you toward recovery from cancer. Work with a professional who can help guide you toward which herbs are best for your disease, your therapy, your wallet, and your stomach tolerances.
DAY 11: HEALTHY FATS While too much fat and the wrong kind of fat have been killing millions of us for the past 50 years, we are now finding a new form of fat malnutrition: deficiencies of the essential fats. Not enough fish oil, borage or primrose oil, flax oil, conjugated linoleic acid (from the meat and milk of ruminants like cows and sheep), and shark liver oil are all fats that can help you to beat your cancer. For a simple starter, begin taking a few capsules of fish oil daily, preferably basic cod liver oil with all the good vitamin A and D still intact. You can also make a delicious healthy Italian salad dressing by using flax oil, olive oil, water, vinegar and some seasonings. The right fats in your diet will feed the precious pathways for beneficial prostaglandins, which are crucial to beating cancer. Healthy fats line the cell membranes and help to lower blood glucose by making insulin more effective. Healthy fats make the immune cells more likely to recognise and destroy cancer cells.
DAY 12: MINERALS Before modern agriculture, farmers would use manure and compost to nourish the soil before planting the crops. Today, we use only nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N:P:K) as the basic fertiliser. With each passing harvest, the American soils and our bodies become more deficient in essential minerals for health. For instance, scientists have found that a dust speck of selenium (200 micrograms daily) can lower cancer incidence by 60% and raise immune functions dramatically. Deprive animals of magnesium and they spontaneously develop lymphoma. Some of our cancer epidemic is due to our serious widespread deficiency in essential minerals. Buy a basic mineral supplement, containing decent amounts of calcium, magnesium, chromium, and selenium. Add some kelp, which is rich in the trace minerals that are found both in the ocean and supposed to be found in your body fluid.
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DAY14:PROBIOTICS–FRIENDLYBACTERIA Professor Elie Metchnikoff won a Nobel prize in 1908 for his work on the immune system. He later discovered the bacteria that makes yoghurt (lactobacillus) and declared “Death begins in the colon.” Indeed, it may. And the colon and gut of most of us is under siege by unfriendly organisms and free radicals. When we eat nourishing food, our well-established colony of friendly bacteria in the colon eats yeast like a bird munches on insects. We eat too much fat, too much sugar, not enough fibre, very little probiotic food (like yogurt and tempeh), take antibiotics (which wipe out all bacteria in the body, including the friendly bacteria), and subject ourselves to stress; all of which affects the balance of power between good and bad microorganisms in the gut. The net effect is an overgrowth of yeast, along with a deficiency of friendly bacteria that feed the immune system via the lining of the intestines. The yeast, which are there to degrade feces upon elimination, become hateful dictators in the gut. Many health problems result from what is called “dysbiosis” of the gut, or not having the right kind of microorganisms in charge. Eat more fibre and no white sugar. Drink plenty of clean water. Eat yoghurt daily or take a probiotic supplement. Make sure that you have a daily bowel movement. Use gentle herbal laxatives, like senna, if necessary. After 40 years of poor diet and chronic constipation, some people need colon flushing or colonic irrigation. Find a qualified expert to help on this issue. At least 40% of our immune system surrounds the gastrointestinal tract. For better or for worse, the status of our gut will begin the healing or the deterioration of a cancer patient.
DAY 15: WATER Our bodies and the earth’s surface are composed of 2/3 water. Water is the most amazing substance on earth, providing the fluid of life in your body and the bathing solution for all cells in your body. Yet, most of us do not get enough water and are drinking contaminated water.
INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES
Our water pollution situation has been called “a ticking time bomb.” by the Environmental Protection Agency. We have used our rivers, lakes and oceans as if they were sewers to dump unconscionable amounts of toxins. And we end up drinking that stuff. Pollution in our water supply is part of the reason for our growing cancer epidemic. Buy yourself a good water filter system and install it on your kitchen tap. Dual stage carbon filtration may cost $100-$200, with reverse osmosis costing two or three times that much. If need be, buy bottled water from a respectable vendor. Drink enough water to dilute your urine so that it is nearly clear in colour and inoffensive in odour. Chronic dehydration first shows up in wrinkled skin, poor concentration, constipation, frequent infections, and eventually may appear as cancer. Water is your friend. Drink lots of clean water.
DAY 16: BREATHING Cancer is an anaerobic growth. Healthy cells in your body are aerobic, meaning they need oxygen. Cancer hates well-oxygenated tissues of the body. Lung tissue, which is well oxygenated, develops cancer as the result of smoking carcinogens and excessive “rusting” of tissue in the absence of antioxidants to protect the lung tissue. I have found lung cancer in non-smokers to be quite beatable if the person is willing to follow the guidelines in Beating Cancer with Nutrition. Of all nutrients required by the human body, oxygen is the most essential. We can go weeks and even months without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without oxygen. We are aerobic creatures by design. Cancer is the opposite. Unfortunately, we mainly breathe shallowly, thinking that sucking in our stomach is more important than diaphragm breathing to fully oxygenate our tissues. Get some exercise. Do some yoga. Start breathing properly all the time. Lay on the floor with a book on your stomach. Begin breathing by pushing the book up and sucking in air to the bottom of your lungs. Continue breathing by filling the lungs fully and expanding your chest. Reverse the process on exhaling. This “belly breathing” will fully oxygenate your body to help make it less friendly to cancer cells.
Of all nutrients required by the human body, oxygen is the most essential. We can go weeks and even months without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without oxygen. We are aerobic creatures by design. Cancer is the opposite.
DAY 17: CHANGE THE UNDERLYING CAUSE No one with a headache is suffering from a deficiency of aspirin. And no one with cancer has a deficiency of chemo or radiation. While these therapies might temporarily reduce tumour burden, they do not change the underlying cause of the disease. Ms. Jones might be suffering from metastatic breast cancer because, in her case, she is still hurting from a hateful divorce of 2 years ago, which drives her catecholamines into a stress mode and depresses her immune system; she goes to bed on a box of high sugar cookies each night; she has a deficiency of fish oil, zinc, and vitamin E; and she has an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone in her body. Her oncologist may remove the breasts, give her Tamoxifen to bind up estrogen, administer chemo and radiation; but none of these therapies deals with the underlying causes of the disease. And it will come back unless these driving forces for the disease are reversed. Find a nutritionally-oriented doctor (contact Cancer Support WA 24 Hour Phone Line for a list of West Australian nutritional doctors) and determine what got you into this condition, which will provide a detailed map on how to get you out of this situation.
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DAY18:SQUELCHINGTHEYEASTPLAGUE There is a fungus among us. Yeast (including fungus, mould, mushrooms) are everywhere. There are over 400,000 different strains of yeast, of which 400 can cause diseases in humans. Yeast have a very valuable purpose in a well-orchestrated body. Yeast is the “undertaker and the ecologist”, degrading our “poop” into basic elements when we relieve ourselves and decomposing our bodies when we are through with them. Unfortunately, due to lowered immune status, toxic burden, malnutrition, sedentary lifestyles, stress, too much antibiotics, enhanced virulence of yeast strains, and people living indoors too much (where yeast thrive in dark, warm, moist, stagnant conditions), we are becoming premature victims of yeast. While many cancer patients develop secondary or opportunistic yeast infections, there is good reason to believe that yeast may have started some cancers in the first place. Aspergilli yeast generate the toxic by-product of aflatoxin, which is a known carcinogen. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Take a simple urine test to see if you have a yeast overgrowth If so, then you will have to: • kill the yeast with prescription medication and/or nutrition supplements • starve the yeast, by eating a diet that lowers simple carbohydrate intake • make the environment uncomfortable for the yeast, by bolstering your body’s defense mechanisms
DAY 19: BEATING CANCER SYMPTOMS Nausea, depression, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, anemia, weakness, fatigue, pain, and more can be common side effects of cancer. Depending on how advanced your cancer is, your medical therapies being given, your general health, etc., you can reduce symptoms to a tolerable level (see the chapter Beating Cancer with Nutrition). This is crucial because some cancer patients just give up, after suffering too much for too long. Much of this suffering can be reduced by allopathic and naturopathic treatments. Pain and discomfort induce stress, which lowers immune functions, which can be a real show stopper for cancer patients. Get help.
DAY 20: SELECTIVELY REDUCE TUMOUR BURDEN It is very likely that your body needs some help in removing 10 or 20 trillion cancer cells, in order to reduce tumour burden enough to get your own anti-cancer defenses up and running.
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Working with the information that you gathered on day 2 (know your options of treatment), begin the process of debulking your tumour. Surgery, chemo, radiation, immune therapies, and hyperthermia are all common options. The key here is “restrained” tumour debulking. Anyone can kill all the cancer cells in your body. A thimble full of arsenic will do the job. No more cancer cells. No more you. Surgeons used to take the aggressive cowboy approach and remove all surrounding tissue near the tumour. Then they found that by removing too many lymph nodes, lymphedema or pooling of lymph fluid could create such pain that amputation of limbs became necessary. “Remove the target organ” was the battle cry of many an oncology surgeon. The hemi-ectomy was the pinnacle of aggressive surgery, where the cancer patient with a sarcoma below the waist had the body removed from the waist down. The survival statistics of these patients were no different than sarcoma patients who did nothing. Pelvic exoneration, taking out all internal organs near the tumour, yielded no improvement in survival curves and a serious reduction in quality of life for the remaining months. “Maximum sub-lethal chemo” may destroy or reduce the tumour but also brings the patient to the therapeutic brink of death. Find a doctor who will work with you on RESTRAINED tumour debulking. You want a doctor to remove – not too much, not too little – but just the right amount of tumour mass. This can can give your body some breathing room so that your natural host defense mechanisms can take over. Choose your doctor “wagon master” wisely.
DAY 21: ILLNESS AS A TEACHING TOOL What have you learned since being diagnosed with cancer? How have your priorities changed? Do you see life differently? Do you appreciate sunsets and friends more? If so, then you are heading in the right direction toward healing. If not, then wake up. In working with over 500 cancer patients individually and speaking to many thousands of cancer patients, there is a clear message in the appearance of a serious disease in anyone’s life. Illness can be an unavoidable teaching tool. You can ignore advice from friends and loved ones. But you cannot ignore a terminal diagnosis. I have had my own health challenges and each has taught me much. We are here on this earth for a very limited amount of time. What are we doing with our precious time and talents? Are you a human being or a human doing? Do you hate more than you love? Take more than you give? See the glass as half empty rather than half full? Spend more time contemplating regrets than your dreams? Treat people with respect or victimise them? Understand your unique skills that the world needs? Cancer is more than just a physical systemic disease. And it
INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES
Fill your mind and your hours so full of joy, passion, helpfulness, music, laughter, play, worship, thanksgiving, friends, family and your work that there is no room left for cancer in your life. requires more than just good nutrition and medicine to cure. It is a wake up call of the highest magnitude. Cancer patients who heed the call become better people having experienced it. Many a cancer patient has stood in front of an audience and said: “Cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me.” If you are nodding in agreement with this statement, then you are moving towards healing. In Oriental language, “crisis” is written with two characters: one meaning “danger”, the other character meaning “opportunity”. Cancer is truly a dangerous disease. Many people die from this disease annually. Yet, for many others the disease has forced them into rearranging their priorities and lifestyle. Respect your body, your “temple of the Holy Spirit”. Fill your mind and your hours so full of joy, passion, helpfulness, music, laughter, play, worship, thanksgiving, friends, family and your work that there is no room left for cancer in your life. A diamond is nothing more than a piece of coal that was put under a lot of pressure. You can become a diamond through the healing of your cancer. Our bodies want to be well. There is an innate wisdom within all of life that knows how to fix disease. No one has to tell the scab on your hand how to heal properly. Your body knows what to do. We just have to give our body the proper physical and metaphysical resources to do its job right while purging our systems of toxins that inhibit healing.
InBEATINGCANCERWITHNUTRITION PatrickQuillin,PHD,RD,CNSexpands upontheinformationgiveninthis articletohelppeopleatanystageof
Feed your mind the good thoughts of music, beauty, laughter, play, art, friends, share a glass of wine or a cup of tea at sunset, and discuss the events of the day with a loved one. Feed your heart the good feelings of love, forgiveness, confidence in your abilities, a sense of purpose in your life, and a trusting relationship with your Creator. And feed your body good nutrients through diet and supplements, thus providing your body the raw materials that it needs to rebuild itself. You can recover from your cancer. F
cancertakechargethroughnutritional
Excerpted from: Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin, PHD, RD, CNS, Clinical Nutritonist. Patrick Quillin was Vice President of Nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America for 10 years. He organised 3 international symposia on “adjuvant nutrition in cancer treatment” and edited the textbook on the same subject. His book, BEATING CANCER WITH NUTRITION, has been translated into Japanese, Chinese, and a home study ecourse for nurses. He was a consultant to the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Army Breast Cancer Research Group, and has taught college nutrition for 9 years. His 15 books have sold over 1 million copies. He has earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in nutrition; is a licensed and registered dietitian (LD,RD); and a certified nutrition specialist (CNS) with the American College of Nutrition. Patrick Quillin’s website is a comprehenisve resource to understand nutritional and natural therapy options for cancer patients to improve treatment outcomes : www.nutritioncancer.com.
cancertreatments.Thebookcanbe
andnaturaltherapies.Theprogram Qiuillinrecommendscanbeusedstandalone,orcombinedwithconventional purchasedonline:www.amazon.com
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What REALLY leads to change in people’s lives? By Jeffrey A. Kottler
Most life-changing alterations take place in daily life and most often after recovering from a challenging or traumatic event.
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’ve spent the past 35 years writing books about change, interviewing people about their experiences, researching the features that are most associated with significant transformations that endure over time. And here’s my conclusion: I don’t know. Neither do you. Neither does anyone else that I’ve encountered. It is indeed a mystery, a process so complex and multidimensional that it defies understanding. That’s not to say what we haven’t made some headway into the issues related to life-changing experiences, it’s just that it’s not usually what most people think it is. For instance I find it more than a little amusing that what clients report helps them the most in therapy has very little connection to what their therapists say is most significant. My colleagues and I would be inclined to talk about our brilliant interpretations, our incisive comments and insights, our well-timed interventions, our favoured theoretical model, even though clients almost never mention those things. They talk about feeling understood. They say that the relationship was everything. They appreciate that what happened in sessions felt meaningful to them. And that they were held accountable, meaning they followed through on commitments since talk is not nearly enough.
Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
lifestyle & Wellbeing
But what I’ve found most meaningful in my research is that most life-changing alterations take place in daily life when you are going about your usual routines. When I ask people to tell me about a major transformation that continues to this day, something usually comes to mind right away. If you consider this question right now, you’ll know what I mean: Think about an event, an insight, an experience, a conversation that forever changed how you are or how you operate in the world. Although a small minority of people might mention something that happened in therapy, or a classroom, or formal learning experience, the vast majority of cases occurred after recovering from a challenging or even traumatic event – the death of a loved one, a major failure or disappointment, a crisis or catastrophe, a relationship or job ending, a threatening illness, or something similar. We know now from research on this topic that traumatic or difficult events don’t necessarily lead to incapacitating problems but also can spark tremendous growth and learning. In fact, they do so just as often as they may lead to trauma. Another surprise is that so often change occurs from stories that we read, hear, or see, whether they include family legends, myths, fairy tales, novels, films, television shows, plays, song lyrics, or even blogs such as this. It turns out that because of mirror neurons we can experience vicarious life events as if they really happened to us. As far as your brain is concerned, the people you “meet” in stories really are your friends and loved ones. And the adventures you enjoy through fiction and stories really do teach you important lessons as if you were the one who defeated the zombies, aliens or serial killer. The strong emotions you feel during a well-told story further cement memories and help you to retrieve information in the future, all without leaving the safety and comfort of a chair. When you review some of the important changes you’ve made in your life, especially those that persist over time, you’ll likely find that many of them involved a rather high level of emotional arousal. You felt a degree of apprehension, even fear, sometimes accompanied by unrelenting anxiety. It is precisely these strong emotional reactions that can act as a catalyst to increase motivation and commitment. They can function as reminders that until you take care of business and make adjustments that lead to more constructive choices and self-enhancing behaviour, they are going to stick around. This is precisely what happens with memorable stories that have influenced you as well: they evoked strong emotional reactions that make it easier to retrieve the information or lessons embedded in the stories. In that sense, some of our strongest emotional responses, even those that are annoying and upsetting, can act as the initial stimulus to confront the things we are most avoiding. F
From Psychology Today: www.psychologytoday.com, 24 July 2013. Jeffrey Kottler is the author of over 80 books that have been translated into more than a dozen languages. They are used in universities around the world and are considered classics among practicing teachers, counselors, psychologists, health professionals, and social justice advocates.
change Life is designed to be a challenging obstacle course that defies complacency, so we may as well befriend change and use our energy to implement the new that is constantly beckoning us forward, fighting change has never prevented it, we need to make peace with the fact that Nothing ever stays the same, transformation is not our enemy it is our true savior. ~ Caroline de Lisser. Painting by Christian Schloe.
Some of his most highly regarded works include: Divine Madness: Ten Stories of Creative Struggle, Changing People’s Lives While Transforming Your Own: Paths to Social Justice and Global Human Rights, On Being a Therapist and more recently, The Assassin and the Therapist: An Exploration of Truth in Psychotherapy and in Life and Creative Breakthroughs in Therapy: Tales of Transformation and Astonishment. His New York Times bestselling true crime book, The Last Victim, was recently completed as a feature film. A few of his newest books include: Change: What Really Leads to Personal Transformation, Helping Beyond the 50 Minute Hour: Therapists Involved in Meaningful Social Action, and The Teacher’s Journey: Building Relationships and Flourishing Throughout Your Career.
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MIND
over
GENES By Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.
Revolutionary cell biologist Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. describes how the new science of Epigenetics is revolutionising our understanding of the link between mind and matter and the profound effects it has on our personal lives, the treatment of disease and the collective life of our species. We are truly living in exciting times. The challenges and crises facing the world today are portents of imminent change in civilisation. We are on the threshold of an incredible global evolutionary shift. Albert Einstein once commented, “We cannot solve the problems with the same thinking that created them.” The planet’s hope and salvation lies in revolutionary new knowledge being revealed at the frontiers of science. New awareness is undermining old myths and rewriting the ‘truths’ that shape the fate of human civilisation. Leading this scientific revolution is a paradigm-shattering‘new’biology that illuminates the link between mind and body. These new insights challenge established scientific theories and prompt a complete reevaluation of life as we know it. One of the most important advances contributing to the shift in scientific thinking is revolutionary new knowledge in the field of genetics.
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mind/body healing
S
ince 1953, when James Watson and Francis Crick revealed the nature of the DNA double helix, science has touted the belief that an organism’s traits are encoded in DNA segments known as genes. Within ten years of this discovery, schools and the media began programming the public with the belief that genes turn ‘on’ and ‘off’, and in the process, control an organism’s physical, behavioural, and emotional characteristics. Through science classes, media, and personal experience with family lineages, the public has been led to believe that mutations in the genetic code can be expressed as diseases and dysfunctions that are passed from parent to child. In addition to perceiving that our fates are determined by our heredity, we are also taught that inherited gene programs are fixed and as unchangeable as a computer’s read-only memory. While science has dramatically veered away from the notion of genetic determinism in recent times, educational institutions and the media still program the public with this archaic belief. In believing that we are victims of genetic forces outside of our control, the assumption of being powerless over the unfolding of our lives becomes a one-way street to personal irresponsibility. Too many have said, “Hey, I can’t do anything about it anyway; so why should I care? Overweight? It has nothing to do with me; it runs in my family.” Forty years ago, while teaching medical students the then accepted science of genetic determinism, I was also cloning stem cells (multipotential embryo-like cells) for my research on muscular dystrophy. I would isolate one stem cell and put it in a culture dish by itself. The cells divide every 10-12 hours. After two weeks, the cultures would contain thousands of cells, all genetically identical since they were derived from the same parent cell. Cells were split into three groups and each group was inoculated into its own tissue culture dish. A different version of culture medium, containing a unique blend of chemical ingredients, was introduced into each of the three dishes. The culture medium provides the cell’s ‘environment’. In one dish the cells formed bone, in one dish the cells formed muscle, and in the third dish, the cells formed fat cells. The big question addressed by these experiments is, “What controls the fate of the cells?” Since all cells were genetically identical, the answer was a no-brainer: The environment controls the fate of the cells.1 This was readily apparent when I would put cells in a less than optimal environment, as the cells would get sick and the cultures would inevitably die off. To ‘heal’ the cells, we did not use drugs, we simply returned the cells to a healthy environment and they spontaneously recovered and the cultures flourished. This study demonstrates that cells adjust their genetics and biology to become structural and physiologic complements to their environment. These pioneering experiments presaged one of today’s most important fields of research, epigenetics. As mentioned above, the public has been programmed with the conventional concept of genetic control, which literally means, ‘control by genes’. In the new term epigenetics, the Greek prefix epi- means ‘above’. Consequently, the science of epigenetic control literally means, “control above the genes!” 2, 3
“Under the belief of ‘genetic control’, we perceive of ourselves as ‘victims’ of our heredity. However, epigenetic science completely rewrites that limiting belief, for it reveals that through our ‘mind’, we can control the chemistry of our blood and in the process, become ‘masters’ of our cells’ genetic fate. Perceptions and life experiences control health. When we change the way we respond to the world – we actively change our health and fate.”
Science introduced the notion that genes were ‘self-emergent’, meaning they could control their own activity. However, genes are simply linear molecular ‘blueprints’, whose codes are used to synthesise the body’s 150,000+ different proteins. Proteins are the molecular building blocks that provide for the body’s physical structure and behaviours. Genes are blueprints and, as such, they do not have an ‘on’ or ‘off’ state.
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To understand the significance of this awareness, just ask an architect if the blueprint she is working on is ‘on’ or ‘off’, and observe her response. If genes do not control their own activity, what does? That answer is provided in the new field of epigenetics which focuses on how environmental signals interface and control gene activity. Epigenetic studies have illuminated the molecular mechanisms by which environmental information in tissue culture media selects and regulates the activity of genes in stem cells. How do the findings in the stem cell cultures relate to you? To understand, we must first correct a general misperception: Though a human being is considered as a ‘single’ living entity, the fact is a human body is actually a community comprised of approximately fifty trillion individual cellular citizens. In truth, we are ‘skin-covered’ Petri dishes containing trillions of cells. Blood is the culture medium that nourishes and controls the fate of the cells inside our skin-covered ‘tissue culture’ bodies.
Positive thinking is not denying that anything bad can ever happen to us or the world, it is more a recognition that thinking in a certain way or following a certain train of thought will either lead us towards suffering or happiness. So before we allow our thoughts to follow that path we recognise that we have a choice and that choice is to either continue to worry and be afraid knowing that it won’t take us anywhere good or to instead choose to think the thoughts that lead the mind toward happiness.
Changing the composition of the blood’s chemistry has exactly the same effect on body cells that changing the constituents of the culture medium has on cells in plastic culture dishes. This insight leads to a very profound conclusion: The system that regulates the blood’s chemistry would be, by definition, the system that shapes the fate of the cells and controls an individual’s health and biology. The blood’s chemical composition is controlled and maintained by secretions from the brain. In response to our life experiences, the brain releases regulatory hormones, growth factors and emotional chemicals into the blood stream. The function of neurochemicals released into the blood is to coordinate the response of the body’s cells to our perceptions and emotions. For example, when we experience the perception of love, the brain secretes oxytocin (a ‘bonding’ hormone), dopamine (a pleasure hormone), and vasopressin among other neuropeptides. When these neurochemicals are added to growth medium used in cell cultures, they profoundly enhance the health and vitality of cells. That’s why being in love feels so good. In contrast, when a person is in fear, their brain engages protection mechanisms by releasing stress hormones into the blood. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, histamine, and inflammatory agents shut down cellular growth processes and inhibit the immune system in an effort to conserve energy for fight or flight responses. Consequently, chronic stress leads to both a breakdown of the body’s cellular systems and the onset of disease. From 75% to 90% of doctor visits in the United States are directly due to the effects of stress. 4 Simply – stress kills. Under the belief of ‘genetic control’, we perceive of ourselves as ‘victims’ of our heredity. However, epigenetic science completely rewrites that limiting belief, for it reveals that through our ‘mind’, we can control the chemistry of our blood and in the process, become ‘masters’ of our cells’ genetic fate. Perceptions and life experiences control health. When we change the way we respond to the world – we actively change our health and fate. Epigenetic studies reveal that gene activity is continuously being adjusted, day to day, to conform to our experiences and perceptions of life. The influence of environment is dramatically revealed in studies of identical twins. At birth and shortly thereafter, twin siblings express almost the same gene activity from their identical genomes. However, as they age, their personal individualised experiences and perceptions lead to activation of significantly different sets of genes.5 This is why one twin can die of cancer and the genetically-identical sibling lives a healthy, happy life. Researchers recently tracked low-risk prostate cancer patients who opted out of conventional medical treatment and chose an alternate path. These patients engaged in three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation. The health of the participants improved and researchers were surprised to find profound changes in the patients’ genetic activity when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes. In the 90-day trial, the men changed the activity of 500 genes – which included 48 new genes that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off. The activity of disease-
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MIND/BODY HEALING
preventing genes increased while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down.6 Lead researcher Dr. Dean Ornish reported, “It’s an exciting finding because so often people say, ‘Oh, it’s all in my genes, what can I do?’ Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot. In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live.”7 New science emphasises that we actively control our genetic expression moment by moment, throughout our lives. We are learningorganisms that can incorporate life experiences into our genomes and pass them on to our offspring, who will then incorporate their life experiences into the genome to further human evolution. The new science of epigenetics prepares us to shed the notion of ‘victimhood’ and realise ‘mastery’ in the unfolding of our lives. The knowledge offered by this new science can be employed to maintain health and well-being in the face of global upheaval. F
References 1. Bruce H. Lipton, “A fine structural analysis of normal and modulated cells in myogenic culture,” Developmental Biology, 60:26-47 (1977) 2. E. Watters, “DNA is Not Destiny,” Discover (November 2006): 32 3. John Cloud, Why Your DNA Isn’t Your Destiny,” TIME (January 18, 2010) 4. Lyle H. Miller and Alma Dell Smith, The Stress Solution (New York, NY: Pocket Books 1995): 12. 5. Mario F. Fraga, et al, “Epigenetic differences arise during the lifetime of monozygotic twins,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102, no. 30 (July 26, 2005): 1064 – 1069. 6. Dean Ornish, et al, Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105, no. 24 (June 17, 2008): 8369 – 8374 7. Change in diet, exercise may change your genes Reuters: June 16, 2008
From: Living Now magazine, Nov 212. Living Now is Australia’s largest holistic magazine published in print and online: www.livingnow.com.au. The Living Now mission is to facilitate the readers’ own personal development and growth by providing independent articles each month from some of the most reputable writers in the industry. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. is an internationally recognised authority in bridging science and spirit and a leading voice in new biology. A cell biologist by training, he taught at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine, and later performed pioneering studies at Stanford University. Author of the bestselling The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles, and co-author of Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (And A Way To Get There From Here), he has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national and international conferences.
Positive thinking is not denying that anything bad can ever happen to us or the world, it is more a recognition that thinking in a certain way or following a certain train of thought will either lead us towards suffering or happiness. So before we allow our thoughts to follow that path we recognise that we have a choice and that choice is to either continue to worry and be afraid knowing that it won’t take us anywhere good or to instead choose to think the thoughts that lead the mind toward happiness.
For further information on the new biology and resources that can facilitate the changing of limiting beliefs/perceptions, visit: www.brucelipton.com.
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Hands-OnMiracles More Questions Than Answers By William Bengston, PhD and Dean Radin, PhD
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mind/body healing
In this fascinating dialogue, excerpted and edited from the Institute of Noetic Sciences’ “Mysteries of Consciousness” teleseminar series, Bill Bengston, a professor of sociology at St. Joseph’s College in New York City, discusses some remarkable results from a series of hands-on healing sessions. He has written two books on this work: The Energy Cure: Unraveling the Mystery of Hands-On Healing and Hands-On Healing: A Training Course in the Energy Cure.
Dean Radin: Bill, you’ve distinguished yourself through stellar work in animal model studies – in which a mouse is given a disease like cancer and then hands-on healing is performed to see if the disease will be ameliorated or even cured. I think what you’ve done is unique within the annals of healing research because your work shows not just a small statistical effect but a full-blown cure. Anyone familiar with the literature in this area knows that such results seem impossible, and they would have valid cause to be skeptical. But you are a specialist in research methods and statistics and it’s clear you’ve done everything correctly. So, we’re left with a major anomaly. How did you come to do this work? Bill Bengston: I never intended to be a researcher of anomalous healing. I’m guessing that many of the people who are drawn to this field come to it after some kind of personal experience. Something weird happens, a spontaneous case of clairvoyance or a precognitive dream or something like that, and then they scratch their head and wonder about it. For me it began when I was introduced to some pioneering research data on the laying on of hands by Bernard Grad at McGill University. I was fascinated, read a couple of his papers, but then didn’t pay much attention after that. I graduated from college in 1971 and was lifeguarding when I met a guy, Bennett Mayrick, who claimed he was a psychic. A naturalborn skeptic, I decided to put his psychic abilities to the test. I was sure that if I designed a stringent enough test, any psychic effect would go away – but, to the contrary, I couldn’t make the effect go away, which really annoyed me. It also turned out that Bennett’s psychic readings turned into psychometric readings, meaning he’d get physical impressions on his body. He would hold an object that belonged to someone else and start to get aches, pains, or visions. I started to design the studies to make this effect go away, figuring that there was some delusion somewhere in this phenomenon. Maybe somebody was pulling the wool over somebody’s eyes. I did some double-blind studies, but I couldn’t make the effect go away. And then, for the kicker, while Bennett was doing his psychic readings, the people he was reading began to report that whatever conditions they suffered from were going away. Both Bennett and I drew the line at that point and said that this was just nutty. How could it be that you pick up someone’s watch, and then not only do you pick up the symptoms that person has but also that person experiences those symptoms going away?
Can energy healing really cure cancer? Is it possible for you to heal someone’s terminal illness with your bare hands? Is the Western medical community ready for a fundamental change in its approach to treatment?...Dr. William Bengston invites you to decide by taking a journey with him into the mystery and power of hands-on healing. Drawing on his 30 years of rigorous research, unbelievable results, and mind-bending questions, Bengston challenges us to totally rethink what we believe about our ability to heal. www.soundstrue.com
I suffered from a bad back for quite some time – in fact, I had to give up a swimming scholarship because I couldn’t arch my back after about a hundred meters of butterfly. So I asked Bennett to put his hands on my back, to which he responded, “And do what?” I said, “Well, fix it.” So, Bennett put his hands on my back, and although he didn’t believe anything and I didn’t believe anything, lo and behold, my back pain went away. Radin: At that point, had Bennett done any kind of hands-on healing? Bengston: No, I was the first person. Radin: And when your back pain went away, did he get it?
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Bengston: No. What happened was that Bennett experienced my back pain before he knew it was my pain. We were in a kitchen, talking about one of my failed double-blind attempts. I was sitting on the counter, hunching my back over to stretch it out – people with lower back pain will understand. At that point, Bennett says, “Ow! Someone’s got back pain,” and he starts to look through his wallet and pockets to see if he’s carrying anything that would account for the pain. When I told him it was me, he said, “Please keep your pain to yourself.” I said, “I have a better idea: fix it!” He asked how, and all I knew to do then was to lean over the kitchen table and have him put his hands on my back. The annoying thing for both of us was that it worked. I wanted to prove that this effect wasn’t real and Bennett wanted to live a normal life, but we didn’t get what we wanted. I haven’t had any pain since. We stared at each other that day in the kitchen, wondering what to do next.
“I observed, among other things, that some ailments responded very, very quickly to hands-on healing – in particular, cancer. The more aggressive the cancer, the faster it went away. But some ailments didn’t respond well at all, such as chronic benign tumours and warts. Malignant tumours, however, responded right away. I watched a few dozen cancer cases go into spontaneous remissions – and as far as we know, not a single one of them ever returned.”
I could have said, Well, that was interesting, gotta go, but instead, I watched a few hundred healings. Some ailments responded very quickly; others responded very slowly. Some ailments didn’t respond at all. I watched and watched and watched, trying to get a clinical sense of what was going on. I learned that I don’t have much of a mind for clinical practice because I get frustrated. First of all, with my own healing, there was the possibility that time fixed my back. In other words, when someone comes in with pain and you put your hands on them and they come back repeatedly, the pain gradually goes away because pain sometimes does that. So, could I say it was Bennett’s laying on of hands that cured my back, or was it time, or was it a change in posture? I don’t know how people go through life figuring out what clinically works and what doesn’t work. I observed, among other things, that some ailments responded very, very quickly to hands-on healing – in particular, cancer. The more aggressive the cancer, the faster it went away. But some ailments didn’t respond well at all, such as chronic benign tumours and warts. Malignant tumours, however, responded right away. This was curious. Also curious was that Bennett couldn’t help anyone with a cancerous tumour who had received conventional treatment. If chemotherapy was going on, people didn’t respond to Bennett. But if no such treatment was going on, the cancer responded very quickly. I watched a few dozen cancer cases go into spontaneous remissions – and as far as we know, not a single one of them ever returned. After watching this happen over and over again, we invited physicians to take a look. They found it interesting and said they’d heard about such things, but when we invited them to take a closer look, they declined. So as a card-carrying skeptic, I decided to take this stuff into the lab. The short version is that we found a mouse model with a 100 percent fatality and tested hands-on healing under very controlled conditions. The model we started with was a mammary cancer; no mouse had ever lived 28 days after being injected with this cancer. We set up a traditional experiment – an experimental group, a control group, and all that – in a conventional biology lab with conventional biologists who didn’t believe any of this stuff, and we treated the mice. To our absolute astonishment, the mice that were treated were cured. Radin: At this point, were you the healer or was your psychic friend, Bennett, the healer? Bengston: Bennett was supposed to be but backed out at the very last second. It would be a gross understatement to say I threw a fit. It had taken awhile, a lot of strings and a lot of favours, to set up a conventional bio lab with the City University of New York, and by the time we set it all in place, my friend backs out. So we were left with no healer. Another buddy of mine, Dave Krinsley, said to me, “You need to be the healer; you’ve been around Bennett the longest.” I never considered myself a healer, but in the first experiment, I became the healer. If this thing was going to work, I expected something along the lines of a radiation
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Radin: Has that ever happened under ordinary circumstances? Bengston: Not a single case, according to biologists who tell me that at least several thousand experiments have been done on these mice. At that time, biologists had spent twenty years on this one mouse model. Radin: Did they have any explanation for what was happening? Bengston: Absolutely none. Radin: Were they curious about this? Bengston: They were very curious. The chair of the Biology Department at the time wasn’t really a mouse guy; he was doing this as a favour. He didn’t know what to do with the outcome, so he suggested we do one replication. Since I’m not a healer, I wanted to see what would happen if someone else did it. I got the head of the Biology Department, who thought this whole thing was nuts, as well as another faculty member, Dave Krinsley. I also got two of my students who were skeptical about all this. In fact, that was my criterion for selection: you had to actually audibly laugh in my face. I wanted completely inexperienced, nonbelieving skeptics.
faculty members kept sparse logs, with one claiming he had no sense of mastery of this whatsoever. The students kept expressing skepticism about the work, their ability to master these techniques, and that any of this had anything to do with healing, much less that healing was even possible. And the bottom line is that all the mice were cured. Radin: How did you develop this technique? Presumably, when you did the first experiment, you were using the same technique? Bengston: Yes, I was. Radin: And so where does that technique come from? Bengston: Well, Bennett had no teacher. Though he was skeptical, he simply discovered he could do psychometry, and then he discovered that he could take symptoms away from people. He ended up putting his hands on people and taking away painful conditions. I hung around him for hours at a time and would pump him with question after question. He would spout out an answer, but, as he described it, he was learning as he was speaking. Sometimes I would ask him a question, he would respond, and then we’d both look at each other and wonder, What does that mean? Basically, it turns out that the reproduction of this healing technique is a faith-free, belief-free, relatively mechanical process. My suspicion is that it might have something to do with increasing healing efficacy, but I don’t have any pre and post tests.
Radin: What instructions did you give to them to heal the mice?
So could people have done it before? How widespread is this ability to begin with? Maybe I’m the only person silly enough to try and to come up with these mental imaging techniques. The reality is that I don’t know which of them work or for what reason. I can talk about what happens afterward, but I don’t know what is kicking in to produce these remissions. I don’t have a value added pre/post kind of a thing.
Bengston: For about six weeks, I trained them in a variety of mental imaging techniques, which require a lot of practice in rapid mental imaging. It’s a faithless, belief-free system; to a great extent, it’s simply a mechanical system. They practiced and practiced these techniques, and then they did the layingon hand techniques around the cages of the mice. They never touched the mice. They would go into the lab for an hour a day – or I tried to get them to go into the lab for an hour a day – and put their hands around a cage. To give you an idea of how little they believed in this stuff, in their logs, both students noted that they thought they were actually participating in a study on gullibility.
Radin: So the method might be a way of focusing the mind. Because skeptics were involved in a number of the experiments and the results were still the same, though it seems unlikely that skeptics would be practicing with great diligence. They would probably prefer to sit there and read a book or something. So they’re not likely to become masters of the technique because of their inherent bias – especially if they haven’t yet done the experiment and discovered that they can produce a positive outcome. I wonder whether something else is going on, like you were hanging around a healer for a long time and being healed by that healer. Maybe you picked up the Midas touch, and now you can impart it?
Radin: How did you know they were actually using the imaging method you had assigned?
Bengston: It’s possible. I can’t rule that out; maybe there’s some sort of attunement that occurred and can be passed on. A way to rule that out is to take this down a couple of generations removed from anyone who has been successfully healing this
Bengston: We met as a group once a week for a couple of hours and practiced the techniques together. Then I asked them to go home and to practice and keep blogs about it. The
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mind/body healing
model: we get the mice soon after they’re injected, I go zapzap-zap, and then it kills the cancer. I thought that if we got to the mice soon after injection, we’d be introducing something closer to a preventative. Well, what happened instead is that the cancer grew. I thought the experiment was failing and kept trying to call it off. If the thing were working, cancer shouldn’t be growing. As it turned out, the tumours were growing, but after a couple of weeks of growth, they got to a particular size, developed a blackened area, ulcerated, and then imploded – and the mice lived a normal life span. [For more on this particular study, go here.]
New titles in the Cancer Support WA Library
When did you last visit the Cancer Support WA Library? Even with the siteworks happening onsite the library is open and we have some great new titles for members to borrow. We have also updated the Moss Reports for the latest treatment information on every type of cancer.
way, to see if a mechanical reproduction of the techniques would produce the same kind of cures. Another problem is that I don’t know if every individual was able to do this. We had a tremendous problem with the control mice because when anyone who knew the techniques came into contact with the control mice, the control mice also remitted. Also, let me be clear what I mean by remission. The way the mice would normally die is that a tumour would get increasingly larger, and then the mice would die from malnutrition or the tumour becoming too big to sustain life or both. When we applied our healing techniques, however, the tumours seemed to hit something akin to a critical mass in size, and then they would blacken, ulcerate, and implode. The blackening, ulceration, and implosion had never been seen before. I’ve taken these findings to people who have worked on these mice at Jackson Labs, and they wonder what’s going on as well. We’ve also done histology on the mice at various stages in their remission, and it turns out that the mice are cancerous until they’re fully cured – meaning that even when some cancer cells are ulcerating and shrinking, other viable cancer cells are still there. So we have a shrinking cancerous system rather than an expansive cancerous system, but it goes through a natural life cycle. Here is another complicating factor. In the first experiment, we didn’t know what was going on. We watched our mice get more and more ugly as the tumours got larger and larger, and we didn’t know what to expect. I thought the experiment was failing. When one of the control mice died, ours still didn’t look like they were about to die. When a second control mouse died, we broke protocol and went to the different building where the control mice were being kept because we were curious to see them. There were four mice sitting there, huddled together, barely breathing, and they were obviously on their last leg. We stared at them for ten minutes and determined that maybe there was a difference. Our mice were ugly because they had these ulcerations and such, but they didn’t look as sick as the control mice. A couple of days after we looked at the control mice, they developed blackened areas, ulcerations, and remitted! And that turns out to be the pattern in all of our experiments. Radin: Again, to remit in this context means they show no sign of cancer at all. Bengston: No sign – they’re cured for life. We keep them for their entire life span. In fact, we reinject them. Radin: And they’re still cured? Bengston: They’re still cured. They’re immune to the cancer for life.
The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge Change Your Thinking by Sarah Edelman Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani (CD) Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman Eat Well: Be Well by the Gawler Foundation
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Radin: Do you imagine that there may be a genetic change to the mice that are cured, given that they can’t get that same cancer? Bengston: I don’t know if it’s a genetic change or something that’s been stimulated in the immune system. Radin: Fascinating work. F
From: Noetic Now, Issue 19, February 2012. Published by Institute Noetic Sciences http://noetic.org
1 page ad from Ester
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Healing with Nature A cancer treatment which treats toxicity and nutritional deficiencies
C
ancer is often perceived and portrayed as a monster devouring innocent men, women and children – a monster we must fight and defeat. So we fundraise for cancer researchers to find a cure and we continue to wait.
vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and micronutrients to strengthen organs and systems weakened by disease. And coffee enemas have been scientifically proven to help the liver in eliminating toxins. The Gerson Institute explains the concept behind the regime:
It’s a lesser known truth that many people around the world have found their cure in the Gerson Therapy. In the 1930s in Germany, Dr. Max Gerson first developed this diet-based therapy to treat his own persistent migraines. Then he found that the diet had healed one of his patients’ skin tuberculosis. He did further studies and held a clinical trial at Munich University under the supervision of established surgeon Ferdinand Sauerbruch. Out of 450 skin tuberculosis patients, 446 were successfully treated and the work was published in several leading medical journals worldwide. In the following years, the treatment showed positive results in the treatment of other ailments such as heart conditions, kidney failure and even cancer.
“The Gerson Therapy’s all-encompassing nature sets it apart from most other treatment methods. The Gerson Therapy effectively treats a wide range of different ailments because it restores the body’s incredible ability to heal itself. Rather than treating only the symptoms of a particular disease, the Gerson Therapy treats the causes of most degenerative diseases: toxicity and nutritional deficiency.
The Gerson Therapy targets the body as a whole. It’s based on a strict organic vegetarian diet combined with coffee enemas and the use of other natural supplements. Patients consume up to 13 fresh raw fruit and vegetable juices prepared in masticating juicers. The juices contain living enzymes and other minerals and nutrients that are usually destroyed in conventional juicers and cooking. Large quantities of raw and cooked solid foods also form part of this diet, all of which are designed to continuously pump the body with an abundance of enzymes,
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Degenerative diseases render the body increasingly unable to excrete waste materials adequately, commonly resulting in liver and kidney failure. The Gerson Therapy uses intensive detoxification to eliminate wastes, regenerate the liver, reactivate the immune system and restore the body’s essential defences – enzyme, mineral and hormone systems. With generous, highquality nutrition, increased oxygen availability, detoxification, and improved metabolism, the cells – and the body – can regenerate, become healthy and prevent future illness.” According to Howard Strauss, author of Dr. Max Gerson: Healing the Hopeless and grandson of Dr. Gerson, more than 50 journals around the world published Gerson’s work, providing detailed accounts of his therapies. Hundreds of articles have been published in esteemed journals by other medical researchers and scientists confirming his work.
American medical experts believe the Gerson Therapy has never cured anyone and that patients who attribute their wellness to the therapy probably didn’t have cancer, or the cancer went away on its own. Filmmaker Steve Kroschel recently produced a film, Dying to Have Known, which documents his 52-day investigation into the Gerson Therapy. In the filem, Dr. Stephen Barrett says mainstream medicine “don’t believe there’s any evidence that “any diet will affect the course of any cancer.” Despite the widespread denunciation of the Gerson Therapy, numerous survivors of cancer and other degenerative diseases have testified to the life-changing impact of the therapy. Some of them were diagnosed with diseases such as breast cancer, lymphosarcoma, malignant melanoma, testicular cancer and even multiple sclerosis and were advised by their physicians that they were making huge mistakes. Many of these patients, however, have survived anywhere from six to 50 years after pursuing the Gerson Therapy. And many, at the time of the initial diagnosis, were given only from one to six months to live. Gerson Therapy is a natural therapy, which allows people to be in control of their own health without being dependent on drugs. The therapy is based wholly on food and supplements found in nature. Modern medicine, which is based on drugs and surgery, follows a standard scientific method to study and test medicines before they can be administered to people. The scientific model only tests for one variable at a time, and the Gerson Therapy uses hundreds of variables which makes the Gerson Therapy incompatible with scientific testing. For this reason Gerson Therapy has been widely rejected due to lack of scientific proof of its effectiveness.
Medical drugs tend to target the symptoms of the disease and often have side effects, which require further medication. Often, drugs are prescribed before a person’s body has the chance to fight the disease or before remedies are looked for in nature. Wholistic therapies, such as the Gerson Therapy, identify and attack the root of the disease. Dr. Gerson called the soil our external metabolism and believed that without fertile, organic soil, our food cannot sustain us. Artificial fertilisers and other chemicals have diminished the nutritional value and richness of our soils. Dr. Paul R. Hepperly of the Rodale Institute notes these chemicals are poisoning us and the environment and are definitely correlated to the increase in cancer cases and other degenerative diseases. The Gerson Therapy follows a nutritional model as opposed to modern medicine’s chemical model and, according to Hepperly, the former approach could have prevented many instances of disease in the first place. Dr. Andrew Saul is another proponent of the nutritional model. In his view, if the Gerson Therapy was permitted in the United States, we could see deaths from cancer decreasing by over 50 per cent. “There are no drugs in the Gerson Therapy. It’s all based on nature, it’s all based on common sense, it’s all based on nutrition, detoxification and metabolic theory,” he says. Today, there are only two Gerson clinics in the world – one in Mexico and one in Hungary – both licensed by the Gerson Institute (founded by Dr. Gerson’s daughter, Charlotte Gerson). More than half of the 500 patients treated by two allopathic doctors at the Loma Linda Clinic in Japan using Gerson Therapy have recovered and the doctors have kept thorough records of the patients for many years following the treatments. In Holland, Dr. Wilko van der Vegt, has been doing the same for 16 years, with a 75 per cent success rate. The Gerson Therapy will probably remain a controversial practice until it can be scientifically proven. But there are too many many positive results for the therapy to be ignored. Conventional medicine doesn’t have all the answers. And if the Gerson Therapy saves lives when the former can’t, people deserve to, at the very least, know about it. F
From: www.themindfulword.org
NEW in the Cancer Support WA Wellness Shop
THE NEW COMPACT JUICER The Cancer Support WA Wellness Shop now stocks the incredible new COMPACT JUICERS. These small juicers are slow and quiet and your juice will retain up to 60% more nutrients than conventional juicers and the valuable enzymes remain alive. The Live enzymes are what aids your digestion and helps your body absorb nutrients, boost your energy levels and immune system. Drop by during office hours or order your juicer by phone. 15% discount for Cancer Support WA members. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES
After being licensed to practice in New York in 1938, Dr Gerson continued treating cancer patients for twenty years, and in 1958, a year before his death, he published 50 success stories in his book A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases. From the time he began submitting papers on his cancer treatment in the United States, he was rejected by the medical establishment and to this day, his work is considered quackery by mainstream medical communities.
my intent By Mandy BeckerKnox
Cancer Support WA’s CEO Mandy BeckerKnox reflects on work as a spiritual and transformative journey. When I was 21 I thought it was my path to give up my worldly life (even though I had accumulated very little!) and be a spiritual aspirant living in the ashrams of India. I had been lucky enough to experience the blissful states of meditation under the tutelage of some incredible masters. To have discovered the more esoteric techniques and secrets of yoga and to have sat with these masters in stillness for days was for me at 21 the pinnacle of spirituality and I had no desire for anything else. It wasn’t all bliss of course. Meditation, under the guidance of the masters, is an intense journey inwards initially passing through dangerous, unchartered territory bringing much to the surface! The path of yoga is one of self-enquiry, understanding, acceptance, transcendence and renewal. There is acute awareness of the effect every thought and action has on your own life and on the lives of those around you – so much care needs to be taken to ensure that thoughts and actions are in alignment with the spiritual values which lead to peace and happiness for yourself and others. This coupled with the challenges of India were immense and after a while I returned home and back to the worldly life I was so dismissive of. From then until now, the experiences with the masters have stayed with me and inform everything I do. Before I engage in any task, before I do anything, before I write anything, say anything there is an underlying question which is always acknowledged. That question is simply “Why?” By asking “Why?” the intent and goal is always clear, the motivation always pure and the effect on my own life and on others well understood.
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
Thirteen years ago I met Jeff, an amazing man, and we became good friends very quickly. I didn’t initially know he had cancer or that he would die within a year, as he was in remission and was young, vibrant and healthy. Not that it would have made any difference to our friendship. He was a genuinely beautiful person who became a true friend. When visiting someone for the first time I am always drawn to their bookshelf and amongst the various titles I saw the book, You Can Conquer Cancer by Ian Gawler. There could only be one reason Jeff was reading this book. He was fighting for his life on one level. He was living to his full potential on another, embracing every opportunity which came his way with incredible passion. There was a certain recklessness about him, a sense of urgency in everything he did. There was freedom within that recklessness but there was also a lot of heartache. His marriage had failed, he had two children he didn’t see enough of. He was doing his best. It was through Jeff that I came to Cancer Support WA, the first professional organisation outside yoga I had come across who had at its heart a mission to bring peace and healing to individuals, to families, to communities and to the world. The Cancer Support WA mission resonated with my personal and spiritual values and a deep seated commitment to do meaningful work which contributes to greater peace in the world. At the time I had a baby and I soon went through a relationship breakup. I brought more yoga into my life. I fell in love and together we brought another child into the world and established a yoga centre we continue to run together. My children grow,
MIND/BODY HEALING
reaching all the childhood milestones with grace and relative ease. Cancer Support WA has been part of their journey too. As little babies I would bring them into the office in their baskets, sleeping under my desk as I worked on the Wellness News. Cancer Support WA is a community. People come to the organsation for one of two reasons – to heal and be well or to share their knowledge and gifts to help others heal and be well. In our various roles and functions, we are all here for the same purpose, we share an intent and a goal. Each role is equally important to the whole. There is a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving we all participate in. Over time my involvement in the organisation grew and it was clear to me that this was part of my soul’s journey and purpose for this lifetime. We have a core team who not only work together but meditate together, dream of a bright future together and have arrived together at this juncture in time. We got here through our commitment to the mission, through the alignment of personal and professional values, through working collaboratively, through being open and honest and through trusting in the integrity of what we do. When we recognise incongruences or mistakes we don’t hesitate to fix them. We make difficult decisions along the way, but decisions always made for the right reasons. It is this model of partnership, collaboration, sharing and commitment that we put forward as a pathway to wellness and healing. The healing journey of the organisation is parallel to many people’s own healing journeys – where the best outcomes are attained through a team supporting and trusting each other as a family would, of sharing an intention and bringing together various skills and strengths to achieve shared goals. The synergy of this approach creates infinite possibilities for the organisation and for people on their own wellness journeys. We deeply understand what it means to have cancer in your life and what can be done to be well and heal. It’s not an easy path, but it is easier knowing that you are not alone, and that you have a team of dedicated people here for you at anytime. Because of the nature of cancer and its often unknown prognosis, there is almost always fear, stress and turmoil felt by people at different stages of the disease which lingers, leads to anxiety and anguish. Amidst all of this it is difficult to be centred, at peace and to make good decisions. Part of our work is to help people find the parts of themselves that have been lost through the demands of life, the stress of cancer – to get clear again about life purpose, passions and goals. This reconnection comes about most readily through the stillness and insight of meditation which is the most direct path to finding the inner strength, energy and clarity needed to move forwards on the journey with calmness, integrity and fearlessness. The journey is leading us all towards the same goal of wellness, peace, happiness and acceptance. It is through activating and living the values of kindness, compassion and unconditional love for ourselves and others that we get there. Through 20 years of teaching yoga and meditation, I know that meditation is a process which is not easy and many people give up too soon. It can sometimes take years to learn to move beyond the thoughts and intense emotion which restrain us and hold us back from reaching our potential. Even though I have been back to India many times since, it is those early experiences with the masters which are the most profound. They had nowhere to go, nothing to do, sometimes nothing to say, but at the same time their consciousness was so expanded they didn’t have to go anywhere because the whole world was contained within them. It seemed they could see everything, experience everything and knew everything, but through discernment they sat still in love. They smiled deeply from the core of their being, from their heart, from their soul and they shone like a brilliant sun. They were so compelling all
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“Life is always perfect, especially when it seems most imperfect. It is in the challenging times that we grow. One of the gifts of cancer is the deep recognition and acknowledgement that every moment of life is precious.” you wanted to do was be close to them. It was easy to sit there and bask in their glow. India at the time was full of pilgrims like me who did just that. I discovered my potential through these experiences and set an intention to live a life worth living. Of course the challenge was to find my way as a young woman in the world and at the same time integrate the wisdom of the masters. It’s taken two decades so far and I’m still integrating, learning, evolving and sharing. Setting a powerful intention though is like a light that never fades and which flows through you and into life. Life is always perfect, especially when it seems most imperfect. It is in the challenging times that we grow. One of the gifts of cancer is the deep recognition and acknowledgement that every moment of life is precious. For all of us it over too soon and the sooner we realise the finite, transitory nature of this lifetime, the sooner we begin to really live and appreciate each moment, savouring all of what life has gifted us with – whether we perceive it as pleasant or unpleasant, whether it makes us happy or sad. My work with Cancer Support WA started for me with my friend Jeff who I will never forget. The last time I saw him alive was in the hospice. I helped him into a wheelchair and was surprised at how light and small his body had suddenly become, yet how strong his spirit and lifeforce still were. We walked through the gardens and then down the driveway and then down the street. “We should just keep on walking,” I said to him. He laughed. We knew though that we had to go back. Jeff to the bed in which he died at peace a few days later, and me to a life which wasn’t even half lived. Now, when I ask myself “why?’ the answer is always clear. The work I do is my soul’s journey. It is for Jeff. And for all the incredible people I have met who believe in their healing potential and are willing to do whatever it takes to find peace in their own lives and to help others to greater peace. Together, healing is always possible, especially with an incredible team walking beside you. F
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go. She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all the memories that held her back. She let go of all the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right. She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't
inspirations
"She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go. She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the 'right' reasons.Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go. She didn't analyse whether she should let go. She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter one word. She just let go. No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go. There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. It was what it was, and it is just that. In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore." Poem Jennifer Eckert Bernau Art Christian Schloer
meditation made easy Meditation is a powerful self-healing tool with profound benefits. Learn simple, effective meditation techniques in five weeks at Cancer Support WA’s Introduction to Meditation Course held on Thursdays 4pm-5pm. Only 1 more coursesin 2013, starting 26th September. Register early to ensure you don’t miss out. Casual meditation sessions every Monday at 9.30am. Book online: www.cancersupportwa.org.au
Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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My cancer story by Peta Hurley “You’re invincible!” These words came from a fourteen-year-old describing her mother – me! My daughter was finally beginning to comprehend how life had been for me over the last twenty-two years. Her words reminded me of just how much I had been through and that I had survived, even triumphed, over much adversity. It began in 1991. I was thirty-one years old. My life at the time was very happy. I had a great job, lots of friends, and was very content with my life. I was single with no children and happily living on my own. Image: Robbie Merritt
Cancer gave me a gift that I will always be grateful for – to cherish the life I have no matter what it may bring. I am grateful I have been given a second and third chance and my wish is that this story helps others through their challenges and that they also see themselves as invincible.
It was about October of that year when I started to get stomach pains. The symptoms persisted over the next six months while I went to a variety of doctors looking for answers. Eventually I found a doctor that was prepared to look a little deeper and decided to send me for some exploratory tests. These tests were quite invasive, very uncomfortable, and uncovered nothing! Finally, I was sent to a specialist, a gastroenterologist. She diagnosed Chrohn’s disease and put me on a course of steroids. By this stage the pain was so bad and I was feeling so weak that I was unable to work. I was not able to eat a great deal as this increased the pain, so I lost quite a bit of weight. At my next specialist appointment a large lump could be felt in my abdomen so I was sent to a surgeon for a consult, however, again there was no diagnosis. The surgeon agreed that the lump, whatever it was, had to be removed. I did ask the question, “Could it be cancer?” A part of me already knew it was, but I didn’t get a definite answer. I was admitted to hospital in March 1992 and scheduled for surgery the next day. They did routine blood tests only to discover that my blood count was seriously low. This necessitated a speedy blood transfusion before they could operate. No wonder I had been feeling so weak. The surgeon removed a lump, which was as big as his fist. It wasn’t until after the surgery that I finally had a diagnosis: bowel cancer. They had removed it all as well as surrounding lymph nodes, which were tested to see if the cancer had spread. Those areas were clear. With the cancer gone and no further treatment required, I went home to recover and get on with my life.
Cancer Wellness Support Groups You are not alone on your journey with cancer. Cancer Support WA is here to support all West Australians with cancer...you are welcome to attend our weekly support groups for people with cancer, their families and carers. Bookings not required.
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Open Cancer Support Group: Tuesdays 10am-12pm Carers’ Support Group: Tuesdays 10am-12pm Grief & Loss Group: last Thursday of each month 1pm-3pm Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
personal story
Prior to the cancer I was relatively healthy, ate well, and exercised regularly. It was at this time that I discovered Cancer Support WA, attended a support group and learned about better nutrition, meditation, and the importance of taking time for me. I took to heart their belief that, “Cancer is a word, not a sentence.” This was also the time when I discovered Louise Hay’s books and realized the important role your mind plays in not only your health but in your life. Over the next few years, I had two beautiful daughters. Nine years after the first surgery, a routine colonoscopy revealed another lump in my large intestine. This meant more surgery to remove the tumour. It was recommended, but not imperative, that I have six months of chemotherapy as a precaution. Since I wanted to do everything possible to remain cancer free, I agreed to the chemo. I was fearful of what it would do to my body but not of the cancer itself. On my next visit to my specialist it was suggested that I consider undergoing genetic testing because I had been so young to experience two bouts of bowel cancer. I went ahead with this simple blood test, however, the results took over a year to come back. It was discovered that in fact I did carry a gene that predisposed me to a higher risk of not only bowel cancer but also other cancers – namely uterine and ovarian cancers. With this new knowledge at hand I was sent to a gynecological oncologist. He immediately wanted to perform a total hysterectomy to reduce the risk of developing further cancers. It was discovered through pathology results after the surgery that I did actually have a small tumour in my uterus. My annual check-ups have been clear for five years and in cancer terms that’s as close to a cure as you can get. Yay! It has been a long road and throughout it all there were moments of fear but I can honestly say that I never thought the worst. I always had a strong belief that I would get through this and that everything would be okay. Cancer gave me a gift that I will always be grateful for – to cherish the life I have no matter what it may bring. I am grateful I have been given a second and third chance and my wish is that this story helps others through their challenges and that they also see themselves as invincible. F
Peta’s story and portrait are featured in Cancer Support WA’s You Are Beautiful exhibition and website: www.cancersupportwa.org.au. Turn to the back cover of this magazine for more images from You Are Beautiful.
Gawler Foundation Profound Healing Sustainable Wellbeing Conference Melbourne, 23rd,24th November Discount on conference price for Cancer Support WA members. See enclosed brochure for details about the conference and be sure to have your Cancer Support WA membership handy when you book online.
Wellness counselling Ongoing counselling sessions with a caring, compassionate professional could help you deal more effectively with the many issues, fears and emotions which arise on the cancer journey; gain clarity to make treatment decisions; give you the insight to grow from your experiences; and the peace of mind and heart needed to heal. Sessions are available at our Cottesloe centre, your home or hospital. Sessions with Fully Qualified Counsellors. Sessions available by appointment.
Counselling Fee Schedule Counselling session
$50 members
(one hour duration)
$75 public
Home/hospital visit
+ $15 travel fee
Counselling sessions are available free to any Cancer Support WA member who is experiencing financial hardship due to cancer. Please mention this at time of booking. Free counselling sessions are limited to one session (1 hour) a week per family.
More details: www.gawler.org Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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Yoga & Meditation Bali Retreat An opportunity to take your healing to a deeper level In a private healing sanctuary in the hills outside Ubud, miles away from the stresses of everyday life, your senses are soothed, your body relaxes and begins to heal, your energy is restored and your worries and fears fall away. There is nothing to do but surrender to the beauty and tranquillity of the moment. Sometimes it is necessary to physically retreat from the busyness and stresses of life for a short period of time so that healing and recovery become your main and sole focus. Our retreat program is uniquely designed to support you while you go deeper on the healing journey than you could otherwise go, in the company of likeminded souls. The October Retreat is hosted by Kookaburra Creek Yoga Centre and is facilitated by Mandy BeckerKnox and Robert Becker. The focus is on the transformational and subtle practices of yoga and meditation which bring about peace, happiness and healing. The retreat program is gentle and supportive. No experience of yoga or meditation is required and all practices are suitable for beginners.
Yoga & Meditation Retreat 5th-12th Oct, 7 nights. Cost: $1,850. More information, full program and registration details on the Events page of our website: www. cancersupportwa.org.au or call 9384 3544
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
By Susan Gubar Although I sob during sappy movies, I did not cry as I
staggered through the numerous surgeries, radiological procedures and chemotherapies that followed a cancer diagnosis four years ago. That is why I am grateful to yoga. A member of my support group had encouraged me to sign up for a series of sessions for cancer patients. I found my way to the dimly lit, bare room where the teacher, Laurie, welcomed me. While I filled in a sketchy medical history, Judy arranged a mat for me, next to which she placed a long strap, an oddly lightweight brick and a blanket. No one objected to my keeping on my socks. There is something soothing about a room with nothing in it but six or seven people. I sat with my legs crossed on the mat, slowed my breathing and listened first to a passage read aloud from Stephen Levine, the author of several books of guided meditations and healings, and then to some new age music. Sceptical about anything marketed as a spiritual cure, I lowered my eyes, deepened my breaths and determined to use this session as physical therapy. A number of wall exercises served that purpose well. Standing tall, straightening upward as well as downward, I could feel myself extended. Then, with my left side to the wall, keeping the left hand on it, I slid my right foot up the calf of my left leg and balanced, reversed to repeat on the other side, and turned to face the wall with my palms on it. Walking my feet away from the wall, leaning into it, I could feel muscles that had been dormant the past four years. Returning to the mat, stretching one body part while inhaling, relaxing with a longer exhale, I wondered: Why is this sort of gentle rehab not recommended during chemotherapy? Yoga need not be grueling headstands or strenuous backbends. I pressed first against the light brick I placed between my thighs and then against the strap I placed around the sole of one foot, acknowledging that I had not asked my oncologist about yoga (or any exercise) because I was so depleted back then. As we became warriors, children, cats, cows and pigeons, I realised that concentrating on position and breath takes even the most cerebral of us out of our nattering, hectoring brains,
mind/body healing
reminding us that we have feet, ankles, knees, a spinal column, arms, shoulders, neck, mouth, all of which can stretch and relax, stretch and relax to release tension. When Laurie asked everyone to lie on their stomachs, I knew that would be disabling for me, so I remained on my back, flattening it against the floor and then arching. How sad that my body has been inalterably changed for the worse. While the others worked on variations of the cobra, I chose to concentrate on each breath rather than consider my diminishment. For haven’t I managed to get here, into this bare, dimly lit room during a somehow lengthening hour, without any discomfort and instead with a sense of inhabiting myself? Body awareness – the mind aware of the body, the body of the mind – provides physical but also psychological therapy. Finally, Laurie got all of us comfortable on our backs, asking if anyone wanted a blanket. She was reading again, words that may have appeared in the Stephen Levine book but that I recognised as a Buddhist meditation and knew by heart. Decades ago my friend Jo had asked if we could put it in our Haggadah, the ecumenical booklet we produced for the Seder attended by my gentile and Jewish intimates. May we dwell in the heart, May we be free from suffering, May we be healed wherever healing is called for, May we be at peace. Perhaps because I knew the phrases, perhaps because Laurie repeated them – who knows exactly why? – tears seeped from my eyes. Not a sound could be heard, no tremor could be seen, no one else knew, but they flowed down each side of my face, pooling in my ears.
May we dwell in the heart, May we be free from suffering, May we be healed wherever healing is called for, May we be at peace.
A four-year-long zombie stoicism had been broken. With relief, I realised that yoga was teaching me to be patient with my frailties. I swung in a hammock of delicate filaments connecting me to each and every being seated around my Seder table. F
This article by Susan Gubar is from her blog ‘Living with Cancer’’ which chronicles Susan’s own personal journey with ovarian cancer. Susan Gubar is a distinguished emerita professor of English at Indiana University and the author of “Memoir of a Debulked Woman.” You will find her blog on the New York Times’ Health and Wellness blog: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com, August 2013.
gentle healing yoga for people with cancer
A gentle, healing class with a therapeutic focus led by our experienced teachers. These classes emphasise relaxation, breath awareness, gentle movement and meditation. Suitable for anyone currently living with cancer and also support people and carers. Wednesdays 9.30am-11.00am @ Kookaburra Creek, 210 Carradine Rd, Bedfordale (near Armadale) Thursdays 9.30am-10.45am @ Cancer Support WA Cost $5/$10. Bookings not required. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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while probiotics may counter damage caused by chemo; antibiotics at the wrong time may cause chemo to be detrimental By Mike Adams Breakthrough new science conducted at the University of Michigan and about to be published in the journal Nature reveals that intestinal health is the key to counteracting the sideffects of chemotherapy.
Probioticsmaybethe keytocounteracting thedetrimentaleffect ofchemotherapyon healthy cells.
The study itself is very difficult for laypeople to parse, however, so I’m going to translate into everyday language while also offering additional interpretations of the research that the original study author is likely unable to state due to the nutritional censorship of medical journals and universities, both of which have an anti-nutrition bias. The upshot is this: A clinical study gave mice lethal injections of chemotherapy that would, pound for pound, kill most adult human beings, too. The study authors openly admit: “All tumours from different tissues and organs can be killed by high doses of chemotherapy and radiation, but the current challenge for treating the later-staged metastasised cancer is that you actually kill the [patient] before you kill the tumour.” Chemotherapy is incredibly toxic and is a known carcinogen. But certain mice in the study managed to survive large, lethal doses of chemo. How did they do that? They were injected with a molecule that your own body produces naturally. Its production is engineered right into your genes, and given the right gene expression in an environment of good nutrition (meaning the cellular environment), you can generate this substance by yourself, 24 hours a day. The substance is called “Rspo1” or “R-spondon1.” It activates stem cell production within your own intestinal walls, and these stem cells are like super tissue regeneration machines that rebuild damaged tissues faster than the chemotherapy can destroy them, thereby allowing the patient to survive what would otherwise be an otherwise deadly dose of chemo. As the study showed, 50-75 percent of the mice who were given R-spondon1 survived the fatal chemotherapy dose. Before I discuss why these findings are so important for followers of natural health and nutrition, let me first offer a disclaimer. The research mentioned here was conducted on mice, not humans, so it isn’t proof that the same mechanism works in humans. Nevertheless, the reason mice are used for such research is because they are nearly identical to humans in terms of biology, gene expression, endocrine system function and more. Furthermore, even though this study used an injection of R-spondon1 as the “activator” of gene expression in endothelial cells of the intestinal lining, in truth your cells already possess the blueprint to produce R-spondon1 on their own. In fact, human intestines are coated with a layer of epithelial cells that are regenerated every 4-5 days in a healthy person. This is only possible through the activation and continued operation of intestinal stem cells, a normal function for a healthy human. And what determines the health of those stem cells more than anything else? Their local environment which is predominantly determined by gut bacteria. If your gut bacteria are in balance, the gene expression of your epithelial cells is normal and healthy. If your gut bacteria are out of whack, so to speak, the gene expression of your epithelial cells will be suppressed, thereby slowing or halting the regenerative potential of your intestinal cells. This is why people who have imbalanced intestinal flora also suffer from inflammatory intestinal conditions such as Crohn’s, IBS and so on. Thus, probiotics are a key determining factor in the ability of your intestines to maintain the appropriate gene expression for the very kind of rapid cellular regeneration that can help your body cope with the toxic effects of chemotherapy on healthy cells.
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
This may also explain why people who eat large quantities of processed meat, cheese and pasteurised dairy products – especially when combined with starchy carbohydrates and processed sugars – do not do as well with chemotherapy as people who eat more plant-based diets. (There isn’t yet a source to substantiate this claim, but it’s something I’ve noted from considerable personal observation. Those who consume processed meat and pasteurised dairy have their intestines filled with fibre-less, difficult-to-digest proteins that are putrefied and sit in the intestines for up to 2-5 days. Dietary sugars and carbohydrates then feed the bacteria fermentation process, resulting in the rapid growth and replication of sugar-feeding bacteria that displace the healthy flora which best protect intestinal wall cells. This imbalance, I suggest, increases susceptibility to chemotherapy toxicity while simultaneously impairing the ability of the patient to absorb key nutrients that protect healthy cells from the toxicity of chemo drugs. This may explain why patients who heavily consume meat, cheese and dairy diets tend to suffer more due to chemotherapy. Although the research did not directly address this question, its findings seem to indicate that the kind of gut bacteria “wipeout” caused by antibiotics could prove detrimental to a chemotherapy patient. This is especially worrisome because many cancer patients are simultaneously prescribed antibiotics as they undergo chemotherapy. The combination of sterilised gut bacteria and chemotherapy drugs could multiply the toxicity. It is important to know that following the first round of chemotherapy, many patients suffer from a weakened immune system that can result in symptomatic infections. Physicians respond to this by prescribing antibiotics, resulting in the patient undergoing subsequent rounds of chemotherapy with “wiped out” gut flora. It is in the best interest of patients to protect their own healthy cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs by eating a wholefood diet and supplementing with probiotics. F
From: naturalnews.com, 1st August 2013. Mike Adams is a medical science researcher and the founder of NaturalNews.com, an independent news source covering personal and planetary wellness from nutrition to sustainable living. He has written thousands of articles on nutritional therapies, natural remedies and health care reform.
Avoid antibiotics. It’s a familiar story by now: overzealous use of antibiotics are driving antibiotic resistance among microbes at an alarming rate. But it gets worse: the average child in the developed world will likely receive 10-20 courses of antibiotics before his or her 18th birthday. This, coupled with the low therapeutic doses in animal feed and ipso facto food, may be shifting our gut microbes into an unhealthy state. It’s well documented that following a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics, it could take weeks, months or even years for your gut microbial community to bounce back. While antibiotics are clearly needed in some scenarios, ask more questions before taking them. Open a window. For 99.99 percent of human history the outside was always part of the inside, and at no moment during our day were we ever really separated from nature.Today, modern humans spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. Though keeping the outside out does have its advantages – it has also changed the microbiome of your home. Studies show that opening a window and increasing natural airflow can improve the diversity and health of the microbes in your home. Adopt an ecological perspective. The human-microbial superorganism is a vast ecological system, subject to the same rules of resistance, resilience, and balance as any ecosystem on the planet. The sooner you learn to tend your microbial garden, the sooner you will understand how human ecology and your health is nothing more than understanding our history and place in the larger biosphere. Eat more plants. This is the single most important (in my opinion) dietary strategy for improving the diversity and health of your gut microbiome. In short, your gut microbes thrive on a diversity of fermentable substrates (aka dietary fibre). But not all fibre is the same (physically or chemically), so consuming a diversity of whole plants will assure as steady flow of substrates for your resident microbes. Also eat more of the whole plant, not just the soft and tasty parts. By doing so, you will guarantee that the harder-to-digest portions of the plant will extend the metabolic activity of your microbiome deep into your bowels. Also track the species of plants you eat in a week – aim for 30-40, or more. Start a garden. Getting your hands dirty and covering more of your body (and food) with mother nature’s blanket will help you not only connect with the natural world we have tried so hard to remove ourselves, but will reacquaint your immune system with the trillions of microorganisms on the plants and in the soil. Reconnecting with ecosystems, through gardening or some other ‘outside’ means, will allow you to understand and manage your inner-ecosystem. There is no better way. F
By Jeff Leach. From: mercola.com, January 2013. Jeff Leach is the Founder of the Human Food Project and the author of Honour Thy Symbionts and his peer-reviewed research has been published in the British Journal of Nutrition, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, BioScience and Microflora, Journal of Archaeological Science, Public Health Nutrition and many others. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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his healthy raw food list consists of foods that have more nutrients per calorie than most other foods. Featured here is our T They’ve been shown to contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that prevent disease: from cancer to disease to arthritis, and many more. These super foods are ideal for quick and easy raw food recipes. list of 6 incredible, heart We should include these super foods as part of a healing diet on a regular basis. These are truly holistic nutritionally dense health supplements. great way to eat these raw health foods – whether you just begin a raw food diet or whether you’re foods that possess A100% raw already – is to add them to your daily smoothie. You can also add some raw honey and roll them into a raw health food bar. If you’re looking for improvement of health on a raw food diet these are such strong health the superb raw uncooked food to eat! benefits they Amazing Wheatgrass Juice Wheatgrass contains most of the vitamins and minerals needed are referred to as for human health. It’s a whole meal and complete protein with about 30 enzymes. It has up to 70% chlorophyll (which “superfoods”. builds the blood). It’s an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Wheatgrass cleanses the body (natural raw detoxifier) and it eliminates body and breath odors. The natural value of wheatgrass juice is so high that many people don’t feel the “cravings” that lead to overeating. It’s great for the skin and first and second degree burns.
Magic Goji Berries Tibetan goji berries are extremely rich in anti-oxidants which help protect the cells in our bodies from diseases like cancer. They’re also an excellent source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber. They have more amino acids than bee pollen, more beta carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach and 21 trace minerals. Goji Berries contain of 13% protein! It’s been used to treat eye problems, skin rashes, allergies, insomnia, liver disease, diabetes, cervical cancer, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s a powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial food. Sexy Maca Maca is a radish like fruit that grows in Peru. It’s one of the top 5 super foods enjoyed by raw foodists. It’s extraordinary rich in nutrients: 10% protein, 60% carbohydrate and full of fatty acids, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals trace. Maca is famous for its amazing health benefits and used to boost energy, strength, libido, sexual function and fertility in both men and women. It’s a natural viagra with no side effects and it’s said to relieve symptoms of menopause within days.
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
FOOD & NUTRITION
The Peruvian root works gradually, not instantly. You need to eat maca continually to receive the full benefits. For the best results look for organic raw maca powder. Maca balances the body’s systems: it will raise low blood pressure and lower high blood pressure as needed. Maca boosts immunity and harmonises the body’s overall vitality. Discover Bee Pollen Bee pollen contains more than 96 different nutrients, including every single nutrient that you need to live. It’s made up of 40% protein. It’s a natural energiser, slows down the aging process and lowers cholesterol levels. This super food relieves discomfort from PMS, prevents prostate problems, improves sperm count, boosts the immune system and detoxifies your body. It alleviates allergies, improves endurance, strength and mental clarity. It promotes weight loss: the rate at which your body burns fat and it reduces cravings. It regulates your mood and helps control stress in your life. Hemp Seed Secrets Hemp is one of the purest, most complete plants on earth. It has the perfect balance of Omega 3 and 6 for sustainable human health. This makes raw hemp seeds incredibly powerful against cancer. It might be the single best food to prevent it. It’s a high quality, complete raw food protein and has a massive trace mineral content.
It’s the only seed that doesn’t need to be germinated before eating as it has no enzyme exhibitors, therefore it’s easy to absorb. Heavenly Cacao Although controversial, many find raw chocolate a super food. It’s rich in anti oxidants and magnesium. And as long as you’re healthy and use is sensibly it’s a super, tasty and healthy addition to your recipes. Benefits of Cacao Cacao is a major source of magnesium, therefore a great laxative, it releases PMS symptoms, is good for the brain and heart. It’s the number one anti-oxidant source 30X as potentas green tea and 10X that of blueberries. It does not contain caffeine. However, it does contain theobromine (a sister molecule of caffeine). Raw cacao is the best medicine against asthma. It contains serotonin and triple defense. Together they protect us from the damage of stress. Cacao is the number one weight loss food as it is so nutrient dense. If you eat a few beans you feel fantastic and satisfied. You won’t feel hungry and you can go for hours without food. You can buy these superfoods at your local health store, , grow (some of) them yourself, try a green farmers market or shop online (try iherb.com). F
From: www.thebestofrawfood.com
Eating for Cancer Recovery 5 Week Course Join Cancer Support WA’s inspiring nutrition educator and Angelina Carli on this life changing nutrition course which includes detailed information on healing superfoods which assist recovery from cancer, and help prevent cancer from recurring, as well as practical demonstrations on how to prepare them. Sessions include: juicing, sprouting, raw food preparation, organic gardening. Includes juices, sprouts, recipes & great food. Cottesloe Civic Centre, Thursdays 1.30pm-3.30pm. Cost: $100 / $150. Starts 26 September. Only 1 more course in 2013. Book early so you don’t miss out!
Book online: www.cancersupportwa.org.au 45 book now to learn about Superfoods and Cancer Winter 2013 Healing wellness NEWS Foods
recipes...
the year of quinoa The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has officially declared that the year 2013 be recognised as “The International Year of the Quinoa.” Proposed by the government of Bolivia and receiving strong support from many Central and South American countries, quinoa (pronounced keewah) has now been singled out by the FAO as a food with “high nutritive value,” impressive biodiversity, and an important role to play in the achievement of food security worldwide. Researchers have recently taken a close look at certain antioxidant phytonutrients in quinoa, and two flavonoid – quercetin and kaempferol – are now known to be provided by quinoa in especially concentrated amounts. Recent studies are providing us with a greatly expanded list of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa. This unique combination of anti-inflammatory compounds in quinoa may be the key to understanding preliminary animal studies that show decreased risk of inflammation-related problems (including obesity) when animals are fed quinoa on a daily basis. In comparison to cereal grasses like wheat, quinoa is higher in fat content and can provide valuable amounts of heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (in the form of oleic acid). Quinoa can also provide small amounts of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Given this higher fat content, researchers initially assumed that quinoa would be more susceptible to oxidation and resulting nutrient damage. However, recent studies have shown that quinoa does not get oxidised as rapidly as might be expected given its higher fat content. This finding is great news from a nutritional standpoint. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa make it a likely candidate for cancer risk reduction in humans. Given the preliminary animal results involving the digestive tract, risk reduction for colon cancer may turn out to be a special area of interest. F
From: www.whfoods.com
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Curried veggies and quinoa Here’s an easy, flavourful recipe that contains healing foods that could help reduce inflammation in the body (broccoli and turmeric). This recipe serves 3-4 people, and you can easily multiply the ingredients to make a bigger batch if you have lots of family or friends coming over. Curry Paste 1.5 Tbsp turmeric 1.5 teaspoon cumin ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon coriander 1.5 teaspoon paprika 1 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp tamari (next to soy sauce in the market, but a gluten-free version, as soy sauce contains wheat) Vegetable Mix 1 Tbsp coconut oil 1 head bok choy 1 large onion 1 large carrot, cut into smaller pieces 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 large head of broccoli Instructions 1. Bring quinoa to boil in two cups of water or broth. 2. Reduce heat and cover for 10 to 15 minutes. 3. Sauté onion and garlic with coconut oil for about two minutes. Add bok choy and sauté until bright green. Add carrots and sauté for another four minutes. Pour all but about one tablespoon of the curry sauce over veggies and mix. Add a dash of salt. 4. Add the remaining tablespoon of the curry mixture to the quinoa and fluff/ mix with a fork. 5. Dip quinoa into bowls or onto plates and serve veggies on top.stir the pine nuts into the farro, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish. To serve, mound into a serving bowl or spoon onto individual plates. Sprinkle the last of the pine nuts on top.nutmeg, and ground ginger to taste.
All recipes by Kimberley Snyder. From: kimberlysnyder.net. Kimberley Snyder is a best selling author and celebrity nutritionist based in the US.
Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
RECIPES
Warm mushroom, brown rice & rocket salad Salad Ingredients rocket sprouts (your choice!) sliced radishes purple cabbage red capsicum Stir fry Ingredients 8 oz sliced mushrooms 1.5 cup brown rice (cooked) 1 bunch basil 1T nutritional yeast Dressing 1T tamari About 1.5 T lemon juice .5 T raw coconut nectar Sprinkle of cayenne (or more if you like it hot!) Instructions 1. Combine salad ingredients and keep to one side 2. Gently stirfry mushroom on the stovetop, add tamari, raw coconut nectar to add a touch of sweetness, cayenne pepper and fresh lemon juice. 3. Toss in the brown rice, and stir for a few minutes, then add the basil last and stir for a few minutes. 4. Once the mushrooms are cooked through, add to the salad, stir through and serve immediately.
did you know...
Cauliflower Soup This is a great soup for this time of the year. This soup is raw and easy to digest, and contains turmeric, which has wonderful anti-inflammatory and alkalising qualities. Turmeric is an Ayurvedic spice that has amazing antioxidant properties. It inhibits oxidation and protects us from free radical damage, and also helps us clean up metabolic waste. It also supports our liver, while adding some colour to this soup! Even though it’s raw,you may like to warm it up to room temperature, which takes about 30 minutes or so out of the fridge, or you can warm it gently over the stove. Ingredients 1 medium head of cauliflower, with outer green leaves removed and chopped into pieces 3 Tbs. organic, unpasteurised miso paste ½ ripe avocado 2 cups filtered water Juice of 1 lemon 2 ½ Tbs. of low sodium tamari ½ tsp. turmeric Chopped parsley, as a garnish 1 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt Instructions Add all ingredients and blend until smooth before serving. If you’d like a thinner texture, try adding a bit more water. Enjoy!
The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, can not only regulate inflammation which leads to certain types of cancer, but when cancer is present can also “seek out malignant cancer cells and alter the regulation of DNA in order to kill them.”
Wellness News, Autumn 2013. Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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4 herbs for anxiety and stress reduction Stress affects us all in one way or another. It can come from external sources like finances, work and relationships, or internal sources like illness and poor health in general. No matter what the cause, there are proven ways of coping with stress and preventing the worst of its effects. We share here herbs to use for anxiety and stress that can help you regain peace and calm.
Many of us feel the effects of stress before we even realise something is bothering us – listen to your body. Maybe you’ve been putting off dealing with a problem or you’ve been depressed or anxious and it all ties back to the stressors of cancer. Once you pinpoint what is bothering you, you can take steps to reduce its potential damage.
Eliminating the stressor isn’t always possible, but finding your own way of feeling a little better is. If you do have cancer then there are certain stress inducing situations that you may not be able to avoid. In cases like this, you can minimise their impact through meditation, regular exercise, eating right, and maintaining appropriate boundaries in relationships. Take a moment to analyse the way you think and perceive things around you and re-frame the negative events and occurrences that happen in your life. In addition to these strategies, there are many herbs for stress and anxiety that can be put to use. Used in teas, as supplements or in topical massage oils, these stress-reducing herbs can help you regain peace and calm.
Herbs for Anxiety and Stress
Lavender – Fresh lavender or even lavender essential oil is known to reduce irritability and help promote a relaxed state of mind. Put a little in your bath or keep it around the house to set a calming environment. Chamomile – This is a good choice particularly if your stress is causing you to lose sleep. Chamomile taken as a tea can help you wind down after a particularly hectic day and get you ready for a good night’s rest. Licorice Root – In addition to simulating relaxing chemicals in the brain, licorice root is said to normalize blood sugar and even regulate your adrenal glands. It also helps you cope with general stress. Check out some other licorice benefits. Licorice also contains a natural hormone alternative to cortisone. St. John’s Wort – Among the most popular herbs for anxiety and stress, St. John’s Wort has also been used during the Renaissance and Victorian periods for various mental conditions and depression. It can be found in supplements or used in a tincture. Often we can combat stress without any external solutions, through simple mindfulness and the realisation that nothing is worth losing our health over. But, when you need help, choose a natural solution. F
From: naturalsociety.com, February 2013
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
power protein smoothie This is a super-filling smoothie that is great after a workout to help replenish amino acids, or as an afternoon snack. Chia seeds are one of the best foods out there, as they supply protein, fibre, Omega 3 fats, minerals and long-burning fuel. I don’t recommend soy or whey (dairy) protein powders, but I love brown rice and raw hemp protein powders. This smoothie supplies 18+ grams (maybe more, depending on what protein powder you use) of easily assimilated plant protein into your body. If you don’t have access to acai packets, which would be in the refrigerated section of your health store, just omit it, and add a bit more vanilla and cinnamon, for a vanilla-flavored drink. Enjoy! Ingredients 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or water, or a 50/50 combination ¼ cup hemp or brown rice protein powder 1-2 Tbs. chia seeds (These are the Chia Seeds I recommend) ½ frozen acai smoothie packet Liquid stevia to sweeten ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. vanilla extract Instructions Add the almond milk and/or water to the blender first, then the other ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Smoothie recipes by Kimberley Snyder. From: kimberlysnyder.net. Kimberley Snyder is a best selling author and celebrity nutritionist based in the US. Her blog is fantastic nutritional resource.
acai smoothie This doubles as a great snack or a great dessert (a few hours after a meal). Acai is a fatty fruit that doesn’t digest as quickly as high watercontaining fruits, so it is one of the few fruits I use in desserts. Acai can be purchased frozen in health stores and made into smoothies. Açai is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including Omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, key vitamins and fibre. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in Açai maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the outflow of waste product Ingredients 2 cups unsweetened almond milk 1 packet frozen acai ½ Tbs. raw cacao (optional) raw organic honey to taste ½ avocado (optional to make thicker and more filling) Instructions Using a good blender, blend the acai and almond milk at low speed until you’ve broken down the Acai, then move to a higher speed. Once it is smooth, add the honey. Add the ½ of an avocado to make a denser snack or desert. Enjoy!
Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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FOOD & NUTRITION / LIFESTYLE
smoothie recipes
Alan Donelly was a board member and long time supporter of Cancer Support WA. He peacefully passed away after 24 years of living with cancer. Alan was an exceptional example of how the right positive attitude and implementation of changes in lifestyle make it is possible to change the path of illness and live a long and happy life. Alan was an advocate of a healthy diet, regular exercise and Master in Qi Gong and taught for many years at Cancer Support WA. Alan will be remembered for his generosity, kindness and incredible vitality, and will remain an inspiration to all who knew him. Image: Robbie Merritt
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;
but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your memories,
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice...” Michael Josephson
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
In loving memory of those who have shared part of their life journey with us... Julieanne Saint Laurence Alan Donelly Pearl Townsend Hedvig Nikkelsen Angela Davis Narelle Willis Rebecca Kane Ian Ure when my voice is silenced in death, my song will speak in your living heart
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Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au
~Rabindranath Tagore
Event photos by Square Hippo Photography and The West Australian newspaper Winter 2013 wellness NEWS
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inspirations / IN THE NEWS
PERSONAL STORY
Photos from the opening night of Cancer Support WA’s You Are Beautiful Exhibition featuring the images and stories of West Australians with cancer at the Perth Town Hall
wellness, support services and healing
Fundraising Exhibition: 2nd to 15th November exhibited in landmark venues across Perth CBD. Get involved, donate online: www.cancersupportwa.org.au This moving exhibition of portraits features candid images of West Australians who have been touched by cancer, alongside their personal stories. Visit our website to view the online gallery of 100 stunning portraits by photographer Robbie Merritt and read the inspiring stories of our incredible participants who all have a unique story to tell. All funds raised support the work of Cancer Support WA. By donating to the You Are Beautiful campaign you are helping us to provide our services for West Australian families with cancer today.
24 Hour Cancer Support Line (08) 9384 3544. www.cancersupportwa.org.au Cancer Support WA www.cancersupportwa.org.au 52