October is national breast cancer awareness month. This is very personal for me. In May of 2005 I was diagnosed with one of the most feared diseases a woman can get- a very virulent form of breast cancer.

I will be forever grateful to the dedicated doctors who saved my life.

I also pray everyday that no one else will have to suffer the “cure.” It is truly barbaric.

First there was surgery. My surgeon was brilliant. More importantly, she was a kind, caring woman. It was still really crappy.

Next came the chemo. Ugh! The first drug gave me sores in my throat that made swallowing impossible. The next drug made me nauseous. Being that sick drains the life right out of you. The last drug was the worst of all. It made my bones hurt to the point where walking became very painful. A trip to the mailbox felt more like a marathon.

I lost my hair, my eyebrows and my eyelashes. I missed my eyelashes the most.

After that came radiation. My technicians were good. They didn’t burn my skin but it was a long time before I had any feeling in that area.

It was hard to believe that this was the 21st century and this was the only solution we had for battling this dreadful disease.

It is 11 years later and I am cancer free. A day does not go by that I am not grateful for, but still I have an unanswered prayer.

Every hour of every day another woman is still enduring the same “cure.”

I don’t have the wisdom to change that. I wish I did, but I do study with some pretty smart doctors who are working on ways of preventing the disease from occurring in the first place.

That to me is an even better solution.

It is important to realize that less than 10% of all breast cancer cases are thought to be related to genetic risk factors. The remaining 90% appeared to be triggered by environmental factors. (There is no history in my family of breast cancer. The diagnosis came as a complete surprise.)

I strongly believe, along with many doctors of functional medicine, that cancer is preventable through appropriate lifestyle changes. You need to clean up your diet, optimize your vitamin D levels, exercise, and avoid as many toxins as possible.

Does that sound a little overwhelming? I can assure you, it is much easier than cancer.

Here are the key dietary and lifestyle guidelines to stick to:

Avoid sugar. All forms of sugar are detrimental to your health and promote cancer. If you are already sick, eating sugar is like pouring lighter fluid on a flame. Of all the types of sugar, fructose is one of the most harmful. Limit your total fructose intake to less than 25 grams daily. (That is equal to 1 apple.) Eliminate all grain-based and processed foods.

Limit protein and increase healthy fat. Most Americans eat far more protein than we need. (Your meat portion should fit into the palm of your hand.) Replace the eliminated protein and carbs with high quality fats like organic eggs from pastured hens, raw nuts, avocados and coconut oil. There is compelling evidence that a ketogenic diet (high fat diet) helps prevent and treat many forms of cancer.

Avoid charring your meats. Charcoal or flame broiled meat is linked with increased breast cancer risk.

Nourish your gut. Optimizing your gut flora will reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system. Eat naturally fermented foods and supplement with a high-quality probiotic.

Avoid unfermented soy products. Unfermented soy is high in phytoestrogens. Soy appears to work in concert with human estrogen to increase breast cell proliferation, which increases the chances for mutations and cancerous cells.

Avoid drinking alcohol or at least limit your alcoholic drinks to 1 per day.

Avoid GMOs. Avoid genetically modified foods as they are typically treated with herbicides like Roundup, which are likely to be carcinogenic. Choose organic whenever possible.

Optimize your vitamin D. Some research suggests that as much as 90% of breast cancer may be related to vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D Is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger cell death. It is nature’s most potent cancer fighter.

Maintain a healthy body weight. Excess body fat produces estrogen, which can fuel breast cancer.

Get enough sleep. Poor sleep can interfere with your melatonin production, which is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which contribute to cancer’s virility.

Use effective stress management tools. Stress from all causes is a major contributor to disease. Learn to de-escalate your stress throughout the day using deep breathing techniques, meditation, creative visualization, yoga, tai chi, knitting, coloring or whatever soothes your soul.

Follow these basic guidelines and you can avoid not only cancer but also diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and every other chronic condition that limits your life and robs you of your future.

You’ll be very glad you did.

Do you need help making these changes?

No worries. We have helped hundreds of people find their way to healthy life. All you need is the willingness. We will help you find the way.

Call today- 866-222-6490.