Verne Varona is a New York based health educator and a highly sought after speaker on health, fitness and motivation. In this 4th article from the series, let us understand important insights about the role of macrobiotics in healing from cancer.
Role of Macrobiotics: Nutrition therapy for cancer patients
Because food becomes part of our blood chemistry influencing our entire physiology, we should examine the role that it plays in restoring health. Essentially, food helps our body prevent and overcome disease in four ways explains Macrobiotics: nutrition therapy for cancer patients:
1. Food’s nutritional matrix fortifies our blood and cellular activity
The reduced acid/alkaline residue from a diet of whole plant foods such as whole grain, vegetable, sea vegetable, beans, with smaller quantities of animal protein, oils and fruit pprovide
our bodies with a more balanced chemistry.
In some cases, more concentrated nutrients from herbs, medicinal mushrooms, enzymes, undereating, and a variety of fibrous foods (that include valuable phytochemicals from green, yellow and orange vegetables), all contribute to creating a stronger nutritional profile that fortifies our resistance to cancer.
2. Balanced food and a healthy lifestyle also enhances our immune system
Most health books are always recommending immunity nutra-ceuticals, such as Maitake, Essiac, Red Clover/Poke root teas, Chlorella, Burdock and a variety of standardized Beta-Glucans.
While these products have merit and some research to support a positive influence on immunity, the first line of defense is to simply not weaken our immunity.
Major immune weakening factors are the following: excess simple sugar consumption, inadequate sleep and emotional stress are all toxic influences for the health of our immune function (the natural killer [NK] cells.) I am convinced, from personal experience, client follow-ups, hundreds of interviews with cancer survivors and current nutritional research, that: we must strengthen our immunity in order to halt further progression of cancer.
3. Regulate Your Blood Sugar
In the last 10 years we have learned much about blood sugar metabolism and the role that irregular blood sugar contributes to inflammation and tumour growth. The best strategy is to eat in a wholesome natural way that promotes a consistent and regulated blood sugar.
Eating whole grains (whole and not flour products which are particles and can negatively influence blood sugar), vegetables, beans and sea vegetables with small amounts of fruit and animal protein helps maintain a more controlled and regulated blood sugar.
One of the worst culprits for making blood sugar go through ups and downs is irregular eating times. The longer you wait between meals the more likely you’ll end up with a lower blood sugar, which invariably inspires strong, hard-to-resist cravings for sweets or overeating.
Often, missing afternoon meals and waiting until dinner to “fill up” ends up creating late night eating habits, which in turn, can hinder sleep and immune function. All of these factors conspire with each other.
4. Strengthen Your Detox Ability
The balance of your carbohydrate, fat and protein ratios, as well as your food quality, dramatically influences your body’s ability to naturally detoxify.
Eating a whole food diet strengthens the organs of elimination (kidneys, liver, intestines, lymph and skin), as it promotes better circulation to make the natural process of daily detoxing more efficient.
Research has shown that the outer phosphorous covering of whole grains bond to toxins and can also reduce high estrogen levels associate with a high fat diet. Miso, a natural fermented paste made from soybeans, is an excellent alkaline healing source that can increase intestinal bacteria, which in turn promotes better digestion. Many simple whole foods can stimulate our body to naturally detox. This process can be also be helped by daily exercise and reduced meal volumes.
Caution: I often warn my clients to beware the dramatic detox or purge to “clean out” the body. In many cases, extreme detox therapies such as mono-eating, fasting, folk medicine compresses and fomentations can actually burden the body with released toxins that overwhelm the filtering organs. Better to change the diet, regulate daily activity and eat reduced volumes for at least one month before attempting any detoxing therapies.
Reflection
- Eating right plays an important role both in prevention and cure of illnesses. How can use macrobiotics more effectively in achieving an healthy lifestyle?
- Rather than falling for diet fads, what can you do to make informed choices about your diet and lifestyle?
Reference
Article adapted from the work of Verne Varona. For over thirty-five years, his lectures, workshops and media appearances have motivated thousands of people to take better and more conscious care of their health. He studied Oriental Medicine and Macrobiotic principles at the East West Foundation of Boston, Massachusetts.
Verne co-created, The ODDS (Off Dangerous Drugs Safely) Program to reverse pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drug dependency with dietary and lifestyle guidelines. He has authored two books: Nature’s Cancer-Fighting Foods and Macrobiotics for Dummies.
More from this series
Title | About the article |
Part 1: Introduction | As an adult though, I saw my health dramatically improve when I adopted balanced whole foods and macrobiotic principles. Today, I have more energy, clarity and endurance than ever before with normal digestion, allergy relief and increased immunity. |
Part 2: How Cancer Occurs | To address a multi-factorial disease like cancer, we need a multi-dimensional approach to healing and this is where Macrobiotics comes in. |
Part 3: The Top 10 Self Healing Traits | The healing journey is composed of many paths all leading to the same destination: the place where body, mind and spirit are resurrected. |
Part 4: The Role of Food in Healing | Because food becomes part of our blood chemistry influencing our entire physiology, we should examine the role that it plays in restoring health. Essentially, food helps our body prevent and overcome disease in four ways |
Part 5: Sugar, Enzymes & Food Textures | From a dietary standpoint, the little that we know about cancer is that simple sugar (strong acid-forming foods) fuels cancer development. Cancer cells are the first to take up blood glucose. |