Before cancer, juicing, and after diet change

Before cancer

Here we are, "topped out" at our largest size and feeling very sick on our SAD diet.  We didn't know how good being healthy could feel.  We didn't know that the food we ate had EVERYTHING to do with our health.  I didn't know that my endless hours of time in the kitchen was completely undoing our health in the name of "homemade, home canned and home grown."  Dairy, butter, cheese, sugar, fruits and vegetables that were canned to "death", meat at every meal and eggs on a regular basis were staple foods for us.  We ate salads. . . . topped with processed croutons full of terrible oils and salt, shredded cheese, and full fat ranch dressing chucked with hidden MSG.  I'm embarrassed that we lived like this and I am very regretful that our kids were subject to our way of eating, too.  I could have offered so much more for our children in order to build their health and to enhance their understanding of "real" and unprocessed foods.

The short story, since the picture above, goes as follows: I became quite sick with increasingly more painful heartburn in spite of medications, and changes in my bowel patterns.  I changed my diet by omitting gluten which resulted in a lot of relief (because processed foods containing gluten usually have hidden MSG).  Adam was soon after diagnosed with colorectal cancer, stage 3.  We jumped on the standard chemotherapy band wagon and did the full battery of "poison, burn and cut.  Then poison some more."  After his surgery, Adam was limited to lying or standing for a couple of months.  He stumbled across documentaries such as: Forks Over Knives, The Gerson Miracle, Burzynski, and Food Inc.  As we watched and listened to reputable physicians who addressed studies proving the healing benefits of eating a plant-based diet, we felt God's hand coaxing us to respond to the information.  We began by juicing vegetables and limiting meat to fish and chicken.  We still consumed dairy for 3-4 months as we transitioned away from the foods that feed cancer and incorporated more fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.  By the end of February 2012, God's hand was firm and we knew that He was calling us to obey His direction by changing our diet to be completely plant-based (the only animal source of food that we consume is raw honey with its cancer fighting benefits).  He has since blessed us with healing.  I no longer take medication for heartburn or allergies.  Adam and I have increased energy levels.  Adam has been cancer free since his surgery in July of 2011 and takes no medications, whatsoever.  His life has been altered by a colostomy, but he says that he feels healthier than he has ever felt.  We give all the credit and glory to God, our Healer, who has guided us toward eating health-promoting foods. We believed that we were completely within God's will through treatments and surgery - even though, now, we would not take the standard route of cancer treatment.  

Have you ever heard of an "alter-other?"  There is another patient of cancer whose circumstances were identical to Adam's, exactly to the method of treatment and chemo medications (the surgery resulted in a permanent colostomy for Adam but his alter-other was reconnected.)  The only extreme difference between them was that Adam changed his diet, the alter-other did not.   Adam is very well and cancer free at this present time.  His alter-other was recently diagnosed with liver cancer.  We are praying or him and looking for opportunities to extend the love of God.

                                         

Juicing before plant-based diet

This is a video done in February '12 after juicing for 4 months.  A few days after making this video, we went completely plant based.  It was then that I was able to get off the medications that I used.  We noticed as soon as we eliminated dairy and meat, the extra weight started to come off.  Both of us lost weight quickly for the first few months and are continuing to loose a pound or two a month without counting calories!  When we are hungry, we eat unprocessed, plant-based foods.  When we are full, we are satisfied and we stop eating until the next meal time comes around.  Our focus is health, but the weight loss was a great bonus.

Today, December 5, 2012, we made a video update of our morning juice.  May God use our lives to glorify Him, and maybe we can pass His blessings along to you, too!

Still juicing, after going completely plant based

NOTE (update 11/29/13)  We no longer add iodine to our juice since shortly after this video was taken.  We only used it for a month and stopped.  Supplementing with iodine is important for thyroid function, especially when juicing cruciferous greens.  Talk to your doctor or nutrition professional about what iodine to use.  The only supplements we use at this time are vitamin B12 and (until we can get direct sunlight on our skin) vitamin D.