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Natural Awakenings Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex Edition

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A Raw Vegan Diet for Cancer Patients

Suzy Edmonson

Many people are unaware of the powerful role diet and lifestyle play in cancer prevention and treatment, and research studies consistently support a plant-based diet. For example, in an extensive review of the medical literature, J.D. Potter and K.A. Steinmetz, of the World Cancer Research Fund, in London, found that plant foods “have preventive potential and that consumption of the following groups and types of vegetables and fruits is lower in those who subsequently develop cancer: raw and fresh vegetables, leafy green vegetables, Cruciferae, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and raw and fresh fruit.”

Even mainstream organizations such as the American Cancer Society recommend limiting meat and processed foods while increasing intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. When food is heated, most of the protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients are destroyed; therefore, major healing centers such as the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, the Hippocrates Institute, the Optimum Health Institute and Hallelujah Acres teach a raw, vegan approach to nutrition. 

An optimal diet is even more powerful when combined with exercise and stress management. According to a study published in Lancet Oncology, “Healthy lifestyle behaviors that encompass regular exercise, weight control, healthy nutrition and some complementary practices have the potential to greatly reduce cancer-treatment-associated morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors and can enhance quality of life.”

There is an ongoing research study in North Texas at the Kotsanis Institute, in Grapevine, regarding the potential effects of a simple, raw, organic, vegan diet combined with relaxation methods and gentle, moderate exercise. To date participants are consistently showing improvements in standardized measures of fatigue and cognition, as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It involves participants with confirmed cancer diagnosis meeting with the  study researcher weekly for four weeks to receive support and monitoring of the specified protocol. 

For more information, call Suzy Edmonson, LOT, RMT, at 817 996-9961.