HEALING JOURNEY

Juice Feast, Days 25-28, & Breaking the Feast

2010-03-24T21:21:00.008-04:00

I broke the feast this morning with a smoothie of mango, mixed berries, banana and kale. Papaya and spinach is what I really wanted but only had kale on hand. Even though it wasn't what I was craving it was a great way to break the feast and kept me satisfied until late afternoon. Today I also had 1 Tbsp Vitamineral Green, 1 quart of juice, some bee pollen, chlorella and an orange. I've decided to contine this way for the next two days and then resume my high-raw diet. So, my feast is officially over. 28 days was plenty for me, and towards the end I didn't think I would make it because of all the other challenges going on in my life.

Wow it's been a crazy few days. Things started getting strange last week when one of my four cats got sick. The Reader's Digest version: we took him to an after hours vet who, after 2 visits and a lot of EXPENSIVE tests and x-rays concluded that he had a very high temperature and an infection which was treated with antibiotics. We're still giving him oral antibiotics and my boy is just about 100% back to normal.

Right around that time I decided it was time to do a gentle liver cleanse which is recommended on the juice feast. The recipe calls for water, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Nothing much happened during the day so that evening I decided it would be a good time to also start taking probiotics. Ooops.

That was day 25 and my stomach has been wild until today. I've never experienced such constant, loud gurgling in my life. There was no cramping or discomfort but something was happening - maybe it was the colony of good bacteria multiplying, plus a delayed reaction to the liver cleanse. Elimination was little, but OFTEN. Finally today I had a very productive colonic and I feel brand new.

During all of this I had to install an exhibit at the gallery where I work, and deal with 2 home computers infected with a virus. Resolving that problem was another costly, time-consuming and stressful event, to put it mildly. The juices really kept me going, and focused on what had to get done.

Now, I'm quite happy to be finished with the cleanse. My overall observations:

PHYSICAL:
Hunger: little to none, until the last couple days when my appetite returned.
Degree of difficulty with juice feast: challenging moments, but overall not too difficult.
Eye discomfort: A noticeable improvement past 2 days!
Other pain or healing crisis: headache and sleepiness around day 26.
Elimination: inconsistent.
Energy: excellent.
Exercise: a little rebounding most days and some yoga 2-3 times/week.
Weight lost: 7 lbs.
PERSONAL:
Stress level/activities/workload: Busy!
Temperment: some irritability but mostly even, especially considering high stress level.
Other: Playing guitar, working on new art, writing project proposals.

As I ease back into my regular diet I plan to incorporate a once-a-week juice fast into my regimen. I'll also try to continue posting periodic health updates.

Juice Feast, Days 22-24

2010-03-19T19:51:00.004-04:00

All is still well. My eyes are unchanged, and I've experienced no detox symptoms. The days are going by quickly and I don't think about food at all since I'm not the slightest bit hungry. There are days in fact when I feel as though I'm drinking too much juice - that my body doesn't require so much. Today was one of those days. I drank about 3 1/2 quarts, about one quart more than I feel is optimal for me. Every few days or so I drink this much juice just to be sure I'm getting enough variety.

Here are a couple of basic juices that have become my favorites:

1. parsley/celery/cucumber/green apple/kale
2. spinach, romaine, carrot

There are so many combinations I've tried but I always come back to these two.

I've been using a Hurom juicer since my Norwalk is on the fritz (it's impossible to destroy a Norwalk, but I found a way! It can be repaired, but I haven't gotten around to it). Anyway, the Hurom is OK, but not all that it's cracked up to be. After reading several glowing reviews and watching it demonstrated on various sites I was dissapointed in its performance.

It's fine for most fruits, carrots and simple greens, but anything stringy - like celery, or even parsley - will clog up the fiber chute. So if anyone reading this is planning on using a Hurom, make sure to add these in very small amounts, followed by carrot, or something very juicy like cucumber. If you want to juice a big bunch of celery or parsley, you have to take your time, and definitely keep your eye on the pulp chute.

You also must strain the juice through a nut milk bag. This was hard for me to get used to because I was spoiled by the Norwalk, but it's really not a big deal anymore. Even so, this step should at least be mentioned in the demos, or the instruction booklet, but it isn't. The juice is pretty good though and it takes a little less time than the Norwalk.

Just four more days of the juice feast, then it's on to smoothies and juices for...I don't know how long. I love juicing but I'll be glad to get some fiber back into my life.

Juice Feast, Days 19 - 21

2010-03-16T20:47:00.003-04:00

Well, I've made it three weeks and still doing well. There hasn't been anything unusual or spectacular to report, although my eyes are slightly improved today. This happens every so often, and there's no rhyme or reason to it from what I can tell, so I don't want to get too excited about it. It's just a cautiously optimistic observation.

One thing I can say for sure is that I do not like cascara sagrada & have decided not to use it anymore. I'm not doing daily enemas either. My elimination has slowed considerably over the past few days and I'm thinking of starting probiotics soon. It's not recommended to start them until after the cleansing phase, at which point the rebuilding phase of the feast begins - right around day 75. I'm modifying the program and may not go that long anyway. In fact I've decided to go one more week on juices - one month in total - and then add green smoothies.

In the second month my plan is to have 1 quart of green smoothies and 2 quarts of juices per day. I'm not juicing too many fruits and I miss the variety, not to mention the fiber. So tomorrow I start my final week of juices only, and I'm already looking forward to that first smoothie next week, with papaya and spinach!

Juice feast, Days 15 - 18

2010-03-14T13:28:00.009-04:00

I've gotten through 18 days successfuly and am doing really well on day 19. It's amazing how I have absolutely no hunger whatsoever and plenty of energy. It's cold and drizzly today but early Spring seems to be the right time of the year to do the feast since I'm so busy in the warmer months with outdoor projects and gardening. This is a pretty busy time of year also as I prepare for the upcoming work. I'm trying not to burn out and so far I'm managing everything pretty well. In the upcoming weeks I'll be working with my partner Vito on our community art project "Adopt-A-Site" . Somehow I'll find time for my gardens, which have top priority since I grow much of my food in the summer months.
So looking forward to being in the garden...
Here's my Senor looking out the front window at our perennials.

I experienced an unexpected breakthrough in my yoga practice a couple of days ago. One of the poses I've been working on sporadically is a "bound side angle", which is a tough stretch where, as I'm twisted, I try to hold hands with myself behind my back. The best I've been able to do is to get my fingers close to touching, but nowhere near holding hands. Well, without even thinking about it I got ito the pose and reached one arm around, my hand searching for the other, and they touched and then clasped! It's hard to explain the pose, (maybe I'll get Vito to take a picture), and needless to say I was thrilled to have acheived this minor milestone. I think the cleansing has helped with my flexibilty and I'm looking forward to more improvements.

Juice Feast - Days 13&14

2010-03-10T09:39:00.002-05:00

I've made it through two weeks of juice feasting and I think I should continue a bit longer. My eyes burned and watered a few nights in a row, and the past couple of days were tough. Yesterday they were a little better, last night they didn't burn at all & so far today they're not too bad. Now they're pretty much the way they were before the flare-up, so I don't know if any healing was actually taking place or not. Still, I think it's too soon to stop the feast. Maybe another week or two will help.

I do enjoy experimenting with different juices combinations. So far today I've had 1quart of water; 4oz. wheatgrass juice; 8 oz. fresh coconut water mixed with Greener Grasses powder; 8 oz spinach/romaine/carrot juice; 1 tbsp. bee pollen with 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, & I'm about to drink a pint of celery/apple/spinach/ginger juice. And it's still early.

Even though I feel completely nourished with all the juices and have no hunger, I've lost 5 pounds during these two weeks. This is called a "feast" for a reason and doesn't feel like a reducing diet, although pounds are bound to be shed as toxins are released along with the fat that they're stored in. I'm quite happy to lose this excess "winter weight".

My observations for the first 2 weeks:

PHYSICAL:
Hunger: little to none
Degree of difficulty with juice feast: not difficult once the juices are made
Eye condition: from bad to worse to bad again
Neck nodules: unchanged
Exercise: moderate rebounding most days, some yoga
Other pain or healing crisis: none
Elimination: good
Energy: excellent
Weight lost: 5 pounds
Sleep: deep, but not enough

PERSONAL/SPIRITUAL:
Stress level/activities/workload: Extremely busy, hectic pace
Frame of mind: possitive/optimistic, though sometimes anxious due to
multiple projects and deadlines
Other: vivid dreams; desire to play guitar again & have done so for nearly a week!

This feels like an experiment that I really want to experience, so I will hang in for at least another week.

Juice Feast, Days 9 - 12

2010-03-07T20:55:00.005-05:00

I'm wrapping up day 12 and am happy to say that I've reached a personal best. My longest cleanse prior to this juice feast was a 10 day Master Cleanse is 2008. I cannot say that this has been easy; in fact, I've almost ended or modified this several times, but continue to hang in there. One of the problems is that I get chilled to the bone after drinking a juice, even though I wear extra layers of clothing, drink hot tea & try to get more exercise. The saving grace is my infrared sauna. This is one of the best investments in my health that I've ever made. I've had it a few years now and even though it's as small as a tiny closet I use it regularly during cold months - especially now that I'm juice feasting. For info into the health benefits of infrared sauna see my report here .

One of the main reasons for embarking on this cleanse was to improve my eye health. My clogged oil glands,(which, by the way came with the cancer but did not leave with it), cause discomfort, dry eyes and sensitivity to light. These conditions have worsened with this cleanse. A few nights ago I woke to a burning sensation and tearing in my left eye. The tears kept coming for several minutes bringing some relief. It wasn't exactly painful and I somehow felt that something good was happening. Since then it's happened off and on in both eyes, to a lesser degree.

The photosensitivity seems to have progressed and feels worse now than ever before. As I write this I'm wearing sunglasses because the light of the computer is too bright. My eyelids are a little inflamed and there's an oily substance being released, which may be the cause of the burning sensation. It seems as though my body is trying to clear the blocked glands, which is great but the process is no fun. If it doesn't ease up soon I may modify the cleanse to slow down the detoxification process.

I've cut back on the number of juices to 2 1/2 - 3 quarts. I feel stuffed on more than that and I realized that my caloric needs are not the same as others who flourish on 4 qts per day. In addition to the juices I'm still taking bee pollen, chlorella, green powders, and 1 tbsp of hemp oil and/or coconut oil. I haven't felt any hunger to speak of in days.

I haven't had an enema since day 7, nor have I been taking the recommended herbal laxative. My elimination has been very efficient and I'm surprised at the return of formed, rather than loose stools. Incredible.

For the past two days I have a taste in my mouth, something like metal. I think this is a great sign that my body is ridding itself of old debris. The metalic taste affects the taste of the juices, but I can live with that.

I'm sure I can make it to the 2 week mark, which is in 2 days. At that point I will decide whether to continue the feast as is, or modify it a bit.

Juice Feast, Days 7&8

2010-03-04T08:45:00.004-05:00

Many people say that the first 3 days of a fast or a cleanse are the hardest. For me they were the easiest. Yesterday, day 8, was the toughest yet. The hunger wasn't so bad, yet I had a strong desire to make a smoothie, and even though I was irritable off and on all day I stuck with the program. The idea of switching to a 90day smoothie/juice cleanse appealed to me, especially considering how challenging it is to keep the fridge stocked and to make time in my already-filled day to make the juices. Detroit is an organic food desert, and I have to drive 25 minutes (one way) to the closest store that has most everything I need. It's hit or miss with the local farmers market when it comes to organic. Unfortunately, they have little or nothing to offer. Yes, day 8 was somewhat bleak and I'm glad it's behind me. I'm feeling much brighter and optimistic today.

On the juice feast it's recommended to do an enema each day during the first week, then less often while taking cascara sagrada. I've read that it's common to have solid bowel movements during the first couple weeks or so during the feast. That has not been my experience (except for the first 3 days). The evening of day 7 I took cascara sagrada before bed, as advised, unaware of what was in store for me. My sleep was interrupted with trips to the rest room during the night and most of yesterday morning. I skipped taking it last night and I'm not sure about tonight.

My body is releasing toxins at an accelerated level and I do want them to find their way out of my body, but I also would love a good night's sleep and to be able to leave the house when I need to. There's a learning curve here and I may go back to read through the juicefeaster.com website and Angela Stokes' A Juice Feaster's Handbook to pick up some helpful tidbits. Meanwhile I will continue to drink my juices and envision all the wonderful cleansing and healing taking place within my body.

Juice Feast - Days 5&6

2010-03-01T19:06:00.003-05:00

Oddly enough, yesterday & today I experienced more hunger than the previous 4 days. I also had thoughts of eating solid foods, although I wasn't tempted to do so. It was almost like nostalgia, but without the desire to go there. The hunger is always mild, it comes & goes & never stays for long, which is nice. To satisfy it I just drink more juice, but I still haven't made it to a full gallon - 3 1/2 quarts is the most I've been able to take so far. Today I had coconut oil for the first time on the feast & it seemed to be just what I needed. I mixed it with some bee pollen & was so pleased with my concoction that I plan to take it routinely - maybe every other day, alternating with hemp oil. The release of mucus has tapered off & there haven't been any other odd or interesting detox episodes to report thus far. I'll certainly document them here when they do occur.

Juice Feast Days 3&4

2010-02-27T20:37:00.003-05:00

I'm finding that consuming 3 quarts of juice in addition to my regular 4 oz. of daily wheatgrass is a lot to ingest. I left the house today & forgot to take my juices with me. I was gone for about 3 hours & drank water only. I did get hungry but I've yet to experience a nagging hunger. When I got home I drank 12 oz & that was it for the day. I'm not the slightest bit hungry & I still have a quart of juice in the fridge.

The strangest thing I've experienced in these 4 days is the massive amounts of mucus that my body is expelling, mostly from my left nostril. (Sorry if that's too graphic, but there will undoubtedly be alot more of that as I document this cleanse). It's as if there's an endless reservoir in my ear canal trying to find its way out. Today I used the neti pot which helped things along, & just when I thought I was through blowing my nose, my right nostril started releasing. I didn't even know that my ears were blocked, but I can feel them open & then block-up again, so there's apparently more to come.

Just as the neti pot helped me eliminate, I've also been doing enemas as part of the juice feasting protocol. I can't say that they're as productive however. Daily enemas are recommended during the first week only, then less often as I start taking cascara sagrada, an herbal laxative to keep things moving out.

I'm just about out of vegetables & will have to re-stock tomorrow, less than 1 week into the cleanse. I think even more challenging than giving up solid foods for so long will be keeping enough produce on hand. I'll just have to plan well & I'm sure I'll get my groove & it'll go smoothly - at least if these first 4 days are any indication.

Juice Feasting, Days 1&2

2010-02-25T20:49:00.006-05:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Now is a good time to resume blogging since I started a juice feast yesterday and plan to document the experience.

I've never made more than 7 or 8 juices in one day before - and that was when I was juicing a lot. On this juice feast I'll have 3 or 4 quarts of freshly made juice everyday for as long as I can manage, up to 92 days. I plan to go the distance. This is beyond any cleanse I've ever attempted in the past and should take me through some pretty serious healing and rebuilding.

The longstanding problem with my dry, gritty, sunken eyes is a clue that something is out of balance and I believe the juice feast will help my body deal with that issue once and for all. A couple of weeks ago I started taking cod liver oil because of its Vit A content and its healthy fatty acids (DHA & EPA)- all good nourishment for my eyes. It also has Vit D and due to my past deficiency I plan to continue taking this oil while juice feasting, although it's not part of the recommended protocol.

I've thought about doing the juice feast for more than 2 years and now the timing is right and I'm inspired and motivated. So, no solid foods - except for bee pollen - for 3 months! I'll also continue with 2 teaspoons of cod liver oil, and supplement with a few other things that are detailed on the juicefeasters website. I started yesterday and had no problems whatsoever. By evening I was hungry and tired so went to bed early. Today was a breeze. I haven't had more than 3 quarts and that seems to be enough for me. As I continue, I'll have more juice if I feel weak or get too hungry. So far so good.

An Overview of Healing - Part II

2009-07-18T11:55:00.009-04:00

The greatest success of my natural healing journey is obviously the reversal of stage IV metastatic breast cancer. The cancer was the result of imbalances within my internal terrain and while I'm ecstatic with how far I've come to correct those imbalances I still have plenty of work to do.

My body is still rebuilding and I'm helping it along with supplements for a variety of deficiencies. Last year I had mercury amalgam fillings removed from my mouth. These fillings were more than 25 years old and I believe the vapors they emitted contributed to my body's toxicity and inability to absorb all the nutrients from my food, resulting in mineral deficiencies. Simple pH testing revealed an acidic environment. This has been corrected & my morning pH test is consistently at 6.8 - 7.0, which indicates an alkaline body.

The supplements I take are NatureThroid for an underactive thyroid; Vitamin D for a severe deficiency; Lugol's solution for an iodine deficiency; B-12 injections twice weekly; MSM to fight inflamation; silica to strengthen my weak nails and ionic trace minerals added to my distilled water. I take these consistently and this may change as my regimen has evolved quite a lot over the past few years. Eventually I intend to get everything I need from my food, once my body has rebuilt to that point.

The most preplexing health issue remains the condition of my eyes. They are still chronically dry, itchy and a bit sunken-in. I wear two pairs of sunglasses on bright days because I simply can't bear the light hitting my eyes. It seems the cause is the small nodules inside my lower lids which have clogged my oil glands. There has been some minor improvement but I still have a ways to go. I've been taking the MSM for about two months or so to help reduce the inflamation.

In this picture you can see the puffiness in my lower lids and how my eyes are sunken-in.

As for my energy and overall sense of well being I have no complaints whatsoever. I feel extremely fortunate to have such health and happiness. Of course there are days when I'm "off" - especially when I'm working too much and sleeping too little, but most days I feel what I would call euphoria - completely content and vibrant. Imagine what I'll be like when my eyes have returned to normal and my deficiencies have been met! Wow, I'm excited just thinking about it! So I'll keep at it and I'll continue to post periodic updates.

An Overview of Healing

2009-07-13T09:32:00.017-04:00

This post is in response to a comment left by Amanda who requested that I give a summary of my healing journey, including the ups and downs, over the past two years. It's been quite a trip and it's not over yet, even though I've been cancer-free since January 2008. As I've achieved a greater state of health I've become more in-tune with the needs of my body and I have a better understanding of the connection between my physical and spiritual well-being. This journey is not a temporary phase of my life, as I once thought it would be, but rather a lifetime committment to reach my greatest potential on all levels of body, mind and spirit. This opportunity wouldn't have presented itself had I not been diagnosed with cancer and chosen an alternative natural path to healing.

I've remained faithful to a plant-based diet since early 2006 which I believe is the most important contributor to my healing. It wasn't always easy to stay the course but my desire to reverse the cancer kept me motivated. My exams at three-month intervals showed that the cancer had stabilized and the tumor markers were slowly declining. Despite all my good efforts there were a few times when the markers were unpredictable - up a little, then down a little on the next visit, then up again. That sometimes felt defeating, but I understood that this type of bloodwork isn't always reliable. It's more cause for concern when the tumor marker continuously rises by many points at a time. That didn't happen for me but I still sometimes had doubts, and that's when it was tough to remain patient and faithful to my protocol. Keeping a possitive outlook was at times tricky but it became much easier when my tumor markers started to plumet.

I didn't start to see an uninterrupted downward trend in my tumor markers until I started fasting one day each week and then switched to a high-raw diet. (80-100% raw). I believe this helped my body to detoxify on deeper levels than were possible with mostly cooked food. Fasting once a week wasn't easy but I felt it was important to periodically divert my body's energy from digestive tasks to deeper healing. With habitual practice fasting became easier. I've since gotten out of the habit of regular fasting but I keep trying.

It took a period of several months for me to switch to 100% raw. My first attempt at 30 days raw was a huge struggle. I felt deprived mainly because I missed the grains. I continued to research, learning more about how to prepare raw foods, what to have on hand, etc. and in early 2008, after several months of being high-raw, I transitioned to 100%. It's now my preferred way of eating.

Here's a picture of the residual nodules on my neck that was taken about a year ago.

...and this was just a few weeks ago.

It's hard to tell if there's much change since the lighting is different.
These nodules may be scar tissue, I'm not sure. They were noticeably larger and brighter pink when the cancer was still active and spreading. This is about all that's left and they're stubborn. I've tried therapeutic doses of enzymes, daily infrared sauna sessions, and countless other attempts to dissolve them, but they're not yet ready to budge. They are a reminder to me that my body has other important rebuilding work to do and will get to these later. Stay tuned for my next post when I'll write more about raw foods, my dry eyes and supplements.

Cleanse Day Eight & Done

2009-06-01T19:32:00.002-04:00

I've decided to end this "cleanse" after today because it just doesn't feel like I'm accomplishing much cleansing. My eyes felt great for a couple of days but are back to the same old dry, gritty, sensitive state. I've been on fruits and vegetables only, with no added fats. I've also been resting and napping everyday which has been great, so there's something, but what I've come to realize is that with so much fruit in my diet I need to make more time for daily exercise to use up all that sugar. This type of cleanse for more than three days doesn't feel right for me so I'll end it today & attempt a stricter cleanse later this summer. I'm also trying to get more exercise into my daily regimen which is a goal as worthy as cleansing.

Today I saw my holistic doctor & had bloodwork and urine analysis to check among other things my thyroid, hormones, liver, & tumor markers. I'll post again when I get the results of those tests later this week.

Spring Cleanse 2009: Day 4

2009-05-28T18:22:00.003-04:00

This is the easiest cleanse I've ever been on because all I'm doing is eliminating fat from my diet for ten days. I'm eating as many raw fruits,vegetables and fresh juices as I want. The bulk of my calories are from fruit which is much easier to digest than fat, so my body is getting a relative rest and plenty of energy. That break from digestive duty is allowing it to concentrate on other tasks such as healing. I don't know if this is coincidence or an effect of the cleanse but my eyes have been noticeably less dry and sensitive to light the past two days. I'm curious to see how long that will continue. No other noticeable changes in these four days. More later.

Spring Cleanse Resumed

2009-05-25T19:53:00.006-04:00

I've decided to make this a relatively simple cleanse by eliminating all fat from my diet for the next ten days. This will give my body a bit of a digestive break while allowing it to easily assimilate the nutrients from all the fruits, vegetables and juices I'll be consuming. With less digestive work to do my body will be able to divert that energy to cleansing and healing.

I did great on Saturday with the Master Cleanse and yesterday was also a good day, although I had a little olive oil in a dish I made for a family function. Since I want this to be a completely fat-free cleanse I've decided to start over with today as day#1.

My day was simple with a wheatgrass juice first thing this morning, a green smoothie for breakfast and dinner, with fruit in between when I felt hungry. The bulk of my calories on this cleanse will come from fruit to keep me energized.

Rest is also an important part of my cleanse and today I took a three-hour nap! I haven't done that in years and it felt incredible. I may not be able to do that everyday but I've given this cleanse priority on my schedule for ten full days so I should be able to get in at least a few cat naps. All the benefits of my healing regimen are minimized without proper rest so I'm making it a goal to get adequate sleep consistently, not just during a cleanse. I'll post again in a day or two.

Long Time No Post

2009-05-23T22:11:00.006-04:00

My winter crops

It’s been such a long time since my last post and lately I’ve received emails from people wondering how I’m doing. Well, I’ve been doing great – just too busy to even think about posting. Since this is day one of my spring cleanse I decided that now would be the perfect time to resume posting. I was going to wait until after the holiday on Tuesday but when I woke this morning I felt ready and eager to begin.

Allow me to back up a little bit before I get into my cleansing plans. First, for those who have asked - I’ve been cancer free since January 2008, just over one year now! I have my tumor markers checked every 4 months and last time the reading was at 17, which was great news because the normal range is 0–40. I’m due for my next check-up in early June, and my next thermascan will be in August. (If you’re not familiar with thermography you should be! It’s an alternative to mammography which you can read about in my report below this post. I've mentioned it before on this blogsite and I'll continue to do my best to get the word out about thermography).

My diet is still “high-raw”, which in my case means that 95-100% of my food is uncooked: fruits, vegetables, greens, sprouts, nuts, seeds and juice. Last year (or was it the year before? I’m losing track) I had blood work as well as hair and urine analysis and found out that I had high levels of heavy metals including mercury in my system. These toxins were interfering with my body’s absorption of nutrients and the test results also revealed that I had an underactive thyroid, hormone imbalances and many deficiencies, including iodine, vitamin D and iron.

I had all the mercury amalgam fillings removed from my teeth (they were over 25 years old and releasing vapors into my system). I’ve also been taking natural supplements (versus synthetic) and although it will take my body time to rebuild there is improvement with my thyroid which now tests normal. In June I’ll see how I’m doing with the other deficiencies. The point I’d like to make here is that I should have been tested for toxins and deficiencies when I was first diagnosed with cancer – especially iodine and vitamin D. That would have aided and likely sped up the healing process.

Even though I’ve been doing great I’m ready to take my health to the next level. I still have residual nodules on my neck, although they’re much fewer in number and barely noticeable now. My back was completely covered with these nodules when the cancer was still spreading but it's now completely and beautifully smooth and clear. The oil glands in my eyes are still clogged (I don’t understand the connection but that condition came with the cancer) and my eyes are still extremely sensitive to bright light – especially sunlight. I believe that with periodic cleansing these conditions will improve as my body continues to heal.

The winter was long and cold and I got into the habit of eating dense foods far too often – nuts, seeds and avocados – especially around the holidays when I made rich nut-and-date-based desserts. Not surprising this type of food took a lot of energy for my body to digest and my stamina declined. I resolved to do a spring cleanse to clear out the winter debris and congestion and increase my energy levels.

In January I started growing wheatgrass so I could have 2–4 ounces of the potent juice daily. That’s helped with cleansing but there’s nothing like a fast to really re-boot the body. I’ve looked forward to a rest and a fast, especially since I’ve been way too busy, sleeping less and feeling run down for more than a month. Last week my eyes were so tired that I burst a blood vessel which turned half of my eye dark red. It looked horrendous and caused my already sensitive eyes to be even more so. I wore shades for nearly a week. That episode and other signs of fatigue made me eager to start a fast.

I don’t know yet how long or what type of cleanse I’ll do, but I’d like it to be at least ten days with a few days of fasting. Today I’m doing the Master Cleanse fast, which is lemonade made of fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne and water. (Because of the maple syrup it’s not raw, but is mineral-dense). I drank one quart today and felt wonderful. I didn't experience any hunger, perhaps because yesterday I ate only fruits and vegetables without any fats, in preparation of the fast.

Sunday and Monday I plan to eat only fruits and vegetables, (no fats), followed by a water fast of one to three days and plenty of good rest. I’ll gauge how I feel each day and plan accordingly, and I’ll post regularly during the ten-day cleanse. That’s it for today.

Thermography: A Safer Option for Breast Cancer Detection

2009-05-23T22:06:00.001-04:00

NaturalNews.com printable article
Originally published November 12 2007

(NaturalNews) The occurrence of breast cancer has dramatically increased in the past 50 years and the medical establishment encourages the use of annual mammogram screenings as a woman’s best option for early detection. In fact, for more than 30 years it’s been the unquestioned, standard screening device used by the medical community. While mammography may be useful in certain situations, it has many disturbing drawbacks.

With toxic radiation, mammogram testing compresses sensitive breast tissue causing pain and possible tissue damage. To make matters worse, the false negative and false positive rates of mammography are a troubling 30% and 89% respectively.(1) Another concern is that many breast cancers occur below the armpits; however, mammography completely misses this auxiliary region, viewing only the breast tissue compressed between two plates of glass. Considering these drawbacks, breast thermography should be given closer consideration.

Thermography (also called thermology) is a little-known technique for breast cancer detection that’s been available since the 1960s. It’s non-invasive and non-toxic, using an infrared camera to measure thermal emissions from the entire chest and auxiliary regions. Cancerous tissue develops a blood supply to feed a growing tumor, and the abnormal blood vessel formations generate significantly more heat than the surrounding healthy tissue. The infrared camera detects the differences in heat emitted from abnormal tissue (including malignancies, benign tumors and fibrocystic disease), as compared to normal tissue. There is no physical contact with the patient, who stands several feet away from the camera while a technician takes a series of images.

A second set of images is taken following a “cold challenge”. The patient places her hands in ice cold water for one minute causing healthy tissue to constrict while the abnormal tumor tissue remains hot. The infrared scanner easily distinguishes the difference, and these images are compared with the first set for confirmation.

Thermography can detect abnormalities before the onset of a malignancy, and as early as ten years before being recognized by other procedures such as manual breast exam, mammography, ultrasound or MRI.(2) This makes it potentially life-saving for women who are unknowingly developing abnormalities, as it can take several years for a cancerous tumor to develop and be detected by mammogram. Its accuracy is also impressive, with false negative and false positive rates at 9% for each.(3) Thermography is also an effective way to establish a baseline for comparison with future scans; therefore, women should begin screening by the age of 25.

Although widely embraced by alternative health care practitioners, thermography’s obscurity in the mainstream means that too many women rely on mammograms as their only option. There are several reasons for thermography’s lack of support by the conventional medical community. Early thermal scanners were not very sensitive, nor were they well-tested before being used in clinical practice. This resulted in many misdiagnosed cases and its utter dismissal by the medical community. Since then the technology has advanced dramatically and thermography now uses highly sensitive state-of-the-art infrared cameras and sophisticated computers. A wealth of clinical research attests to its high degree of sensitivity and accuracy. In 1982, the FDA approved thermography for breast cancer screening, yet most of the medical establishment is either unaware of it or still associates it with its early false start. Since most women are also uninformed of the technology there is no pressure on the medical community to support it.

This author - who knows from first-hand experience the physical and emotional trauma of mammography as well as the passive and comforting accuracy of thermal scanning – would have been spared from years of radiation exposure with an earlier knowledge of thermography. The importance of education and awareness of this technology cannot be overstated.

When a thermographic report is negative, annual monitoring is essential to note any changes as early as possible. A positive report should be discussed with a health care practitioner as it may be necessary to follow-up with another detection method such as mammography or ultrasound to identify the exact location of the abnormality and to determine whether tissue biopsy is needed. If mammography is used to complement the thermal scan, it’s important to offset the affects of radiation prior to and following the procedure. Wheat grass juice, green super foods, or brown seaweed such as Modifilan are powerful detoxifiers.

Breast abnormalities and tumors are merely symptoms of imbalances within the body’s internal terrain that need to be identified and corrected. A thoughtful and careful look at diet, exposure to toxins, and lifestyle should be the first line of defense against any disease. This, and regular thermal screenings provide an effective arsenal against breast cancer. An internet search of thermography will locate qualified technicians in your area.

1. Saputo, MD. Len. Overview: Beyond Mammography. From his account of the “Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project: Five Year summary

report” CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 32, 194-225, Copyright © 1982 by American Cancer Society.

2. International Academy of Clinical Thermology, www.iact-org.org

3. http://healthybreasts.info/ Summary from “Value and Interest of Dynamic Telethermography in Detection of Breast Cancer”, ACTA Thermographica,

Vol. 1, Num. 2, 89-96, 1976.

My Body's Resilience

2008-10-27T14:00:00.009-04:00

I spent the past four months or so creating three mosaic benches for Southwest Detroit. Here I am sitting on the "Day and Night Guitar" bench. Although I enjoyed the project immensely, it was all-consuming and made it difficult for me to take care of myself to the degree that I've been accustomed to these past few years.

My days were full from morning til evening and I gradually stopped some of my "healing rituals" because I simply had no extra time. My yoga, rebound exercise and meditation routines fell by the wayside. I wasn't getting enough sleep either. It was easy to stay on the raw food diet, but I found myself eating more than an optimal amount of nuts and seeds for quick and easy calories.

There have been subtle changes that I've noticed lately, such as having a difficult time getting up in the morning and having much less energy. I've also developed neck and lower back pain and sinus congestion. I'm now listening to my body telling me to get back with the program. I think it's also time for a seasonal cleanse.

Two days ago I resumed yoga and rebouding, and I slept quite a bit over the weekend. I've cut back on the fats and I even had a coffee enema. (For more information about enemas, read my report here ).

Already I'm feeling more like my old self. I still have the neck and back pain but I'm much less stiff. My boundless energy is back, which is proof of how our bodies can quickly recover when we resume healthy habits. I'm planning to do a seven to ten day detox soon, probably a green smoothie or juice fast.

Here are more images from the mosaic bench project:

Thermography Vs. Mammography: We Do Have Options

2008-10-17T18:18:00.008-04:00

I recently had my annual thermascan and I'm happy to report that the results are normal! (There's always just the slightest bit of trepidation awaiting test results, but that will pass as I get further and further away from the cancer). This recent good report corresponds with my normal "tumor marker" blood tests and PETscans from a couple of months ago that showed no traces of cancer.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the technology, thermography is a safe, non-toxic, non-invasive, and reliable alternative to mammography. Although it's been around since the 1960s, sadly there are still too many women who are completely unaware of it.

The reasons for this are mostly political, with doctors pushing what they know and parrotting what they're told - that mammograms are the most reliable detection method available. This propoganda and misinformation spewed by the Cancer Industry is unfair and unethical at best.

Women should be informed of ALL detection options, and I will do my part to spread the word in an effort to reach as many sisters as possible about thermography. Basically, it detects heat emissions from the chest and underarm areas using an infrared camera. Abnormalites in breast tissue (and surrounding areas) emit more heat than healthy tissue, and the differences are easily detected by thermography.

If you want to become more informed read
my report on thermography and help spread the word. We most certainly do have options and we deserve to know the truth!

Fall Harvest

2008-10-05T13:48:00.017-04:00

This has been an incredibly busy year, without much time to blog. I'm now wrapping up a public art project that I started in the Spring and today I find myself with a little down time. Over the next few days I'll try to write about the various activities that have occupied my time over the past few months, and how they relate to my health and healing.

Today I finally got the chance to spend some time in my gardens, turning over compost and cutting back spent flowers and other plants. There's still a lot growing, as the images below will reveal.

I believe it's important to grow as much of our own food as possible and this year I've been enjoying the process perhaps more than any other year. It's been nearly nine months since I became 100% raw, and walking outside to pick fresh, organic, raw and wondrous ingredients for my meals has been gratifying on so many levels.

I still have lots to harvest - here's parsley, bell peppers and red peppers.

The kale is nearly finished, but there's a new crop of brocolli that's nearly ready, plus lots of tomatoes, tomatillos, collards and cantelope.

My kitchen scraps have turned out the healthiest compost I've ever had - absolutely teeming with worms and other organisms. This is some sort of melon growing out of the compost heap. I'm not sure what it is since I didn't plant it - it must have come from melon scraps and seeds that I threw in there in the spring.

I've been spoiled with such an abundant garden and it's made my raw journey so easy and pleasurable. I plan to keep it going indoors this winter with sprouts, wheatgrass and tender greens.

Health Update

2008-08-12T23:23:00.006-04:00

Today I received my PET-scan & tumor-marker blood test results & I'm happy to report once again that there are absolutely no traces of cancer. In January my tumor marker finally dropped to 27, which is well within the normal range (0-40). Since then it's been tested again 3 times & has stayed right there at 27, until now. It just dropped another 5 points to 22! This year I've seen my oncologist's (and his staff's) concern and skepticism over my alternative path gradually give way to genuine happiness and amazement at how well I'm doing.

I'm also seeing Dr. David Brownstein - a holistic MD - who wrote the book on iodine -"Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It". He ordered tests to check my levels of vitamins, minerals, hormones & heavy metals. I also had an ultrasound of my thyroid, which is under active. Test results show that I have several deficiencies, but the good news is that I no longer have high levels of mercury or other metals. These toxins were interfering with the absorption of nutrients from food. I'm taking several new supplements to help my body in its rebuilding phase. Eventually, as my levels become more balanced I will eliminate the supplements. I believe my raw food diet is the best "building material" I can offer my body so I'm sticking with it.

Raw Food Wonders

2008-06-17T16:33:00.005-04:00

It’s been ten days since I broke my fast and I’ve been sticking with a low-fat raw vegan diet. For the first few post-fast days I incrementally reintroduced food, starting with fruit only the first and second day, followed by fruits and vegetables the third and forth day, and from the fifth day forward I added nuts, seeds and avocados. I haven’t had any oil yet, nor have I desired it.

The first thing I noticed as soon as I broke the fast was that my elimination started almost immediately. I was completely surprised since it normally takes a few days for me to get back on track after fasting. I was doubly amazed, considering the fact that this was the longest fast I’ve ever done and I thought it would take longer than usual to “wake-up” my system.

There was absolutely no fat in my diet for the first four days following the fast and I attribute my rapid and efficient elimination to this fact. That trend has continued – even now ten days after the fast has ended. I find the low fat raw vegan diet to be an absolutely wondrous experience for many reasons and I will remain on it for as long as it feels natural and correct for my body.

This was not always so. I tried for weeks before the fast to reduce my fat intake – not for purposes of weight reduction since that’s normal – but for healing. Since the fast ended it’s become easy to significantly reduce my fat intake. (Watch for the link to my soon-to-be-published report on plant-based diets in the next week or two for more insight into dietary fat reduction for health).

I’ve been on a high-raw diet for more than a year, with the past nearly five months at 100% raw. During this time my weakness has been fats – especially cashews – but that’s changed post-fast. Since increasing my fruit consumption I don’t crave the fatty foods and instead of my usual servings of fat with almost each meal - in the form of oil, avocados, seeds or nuts sprinkled on salads, or in dressings, seed cheeses, pates, dips and the like – I’ve upped my fruit servings to compensate for the eliminated fat calories.

That means I eat mountains of fruit, as well as greens, vegetables and some fats. It seems to be working for me as I remain extremely energized, productive, and euphoric. I’m certain that my body is using this fine-tuned nourishment to continue the healing process.

I experienced an interesting, yet disturbing occurrence at the end of my fast indicating that I had become mineral-deficient while fasting. My toes and leg muscles cramped up while sleeping. (That happened to me in the past after drinking distilled water exclusively for several years. Muscle cramps usually indicate a mineral deficiency so I switched to filtered water and the cramps went away. Then I went back to distilled water with minerals added and the cramps stayed away).

Anyway, after the fast the cramps continued for several days and developed painfully in my hands as well. As I incrementally increased my daily food intake (especially fruit) the cramps lessened. It’s been two days now since I’ve experienced any cramping – a sure sign that my mineral stores are being rebuilt with this low-fat vegan diet. My body wasn’t (and isn’t) craving fat and I believe I’ll continue to do well as long as I consume enough calories to maintain my weight - primarily from fruit, not fat.

Before I started the fast I had some extensive testing done to see if I’m still toxic in heavy metals, (including mercury). The tests may also give clues as to what’s going on in my body that might be preventing the elimination of these neck nodules (a vestige of the cancer I had until recently). I’m still waiting on the results of blood work, hair and urine analysis and thyroid ultrasound. I’ll post again when I have the results to share.

Meanwhile I’ll continue with this pleasurable low-fat raw vegan diet. For anyone interested in more information about this diet I suggest getting the book by Dr. Douglas Graham, called “The 80-10-10 Diet”. It’s a must-read if you’re into health at any level.

Spring Cleanse - Day 10 wrap-up

2008-06-06T07:41:00.010-04:00

I successfully completed my 10th day without too much effort. Yesterday I only drank 1/2 gallon of the lemonade. At some point in the afternoon I lost my taste for it and switched to water. This morning I broke my fast with papaya but surprisingly it was very unsatisfying. Despite my hunger the fruit left an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. I'll try more fruit later.

All in all I'd have to say that the fast was a worthwhile experience although the skin nodules that I had hoped would begin to dissolve have not budged. Nonethless, I trust that my body has its priorities and will get to that task when it's ready. Today I resume my raw diet, certain that my intelligent body will digest these "tumors" in its own time. I'll also continue to chronicle this next phase of my healing journey with weekly posts.

Spring Cleanse - Day 9

2008-06-04T22:16:00.007-04:00

I'm in the homestretch and still feeling great. I've experienced hunger off and on each day of the fast but today was the first day I really felt the urge to eat. It was a nagging sensation that didn't quit until after an hour-long meditation. Thankfully it didn't get the best of me. The white coating on my tongue is nearly gone and there have been no detox symptoms today whatsoever. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the successful conclusion to my first ever ten-day fast.

Spring Cleanse - Day 8

2008-06-03T22:40:00.003-04:00

I'm nearly there - I can see the finish line getting closer. Today has been another successful day even though I haven't rested as much as I probably should while fasting. In fact, this has been one of the busiest, most productive times in recent memory, as I create a new body of artwork while racing to meet multiple overlapping deadlines.

Despite my hectic pace, I've not been tired on this fast; on the contrary, I'm bursting with creative energy. Still, I'd like to give my body a break with more rest, but the timing is not conducive to relaxation.

Yesterday I drank a little more than a gallon of lemonade, with the last glass late in the evening. I think it was too much sugar overall, and drinking it so late in the day gave me energy when I wanted to sleep. Needless to say I didn't sleep much or well last night, but I was still up and raring to go early this morning. To play it safe I drank less lemonade and more water today. My last full glass was around 5pm, so I may sleep better tonight.

There were no major detox symptoms today, and the white coating on my tongue isn't as thick, but it's still there. There was a brief moment when I started coughing and my throat felt scratchy as if I was coming down with a sore throat. Then it passed. Interestingly, my throat used to be my Achilles heel when I was younger. I would get tonsillitis at least six times a year and would take antibiotics without questioning their effects on my body. This started in my teens and continued until my tonsils were removed when I was thirty years old. It didn't occur to me to ask about the ill effects of removing an important bodily filter. At any rate, when I coughed today I was reminded of the fact that I haven't had a sore throat in many years. Perhaps the cough was a healing reaction to indicate that there's more repair taking place in the area of my throat. All in all I'm feeling great, with just two days left to go!