Does this look like the face of cancer? An incurable kind? The picture is of Kris Carr. I saw her documentary on Discovery Health a few years ago. It was called Crazy Sexy Cancer. The short story is a 31 year old single woman is diagnosed with an incurable form a cancer (tumors on liver and lungs) on Valentine's Day. Chemo and radiation don't work on this kind of cancer, so the consensus is don't put yourself through it. Doctor says to just watch and wait. What do you do? You have incurable cancer and you DO NOTHING? Kris became a treatment junkie, exploring all sorts of "treatments" to improve her health. The documentary captured her search for a healthier life.
At the time I saw Kris' story, I was in my early 30's and single. I could see pieces of myself in her. What struck me about Kris is that she looked (and still does look) vibrant. People with cancer are supposed to look pale and ashen, too skinny, etc. How could some one covered in tumors look so good? Kris changed the face of cancer for me.
Also, at the time, I had been searching for a lost college friend of mine (pre-Facebook) that had survived breast cancer. My boss' mother was also battling breast cancer, for almost 10 years.
I was searching for the answer to the question, "Why them? Couldn't it be me?" At this time I was living in Washington, DC. I learned that Kris was coming to town to promote her book Crazy Sexy Cancer, a book about how to navigate a cancer diagnosis. I went to the book signing.
At the book signing there were people young and old, survivors, those in treatment and then a few like me. Some one asked what the Number 1 thing some one can do to improve his/her health. The unanimous answer was DIET!
That was all I needed to hear. I contacted Melissa Klein, a holistic counselor and nutritionist. Her company is called Sun Compass. I cleaned up my diet!!! I wanted to rid my diet of processed foods. I worked really hard and loved it. I felt great! I kept it up for a long time, but when I moved back to Texas, I fell back on old habits....eating meat, dairy and processed foods.
Kris has a new book, Crazy Sexy Diet. I bought it and am doing the 21 day cleanse. You can also join the cleanse and find resources on the website Crazy Sexy Life. The book is a lot more than the cleanse. Check it out.
Cutting processed foods (and maybe meat and dairy) out of your diet is very challenging. However, it can be done. There are great resources available these days--online, groups, books, counselors, etc. It takes a village, folks. Ask for help! People are willing to guide you.
Over the next few weeks, I will share some of the tips and tricks I have learned in my journey for a more healthy diet. In the meantime, check out the book. You will be inspired.
I literally ate the last bite of a bavarian cream doughnut right before I read this. Don't worry--not a normal occurrence, but interesting timing nonetheless :)
ReplyDelete