You are what you eat, think, feel and do!

I've always believed this.  It can be hard to be positive when you have a particular worry. The worries I carried about with me faded into the background and became unimportant on the day I found out I had cancer. I have thought countless times "why me?" "Why my sister?" We are both healthy, slim and eat what most would call a healthy diet. But when I took a really close look I believe I know the answer. Yes, I have a mutated gene (so does my sister), but a closer look at my diet told me what I needed to know. Several things were at play here first, I was chronically dehydrated. From morning to night I drank very little. Secondly, although I ate plenty of veg and some fruit and I hand prepared most meals from good quality produce, I ate a much larger portion of white refined carbos, such as pasta and bread. I loved pastries, cakes and biscuits and although I believed that I ate these in moderation, I would have a 'treat' most days...who doesn't?
Let's face it, the rates of cancer are increasing. 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer! The rates of breast cancer are highest in the economically developed countries of Western Europe and lowest in Eastern and Middle Africa suggesting it's our Western lifestyles that are typically to blame, such as our reproductive behaviours, weights and alcohol consumption, for example.
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/breast/incidence/uk-breast-cancer-incidence-statistics#trends
I had been newly diagnosed with cancer when the BBC's main news story was "Cancer 'tidal wave' on horizon, warns WHO" There was finally some recognition that sugar and our diets play such an alarming role in this so called 'tidal wave' and we need to do something about it fast!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26014693

I was already familiar with diet and nutritional information which supported an alkaline diet. I had read about the benefits of increasing raw foods in your diet and I knew about the damage that refined foods, sugar, flour etc can do to our bodies. I was interested about the problems that Candida overgrowth can cause and the myriad of symptoms that it can inflict on a body. I was also interested in the theory that some physicians believe that cancer could be caused by candida overgrowth...it is certainly linked to our poor dietary habits. So with my diagnosis I had to change. There was no point knowing all this stuff and carrying on as normal. I overhauled my diet. I cut out sugar (except a small amount of natural sugars that you find in fruit), refined flours, all meat (taking only fish occasionally), coffee and alcohol. Although I already ate a lot of green veg I increased the amount vastly and take as many alkalising vegetables as possible and I take a green juice most days. I take lentils,  almond nuts, and some grains and beans for protein, I use coconut milk and water for added sweetness if required. I take additional supplements (selenium, omega 3, etc) and take a minimum of 2 litres of fluid per day. I try to buy organic but our local stores are pretty poor for this and for a treat once or twice a week I take raw chocolate (which is pretty expensive but I love it!)

Has it all helped? Yes it really has! I feel more positive despite this 'cancer thing' and people are constantly telling me that I appear more upbeat. I feel clean inside. I no longer feel sluggish due to the bloating from too much yeast. In general, I feel really healthy. I am hoping to try and maintain some of this during chemo as this eating plan (I hate the word diet...it's a new way to eat!) will help to strengthen my immune system but it might be difficult due to the nausea I am told to expect, I can only try!
http://www.anticancerbook.com/rules.html