Our bodies are as fragile as they are hardy.  Which way they lean depends entirely upon us. Individuals who gain the ability to read the signs of dis-ease, apply their common sense, and learn how to connect the dots represented by those signs, will be the ones most likely led to the best treatments and outcomes for their condition. This is especially true when addressing cancer.

Modern medicine appears to be losing their battle against cancer as it is consistently either the first or second leading cause of death in America. According to cancer.net, in 1971 there were 3 million people with cancer, today there are more than 15.5 million.

It is no secret that there are numerous holistic approaches to addressing cancer. The best listing of the American doctors who employ some of these approaches are discussed in Suzanne Sommers’ book, Knockout. There are also a multitude of holistic practitioners nationwide who help their clients with cancer, as well as myriad European doctors who also incorporate successful holistic options in their cancer programs.

Holistic programs tend to individualize cancer treatment while medical treatments tend to be one-size-fits-all. When managing one’s own health, the trick is in selecting the correct therapies that will work for each individual case of an illness. This is where common sense comes into play. 

Any common sense approach to healing would include incorporating the known variables, i. e., health status, all options available for treatment, plus the outcomes claimed from using those options. For example, using a vegetarian approach as a treatment for cancer in order to keep the body in an alkaline state will work miraculously for some; but, not for everyone.  This is where health status comes into play. It is unlikely that a starved and weakened person would survive this approach.

It is true that a cancer cell requires an acidic environment to thrive, and theoretically, an alkaline body will throw off cancer in time. But, and this is a big "but", only if the body is nourished and strong enough to endure this treatment. “Time” is just what a starved body does not have.

According to Science Daily, “Many cancer patients suffer from a dramatic loss of fat and muscle mass. This extreme wasting, or cachexia, is often the actual cause of death in cancer patients.”  It is estimated that more than 70% of cancer patients suffer from muscle wasting, a condition that can only be rectified by the body receiving more protein each day than is lost to the disease. 

Fruits and vegetables (alkaline foods) offer little, if any, protein. A very high protein diet is what will provide the body the time needed for any treatment to work. It would make the most sense, if one is trying to outlast cancer, to continually replace the muscle mass that is lost to the disease. Muscle mass is made from protein, fat and water. Unless a person has plenty of muscle mass, it is unlikely they will withstand a lengthy cancer treatment, especially one that restricts protein intake in favor of fruits and vegetables.

Most cancers can be beaten if the body can outlast the cancer. To do so would require a very high protein and fat diet. No matter which of the myriad treatments is employed, replacing that which is lost to the disease—muscle mass—makes the most sense to increase the odds for cancer survival.

Dian Freeman has a private practice in Morristown, NJ. She teaches a six-month nutritional certification course and has more than 700 graduates of Holistic Health over the last 14 years. She also practices frequency biofeedback and lectures widely. Dian is currently finishing her doctorate in Medical Humanities at Drew University in Madison, NJ, and may be reached at 973 267-4816, [email protected] or visit WellnessSimplified.com.