FOOD AS MEDICINE

Breast cancer patients using nutrition to heal their bodies

SHE HAS been advised by her doctor to do chemotherapy, but Charmaine Williams has decided instead to change her diet in a bid to reverse breast cancer.

Charmaine is among a growing number of persons who are using food to heal their body after being diagnosed with the disease. Despite her doctor’s recommendations, she believes that she has made the best decision and has been sticking to a mostly plant-based diet for the last few months.

“I don’t use any form of oil other than coconut oil and olive oil, and I eat fruits and vegetables, water, green juice with kale, broccoli and parsley,” she said.

Charmaine says that her new lifestyle requires a lot of discipline and admits that there are days when she is not 100 per cent vegan, however, she is already seeing a lot of changes in her body. She has lost more than 50 pounds and a terrible cough she had, which prevented her from communicating effectively with others, has since cleared up.

“I said, ‘Let me pray and try and go this way and see what the turnout would be,’” said Williams, who was diagnosed with grade two breast cancer last year November.

ELIMINATED FAST FOOD

Charmaine has eliminated sugar, soda, fast foods, and meat. Now, it is not uncommon to see her having juice for a snack and vegetable-based soups for lunch or dinner. She generally kickstarts her mornings with a cup of room-temperature water flavoured with lemon or lime.

“Going out now and trying to get the things that I never used to eat, I realise it’s healthier, but it costs more, and you have to dedicate yourself more,” she admitted.

Medical missionary and cancer survivor Debra Williams (no relation) is a stark advocate of the use of the plant-based diet. In fact, she has committed her life to helping others reverse cancer with her NEW START programme. This programme places a lot of emphasis on nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, air, rest, and trust.

“The food that we focus on if somebody is trying to prevent cancer is your fruits, your vegetables, your seeds, your nuts, your grains, and your legumes,” she said.

Williams decided to forgo chemotherapy when she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer and became a vegan. She believes this change provided

healing for her body.