The first step in creating your health goal is to understand your bottom line. You need realistic facts. What is your health condition? If you have cancer, you will more than likely have other health issues, particularly gut issues that occurred way before your cancer.
Write down the facts and be honest with yourself about your body: weight, height, have you been on antibiotics, medications, how often you exercise and is it a habit? What type of foods and beverages are you drawn to, and what are your stress levels at work and at your home life?
How do you set your goals? Start thinking about the big picture. Changing poor lifestyle habits is rarely easy, especially if they comfort you, as smoking or overeating do for many people. You need a strong vision of what you want to achieve to succeed. I’d say the strongest vision comes from knowing about a simple trend: the latest research shows that more and more disorders, including most cancers, are preventable through a good wellness program. The benefits are increasing with every new study.
Live plant-based food and gut health is an essential way to live.
Changing your food choices will change your taste buds. Your taste bud cells undergo a continual turnover and making the right choices will take the average of approximately 10 days for you to give up foods that are harmful to you and your overall mental and physical health.
In that time, you will retrain your taste buds to crave less refined foods and to really appreciate the vivacity of 100-80% raw plant-based foods.
How to start
- Avoid cafes and take away food establishments.
- Clean out all the junk food in your pantry and fridge.
- Restock with fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds – try to make sure all foods are organic to avoid toxic chemicals.
- Be a creator and hop into the kitchen so you can cook from scratch and avoiding processed foods. This is the best way to have more control over your diet.
- Use lots of flavorsome ingredients like citrus, fresh herbs, and spices to help brighten your palate.
- Avoid wheat, dairy and refined sugars. The combination of sugar, processed carbs saturated and trans-fat, foods that make your taste buds crave unhealthy foods and stop you from appreciating and enjoying natural whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Try to eliminate or reduce, alcohol and caffeine.
Caffeine is known to raise blood sugar levels and so does alcohol. Even one glass of wine will do this. Both these beverages will make you crave quick fix sugary processed foods instead of fruit and vegetables.
- Nourish your body with a wider range of flavors that contain a higher intake of nutrients. When your body is nourished by giving it wholesome food, you will be satisfied and will not crave added sugars and processed foods.
Smoothies are also a wonderful way to feel nourished without the nasties and is a wonderful way to increase your fruit and vegie intake.
- Start your day off the right way. I am not a believer in the fasting until midday. Everyone needs to make time for breakfast.
Breakfast needs to contain unprocessed foods. Try not to be in a rush in the morning. If you start with a great breakfast, you will not reach for the quick fix due to you insulin reaching a low point.
Get up15 minutes earlier to nourish your body. Your breakfast needs to contain a little protein, healthy fats, and slow release carbs. Preferably raw food. Like fruit salad and cashew cream, (or almond cream, macadamia cream) sprinkle of seeds, maca, and a little coconut oil.
I like to soak my cashews the night before. If you use almonds, it is essential to soak the almonds.
Why? Raw almonds contain enzyme inhibitors and effect the digestion process. When soaked, they are activated. They are also considered sprouted. This brings out the higher nutrient value of the almond.
Try to eat at least three assorted colours of fruit a day. Berries are a wonderful way to start, and I love to always add a banana.
You can prepare all this the night before. Wash all fruit and place in a bowl except for the banana, as this is better to do in the morning.
The good slow-releasing carbs will help you maintain a steady flow of energy levels and helps to focus and to maintain a healthy mental health state and stops cravings.
Eating fruit in the morning is a fantastic way to keep you regular.
I also often make almond meal pancakes and add my fruit to that with a little coconut cream or coconut cream yoghurt. See Almond Meal Pancake recipe below.
Speaking of being regular. It is essential for you to have a regular bowl movement – preferably at least twice a day to keep your cells clean. Constipation makes your body toxic and often the result is bowl cancer plus other cancers.
Cancer cannot live in a healthy toxic free alkaline body. Neither can other chronic illnesses survive in the healthy toxic free alkaline body.
If you are having trouble starting your new health phase, remember – it is easier to prevent and overcome health problems if you mentally dedicate yourself by starting now.
Affirmations and meditation are an effective way to get to your subconscious mind to help you start.
Good luck – never give up!
