Not long ago I posted about heartbreaking stories of too many cancer patients dying anyway after undergoing standard cancer therapies like chemo and radiation, and I've been thinking that I need to post something about the positives of alternative treatments instead of focusing so much on the negatives of standard treatments.
First, I'd like to share that recently I heard from two different people who personally knew someone with end-stage cancer--cancer patients whom their doctors told to basically go home and die because they had no treatments to offer them--who pursued natural, alternative treatments and beat their cancer and are alive today. That's so awesome! :)
Secondly, I would like to share an incredible website created by a young man who beat Stage III colon cancer about 10 years ago with natural treatments. His website is full of super-important and super-helpful information about fighting cancer naturally, so if you or someone you know is battling cancer, you definitely want to check out his website! The site also contains dozens of Survivor Stories of real cancer patients who all beat serious or end-stage cancers with natural treatments. The stories are incredibly encouraging and inspiring, and these people are living proof that there is a better way to treat cancer!
So check it out: http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
God's Plan or Wisdom of Man? Part III: Discipline
In Part I we covered the fact that God designed our bodies to heal themselves, and when He created the world, He provided everything our bodies need to function at optimal levels (animals and plants, sunshine, water, fresh air).
Part II talked about the decline of medicine (man refusing to acknowledge and work with God's design), the decline of the environment (producing less nutritious food sources but adding innumerable toxins), the decline of the human body, and the decline of diet (from consuming living, nutrient-dense food to eating unnatural, fake, man-made foods that our bodies weren't designed to consume).
The third thing I would like to discuss is discipline. There is often a failure to be good stewards of our bodies. I have already made several references to my faith, so it should come as no surprise that my views are based on what God says in His Word. The Bible actually speaks about discipline in relation to our bodies quite a bit.
First of all, the Bible is very clear that for those who have trusted Christ, their bodies are no longer their own. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? Although the context of these verses mostly concerns sexual sins, the teaching is still clear, and the principle applies: we shouldn't sin with our bodies because they no longer belong to us.
It follows that, since our bodies belong to God, we need to honor them and care for them in a way that honors God. Self-control, or temperance, is a major factor in caring for our bodies. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." Galatians 5:22-23 and 1 Peter 1:5-7 both list self-control as one of the qualities that should be evident in the lives of Christians. Proverbs 25:28 says that a man without self-control is like a broken down, unprotected city.
So how does all this relate to my topic? Many Christians are quick and adamant to declare the necessity of discipline and self-control in body-relevant areas like sexual conduct, alcohol, smoking, drugs, and modesty; however, many of those same Christians don't consider their diets to be one of those relevant areas. Overeating, gluttony, unhealthy eating--these are considered "acceptable"--but the other end of the spectrum--eating disorders like anorexia or bulemia--would be considered problems. Addiction to nicotine, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, and pornography are decried as clear sins, whereas addiction to caffeine (coffee or soda) or chocolate is found harmless and amusing. There is an undeniable hypocrisy in that kind of attitude. 1 Corinthians 10:31 makes it pretty clear that even the most basic, fundamental daily human activities--eating and drinking--are to be done to the glory of God. So there really is no excuse for keeping diet, nutrition, and healthy bodies on the list of things that don't really matter in the Christian life. Unfortunately, many Christians are in the same boat as the rest of society--we live to eat instead of eating to live.
I think it's obvious that choosing a healthy diet takes discipline and self-control, because, unfortunately, most of the things we like to eat that taste really good aren't good for us. And a lot of the foods that are truly healthy aren't always the most appealing to our taste buds. The standard American diet, in which sugar is added to virtually everything, has actually spoiled us and ruined our ability to enjoy the bitter/sour/fermented flavors of a lot of the natural foods that were common for our ancestors. Personally, I have found that my tastes have changed right along with my diet change. There were several foods that at first I didn't really enjoy their taste, but I ate them anyway because of their nutritive value. The more I ate them, though, my taste buds adjusted, and now I actually enjoy those flavors! We are addicted to sugar. If you don't believe me, just experiment on yourself and commit to going without any sugar at all for just one day--or maybe three days, or a whole week. It won't take long to discover how much you crave sugar. Not only do most of us struggle with discipline in what we eat, we also struggle to control how much we eat. I think that's pretty self-evident and self-explanatory. I have to say that once I began eating only nutritious foods and avoided unhealthy foods, I didn't pay attention to how much I was eating because it became unnecessary. Nutrient-dense foods satisfy better than calorie-dense foods, and once the body is broken from craving sugar, the desire to overeat is greatly reduced.
Balance is key as well. Nutrition is not an exact science, and I'm not prepared to state that every single time you consume something that isn't 100% healthy, that you are sinning. Enjoying a special treat or dessert occasionally isn't a big deal when you are eating healthy the majority of the time. (Although, in our society, "treats" aren't treats anymore--they are standard several-times-a-day indulgences.) For one thing, not everyone agrees on what foods are 100% healthy. For another thing, it's not very practical to live that way--how would you ever be able to eat at someone else's house or a restaurant, because you can't guarantee that only "approved" foods are available. Then, we must avoid being prideful about this subject--we can't start being food Nazis and looking down on people who don't eat all organic food, etc. We need to follow the principle of being a good steward of the body God gave us as opposed to following an exhaustive list of acceptable and unacceptable foods that can't realistically be kept.
I understand that it's difficult to keep up with the recommendations on what is healthy and what is unhealthy, because they seem to be constantly changing. One year eggs are bad for you; the next they are good. The same with butter, or coffee, or chocolate, and on and on. Which is exactly why I think it's safest to stick with God's plan and eat the food He provided for us in its natural forms. There shouldn't be a question whether or not meat, eggs, milk, and butter are healthy, especially when they are produced by animals that are allowed to eat the way they were designed to eat--because God provided those animals as food for us! There shouldn't be a question whether or not any naturally occurring fruit, vegetable, or grain is good for us, because God provided it all, and our bodies are designed to consume them. The problem comes when God's provisions are contaminated by chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides, or compromised and changed from their original forms by unnatural processing. It also shouldn't be a question whether unnatural, man-made substances full of artificial ingredients and chemicals created in a lab and labeled "food" are unhealthy. Likewise, there shouldn't be a question about whether the nutrients and substances from God-given plants, herbs, and animals are superior for treating illnesses in the body compared to man-made chemicals and drugs which the body is not designed to consume. Why would anyone in their right mind think that a man-made product is in any way superior to what Almighty God provided specifically for the body He designed?!
Yet, sadly, this is where we find ourselves today.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that we will be far healthier when we acknowledge that God designed our bodies and provided the best foods and medicines to keep them healthy and heal them; that our bodies, our food sources, and our philosophy of health care has declined; and that it takes the biblically-mandated attribute of self-control to make right choices regarding the stewardship of these bodies given to us by God.
Part II talked about the decline of medicine (man refusing to acknowledge and work with God's design), the decline of the environment (producing less nutritious food sources but adding innumerable toxins), the decline of the human body, and the decline of diet (from consuming living, nutrient-dense food to eating unnatural, fake, man-made foods that our bodies weren't designed to consume).
The third thing I would like to discuss is discipline. There is often a failure to be good stewards of our bodies. I have already made several references to my faith, so it should come as no surprise that my views are based on what God says in His Word. The Bible actually speaks about discipline in relation to our bodies quite a bit.
First of all, the Bible is very clear that for those who have trusted Christ, their bodies are no longer their own. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? Although the context of these verses mostly concerns sexual sins, the teaching is still clear, and the principle applies: we shouldn't sin with our bodies because they no longer belong to us.
It follows that, since our bodies belong to God, we need to honor them and care for them in a way that honors God. Self-control, or temperance, is a major factor in caring for our bodies. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." Galatians 5:22-23 and 1 Peter 1:5-7 both list self-control as one of the qualities that should be evident in the lives of Christians. Proverbs 25:28 says that a man without self-control is like a broken down, unprotected city.
So how does all this relate to my topic? Many Christians are quick and adamant to declare the necessity of discipline and self-control in body-relevant areas like sexual conduct, alcohol, smoking, drugs, and modesty; however, many of those same Christians don't consider their diets to be one of those relevant areas. Overeating, gluttony, unhealthy eating--these are considered "acceptable"--but the other end of the spectrum--eating disorders like anorexia or bulemia--would be considered problems. Addiction to nicotine, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, and pornography are decried as clear sins, whereas addiction to caffeine (coffee or soda) or chocolate is found harmless and amusing. There is an undeniable hypocrisy in that kind of attitude. 1 Corinthians 10:31 makes it pretty clear that even the most basic, fundamental daily human activities--eating and drinking--are to be done to the glory of God. So there really is no excuse for keeping diet, nutrition, and healthy bodies on the list of things that don't really matter in the Christian life. Unfortunately, many Christians are in the same boat as the rest of society--we live to eat instead of eating to live.
I think it's obvious that choosing a healthy diet takes discipline and self-control, because, unfortunately, most of the things we like to eat that taste really good aren't good for us. And a lot of the foods that are truly healthy aren't always the most appealing to our taste buds. The standard American diet, in which sugar is added to virtually everything, has actually spoiled us and ruined our ability to enjoy the bitter/sour/fermented flavors of a lot of the natural foods that were common for our ancestors. Personally, I have found that my tastes have changed right along with my diet change. There were several foods that at first I didn't really enjoy their taste, but I ate them anyway because of their nutritive value. The more I ate them, though, my taste buds adjusted, and now I actually enjoy those flavors! We are addicted to sugar. If you don't believe me, just experiment on yourself and commit to going without any sugar at all for just one day--or maybe three days, or a whole week. It won't take long to discover how much you crave sugar. Not only do most of us struggle with discipline in what we eat, we also struggle to control how much we eat. I think that's pretty self-evident and self-explanatory. I have to say that once I began eating only nutritious foods and avoided unhealthy foods, I didn't pay attention to how much I was eating because it became unnecessary. Nutrient-dense foods satisfy better than calorie-dense foods, and once the body is broken from craving sugar, the desire to overeat is greatly reduced.
Balance is key as well. Nutrition is not an exact science, and I'm not prepared to state that every single time you consume something that isn't 100% healthy, that you are sinning. Enjoying a special treat or dessert occasionally isn't a big deal when you are eating healthy the majority of the time. (Although, in our society, "treats" aren't treats anymore--they are standard several-times-a-day indulgences.) For one thing, not everyone agrees on what foods are 100% healthy. For another thing, it's not very practical to live that way--how would you ever be able to eat at someone else's house or a restaurant, because you can't guarantee that only "approved" foods are available. Then, we must avoid being prideful about this subject--we can't start being food Nazis and looking down on people who don't eat all organic food, etc. We need to follow the principle of being a good steward of the body God gave us as opposed to following an exhaustive list of acceptable and unacceptable foods that can't realistically be kept.
I understand that it's difficult to keep up with the recommendations on what is healthy and what is unhealthy, because they seem to be constantly changing. One year eggs are bad for you; the next they are good. The same with butter, or coffee, or chocolate, and on and on. Which is exactly why I think it's safest to stick with God's plan and eat the food He provided for us in its natural forms. There shouldn't be a question whether or not meat, eggs, milk, and butter are healthy, especially when they are produced by animals that are allowed to eat the way they were designed to eat--because God provided those animals as food for us! There shouldn't be a question whether or not any naturally occurring fruit, vegetable, or grain is good for us, because God provided it all, and our bodies are designed to consume them. The problem comes when God's provisions are contaminated by chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides, or compromised and changed from their original forms by unnatural processing. It also shouldn't be a question whether unnatural, man-made substances full of artificial ingredients and chemicals created in a lab and labeled "food" are unhealthy. Likewise, there shouldn't be a question about whether the nutrients and substances from God-given plants, herbs, and animals are superior for treating illnesses in the body compared to man-made chemicals and drugs which the body is not designed to consume. Why would anyone in their right mind think that a man-made product is in any way superior to what Almighty God provided specifically for the body He designed?!
Yet, sadly, this is where we find ourselves today.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that we will be far healthier when we acknowledge that God designed our bodies and provided the best foods and medicines to keep them healthy and heal them; that our bodies, our food sources, and our philosophy of health care has declined; and that it takes the biblically-mandated attribute of self-control to make right choices regarding the stewardship of these bodies given to us by God.
God's Plan or Wisdom of Man? Part II: Decline
I realize that we no longer live in a perfect Eden. Our bodies are imperfect and can have genetic abnormalities resulting in body parts or systems that may need medical intervention in order to operate properly. Our world is not improving--it is degenerating and is full of contamination and corruption that can cause conditions which are not treatable by nutrition alone. I recognize the obvious need for doctors and medicine. Doctors and scientists are valuable and necessary, and God has gifted them with intelligence and the abilities to make life-changing advances in medicine. But medicine, in a way, is also declining as it gets farther and farther from recognizing and working with the Design. Things are done because they can be done--but not because they should be done.
If I'm in some kind of accident and sustain traumatic injuries, I would like to be taken to a hospital and treated by qualified doctors, thank you very much! If I break a bone or need an organ transplant, I would like a qualified doctor or surgeon to operate on me. Our country is arguably the best in the world in trauma care; but when it comes to health care, we fall disgracefully short. The problem is the arrogance of the medical community at large, believing that medical intervention and "new" substances created by humans are an improvement on the original design. Homeopaths, naturopaths, nutritionists, herbalists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, etc., all provide alternative treatments that work with the body and recognize its design, but they have been labeled quacks, vilified, and targeted by the medical establishment in our country. [Actually, it's modern medicine that should be labeled "alternative" since it has only been around for a couple hundred years.] In modern medicine doctors are taught to rely on new technology, invasive techniques, and man-made drugs without taking into consideration the original design. They are not, however, educated in the foundation of health, which is nutrition. When addressing virtually any health condition, nutrition and diet should be addressed FIRST. Western medicine pushes pills first. This approach is backward.
Let me give a few other examples of how modern medicine replaces original design with manmade wisdom.
- Childbirth. A perfectly natural process that has been totally transformed by modern medicine. We have forgotten that a woman's body was specifically designed to carry and deliver a baby without any outside intervention. We no longer believe that a healthy baby will result unless the woman and baby are examined, tested, poked, and prodded monthly, if not more often. We no longer trust women's bodies to go into labor naturally when the time is right; instead, artificial time lines are followed and unnatural interventions imposed when the body's timing doesn't coincide with the mother's or doctor's schedule. Women no longer trust their own God-given ability to tolerate labor and delivery without medications or procedures. Convenience and comfort trump design.
- Illness. Virtually every illness is treated with medicine (over-the-counter or prescription). Fevers are suppressed. We have forgotten that our bodies have immune systems to fight illness and that a fever is simply a sign that the immune system is functioning. Suppressing fever is suppressing the immune system. The original design is forgotten. In recent years, due to the over-use of antibiotics, we have learned to allow a virus to run its course, but bacterial illnesses or infections still must be treated with man-made antibiotics. We have forgotten that the body is designed to fight both viral and bacterial illness. We are unaware that many foods/herbs contain potent natural anti-viral and anti-bacterial nutrients which have no side effects and are as effective or more effective than man-made medicines--all of which have negative side-effects.
- Vaccinations. Again, we do not trust the immune system to do the job it was designed to do. We forget that diseases can be defeated without man-made substances. We forget that natural immune-boosting nutrients are able to prevent disease altogether or greatly reduce severity of symptoms. We fail to realize that vaccines bypass the natural processes of how viruses/bacteria are introduced into the body and subsequently attacked by the immune system, which results in a compromised, temporary, and inadequate immune response. We don't realize that the presence of antibodies does not represent immunity. We forget that a natural response to disease is healthy and offers permanent immunity. We also forget that natural exposure and natural response to germs, pathogens, and disease is vital to strengthening the immune system. We don't trust the design.
Another thing to consider is that our food itself--the source of nutrition--has changed and degenerated over time. In the beginning, when God created all the animals, water creatures, birds, and plant life, it was all declared "good." Perfect, sufficient, and complete. But the animals we eat today are not the same as the animals God created in the beginning. Today, the water creatures are contaminated by pollutants in the water. The birds and animals are fed diets they weren't designed to eat and given hormones to make them grow faster and fatter than they were designed to grow. Then they are given antibiotics to fight the disease and sickness caused by those unnatural diets and hormones. We eat obese, unhealthy meat from unhealthy animals, and the drugs in their systems end up in our systems. Even wild fowl and animals are not the same, because their diets are also contaminated by pesticides and pollutants. The plants we eat now are not the same as the plants God created. Our nuts, grain, fruits, vegetables, and herbs are sprayed with toxic pesticides. With the development of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), those toxic chemicals aren't just sprayed on the outside of plants, they are now inside the very seeds and are part of the genetic coding of the plants--you can't wash those pesticides off! The soil itself is not the same; it has been drastically depleted of nutrients by modern farming practices which means the plants grown in the soil are nutrient-deficient from the start. Then there is the fact that much of the "food" we consume can barely be considered real food. The original grains/plants are left with little nutritional value after all the processing they undergo. Rather than fresh, living food full of naturally-occurring nutrients, we tend to consume large amounts of refined, processed, chemically-laden food products full of artificial ingredients that have little to no nutritive value of their own, so vitamins and minerals have to be "added." Very little of the standard American diet resembles the living, nutrient-dense foods God created in the beginning.
Step 2 in changing the way we view health is to recognize the difference between the state of affairs at the beginning of time and during ancient cultures and the state of affairs in our modern world.
God's Plan or Wisdom of Man? Part I: Design
I think beliefs about God and world views have a lot more to do with health than most people admit or realize.
If one believes that humans are the result of a process of evolution and adaptation over millions of years, and that humans have managed to emerge as the life form with superior intelligence, it would make sense that humans need to come up with ways to heal our evolved bodies. On the other hand, if one believes in Intelligent Design, it would make sense that the Designer who created the human body knows exactly how it works and what is needed to keep it functioning optimally. Modern "Western" medicine has, in a lot of ways, ignored the intelligent design of the human body and its Designer, believing that Man is best qualified to come up with treatments and cures. And sadly, too many Christians have been convinced that the wisdom of man is the ultimate authority in the areas of health and medicine.
As I have researched alternative cancer treatments and learned more and more about real nutrition and how fundamental it is to the proper functioning of the body, I realized how logically it fits with my belief in God as creator. God designed and created our bodies. He created the body with intricate systems designed to remove harmful toxic substances, eliminate and neutralize foreign invaders, and heal itself. He also created EVERYTHING the body needs to be sustained and equipped to function properly and effectively. He gave us air, sunshine, water, and food. He created all the animals, plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbs on the earth necessary for food and healing. God did not design our bodies to need man-made medicines or interventions for proper function and healing.
Think of the body as an engine and food and beverages as its fuel and oil. If the wrong kind of fuel/oil is put into an engine, the engine will not run smoothly or function correctly. Sometimes it may cause immediate, obvious problems. Other times, it may not be as noticeable--maybe a more gradual effect of realizing over time that the engine is running "rough" or just not at its peak performance. Likewise, if the body isn't getting the food and beverage it was designed to need and use, it will not function and perform correctly. Sometimes the problems are immediate and acute; other times they are gradual, chronic conditions. I think people are generally more careful with their engines than they are with their bodies. If the car engine is running rough, most people will try to identify the problem and correct it. And if they find out they've been using the wrong fuel or putting things into the engine that don't belong in it, it's a quick and easy decision to remedy it. But when the body is malfunctioning, changing the diet is too often the last thing people correct. Instead, people take medicine/drugs to treat the symptoms, or they just ignore the problem altogether, chalking it up to "getting old."
The first step in changing the way we view health is recognizing that the human body was intelligently designed by the Creator who also provided everything necessary for its sustenance and optimal function.
If one believes that humans are the result of a process of evolution and adaptation over millions of years, and that humans have managed to emerge as the life form with superior intelligence, it would make sense that humans need to come up with ways to heal our evolved bodies. On the other hand, if one believes in Intelligent Design, it would make sense that the Designer who created the human body knows exactly how it works and what is needed to keep it functioning optimally. Modern "Western" medicine has, in a lot of ways, ignored the intelligent design of the human body and its Designer, believing that Man is best qualified to come up with treatments and cures. And sadly, too many Christians have been convinced that the wisdom of man is the ultimate authority in the areas of health and medicine.
As I have researched alternative cancer treatments and learned more and more about real nutrition and how fundamental it is to the proper functioning of the body, I realized how logically it fits with my belief in God as creator. God designed and created our bodies. He created the body with intricate systems designed to remove harmful toxic substances, eliminate and neutralize foreign invaders, and heal itself. He also created EVERYTHING the body needs to be sustained and equipped to function properly and effectively. He gave us air, sunshine, water, and food. He created all the animals, plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbs on the earth necessary for food and healing. God did not design our bodies to need man-made medicines or interventions for proper function and healing.
Think of the body as an engine and food and beverages as its fuel and oil. If the wrong kind of fuel/oil is put into an engine, the engine will not run smoothly or function correctly. Sometimes it may cause immediate, obvious problems. Other times, it may not be as noticeable--maybe a more gradual effect of realizing over time that the engine is running "rough" or just not at its peak performance. Likewise, if the body isn't getting the food and beverage it was designed to need and use, it will not function and perform correctly. Sometimes the problems are immediate and acute; other times they are gradual, chronic conditions. I think people are generally more careful with their engines than they are with their bodies. If the car engine is running rough, most people will try to identify the problem and correct it. And if they find out they've been using the wrong fuel or putting things into the engine that don't belong in it, it's a quick and easy decision to remedy it. But when the body is malfunctioning, changing the diet is too often the last thing people correct. Instead, people take medicine/drugs to treat the symptoms, or they just ignore the problem altogether, chalking it up to "getting old."
The first step in changing the way we view health is recognizing that the human body was intelligently designed by the Creator who also provided everything necessary for its sustenance and optimal function.
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