Lifestyle Change

Cancer is a Symptom

For me, it was a lifestyle wake-up call—a realization that our life choices conspire to either make us healthy or send us to an early grave. I resolved to make every change possible to make my body inhospitable to cancer.

In January 2023, I began reading reputable anti-cancer resources and learning about healthier habits. Diet was n easy, but not simple, place to start. I switched to a whole-food plant-based diet, changed my sleep habits to ensure I was getting quality sleep, began exercising more and striving to reach at least 10,000 steps each day, drank at least 60+ ounces of water each day, focused on my spiritual beliefs, and reduced my stress level. Once I got a handle on these major areas, I began evaluating other areas of my life.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, you can simply follow the conventional medicine path if you choose. But I want you to know what I didn’t when I began my treatment: you can drastically improve, if not heal, your health with evidence-based lifestyle change. I encourage you to evaluate each aspect of your life, beginning with the area that you feel is most important. Some suggested areas and questions to ask yourself are listed below, followed by my list of lifestyle changes.

  • Are you moving your body? Getting quality sleep? Drinking 60+ ounces of water per day? Eating a diet centered around plant foods?

  • Are you happy with your life? Are you harboring negative emotions? Is there past trauma you need to work through? Are you under constant stress? Do you believe you can get well?

  • Do you have friends you can be honest with? Are you limiting your interactions with toxic people? Do you make time for fun?

  • Do you spend regular time in prayer or meditation? Have a deep spiritual connection?

  • Is your environment healthy—the air you drink, water you breathe, products you use? Does your food or drink come in contact with plastic? Do you microwave food in a plastic container? Do your household and health and beauty products contain harmful chemicals? Are you regularly near harmful radiation?

  • Do you get enjoyment from your job or a volunteer position? Do you have a hobby you enjoy? What are you doing to help other people?

“Everyone is entitled to navigate illness the way they choose to do so.... A healing journey ... is a uniquely individual experience.”
— Lissa Rankin, MD from Mind Over Medicine: Scientific proof that you can heal yourself

Many of my lifestyle changes are listed below but my printable list is more comprehensive.

‍ Diet

  • ‍Whole-food, plant-based diet (no meat, dairy, fish, eggs), with no salt, oil, sugar or artificial ingredients

  • Eat daily servings of beans, greens, grains, fruit, berries, veggies, herbs/spices/turmeric, ground flax seed, nuts, and cruciferous veggies (see Dr. Michael Greger’s Daily Dozen at www.nutritionfacts.org)

  • Eat more raw vegetables

  • Drink green tea daily

  • Eat antiangiogenic onions, garlic, and mushrooms regularly

  • Drink 70+ ounces of purified water daily

  • Don’t drink alcohol

  • Try to fast for 13 hours each night

  • Take B12 supplement because I no longer eat meat

Exercise

  • Minimum 10,000 steps per day, including stretches, weights, and bicycling

  • Alternate sitting with standing/moving; try not to sit for longer than an hour at a time

Amy standing on a sunny dock surrounded by sailboats

Limit radiation exposure

  • Minimize imaging x-rays, scans, and sun exposure

  • Don’t stand in front of microwave oven when on

  • Cell phone on speaker and keep Wi-Fi off when not in use

Reduce environmental toxins

  • Disposed of health and beauty products and household cleaners containing sulfates, phthalates, parabens, fluoride, aluminum, oxybenzone, etc.

  • Switched to cast iron, stainless, and silicone cookware

  • Replaced plastic serving utensils and water bottles with metal, and exchanged plastic food storage containers for glass; limit food contact with plastic

  • Purchased water filter for drinking water and showerhead

Changed perspective on healthcare

  • Took charge of my own healthcare—do my own research, am my own advocate and make my own decisions

  • View physicians as resources, not experts

  • Seek physicians with integrative and lifestyle medicine backgrounds

  • Take vitamin D supplements and get regular sunshine to keep my level high

‍ Sleep

  • Aim for 7-8 hours nightly, in bed by 10pm

  • Dark, quiet, cool room with air purifier

  • Try not eat three hours before bedtime

  • No screens in bedroom or within 30-60 minutes of bed

Stress Reduction

  • Surround myself with positive things—limit news, no horror movies, listen to uplifting music

  • More spiritual focus with daily meditation/prayer/Bible reading

  • Simplify life and expectations where possible

Emotional healing

  • Adopted a cat and dog

  • Increased fun and social involvement

  • Wrote about past trauma and shared past hurts with safe people

  • Forgave offenders

  • Stopped engaging with toxic people

  • Replaced false beliefs and negative thoughts about my future with God’s truths about health and healing