Plant Based and Lovin' It!!

Hello and Happy July!

I hope all is well and July is brining you warmth and happiness. I'm Ann and this is my journey with thyroid cancer.

Last June I decided to start following the Gerson Diet. This is basically a vegan diet with a lot of restrictions. It has been a year now and while it hasn't always been easy, I will never go back!

A long time ago I heard about 'vegans' and thought they were crazy! After-all, who can live on just vegetables?! And...how do they get their protein?? I also knew about vegetarians and believed this was a bit easier because you could eat eggs and cheese at least, but I was a meat lover. I did try a vegetarian diet for a couple of days, but quickly realized there was no way I would ever be able or want to do either of those diets. This was coming from a person that tried every other diet known to the human race!!

Fast forward to 2016. I have now had over 50 years of eating all kinds of garbage and adding an unhealthy 50 pounds to my body. Besides being tired, fat, and having high blood pressure (probably pre-diabetic as well), I now also have thyroid cancer. And there is nothing they can do! What!?! The word 'cancer' was scary, but I thought the surgery, radiation, and chemo would cure me. It didn't! Then, to find out it was in my lungs, and growing, well that was petrifying to me. Lung cancer was what my mother died from and I was beside myself with fear about this. I couldn't just sit around and wait for the cancer to get worse.

As luck would have it, during the same month I found out about the spreading of my cancer, a docu-series called 'The Truth About Cancer' was playing. I watched all nine episodes and learned so much. This was when I started to research the Gerson Diet and what do you know, it was not only a vegan diet, but a vegan diet on steroids! Basically, I can only eat vegetables and fruit, and not even all of them! Without hesitation, I started to wean myself off all the food I enjoyed. I knew there wasn't a good alternative, so I decided I had to give it a try. It wouldn't be forever and I would be cancer free! I had nothing to lose, so I started with a modified version of the diet. The reason for the modification is the cost. All of the foods have to be organic and most of them juiced. If you've ever juiced you know you need a lot of veggies to make 8oz. I was supposed to have thirteen 8oz. juices a day! That was too much for me so I went with having just eight - 8oz. juices a day instead. This cost about $150 a week just for me! But that is not all. I also had to change my cookware and what I put on my body (This will be a blog for another day). More expense! It was a tough transition monetarily. And that was just the beginning!

So with determination and dedication, I started the Gerson/Vegan Diet. First to go was sugar and processed foods. Let's start with coffee. I was the 'don't even look at me until I have my coffee' type of gal. Well, I know some people can drink coffee black, but not me! I drank mine with cream and sugar. I had to give up the sugar, but honey was allowed on the diet, so I was fine with that. But then, about a week later, I gave up animal products. That meant no more cream for my coffee. I knew I could cheat, but I was determined to rid myself of this cancer, so the cream went! I tried almond milk, but hated it, so I just gave up the coffee completely. It didn't taste good and it wasn't allowed on the diet anyway, so I gave it up. This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had already gone from a couple of cups per day to one and I guess that made it easier. I did get the headaches, but only for a couple of days.

Giving up processed foods wasn't as bad as giving up coffee - except for macaroni and cheese and spaghetti! Oh yeah, and the pizza!! Truthfully, the hardest part of giving up processed foods was the convenience of them. There was no more quick dinners or ordering out. That was tough for me because I hate to cook. But I was and still am determined. If this diet will help me beat this cancer, well then it's worth it.

The last thing to go was meat. Remember I said I was a meat lover? I wasn't lying. Giving up meat was hard. This was especially so because my husband did not join me in the vegan lifestyle, so I had to smell his cooking. He is an exceptional cook by the way. Luckily I am a goal driven person and meat had to go to achieve the end result - becoming cancer free.

In all truth, the first month was the hardest. Giving up each and every thing was difficult in it's own way, but after a month, it was a lot easier. What has been the most difficult about this diet is the social aspect. My husband and I would go out a couple of times a week. We stopped that because there was nothing I could eat or drink on most menus. All of my food should be organic, oil free, and vegan. I don't have restaurants like that around me yet. Recently, I've loosened up a bit. I will go out and eat food that is not organic and sometimes even has oil on it. Occasionally, I'll have a glass of wine. I know I shouldn't, but it's not often and I feel allowing myself to enjoy life and my friends is important too. I secluded myself for awhile and I don't think this was helpful to me. I don't know if this diet will cure me, but I do know I'm alive right now.

I started off by saying I wouldn't go back to a regular diet and I am sincere about that. I feel and look healthier than I have in years, and...I still have the goal of curing my cancer. My new plan is to be able to enjoy all vegan foods once I'm cured. In October I go back to the doctor to get my next set of tests. I will let you know how they turn out.

Below is a video of Oprah giving her staff a challenge to eat vegan for a week. I thought it was pretty interesting!

For now, wishing you health and happiness!