One of the Things

Diet.

When you hear that word, what is the first thought that comes to mind? Do you cringe, thinking, starvation and suffering?

Diet, does not necessarily mean going hungry. Diet is something that we all do, every day. It is how we eat. If we eat healthy, we have a healthy diet. Of course the opposite is also true.

In 2008, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I did not have to undergo chemotherapy, but I did need radiation treatments. Before the diagnoses I honestly could consume entire, large bags of chocolate candy in a single day. I love my sodas and if it was microwaveable, that was dinner. Then came the diagnoses. The cancer and the surgery didn't scare me, the radiation on the other hand about did me in. I quickly learned that what I ate, affected how I felt. I had to learn, correct and adapt if I were going to make it through the treatments.

I love coffee. I can and do drink coffee from moments after I get up until I call it a night. While undergoing the radiation I could not do this. I could handle one cup, but after that it had to be water only. Caffeine was not my friend. Instead of increasing energy levels, it did the opposite. It left a bad taste in my mouth and sapped my energy quickly.

Junk food was a main staple in my day to day eating habits. Candy, pastries, processed foods, I couldn't get enough. The greater the sugar content the better. This however did the same as caffeine. There was no sugar rush, it was simply crash and burn. It got to where it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I had to work, so obviously this would never be acceptable. I had to find a solution and quickly.

The coffee/caffeine as I said went to being water only. I drank a lot of water. The junk food was given up for fruit. I could get a sweet enough taste from various fruits that helped ease my cravings for junk. The best part, no more crash and burn.

I read a lot of reports and findings. I have repeatedly read how sugar feeds cancer. Sugar lurks in our foods in many hidden forms and under many different aliases. Foods that you would not suspect of being heavily sugared are. We need to learn these and watch for them. Raw or steamed vegetables are important. Fruits and vegetables of different colors are good for different reasons. Each carry their own benefits to our body. Each fight various cancers in their own way. Some are better raw, some are better lightly cooked, some are better fresh while others hold up better frozen. Processed foods should have no place in your diet. They are loaded with salt, sugar, unpronounceable ingredients that can't be good for you and, some of the things that containers are made of, leech into the foods.

A few years have passed since my diagnoses and I'm fine. While I'm back to drinking a lot of coffee- which has been reported to actually be good for you-I do still consume water and no sodas. I do give in occasionally and purchase some type of junk food, but its rare. As far as processed foods, you will find very little of that anywhere in my house. I have gone back to that old fashioned way of cooking as close to scratch as possible. I often get teased about how much fruit I eat, I simply smile and let it go. A doctor told me that I needed to avoid dairy products and eggs. I balked at this for a while, but when I started drinking unsweetened almond milk I did start feeling better. Breakfast without eggs, is now steel cut oatmeal, blueberries and raspberries with a teaspoon spoonful of flax seed and a spoonful of walnut pieces.

You may by now be asking, what does all this prove? While I may have been cancer free, my cholesterol levels were creeping up in a hurry. My overall cholesterol at last check had rose to something over 228. While that isn't a breath stealing number, the fact that it was going up at all concerned me. That was when my diet really began to change to completely natural. I had my cholesterol checked a couple of days ago- it has dropped to 218. No medications, all diet and vitamins, along with taking the time to educate myself on ways to eat and live better.

That is one of the many things that Relay for Life is all about. Education and healthier living.