Carol Maybury
- Sep 24, 2020

A focus on prevention

I wrote the blog below back in January 2019, ten years cancer free. I am now coming up to 12 years cancer free and the information below is just as relevant today, so I thought I might re-post for those who needed a little inspiration on where to start. With everything going on in the world at the moment, it is so important if you are feeling overwhelmed by all the negative things around you, YOU NEED TO TURN THE NEWS OFF!!!! Very important for healing and refilling your tank with positive things, like getting outside in nature, sunshine, fresh air, walking, singing or whatever makes you feel good, this will be good for your mental clarity and can help you feel better. Remember it takes the mind, the body and the spirit to heal, I believe they are all as important as the other.

Sometimes just sitting, walking and being in nature, thinking about absolutely nothing, is the key to refresh your vibrant self and remember YOU are the key to healing and happiness, it is NOT anyone else's job to make you happy, no matter what is going on in the world. If you are struggling to feel better or dont know where to start, there are lots of tips below and please don't forget to reach out to someone to assist, if you need help getting there.

ENJOY THE FLASH BACK FROM JANUARY 2019 - Ma xx

I have just past my ten year anniversary from my cancer diagnosis YIPEE, HOORAY, YOU BEAUTY and all that jazz. So I thought I would write a little about my story and what I did to help my body heal, this is only just touching the tip of the iceberg, I did and tried so much.

It seems so long ago from my diagnosis of invasive breast cancer until now being cancer free, that I have to really stop and think about that day. That day ten years ago which has changed my life forever and believe it or not, for the better.

I certainly try not to dwell on that day but I do try and live my life now the best way I know how with the knowledge I now have. I dont live everyday thinking about the cancer coming back and I certainly dont live in fear of it any more.

What cancer did for me was made me wake up to the realisation I couldn't keep going on the way I was. I was running on empty and had been for some time. Our bodies have a weird way of letting us know when something is wrong or when it needs help

I realise now how important the mind, body and spirit connection is. Stress can play havoc on the immune system so we need to make sure all these three are all catered for, each of them are as important as the other.

Lesson no.1. DO NOT IGNORE WHAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO TELL YOU "oops, that could have been something I did for a long time

There are always subtle signs, cancer or chronic disease doesn't just happen, it takes a lot of years for a palpable tumour to be felt, in that time your body gives you signs to try and get you to fix underlying issues that are going on. I got the signs alright but as we are human and certainly are not perfect, I went along pushing my best foot forward, as you do and kept going, ignoring those well meaning signs.

I want to pass on some knowledge that I was lucky to learn which has helped me. You dont have to take it, you can read this blog and say "whatever" or "wow" but ultimately the choice is yours and what you do with it is your own personal business. No judgement either way.

Try these for prevention one step at a time

MAKE YOURSELF NUMBER ONE

Making yourself number one does not mean you are egocentric or that you do not love those around you, but trust me, in order to be there and help those you love, you need to make sure you take time out for yourself as well. Another one of my biggest mistakes was to think I had to fix everyone and everything. I have come to realise I cant fix the world and sometimes some things as hard as it is, are someone else's lesson to learn and not mine.

My favourite things to do are:

Being with my family and friends

Spending time alone

Reading Positive affirmations

Reading a good book

Having a massage

Sitting on my verandah and sipping on a cup of herbal tea

Whatever floats your boat !! But make YOU a priority every now and then and stop to fill up your tank and learn how to say NO sometimes

Jess and I 2009

One of the very few photos I have with my favourite wig after one chemo took my hair and my weight plummeted to 44kgs, I looked like a P.O.W I refused any other conventional treatment after that.

I was a little vain about my hair!!!!!! Cancer can certainly swipe the vanity right out of you.

LOOK AFTER YOUR BODY

I was meant to be nurturing and feeding my body with foods that nourished and sustained me. Instead I would go without or because of my low energy, couldn't be bothered, big, big mistake. I would often worry about my car and how I needed to book it in for a service and look after it, so it could run well and be in tip top condition but sadly did not take care of something much more valuable than my car, myself. In today's society its a shame we put so much more emphasis on material things than on human beings and our natural environment.

Nurturing your body means eating foods that mother earth has grown in mineral rich soil to nourish us. We need to eat foods that are NOT processed nor refined. A lot of the western culture are now eating foods that cause inflammation in the body Lots of inflammation means lots of trouble and sickness eventually. Trust me, when you appreciate good fresh food and see what it can do for you, you would never go back to eating any other way.

Some of my favourite nourishing foods are:

Fresh vegetable juices (I juice myself)

Smoothies with added super foods

Salads containing loads of cancer fighting foods

Soups, stews and curries

Wild caught salmon

Roast veggies, steamed veggies, raw veggies

If I have meat which isn't all the time, I make sure its from a sustainable source and grass fed

Dressings on my food are:

Apple cider vinegar (containing the mother)

Lemon juice

olive oil

Himalayan salt

Nutritional yeast

Herbs and spices

One of my favourite juices is:

2 Carrots

1/2 pomegranate - (optional)

1/2 green apple

1/2 cucumber

1 zuccini

1/4 lemon

knob of ginger

Savor and sip it, it is yummo

Mix it up and try different veggies as they all have different nutritional value

DETOXING CANNOT BE SKIPPED - ONE VERY IMPORTANT STEP

In order to get all the goodness from those fruits and veggies, your body will need help to detox the bad stuff out. There is no use trying to stuff loads of vitamins and nourishment into a body that is clogged and cant absorb anything. That is one big mistake a lot of people do. Our bodies are very clever and naturally know how to do this but with all the modern crap going into our bodies on a daily basis over many years, it struggles and we need to give it a hand.

Some things I did when I got sick and still make sure I do this regularly today are:

Rebounding on a mini trampoline - great for the lymphatic system

sweating - exercise and also far infrared sauna's are fantastic for this,

juicing

herbs

movement

skin brushing

oil pulling -

lemon water

detox teas - some of my favourite are: dandelion, Jason winters and green tea

epsom salt baths - add lavendar oil for relaxing

I am sure there are many more

EXERCISE

At first this was something I struggled with, I didnt like exercise much and bought a rebounder and also a rower machine, I did it out of knowing I had too but I have now come to realise that there are a lot of forms of exercise that you can do and enjoy. Find one that sits well with you, mine are now:

Dancing

Walking

Yoga

vibration machine

Still rebounding - that is a must if you are ill, you need to move those lymphatics

This is not a picture of me, I do not look this elegant when I do yoga,

Sunshine, clean water, fresh air and good sleep are also extremely important as well. So one step at a time knowing you are moving towards a healthier you and preventing a lot of chronic diseases

I also suggest that you look into a health professional, someone that knows about health. Everyone is so unique and we all have different needs for our bodies. A health professional can look into what is going on with you in particular and work with you individually to see what your body needs help with. It is usually word of mouth finding out who to go to. Do your research, we shouldn't be leaving it all up to the over loaded doctors and health professionals to fix everything for us, we actually need to put a lot of effort in ourselves and when we do the rewards are amazing.

Thank you for reading this blog and I hope your 2019 is amazing - Don't take life too seriously and - Remember to laugh

No-one gets out of this big gig alive