Cancer can be beaten

 

LIFE SAVERS: Holistic EMS Ambulance is your go-to ambulance service, ready to assist you and offering advanced life support, 24-hour emergency care, ICU transfers, as well as training. Call on Karen Romans and her team who offer their hands to help save lives. Holistic EMS is commemorating breast cancer awareness month with a pink ribbon decorating their ambulance. Basic ambulance assistants Malackias Chirombe, left, and Pheleka Mdyu are pictured with the vehicle Picture: JON HOUZET
LIFE SAVERS: Holistic EMS Ambulance is your go-to ambulance service, ready to assist you and offering advanced life support, 24-hour emergency care, ICU transfers, as well as training. Call on Karen Romans and her team who offer their hands to help save lives. Holistic EMS is commemorating breast cancer awareness month with a pink ribbon decorating their ambulance. Basic ambulance assistants Malackias Chirombe, left, and Pheleka Mdyu are pictured with the vehicle Picture: JON HOUZET

IN a world where cancer affects almost everyone, whether you are a sufferer or have a family member or friend who has developed cancer, a healthy lifestyle and attitude are critical if the disease is to be beaten.

In years past people did not want to speak of the disease, as though they could invoke its onset if openly discussed. Euphemisms such as “the Big C” abounded, and people were generally ignorant of its causes and treatment.

However, times have changed and being diagnosed with cancer is no longer regarded as a death sentence. Talk of the Town has been running a series of articles over the month of October that show that cancer can be beaten, or at least tamed, and that early diagnosis, better eating, drinking and sleeping regimes, the support of family and friends along with an all-important positive state of mind can have amazing results when it comes to combatting the disease.

Dr Hanli Rautenbach, resident homeopath at the St Francis Health Centre, said we live in a time where cancer has become pandemic.

“Trying to find the cause is a continuous process,” she said. “The modern lifestyle, exposure to chemicals (inside and outside the home), increasing levels of electro-smog and food with less nutrition than ever before could all be contributing factors.”

The St Francis Health Centre focuses on detoxification from stress and chemicals, allowing the client’s digestive and nervous system to recover and thus allowing an improved immune system.

Dr Simon Knight of The Holistic Oak says that, to suppress the symptoms of disease most people turn to chemical drugs, such as painkillers to numb the pain, cortisone creams, antihistamines, antibiotics and so forth. These unnatural measures only fuel the fire by aggravating the levels of toxicity, acidity and the degree of disruption of normal functions. They give only temporary relief, while worsening the underlying imbalances that led to the development of the symptoms in the first place.

Knight maintains that the mind is very powerful and can create anything you think of. Your thoughts have power, and the way you feel first thing in the morning can influence the rest of your day.

“If all you hear is negative things for a long time, eventually you will start being negative or thinking only the worst can happen. Disease is not only caused by physical issues but also mental issues,” said Knight. “You have a choice to be and experience health or sickness. It is your choice.”

Both mind and body must be healthy, and this is what holistic healing is all about.

A large part of any natural treatment for any given disease is focused on correcting the imbalances of the human body (terrain). Knight maintains that if the terrain is healthy, the rest of the body will be healthy and resistant to disease and infection.

“We strive to understand the question why some people stay healthy when exposed to contagious diseases, instead of labouring to identify a causative organism for a given infection and trying to kill it,” said Knight.

“Just like seeds will not germinate when thrown on tar, bacteria will not take hold in an unfavourable environment. Our aim is therefore to improve the condition of the terrain so that all functions in the body are optimal and harmonious and the terrain is unsuitable to infection and disease. This is sharp contrast to the disease-focused approach of modern medicine, based on the germ theory and pathophysiology. Prevention is better than a cure.”

Each person is different and needs a personal plan tailored to their own body, mind and spirit, taking into account their hereditary and accumulated weaknesses and problems.

“It is said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” was the word from Dr Adrian Cole.

“While there might be some truth in this statement, we are also very well aware of all the other healthy routines one should follow daily, such as having at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, drink eight glasses of water, regular exercise  and a long list of other do’s and don’ts to keep you in optimal health.”

However, one routine Coles says you should adhere to is having your annual check-up.

“This seemingly feeble routine, at least in many people’s minds when they are feeling great and healthy, could just be the contributing factor to prevent cancer, especially if you have cancer in your family,” Cole asserts.

“Although October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, one should go for regular mammograms and any other cancer screening examinations after the age of 40. There is a multitude of cancer research, and new treatments are approved every year.

“However, prevention is still the most vital aspect of your health and it is advised to speak to your doctor to discuss options so that you can make an informative decision about your health.”