I am going to make a bold statement. If this does not resonate with you, read on. If it does resonate with you, read on!
Cancer does not define you!
You are given one life to live. It starts with the year you are born and ends with the year you perish. For me: 1979 - ____. This signifies my entire life experience. That delicate little dash holds all the chapters that equal my epic life journey.

Obviously, there is no end date as of yet because I'm still alive! And, I plan to live a long and full life so that line is going to be jam packed with living. But I'd like to point out the length of that line. It's not very long, is it? Each chapter, although significant in their own ways, does not define my entire life. 

A chapter is a span of time, not meant to consume your entire life journey or the book of your life, however you choose to look at it.  Take the life journey of my sister, Lanie, for example and zoom in on particular sections.
She had a typical modern American childhood complete with a stay at home mom and working dad, three siblings, cousins, grandparents iced with the memories from celebrations, holidays, Michigan summers in the pool, barbeques in the backyard, camping with family, Michigan winters rolled into snowmen and hot chocolate. Pretty uneventful and typical.
She also has friendships, relationships, jobs, fails, trips, drugs (just kidding, I thought I'd spice things up!), residences, beliefs, new beliefs, adventures, deaths of loved ones and illness. Yes, illness. Cancer became one of her chapters, but in looking back over her entire life span, it does not define her journey. 

The definition of your life will be an inclusion of all chapters, not just this one unless you consume yourself and let nothing else matter. Although much of her efforts were devoted to recovering from cancer, it did not fill her entire "dash". 

You can have so many chapters of screw ups and embarrassments that no one will ever remember unless you constantly draw attention to it. What's even better is that you can always add and remove chapters. You don't end your life and begin a new one, you either discontinue a particular chapter and start fresh or just end that phase all together. It's a beautiful thing that the choice is up to you.

We should all be adding more "mini-chapters" to our live anyways. We are much too much self-restricted on how long our chapters are expected to be. We have pre-conceived notions of who we are "supposed" to be that we end up restricting ourselves and stay constrained in standard boxes.

If you're wondering what a "mini-chapter" is, it could be adventure, business ideas, new relationships, hobbies, interests. Anything that contributes to the purpose of life: to live and serve with love and passion. Think of what mini or sub-chapter you'd like to start now despite this cancer diagnosis. What is the title?

Now, onto the how-to. You have to get un-stuck from the chaos and step into control. Typically, when cancer is present in your life you tend to lean towards the thinking of, "why me?", "why did you let this happen, God?" and we feel trapped in these thoughts.

Before I go any further, I want to point to the fact that over 85% of all cancer diagnosis are lifestyle related. Meaning, they were either preventable with actions within your control or developed as a result of unhealthy living habits.

So many times we go into this chapter with the  mind frame that cancer is bad, making this a good vs evil disease or perhaps a love vs hate relationship with cancer. You might feel that the devil has taken over this chapter and has hit you like a ton of bricks. Whether you feel this way or not, it's time to realize that kindness is king. All you have and I mean ALL you have is love.

Creating chapters that contain life while the cancer chapter is still open means that you cannot hunt down evil to catch and destroy it. Chasing evil will get you lost and in trouble. It will make this an undesirable mini-chapter. Evil is not preventable, it is a choice.

As you start your mini-chapter, wrap your arms around the title (the idea you are adding to your life) and let the power of love flow in and take over. Bring others in, community heals. As you venture in your new mind frame, make certain that everyone you encounter both in person and virtually is met with love. Look for what you respect, like and appreciate about each person versus what bothers and annoys you about them.

This is how you make your mini-chapters rise up over cancer and contribute to your healing.

Wrap your spiritual, emotional and mental arms around everyone in love.

Focus solely on what you do agree on, not what disagreements are apparent even if that means focusing on the facts that the world needs more love. Concentrate on what unites you, not what divides you. Be kind even when someone doesn't deserve it. This will raise your vibration and create a powerful force in your healing during this mini-chapter.

Let the power of love in whatever you choose to add (travel, hobby, groups, volunteer work, etc.) feed you and those you engage with for this sub chapter. There is no way for evil to get through and run away in chaos. You are the CEO of your health and you are in control of your thoughts, your feelings, your journey and your "-" (dash) life!
Take charge and add life to this chapter. Cancer does not define your entire life journey.

WHEN YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN AN EXPIRATION DATE ON YOUR LIFE.

When a doctor gives you an expiration date on your life, your body immediately goes into panic mode and your innate survival settings are triggered.
Imagine spending every single day with the idea that the end of your life has been predicted and is documented in a file, before it has happened.

This idea will eventually blanket all aspects of your life; relationships, sleep, romance, appetite, mood, energy levels. It feels like it consumes your every thought, decision and action you take. 

Nerves will take over at some point and make you may break out in cold sweats, start having episodes of anxiety and some people note that they slide into depression very soon after being given this news. This is your subconscious going into worry overdrive. The emotional decline is a heavy weight to carry.

Stress is now in full effect. The cascade of stress responses begin to fall, resulting in even more symptoms appearing than before. You feel like you are losing control of the things that you once had a tight grip on. Everything feels like it is slipping through your fingers. 

These feelings tend to lead to withdrawal. Some find themselves hesitating to participate in social gatherings for fear of someone asking you about your condition or situation. The last thing you wish to discuss is the countdown clock that is constantly ticking in the back of your mind.

Sometimes it is so loud that it's all you hear. It's nauseating and has the power to take your breath away at times. You can feel it in every cell in your body. Every time you are faced with a situation that requires making plans or planning for the future all you can think of is, "if I'm even here", or "I won't be here by then so what's the point?"

This is an awful way to live. 

In fact, it's no way to live. It's restricting which is the opposite of living. Your purpose here on this earth is to live your life as best you can while serving a greater good. Finding joy, happiness and being grateful for all that you have. That's the entire point to your existence! 

It's not about your job, the car you drive, the great clothes you wear, how educated you've become, what you gave to your children, or items you've collected over time. Living is about the experience of life and all of its wonders. Life has so much opportunity, but when we hear the end is near it's like we just stop in our tracks and give up the time and the present moment for fear of what is ahead.

It's so easy to forget about who you are as a person, how you treat others, finding happiness in all the moments you are able, offering grace and assistance when and where needed, showing up for loved ones, loving your body through all stages of life's journey, controlling the thoughts that your mind sorts through and takes action on. 

Life is about acknowledging that the struggle you are going through is the same struggle that you are growing through, regardless of what timeframe someone has given you. 

When we have a certain date or suggested timeframe in mind, we build our lives around that day. Let me give you an example. We know Christmas is on December 25th so in the upcoming months there are specific things to do in order to be ready for this day.

Christmas is not just about the one particular day though, it is about all of the event filled days in the several weeks prior that lead to Jesus' birth. The preparation, anticipation and excitement of his entering the world. This is the reason for the season. We celebrate with loved ones, friends and co-workers with food, conversation, acts of kindness and social gatherings galore. We gift one another with heart felt expressions. We find all the of the wonderous moments life has gifted us during this time, knowing that Christmas will be here one day and gone the next. 

During this season, we live for the entire experience of celebrating the birth of Christ. We aren't worried about when it's over. We don't pass of decorating our homes, businesses, yards (and selves!) because we will have to one day take them down and put them away. We don't cancel traditional gatherings because we will have a huge mess to clean afterwards.

We indulge in all moments gifted to us. 

The day is coming whether we enjoy each and every moment before hand or not, so the majority of us do all that we can to take in the experiences and create memories to cherish.

We also know, as I mentioned, that this day will pass. The lights, decorations, parties, exchanges, moments and worship of our Lord will be highlighted on Christmas day, then the day will be over. We don't avoid engaging in all of the experiences prior to December 25th because December 26th replaces it with a regular day. We make the most of the time we are given and do all that makes ourselves and others feel good.

It's part of the season. It's part of life. 

As is now. This is a season of your life. If a doctor has given you an "expectancy" on your life for whatever the reason is, it is your responsibility to find your ways to live in purpose with intention and the fullness you were created for. They (physicians, or anyone for that matter) cannot take your desire and drive to savor every moment of life from you.

Let me make a suggestion, though. Don't write this timeframe or "date" on your calendar. Your cells are listening and will respond to your thoughts, feelings and actions. Claim life and do all that you can to support your mind and body in the most natural ways.

So many times I've seen cancer heroes prove those time stamping physicians wrong. Sometimes life extension happens as a result of shifting the way we approach living and fulfilling our duties of human existence. Whether you believe that it is right or wrong for a physician to deliver this type of prediction, the next steps are up to you.

I have to also touch on the point that compounded stress impairs our endocannabinoid systems (ECS) which can lead to other health issues both mental and physical. It can cause distress in your endocrine system, hormones, and can fuel inflammatory responses. 

It could truly make a world of difference to support your ECS with supplementation of cannabinoid therapy at this time. Be sure to work with a professional who is knowledgeable on how the endocannabinoid system impacts your emotional state and health overall. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you for it. Harvest nature to enhance your quality of life. 
Reach out should you need guidance. 

IS CANNABIS A GATEWAY TO HEALTH OR HARM?

​Wanna know something crazy?

In 1937, Cannabis (aka marijuana) was federally banned.
It was listed as a schedule 1 drug. Schedule 1 drugs are those that have a high addiction rate, have no medical benefit, and can be abused such as LSD and heroin.

Ironically, caffeine is pretty widely known to have one of the highest addiction rates and is commonly abused by individuals across the country... along with cigarettes, alcohol and food. Yet they are all legal and have extensive lists of the dangers they pose on our health. Even death.

They considered cannabis aka marijuana to be a gateway drug. Gateway drugs are those that are “thought” to lead to more potent or dangerous drugs.

YET, we have no evidence of direct cause of death due to cannabis consumption. There also lies no proof that it causes the user to sway towards another drug. Actually, we have an abundance of research explaining the health BENEFITS gained by cannabis consumption.
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Here’s the crazy part:
The same federal government that banned cannabis is the same agency that holds a patent on a synthetic (lab created) version of cannabis as a NEUROPROTECTANT. Meaning, it protects the brain.

Sounds like a gateway to health to me…

Also important to mention, the lab created version – the one the government holds patents on – has a long list of crappy side effects. Crazy, right?

The power of community and hope will bring awareness and truth back to this plant that was used for centuries to restore health. For starters, studies show people do better when they are involved, have a sense of belonging and can engage with other like-minded. This is critical in normalizing and progressing in the cannabis conversation.

This is important information to know. Without it, you could be missing out on one of the most important tools in your health recovery box!

Learn what you can control and control it!
Your home is the best place to start in creating a healthy environment.

With these simple and ideal reminders, you have a great place to start. I use essential oils, in a few different mixtures, depending on what room and what I'm cleaning. 
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Mixed with just a few ingredients such as baking soda, rubbing alcohol and distilled water, I can confidently sanitize my home for myself and my family without having the worry about contributing to cancer or other health ailments!
Here are a few simple tips to get you started on the healthy (and deliciously scented) path to cleaning:
CLEAN UP TOUCHZONES
Some germs are short-lived, others live long times. Regardless, it’s important to clean those areas that are most prone to being holding cells for them. These are areas that your hands come into contact with most frequently. The commonly touched, yet overlooked places of the home: doorknobs, light switches, fridge/oven/dishwasher handles, cupboard knobs, dining room chairs, faucets…..and the toilet flusher!
Clean these places up with a quick spray of a highly effective essential oil blend and swipe them with a cloth and you can be sure to not spread germs throughout the house. Hard surfaces love to invite germs to stay awhile so be sure to give a good scrub to these areas.
Remember, we are here to make healthier homes and bodies. Using toxic chemicals to kill these bad germs off will not get us ahead in this game. No bleach or heavy chemicals needed. Make yourself a solution in a spray bottle and that will certainly do the trick. If you really want to get fancy, you can add isopropyl alcohol to the spray bottle for a boost of germ fighting action.

THE KITCHEN IS GERM ZONE
I’m sure you clean the kitchen often so you are probably thinking your kitchen is good. However, seemingly clean and clean beneath the surface are two different topics. I’m talking mold, mildew, food-borne pathogens, all the yuckies we can’t necessarily see.
To start, you are going to have to deep clean the kitchen! No fun, I know - but necessary. 
Moisture is not your friend in areas that can be breeding grounds for germs: the sink, the fridge. Wipe everything down with your homemade EO kitchen spray. Keep pets off of the counters and tables. Use natural dishwasher detergent and don’t let water sit anywhere in this room. The moisture will quickly and surely become a problem.
Something that has become a handy-dandy cleaning tool for me in the kitchen (and sometimes lends itself in the bathroom: shower) is a steamer. It blasts gunk with steam, pretty fascinating. Saves me from scrubbing. I coat the area with a good layer of kitchen cleaning spray and steam away!
When you are cleaning up produce, meats and other foods – don’t forget they may have brought in food borne illnesses that will make you feel not-so-good. Keep the kitchen clean, always!

ONTO SCRUBBING THE BATHROOM
When we think of where the grossest of germs lives, we typically think about the bathroom. While cleaning sinks, toilets and floors thoroughly is a given (I hope), don’t ignore germ-harboring areas such as your toothbrush, personal care products and makeup containers. In addition to keeping them away from the flushing zone, the toothbrushes should be changed at least every 2-3 months.
Mix up a special blend just for bathroom cleaning and be sure to make that first scrub session a very, very thorough one. Another idea is to re-caulk tubs, windows, faucets to seal up any leaky areas that can contribute to growths that you don’t want growing. From there, you will be on maintenance mode.

Remove all piles of laundry and towels to prevent mildew. Don’t forget to wash the shower curtain. It’s so easy to go months and months with the same curtain hanging, just think of what that thing is housing. Eww. Make it a habit to wash it weekly. Have a spare on hand to swap out so you don’t feel the laundry pressure!
Spray hairbrushes, combs and styling tools with your general bathroom spray. Hey, you never know what’s living on those things!

​My other bathroom tip is to always use new cleaning towels, mops and brushes. Don’t store them without their own cleaning between uses, otherwise you are just shuffling germs around the room. Sprinkling some baking soda to the mix gives an added roughness for the grimy buildups that tend to occur in the bathroom.
Total cleanup on slaying germs while staying chemical free!
Another tip that I do in my own home that I’d like to share, which is also such a simple solution to a regular cleaning schedule is to use a bag in the garbage can. Certainly it isn’t attractive and my leftover grocery shopping bags don’t match my décor, but it saves me from nasty cans and having to touch whatever my family and invited guests have tossed in them.
Pull the bag out when full, give a few spritzes of the pre-made bathroom spray, and stuff a new bag in the garbage can!
 
IF SOMEONE HELD IT, IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED
I’m talking about all of the handheld devices. There are so many of them: phones, tablets, game controllers, remote controls, firestick controllers, keyboards, accessories, and on and on. They get overlooked in the cleaning process in most homes.
A good spray with your general, clean-all spray and a quick and gentle wipe down will do the trick and kill germs so they aren’t being spread by the most commonly touched objects in your home!
How many times have you cleaned your cell phone? Personally, mine gets cleaned several times per day because every time I go into the bathroom, I spray it with my general cleaner and wipe it down quickly. (guilty – I take my phone to the bathroom with me. TMI, I know!).
This particular device, though, is a haven for germs. I’ve caught suggestion (but not proof) that they may even be home to more germs that public restrooms. For something that is a constant gateway to your face: mouth, nose, eyes, ears, it deserves all the extra cleaning love you can give it to prevent the spread of viruses and illness.
I’ve never been that parent to let my kids play with my phone or handheld devices, but for those of you who are – kids are germ bombs! Clean those suckers. A LOT!
 
WASH THE DIGITS
I’m referring to your hands and feet. Now we don’t have to overdo it here, but we need to keep up with our cleanliness. The most effective way to prevent the spread of illness is just by washing with soap and water. I have the most awesome hack in taking the general cleaner and turning it into a foaming soap!
Do you wash your hands good enough or really good? Are you singing the alphabet and getting the tops, bottoms, and in-betweens? Under the nails and around the wrists? If you are, you will need to sing that alphabet song two times!
Alert: antibacterial soap is toxic! I can’t tell you what to do, but I can recommend that you use the Thieves soap and put my twist on it for a foaming wash!
 
Now that we’ve covered hands, how about feet? No, I don’t expect you to wash your feet like you do your hands (unless they stink like my teenage boys, then I will ask you to kindly give a few courtesy washes throughout the day)!
 
The overlooked germ culprit: wearing shoes in the house.
Just yuck! We wear our shoes in public places: parking lots, gas stations, RESTROOMS, we walk through oil, bird (and who knows what other kinds of) poop, pee, squashed insects, fertilizers, chemicals, and all the other grossness of the world. Why – oh why – do we all not take our shoes off in the home?
One of the best ways to keep dirt and germs including allergens and dust at bay is to ask absolutely everyone who steps foot in your house to:
Please remove their shoes!
This also makes cleaning so much easier. Lay a rug down or put a boot tray by the door to allow people to keep their shoes orderly, by the entryway.
 
EXTRAS
“Things” can also live in your bedroom. It’s a really good idea to wash your bedding weekly: sheets, pillowcases, blankets and comforters. They are the kind of germs that spread around town, but they certainly challenge your immune system and have the power to make you feel like crud.
Pet bedding, too!
And, I’m sure we’ve all tried to wash a pillow or two only to pull it from the dryer deformed and never to be the same again. Replace pillows like you do your toothbrush. Or, consider getting a silver pillow

DIFFUSE "CLEAN" AND "HEALTH" INTO THE AIR
First, be sure to change the filter on your furnace. This can immensely improve the quality of your home’s air.
Next, consider an air cleaner. Check out Air Doctor. It’s like bringing fresh air into your home, every time you turn it on.
Finally, and my favorite, diffuse essential oils into every room you inhabit during the day. The blends and benefits are endless. I would love to welcome you to my group to share recipes, tips and tricks in diffusing essential oils in your home!
 
PLAY CLEAN
If you have kids or grandkids or babysit, chances are you have toys that need to be cleaned. I’m not talking about wiping down each and every single toy down on the daily, but I do recommend taking that general spray blend and after you (or the kids) have layed out their toys (or before they clean their messes) spray EVERYTHING!
Play time is learning time and that’s great but we don’t’ need to spread germs in the process!
Want my essential oil tips and tricks? Join my private facebook group to give and take all the suggestions regarding essential oils, including CBD.

Cancer recovery takes up so much time. Your day can feel overwhelmingly controlled by all-the-things that contribute to recovery. Many people feel like all they do, all day long, every single day, is something in relation to cancer recovery and it becomes taxing on your emotional status.

Would you like to have freedom from that?
Then, you MUST plan your day, and live by those plans if you want your time to go the way you wish for it to go.
Yes, I'm asking you to sit down and fill your calendar with absolutely everything you know you have to do.
Spending time filling in your calendar WILL give you the opportunity to breathe, relax, and also afford you time off from what seems to be constant cancer recovery strategies!

This might sound backwards or upside-down, but the more you plan your treatments, therapies, juicing, enemas, supplements and office visits, the more freedom in your schedule you will find!

Want to know how?
Because when you are planning all of your recovery strategies, appointments and sessions, you are also planning for the things in life that have NOTHING to do with cancer!
Just the act of WRITING your activities in on your calendar is empowering. As you plan, you are in control of what your day looks like - giving you opportunity to create a day designed...BY YOU!
You are the one who sets forth the parameters of your day. I'm sure it's full to the brim, but knowing you are the one who filled it in is freedom in and of itself.

With a cancer diagnosis, we tend to make everything we do about the disease. All of our waking hours are spent overcoming, learning and researching about it. conversations are spend discussing it. Visits are utilized to talk more about it.

We wait for those breaks in our schedule that allow for something enjoyable to fit in and they never do. Yet, when any extra minutes happen to open up - healers guilt tends to creep in and we feel like we should spend them on something in relation to: healing. And, we all know that guild it not healthy.

You have to schedule in the FUN time so that it happens with intention and guilt free. This will allow your body to feel at ease when it is doing something other than engaging in an anti-cancer strategy. 

Sounds easy enough, but it takes time and practice. That's why it's such a HUGE part of our Cancer Recovery Technique program. We keep our clients accountable to their calendars!
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Want to learn more? Go to our "contact" page and request a call to find out how the Cancer Recovery Technique can help you take control of your cancer journey!
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Is the 'be comfy in your own skin' movement contributing to cancer?
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Risky and sensitive question, I know!
This may seem controversial, but that's ok. Sometimes people need to have a nerve struck to make a very important, life saving change.
When you open yourself up to learning how foods and lifestyle can truly be medicinal and healing, (most) will never go back.
That's not to say there will never be indulgence for cravings...once and a while...but once you know how nutrition serves your body, heals your tissues, and fuels your cells, it's nearly impossible to not want to eat healthfully.
I'm constantly hearing people say "don't diet", "don't deprive yourself", "eat what you want"...
...and the worst one, "let the kids be kids and enjoy treats". Of course I agree, but unfortunately these parents/people are talking about items they are ingesting that aren't even foods - they are processed, genetically modified organisms, laden with chemicals.
They cause inflammation, contribute to the development and spread of disease with ABSOLUTELY ZERO BENEFIT TO THE HUMAN BODY. Actually, they HURT our bodies and are one of the main contributing factors to a cancer diagnosis.
.
Nope. We shouldn't feel deprived, or dieting, or suffering over any of this, but when you give yourself the gift of information and knowledge and really understand what is going into your body - what foods are doing for your body - and how food is either healing or hurting your body, we can lean towards more of a balanced emotional-psychological connection to food.
"Know better do better", right?
I'm a life-long learner. The house rule for my family is: did man create it or did God provide it? Now, make your choice!
THIS is why we spend a good portion of nutrition talk in the CANCER RECOVERY TECHNIQUE. Food is medicine, if we make the CHOICE for it to be.
Disclaimer: it may seem easier for me to live this way because of my Dad and sister. However, regardless of their diagnosis - I/my family makes choices with every bite we take.
I don't judge as I don't want to be judged, but I know I am and that's ok. I can overlook the insecurities of others as they are only projecting them towards me.
Remember that as you make shifts and changes. Those who think you are "weird" or "extreme" are having an internal battle that you have no idea about. Let them be them and YOU be YOU.
I get the whole be comfy in your own skin movement. I also know that cancer, diabetes, and obesity doesn't look good on anyone.