Seek to thrive, not merely survive

Hurt often holds the hidden key to unlocking your greatest healing.

~ Brittany Burgunder

As a coach, I find that when I invite my clients to take 100% responsibility for their circumstances (no excuse-making, no victim stories, no blaming), and they comply, they achieve better outcomes.

Because I helped guide my husband on his quest to recover fully from Stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma, I have had many people reach out for guidance when diagnosed. Of course, I want to help. But, I completely recognize that my take 100% responsibility approach may seem callous when dealing with cancer patients.

We must be at peace to heal. When the fight, flee or freeze ("watching and waiting”) branch of the nervous system is constantly activated due to fear, it is improbable that one will recover fully. Reliance on external therapies and invasive testing will be required.

When I hear people talk about “fighting” or “battling” anything, I immediately become concerned. Although those who do battle may survive the fight, chances are there will be battle wounds that reduce quality of life.

There is a lot of existential distress that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Care must be taken to communicate compassionately. But finding the hidden gift in any predicament is the way out.

Following is a list of 20 tips for thriving, not merely surviving. This list is long, but not exhaustive. I provide a customized version of it to people who reach out.

Please check with a trusted health care provider for guidance regarding your individual needs.

Tips to thrive, not merely survive

1. Eat a colourful assortment of vegetables and berries daily. Garnish those with the highest quality animal foods, if not vegan. The more sustainably raised and grown, the more nutritious and the more satisfying. For some, a vegan diet works. For others, a keto diet is well-advised. And for many, a flexitarian approach is best. But always choose herbicide and pesticide-free, hormone and antibiotic-free, minimally processed with no added colours, artificial flavours, bad fats, ingredients grandma would not recognize as food, or lab-made sweeteners.

2. Consume most of your food by 2:00 PM, when you have the most digestive power. Try to eat all food and caloric beverages within an 8-hour window, allowing a 16 hour fast between dinner and breakfast. The body goes into self-cleaning mode with a prolonged fast. Occasionally a longer fast is warranted, but best to seek medical supervision.

3. The gut needs a break between meals. Every time we eat, we cause some irritation. The digestive tract heals rapidly, but we have to give it a pause between meals. Eat nothing for three hours before bed. For adults, current science on autophagy (self-eating) discourages snacking.

4. Add some healthy fats. If not vegan, eat fish one to two times per week, preferably wild: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring. Consider adding an omega three supplement when not eating fish, but check with your doctor. Avocado, olive oil, butter from naturally raised grass-fed cows or ghee, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, whole eggs from chickens roaming outdoors, are great choices.

5. Buy only organic grains. Soaking, souring and sprouting enhances nutrient availability. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, is a cause of autoimmune and other degenerative disease conditions, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma. If eating bread, choose those baked with organic flour and sourdough leavened (reduces the spike in blood sugar and breaks down gluten for better assimilation). You can have them pre-sliced. Freeze to keep fresh.

6. A probiotic that contains lactobacillus reuteri might be helpful. Organic sourdough bread provides this strain.

7. Pomegranate and cranberries (or their juices) will be helpful away from chemo.

8. Eat only at the table and chew your food well. Multi-tasking means we are in fight or flight mode, not rest and digest. We cannot break down and absorb nutrients if distracted when eating.

9. Sipping smoothies or other acidic or sweet drinks over a prolonged time is harmful to tooth enamel. Erosion of teeth can become a problem with cancer treatment because dry mouth is often a symptom. The teeth have to be bathed in saliva to thrive. Best not to add fuel to the fire.

10. Hydrate while minimizing consumption of sweetened beverages. Water, herbal teas, Kombucha (in small amounts) and coconut water for prolonged activity (over an hour) in extreme heat, are okay. Drink half your body weight (measured in pounds) in ounces of water. Add apple cider vinegar (ACV), chlorophyll, cucumber, watermelon, grated ginger, lime or lemon to increase electrolytes and add flavour. But, if adding acidity (ACV, lime or lemon) please do not allow it to linger on teeth. Sip through a straw or drink quickly. Avoid all pop and other soft drinks.

11. When possible, get some safe sun exposure. Ten to fifteen minutes of sunscreen free sun exposure daily helps increase vitamin D stores. The sun not only provides vitamin D, but the infrared light helps the body detoxify and can be a source of fuel. Check EWG Skin Deep for safe sunscreen use for prolonged exposure. Supplement vitamin D as needed in the winter, but consider adding K2 to ensure the absorbed calcium ends up in teeth and bones, not soft tissue. Check with a trusted health care provider for proper dosing.

12. Sleep well. Honour light/dark cycles. Turn off overhead lights and abstain from using the computer, smartphone, iPads and watching television after nine at night. Exposure to unnatural light interferes with melatonin production. Melatonin not only facilitates healing sleep but is also a powerful natural antioxidant.

13. Expose yourself to natural daylight in the morning. Going outdoors (not asphalt) barefoot (grounding) helps recharge the body and reduce inflammation.

14. Breathe. Consider doing the linked Wim Hof guided breathing to improve immune function. Read about the Wim Hof protocol here.

15. Minimize, or better yet, avoid alcohol consumption.

16. If chemo is deemed necessary, consider a fasting-mimicking diet around it. Twenty four hours before the procedure, eat your last solid meal. Drink pre-digested broths, elemental food drinks, and green juices the day before chemo and the day of chemo. Have the next regular meal 24 hours after the start of chemo.

17. Reframe stress. Every challenge creates an opportunity for growth and transformation. Watch Kelly McGonigal’s TEDTalk.

18. Visualization, and imagination, help achieve the outcome. Visualize, or imagine yourself looking and feeling healthy, at peace, vibrant, and energetic.

19. Guided meditations help reprogram the operating system (the subconscious mind) from which we function daily on autopilot. Prayer helps too. The programs were installed it in the first seven years of our lives when we were in a hypnotic state and learned how to react based on the reactions of our primary caregivers. I’ve provided some good free meditation links to help reprogram the subconscious mind for healing. There are countless others not listed.

    1. Heal your body meditation by Progressive hypnosis

    2. Guided healing Meditation by Kelly Howell

20. Consider reading the following books:

Radical Remission by Kelly A. Turner PhD

Love, Medicine & Miracles by Bernie S. Siegel

Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani

Closing thoughts

Adverse health events challenge us to recognize that we are part of a greater whole. They encourage us to re-evaluate how we live, love, eat, think, behave, move, work and play. A cancer diagnosis presents one with the opportunity to focus on what matters most - reconnecting with self, family, friends and nature in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Have the courage to ask why this has happened for you, not to you. Callous as it may seem, I invite you to find the hidden gift in adversity. Become a victor, not a victim.