Catching up and Kalanchoe medicinal plants for cancer - by Pauline Lomas

This week’s blog is written by Pauline Lomas, author of And So We Heal, who beat breast cancer using no orthodox therapies and only non-invasion alternative therapies. Here she discusses the medicinal benefits of the Kalanchoe plant.

Phew! – Since we’ve waved goodbye to the pink month, I thought I’d better check in for November.

 

I’ve been under the radar these last few weeks…..so here’s a quick catch-up.

When last I wrote I had just finished my first round with the ‘black salve’, and was looking forward to the next. Well – ‘looking forward’, is not the apt expression for this but nevertheless, I was gearing up for the ‘adventure’! There was a glitch in the works and so I decided to wait a while…I’ve been on this journey for nigh on 13 years now so these things happen – intuition and timing being key….

Having the seven mercury amalgams finally removed by the exceptional services of John Roberts and team at http://www.coteroyd.co.uk was absolutely painless and a real joy – yes – how many times can one hear that following a trip to the dentist, I wonder. John’s interest in integrative medicine is inspiring, and him being from my birthplace of the Wirral we could share some similarities. Of course having one’s mouth ajar and lightly numbed didn’t leave much time for my sometimes ‘prattling on’ tendency, thankfully. Since I travelled up by train and needed two visits, I opted to stay overnight at a close-by B&B –so that I could walk to and fro taking in some of the stunning landscape and architecture in Yorkshire.

So meanwhile here I am having escaped to the Asturian countryside to nurse some wounds with ozone and infra-red sauna, parasite cleanse, super detox and ketogenic based regime. http://www.mercola.com – The Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet And Its Role In Cancer Treatment. And that’s just for starters – (even I think it maybe too much, but it is keeping me in the healing zone.) The pity is I am plum in the middle of an orchard (excuse the pun) – apples everywhere, figs about to burst – all forbidden fruits for me. So in what seems to be a frenzy of creativity, not my usual glass painting – but my seeding, sprouting and writing, I implore the Gods to help me discover the next key to unlocking the next level of wellbeing.

Don’t let the smile fool you – the detox comes with some heavy duty emotional highs and lows, but since I am accustomed to bearing my soul, what with all my past acting experience, I perceive it all as part of the grand ‘survival ‘plan. In lieu of the black salve I decide to continue with green clay poultices on my breast. There is a large area to cover now, and whilst the clay can bring relief it also does an excellent job of cleansing the area but also leaves it quite raw so then its calendula, aloe, comfrey and other soothing herbs – all a bit of trial and error, but what’s a gal to do!

My daily routine has changed a lot over the years, and with this latest round I am being stricter than ever before. Green juices are still a must and I’m growing my own wheatgrass again, and sprouting up a storm. The only carbs come from my root veg and ‘Natural Agriculture’ brown rice from Shumei (www.shumei.org) which gives me both physical and spiritual energy, and the ‘Jyorei’ I receive gives me the light for my soul. I brewed up a batch of the wonderful Zara’s herbal tea also – it’s akin to essaic with a few added ingredients (www.grammasinternational.com)

I’m 80% raw at the moment but with the colder weather approaching I’m looking forward to nutritious soups to warm the soul. Since the idea is to starve the cancer, I have obviously lost weight in the process but I continue to find delicious alternatives to feed the senses as we do need the ‘enjoyment factor’ or one can become a bit of a bore. It’s amazing what creamy delights one can whip up with coconut, avocado, and soaked seeds and nuts. Omitting my dark chocolate fix has been a success – I no longer crave sweets – a sprinkle of maca, or the odd slice of banana or berry (although I must confess that I succumbed to a freshly picked home-grown fig the other day – and what Eve must have felt like……….yum!)

The Kalanchoe plant I was given in the spring had grown enough leaves for me to begin eating it daily as instructed, and loads of seedlings to re-plant, so I plan to bring some back to hopefully keep cultivating.

Medicinal kalanchoe:

The three species that we are going to deal with belong to that group and are the following:- 

-Kalanchoepinnata (Bryophyllumpinnatum)

Studied by Goethe, the German botanist, Kalanchoe Pinnata it is also known as ¨the Goethe Plant¨. In Latin America it is also recognised as: bruja, hierba de bruja, prodigiosa, hierba del aire, siempreviva, Colombian, ojaransín, hojerilla.

- Kalanchoedaigremontiana (Bryophyllumdaigremontianum)

This species grows many sprouts along the borders of its leaves. The leaves have colouration around the top. It is known by the following names: aranto, madre de miles, Kalanchoe mexicana. 

-Kalanchoegastonis-bonnieri(Bryophyllumgastonis-bonnieri)

This specific species was named after the French botanist Gaston Bonnier and has the biggest leaves of all three species. It is known as: ojaransín, hojerilla, oreja de burro (donkey’s ear).

Note: the names sometimes apply to one or more species and vary from country to country.

Medicinal Use:

Kalanchoes are plants that have a holistic effect on the body and therefor can be used to combat a variety of ailments. Kalanchoe is used as traditional medicine, especially in Latin America, Asia and Africa, to treat the following illnesses:

– Injuries and illnesses related to cellular damage, especially cancer

– Deep infectious cuts Infections and burns

– Abscesses and tumors

O.K. – Here’s the deal – I’ve seemingly time-traveled as I am now back in the UK and obviously very behind with postings.

A lot has happened in the meantime as I munch my way through the plant kingdom – More than ever I feel that my journey is taking me into a deeper level of healing. I continue with my mainstay of medicinal cannabis oil, and will apply more black salve next week. The RSO oil is helping me to delve into the areas of my life that hold childhood memories – my living in Malaysia and Africa as a child for instance. I was given anti-malarial tablets every night and remember now the side effects as I lay squirming in bed under my mosquito net. But as I tune into the news lately and hear of the terrible injustices to children in the UK and also the reality of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone where we lived. by the way, I cannot help but wonder if my immune system had been sadly compromised way back then. The rest of my body feels great with no aches and pains, just the chest area which I am now viewing as the cross I was given to bear.  Albeit – temporarily – thank you very much.

The good news is my doctor just called saying that my vitamin D levels were too high at 175 (normal range is 50-125 they say but my homeopath said most folk in UK are low…..so will investigate further.) My liver, kidney, calcium, glucose are normal so I would hope that my daily coffee enemas are helping lots.

The mystery continues and with this in mind I find indomitable strength to journey on. I believe that in general attitudes have changed for the good since my original diagnosis 13 years ago. Since writing my book in 2009 I have now embarked on a deeper cellular, spiritual journey in which I hope to uncover more natural pathways for those following behind.

It is quite evident from dialogue at a wonderful new site on Facebook – Cancerucan, heralded by Fiona Shakeela Burns, that more and more of us are championing change and choice in our treatments, and we are not going to stop!  The very fact that a wonderful charity such as YES TO LIFE can be persecuted by the press when they have been responsible for helping so many, myself included,  is another indication of the lengths these corrupt forces will go to……It certainly presses my ‘for the greater good button’!!!

And so……YES I feel the sea-change all around, but most importantly within. This is where the true blessings reside, so KEEP THE FAITH dear ones and leave no stone unturned.

Supplements: Gimmick Or Good For You? - by Lauren MacDonald

This week's blog is another from Lauren MacDonald, a 29 year old junior doctor when she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, who is now celebrating one year NED. Here she discusses her thoughts on supplements...

I was incredibly anxious when I was first diagnosed with cancer and was keen to exert some control back over the crazy world I’d found myself in. One of the first things I did involved going shopping for supplements. I figured that if there was anything I could buy over-the-counter to support my health, it was my duty to buy it. At one point I was taking over 25 different supplements everyday. That may sound excessive, but apparently increasing amounts of us are taking vitamin pills and herbal supplements with the aim of protecting ourselves against all manner of health problems. In the UK the market is currently worth £650m, with approximately 40% of us now popping a pill or two each day. The industry is phenomenally powerful, extremely lucrative and incredibly influential. But should we be taking all these supplements?

Gimmick or Good For You?

The supplement industry is divided into three groups: (1) vitamins; (2) minerals such as zinc, copper, selenium and iron; and (3) dietary supplements such as fish oils, herbs and spices. I went out and invested in various tablets and powders from across these different groups. This was despite my medical knowledge regarding how supplements are likely used by the body. From what I’ve been taught it seems that our bodies are not particularly efficient at digesting, processing, and absorbing supplements in pill form. When you take a pill it first travels to the stomach, where it breaks apart and releases the nutrients it contains. These are then absorbed and processed (usually by the liver), from where only a fraction of the nutrients then go on to enter into the bloodstream. Consequently it’s likely that plenty of supplements actually end up in your urine.

Another issue is that even if your body can absorb some of the nutrients, there is often limited scientific evidence available to support the use of many supplements. Having said that, this is often due to an absence of any proper scientific testing. In this situation all anyone can do is speculate about whether there are any benefits to be gained. Because of this, at the time of my diagnosis I was more than happy to buy my supplements under the caveat that “the scientific proof possibly just hasn’t been confirmed yet”. In my eyes being a guinea pig was far better than sitting back and doing nothing. Plus several friends offered up stories about their distant relatives/friends/neighbours who had cured their cancer by taking a concoction of supplements.

My Experience With Supplements

On reflection I’m sure that as a GP I wouldn’t have been overly enthusiastic about any of my patients taking 25 random pills every day. But back then, my rational “doctor voice” was drowned out by my petrified “patient voice”. I eventually got to a point where I couldn’t walk past a health food shop without diving in to buy the latest “cancer killing” or “immune boosting” supplement. My cupboards were full of spirulina powders to add to my juices, and chaga mushroom granules, dried cleavers, and pau d’arco to make up as teas. The supplements I was taking ranged from standard multivitamins and fish oils, to more unusual supplements like milk thistle, astragalus, and sea kelp. I was probably taking them regularly for about 6 months; right up until until the cancer came back.

Around the time I progressed to having stage 4 cancer (meaning that the cancer had spread to my chest from my leg), some new evidence was published which scared the bejesus out of me. Two studies had found evidence that taking supplements may actually increase the spread and severity of some cancers (specifically melanoma and lung cancer). Overnight my 20 supplements didn’t seem so “life saving”. Obviously this research was only preliminary, but it was enough to make me consider that maybe I shouldn’t be taking quite so many supplements, especially without having mentioned them to my oncologist.

Do You Need Supplements?

If I’m truly honest, I’m really unsure. From the research I’ve read it would seem that the answer is no. The problem is that it’s almost too easy to get your hands on supplements. These days there is a pill available for absolutely anything. Whether you have trouble sleeping, want to lose weight or get more of a certain vitamin into your body, there is a wide range of aids to choose from. Recently several studies have taken place to attempt to justify the use of vitamin and mineral supplements but the majority of them have come to the same conclusion – there is no concrete evidence to suggest that dietary and nutritional supplements have any real positive impact on health. Scientifically speaking there are no miraculous supplements that will help you find solutions to multifaceted health problems – especially not cancer. But it’s easy to fall for marketing promises and personal success stories.

Luckily it’s pretty easy to get everything you need just by eating a balanced, healthy diet and going outside every once in a while. Other than perhaps vitamin D, you don’t actually need to load up on extra amounts of these compounds. And in some cases you can actually overdose. For example, excess vitamin A in the body can cause blurred vision, dizziness and bone softening. However, there are some instances when certain supplements become necessary. For example, very strict vegetarians may need supplementary vitamin B12, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consider vitamin D and folic acid.

My New List:

Two years ago, along with adding in a huge amount of supplements, I also gave my diet an overhaul. Although I have relaxed a little, I still eat a largely plant based diet and it is mainly through food that I now nourish my body – not supplements. My diet now includes more specific food items, such as, nuts and seeds, pomegranates, shiitake mushrooms, fermented foods, fresh turmeric, bee pollen, watercress, parsley, green tea and a whole host of other random bits and bobs which potentially have “immune boosting” or “cancer fighting” properties. Although I haven’t completely stopped all supplements, I am weary of taking too many. I am having regular infusions of Pembrolizumab (immunotherapy) and the last thing I want to do is cause any interactions, or prevent my wonder drug from doing it’s thing.

So…. what made my list?

(1) Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps to control the amount of calcium and phosphate in our bodies. Both are needed for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. Very few foods contain vitamin D (and those that do, such as milk and orange juice, are fortified). We tend to get most of our vitamin D from sun exposure, but in winter this can be problematic.

(2) Omega-3

Omega 3 helps protect against diabetes, heart disease and stroke, as well as providing support for brain health and memory. Found in oily fish such as salmon and tuna, many of us are deficient in omega 3 as we just don’t eat enough in our diet.

(3) Probiotics

I have an entire blog post dedicated to my love of probiotics and gut health in general. I cannot rave about them enough! Take a look at the post here.

(4) B Vitamins

B12 is an essential nutrient needed for nearly every bodily function and energy production. Low levels can cause damage to the nervous system and some of the early signs of deficiency are chronic fatigue, moodiness, and even dementia-like traits. Because the body cannot produce it on its own and it’s also scarce in our food system, it is advised for those with low levels to take a B12 supplement.

And that’s it.

From 25 supplements down to 4. It may seem simple but there it is. If you are taking care of yourself and eating a healthy balanced diet then if you ask me, these are the only supplements you should consider. Having said that, although I’m a qualified doctor, I’ll be the first one to put my hands up and admit we didn’t learn a huge deal about nutrition during our medical degree. To be honest I feel like I’ve taught myself a great deal more about nutrition and supplements since I was diagnosed with cancer. Because of this, I’d just like to highlight that the above information is my opinion only, and does not necessarily represent that of the wider medical community. I’d love to hear from any registered nutritionists or dieticians if you feel that I’m way off the mark with my opinion on supplements. I’m open to learning new things!

Lauren x

Please remember that it’s always advisable to seek professional advice before taking supplements anyway. Speak to your GP before you introduce anything new, especially if you take regular medication.

You can read more inspirational and informative posts on Lauren's blog www.laurencara.com.

Is There A Role For Diet In Cancer Treatment? My Opinion And Personal Experience - by Lauren MacDonald

Following the popularity of her previous blog, we have another post from Lauren MacDonald, a 29 year old junior doctor when she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer who is now celebrating one year NED. Here she discusses the role of diet in cancer treatment from her own personal experience.

Over the past few years I’ve received countless emails from people asking exactly what diet changes I’ve made since I was first diagnosed with cancer (in Feb 2014). Although it’s true that I’ve made certain changes, I’m always a little cautious about sharing them, mainly in case people think that because I’m a doctor that must mean the specific changes I’ve made are based on overwhelming scientific evidence. Although I’ve researched “cancer and nutrition” in detail, trawling through countless medical journals and review papers, I’m still not an expert in this field or a qualified nutritionist. Additionally, from what I’ve come across, there is still very little scientific evidence supporting the use of specific diets in cancer treatment anyway. The changes I’ve made to my diet have largely been in an attempt to nourish my body as much as possible, boost my immune system, and (*potentially*) help my body to fight cancer cells.

The Problem With Extreme “Cancer Diets”

Don’t get me wrong, for a little while right at the beginning, I definitely did get sucked into the idea that certain foods or diets might be able to rid me of cancer. I was guilty of dabbling with a few questionable/ridiculous diets (anyone for ground flaxseeds mixed with cottage cheese??!) but fortunately it wasn’t long before the medic inside of me woke up and put a stop to my nonsense. Yet the fact that I was sucked in at all shows just how easy it is for common sense to go AWOL when faced with cancer. For most cancer patients, changing their diet is as much a mental process as a physical act. It enables you to feel like you’ve got some control over a petrifying situation and I know I also felt comforted by the idea that nature might, just might, “cure all” (rather than toxic chemotherapy or other drugs).

Additionally there’s simply so much information available on the internet about “diet and cancer” that it’s almost impossible to avoid it as a newly diagnosed patient (who can often be found googling “cancer cures” at 2am). Without randomised controlled trials in this area (of which there have been very few – although I’m currently awaiting the results of an interesting one looking at watercress) it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. Ultimately, this can leave us patients, our friends and our families confused and vulnerable to inaccurate (and sometimes downright dangerous) information.

Cancer And Certain Diet Myths

The alkaline diet is one of the most popular “anti-cancer” diets. Fans of this diet believe that an acid diet encourages cancer formation, and that an alkaline diet is therefore the solution. The reason that acidity is seen as an issue is because while healthy cells get the majority of their energy from oxygen respiration, cancerous cells tend to inefficiently use glucose at a higher rate than healthy cells. This consumption of glucose results in acidic waste products, and consequently a higher acidity around cells which use this mechanism. BUT… THE FACT IS THIS: acidity is a consequence of the cancer rather than the cause. Therefore, an alkaline diet CANNOT affect cancerous cells. This is because tissue acidity is tightly regulated by our incredibly clever bodies (because otherwise we would die) and this cannot be altered simply by changing the food you put into your mouth.

Another anti-cancer diet I’ve seen tooted time and time again is the “no sugar diet“. Although there’s an established link between being obese or overweight and developing certain types of cancer, the suggestion that sugar “feeds” cancer is an over-simplification of some complicated biology. Yes it’s true that glucose is a sugar, but it is one required by every cell in the body to function, whether cancerous or not. Ultimately all carbohydrates, whether from vegetables or chocolate, are broken down to glucose for the body to then utilise for energy. The reason that the “no sugar diet” has become so popular is because cancer cells require sugars to grow – and their glucose intake is a lot higher than that of healthy cells (this is known at the Warburg effect). The hyperactive glucose consumption of cancerous cells results in a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development. However, all the cells in the body require “sugar” to survive so it’s impossible to rid yourself of glucose, no matter what you eat. There’s also no evidence that proves eating a low-sugar diet cures cancer.

The final diet which has limited evidence for curing cancer is the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, and typically a protein-restricted diet. Normally what we eat is composed of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The carbohydrates are things like bread, pasta, cakes and some of the fruits and vegetables that we commonly eat. Protein is found mainly in meat and dairy products. High-fat foods are things like bacon, peanut butter, creams, avocados, coconut milk etc. The average diet is about 50-75% carbohydrates and, thus, this is the energy currency that our bodies use. Contrasting with this, in a ketogenic diet about 90% of what a person eats is fat. There is very little protein and almost no carbohydrates. This simulates a fasting state in the body where instead of carbohydrates being used, the body uses ketones for energy. Some people claim this altered state can starve cancer, yet, there is very little evidence to support this idea (except perhaps for patients with brain tumours but, once again, the evidence is limited). There is some evidence, however, that a ketogenic diet can reduce inflammation in the brain and can help treat strokes and other neurological conditions like epilepsy. Among theories about the mechanism behind the ketogenic diet is that the mix of high-fat, low carbohydrates, and reduced protein intake may reduce firing of excitatory brain cells that can make the brain vulnerable to seizures. Unfortunately implementing this diet is a huge undertaking. It can incredibly challenging (and a little disgusting) to force such high fat foods into your body on a daily basis. I know my brother and his girlfriend tried the ketogenic diet as part of a study during her degree (Nutrition BSc) and they couldn’t maintain it for more than a few weeks.

How I Changed My Diet After My Diagnosis

During the first 12 months after I was diagnosed I went ALL OUT with my diet. I stopped eating anything sweet (chocolate, cakes, ice cream etc), juiced as though my life depended on it (daily – if not twice a day – so at least I got my moneys worth from my ridiculously expensive masticating juicer – it’s an Omega Vert in case you were wondering), added ground flaxseeds to everything, nibbled on raw garlic, made myself eat shiitake mushrooms with nearly every evening meal (despite not liking the texture), and washed all these foods down with gallons of green tea and chaga mushroom coffee. Then the cancer returned, making me a stage IV cancer patient, and I figured my mostly plant-based, highly restrictive diet wasn’t eliminating cancer cells and also wasn’t making my life that much fun. To add insult to injury I was also spending a fortune on my “anti-cancer diet”.

Given that my experiment didn’t “cure” me of cancer, I eventually relaxed my diet and simply integrated a few of my new healthy habits into my daily life. Fortunately, somewhere along the way (about four months after starting immunotherapy), I slowly began to journey from a stage IV cancer patient with aggressive tumours that kept popping up in various parts of my body, to someone with No Evidence of Disease.

What I Eat Now

I’ve pretty much reverted to eating exactly like I did before I got cancer. If I fancy a pizza, I have a pizza; if I fancy a bowl of ice cream, I eat the ice cream; if I fancy wine, I’ll have (red) wine (which apparently has anti-cancer properties anyway). Having said that, I now let myself be guided by what my body wants (I guess thats what people call “intuitive eating“) and my body invariably wants to be fed healthy, nourishing foods. The things I make sure to eat include:

Leafy Greens

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) found in leafy greens have been reported to help the body at a cellular level. The main ones I’ve added in to my diet (pretty much every day in a green juice) are kale, spinach and watercress. In addition to isothiocyanates, cruciferous veggies like broccoli also contain sulforaphanes and indoles – two types of antioxidants that protect the structure of DNA. The evidence is so strong that a pharmaceutical company in the UK, Evgen Pharma, is now designing drugs using sulforaphane. The drugs have been shown to kill cancer cells and improve the prospects of stroke patients.

Berries

Most mornings I have a handful of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and pomegranate seeds, mixed with a spoonful of greek yogurt, a drizzle of almond butter and some mixed seeds. The ORAC scores of nearly all berries are very high, making them some of the best antioxidant foods.

Orange Foods

I make sure I eat plenty of carrots and sweet potatoes (carrots in my daily juices and sweet potatoes as wedges). This is because there’s some evidence that the beta-carotene found in orange foods is an essential nutrient for immune functioning, and given that I’m on an immune-boosting drug, it seems logical to try and give my immune system a helping hand with these foods.

Mushrooms

Several studies have linked higher mushroom intake to a reduced risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women. It has also been proposed that various mushrooms, such as shiitake, chaga, turkeys take and lion’s mane, may also help fight cancer. However, there is still no conclusive evidence that any type of mushroom can prevent or cure cancer.

Spices

The jury is still out on whether turmeric and ginger are “potent anti-cancer foods” but I still add them to all my juices. Make sure you add some black pepper to help with turmeric absorption.

Fermented Foods

Gut health! My favourite subject 🙂 Most of my blog posts seem to have been dedicated to this subject so I won’t go into too much detail here. The main foods I’ve kept in my diet are sauerkraut, kefir, apple cider vinegar, and cultured yoghurt. I try and have at least two of these foods everyday.

Nuts/Seeds

Have you tasted Pip and Nut’s Almond Butter? Not only is it pretty much the most delicious thing you will ever taste, it’s also a great source of protein, fibre and healthy fats. I also try to make sure I have a few brazil nuts every day as they are a great source of selenium.

Udo’s Choice Oil

I try to add a few tablespoons of this oil into my food at some point during the day (either on my breakfast, drizzled on salads or simply neat if I’ve forgotten to add it to a meal – it doesn’t taste too bad). This oil has the ideal ratio of Omega-3:Omega-6’s. I also try to get plenty of Omega’s by eating oily fish a few times a week. Omega-3 fatty acids exert anti-inflammatory effects and might help the body to fight cancer.

Matcha Green Tea

Matcha contains the highest percetange of polyphenolic compounds (catechin, gallocatechin and EGCG). EGCG has been reported to be linked to the modulation of multiple signaling pathways, finally resulting in the downregulation of expression of proteins involved in the invasiveness of cancer cells. It’s an acquired taste but I’ve grown to love it. Pukka Teas do a mild version that comes in teabags if you can’t handle the intensity of the powdered form.

The Take Home Message

I know this is really boring and not what you want to hear, but there really isn’t any one diet or food that will “cure” cancer. If there is (and I’m yet to come across it in my research) please, please let me know…

Using nutrition to support cancer treatment basically boils down to the age-old adage of eating a well balanced diet, enjoying your food, and not eating too much junk. The reality is that cancer is complex illness, and simple “cures” shared online should be treated with scepticism. Having said that, I truly believe that eating healthily has a role in cancer treatment – I just don’t think it will provide the sole “cure”. Personally I didn’t ever receive any diet advice from my healthcare team during my “cancer journey” and apparently this is not uncommon. This lack of nutritional advice for cancer patients in the UK needs to be addressed. In my opinion, we need a holistic approach to treating cancer and nutrition (along with exercise and stress reduction techniques) should be as much a part of cancer treatment as medicine and surgery.

I hope that this info helps anyone who is currently going through cancer treatment or just wants to live a healthier life. Remember, I’m not an expert in this field – these are just diet changes that felt right for me.

Organisations like Cancer Research UK have patient guides that are worth checking out for reliable information. Unfortunately, they aren’t as sexy as those offered up by online “wellness gurus” – but at least you know they’re based on real facts rather than far-fetched theories.

You can read more inspirational and informative posts on Lauren's blog www.laurencara.com.