In May 1999, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. I changed my eating habits, incorporated some natural treatments, and took only three of the twelve prescribed chemotherapy treatments.
In July, I finalized my plans to stop the chemotherapy and go to the Hartland Lifestyle Education Center (HLEC). On August 30th, I began their ten-day program. My goal was to learn how to balance my life and nourish my body. I had asked God to heal me, and I knew that if I wanted to maintain my healed status, I couldn’t continue my old lifestyle.
When Jesus healed, He instructed that person to “go and sin no more.” For me, that meant that I needed to take stock of my present habits and get them in line with what God had originally planned. Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God – N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T. for short – helped me accomplish that. While at HLEC, my day started with freshly-squeezed lemon juice in warm water, and I was encouraged to drink at least two liters of water a day.
The food was prepared free of all animal and refined products, and with very little salt or concentrated sweets. I was supplied with recipes and learned by hands-on training how to prepare wholesome meals. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables were served at each meal, and I was encouraged to eat until comfortably full.
My daily program also included essiac tea (a cancer-fighting formula), slippery elm, combination teas (Pau D’Arco, red clover, echinacea), carrot juice, soy milk, a banana milkshake using soy milk or nut milk (to encourage weight gain), and activated charcoal (to draw out impurities from the body).
Following is a brief synopsis of what I learned at Hartland Lifestyle Education Center:
Cancer is cancer. The N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T. regimen is good for all types of cancer, as well as other debilitating diseases.
Nutrition: Regular mealtimes are best, 4 to 6 hours apart, depending on how heavy the meal, with no snacking in between meals. Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while avoiding animal products, refined and concentrated sugars, sweets, and starches. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper. Make liberal use of garlic (a natural antibiotic) and drink at least 8 ounces of carrot juice per day. Eat at least 50% of the diet raw. Reduce salt and fat intake, including free fats (which are the oils “freed” from the food they were in).
Exercise: “There is no drug in current or prospective use that holds as much promise for sustained health as a lifetime program of physical exercise.” Bortz: JAMA 1982:248.1203. Walking is the best form of exercise. Three miles per day is strongly recommended.
Water: We need at least 8 to 10 glasses a day to maintain the body systems at their highest efficiency, to cushion the joints, to cool the body through perspiration, and to hydrate the brain for clear thinking. Hydrotherapy, which is water treatment for the body’s outside, helps to increase the immune response. Fever treatment, the most aggressive form of hydrotherapy, helped me.
Sunlight: Used with discretion, sunshine can renew vigor and provide the glow of health.
Temperance: This is the moderate use of that which is good, and abstinence from all that is harmful.
Air: Pure fresh air is one of God’s universal cleansers. It increases oxygen absorption and decreases the need for pain medicines.
Rest: “Early to bed and early to rise” still is wise. One needs between 7 and 9 hours per night, with the hours before midnight providing the most beneficial rest. One should avoid naps after meals and allow fresh air in the bedroom at all times throughout the year, while avoiding chilling or over-warming.
Trust in God: Trust leads to hope, peace, and joy. Our greatest needs are to love and be loved. Assurance of God’s divine love, wisdom, and power gives security and stability in difficult times.
Five months later, on November 5, 1999, my oncologist pronounced me “clean as a whistle”! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
(Update: In April 2005, Brenda told us her cancer is still in remission. More praise!)
