Preparing for Radiation: Step 1 – The Diet Change

Before Kevin started his radiation treatments, he underwent several alternative treatments – from energy healing work, Reiki, vitamin C IVs, and learning meditation. He had even started taking ivermectin and mebendazole – repurposed medications we'd later learn were key to his rapid healing. Looking back at it now, these various modalities were essential and incredibly helpful in many ways:

• They calmed his mental health, preparing him for the turbulence ahead and teaching him how to cope with this unexpected kind of stress.

• They boosted his immune system, ensuring it was ready to heal faster after treatments were completed.

• They balanced his body's energy.

• They prevented a lot of cellular damage and some of the severe side effects that radiation could cause, without blocking or affecting the outcome of the treatments.

• They acted like chemotherapy, without the damaging side effects.

• They helped his body digest and create new, healthy cells.

The first major step was the last one on the list: a drastic diet change. Diet is one of the few things you can control, and it immediately begins to rid the body of its overload of toxicity.

I became a juice master! And Kevin was perfectly happy taste-testing all the different recipes I created. Because the doctor-prescribed "protein shakes" were a definite NO.

Every new cell the body creates, whether for bone, muscle, skin, or tissue repair, is built from the nutrients consumed. The cleaner the body is, the better its digestion and inflammation response.

I have always been amazed at how a young child can grow 4" per year, solely from what they eat. Their bodies generate massive amounts of new cells, and it is vital to feed them the healthiest, cleanest diet possible. The same applies to someone battling illness: when the body is working overtime to create new cells and eliminate damaged ones, the fuel you provide makes all the difference!

Detoxifying and Alkalizing

With guidance from our cancer naturopath, Kevin's diet needed to address two key factors:

1. Clear his body of toxic overload.

2. Switch to an alkaline diet.

As soon as we received the diagnosis of throat cancer, I started juicing for him. My background in holistic nutrition became invaluable; I knew exactly what I needed to do. It felt like I was meant to help him – as if it was part of my destiny. I felt empowered knowing that I could take action.

Every morning from day one, I juiced for him. I chose powerful and detoxifying veg that support healthy cell regeneration: kale, celery, cucumber, fresh parsley from our garden, ginger, basil, a tiny bit of green apple, and a bit of carrot. I avoided fruits like bananas, grapes, and tropical fruits because they're high in sugar (and in cancer, sugar is a big "no-no", and avoided lectin-rich vegetables because they are highly inflammatory. Everything was organic. I became a juicing master!! And I am so proud of that.

Finding Your Role as a Caregiver

If you are the spouse or caregiver for someone with cancer, there is so much you can do. Everyone has a strength, you just need to find yours. Some may research and find inspirational stories, while others may focus on meditation, massages, or encouraging daily walks. Whatever it is, embracing your role can help you as much as it helps them, and seek help with whatever you don't feel you can help with yourself. You got this, and there is always something a caregiver can do.

Eliminating Cancer-Feeding Foods

The next step was removing high-toxin, high-cancer-feeding foods – anything known to promote cancer growth:

• No alcohol: Not even in cough syrup or vanilla extract (unless used for baking, where the alcohol mostly evaporates).

• No sugar: This included most fruits (with the minor exception of some berries), no honey, no maple syrup, no sorbitol, no fructose. Occasionally, xylitol or monk fruit sweetener was acceptable, and stevia is always okay (if you like it, which i personally can't stand, but Kevin is okay with it).

• No grains: No wheat, barley, oats, corn, or anything derived from them, including bread, cereal, muffins, crackers, and bagels.

• No dairy: No milk, yogurt, cream, or soft cheeses. Hard cheeses like parmesan and romano were allowed in moderation, but good quality ones.

• No starches: No potatoes, rice, or pasta due to their high carbohydrate content, which breaks down into glucose. Sweet potatoes were okay occasionally due to their high antioxidant and fiber content (so they provide more benefits than they counteract).

• No dried fruits: They are concentrated sources of sugar and were completely eliminated.

We also significantly reduced meat consumption because of its acidic nature. Cancer thrives in acidic environments, and the goal is to make Kevin’s body more alkaline because cancer doesn't live in an alkaline environment. At first, our cancer naturopath advised the following:

• Beef: once per week

• Eggs: once per week

• Chicken: twice per week

• Fish: twice per week

• No pork whatsoever, as it is high in parasites, even when cooked.

What Was Left to Eat??

Our friends and neighbours dropped off organic berries for Kevin, as he loved snacking on them. Kindness is everywhere when you reach out...

With so many restrictions, it was important to focus on what we could eat. Thankfully, we both love cooking and experimenting with new ingredients, so our diet temporarily became largely plant-based – and always organic:

• Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, fava beans, and their derived flours.

• Vegetables: The more colorful, the better! Squash, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, green beans, zucchini, celery, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beets (in moderation), peas (in moderation), onions (in moderation), ginger, and garlic.

• Nuts and seeds: Except peanuts. Coconut and almonds became staples, along with nut and seed butters.

• Healthy fats: Organic, cold-pressed oils like coconut, olive, hemp, and avocado oil, plus plenty of avocados. A good-quality organic plant butter without canola oil was also essential.

• Fruits: Berries (especially blueberries), avocados, and tomatoes (which are acidic but turn alkaline when digested, much like lemons and apple cider vinegar do).

Making It Work

The diet change was a lot for Kevin to take in at first, but we tackled it together one day at a time. I had an easier time because I was familiar with the Keto diet since I followed it once per year for a couple of months as a 'reset' – I just had to remove the dairy. Adapting to this diet required planning and preparation. We ensured that we had plenty of ready-to-eat meals to avoid the temptation of starchy carbs when hunger struck:

• Chickpea salad with peppers, onions, sesame seeds, and avocado.

• Lentil soup, split pea soup, and vegetable soup in large batches, frozen for convenience.

• Pre-made salads always available in the fridge, with avocado and nuts/seeds for protein.

• Guacamole and hummus with baby carrots, celery, and broccoli.

This diet may seem restrictive, but it is entirely doable! Even dining out occasionally was manageable with some creativity and at the right spots, like Indian food restaurants and Mediterranean joints. At the end of the day, was eating a burger and fries with a beer more important than Kevin’s health, and our future? Absolutely not.

Commitment and Mindset

We took it one day at a time, planned meals in advance, and ensured we had everything we needed. Commitment was key, and we made it work because nothing was more important than this!

I understand that not everyone would jump into this kind of diet immediately. It requires breaking long-standing habits, but what was the alternative?? Trusting our cancer naturopath meant trusting the science and research behind this diet. It wasn’t some trendy fad – it was a globally recognized anti-cancer approach used in many prestigious cancer centers worldwide.

The thought of not trying it and later wondering "what if...?" was not an option.

Fear can be paralyzing, but that is why the next step in preparing for radiation became just as important: Positive mindset.

Note: As a reminder, this is our personal experience. Everyone must do their own research and follow what feels right for them. No judgment, and to each their own. Many people prefer to follow a Keto or a Carnivore diet for cancer, but it's very restrictive and in the long run, not as sustainable for the body... plus the Alkaline diet proved better researched for success, so that's what we chose.