About two and a half years ago (six months after my dad’s cancer diagnosis) I was getting my annual physical with my ob-gyn. I asked her to check on a lump I had felt for the last several weeks that was about the size of a marble. She agreed that she felt something too and sent me off for a mammogram and ultrasound. By the end of the diagnostic procedures I had the recommendation to see a surgeon to get this lump removed, “just to be safe.” They were pretty sure it was benign but you don’t know for sure until it gets tested.
It was removed under local anesthetic and I watched the procedure in the reflection of the lamp (there is a lot of my dad in me…he watched his biopsy of his liver tumor). The surgeon said he was pretty sure it was benign and the lab results confirmed the informal diagnosis. It got me to thinking about how these “things” start growing uncontrollably, whether they are cancerous or not and what is going on inside our bodies often takes decades to come to fruition. I noodled on that for a while and in the meantime scheduled an appointment with my regular doctor, a holistic M.D.
I asked Dr. Linkner about benign breast lumps and if there was anything he thought could prevent them. (The other doctors had said no, there was nothing to prevent them.) Dr. Linkner said that some of the research coming out appears that we may be missing certain vitamins or minerals in our diet that are causing these mutations. He did some bloodwork and I began taking my vitamins and minerals regularly.
Since then I have continued thinking about our cells and what they need to be healthy and productive. I remember my parents cautioning me against eating “empty calories” like candy and potato chips when I was a child and teenager. Even into my 20’s I remember grappling with the concept of what an “empty calorie” was and why it should be avoided. There was a part of logic in my brain that said, “Your body needs so many calories a day to stay alive, you may as well take in whatever calories are available.”
I’m sure many of you understand the flawed logic that is at work there in the mind of someone who has not fully developed their brain. Part of it was also education. I didn’t yet understand that my body requires certain nutrients and substances to stay healthy and functioning. Things like vitamins, fiber, water, essential fats, minerals; these are all the building blocks of a healthy body.
Conversely, those “empty calories” are more like “toxic calories” because empty makes them sound harmless when in fact they usually add damaging components to our bodies that wreak havoc on everything from our pancreas and blood sugar levels, our digestive system, our heart and cardiovascular health, and pretty much every area of our bodies. They are even linking many behavioral and mental challenges to be at least partially influenced by diet and nutrition.
So consider what you consume. Is this helping your body to be more healthy or less healthy? Is it an empty or toxic calorie or something to really nourish you and create long-term health and wellness? Our cells need good building blocks to help us to each achieve a long and healthy life.
In my next blog I will tell you about a remarkable substance that has been found to REPAIR cells and assist each of us in undoing some of the damage we have done to our bodies.
Donna Copeland is and Independent Shaklee Distributor who is compensated by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website. You can find out more about Shaklee’s natural nutrition supplements at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com
