Macrobiotics Today, July/August 1994, Vol. 34, No. 4
"Putting Weight in Perspective" Elaine Nussbaum
Elaine Nussbaum recovered from a very serious cancer condition while following macrobiotic dietary and lifestyle practices. In the following stories, the names of the people involved have been changed. -Editor
Losing Too Much Weight
A year before he came to see me for counseling, Brad had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He had had chemotherapy, a recurrence of his illness, then more aggressive chemotherapy. The cancer was in his lungs, behind his heart, in his neck, and in his lymph nodes. A relative told me that Brad's cancer was even more widespread than he knew, and that his doctor did not hold much hope.
Brad began to practice macrobiotics with enthusiasm, and within six weeks he lost nineteen pounds. His energy increased, he became more active, and the swollen lymph nodes in his neck began to recede. He continued to lose weight, and after three months of macrobiotic practice, he had lost thirty-three pounds, down to 165 from 198 pounds.
Our second appointment was to be on a Monday morning. Brad phoned me the Thursday before. "Elaine," he said, "I just came back from the doctor and I have a big problem. Can I see you before the weekend?" "What happened, Brad," I asked him, "What did the doctor say?" "Well," Brad responded, "the doctor said that the lumps on my neck are all gone, there's no more fluid in my lungs, and my condition is now stable." "So what's the problem?" I asked him. "Elaine," he said, "we need to change my diet. The doctor is really upset because I'm losing so much weight."
Beef Up for Chemotherapy
Fran hobbled into my office clutching her husband's arm. She had been diagnosed with colon cancer five years before, and the cancer had spread to her ovaries. Fran had had a colon resection and a hysterectomy, followed by chemotherapy. One year later the cancer was in her liver and lymph nodes. Two years later a liver resection was performed. Two years after that, the cancer spread to her spine.
Fran spoke slowly and quietly. She had very little energy and hardly any appetite. She was too weak for more chemotherapy, and her doctors had nothing else to offer her.
With the help of her husband and a housekeeper, Fran began to eat macrobiotically. A thin petite woman, emaciated from years of chemotherapy, she did not want to lose weight. But she did. As the pounds dropped off, her energy increased, her blood levels improved, her walk became more steady, and she began to feel hopeful.
When Fran's condition became stable, her doctor decided that now she was a candidate for experimental chemotherapy. But first she would have to gain some weight - at least ten pounds.
Fran's doctor told her that she would have to "go off her diet" and eat a lot of fattening foods, including meat two or three times a day, and a sweet high-calorie liquid supplement. He wanted her to gain the required weight very quickly, so she would be on time to receive the scheduled chemotherapy.
Doctor Needs to Know
The phone rang. It was the nurse from an oncologist's office. The doctor wanted to recommend a patient to me, and the nurse was calling to give me some background.
The patient was a young woman with small children. She had been treated extensively for ovarian cancer. The cancer was now widespread, and she was considered medically terminal. There was nothing more that the doctors could do. Perhaps I could help her.
The nurse told me that the woman would be calling me soon, but the doctor did not want her to start the diet before the next five weeks. I asked what the purpose of waiting was. She was still receiving radiation, the nurse told me, and the doctor was concerned about weight loss. Since she could lose weight from the radiation, and she could lose weight from the diet, if she were to do the two simultaneously the doctor would have no way of knowing what the cause of the weight loss was.
The Results
These are true stories. They are just a small representation of the lack of understanding about the role of weight loss in detoxification and healing. Being needlessly concerned with weight when one's overall health is improving can sometimes contribute to the reversal of an improving condition.
Brad did not want to look skinny, and he did not want to upset his doctor who insisted that he must gain weight. He started eating high-protein, high-calorie, fattening foods. His cancer became active again, and he died shortly thereafter.
Fran ate the meats and the sweetened drinks that her doctor recommended. She gained the required ten pounds and began the experimental chemotherapy. She died before the protocol was completed.
The ovarian cancer patient began her visit with me by telling me that she would not make any dietary changes until after she finished her radiation. She died in the midst of her treatments, denied the opportunity to experience the effect of wholesome food.
Suggestions for Weight Stabilization and Natural Healing - Try to eat three meals a day at somewhat regular times. - Have grain at every meal. - Always sit when eating, preferably at a table. - Don't eat while in motion - walking, in a car, in a bus, etc. - Enjoy the meal - don't read or watch television while eating. - Stop eating when you're comfortably full - don't overeat. - Avoid drinking during the meal. - Allow at least 2-3 hours between the last meal and bedtime. - Chew the food well. Don't take a bite until the previous bite has been swallowed
Weight Loss and Detoxification
When I was being treated for uterine cancer in 1980, the importance of not losing weight was emphasized repeatedly. I was told to eat a high-protein, high-calorie diet. I was given a book of "eating hints" which contained recipes that were abundant in protein and calories. These hints included adding instant non-fat dried milk to my recipes and sprinkling generous amounts of grated hard cheese over my meals. Every week I was weighed, and the numbers were recorded in my file. I maintained my weight - and the cancer spread to my bones and to both my lungs. By the end of 1982, I was considered to be terminally ill.
When I started the macrobiotic way of eating in February 1983, I began to lose weight. By April, I had lost eleven pounds; by June, I had lost twenty pounds; by September, I had lost twenty-eight pounds; and by October, I had lost thirty-one pounds. Along with the pounds, I was shedding my hospital bed, my wheelchair, my body-brace, and my pain. I weighed only eighty-one pounds
Dual-Cartridge Drinking Water Enhancement System
Complete
with twin filter cartridges, chrome faucet diverter and easy to follow
instructions. Installs in seconds, switch from filtered to unfiltered
with the touch of a button.
Voted Best Buy 2006 by Consumers Digest Magazine
Price: $99.99
| |