Nurse Lauren's Cancer Diet Protocol

When it comes to eating while fighting cancer, there are many important things to consider. There are nutritional factors that should be recognized, but also there is the reality that you are dealing with a disease that takes people on a wild ride. You must be flexible and help yourself feel the best that you can throughout the process. Never adhere to a set of rules so strict that you are robbed of your joy, something that I have witnessed all too personally.

I would like to share a general idea of what I did to help my husband with his Glioblastoma diagnosis. He lived, thrived actually, for most of an additional two years post initial diagnosis. A lot of his success was attributed to the alternative methods we practiced, most importantly diet changes, along with exercise, yoga, and meditation. We also brought on many supplements, did intravenous vitamin C therapy three times a week and used Synergy cannabis oils all day every day. Finding joy along the way was the best medicine and allowed us to continue to conjure up the hope we needed to continue our fight each day.

I would like to point out the importance of fresh whole foods and water for nutrition. I cannot overemphasize the chaos we put our bodies through every time we eat processed calorie dense and sugar packed foods and drinks. Eliminating these from our diets as much as possible is a wonderful choice for all of us. These foods leave what cancer loves behind… excess sugar in the bloodstream. The single best thing you can do for yourself is to change to fresh whole foods, and this means the veggies are never out of a can and you’re giving up daily sugar binges. It is a little uncomfortable for a week or so and then you start to feel much better. Sugar is a drug like anything else, the brain craves the dopamine rush that sugar gives. You CAN give up sugar and you WILL be happy you did. Drinking enough water is also crucially imperative. We walk around perpetually dehydrated and no one’s body can heal that way. Cells need water to function. Drink your water!

The next important factor I would like to share would be the importance of juicing. Juicing allows the body to absorb an exponentially larger amount of nutrients in a smaller amount of food. Imagine a giant pile of veggies and fruits reduced to a couple pints of juice. When we are struggling with our appetites due to chemo or radiation or whatever the case may be, juicing allows us to still get the nutrients vital to cell function in a much more palatable way. I would give my husband juice nearly every day. It helps to make a large batch each time, it keeps for a couple weeks. Another great habit to get in whether you are fighting cancer or not.

Lastly, I would like to mention the reality of the disease means that the nutritional intake of each day is going to vary greatly depending on what you are experiencing. It really is a complex disease with a complex treatment, and one needs to be very kind and gentle to oneself while experiencing these waves… do not put yourself through guilt trips or mind games about your diet plan. Introduce as much healthy and live foods into your life as possible and that is going to give your body the tools it needs to heal.

When my husband was initially diagnosed, I had found much research on the benefits of a Ketogenic diet for cancer, particularly brain cancer. We did Keto when he was in a kill phase, aka during chemo and radiation, to assist his body in starving the cancer cells while they were also being attacked on other fronts. When he was in a rest phase, aka not on active Western medication, we relaxed his diet and brought healthy carbohydrates more significantly on board. For Keto, I began switching his diet to a protein and green veggie heavy selection, with proteins ranging from beef, chicken, quail, duck, salmon, venison, pork, eggs, nuts, fresh cheese… you name it. As long as it isn’t processed it’s good. We used veggies ranging from spinach, romaine, kale, brussels sprouts, onions, mushrooms, peppers, the list is endless… as long as it’s fresh, its good. When eating more carbs we would bring on the sweet potatoes and russets and yams, wild rice, white rice occasionally (good when tummy isn’t wanting much). Sometimes he would indulge in a yummy fresh bread… For sweets it was fruits galore, it is great to always keep fresh fruit around for a guilt-free sweet tooth. We always used good quality butter, like Kerrygold brand, or olive oil to cook with. All of the above listed foods are NOT going to further inflame an already inflamed body. It is so important to let thy food be thy medicine!

When it comes to juice the possibilities are endless! I however would like to share with you my favorite recipe that I have been utilizing for over a decade. It’s divine and it will kick any cold straight out of your system! It is important to invest in a good masticating juicer, which is a little bit of an investment, but it is beyond worth it. I bought mine over ten years ago and she is still going strong today. The brand I have is Omega, it’s a low-speed masticating juicer and they have several different choices. Once you have a masticating juicer you can bring your nutrition to a whole new level.

My Liquid Gold Juice Recipe - makes enough for 10ish days

• 12 large grapefruits*

• 16 Granny Smith apples

• 1lb fresh ginger root

• 1lb fresh turmeric root

*note on grapefruit* - Grapefruit has an interesting effect on the way our bodies metabolize things. When the liver detects grapefruit enzymes in the bloodstream, it ceases to metabolize anything else until it finishes metabolizing the grapefruit. Because of this, when you consume other nutrients alongside grapefruit they remain in the bloodstream for a longer period of time. This allows the ginger and turmeric and pectin amongst other things to float around in the body and exert their positive effects more efficiently. ALSO… for this reason it is important to check that there are no medications that you are on that interact with grapefruit! Just ask your doctor, they will be able to tell you very easily as it is a common medication interaction that is discussed.

I hope this information is helpful and useful! There are many things that are out of our control, but what we feed our bodies and minds is most definitely within our realm of influence. I hope to help anyone who wishes to learn more about taking care of their body and mind throughout their journey.

With Love,

Nurse Lauren

Cannabis and Meditation: Practices for an Elevated Mind

by Billee Sharp

Initially, meditation is a struggle for most people. The ability to empty the mind of every shopping list, chore, dispute and responsibility is much easier said than done! We live in a fast, stimulating world and slowing down is difficult but is extremely beneficial for our overall health.

Cannabis is renowned for inducing a relaxed state of mind and has been used as a mediation tool in the Vedic tradition for thousands of years. The brain has an abundance of cannabinoid receptors and research has shown the beneficial interactions of many cannabinoids in the brain: CBD has a profound impact on anxiety and mental stress, CBN has proved to be both neuroprotective and neuroregenerative while THC is famous for its stimulating and mood-altering capacity.

If meditation is eluding you and you’re having difficulties letting go of your preoccupied thoughts, cannabis can help achieve the mental transition from chatter to calmness. Cannabis can improve focus when combined with meditative techniques, helping meditation to become part of your daily health regime.

Meditation matters to our overall health giving us a chance to clear our heads, relax and breathe deeply. Negative thinking and obsessive overthinking are exhausting bad habits. In just the same way that we can get caught up in cycles of overeating, smoking, nail-biting or procrastination, it is also possible to develop patterns of thinking that are unhealthy. States of mind like this can cause heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and depression that have real debilitating effects on mental, and physical health.

The best way to banish those negative thought patterns is by recognising undesirable trains of thought as you realize you’re having them, and replacing those thoughts with mindfulness and peaceful stillness. Most of us struggle to mentally unwind in today’s hyper-stimulating world, so combining cannabis with meditation gives the mind support with focus and relaxing into the meditative head space.

If you are experimenting with cannabis to aid meditative practice then choose a cannabis strain or blend with the cannabinoid profile that is most suited to you. For myself, a CBD-rich cannabis is what I choose most often to prepare myself for meditation. Personally, CBD slows my anxious thoughts and creates a sensation of unhurried calm, which is the baseline for meditation. If I’m finding it particularly difficult to focus I’ll switch to a 1:1 CBD:THC product, either a tincture or a vape, the THC element compliments the calming effects of CBD with the ability to focus.

Here are three meditative approaches that paired with cannabis can yield great results for beginning a meditation practice.

Gazing Meditation

The purpose of “gazing” meditation is to sharpen your focus while promoting clarity and aiding concentration. The method is to rest your eyes on a fixed object, the focus on the object allows for the dissipation of wandering thoughts and thinking patterns, ultimately clearing a path for a calmer mind.

The object can be anything of your choosing, generally people choose something soothing to view—popular choices are the flame of a candle, a mandala, or a body of water.

Once you have chosen your object, sit across from it in a comfortable position, if you are able to sit cross-legged do so, otherwise sit comfortably with the object in clear sight, at eye-level in front of you. Allow your focus to settle on the details, the intricate patterns and colors of the mandala, or the flickering of the candle’s flame.

Do not strain your gaze—simply allow the image to wash over you as you rest your gaze upon it. Allow your attention to be focused entirely on the object. As you gaze gently, allow your breathing to soften, deepen, and gradually move towards viewing the object without contextualizing it in thought at all.

Gaze until your mind is still and all that stirs is the flame of your candle and the rise and fall of your chest.

With this meditation, as well as the others mentioned here, when the mind wanders away from the object of focus, simply acknowledge it and say to yourself, thank you, but right now, I am meditating, and bring your attention back to the chosen focus. Again and again, without judgment.

Deep Breath Meditation

Deep breathing is the cornerstone of meditation. By controlling our breath, we can control not only our thoughts but even the strongest and most volatile of emotions. It is the simplest way to gain control of a runaway mind.

Sit in a comfortable position of your choosing with your chest upright and back straight. Close your eyes and relax your shoulders. Allow the tension to melt out of your body.

Observe your breath in this relaxed state. Then, take a long, deep breath in through the nose, filling up your whole abdomen and chest with air.

Once you have inhaled fully, pause at the top for just a beat or two and then very slowly begin to exhale fully out. Pause here for another couple beats, these pauses should always be comfortable and never strained. Then, inhale again and repeat the pattern.

As you breathe, allow your thoughts to focus solely on your breath and gradually allow your mind to clear. Simply exist in this space breathing mindfully and relax as all else melts away.

Body Mindfulness Meditation

If you are a fidget and have trouble sitting still, this meditation technique may be the one for you. The idea here is to focus your attention on your body, scanning each body part to observe the areas that are holding tension and mindfully allow it to relax. With this inward focus, the mind is permitted to let go of aggravating thoughts.

Such a calm, meditative routine can be enhanced by an indica blend to open up a deep sense of mental alleviation and full-body relaxation.

Begin by lying on your back on a bed or yoga mat. Allow your arms to rest at your sides with your palms turned up and fingers naturally curled. Legs should be relaxed with feet allowed to fall outward. Permit yourself to sink into the ground beneath you and begin to feel the heaviness of your form as you fully unwind.

Use your mind to scan each part of your body in turn and banish any tension it may find. Start at your feet, toes and ankles, letting them relax fully. Move up your legs, thighs, hips, lower back, and stomach. Continue on to your arms, hands, fingers, shoulders, neck, jaw, and all the muscles in your face. Move your focus over your body slowly, taking your time, and when you discover tension, allow it to release , leaving fluidity and a relaxed sensation in its place.

As you relax your body, make sure your breathing is relaxed as well. Long deep breaths in, followed by long slow breaths out. When you have completed your scan, you will find your entire body is relaxed and free of tension. Continue to lie there and breathe, while turning your focus inward, allowing the relaxed state to extend to your mind as you seek those moments of clarity and stillness.

There are people who just can’t settle down to meditate and find staying still is uncomfortable both mentally and physically. Fortunately there are creative activities which stimulate our intrinsic endocannabinoid production which improves both our mental and physical health.

Recent research at the University of Nottingham recorded endocannabinoid levels in individuals after various activities; cycling, singing and dancing. In all three instances, endocannabinoid levels were significantly elevated: 19% rise after cycling, 21% rise and an improved mood came from dancing, while singing tops the trio with a 42% elevation of endocannabinoids.

Whatever means you use to relax your mind, you can be sure you are improving your health in a profound and holistic way.

Further reading: Singing, Dancing and Cycling

Cannabis: The #1 Medicine Cabinet Essential

By Billee Sharp

I realized the other day just how often I suggest CBD as a remedy for so many different conditions and ailments. I imagine that I might come across as a little over zealous but the truth is that cannabinoids have a beneficial impact on many health issues, big and small. We now know that keeping our ECS (endocannabinoid system) at optimum activation with cannabinoids is the key to regulating the systems of the body;  both endocannabinoids that are made in the body and supplementary phytocannabinoids extracted from plants. Here are the main reasons that I always keep cannabis medications on hand in our medicine cabinet.

Muscle Strains & Arthritic Pain

Synergy 1:1 Salve is the go-to topical for muscle strain and arthritic pain. The combination of equal parts of CBD and THC creates an effective double action; CBD relieves inflamed tissue and joints while the THC dissipates the pain. The pure carrier oils, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter, allow the cannabinoids to easily penetrate the epidermis and activate the skin’s CB 1 & 2 receptors. For deep-seated arthritic pain, Synergy Super Salve is a double strength preparation, delivering twice as much medicine to the affected area.

Sunburn & Insect Bites

Synergy Salve to the rescue when sunburn strikes, cannabinoids applied topically activate the skin’s CB receptors which instigates rehydration for the damaged tissue, provides UV protection and calms the burn. The maddening allergic irritation of bug bites can be alleviated by applying salve to the distressed area. Recently some vicious mosquito visited my ring finger during the night and bit me twice! When I woke up my finger was so swollen it was too painful to take my ring off! I coated the area with salve and within a minute or two the itching was gone and the swelling reduced enough to remove my ring! I reapplied salve when the itch came back about an hour later and then again an hour after that!

Digestive Upsets

Nausea and upset stomach will respond to a dose of CBD-rich tincture taken sublingually with a little water. The calming effect of CBD combined with its anti-inflammatory action give quick relief from digestive discomfort. 

CBD tincture has been shown to aid recovery from nausea associated with chemotherapy and it works the same way for nervous stomach pain. My son is a classical guitarist and suffers from pre-performance nerves which manifests as a bilious tummy ache unless he takes a dose of CBD before he goes on stage.

Pelvic Pain & Period Pain

Deep abdominal pain from serious health issues like cancer will respond to cannabinoid medication. A generous amount of THC acts on deep pain, to avoid the psychotropic effect we recommend using suppositories.

Rectal and vaginal application of cannabinoids bypasses the digestive system and avoids entering the bloodstream so there is no discernable “high”, just relief from pain. 

Cramps and uterine pain from menstruation and other painful menopausal issues can be addressed with suppositories - the vagina has the highest concentration of CB 1 & 2  receptors in the female body, and suppository application delivers the medicine directly alleviating pain.

Anxiety, Depression & Headaches

One never knows when some situation will arise that fills us with dismay and anxiety. CBD-rich tincture will relieve anxious symptoms quickly. Similarly depressive symptoms can be treated with CBD tincture to elevate mood, we generally recommend a 4:1 CBD tincture for an on-going depressive condition but a CBD-rich tincture will give ample relief in the moment.  Headaches can also be banished with a dose of CBD, for recurring migraines a 1:1 tincture is optimum but CBD-rich tincture will do the trick, relieving inflammation and pressure in the brain.

Immune Support

Since the Covid-19 pandemic supporting our immune systems has become a priority to avoid infection. New research on the anti-viral properties of CBDa and CBGa has proved that these cannabinoids inhibit RNA virus’ access to cells and blocks viral replication. Synergy’s Immune Support capsules deliver a daily dose of CBDa and CBGa to fight infection on a cellular level by supporting a healthy ECS.

Sleeplessness

Keeping CBN-rich tincture in your medicine cabinet can be a godsend on a sleepless night. CBN has a huge reputation as a cure for insomnia, combined with CBD to alleviate anxiety, it promotes sleep without any morning grogginess. Recently I used CBN to cope with sleeplessness from jet lag and it eased my return to Pacific time within a couple of days.

Pets 

CBD-rich tincture is a great safe go-to medication for cats and dogs suffering from arthritic pain, muscle strains and anxious symptoms. In older pets a daily dose of CBD tincture with food will ease painful joints and hip dysplasia. Nervousness, as experienced by my two city-dwelling cats over the 4th of July weekend, is best treated with CBD tincture, which gives relief for hours at a time.

I often have little other than a thermometer, Band-Aids, Synergy Salve and CBD-rich tincture in my medicine cabinet because most common complaints can be successfully treated with these two products. Unlike over the counter medications which can have unpleasant side effects like stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea, cannabis medication is gentle on the body. 

Combining cannabinoids with other herbal remedies adds value - when I have muscle pain with bruising I will reach for arnica ointment as well as the 1:1 salve. When depressive mood is the issue I’ll take some St John’s Wort tincture as well as CBD tincture. When I have a headache I take CBD tincture and drink a long glass of water, adding electrolytes if I have them on hand.

There are so many ways that CBD works for the kind of minor ailments that we treat ourselves, it deserves  front of shelf placement in the medical cabinet. 

My next project will be revamping my earthquake emergency kit with a bottle of CBD tincture and a tin of Synergy Salve!