Maybe We All Just Need a Detox

Frankly, I don't know if I'm focused enough to write, but as my hubby often says (when I am wanting to double-check grammar, word choice or accuracy), "It's only a blog!" My mind and heart have been whirling over the past few days. Sorry if this is a bit like trying to follow (or predict) the path of a tornado.

First of all, my aunt had written last week to ask for prayer for my cousin Chris. Chris had been battling a desmoid tumor since 1997, but a large hole in her intestine required emergency surgery. She asked that I forward the e-mail on to the siblings she didn't have addresses for. Although I did personally pray for Chris, I didn't forward the request on at all.

My father wrote on Saturday to say that Chris passed away last Friday night. I must say, I felt like I hadn't done enough. Even though I know that the Lord determines the outcome, I felt guilty for not forwarding on the information that I had learned, for not allowing others to join in the prayer chain.

Immediately, my mind went back to earlier days ... days when Chris was a member of Future Officers Fellowship (a Salvation Army group for those who intend to become ministers with The Salvation Army) ... days when our families were both at my grandparents' house for a visit and my father made a clever little video of all of us walking into a tree and then walking out (giving the illusion that we had all disappeared into the tree). Unfortunately, I had to seek memories of earlier days because we really hadn't had much contact since our early teen years.

I had thought of Chris often over the years because I knew that she was battling cancer. About ten years ago, I experienced some unexplained stomach issues. I was advised to seek genetic counselling because so many individuals in my paternal grandfather's family had died of cancer. My grandfather's family carried the FAP (Familial adenomatous polyposis) gene, which is what killed Katie Couric's husband. Offspring have a 50% chance of passing on the gene. The counselling session made it pretty clear to us that my father was the clean offspring and my aunt, sadly, was the gene carrier.

Despite the determination that I don't carry the FAP gene, doctors did encourage me to have a colonoscopy every ten years. Even if I don't make it in for a colonoscopy, I'm considering doing a full body cleanse. Perhaps if I cleared my body of unhealthy toxins, it would function better and I would feel better. It sounds so promising, doesn't it? All those annoying peripheral problems might disappear. Plus, there's the added benefit of dropping some weight in the process. I've met several people who believe there is a link between diet and environmental factors and depression and fatigue.

Of course, after I detox, I'll need to continue making significant lifestyle changes (more exercise and better food habits). Today, our newspaper told of a 20 year old who lost his life this weekend in a car accident caused by what they called OWI (Operating While Intoxicated). I thought the term was DUI, but perhaps times and expressions have changed. What hasn't changed is the fact that toxins in the body cloud our ability to function at an optimum level. I turned to my hubby and said, "Why do they do it? Why do they continue to flood their bodies with toxins, when the risks and dangers are so great?"

Of course, practical hubby, replied that we all do this to some extent. We know that diets full of cheeseburgers and processed foods aren't healthy, yet we enjoy the taste and convenience of these foods. Yes, I'm guilty as charged. I've pined for our more frequent fast food fixes (now that we live in the country, we eat out less often because it is actually more convenient to fix it at home). How I miss our weekly Taco Bell meals! How I long for more frequent trips for pizza and french fries!

Now my mind is reeling with further complicating thoughts. I was reviewing some of Team Larson's recent posts and checking comments as well. One individual left a comment saying she wished that she had found the Larson's Care Page earlier, before Coleman's death, because she wanted to pass on the news of dramatic turn-around for a nine year old girl named Josie, who was sent home to die. In desperation, this family turned to a California naturopath. The individual commenting left a link for the family's page.

Of course, I followed the link and marveled at the simple suggestions there. Then I watched the videos of the doctor explaining his ideas. The naturopath suggests that cancer isn't the problem. It is a problem of acidosis - the build up of a bad acid level in our saliva which allows the cancerous cells to multiply and grow. He suggested taking a pH reading of the girl's saliva several times a day. He directed the family to monitor the pH levels and to cut out all man-made/processed foods. They have been giving Josie the suggested natural concoctions (raw fruits and vegetables) and the evidence of cancer has vanished from her body.

While I believe we do a ton of damage to our bodies, it can't really be that simple, can it? Is it truly just a matter of getting back to eating and living the way God originally intended (by the fruit of the land and the labor of our backs instead of relying on machines to process and make things more convenient)? How would such information make Coleman's parents feel? If I were them, I would be angry. All I had to do was change my child's diet and exposure to harmful toxins and they would still be here?

My mind keeps buzzing over these issues. I still hope to do a full body cleanse sometime soon. I still hope that it eliminates some of the harmful build-up of toxins in my body. Can the detox and lifestyle changes solve our problems, including cancer? I don't know. What do you think?