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For two weeks now I’ve been trying to stick to Ian Gawler’s Healing Diet, and, I have got to say, more or less succeeding. It’s a lot of bother. There are six glasses of juice to be made and swallowed daily, and apart from the one made of fruit, they aren’t the sorts of things you’d swallow for the fun of it. There are three vegetarian – well vegan, really – meals to be made in a day, which has meant a radical revamp of the fridge freezer and pantry. Because the whole day’s menu has a carefully planned balance, I’ve been sticking to the recipes, which is not the way I normally cook. I’m more of a lets get the vibe of this dish and amend it as we go sort of cook, but this way has taught me a lot of new ways of combining food which would be worth repeating even if you didn’t have a bigger agenda for the meal.

It’s been easy doing without meat – I haven’t missed it for a second. It’s been easy doing without the processed flour and sugar and all the fat as well. Last night, with a plate of cakes left over from a meeting held in the house, I ate one and immediately wished I hadn’t. My body let me know in no uncertain terms that it was on Ian Gawler’s side and what exactly did I think I was doing sending that muck down the chute. I won’t be repeating the experiment in a hurry, and I’m not sorry about that either. Over the past fortnight and the one before that when I was not actually on the Gawler diet but was moving that way, I have reaped great benefit. About 4 kg of weight has evaporated. I have slept better and feel more energetic. Which brings me to my point for the day.

My body is not a thing, it is a process. It is a particular pattern of energy finding shape in an ever moving and changing stream of atoms; in much the same way that an ever moving stream of water finds shape in a seemingly permanent whirlpool. My body is a process, which means that diets can’t be temporary. I will reap the benefits of a blanced healthy diet for just as long as that diet remains one of the processes which helps shape the pattern that is my body. Stop the diet and revert to the old patterns and my body will immediately revert to the way it was before. The healing diet is a temporary stage but it will be followed by a permanent diet based on the same principles, unless I want to continue as I was doing before – digging my own grave with my teeth.

My body is a process, an impermanent ever changing pattern of energy within which there is another impermanent, ever changing pattern of energy, my mind. These two are inseparably linked and each has effect on the way the other exists in a strange dance of mutual dependency. To effect my body I must make the requisite mental changes, but just as truly, to develop my mind I must be careful, repectful and gentle with my body. And lying within both, more subtle still, is that which gives rise to all patterns.

For many people the diagnosis of cancer seems like a death sentence… but it need not necessarily be so.
“Surviving Cancer” brings us stories of hope and inspiration, from people who have successfully recovered from all kinds of cancers- even some against medical odds. We become aware of just how much more than pure medical/surgical treatment is involved in bringing about successful survival. The way we live, think and focus all come into play. Diet, meditation and finding the right mindset and strategies are powerful survival tools. A holistic approach melding body, mind and spirit, allow the body to unleash its full healing power.
Each person tells his or her own story, in their own words, describing the ups and downs, highs and lows, in their very personal cancer journey. They give us insight into their thought processes and what failures and successes they experienced in their battle. Each story shows remarkable honesty and a deep view of their emotions, devastations and hopes.
Another thing that comes across strongly is how most of these courageous survivors view their cancer as an experience which teaches them invaluable lessons about themselves, their lives and humanity… and changes their whole view of life and often the direction their lives take from then on. They value each and every day in a way those who have not faced death usually do not.
“Cancer might rob us of that blissful ignorance that once led us to believe that tomorrow stretches forever. In exchange, we are granted the vision to see each today as precious, a gift to be used wisely and richly. No one can take that away.”
The book is edited by Paul Kraus, himself a cancer sufferer whose recent writing focus has been on health and healing.
“Surviving Cancer” shares real life examples of those who have recovered from cancer and provides encouragement and hope to others who are beginning their own journey. Cancer can be beaten- and the more open you are to utilising everything possible, and the more you have in your cancer-fighting toolbox, the better your odds can be. This book can help fill in some of the gaps and give inspiration and motivation.
“We travel a long way in a lifetime, no matter how long or short the individual life. What we would hope is that the footprints we leave behind spell out a love of humanity. Our part, our bit of humanity is to light a candle and trust that our light shines a path for the next person.”

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