The application of traditional medicine and alternative or holistic medicine is not mutually exclusive; they will never make each other obsolete, and one type of medicine cannot hope to fit each and every lifestyle, or provide better, more inclusive care. Cancer, in any of it’s many, insidious forms, cannot be cured, either by traditional, conventional medical means, or by alternative cancer treatments.
And while proponents of both methods of healing are quick to claim, neither method can be readily identified as being better, healthier, or more effective. But while traditional means—chemotherapy, radiotherapy—ravage the body in an attempt to eradicate the cancerous cells, leaving the immune system prone to infection and tremendously weak, alternative cancer treatments provide physical and mental benefits that conventional methods aren’t able to give to a patient.
How Alternative Cancer Treatments Work
Alternative treatments for cancer seek to enhance the immune system and enrich the mind by giving the body what it needs—rest and immune-boosting ingredients. Supplement packages are a common addition to other vegetable and fruit-based diets that increase the body’s natural ability to fight infection and disease. Alternative treatments for cancer generally push a diet heavy in eggs, legumes (like lentils, black beans,), grains like quinoa and flax, and greens like spinach, broccoli, and which are collectively packed with vitamin A, D, C, K, B12, and B2, all essential to overall health and mental wellbeing. Food is, of course, essential to life, but the right food helps the body fortify itself against disease, or, in the case of cancer patients, fight back against a disease that has already incubated.
Holistic cancer treatments also advise diets low in sugar, and high in heat, whether environmental or induced. Cancerous cells require simple sugars to thrive and reproduce, and shy away from the presence of heat, meaning that they shrink. The improvement of mental and bodily healthy, a part of which is a strengthened immune system and increased dispersal of healthy blood cells and oxygen, intensifies the body’s capacity for combating a disease like cancer.
In addition to a good diet, the body and the mind demand constant support and attention, both from within and from outside sources. Families are encouraged to visit patients and stay involved throughout all stages of the process; family support can play a huge role in creative and stimulating positive thinking, which can be as important to fighting off a disease as the correct diet, supplements, and care.
The Role of Alternative Treatments in the Healing Process
Alternative cancer treatments are as effective as traditional methods because they target different areas of the healing process. They seek to strengthen the body naturally instead of eroding it physically, like traditional treatments. Holistic cancer treatment methods attempt to bolster the body against a fast reproducing degenerative disease. This method requires quick action, and the combination of thoroughly researched and scientifically based techniques and strategies, to increase overall treatment efficacy and dramatically reduce the number of negative side effects for cancer patients.
The main goal of any cancer treatment process is the lengthy remission of the cancerous cells, and the preservation of the body and mind amidst this mentally, physically, and spiritually taxing time. But the journey continues even after remission has been achieved; a healthy, active lifestyle and diet, along with positive thinking and plenty of support from family and friends prove to be essential for remaining in remission. A holistic treatment method begins with the disease, in a treatment center, but the benefits and techniques gleaned can and should be used forever.
In addition to combating the virus, alternative medicine is effective because it trains the individual and the body to use good habits, and maintain a healthy daily routine. And, without the potentially deadly side effects of traditional cancer treatments, holistic treatment methods are able to offer a safer, cleaner alternative to invasive surgeries or chemical routines.