CHENNAI: It was an evening of engaging conversation as Dr Nandita Shah, founder-director, and a trustee of SHARAN (Sanctuary for Health and Reconnection to Animals and Nature) conducted the talk, ‘Conquering Cancer’ at the Spirit of the Earth Immersion Centre in Mylapore on Friday.
She began by narrating how her mother was diagnosed and subsequently died of cancer. “My mother died of cancer when she was 50, I was just 25-years-old. I understand how devastating cancer is and how much fear it invokes and the suffering involved. Cancer which was a rarity in the past has become ubiquitous now. Almost everyone has a family member with cancer and the treatment is as painful to the body as it is to the pocket. I believe that we should know everything about this dreadful disease so that we can prevent it even before it happens. And if it has already happened, we should be able to carefully select the most appropriate line of action,” she said.
She spent a large portion of her talk making the audience understand that health was, indeed, logic and that it was never too late to adopt a better lifestyle. “We know health is logic but somewhere along the way we lost logic because we have begun eating the way culture, society and advertisements demand,” she said. “We do not value our instincts anymore and need to ask ourselves — is it the food god or nature designed for us? We are all being manipulated by advertisements. Make a list of everything that is advertised and don’t eat that. You don’t see advertisements for carrots and cucumbers because that is what you should be eating!”
Shah mentioned that people should look at consuming more raw food, fruits, and vegetables in addition to whole foods. Further, consuming oil should be stopped completely and she said one could look at various zero-oil recipes available on the SHARAN website for inspiration.
“Our bodies are alkaline so we should avoid acids like tea, coffee, sugar, salt and protein as it invites cancer,” she said. “Fruits and vegetables are the most alkaline so they must be eaten in large quantities. Do not remove the fiber from your fruits and vegetables because they are the brooms that clean up your system. Any packaged food should not be touched because most have shelf lives that are longer than ours!”
She also provided inspiration in the form of videos and stories of people who have fought cancer not by conventional means of radiation, chemotherapy or surgery but rather by making changes in their diet, exercising regularly, resting well and improving their lifestyle. She dropped names of people and books that the audience could go on to read more about. These authors and motivational speakers included Dr Lorraine Day, Louise Hay, Kris Carr, and Chris Wark.