Source: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.
Salsa and tahini pack the flavor into these burritos!
About the Recipe
317 Calories · 13 g Protein · 11 g Fiber
Broccoli is rich in vitamin K and calcium, which support bone health.
If the tortilla is made from wheat, barely, or rye, it is not gluten free.
Ingredients
Makes 4 Servings
broccoli stalks (2)
garbanzo beans (1 15-ounce can)
roasted red peppers (1/2 cup)
tahini (2 tbsp.)
lemon juice (3 tbsp.)
flour tortillas (4)
salsa (6 tbsp. or more to taste)
Directions
Cut or break broccoli into florets. Peel stalks and cut into 1/2-inch rounds. Steam over boiling water until just barely tender, about 5 minutes.
Drain garbanzo beans and place in a food processor with peppers, tahini, and lemon juice. Process until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
Spread about 1/4 of the garbanzo mixture on a tortilla and place in a large heated skillet. Heat until tortilla is warm and soft, about 2 minutes. Arrange a line of cooked broccoli down the center, then sprinkle with salsa. Roll tortilla around filling. Repeat.
Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
Calories: 317 Protein: 13 g Carbohydrate: 50 g Sugar: 7 g Total Fat: 9 g Calories from Fat: 25% Fiber: 11 g Sodium: 725 mg
Thank you to everyone who answered our call for donations last month and helped to boost our Wellness Grant budget. Your support helped us raise over $16,900! Our grants available through the end of the year went from 6% to 18%! Thank you!
We still have $3,000 out of the $10,000 available in a matching gift that we would love to fully raise if you feel led to give! Please also consider sharing this need with your network and corporate connections. Each and every dollar in our Wellness Grant fund goes directly to patient care and helps to release the financial burden a patient and their family is experiencing.
On July 16th, Believe Big arrived in the art room at Horizon Day Camp. This camp is a full summer day camp for children ages 3-16 battling cancer. Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Horizon Day Camps and year-round programs are always offered free of charge. Believe Big staff and volunteers were met by smiling happy faces of campers who were very excited to paint a Believe Mug. The campers were even more excited to choose a mug of their very own to take home that had been painted for them by other Believe Mug painters in the community. What a blessing to see this circle of HOPE! It started with the generous donation from The Serini Foundation, then those of you in the community that painted a Believe Mug for the kids at the camp, and then the kids at the camp painting a mug for an adult with cancer. What a blessing!
Mark McElrath, who runs the camp shared, “Thank you for contributing the materials for our campers to enjoy such a fun day.”
If you would like to contribute to have patients paint Believe Mugs during their treatments or support groups, please donate using the link below.
I was invited to the very first dinner when Believe Big was launched, and that’s when I heard Ivelisse’s remarkable, hope-filled story. I was blown away by her testimony about her journey to becoming cancer-free.
After hearing that inspiring story, it was so easy to volunteer at the Believe Big offices and to donate financially to this cause I wholeheartedly believed in. Believe Big respects the mind, body, and spirit connection and offers their incredible guidance and assistance to anyone on the cancer journey. I know this firsthand, as they helped me when they provided useful information, direction, and emotional and spiritual support as I walked with both my husband and niece on their cancer journeys. Believe Big helps so many of us who have seen our loved ones suffer through cancer. Their tireless efforts to assist others facing this ugly, hideous disease are successful largely due to their supporters’ financial contributions.
I ask each of you to come alongside Believe Big by giving any amount you can, so the word of its mission can spread and more people can receive help.
Cancer is a journey none of us volunteer to take, but each of us has been affected by it in one way or another. Partnering with Believe Big is an excellent and rewarding way to help cancer patients and their families. The resources and support Believe Big offers are free to patients, but we need to provide the finances so the good work Believe Big does will continue and increase.
I hope I never, ever hear the diagnosis that I have cancer, but if I do, I know that my first call will be to Believe Big.
Alexa was a very typical girl. A passionate basketball ball player, rarely
ever sick, and had recently fell in love with a goldendoodle that we had just
brought home, named Stella.
Alexa had been sick over the previous weekend,
but because she was rarely sick, we just thought it was another day. We took her to her pediatrician since we were
thinking she had croup. During her
examination, her pediatrician asked, “is her belly always this bloated”. Alexa was not a slim child, but far from
being considered obese. Her pediatrician
recommended an abdominal ultrasound.
On the morning of November 9th, 2016, she went
for her ultrasound. Immediately, as soon
as the probe hit her abdomen, the radiology technician said, “I need to get our
Radiologist”. As parents, we are both
Nurses with a significant number of years of clinical experience, and we
realized this was not a good sign. It
was at that moment when our lives changed, our hearts stopped, and we realized
our life was not going to be the same, ever again.
She was immediately sent to a local children’s
hospital, and after various blood work and diagnostic testing, we were informed
that our 9-year-old daughter had stage 4 ovarian cancer. Less than 2-3% of all pediatric cancers in
the world.
On November 10th, she was to undergo an
extensive debulking surgery. Her left
ovary, her omentum, and various other tumors were removed and sent for a
definitive pathology diagnosis. Alexa,
being the strong girl that she is, recovered well, and within a few days we
received the diagnosis that she had mixed germ cell cancer. We were assured that this was a treatable
cancer, but after multiple rounds of chemo, and on the verge of more aggressive
treatment, we reached out to one of the top children’s oncology programs in the
United States (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital).
Alexa underwent tandem bone marrow transplants
with high dose chemotherapy, multiple different chemotherapy agents, yet her
cancer was still not at bay. She
relapsed 3 times.
By the third time she had relapsed, we were
clearly desperate, and as any parent would demand, we wanted the most
aggressive treatment possible. In
November of 2017, we decided to put our daughter through the most extensive
surgery and treatment protocol that was ever imagined for a child. She underwent another extensive debulking
surgery in which there was newer cancerous tumor growth, but also intra-abdominal
chemotherapy during surgery. During this extensive surgery Alexa also had a
portion of her liver removed, spleen and appendix removed due to new tumor
presentation. A questionable treatment
in adults, and not well studied in pediatric patients, but we were desperate. It was our daughter.
Fast forward a few weeks and the follow up
treatment for Alexa was to get more chemo and 17 rounds of total abdominal
radiation. Once again, Alexa took this
on like it was another day. She never
faltered, and she remained amazingly strong.
She was our strength and guiding light because as parents, we were
absolutely crumbling everyday having to put her through such extensive
treatment.
Alexa continued to recover, and she finally
got to a point as to where we could consider alternative therapy.
Prior to Alexa’s extensive surgery in November
of 2017, a family member (Bridget Wagner) who knew of Believe Big sent us
information about this organization.
Since we were both nurses, we were scouring the medical and scientific
literature to find a cure for our daughter.
We extensively reviewed the literature surrounding mistletoe therapy,
and at that point we promised each other that if we ever got Alexa to a point
that she could tolerate the travel to Colorado and the naturopathic treatment,
we would do anything we had to do to get her treated with mistletoe.
With the extensive help of Believe Big, we
were very fortunate to get Alexa treated with mistletoe therapy in December
2018 in Boulder, Colorado with Dr. Kirsten West at NatureMed and Jess Kelley at
Remission Nutrition. We strongly
believe, and absolutely advocate for this therapy whether you are in treatment
or post conventional treatment. The
science behind mistletoe therapy, in conjunction with conventional and
naturopathic treatment, is absolutely what ultimately saved our daughter’s
life. None of this would have ever been
possible if we had never been exposed to the great work that the Believe Big
Foundation is doing every single day.
This organization is not only about providing funds for alternative treatment,
they are also investing in the science to change the outcomes of patients,
young or old.
We will forever be grateful to the Believe Big
foundation for not only the support they gave our family financially, but also
the extensive work they are investing in to prove in the United States that
this therapy is effective. To date,
Alexa’s scans are completely clean, her tumor markers are well below normal,
and her conventional Oncologist is amazed with every visit.
Posted on: Wednesday, May 29th 2019 Written By: Sayer Ji, Founder This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2019
You may think that staying slim and eating healthfully means NO sweets, but guess what? There are natural and delicious sweeteners that won’t wreck your diet, and even have therapeutic ‘side benefits.’
No arena of health and wellness is more debatable than what we should be eating. Looking back through time, the foods that constitute a healthy diet have changed so dramatically, you can literally mark the passage of time by the coming and going of dietary fads.
Weight-loss clubs and diet pill popping in the 1970s
Cabbage soup and liquid diets in the ‘80s
The Zone and blood-type diets (along with lawsuits related to diet pills!) in the ‘90s
In the aughts, Atkins and gluten-free
In the 2010’s, it’s Paleo, raw, and local
Despite this obsessive focus on what to eat, Americans are fatter and in many ways, unhealthier than ever before[1]. In 2016, two-thirds of the adult population were considered overweight or obese, according to a U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services study[2]. This health epidemic spans ethnic and cultural boundaries, and is affecting more adults and children every year.
One factor that is contributing to America’s growing problem with weight is our obsession with sugar. You probably don’t need to see the results of a clinical study to believe that the more sugary calories you consume, the greater your risks of obesity[3]. What you may not know, is that what passes for sugar these days is actually a hyper-sweetened extract of one of the cheapest, most heavily-sprayed, GMO-pervasive crops on the planet.
Why Sugar Isn’t Sugar Anymore
Despite a marked decrease in consumption of refined cane and beet sugars over the last generation, we are taking in more dietary sugar overall, thanks to the prevalence of corn-based sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, in nearly everything on grocery store shelves[4].
Switching to corn-based sweeteners is a case of jumping from the funnel cake grease into the fire! Corn syrup has become the go-to sweetening agent for processed foods due to its low cost and high concentration (at least 1.5 times that of cane sugar). Thanks to government subsidies, corn is alluringly cheap for food and beverage companies that need a steady supply of sweetness.
Corn is also a top GMO crop with at least 92% of the nation’s corn supply being genetically modified to withstand large doses of herbicides[5]. Setting aside the shocking effects of GMO consumption, this intense concentration of simple sugar is wreaking havoc on the collective metabolism. Studies abound correlating intake of high-fructose sweeteners to increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, fatty liver disease, diabetes, and more[6].
What About Zero-Calorie Sweeteners?
Aspartame, Equal, sucralose, Splenda, saccharin: they go by many names but do any of them sound truly sweet? Not when you read the nearly 100 scientific abstractsGreenmedinfo has collected on the perils of artificial sweeteners. Chemical fascimiles of sugar, these unnatural compounds can be far worse than the real thing.
Linked to increased risks of kidney disease, metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, and obesity, these calorie-free sugar substitutes trick consumers into thinking that previously unhealthy foods can get “a sugar-free pass.” But fake sugars are far from harmless. Studies show consuming synthetic sweeteners generates excessive cravings for the sweet taste, leading to weight gain and other negative effects linked to excessive sugar consumption[7].
While it might be tempting to think that these sugar imposters can help you bypass the weight and still eat the treats, if you value your health, steer clear of these dietary destroyers!
Nature Has the Solutions
Wondering what options this leaves you when only something sweet will do? Fortunately, nature has got you covered. Here are four solutions for satisfying your sweet tooth that won’t rot your teeth, create blood sugar imbalance, or cause weight gain. In fact, these natural wonders pack some amazing health benefits!
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol derived from xylose – a crystalline sugar found in birch bark[8]. Sweet like sugar but with only 40% of the calories, xylitol is fast becoming the preferred sweetener of health-conscious consumers.
Low-carb dieters will find xylitol appealing, with less than a quarter of the carbohydrates found in cane sugar. It also stands apart from synthetic sweeteners thanks to its natural origins. Besides birch trees, xylitol is found in the cellular structure of fruits like raspberries, and in vegetables like the corn-cob. Even our bodies produce xylitol (between 5-15 grams per day) during normal metabolic processes.
With a glycemic rating of 13, xylitol is metabolized around eight times slower than regular sugar, making it a safer choice for diabetics. Unlike sugar, which provokes the release of insulin in response to its consumption, xylitol is metabolized independently of insulin in the gut. It metabolizes slower and steadier than sugar, making it a much safer sweetener for hypoglycemics and the sugar-sensitive.
And there’s good news for sufferers of cavities or Candida: Xylitol actually discourages the bacterial growth that feeds these conditions. The bacteria that cause candida, dental caries, and even Streptococcus mutans, thrive in acid-based environments, with sugar as their food of choice. Xylitol is non-fermentable, creating an alkaline reaction in the body that bacteria find inhospitable. Xylitol consumption has been shown to dramatically decrease cavities and ear and throat infections, among other infectious organisms.
The dental health community are one of the biggest supporters of Xylitol. Studies have shown that plaque build-up and dental caries can be reduced by 80% with the introduction of moderate amounts of xylitol (up to half an ounce per day). Research also indicates that consuming xylitol may increase bone strength and bone density.
*Important Notes: Xylitol can have a laxative effect, so start slowly. It is best to obtain Xylitol from a manufacturer who uses birch rather than corn. Finally, Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs, so please keep it away from Fido! Xylitol is sometimes made from corn, which includes GMO corn. Look for the higher quality, non-GMO certified, and best of all: birch tree derived form.
300 times sweeter than sugar and without caloric content, the Stevia plant has been used by native people to sweeten food and drink for centuries. Stevia’s popularity as a modern sugar substitute grew in the 1990’s, and new research confirms what tribal cultures knew: this plant provides a safe, affordable and tasty alternative to expensive and potentially dangerous sweeteners.
The study[9], published in August 2017, calls Stevia “a suitable calorie-free sweetener,” with both “pharmacological and therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and anticancer.” Researchers further heralded Stevia’s positive effects on those metabolic conditions aggravated by excess sugar consumption, namely obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
If you haven’t tried Stevia in a while, you will be pleasantly surprised by new formulations. What began as a strong-tasting plant extract only available in health food stores, is now widely available in crystallized-sugar form, as a finely distilled concentrate, and in formulations that approximate the less-sweet taste of cane sugar, but without the negative effects!
Identified as containing more than 181 health-promoting substances[10], honey converts the vital, healing energy of plants into a medium that is perfect for human consumption. Rich in phytonutrients (nutrients absorbed from plants), raw honey is renowned worldwide for having powerful anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties[11].
Raw, unfiltered honey is very different from the pasteurized product you find on most grocery store shelves. Nearly all commercially-produced honey is heated to kill potentially harmful bacteria, reduce crystallization, and improve product flow. Unfortunately, this process also kills the vital, living enzymes and good bacteria which make raw honey one of the world’s oldest-known superfoods.
The bacteria in raw honey serves as a prebiotic: a substance containing helpful microorganisms that aid in the process of digestion. When consumed raw, honey’s natural enzymes aid in the breakdown and assimilation of the many nutrients it contains.
Raw honey is also rich in powerful antioxidants called phenolic compounds, known to play an important role in cancer prevention[12]. These compounds found in honey have also shown promise in reducing arterial blockages and lowering overall risks associated with cardiovascular disease[13].
Perhaps most profound of all is that raw honey contains probiotic strains that are so ancient that one form of Lactobacillus present with certain varieties is believed to be of a lineage 80 million years old. Learn more: Could Eating Honey Be A Form of Microbial Time Travel?
Molasses
Blackstrap molasses, known to sugar-refiners as “final molasses,” refers to the thick, brown syrup that is the end result of boiling sugar cane during the production of table sugar. What sets molasses apart from cane sugar, besides the obvious appearance, is its high nutritional value. Unlike its nutritionally bankrupt cousin, a 3.5 oz serving of blackstrap molasses contains more than a quarter of your daily supply of vital minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and B vitamins[14]. Molasses delivers this nutritional punch with much less sugar, thanks to being at the end of the line of the crystalline-sugar extraction process[15].
Molasses has long been a popular folk remedy, treating everything from menstrual cramps to constipation[16]. An old wives’ tale credits an elixir of molasses and milk with having the power to maintain endless youth and beauty. There may be some truth to this, thanks to molasses’ high antioxidant content[17]. Polyphenols, the plant compounds that imbue antioxidant properties, are abundant in molasses, and have been recognized for having anti-cancer properties[18] in clinical studies.
A 2011 study showed that adding molasses to a high-fat diet had the effect of reducing body weight and body fat percentages, thanks to decreased calorie absorption. Researchers concluded that “supplementing food with molasses extract might be a way to address the escalating rates of overweight and obesity.”[19]
Rich in copper, iron, and calcium, molasses can play a vital role in maintaining healthy blood and bones. This makes molasses a great alternative to non-nutritive sweeteners for pregnant or nursing women, or women who are trying to become pregnant. It also makes a great dietary supplement for women at risk of developing osteoporosis.
These four, healthful alternatives to sugar prove that craving a taste of sweetness doesn’t have to cause cavities, promote weight gain, or lead to blood sugar imbalances. On the contrary, when we look to nature, we find natural foods which actually sweeten our health, as well as our palates.
[10] White JW. Composition of honey. In: Crane E, editor. Honey, a comprehensive survey. London: Bee research Association and Chalfont St Peter; 1975. pp. 157–206.
The Montmorency cherry (or tart cherry) is the most popular sour cherry in the United States and Canada, and is extensively used in cherry pies, jams, preserves and as a juice, among other uses. Montmorency cherries are less sweet than regular cherries, but they have better health benefits than sweet varieties like Marasca cherries.
While both cherries have a variety of phytochemicals contributing both color and antioxidant activity to the fruit, tart cherries contain more. For instance, both sweet and tart cherries are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. Tart cherries also contain vitamin A. Here are some of the properties of these tart cherries.
Strong antioxidants: Montmorency cherries’ anthocyanins and other antioxidant compounds provide the consumer with up to 5000 – 8000 ORAC units per one-ounce serving, depending on the concentration. ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in food, and 5000 – 8000 ORAC units equals the entire day’s recommendation of antioxidants for an average adult.
Pain relief: The antioxidants in Montmorency cherries may help ease the pain of arthritis and osteoarthritis. In fact, anthocyanins specifically have been compared to ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen for their anti-inflammatory properties. They may also reduce the uric acid and the pain related to gout.
Post-exercise recovery: Recent studies have shown that Montmorency cherry consumption effectively reduces inflammation, muscle damage, and muscle soreness following bouts of exercise. It also accelerates exercise recovery.
Improved sleep: Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Tart cherry juice may also increase the availability of tryptophan, an essential amino acid and a precursor to serotonin, which helps with sleep. According to studies, consuming tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks helps increase sleep time by about 84 minutes among older adults with insomnia compared to the placebo. Their sleep tended to be more restful, too.
The following are potential benefits of tart cherries that need further support outside of the laboratory.
On cardiovascular disease risk: Tart cherries may reduce cardiovascular disease risk due to its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Animal studies have shown a reduction in unhealthy triglyceride levels, but more research in humans is needed.
Possible anti-cancer properties: The antioxidant compounds found in tart cherries have been shown to reduce cancer growth and proliferation in cell cultures in laboratory studies. This has been demonstrated in human colon cancer cell lines, but more research is needed to establish effectiveness in humans outside of the lab.
On diabetes: Studies in animals have shown that cherries lower body weight and abdominal fat, which is the type of fat linked with increased heart disease risk, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. For now, we are waiting for the outcomes in human studies.
Cherries are a seasonal product, available in June and July, but in order to get all the benefits from tart cherries year round, you can purchase cherry juice and dried cherries, which have similar properties to fresh cherries. When purchasing tart cherry juice, aim for 100% juice and avoid juice from concentrate. Frozen cherries’ antioxidant content is somewhat lower than that of fresh cherries; canned cherries’ antioxidant content is lower still, but remains significant.
Sonia Davis – Breast Cancer Fighter – Patient Testimony
Good Evening,
My name is Sonia Davis. I’m 47, married to an incredible man and
mother to 2 sweet kids, a daughter 10 and a son who just turned 8. Last May I was diagnosed with Stage IV breast
cancer after a clear 3D mammogram taken two months before in March of
2018. To give you a brief history, my
Mother died of ovarian cancer 6 years ago.
Yearly, I had a mammogram, pelvic ultrasound and CA-125 blood test to
rule out ovarian cancer. In March of
2018 these tests were clear except that my CA-125 was very elevated. I met with a Gyn Oncologist and a week later
I had a full hysterectomy. After surgery
he didn’t see any cancer and I was relieved.
But just 5 days later, the pathology report came back with metastatic
breast cancer found in both ovaries.
About a week after that the PET scan revealed it had metastasized to my
adrenal glands, lymph nodes, spine, right pelvis, sternum and ribs. My diagnosis kept getting worse and
worse. I was given a life expectancy of
about 5 years and my therapy would involve a daily chemo pill and an aromatase
inhibitor to further remove the hormones from my body. My cancer was ER+/PR+/HER2-.
My diagnosis and prognosis seemed to be
pretty hopeless. However, a dear friend contacted
me and asked if I had spoken to Ivelisse Page at Believe Big. I had not, but I knew of Believe Big. I just wasn’t sure that Mistletoe could help
me. My friend said, “You HAVE to talk to
Believe Big.” Ivelisse took time out of
her busy packing and moving schedule to Colorado to talk to me. I walked out of that meeting with HOPE! There was hope for this bleak prognosis.
Believe Big provided me with so many tools
to guide me in this cancer journey. From
finding a Mistletoe doctor – thank you Dr. Hinderberger and Dr. West!!, to
questions to ask your oncologist, to Believe Mugs, and books on navigating this
cancer journey. All of this guidance and
these resources were provided to me free from Believe Big. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read the
“I will have no fear” insert that came in my packet. Fear is probably the most debilitating thing
on this cancer journey.
Please get
involved and donate to Believe Big.
Their staff has been such a source of support for me and advocate for so
many others fighting this battle. The financial
health grants they’ve given me help to offset the cost of my Mistletoe
treatments. I am not sure where I would
be today, had it not been for Believe Big!
I think my journey and quality of life would have been very different
because Mistletoe works!!! After doing
IV Mistletoe and subcutaneous shots my scans have improved dramatically! There is no more cancer in my adrenal glands
or lymph nodes, no cancer found in my sternum or ribs and my spine and pelvis
are 40% better! I look forward to the
day my scan reveals “No Evidence of Disease”!
I am BELIEVING BIG for this day!
Thank you.
Stacy Fritz is both a daughter and a sister of two family members diagnosed with cancer. Her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of 2016. Less than 6 months later, in the fall of 2016, her dad had emergency triple bypass surgery. AND then, just as they began to find a new normal her only sibling Brad was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer last February 2018 at 46 years old. Below you can watch her testimony and it is transcribed below.
Stacy Fritz – Caregiver Perpective
Ivelisse Page & Stacy Fritz BB Dinner 2018
Good Evening-
My name is Stacy Fritz. I am both a daughter and a sister of 2
family members diagnosed with cancer.
This picture was taken almost 1 year ago to the day.
I remember feeling burdened and deeply worried about my family
at last year’s Believe Big Dinner. As odd it sounds though, I also had this
overwhelming feeling that night, that I’d be standing here on this stage
tonight.
I even told Ivelisse at the time this picture was taken….”This
time next year, it will be my family standing on this stage sharing our
message of hope and cure.”
As I’ve come to learn, God answers our prayers on HIS terms.
HIS answer to me after the 2018 Believe Big dinner….was both a
YES and NOT YET.
The YES was to mean that only I would be standing on this stage
tonight to share my deep and profound respect and love for Believe Big, and the
NOT YET answer was for our prayers for complete cure.
Summer 2015 Family Reunion
Our background
story-
This is US, summer of 2015. My gorgeous family of 12 in Hilton
Head for our annual family vacation… Healthy, happy, connected,
What I didn’t know then was that everything would change shortly
after that summer.
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of 2016.
Less than 6 months later, in the fall of 2016, my dad had
emergency triple bypass surgery.
AND then, just as we began find our new normal and return to
life’s joy, including both of my parents recovering…
My only sibling, my brother Brad was diagnosed with Stage 4
colorectal cancer last February 2018 at 46 years old.
In 18 months, my original squad including my mom, dad and
younger brother would be faced with life changing illnesses.
How was I introduced to Believe Big?
My introduction to Believe Big was probably different than it was
for all of you. I’m guessing you found your way to Believe Big after you or
someone you love was diagnosed with cancer.
My connection happened BEFORE my world turned upside down. I
believe it was orchestrated by God and delivered in a field of sunflowers.
Let me explain…
This is me doing
a little yoga in the sunflowers, 2014.
I’m in a huge field of sunflowers owned by my dear friend, Cindy
Franzoni. We were just acquaintances back then, connected only by our sons’
friendship.
My son told me one day that his friend’s family, the Franzonis,
plant a huge field of sunflowers every 2 years. His words…”Mom, it’s like
a million sunflowers.”
I was intrigued.
After just one visit to this sunflower field, where these
beautiful sunflower faces stretched further than I could see, I was in awe.
Their sunflower heads were held high, pointed in the direction of the sun and
glowed like a sea of happy faces. I thought to myself, they look like a huge
group of smiling friends who are deeply connected.
I contacted Cindy, who again, didn’t really know me and I asked,
“Can I just do a little yoga in your sunflower fields?” I wanted to be right in
the middle of their magic.
The sunflowers lasted a short 3 weeks. I visited “my group of
smiling friends” every day of those 3 weeks. A little yoga, a lot of pictures,
but mostly just to sit in their beauty.
This field of sunflowers had a profound impact on me in
2014.
2 years later, in 2016…Cindy planted her sunflower field again.
Scheduled to bloom in September.
I made another request of Cindy in 2016. I asked and she
graciously said YES to hosting my company’s first fundraiser, Glow for Girl, in
her field of sunflowers. We created the event to raise money and bring
awareness to breast cancer survivors and the needs of their families impacted
by their diagnosis.
2016 – Heidi Kelly, Dawn Huffman & Ivelisse Page
Look who attended… Ivelisse Page and I were introduced
here in the field of sunflowers by our 2 mutual beautiful friends.
After that event, Believe Big became such an important part of
my life.
Believe Big connected our family to doctors and resources that I
know would not have happened had I not met Ivelisse.
This organization has become both my community of support AND
where God has chosen me to serve.
I was drawn to Believe Big the same way those beautiful
sunflower faces are drawn to the sun.
Believe Big represents HOPE, FAITH and BEAUTY even when
unexpected happens.
Trust me…the unexpected happens.
Statistically speaking, almost 40% of us in this room will receive the
diagnosis of cancer. That means the other 60% of us in the room will be
impacted in some way by that same diagnosis.
Today, my family’s story is this…
My mom is a breast cancer survivor and thriving.
My brother, Brad, has navigated his year long journey with complementary
medicine including mistletoe and ketogenic nutrition, with traditional clinical
treatment AND with his deep profound faith.
To me, Brad is a remarkable example of Believing Big.
While God has said NOT YET to all of our prayers for Brad…
Our family waits confidently with hopeful anticipation for his
complete cure.
As I continue to travel this journey with my family, I have
gratefully accepted my tap on the shoulder from God to be a part of this
incredible organization… I have joined the Believe Big team on their Board of
Advisors to help patients and families face, fight and overcome cancer.
I am guided not only by God, but also when I think about it,
from a few lessons I have learned from these enchanting sunflowers.
Lesson 1-
FACE and LEAN into the SUN/SON. I know that
the best way to move through this obstacle is to lean in and face the sun, just
like those awe-inspiring sunflowers in Cindy’s field. The lesson is really from
the son spelled capital S-O-N. It is a wonderful way to connect to our purpose,
our prayers and what HE wants from us.
Believe Big reminds me to lean into and face the S-O-N.
Lesson 2
BELIEVE BIG. A sunflower grows from the stalk – the sunflower’s
metaphoric neck. As one side of the sunflower stalk grows it leans toward the
sun. As the sun shifts positions through day, the other side of the sunflower
stalk shifts grows in the new direction of the sun.
The sunflower grows by sticking the stalk/her neck out again and
again in the direction of the sun.
Ivelisse and her team…every day they give hope, every day they
believe big AND every day they stick out their necks for their patients and
their families to face, fight and overcome cancer.
Believe Big reminds me to GO AHEAD, BELIEVE BIG, stand tall in
what you hope for…stick out your neck, even when someone you love may not
believe big just yet.
Lesson 3-
STAY CENTERED, GROUNDED AND USE NATURE’S MEDICINE AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE.
Believe Big is not only sharing information about mistletoe
therapy. They are giving patients and their families access to complementary
tools to heal themselves, to stay grounded and to stay balanced during this
unexpected journey.
Believe Big provides education and connection to tools and
resources for us to tap into including leaning on the ones that our bodies
already have like the breath, the healing effect of sleep, the power of good
clean food and the miracle of prayer.
Their vision….to see cancer patients and their families discover
their pathway to healing.
To me, Believe Big is also pollinating the world with the
message of hope.
why should others be involved with believe big?
Believe Big runs this organization as if it is for just ONE
patient. That’s how they make you feel. As if you were only ONE person needing support…and
not just if you are the patient.
My mom and brother were the patients and yet, the loving
kindness and support was delivered directly to me, as if I were just ONE ….the
only daughter or the only sister of a cancer patient needing resources.
If you think about it, it makes sense. Believe Big began as ONE.
God planted this seed when HE held Ivelisse’s hand thru her own journey with
her diagnosis.
HE bestowed his blessings on her and she now pollenates and
spreads the message of hope and healing.
Ivelisse’s INTENTION, her ATTENTION, her prayers and now, her
Believe Big actions are just like the seeds planted in my friend Cindy’s
sunflower field, small but have grown and flourished mightily under the
Son.
The seeds Ivelisse
planted thru her recovery were the beginning of something beautiful, something
BIG for us to BELIEVE that now stretch further than we can ever imagine or see
– thank God for all of us.
Like Ivelisse, all of us
have the capacity to have this kind of impact, the capacity to inspire someone,
the capacity to believe in something BIGGER than a cancer diagnosis, the
capacity to plant even just ONE seed.
I am very excited to share with you the progress that our team has accomplished in just a few short months. We are in the beginning stages of developing a fully-licensed residential cancer research hospital. It will be a state of the art, green certified facility enabling the best of modern science and technology along with ancient therapies and wisdom procured from around the world. Patients will come for a precise treatment itinerary based on personalized testing, comprehensive medical markers and algorithmic intelligence.
They will take home recommendations to continue progress and return as often as needed. A cutting-edge data collection and aggregation process will support ongoing research that improves cancer care beyond the center. We will supply all meals grown on our land with a commercial and teaching kitchen for patients and the public. It will be in a nature dense environment that will enable patients to rest, restore, and heal. This facility will also be a training site for practitioners, patients and caregivers to clarify the synergistic effects of a comprehensive approach to healing.
Upon sharing this vision, a common question is “can I go here even if I’m healthy?” In fulfilling a goal of improving lives of people with cancer, one of the most successful strategies is to prevent a diagnosis. Because of this, we will have a wellness arm where you can come for a wellness retreat to gain insight into your metabolic state and then go home with an effective plan to help you thrive. All who come will be refreshed physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
This concept and vision for what we are calling The Believe Big Institute of Health does not exist yet anywhere in the world. Many have pieces of the puzzle but not the whole picture. In order for you to get a glimpse into this vision, we have created this short video for you. Want to partner with Believe Big to support the creation of this future institute of health? Visit: http://plusticplus.com/believebig/donate/
