How My Tumor Led to Toxin-Free Living

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Sometimes, life gives us unexpected gifts that come in the form of crises or changes. For me, it was both. Just before I turned 50, I discovered a tennis-ball-sized tumor in my chest. The pain was so severe that I needed pain meds during the day and sleeping pills at night. Although the tumor was benign, it came as a shock because I had been living what I believed to be a healthy lifestyle —  I ate well, watched my weight, exercised, didn’t smoke, and even practiced meditation.

I visited three top thoracic surgeons. One wanted to remove it by cutting me under my collarbone. The second suggested cutting under my armpit, and the third wanted to remove one of my ribs to access the tumor. Each said it would be a risky surgery; a nerve could be cut during tumor removal, and I could permanently lose feeling in my right hand.

I was grateful that in my work as president/co-owner of a renowned adult education company, I had learned about overcoming fear and embracing change (from inspiring people like Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra!). Though I felt scared, I instinctively knew that I had to take charge of my health and make changes. But how? I started by making small but significant lifestyle shifts. First, I started a week-long organic, raw, green vegetable juice cleanse that included drinking wheatgrass juice and having colonics. After three days of this, I noticed a definite reduction in pain and no longer needed sleeping pills. I marveled at how I had simplified what I was putting IN my body and it was helping.

Next, I took a look at what I was putting ON my body –  our skin is our largest organ, and the chemicals in the creams and lotions we apply enter our bloodstreams! I remember looking at the label on a bottle of skin lotion and being shocked at all the unpronounceable chemicals, added colors, and fragrances it contained. With my background as a journalist, I began researching scientific studies on skincare chemicals and found that they can act as irritants and impact both our endocrine and immune systems. I swapped out my moisturizers and creams for coconut oil and ditched my deodorant for baking soda. I also began to incorporate skin brushing and sauna time into my routine.

I was feeling better and better, so I looked at the next level of making changes: what I SURROUNDED myself with at home. I saw that the household cleaners I used were harsh and toxic. So, I switched to using white vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide to clean. I dumped my fragranced candles and started using essential oils and beeswax candles instead. I bought a natural mattress and remediated the high electromagnetic fields I had in my home.

Just five months after changing what I put in, on, and around my body, the pain was gone. Six months later I had another scan, and the tumor had disappeared!

My tumor and the pain it brought was a huge wake-up call. I cleaned up my diet, dedicated myself to researching the link between environmental toxins and health, and learned how to make my home environment a safe haven by eliminating the toxic chemicals in my everyday products. Beyond the tumor disappearing, my safe-haven home boosted my immune system and improved my overall health and wellbeing. I started feeling great and even looking and feeling younger than my age!

My health challenge was a gift – even though it was impossible to see it at first. It sparked a curiosity about the human body’s self-healing abilities and led me to reinvent myself and my life. I ended up selling my business (which was causing me a lot of stress at the time), and began feeding my curiosity with a never-ending research quest. This led me to write a top-selling book, “Super Natural Home”, to share what I had learned so others wouldn’t have to learn the hard way. My journey towards a toxin-free life started with sickness, but that doesn’t need to be the case. The world is becoming more complex and serious by the minute, but we all have the power to start making our own lives simpler and healthier. Start small if you need to, but start today  — you won’t regret the results of a healthier, happier life!

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