Thoughts on Chef AJ's Cancer Diagnosis

I recently listened to Chef AJ's heartbreaking announcement of her lung cancer diagnosis. If you are not familiar with her, she is a renowned plant-based chef and author and created the Ultimate Weight Loss Program. (Learn more at www.chefaj.com) What was even more heartbreaking was that since the original diagnosis in 2022, she delayed sharing the news for fear of backlash from her followers and others in the health and plant-based fields. She is a public figure in the field of health and wellness and the stress of having that hanging over her head while coming forward must have been daunting. 

Her lung cancer was detected during a scan for another health issue. It's what we call an "incidentaloma", something that is found while looking for something else. She was misdiagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic disease affecting the urinary bladder.  She was being treated for 100 days when finally, a test revealed that she had a raging UTI. Six months later, a chest scan revealed the tumor on her lung. You can listen to the whole story here (https://www.youtube.com/live/36XThEsfLCg?si=rtDGBNrcYQnhYNIW).

Her fear of revealing her diagnosis and being judged has caused her much anxiety. She also was brave enough to share that anxiety and stress has been a major issue for years. It sounds like she is doing all the right things, surrounding herself with support from friends, especially for her mental health. She is equipped with the resources to get her through the treatments. I was glad to hear that she went to True North Health for a water fast. Water fasting should always be supervised and the recommended 4-5 days fast will put your body in ketosis and put the cancer cells in apoptosis (death).  This process facilitates the job of chemotherapy. 

Her friend Dr. Matt Lederman, who was her guest on the above video, stated that we are all walking around with cancer cells. Our bodies are bombarded daily with toxins from unhealthy food, the air we breathe, the environment we live in, etc. I have talked about this fact when teaching on the immune system. Our cells, when in contact with these toxins, start to mutate and form tumors. This can take years and years. There are an enormous number of mutations that occur. Our cells, however, have numerous mechanisms to repair these mutations. There are over 100 known DNA repair genes.  

Should we all be walking around in fear? Of course not! Knowing the risk factors will help you make decisions about your health. Look at your diet, weight, alcohol consumption, prescription drugs, chemicals/pollution, diabetes, smoking, stress/psychological state, and social isolation. Diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. don't just grow overnight. They are a result of your diet and lifestyle and the listed risk factors. Diet and lifestyle are the most important thing to do to give yourself the best chance at keeping disease at bay and also to help you get through a diagnosis. If you eat healthy long enough, that becomes your preferred way of eating. It doesn't need to be perfect; it just needs to be consistent. It's the totality, the breadth, of your eating pattern that makes the difference. 

 Chef AJ has a very healthy eating pattern. Her diet is the foundation which will help her get through her treatments. Her self-confessed anxiety could have played a role in her diagnosis, but I am not here to guess what is going on in her life. She is very stressed about her husband being her caregiver. As she said, "anxiety is driving the bus", which is why she is getting counsel for her emotional and spiritual health. 

Our emotional and spiritual health have a profound effect on healing our bodies.  This is a concept that has its roots in early Jewish culture. When the greeting "Shalom" was extended, it was wishing the person total health in body, mind and spirit. They recognized the connection in all three areas. 

I highly recommend Kelly Turner's book "Radical Remission" to anyone with a cancer diagnosis. She outlines the factors that are important in surviving a cancer diagnosis. Not only radically changing your diet, but other factors such as releasing suppressed emotions, increasing positive emotions, deepening your spiritual connection, and having strong reasons for living are discussed. Turner states in her book that the mind leads the body. When you have a strong thought or emotion, powerful hormones are released instantly into your bloodstream; they either have a beneficial or detrimental effect on your immune system, depending on the nature of that thought or emotion.

Stress is a particular emotion that has a negative effect on the body. While stress is a normal bodily function and an inevitable part of daily life, chronic stress and its effects can be destructive. Stress weakens the immune system and can negatively affect every cell in your body. Chronic stress can aggravate inflammation in the body. The body and the mind are not separate!

Speaking of stress and transparency, I have shared with some of you my husband's diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. It has been over 2 years of doctor's appointments and a life altering experience. He has had other health issues that are Agent Orange (the "gift" that keeps on giving) related. Most have been reversed (cancer) and manageable. But not this. Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure and is "managed" with dopamine agonists, a drug with many side effects. I am not the one with the disease, I am the caregiver, which comes with its own set of stressors. I can understand AJ's concern for her husband's role as caregiver. however, she has the capacity to advocate for herself with her doctors. My husband is in a continuous cognitive decline, which leaves me to manage his healthcare, as well as everything that entails. It leaves me to manage the house and finances. It leaves me to make all decisions for both of us. It is overwhelming and exhausting. I grieve many losses every day. This definitely was not what we had in mind for our "golden" years.  My friends ask me how I am doing all of this. I am not. I can't do it but for the grace of God who gives me strength. It is exactly like AJ said. It is not one day at a time. It is one moment at a time.

I am grateful that I have the tools in my "toolbox" to use to get through the moments. I know that I need to maintain the optimal way of eating for the both of us to keep my immune system strong. I am learning to ask for help. I have caregivers so that I can go to church and to the gym to manage the stress and to give myself some much need respite. I have a wonderful therapist. I have good friends who check up on me. Hearing their voice or reading their text messages lift my spirits. They get me through the moments. The most difficult part lately is getting quality sleep as this is almost a 24/7 job. When I feel the stress, I escape for some deep breathing, for prayer, for scripture reading, and a good cry, 

It is important to stay focused on the connection of body, mind and spirit. Respect your body, walk away from anything or anyone who is toxic in your life (cortisol creators). Become aware of what you are putting in your body and your mind. Look for the incentives to change any bad habits. As Thomas Fuller states "health is not valued until sickness comes".