Holistic Living - What
is Cancer?
Interview with Naturopathic Doctor, Richard Dodd
Cancer is a term used for diseases
in which abnormal cells divide without control and are
able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread
to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph
systems.
- National
Cancer Institute
Hello everyone,
This week’s Vlog is very special
to me as it really hits home. I feel honored and privileged
to have this opportunity to be able to share my interview
with Naturopathic Doctor, Richard Dodd of the Naturopathic & Cancer
clinic in Mississauga, Ontario. (http://www.naturalpath-cancerclinic.com)
The reason this interview is so
personal for me is because for the past few months my
mother has been a patient of Dr. Dodd’s, as he
has been treating her with Mega Dose Intravenous Vitamin
C to help her battle against cancer.
To give you some quick background,
my mother has been fighting cancer on and off for more
years than I care to remember, and last year was given
a terminal prognosis, with a very small amount of time
left. At Christmas last year, she was hospitalized with
pneumonia and to say that there was a lot of uncertainty
as to her chances for survival would be an understatement.
It was unbelievably frustrating because it seemed so
obvious that the mainstream medicines, mainly chemotherapy,
that were used to “treat” her cancer were
actually rapidly destroying her body and spirit. When
she had finally had enough, our family worked together
to investigate alternative health care, more specifically
Mega Dose Intravenous Vitamin C therapy, which lead us
to Dr. Richard Dodd.
Dr. Dodd biography
- Dr. Dodd graduated with an honors
degree in Human Biology and Biomedical Sciences
- He is a graduate of the Canadian
College of Naturopathic Medicine
- He has been in private practice
for over 11 years, operating The Natural Path Alternative
Health Care Centre.
- He is a former Vice President
of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors,
as well as former President of the Ontario Association
of Naturopathic Doctors.
- As part of his practice, Dr. Dodd
utilizes Homeopathy, Botanical (herbal) Medicine, Clinical
Nutrition, Lifestyle Counseling, Acupuncture, and Intravenous
Therapies.
- The clinic is able to treat many
other ailments but Dr. Dodd’s special area of expertise
and passion is Cancer prevention and treatment.
INTERVIEW
DR. RICHARD DODD
By Nathane L. Jackson cscs & kbts
Q. Why has
cancer prevention and treatment become your passion?
A. The main reason cancer has become
my passion is because people are focusing on the fear
of cancer more so than ever before.
There is such a need for naturopathic
treatment of cancer because people are having difficulty
getting through chemo and radiation treatment and all
the side effects that go along with them. Also a large
number of cancer patients who are under the age of 30
are becoming an epidemic.
(Some symptoms of chemotherapy are
fatigue, pain, hair loss, nausea & vomiting, infection,
anemia, kidney and bladder effect, blood clotting, fluid
retention, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, constipation,
low platelet count, mouth, gum and throat problems, central
nervous system problems, skin and nail effects. Radiation
can cause burns and destroys healthy tissue.
For more detailed statistics on
all cancers affecting all age groups and by gender visit
http://www.cancer.ca
Q. Is it true that each
human being houses cancer cells in their body?
A. Yes, it just depends on what
kind of environment is present in each person’s
body. It comes down to whether your body provides a desirable
or undesirable environment for cancer cells to thrive
in.
Q. Since we all carry cancer
cells, are there factors that contribute to a person’s
cancer cells becoming active?
A. Yes, there are four factors that
play a role in the growth of cancer cells. Your body’s
acidity, low oxygen levels, compromised immune system,
and toxic environments.
Heavy metals are detrimental to
our bodies and are the cause of many different health
conditions, one being cancer. Heavy metals cause mutated
cells in humans and then our body replicates these mutated
cells at a faster rate than our body can process them
and in time these cells become cancerous. This is why
antioxidants are so important to the human body.
Acidity: When the body becomes acidic
(by bodily fluids dropping below pH 7.0) oxygen is driven
out of the body thereby activating cancerous cells.
Low Oxygen: Cancer cannot survive
in high oxygen environments; on average most of us have
low oxygen levels in our cells due to our poor lifestyle
choices.
Compromised Immune System: An overworked
and weakened immune system cannot kill cancer cells as
fast as they multiply.
Toxic Environments: Toxins, carcinogens,
radiation, and viruses cause more cells to become cancerous,
and allow them to thrive.
Q. As part of my mother’s
treatment, you have given her a diet specific to her
blood type. How is that helpful to fight cancer?
A. Blood typing is very important;
I have studied and attended countless hours of lectures
with Dr. D’Adamo*. It has been stated in literature
and proven statistically that blood type’s A and
AB have a weaker immune system and are more susceptible
to cancer.
People often have a misconception
when they think about the nutritional aspects of blood
typing. Blood typing is more concerned with how a food
mixes with your blood stream versus its nutritional breakdown.
In the end, is the food you eat going to cause a negative
reaction or a favorable reaction in your body?
With regards to your mom, an example
of this would be yams and almonds. Yams are nutritionally
better than white potatoes and almonds are superior when
compared to other nuts. In this case, dealing with type
A negative blood, white potatoes, peanuts & soy nuts
create a favorable reaction in your mom’s blood.
*Peter J D'Adamo ND is a naturopathic
physician noted for his popular books on the Blood Type
Diet. His series of books suggest that appropriate diet
and lifestyle depend in part on an individual's blood
type. An acknowledged expert in naturopathic medicine,
Dr. D'Adamo's numerous publications and best-selling
books have greatly contributed to our understanding of
dietary individuality. http://www.dadamo.com/ )
Q. One of the reasons I
have taken a more natural and holistic approach to
my own nutrition is due to the fact that I obviously
have a history of cancer in my family. Even though
I now consume a 95% organic diet, I exercise daily,
cook with stainless steel pans and prefer green tea
to coffee how worried should I be about my own cancer
cells becoming active?
A. I look at it as probability.
If you can stay away from the four major cancer-causing
aspects then your chances are good. However, your environment
can play such a crucial role in whether or not you provide
the right atmosphere for cancer. Things like stress,
depression, living in a basement apartment that contains
a high level of mold etc. can all trigger cancer cells
and their reproduction.
Q. Could you explain how
my mother’s Mega Dose Intravenous Vitamin C treatments
work?
A. Cancer cells do not like Vitamin
C and other antioxidants to begin with. They do not have
the enzyme to co-exist with Vitamin C. Vitamin C does
not compromise the rest of the healthy cells in the body,
which makes mega dose treatment a more comprehensive
way to fight cancer. With mega dose treatments, we inject
a high concentration of Vitamin C directly into the blood.
By doing this we allow the patients’ body the opportunity
to fight the cancer cells on its own by creating an environment
that cancer does not thrive in.
Q. Are there side effects
to this treatment?
A. There are very few side effects,
so few that I would not even call them side effects.
Dehydration may occur due to the vitamin C drawing out
water from cells. From longevity prospective, because
the mega dose Vitamin C is a very acidic procedure a
burning feeling in the veins may occur. This is why treatments
are generally not carried on longer than three months,
at which time the patient is transferred to a maintenance
program. For example, a patient like your mom has been
getting treatments twice a week for two months, but has
since changed to a once a week treatment schedule. In
time, her maintenance program may be down to once every
two weeks or even once a month.
Q. What are the Success
Rates?
A. Success rates are very empirical.
Pain and suffering is a measuring stick as well, and
how people are feeling. People want to feel good and
be able to do things with their family and see their
kids or grandchildren grow up. People don’t necessarily
come in looking to be cured outright but they do not
want the side effects that come with the more mainstream
treatments. People generally want to engage in the vitamin
C treatment for as long as they can.
Q. I know how my mother’s
treatment has benefited her, but since alternative
health care is not a mainstream practice in today’s
society, how do you suppose we could spread the word
and educate others?
A. Well, I have been at this for
over fifteen years and I have already experienced and
am seeing the change. People are now educating themselves
and constantly telling me that they want to treat the
cause of the problem and not just the symptoms. We are
nearing the end of the baby boom generation who believe
what their parents believed in and that is that modern
medicine is the only way to get better. People are now
starting to let go of that and educate themselves on
what other alternatives they may have.
This concludes my interview and
I would like to thank Dr Dodd for taking the time to
chat with me and to give some insight into the benefits
of alternative heath care. It is critically important
for each of us to take control of our own health and
to explore the many options we have to help ensure our
own longevity.
In case you’re wondering how
my mother is doing, the answer is fantastic! In the six
short months she has been a patient of Dr. Dodd’s,
she has completely stopped her chemotherapy, and she’s
working, traveling and living her life to the fullest.
If you met her today for the first time and she told
you that, just seven months ago, she was unable to leave
the house without oxygen, or even get up the stairs on
her own, you probably wouldn’t believe it. I hope
her story inspires you to reexamine your own health,
or perhaps benefits someone you love who is living with
cancer.
Thank you for taking the time to
read this important interview!
Train Body, Mind & Spirit
Nathane L. Jackson cscs & kbts
NATHANE JACKSON FITNES
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