Author Chris Wark Provides Practical Steps on How We Can Beat Cancer
After dominating multiple Amazon sales charts in pre-release, best-selling author Chris Wark's new book, Beat Cancer Daily: 365 Days of Inspiration, Encouragement, and Actions Steps to Survive and Thrive, is available now, in both hardback and ebook formats. Published by Hay House Publishing and distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services, Beat Cancer Daily is available wherever books are sold.
In the weeks prior to its release, the latest from the internationally acclaimed speaker, health coach, and patient advocate claimed the top spot on not one, but three of Amazon.com's Hot New Releases charts.
Beat Cancer Daily shares simple, practical habits for individuals to implement into their daily routine to counter today's toxic environment's negative impact. And it is a timely reminder of the power of the mind and its effect upon physical health-specifically, how self-talk can be a constructive or destructive force.
In addition to mindful self-talk, Beat Cancer Daily focuses on removing those things from our lives that contribute to toxicity and interfere with a healing lifestyle and mindset. Wark suggests eliminating alcohol and tobacco, pharmaceuticals, switching to a plant-based diet, filtering your water to remove toxins, and replacing personal and home-cleaning supplies with organic or non-toxic brands. Step-by-step, Wark walks readers through small, effective choices they can make to increase their chance of defeating cancer or other chronic illnesses.
Q: Thanks Chris for doing this interview with us. Let's start with yourself - when and how did you discover you had cancer?
A: I was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in December 2003, at 26 years old. It was a total shock and I was rushed into surgery. They removed a third of my colon and told me I needed nine to 12 months of chemotherapy, and that my odds of living five years were about 60% after surgery.
Q: After surgery, you chose not to have chemotherapy. How did you come to that decision?
A: After surgery, I was thinking about my life and my future and the odds of my survival and the idea of poisoning my way back to health with chemotherapy did not make sense to me. I did not have peace about it. And so, I prayed about it and asked God. I said, "God, if there's another way besides chemotherapy, please show me."
And two days later, I got a book. It was sent to me from a man in Alaska who knew my Dad, and that book was written by another man who had healed his colon cancer with a radical diet and lifestyle change. And I knew immediately it was an answer to prayer. It was the alternate path, the divergent path into the woods, as Robert Frost says, that I was looking for, and it was a scary path, but I knew that God had provided a way for me and I trusted that He was going to see me through it.
Q: In your opinion, what do you think are the major causes of cancer?
A: Up to 90% of cancers are caused by diet, lifestyle, and environment. We are eating an incredibly unhealthy diet full of processed food, fast food and junk food, artificial, fake food, and way too much meat and dairy. The countries around the world with the lowest rates of cancer eat mostly plant-based diet, about 95% plant-based on average.
Our lifestyle factors also contribute to cancer. That would be lack of exercise, being sedentary, and being overweight or obese, which is also connected to diet. An unhealthy diet and lack of exercise contributes to obesity, which is the second leading cause of cancer.
Other unhealthy lifestyle factors include smoking, which is the number one cause of cancer, alcohol, which also causes cancer, and illegal and prescription drugs, which can contribute to cancer.
Environment is the third factor in cancer. There are a lot of toxic pollutants in our world-in our environment, in our air, water, and food, and in many of our workplaces. Toxic chemical pollutants are another major contributing factor.
Those things account for up to 90% of cancers, which means that 10% or less are genetic. Most cancers have to do with our choices in life, which is an empowering message. It means that if the choices we made contributed to our disease, we can also make choices that contribute to our health and healing and recovery.
Q: How then can we avoid these causes?
A: Well, I kind of answered that in the previous question, but the most powerful things you can do for yourself in order to prevent and heal cancer are things that cost you nothing. Eating a diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and plant food costs the same amount of money as eating a diet of processed food, junk food, fast food and restaurant food.
Exercise costs you nothing. It doesn't cost anything to go for a run or a bike or a swim, to do sit-ups and push-ups, to watch an exercise video on YouTube and jump around and get sweaty. Detoxification is something that we all need to make a priority, and exercise promotes detoxification. It moves your lymphatic system and increases circulation and sweating, which is a powerful detoxifier of heavy metals in your body.
It's also important to be mindful of the toxic chemicals you're exposed to at home and in the work environment. And it's a very good idea to reduce or limit your exposure to harsh chemical cleaning products and body care products. Switch to natural non-toxic brands, and if you work in an environment that's exposing you to toxic fumes, consider a new job, a new profession. You can't make all these changes in one day, but these are changes that almost anyone can make. If you want to have a good quality of life and reduce your risk of diseases like cancer-and increase your odds of survival, if you have cancer-then it makes sense to take steps to change your life.
Q: How would you define a healthy diet?
A: A healthy diet is as close to nature as possible, eating foods in their whole food form. Going back to the Garden of Eden and eating a diet that God made for us, which is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and spices. A diet with a minimal animal food-less than 5% animal products and little to zero processed food, fast food and junk food. A whole food, plant-based diet is the healthiest diet humans can eat.
Q: Where can our readers find recipes as well as what foods are healthy?
A: On my website, chrisbeatcancer.com, I have some recipes and interviews with people of all ages who have healed all types and stages of cancer against the odds, using a holistic approach. The site also features a number of articles on anti-cancer nutrition and interviews with doctors, experts, and scientists from around the world.
Q: You have written a new book Beat Cancer Daily: 365 Days of Inspiration, Encouragement, and Actions Steps to Survive and Thrive. How can this book help those who have cancer? How can this book encourage all of us?
A: Beat Cancer Daily is my brand-new book, and it is 365 days of inspiration, encouragement, and action steps to survive and thrive. It's not just for cancer patients; it's for anyone who wants to improve their quality of life, to take steps each day to make their life better. There are so many small shifts you can make to your daily routine that can have a tremendous impact on your quality of life and your health. And Beat Cancer Daily was written to be a daily devotional, a daily reader, and to give practical advice and helpful encouragement every single day for an entire year.
Q: Throughout your ordeal, how had Jesus helped you through?
A: Without my faith in Jesus Christ, I don't know where I would be today. He is the Prince of Peace. He is my Rock and my Redeemer. I cast my cares on Him daily and especially did so through my cancer journey. One of the things that cancer taught me was to give my fear to Jesus, to trust Him every day, and not to worry. Jesus is my Ultimate Healer, my Savior and my Lord, and I love him with all my heart.
One of the first verses I found when I was diagnosed was Romans 8:28, where it says, "And we know that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." And that verse gave me tremendous comfort. And it was a place that I could exercise my faith and believe that God was somehow going to work this bad thing-cancer-for my good. I didn't understand how or why, but I know now that He did work it for my good and He used adversity to bless me, which is what He often does-scratch that-what He always does.
For more information, visit chrisbeatcancer.com/beatcancerdaily.
Tags : Chris Wark's new book Beat Cancer Daily: 365 Days of Inspiration chris wark new book chris wark interview chris beats cancer chris wark Chris Wark BEAT CANCER DAILY
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