Natural Herbs for Cancer

I am not a stranger to dealing with cancer. I have never had it, but I've had friends and family members have it. Some have passed on, some have survived. It's a tough disease. You watch someone fight and you want to feel their victory - and it may never come.

It's hard to cope with.

As an herbalist, I often deal with tough medical difficulties by and life situations by hitting the books. So, whenever the topic of cancer starts to frighten me I hit the books. It helps give me a sense of control and purpose, just in case I need that knowledge.

Being on the cancer-ride with someone you care about is very, very scary. Learning how to prevent it gives me peace of mind. Finding information on how to fight it with the natural lifestyle is even more empowering.

It goes without saying that the healthier you are overall, the least likely it is that you'll get cancer. And that still isn't a guarantee. (RIP Bob Kennedy, you helped so many of us get and stay healthy, and it was sad to see you go...)

But, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our best defense. Here are some things I think are especially important.

• Exercise. Keep your body strong and fit.

• Control Stress. Manage stress using various tactics. Take nervine herbs like skullcap or adoptogenic plants if you have to.

• Eat right. Eat all the right foods for your body and indulge only occasionally.

• Lots of herbs and spices. Spices are rich in antioxidants, minerals, and other health boosters. Plus, they make your food taste great!

• Feel joy. What makes you happy? Do those things! This is directly tied into stress relief, but I list it separately because I think it's important on its own.

I started keeping a journal that helps me keep track of my own health. In it, I list things that I am doing right and things that I can improve about my lifestyle. For example, right now I am focused on losing weight in a gentle way. I don't want to obsess because it will stress out both my body and my mind, and that is certainly the last thing I need.

Most of the herbs I am going to list here are widely available. You don't really have to do anything except cook with them! If you want to take things further, you could make a tea, sweeten it with honey, and enjoy it. But if these are rich in your diet you won't need to do that - especially for prevention.

• Rosemary. Fresh rosemary and dried rosemary both work. It has gotten attention as an anti-cancer herb and is definitely easy to cook with.

• Cumin. This has been all over the news. In the video I have shared, below, cumin as an anti cancer is explained in more detail.

• Parsley. Parsley is so prevalent in cooking, you won't have any trouble boosting your cuisine with it. Just use it for a garnish! It is another herb that is an important part o an anti-cancer lifestyle.

• Italian herbs. This includes thyme, oregano, marjoram, etc. These boost the diet with nutrients and can even help provide antioxidants which will get rid of the free radicals in your body (cancer precursor cells).

I found a great article online going into more detail about these natural herbs for cancer. Overall, do your best to add herbs and spices to your food and will not only help you live in anti-cancer lifestyle, it will also boost your health.

Before I sign off, I just wanted to tell you that no matter what, you should see a doctor. The earlier your cancer is diagnosed the better off you'll be. Not only that, but even if you choose to use natural remedies for cancer, your doctor should monitor your progress.

In the end, you should do what is right for you and not stray from that. Some choose not to use alternative remedies, some do. Others use alternative remedies at the same time as using conventional therapies like radiation or chemotherapy. No matter what, your doctor should be in the loop.