My empathy cannot imagine how terrifying, soul-sucking, and physically draining it must be to endure chemotherapy. Cancer happens due to a constellation of unescapable, modern-day environmental conditions and our unholy processed American diet of nutritional nothingness. I do not intend taking a walk in those shoes.

Disease generally occurs after we abuse our temple or deprive it of basic vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that sustain health over extended periods. God gifted each holy temple brilliant healing mechanisms that, when fed proper nutrition, do their job. Our temple owns an enormous, astonishing, persistent capacity to heal itself and keep us alive. Our trillions of cells are programed to recognize the carbon-based nutrition they require from God's apothecary. Sadly, we've wandered – led astray from nature, disconnected from earth. Sleepwalking.

My every cell squirmed uneasily when I heard a close friend, renewing himself in remission, tell me his doctor stated, "Eat anything you like" – ignoring our miraculous, built-in healing system's requirements for nutrients to endure and recover. Eating a well-balanced, plant-based diet and staying nourished during cancer treatment helps the temple recover, and keeps you strong. The stronger, more nourished the temple, the faster it heals.

A renewing, good-fat diet includes fresh local eggs, avocados, cold pressed olive oil, avocado oil, unrefined virgin coconut oil, flax and chai seed oil, and plenty of garden-fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts.

A fibrous "raw food" diet is a vegan type of diet known to kill cancer cells, directly or indirectly. Cancer patients are susceptible to infection from the disease and treatments that destroy white blood cells. So, mindfully wash and rinse raw foods thoroughly to remove field bacteria and viruses. Raw produce grown on or near the earth can be more contaminated than cooked. Avoid mysterious raw salad bars in favor of cooked produce.

The National Cancer Institute says low-grade processed foods and ingredients, and genetically altering God's garden may encourage the abnormal or uncontrolled self-renewal of cancer stem cells. Avoid all refined foods – (white) wheat, bread, white flour pasta, hydrogenated oils, fast food, and so on. Don’t put it in your mouth if it is not from nature.

Nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite can be exacerbated by fried foods. Chemo patients often have trouble getting enough calories, so well-meaning friends and family may urge Grandma's fattening, high-calorie fried chicken, cookies and cakes, or fast food French fries, but they may do more harm than good. Instead, offer baked or grilled foods as tolerated.

CancerActive website reported: "More than 6 studies in three years show glucose – simple sugar – feeds cancer cells. Cancer Watch noted "high fructose corn syrup (think fizzy soft drinks and hundreds of other processed products) was even worse. Cutting out these sugars restricts a cancer’s growth. Yep, sugar is cancer cell fertilizer. Backing off on sugar shuts down that vital food supply.

Additionally sugar substitutes such as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and fizzy drinks sweetened with aspartame are especially harmful. A healthier substitute would be sweet leaf stevia (not Truvia or Stevia in the Raw), pasteurized Manuka honey or molasses, but in very small amounts.

Assuredly, sickness and misery are not God's will for his children. All life is sacred, created to express perfect health; designed in God's perfect image to be happy, healthy, full of love, and whole. The original divine manufacturer knows best, wouldn't you agree?

Chef Wendell hosts Eat Right Now on WISH TV 8 CBS Indianapolis. He can be reached at 317-372-2592 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .Visit his website at Chefwendell.com.

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