Cancer is something that gets triggered within your body. It begins with a single cell screw up, something in the cell’s genetic code which goes haywire for any number of reasons whether it be environmental, lifestyle, diet, stress, genetic predisposition, or other factors.
Your body's cells divide, grow and develop to produce more cells in your body every day. However, cancer cell growth is different from your normal cell growth in that they replicate a lot faster, dividing uncontrollably not knowing when to stop replicating and when to die. These cells consume your cell’s energy reserves in the process starving them of their vital nutrients.
Cancer is pure chaos in the body as it can start to create its own blood vessels to supply it with the extra oxygen and glucose it needs to survive, grow, and displace healthy tissues.
The four main approaches by conventional medicine for treating cancer is surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy. These therapies which can be lifesaving are a massive assault on the body's immune and digestive system, and this is where the advantage of using dietary, nutritional, herbal therapy and lifestyle changes has its benefits when it comes to working beside conventional medicine for the treatment of cancer. Some herbs, vitamins and minerals even offer some protection for cancer patients undergoing these conventional therapies, if not enhancing their effect.
Of course, such a holistic approach requires the help of a qualified herbalist/naturopath. However, there are safe and beneficial teas which can help with some of the side effects of these conventional treatments.
For digestive upset and nausea which often accompanies cancer treatment consider making the following simple yet effective herbal tea which contains volatile oils. Volatile oils are the medicinally active plant constituents that provide the calming action on the digestive tract as well as an anti-inflammatory action.
2 teaspoons Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
2 slices fresh Ginger root (Zingiber officinale)
1 teaspoon Peppermint (Menta piperita)
Add near boiling water and steep for ten minutes. Remove the herbs and drink as often as needed.
What actually do these herbs do?
- Chamomile is a beautiful carminative for the stomach while also providing an anti-inflammatory action. Prolonged inflammation is extremely damaging to your body’s healthy cells and tissue, and weakens your immune system.
- Ginger is also anti-inflammatory, calming to the stomach and reduces nausea and vomiting.
- Peppermint is calming to the digestive tract and helps to reduce nausea, spasms, and vomiting. Peppermint also assists with poor appetite.
Of course, there are many more herbal teas that provide a nice, gentle form of therapy that helps to combat the side effects of cancer treatment. Just ask your herbalist ツ