diet | Grace Gawler Media

Helping Patients Navigate the complex maze of claims of dietary cures for cancer

Whether or not you have cancer and searching for the diet that promises cure or if you are trying to be healthy and avoid cancer; there is one question that needs to be asked: Are You confused?

Whether or not you have cancer and searching for the diet that promises cure or if you are trying to be healthy and avoid cancer; there is one question that needs to be asked: Are You confused?

If you have answered YES – then you may be on the road to discovery by reassessing the loads of misinformation written and spoken about diet and cancer cures. Over 45 years in cancer medicine – I have seen most fads and “cancer cure diets”. Longevity in the field is a wonderful teacher as you have the luxury of seeing repetition over the years. What works and what doesn’t work!

I see “cancer cure diets” recycled each decade to a new group of enthusiasts who promote the very things that did not work back then but, they don’t know that and so they regurgitate the information to a new group of desperate patients seeking a cure. The newbie enthusiasts believe the old and tired hype and try to make it new and sexy. But as they say You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear!

So, if you are confused, I encourage you to develop your critical thinking skills and question the different ways that are promoted to help you beat cancer and especially to beat cancer naturally with diet and without the help of modern medicine. Most cancer patients believe that with a diet change you can do no harm; but they could not be more wrong!

All things in Balance - So important when dealing with cancer — All things in Balance – So important when dealing with cancer

The list of “healthy diet health issues” is long…but perhaps the most recent destructive dietary change for cancer patients is the Vegan diet. Regularly in my practice I see patients who have lost 10-20 kg plus following a vegan diet because they went to a workshop program, read it in a book or found it on Dr Google. They have applied a one size fits all approach to their diet, not personalized. When we measure their blood – we find severe deficiencies in critical areas including immunity and vitamin B12 to name a few – the complete opposite of their goal- but often we also find dangerous levels of selenium, zinc, Vit D & A as they have tried to use supplements to adjust for dietary lack. Faecal retention and constipation is common on low fibre diets.

The natural therapies movement has convinced patients that their bodies can no longer be trusted to function and that they are toxic and must detox from very pore and orifice. As well they must do the same with their “emotional baggage”if they want to recover from cancer! This is a sad indictment of a supposedly health promoting profession.

Apart from diets where Juicing reigns supreme with 8- 10 juices a day; vegan and raw vegan seem to create the most most destructive side effects for cancer patients. Many patients who have written blogs and books on the subject have sadly died following the wrong dietary advice. Yes – patients die from cancer too….but in my experience those who engage in the fad cancer cure diets do far worse than those who just have medical treatment.

I was in a local Homestyle-Kitchen store recently and on the shelf I discovered several new copies of Jess Ainscough’s (Wellness Warrior’s) book – “Make Peace with your Plate”. It is well documented – Jess and her mother both died by adhering to their singular dietary cure for cancer. The store concerned was not interested to know that Jess had died as a result of her choices.

If patients have delayed treatment or delayed seeking a proper diagnosis – the consequences can be horrendous. SEE Delayed treatment World Journal of Psycho – warning graphic image in this Journal article.

One question to ask yourself is “Do I have time to experiment with this one one precious life?” All that myself and my colleagues can do is keep on educating cancer patients – but sadly by the time some patients visit – there is little than can be achieved.

A recent paper published in the MJA by Professor Ian Haines takes a look at this issue from the perspective of the oncologist. The paper is written to assist oncologists to develop better communication with patients who take the this alt-med-dietary path to cancer recovery.

Resources – please pass on:

See Prof Haines’ paper at: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2015/203/4/negotiating-complex-maze-claims-dietary-cures-cancer Also download the PDF version: ian haines mja aug 2015
Visit my podcast website to hear my interview on BBC Bristol UK: http://www.navigatingthecancermazeaustralia.org/grace-gawler-bbc-interview-the-role-of-mind-body-medicine-in-recovery/
http://www.gracegawlerinstitute.com/alternative-medicine-rescue/

Cancer Patients: If you need assistance with personalizing your diet or if you help due to delayed diagnosis – please contact me via the Contact page

Raw Versus Cooked for Cancer Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer| Grace Gawler

It is not only what you eat; but what you can absorb. Is raw food better than cooked food? Is vegan better for cancer patients than fish and meat? What about raw vegan? Extreme diets often pair with extreme supplementation to make up for what’s missing…so how safe is that approach? What about juices and their value? What is the truth about diet and Cancer?

Navigating the Cancer Diet Maze Special needs for Colon and Liver Cancer

Listen on Voice America Health & Wellness Channel – free to download or available on streaming

It is not only what you eat; but what you can absorb. Is raw food better than cooked food? Is vegan better for cancer patients than vegetarian? What about raw vegan? Extreme diets often pair with extreme supplementation to make up for what’s missing…so how safe is that approach? What about juices and their value?

Having gained a distinction in nutrition plus assisting cancer patients for 40 years has given me great insights….there is not much I haven’t seen cancer patients try with regards to dietary regimens and alternative medicine during those decades. Most often, the outcomes have been far from ideal. Maybe short term dietary experiments are OK if you are not ‘relying’ on the diet for curing cancer – but the main issue goes way beyond symptoms, such as rapid weight loss, because the most important thing is that cancer is time sensitive – you don’t have time to wait and see if the diet works in 3 or 6 months. The wait and see mentality is heavily criticized in conventional medical systems – but clearly it exists on both sides of the healing divide.

We live in an age where fashion fads and dietary fads change like the wind. With lifestyle medicine a cultural trend; a lot of long term dietary experimentation is going on at the cost of lives. Cancer patients often get swept up in the winds of dietary fads and before they know it, they are inside a culinary tornado that offers more stress; less peace of mind, confusion, social isolation, unnecessary weight loss and nutritional deficiencies…all from a so called nutrient dense diet that many cannot absorb.
This I know from experience; in fact from 3 different roles in my life.:
as carer of a cancer patient
a qualified health professional
and then as a patient
Many others have experienced this – this website is a fascinating read!
Resource # 1: http://www.beyondveg.com/

So where does the truth lie for people just want to eat well? I think it lies in the middle of the road approach!

Cancer patients need to be careful that they are not buying in to an someone else’s ideological dietary regimens.

There is no cure cancer diet that I know of….and there is no one size fits all in the world of diet! But if you are a cancer patient and particularly if you have colorectal or a gastrointestinal cancer – you need to be even more cautious.
What is the best way of eating for this specialised group?
The only way is to access a health practitioner who can help you with a personalised diet based on results of functional pathology stool tests. Yes – your own stools hold the secret answer as to what you should eat and what you can absorb! Makes sense doesn’t it!

The best type of tests are those that require a stool sample collected over a 3 day period…
Why a 3 day period? As well as examining all the digestive functions and our end products…the 3 day test is far more accurate for detecting any parasite eggs from unwelcome intestinal hosts…this problem is more common that most people believe.

Some cancers such as cancer of the bile duct (called cholangiocarcinoma) is one example of a cancer known to be caused by a parasite – in this case – Chinese Liver fluke.
Resource # 2: Chart and references: Parasites and Pathogens associated with cancer

Resource # 3: In Australia – to source a test ask your health practitioner to organize a Healthscope functional pathology test for digestion including a 3-day parasitology test. They have an excellent series of different tests – your practitioner can advise which one is best for you..

For stool testing in the USA & internationally – CONTACT
http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/gastrointestinal-function/dna-stool-analysis-gi-effects

It is almost a given that patients with colorectal cancer will have had surgery to remove a segment or segments of colon affected by cancer. Depending on the length of the segment removed – type of diet and quantity of food should be adjusted accordingly.

Excess fibre and raw seeds and nuts and even raw foods can become indigestible irritants causing inflammation and bloating to the patient who has had colorectal surgery….it can especially be a problem for the patient who loses a significant portion of small intestine. Yours truly in one of those people!

Prior to my own surgery losing 5 ft of large colon and the same amount of small intestine; I was a prolific salad & raw food consumer – but I also ate a great deal of cooked vegetables and seafood – I think you would call me a Pescetarian…I had a diet that contained a good deal of dietary fibre- a good balance of cooked and raw foods. However after my surgeries– my gastro – intestinal tract was clearly traumatised and it took years to recover to a satisfactory degree.

Remember the saying………… it is not only what you eat – but what you can absorb…..this statement becomes a simple rule to live by and is especially important for those dealing with or those who have had colorectal cancer.

Now back to diet….. cooked vs raw…

Now I am interested in the work of primatologist Richard Wrangham…. his research claims that learning to cook food was the hinge on which human evolution turned. Eating cooked food, he argues, enabled us to evolve our large brains, and cooking itself became a primary focus of human social activity — in short, cooking made us the social, intelligent, and sexual species we are today.

His book – Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human is available on Amazon..

From the book’s promo:
Contrary to the dogmas of raw-foods enthusiasts, cooked cuisine was central to the biological and social evolution of humanity, argues this fascinating study. Harvard biological anthropologist Wrangham dates the breakthrough in human evolution to a moment 1.8 million years ago, when, he conjectures, our forebears tamed fire and began cooking.

Starting with Homo erectus—who should perhaps be renamed Homo gastronomicus—these innovations drove anatomical and physiological changes that make us adapted to eating cooked food the way cows are adapted to eating grass. By making food more digestible and easier to extract energy from, Wrangham reasons, cooking enabled hominids’ jaws, teeth and guts to shrink, freeing up calories to fuel their expanding brains. It also gave rise to pair bonding and table manners, and liberated mankind from the drudgery of excessive chewing (while chaining womankind to the stove). Wrangham’s lucid, accessible treatise ranges across nutritional science, palaeontology and studies of ape behaviour and hunter-gatherer societies; the result is a tour de force of natural history and a profound analysis of cooking’s role in daily life. More than that, Wrangham offers a provocative take on evolution—suggesting that, rather than humans creating civilized technology, civilized technology created us.
http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-Cooking-Made-Human/dp/1469298708

Listen on Voice America Health & Wellness Channel – free to download or available on streaming
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/75179/navigating-the-cancer-diet-maze-special-needs-for-colon-and-liver-cancer

Thanks for visiting…..More on this thought provoking topic in next blog-soon: Enjoy! Grace

Grace Gawler Swiss Herbal Tonic-Strath Successfully Impacts Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients during Chemo and Radiation Therapy

Swiss Herbal Tonic-Strath Successfully Impacts Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients during Chemo and Radiation Therapy. More than 35 years ago I was introduced to Strath Tonic. I began prescribing it for radiotherapy patients.

Navigating the Cancer Maze – The Swiss Herbal tonic everyone should know about! Interview with David Pestalozzi Switzerland on Voice America – Grace Gawler

August 9, 2013

SUMMARY: Part One – During a recent visit to Switzerland I interviewed David Pestalozzi the CEO and MD of Strath tonic (also known as Bio-Strath).

The home of strath tonic Switzerland overlooking Lake Zurich.

!2 Km from Lake Zurich, carved into a lush green hillside sits the small factory where Strath is produced. It looks like a scene from a Swiss chocolate box. After our visit David kindly gave some of those too!

There is a lot to know about supplements for cancer patients undergoing conventional treatments. More than 35 years ago I was introduced to Strath Tonic. I began prescribing it for radiotherapy patients. Radiotherapists wrote to me asking why my patients were doing so well. Strath is proven to be the tonic beyond tonics. The formula makes use of the ability of yeast cells to “digest” extracts of 50 herbs added to them. The essence from these herbs is totally absorbable in the human body. It was 1948 when Fred Pestalozzi was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. He approached German chemist, Walter Strathmeyer for help. After taking Strath, Fred’s health improved dramatically. Eventually the recipe was obtained and the Strath Company was created in 1961.Today Strath is sold in over 50 countries. Taking Strath regularly can increase concentration, improve memory, bone health, boost health after surgery or chemo/radio therapy and improve performance in children with ADD. Watch the movie at Bio-Strath AG

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/72190/swiss-herbal-tonic-strath-successfully-impacts-wellbeing-and-quality-of-life-in-cancer-patients

DAVID PESTALOZZI CEO Strath with GRACE GAWLER

David Pestalozzi, son of the founder of Bio-Strath (also known as Strath) is CEO and Managing Director of this highly successful self-made Swiss company. Directing a staff of 18, the family firm, Bio-Strath*amazingly supplies half the world with its natural food supplement, managing to hold its own against pharmaceutical giants. A testimony unto itself, Bio-Strath AG has been successfully marketing the same product, unchanged, for almost 50 years! Fred Pestalozzi, David’s father set up the company in 1961. In 1948 he met German chemist, Walter Strathmeyer. His interest was piqued due to his medical condition; Meniere’s disease. After taking Strath, life changed for Fred. His health improved dramatically. Today Strath is sold in over 50 countries across the world. Since 1964 the production plant for “Strath” has been based above Herrliberg. David Pestalozzi carries forward the tradition with a range of Strath*(Bio-Strath) products.

Listen to today’s show – Streamed live to air 12 noon Arizona USA time – 5 am Queensland Australia time. If you missed the show live and it is not uploaded when you select the link – please return in a few hours.

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/72190/swiss-herbal-tonic-strath-successfully-impacts-wellbeing-and-quality-of-life-in-cancer-patients

Where to Find Strath – USA – Australia – Switzerland/Europe and global:

United States: Nature’s Answer Inc.
75 Commerce Drive
Hauppauge, NY 11788 www.naturesanswer.com

Australia: Bioforce Australia Pty Ltd. Factory 4
4/34 Hightech Place
Lilydale VIC 3140 info@avogel.com.au www.avogel.com.au

Switzerland & world-wide enquiries http://www.bio-strath.ch

David and father Fred Pestalozzi - founder Bio-Strath (Strath) Tonic — David and father Fred Pestalozzi – founder Bio-Strath (Strath) Tonic

Strath in the vat — Strath maturing in the vat

Strath - bottling unit. — Strath – bottling unit.

Gawler MJA a personal perspective on programs and what were the dates of those famous chest wall photographs?

Gawler evidence and errors highlight the fact that more investigation is needed….

Since 31 December 2011 the Australian public has seen an unprecendented series of quality news articles questioning Ian Gawler’s cancer remission in 1978. Professionals and patients are now asking why it has taken so long to fact-check the most famous cancer recovery story in Australia and perhaps – the world. With new evidence, researchers have now gone beyond anecdotal storyline to a view of the science of what actually occurred in Ian’s case. A recent MJA article has some sensible dialogue around these important cancer survival issues – although the author psychiatrist Tanya Hall steers clear of the misdiagnosis issue, she discusses an important perspective regarding psychological impact that the Gawler program can have on cancer patients. “Healed or Hungry – a personal perspective on the Gawler program” was published in the MJA last Monday 21 May 2012.

It is a pity that this article is not available to be read outside of MJA subscribers. Tanya Hall tells us that she attended the 12 week support group and a 3 day Ian Gawler meditation program & she read You Can Conquer Cancer. She eloquently discusses the issues with guilt, the vegan diet, (which Ian never followed) and a litany of issues that the program brought up for her as a doctor and patient. A few of Tanya Hall’s perceptive comments are outlined below :

1. “…. My concern is that in my opinion the Gawler program goes too far, making far reaching suggestions that do not appear supported by evidence….”

2. “….Of most concern to me was hearing our program leader state that there was no evidence that chemotherapy was effective. This was nothing less than astonishing, patently untrue, and highly disrespectful to those of us undergoing chemotherapy….”

3. She says of the programs “… In fact while criticism of conventional medicine is noticeable, there is an almost complete lack of critical analysis among participants of Gawler’s methods — which are supported in a quasi-religious fashion. There seemed to be a worrying tendency to unquestioningly quote Gawler as though his words were above scrutiny, and certainly carrying more weight than the views of any number of esteemed oncologists.

3. “….Reading some of the testimonials, it struck me that those participants whose outcomes were poor still wrote positively about the program. It puzzled me as to why this was so; if anything, Gawler’s program seems to me to invite what may be irrational hope and promise far exceeding what most oncologists would offer…”

From its inception in the early 80’s until 1996 when I resigned from the organisation, the Gawler approach mirrored what we had done to help Ian recover. As a co founder, it was sad to see the emphasis and the story change – accelerating after I left. Just to complicate the issue, new theories suggest there is a high probablity that Ian had TB in December 1975 and not secondary bone cancer. At 21 years of age I was the sole carer/nurse for Ian. He was very ill that is true – but with current knowledge there was certainly not enough tumour load at the time of his major demise Feb-March 1976, to produce the symptoms that he had…..symptoms that were not congruent with osteosarcoma but were very congruent with a diagnosis of TB. (He was treated medically for TB July 1978 for one year). There was no biopsy to prove secondary cancer so with new information and this – can you believe it – first investigation of this famous remission, we cannot say with any certainty, that it was cancer that almost killed him.

It is I believe no one’s fault – misdiagnoses happen frequently – even in medicine today, but I am left with Carl Sagan’s quote ringing in my own ears – “Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence”. While evidence has been building supporting a paper published in the IMJ (Internal Medicine Journal 2011/12) there have, I am pleased to say, been notable positive changes with doctors and patients questioning Ian’s recovery in an unprecedented manner.

There have been however, some quite bizzare claims and “faceless” cowardly personal email attacks on me since the science of Ian Gawler’s remission has been questioned; this includes a recent Facebook comment by a pro-Ian Gawler supporter, unfortunately a patient with stage IV breast cancer whose comments were so damaging as to cause legal intervention. Unbelieveable!! The last thing anyone wants! It seems emotions are running high in the face of facts and science.

Now to patient’s questions this week….

There is one question that I am repeatedly asked…What about the disputed date of Ian Gawler chest wall photographs? Why are these dates so important? To answer this I will refer to: Continue reading “Gawler MJA a personal perspective on programs and what were the dates of those famous chest wall photographs?”

Steve Jobs leaves a teaching legacy for all cancer patients says Grace Gawler

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs recent death from neuro-endocrine pancreatic cancer has once again highlighted the need for more public awareness surrounding issues of alternative medicine and the role of belief systems in cancer treatment choices i.e. alternative versus conventional medicine – when ideologies take over, negating logic and scientific evidence. Steve Jobs was not alone; our institute is very concerned at the large numbers of cancer patients trying alternative medicine as their first-line treatment option.

I say this with respect – but the question begs – what drove a man like Steve Jobs to believe he could beat operable cancer by using the same “alternative” tools he had been using for most of his life? Albert Eistein said: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” In my clinic I see many patients who have been loyal to an alternative lifestyle ) including alt med, for most of their life and when they get cancer diagnosed – they simply do more of it in pursuit of a cure! Almost a pray harder mentality.

Apparently, even a close friend with prostate cancer who was in remission, advised Jobs not to take the alternative medicine path – yet at great personal risk, he refused surgery to experiment with natural therapies. Natural Health News editor – Mike Adams was quick to gain kudos and write about Job’s death on October 5 stating that he died because of conventional medicine – however information released from Apple Corporation soon revealed a very different story – Adams had incorrectly reported the story – indeed it was quite the opposite. Continue reading “Steve Jobs leaves a teaching legacy for all cancer patients says Grace Gawler”

Conquering Cancer by Learning From the True Stories of Recovered Patients

Read the latest article on Ezine about how cancer patients can best begin their journey by building resilient foundations. “…..I have worked at the coal-face of cancer for 35 years with client numbers of over 13,000. I have had the privilege of working with one large targeted group of people with cancer who have been willing to share their mistakes and successes as well as their experiences, choices and outcomes. I listened to them and learned a valuable lesson or two….”
Read the entire article at

http://ezinearticles.com/?Conquering-Cancer-by-Learning-From-the-True-Stories-of-Recovered-Patients&id=5710598

More information about Grace: www.gracegawler.com www.gracegawler.com/institute

Australian Doctor – Grace Gawler comments on Ian Gawler’s Cancer Recovery

: 22 October 2010 Gawler Australian Doctor Article

Laptop users – To magnify use control + on your keyboard

Article reprinted from Australian Doctor with permission

For more new evidence about Ian Gawler’s cancer recovery see press media kit

If you, family or friends are seeking authentic information about Integrated Cancer Solutions see Grace’s website

CAUTION: As you may now becoming aware, there are many stories about miraculous cancer cures circulating the internet and bookshops. Cancer support veterans like Grace Gawler, have seen ‘miracle cures’ come and go and sadly most were not valid.

Indeed it has taken Grace decades to correct errors in the Ian Gawler cancer cure story – a story she was involved in 24/7 .

Please fact check and cross check all ‘miracle cure claims’ and do not abandon conventional therapies. Some common cures persist such as MMS, Hydrogen Peroxide, Hulda Clark’s ‘Parasiste Cure’ (It is not widely known she died of cancer) The Gerson Diet and many others.

Pip Cornall

Australian Doctor – Grace Gawler comments on Ian Gawler's Cancer Recovery

: 22 October 2010 Gawler Australian Doctor Article

Laptop users – To magnify use control + on your keyboard

Article reprinted from Australian Doctor with permission

For more new evidence about Ian Gawler’s cancer recovery see press media kit

If you, family or friends are seeking authentic information about Integrated Cancer Solutions see Grace’s website

Indeed it has taken Grace decades to correct errors in the Ian Gawler cancer cure story – a story she was involved in 24/7 .

Pip Cornall

Grace Gawler – The Medical Journal of Australia article reported in the Australian by Adam Cresswell

Friday 8 October 2010 By Grace Gawler

Although a tad sensational with an image of quarreling wives – Adam Cresswell has written a courageous article that reflects the truth of Australia’s most famous cancer remission story.

To be 100% clear, this is not personal in any shape or form. What has happened over the years is a morphing and misreporting of Ian Gawler’s story so that it resembles virtually nothing of the truth of what actually occurred. The story is still amazing and it still offers hope – but there is a public responsibility to tell it accurately. I addressed these errors in the MJA 20 September 2010.

I believe that sound nutrition is important for cancer patients and I have always taught the balanced view both when I was at the Gawler Foundation and since. Many suffer gross malnutrition from bizarre diets; especially vegan diets. The more advanced the cancer – the sicker the patient can become. I also endorse the practice of relaxation therapies – but extending meditation into a curative form as proposed in the MJA 2008 version of the story is simply not responsible. Continue reading “Grace Gawler – The Medical Journal of Australia article reported in the Australian by Adam Cresswell”

Grace Gawler says ‘The Truth Shall Set Cancer Patients Free’ -at the Gawler Foundation

By Pip Cornall – Grace and Ian Gawler worked as a close knit team for three years to achieve his famous remission from bone cancer in 1978. This was remarkable in those days.

BUT – from the moment the first incorrect telling of their story appeared in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) followed by an article in the Adelaide Advertiser – THINGS went from bad to worse. The MJA article gave it credibility.

The victims were the myriads of cancer patients who tried to emulate the incorrect version – namely that meditation and vegan diet cured his bone cancer after all other conventional treatments failed. Grace was deeply concerned that the story she was intimately involved in had been so misreported.

Over the decades the volumes of cancer patients following the ‘myth’ grew because of massive media coverage. Grace tried to set the record straight but the media refused to tell her story.

NOW – 32 years later – The Australian, the nations primary newspaper, has run her corrected account of their cancer healing story – albeit as papers do – somewhat sensationalized – portrayed as a fight between wives.

Nevertheless – Grace is elated – the truth is finally told – it is not personal – it is a moral neccessity to tell the correct story. Because the story was incorrect from the outset oncologists and practitioners like Grace have to pick up the pieces when emaciated, immune compromised patients limp in to our practices after extreme diets and long meditations have failed – the time spent in ‘experimenting with such ‘alternative’ treatments is critical because all the while the cancer spreads – click here to read the article.

Chapters of Grace’s self published book – Grace Grit and Gratitude are available in past posts on this site – they detail what actually happened

For more information see www.gracegawler.com – press media kit