Dear Healthy Friend,

There's a famous saying which we all know. 'You are what you eat'. And now, more than ever, this rings true. Eating healthy and getting the nutrients your body needs from good, natural, wholesome foods could actually aid your body in healing itself - even when it comes to fighting cancer.

Dr Ferril outlines the ins and outs of how important feeding your body is.

Healthy body, healthy mind, quicker recovery.

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. Strep throat is sore! If you or anyone you know has ever suffered from this you will know what I'm talking about. Dr Wright has a suggestion that could free you from this pain.

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Food is your best medicine
Dr William B Ferril
Contributor to Healthier News

Sometimes, the hardest part of a cancer battle isn't the disease itself - but what it does to the rest of your body.

More than half of cancer patients suffer from cachexia, a wasting condition that involves malnutrition and weight loss so severe that patients don't just lose fat, but muscle too.

What's truly shocking is that severe malnutrition and weight loss are key factors in at least 20% of all cancer deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute.

It's a horrible and tragic number, because it simply shouldn't be that big. No one should die of malnutrition, no matter what disease they have.

Most doctors recognise the importance of proper nutrition, but they don't stress it enough to their patients. Some rarely mention it at all.

In reality, proper nutrition is as critical to a patient's recovery as any meds they may be taking or treatments they're undergoing - maybe even more so.

This is important for folks battling anything from a simple cold to a serious illness, but especially crucial for cancer patients who are often robbed of their ability to eat well by both their condition and its treatments.

Remember, the human body has remarkable capabilities when it comes to fighting disease and illness. We wouldn't have gotten this far if we didn't have that power.

But that power comes in a large part from what we eat. If you're not eating well, the body's immune system falters and you will suffer. If you were healthy before, you're more likely to get sick. If you're already sick, you're more likely to run into some bumps on the road to recovery, or worse.

That often means more than simply eating whatever comes along in an effort to maintain body weight and avoid wasting. Patients fighting a disease like cancer need to eat meals rich in nutrients and healthy fats.

Hospitals are starting to recognise this and some are offering gourmet meals designed with nutrition in mind, rather than the standard hospital fare.

The proper blend of nutrients won't cure a disease like cancer, but they will help your body build enough resistance to not only help fight the cancer, but also aid in resisting the side effects of the treatment.

If you are diagnosed with a condition like cancer, be sure that a good menu is part of your treatment plan. Develop this plan early, with your doctor, and stick with it.

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Stop strep throat by cutting this out...

Q: My 10-year-old son is constantly coming down with strep throat! No matter what I try, it keeps coming back. What can I do?

Dr. Wright: After reading a book by a doctor who found that eliminating all milk and dairy products from childrens' diets completely eliminated strep throat, I started giving my own patients the same advice. And it worked every time.

In fact, the only time it didn't work was on one little girl - it turned out, though, that she had been sneaking cheese at a friend's house! Once her mother uncovered that little secret and stopped it, the strep throat never returned.

If your son is used to milk and dairy, getting him off it could be a struggle, but there are substitutes. Occasional soy cheese is okay, but I don't recommend regular use of it - or of soy milk - because they contain too much plant oestrogen for children. But most of the kids I've talked to seem to like rice and almond milk - easily found in most shops!