A Vegan Diet Helps Fight Cancer for Kayle Martin
Cancer has affected so many of us in one way or another. You can let it bring you down or you can fight the hell out of it and kick its ass. Kayle Martin chose the latter and it changed her life. She is beautiful, friendly person who can envelop you in inspiration and positivity. We are so grateful that she was at Sanctuary Bistro and that we had the opportunity to interview her.
Cancer Thriver
I went vegan after I received a breast cancer diagnosis when I was thirty. After doing my own research around holistic and natural approaches to treating disease, I came across many films and books on the topic of alternative and complimentary medicine. Ultimately it was wellness warrior and cancer thriver, Kris Carr who inspired me to go vegan after watching her film Crazy Sexy Cancer.
Vegan Transition
There really wasn't a transition period or much of one. I went from a 19 year vegetarian to vegan within a couple weeks and then became a 100% raw vegan after a three months. I remained fully raw for 1.5 years during the most crucial time of my health journey and treatments.
Creating a Vegan Pantry
Since I became a raw vegan just after 3 months of my initial cancer diagnosis I really didn't store much in a pantry. My focus was completely on raw veggies (some fruits), as well as sprouted nuts and seeds. Most of my "pantry" was really inside of my refrigerator by way of fresh fruits and veggies.
Friends and Family
I think the initial shock of me "getting" cancer was greater than the shift of me going vegan. But because I used my diet as a way of treatment, I did get some push back from concerned family and friends. Most everyone wanted me to undergo traditional cancer treatments instead of me focusing on healing myself naturally with the help of food. I was living in the middle America with very little understanding from medical professionals about this type of treatment as well as finding it difficult to find organic produce. Almost everyone I encountered was leery of my plan and protocol.
The Most Difficult Part of Going Vegan
I think the most difficult part throughout my raw food journey in particular was wanting (maybe just a few times) to indulge in something someone else was eating. I wasn't interested in alcohol or sugar (those were the first things to get cut from my diet) but more like something that was vegan and healthy but cooked. Tortilla chips are coming to mind.
Words of Wisdom to Those Facing Health Difficulties: Staying Positive and Honoring the Feelings
I think it's important to honor the stage or place that people are in. For me, I went through all the stages of grief after being diagnosed. At first I was very angry and frequently wondered "Why me?" but I eventually moved past that stage on to the next. It's important to honor the stages of the journey, but to not get completely stuck in one of them. I believe there are small changes that we all can do to improve our lives and part of my focus with my brand, my lectures, talks and sharing my story is to bring that to awareness. I like to focus on treating the body as a whole and getting to the root of the problem versus just trying to treat the symptom. I'd like to suggest that not all diagnosed illnesses have to be death sentences even though many are perceived that way. I've personally known people who have made some major lifestyle changes and who have cured themselves naturally through shifting their thoughts, diets and lifestyles. I personally had great success with and believe in the power of plants, but I also know that everyone has to come to their own conclusion about what's right for them/their body and only they know and can answer that.
Upcoming Events
I don't have anything confirmed on the books at the moment though I'm currently working on lining up talks in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as the East Coast. Stay tuned to my social media channels for all the latest updates on where you can find me next!
Check her out:
Website: www.cowgirlsandcollardgreens.
Shop/T-shirts: www.cowgirlsandcollardgreens.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Instagram: www.instagram/collardcowgirl (@collardcowgirl)
Twitter: www.twitter.com/collardcowgirl (@collardcowgirl)