Verne Varona

The Greater Perspective
10 Self-Healing Traits For Recovery
by Verne Varona
The healing path is composed of many roads all leading to the same destination: the place where body, mind and spirit are resurrected. The road, or roads we choose to adventure on should be based on fulfilling the incomplete areas of our lives; areas we’ve neglected, that beg for greater self-nurturance and expression.
These roads may be named Faith, Purpose, Nutrition, Love, Honesty, Compassion, Immunity, Passion, Spirit, Forgiveness and Gratitude. In the relatively young field of allopathic medicine—the kind that’s practiced by most conventional medical doctors today—we’ve only recently recognized that healing efforts must not only be personalized for the patients special needs, but must offer some semblance of control, encouraging the patient to make informed choices instead of being hi-pressured by “experts” into believing that there are no other options available.
Clinical research, as well as scores of anecdotal testimony, has repeatedly demonstrated that the people who survive cancer have much in common with the following ten traits:

1. A Focused Life Purpose
2. Positive Attitude
3. Good Nourishment
4. A Healthy Lifestyle
5. Manageable Stress
6. A Sense of Humor
7. Love and Social Support
8. Emotional Expression
9. Get Daily Physical Exercise
10. Have A Strong Faith

These ten traits can have a vital healing influence. In seminars, where I speak about these self-healing characteristics, participants who are challenged by various diseases are asked to consider the areas they need to emphasize for more comprehensive healing. Suddenly, an inner dialogue is inspired that begins to redefine and question everything about the way we live, love and care for ourselves. The beginning of whole healing occurs when we commit ourselves to examining and integrating those missing ingredients, which are essential for a more healthy, passionate and resilient life that can only be savored by living each moment fully for the present.
“Today is the tomorrow I was so worried about, yesterday.” — A. Hopkins

Some General Cancer Prevention & Treatment Suggestions
Below is a lengthy list of suggestions organized categorically for your good health, or recovery. Do what you can and continue to add as they become a part of your lifestyle.
Food Related
1. Find a physician that will help monitor your progress and be a supportive member of your healing team.
2. Eat whole food. That means, whole grains, vegetables, beans, bean products, and sea vegetables as principle fare. Select small quantities of fruit and (optional) animal protein as a dietary supplement. Use good quality sea salt that is cooked into your food. Introduce some traditional fermented foods from other cultures such as sauerkraut, miso soup and even lightly salted vegetable pickles. Enjoy a variety of non-caffeinated teas.
3. Speak with your alternative health practitioner about recommended Western and Chinese forms of adjunctive healing such as: Acupuncture, Qi Gong, Herbs, Immunity Nutraceuticals, Enzymes, Food-Based Supplements, Algae Products, etc.
4. Enjoy relaxed mealtimes, chew well, but not laboriously and give thanks for your nourishment.
5. Buy organic items whenever possible. Toxic residues from pesticides and herbicides affect liver function and typically store themselves in your fat tissues.
6. Avoid tap water. Use recently checked well water, natural spring water or if these choices are not available use reverse osmosis. Consider the investment of a water ionizer that makes your drinking water more alkaline.
7. Do not store your water in plastic containers. Use glass.
8. Get shower filters so that you are not breathing chlorine fumes during hot showers or baths.
9. Eat more in frequency, less in volume. Better to eat 4 or 5 smaller meals, than 2 or 3 big meals.
Avoid late night eating by giving yourself at least 3 hours from dinner to bed. Sleep is for rest, not digestion.
Mind Related
1. Engage in daily creative expression. Anytime you’re really engrossed in something you’re passionate about, you are in the moment. That moment usually contains minimal stress and great fulfillment. It is a wonderful place for healing and we all need more time in what philosopher, Ken Wilbur calls, “Timeless Moments.”
2. Make your home a sanctuary of comfort and retreat. Scale down, bulk up, create a new space for your new direction. Make it yours, make it comfortable.
3. Study — Take a class, correspondence course or an e-course. Challenge your mind and continue to grow.
4. Make a list of things you want to do, places you want to visit, pictures you want to take and people you want to meet.
5. Get psychological support. The value of another helping you to look at core issues cannot be underestimated. Read about Byron Katie and “The Work.” See: http://www.thework.com
6. Read the writings of Thich Nhat Han. Han has become the messenger of “mindfulness.” See: http://www.plumvillage.org
Body Related
1. Get bodywork whenever you can. Shiatsu, Jin Shin, Tai Massage, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Rolfing, Reiki, Polarity, etc.
2. Practice Yoga. Yoga exercises were based on animal postures and finding ways to duplicate those positions with the human form. It influences respiration, all acupuncture meridians and muscle groups. Practice, if only 2 to 4 postures nightly, at least, try it. 3. Infrared Therapies. This low volume but penetrating Sauna heat penetrates deep into tissue and helps restore cellular heath as it detoxes. Infrared heat treatment can also be done with hand wands that are applied to different areas of the body, both a diagnostic and treatment aid. See: http://www.gaiahh.com/farinfrared.html
4. Get to bed early, get up early. Rest during the late afternoon, if possible. In the acupuncture cycle of energy clock resting at this time benefits the kidneys--our vitality organs, as well as the adrenal glands situated on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands exert a strong influence on how we respond to stress, as well as the quality of our sleep.
5. Enjoy physical movement each day. Walk, hike, bike, swim, light jog, row, but get those muscles and lungs active.
Emotionally Related
1. Make peace with unresolved relationship issues—especially with –ex’s, parents, children, etc. If the people you want to heal with have passed on, forgive, talk to them and find a way to let it go. Holding on never really serves you. Mark Twain
said, “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” Something to think about.
2. Love those that you are close to, or give through volunteer efforts.
3. Keep a daily or weekly journal of your insights, feelings and thoughts. You don’t have to write War & Peace, just brief entries to give an overview or express yourself.
4. Say good-bye to negative people who are self-absorbed and drain your energy.
5. Avoid isolating yourself. Reach out via support groups and cancer survivors.
6. Make time for friends and family, primary or extended. Don’t just do things, talk, laugh, create something together. Find the common thread.
Spirit Related
1. Engage in some form of spiritual practice daily.
2. Meditate! Put aside 20 minutes daily to meditate or visualize your health goals. Get some support to do this. Read: Simonton’s: “Getting Well, Again” and other books on visualizations or simple meditation.
3. Spend time in Nature. Find some grass, trees, a field, a lake, a park and lose yourself. Our “vegetal mother” nourishes us.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

— Helen Keller
Verne Varona has become known as one of the most captivating and dynamic health educators in the country. For
thirty-five years, his lectures, workshops and media appearances have motivated thousands of people to take better and more conscious care of their health. His appeal transcends barriers of age, culture and occupation. A highly sought after speaker on health, fitness and motivation, he has become a renowned keynote speaker throughout the US, Europe and the Middle-East. His captivating style uses humor, insight and common sense to improve and enrich the lives of many. He studied Oriental Medicine and Macrobiotic principles at the East West Foundation of Boston, Massachusetts (1970-1974).

Verne is a frequent guest on a variety of television and radio media where his research expertise and entertaining teaching style make him a welcome and often repeat visitor. For five years, he was the nutritional consultant and cofounder
of a popular Beverly Hills medical group with a clientele that featured well-known entertainment and sports professionals. With his physician associate, Verne co-created, The ODDS Program (Off Dangerous Drugs Safely); a dietary program designed to reverse pharmaceutical drug dependency such as hypertension and over-the-counterdrug dependency with dietary and lifestyle guidelines featured in his published books.

Verne's first book, Nature's Cancer-Fighting Foods (2001—Penguin Books), is currently in its sixteenth printing and used as a textbook in a number of academic health and wellness institutions. His second book, Macrobiotics for Dummies (May, 2009—Wiley Publications), is part of the internationally popular Dummies series. Verne divides his time between New York City and Miami. He can be reached at: vv@vernevarona.com, or via his website: http://www.vernevarona.com