Naturopathic Medicine to Help Prevent Cancer and Support Survivorship

You’re a fighter, and we’re here to complement your treatment plan with natural tools to promote healing, ease discomfort and boost energy. It’s important to have a guide to help you put together a plan to prevent cancer, support you during the process, and maintain remission.

Early Cancer Screening

• At Nourish Medical Center, we strive to be at the forefront of medicine with cutting edge testing to offer our patients. We are happy to now offer Galleri, a multi-cancer early detection test that can detect over 50 types of cancer, all from a single blood draw!

• Currently, the five main recommended screenings are for breast, colon, lung, prostate and cervical cancers. With Galleri, early detection is possible for OVER 50 types of cancers. Galleri states their testing has 99.5% specificity with a low false positive rate of 0.5%. Galleri is not intended to replace traditional screenings but used in addition to routine screening.

Who is this for?

• Galleri is recommended for adults with a family history of cancer, anyone with elevated risk factors, those who have known genetic mutations such as the BRCA gene, smokers, overweight or even the "worried well" that just want to be proactive in their health screenings.

• Galleri is not recommended for people under 22 years old, pregnant patients, or for those undergoing current cancer treatments or have received cancer treatments within the past year.

How to test?

• Step 1: Speak to your Nourish doctor and decide if Galleri is a good choice for you. If interested, Nourish can then provide a kit and order form.

• Step 2: Nourish patients can schedule an appointment with Brandon and draw for this test at Nourish Medical Center. If you are out of town, Carlie, our Grail representative can help coordinate a mobile phlebotomist to come to you. Your sample will then be mailed to the laboratory.

• Step 3: Results return about two weeks after your sample arrives at the GRAIL laboratory. If you haven't heard from our office within three weeks, please give our office a call and we can confirm we received your results from the laboratory to share with you.

What does the report look like?

There are two possible test results:
"No Cancer Signal Detected" and "Cancer Signal Detected".

What happens if I get a No Cancer Signal Detected?
With this good result, your doctor will share your report in your Charm patient portal with you for your records. At your follow up visit, your doctor may suggest annual testing based on your individual risk factors.

What happens if I get a Cancer Signal Detected?
This means a cancer signal was detected (but this is not a confirmed cancer diagnosis)You and your doctor will discuss next steps which will usually include diagnostic testing and a referral to confirm whether or not there is a cancer diagnosis. Origin of cancer in the body is provided in the report.

How much does this cost?

The price for Galleri is paid directly to the lab plus a $35 blood draw fee at Nourish. You may be able to use your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) to pay for the Galleri test. Check with your FSA/HSA administrator to determine eligibility. Interest-free payment plans are also available through Galleri.

**PLEASE NOTE: Nourish does not make money from this test. We simply want our patients to have access and the opportunity to do a test like this. We continually strive to make a positive impact on our patients and their families. Catching cancer in stage 1 or 2 can be drastically different than catching it in stage 4.

For more information, please contact GRAIL Customer Service by calling 855-775-3613 or read more on their website: https://www.galleri.com

Foods that heal inflammation and chronic pain without harmful side effects

Inflammation is a key consideration in naturopathic cancer treatment support. Inflammation is a natural process that happens when our immune system tries to fend off bacteria and viruses. Normally, it is a sign that the body is trying to heal itself by increasing blood flow to affected areas. However, when this mechanism gets out of balance, it can create widespread pain. Chronic pain is a common symptom in cancer survivors due to the cancer itself or lingering effects of treatment.

We know that food can have a dramatic healing effect on your body. We recommend an anti-inflammatory diet for chronic pain. This diet increases healing foods like essential fatty acids and antioxidants that protect cells, and eliminates foods that continue to trigger the immune system and keep it activated.

Anti-Inflammatory Superfoods

These superfoods should be added to your diet because they contain the highest concentration of phytonutrients that are scientifically proven to reduce pain and inflammation.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Of all the fatty acids, Omega 3 has the biggest impact on your immune system. It contains compounds like EPA and DHA, which have been proven to lower inflammation and pain in research studies. Adding more Omega 3 is the foundation of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Foods that contain Omega 3 include oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, whitebait and herring, and nuts like flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and soybeans.

Antioxidants

Chronic inflammation damages cells over time, making antioxidants an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet. Not only do they help lower inflammation, they can protect and repair cellular damage. Eating organic fruits and vegetables from all the colors of the rainbow is a great way to increase your antioxidant levels.

Green Tea

One of the most potent antioxidants is green tea. Matcha, a specialized green tea that comes in a concentrated powder form, has significantly more antioxidant properties than traditional green tea, but both forms are beneficial for the damaging effects of inflammation in the body.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens like spinach and swiss chard contain anti-inflammatory flavonoids and vitamins. Vitamin A, C, and K all protect your cells from oxidative stress and free radical damage. They can easily be added to smoothies for an added boost.

Bok Choy

Celery

Celery is an unsuspecting superfood that recent studies are showing have anti-inflammatory abilities in addition to be an antioxidant. Even celery seeds have significant health benefits that fight infections and lower inflammation. Celery juice is also high in potassium, which may help flush toxins from our cells.

Beets

The deep red color of a beet is the first indication that it is full of flavonoids and phytochemicals that make up its antioxidant properties. Betalain gives the beet its rich color and is a potent anti-inflammatory chemical. Beets also contain magnesium. Studies have shown a strong link between magnesium deficiency and inflammation.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a necessity for an anti-inflammatory diet. It is high in potassium and magnesium and, more importantly, it's antioxidants are potent anti-inflammatory substances. Research is showing that broccoli can lower oxidative stress in the body, decrease chronic inflammation, and lower the risk of developing cancer.

Blueberries

Blueberries contain quercetin in abundance, which is a particularly powerful anti-inflammatory flavonoid that even fights cancer. One study showed that blueberries slowed cognitive decline and improved memory due to its ability to repair cells and reduce inflammation. Nettles, apples and onions also have quercetin.

Pineapple

Pineapple contains bromelain, a digestive enzyme that has a unique ability to reduce inflammation. It is especially helpful to your digestive tract and cardiovascular system. Pineapple has the added benefit of being high in vitamin C, vitamin B1, potassium and manganese; all powerful antioxidants.

Turmeric

One of the most anti-inflammatory foods on the list is Turmeric, the main spice in traditional curries. It gets it's healing properties from, curcumin, a compound well documented for it's affects against inflammation. It is invaluable to an anti-inflammatory diet. Studies have shown that curcumin is more potent than aspirin and ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory medicine. Another study revealed that it "significantly reduced" inflammatory markers in the body.

Inflammatory Foods to Avoid

Another key principle of an anti-inflammatory diet is to reduce foods that activate your immune system and keep you in a chronic state of inflammation.

Food Additives

Processed foods contain food additives such as preservatives, flavor enhancers, color enhancers, even texture enhancers that can trigger the immune system. These chemicals add no health or nutritional benefits to the body, and can even be harmful.

Unbalanced Omega 6 Fatty Acids

When your omega fatty acids aren't in balance, it can spell trouble. Omega 6 fatty acids create inflammation when eaten in excess and without a balance of Omega 3. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a typical American diet contains 14-25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates like white bread, high fructose corn syrup and other simple sugars, pastries, and pastas all trigger inflammation in the body. These should be replaced with whole grains or eliminated.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats occur naturally in animal based foods such as meats, eggs, milk, butter, and other dairy products. They can cause inflammation in some individuals and should be reduced and avoided in an anti- inflammatory diet. There are many dairy alternatives for butter, cheese, yogurt, and milk.

Diet can be a key aspect to preventing cancer and providing therapeutic support. Schedule with one of our providers today for adjunctive cancer care, preventative medicine, or functional testing!

Schedule Now!

Brain, Mood & Sleep Enhancement Program

What you will get:

Over 25 Handouts and Articles
Printable Action Steps & Goal Planner
Self-Assessment Quiz and Log sheet
What Labs to Order with Sample Test Results
Key Supplements for Brain, Mood & Sleep Enhancement
Video Interviews with our Nourish Programs Experts
Bonus Online Resources & Shopping Lists
Lifetime Access to the Online Program

Buy Now