No: 14 in a series of articles - Gabriel Cousens M.D....
Gabriel Cousens M.D. is the renowned nutritionist who operates the Tree of Life retreat in Patagonia, Arizona. He is the third M.D. I have interviewed on the relationship of diet and prostate cancer, for my documentary Alternative Treatments for Prostate Cancer, the other two being John McDougall M.D. and Dean Ornish M.D. and these will be the subject of future articles. I was told shortly after being diagnosed that diet has nothing to do with the cause of, or recovery from, Prostate Cancer. From what I have since learned this serves to show the general lack of nutritional education and dietary knowledge of the average urologist not to mention the M.D. practitioner.
The evidence is now overwhelming not only from prestigious studies from around the world such as the China Study by T Colin Campbell, the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted, and Dean Ornish’s (along with several others) ground breaking work on the relationship of lifestyle and dietary changes in affecting the progression of low grade prostate cancer. There are anecdotal observations (some personal) that are so numerous that they cannot be ignored.
Doctors that have studied the effects of diet on cancer and other degenerative and chronic diseases almost unanimously agree on the deleterious effects of animal fats and sugar for the general population but this is magnified for those who suffer from cancer of any kind. The mantra is Go vegetarian or better yet, vegan. That means no animal product of any kind. When the fight is on you need the best tools you can find. Dr. Cousens takes this even further by prescribing only RAW FOOD, uncooked vegetable food and no fruits (the sugar content is to high for cancer patients). This might sound like a dire diet and many people would agree but if one is to treat cancer through alternative means, one must be committed and dedicated to the program.
Dr. Cousens also addresses the spiritual side of the matter since, as most people who have successfully treated themselves and cured themselves of cancer will attest to, you cannot do it alone. God, in whatever form you perceive “It” is an essential ingredient. That also brings into place things like meditation, prayer and other intangibles, at least they might be intangible to the uninitiated, but not to the dedicated.
Gabriel Cousens is a man of great conviction. Not only is he a medical doctor but a Doctor of Divinity, a Diplomate American Board of Holistic Medicine and Diplomate Ayurveda, This best selling author serves as a holistic medical doctor, a psychiatrist and family therapist, and a licensed homeopathic physician in the state of Arizona, and uses the modalities of nutrition, naturopathy, Ayurveda, and homeopathy, blended with spiritual awareness, in the healing of body, mind, and spirit.
Truly he is a unique man with a vision of the micro and macro of health. He does not treat cancer per se, he treats the whole body, actually the whole person and the innate resources of the body take care of the individual’s specific health issue.
Dr. Cousens works daily on an individual level with people who are seeking to consciously cultivate peace and good health in their own lives and within their families and communities. In this context, as part of his work with a Lakota Sioux Chief with whom he has Sundanced (an honor reserved for a privileged few), Dr. Cousens has created the framework for a program to assist Native Americans in healing from diabetes.
The contribution he made to my documentary was basically nutritional but it was flavored with a liberal serving of spirituality and humanity.