Businesswoman takes raw approach to recovery

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Businesswoman takes raw approach to recovery

http://www.living-foods.com/news/rawapproach.html

 

Provo - Shelley Abegg turned to a raw food diet after being

diagnosed with cancer. At right is a biophotonic scanner that she

uses to measure the levels of a person's antioxidant defense. She is

running the test on a reporter. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune)

 

 

The day Shelley Abegg was diagnosed with breast cancer two years

ago, she started planning her funeral.

The first priority for the single mother from Provo was making

arrangements for her then 9-year-old son, Taylor.

" I was shell shocked, " Abegg, 47, said. " It was an emotional roller

coaster. I had to stop planning my funeral and crying, and come up

with a plan. "

That plan would eventually turn her life upside down.

Frightened by the harsh side effects of chemotherapy, Abegg decided

to go against her doctor's recommendations to undergo the drug

regimen after her lumpectomy.

" Chemotherapy obliterates your immune system, " she said. " It's like

playing Russian roulette. "

After much prayer and research, Abegg traveled to the Optimum Health

Institute in San Diego to detoxify her body. During her three-week

retreat, she discovered the importance of eating only raw foods to

cleanse and nourish the body. The institute stresses a raw-food

diet -- which has since become popular with Hollywood celebrities

such as Demi Moore -- nutrition education, spiritual reawakening and

positive mental exercises.

When Abegg returned, she simplified her hectic life, working less at

her mortgage business in favor of spending more time on herself and

with Taylor. She focused on nutrition, prayer and a positive

attitude.

But she faced much criticism.

" Here I was this capable, successful businesswoman and everyone was

questioning my decision not to undergo chemo, " she said. " Several

people asked me if I was doing the right thing. "

Despite the speculation, Abegg pushed on in her quest to heal

herself. She sought out everything she could get her hands on about

raw food diets. But at the time, that lifestyle wasn't as trendy as

it is today, so Abegg had few resources -- mostly books and Internet

sites -- at her fingertips.

A food aficionado, Abegg experimented with different fruits,

vegetables, seeds, nuts and grains, and made wheat grass juice a

staple of her diet.

As the raw-food diet gained more attention, Abegg met fellow raw

fooders and they exchanged recipes and held potluck luncheons.

" We are not hippies or whackos, " Abegg said. " We're normal, everyday

people who believe you are what you eat. "

After a year on strictly raw foods, Abegg said she feels more

energetic than ever and is mistaken for being much younger than she

is.

" People look at me and think I'm in my late 20s or 30s, " said the

former Miss Utah runner-up.

After two normal mammograms, Abegg said she no longer worries that

the cancer will return, because her body has been cleansed and is

now getting the nutrients it needs.

She plans to get a mammogram once a year, although some doctors

recommend breast cancer patients get mammograms every six months for

two years following the diagnosis.

Although going raw takes immense dedication and is challenging,

Abegg said the hassle is well worth it.

" I was addicted to cooked food, " she said. " I was eating so much

because the food wasn't nourishing me. The food was dead. Now I eat

and can go six to eight hours. What's really exciting is the change

in my moods. I feel so vivacious. "

chamilton

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