In one of my first few columns ^[1], I discussed how I liked my old normal and was adamantly opposed to accepting a new normal now that I had cancer.

It's been well over two years since then, and I've had time to reconsider that position, and whether it might be in my best interest to establish a new normal.

Specifically, as the euphoria of reaching a complete response and getting off treatment has worn off over the past several months, I find myself concerned with how long my remission will last. Consequently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what changes I could make in my life that might improve the chances of prolonging my remission and my overall survival.

It’s not just about prolonging my life, though. It’s also about quality of life and recovering from two years of chemotherapy. As I stated in my column ^[2] this past June, I've been dealing with sore, stiff joints and various other aches and pains since completing my treatment. I also wonder how much toxic sludge may be left in my system from all the poison that was pumped into me and whether that's affecting me.

The first change I’ve made is to become much more committed to exercising. I’ve been active all my life, whether playing sports or just exercising in general. However, I would occasionally slack off, sometimes for a few months at a time. Since being diagnosed, I’ve been much more dedicated and use my battle with cancer as a motivator to keep at it.

The other area I’ve started focusing on is diet and nutrition since this is another area that seems to have significant potential for improving and maintaining my health.

I’ve generally maintained a fairly healthy diet, at least during my adult life, but as anyone can attest, there’s always room for improvement (a few less desserts, less processed foods, less soda, etc.). So, over the course of the past few months, I've read about superfoods, supplements, juicing, vitamins, minerals, organics, phytonutrients, carotenoids, enzymes, detoxification, glutathione, antioxidants, lipotropics, GMOs, amino acids, flavonoids, and much, much more.

While I'm by no means an expert on any of this nutritional mumbo-jumbo, I think I've finally waded my way through enough of the facts, fiction, misinformation, sales pitches, miracle elixirs, and personal agendas to establish a plan for myself going forward. Believe me though, it hasn't been easy.

First of all, forget the talk of superfoods.  If it's a fruit or vegetable, green tea, wild salmon, chia seeds, or anything that functions as an antioxidant, chances are it's been classified as a superfood. The bottom line is: eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and other healthy foods, and skip the processed foods.

Speaking of antioxidants, everyone's heard how great they are, right? They get rid of the free radicals floating around in your system, which reportedly cause oxidative damage to your organs and possibly cancer. But wait, I also came across an article in which the Nobel laureate Dr. James Watson states that free radicals may be key to preventing and treating cancer and that antioxidants may have caused more cancers than they have prevented. So what is a person to believe?

I've come across similar opposing views on drinking alkaline water, mega-dosing with vitamins and minerals, vegetarianism, special diets, and detoxification. Once again, how do you determine the truth?

For me, it gets back to maintaining a balanced, healthy diet, and avoiding food with little nutritional value, foods with additives and preservatives, foods grown with pesticides, foods that have been genetically engineered, etc.  It may be a bit cliché, but I believe our natural environment was set up to meet our nutritional needs provided we make intelligent decisions as to what and how much we eat. Consequently, I'm shifting my diet to more fresh foods, primarily fruits and vegetables, with occasional lean meats, and mostly organically grown.

Having said that though, I'm not adverse to cheating a little bit. I take a multivitamin, just in case I'm missing a few vitamins in my diet. I also take curcumin for its anti-inflammatory and supposedly anti-cancer benefits (though I've read articles questioning the benefits of curcumin, too). I'm also directing my diet towards foods with purported anti-cancer benefits and detoxification qualities.

I don't think I'm ready to completely buy into the idea that certain foods prevent cancer. However, the idea of eating foods that don't pollute your body and help cleanse your body makes sense. After all, the less your body has to contend with the junk you consume, the more it can focus on combating disease.

I will also admit that I've taken the plunge and purchased a juicer. Part of me is skeptical and thinks this is just another fad, but I can also appreciate the claimed benefits. Aside from the cost of the juicer and the price of using up a lot of fruits and vegetables, I don't see much risk in trying it out. If it works, great; if not, some­one will get a great deal for a juicer on eBay.

I’m currently juicing one meal per day and eating a vegetarian diet in preparation for a three-day fast with only juice to detox my system (the combination of juiced apples, cantaloupe, carrots, and beets today was actually quite refreshing). That will be followed by another week of the vegetarian diet and juicing. After that, I’ll return to a more conventional diet and concentrate on eating healthy while still incorporating some juicing into my diet. Depending on the results of my upcoming juice fast, I may also incorporate juice fasts into my diet periodically.

Maintaining this diet will most likely be difficult since it requires a fairly significant change in lifestyle. I've generally included meat in at least one meal a day, and eating mostly fruits and vegetables seems to lack substance. It does help that my daughter is vegetarian, and my wife, while not a vegetarian, consumes very little meat, so there won't be a lot of temptation around me.

Every once in a while though, I'll probably still need to treat myself to a nice hamburger just to keep me sane.

Peace, and live for a cure.