RIP Dr. Servan-Schreiber

His death is a real blow. So young, extremely smart and handsome. The fact that he lived for 20 years with an aggressive brain cancer that no one had survived for more than 6 years, is a testament to his anti-cancer ways. He hadn't posted on his blog for over a year and I felt something was up. Didn't realize it would be so devastating.

I too adored his book and have read it several times. His work will live on. May he rest in peace.

It is so sad. I find it amazing he lived so long with that kind of a diagnosis, and spent those years researching natural ways to help our bodies fight this disease along with the conventional treatments.

RIP Dr, your book helped me and so many people on this journey.A very sensible holistic approach.Your work here on earth will live on as a testament to a great life of service and dedication.

Thank you.

I am very saddened to hear this.   I greatly admired him.

Sad news indeed. Beautiful words from the article above:

"He wasn't a great thinker, a
philosopher or a mandarin of science or medicine. He described himself as a
scientist and a human. He was a mixture of heart and head, intellect and
emotion."

 

I am so sorry to hear he passed away. His book has given me much strength and hope. He was also such a great speaker Rest in peace

I'm devastated. Truly. But he lived his calling and has provided us all with a perspective that we should all cherish. Thank you Dr. Servan-Schreiber.

In honour of him, I would like to post his "rules" for healthy living. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about to have lived nearly 20 years with terminal cancer.

From the Anti Cancer website:

FOOD RULES

1. Go retro: Your main course should be 80 percent vegetables, 20 percent animal protein, like it was in the old days. Opt for the opposite of the quarter pounder topped with a token leaf of iceberg lettuce and an anemic tomato slice. Meat should be used sparingly for taste, as when it used to be scarce, and should not be the focus of the meal.

2. Mix and match your vegetables: Vary the vegetables you eat from one meal to the next, or mix them together -- broccoli is an effective anticancer food, and is even more effective when combined with tomato sauce, onions or garlic. Get in the habit of adding onions, garlic or leeks to all your dishes as you cook.

3. Go organic: Choose organic foods whenever possible, but remember it's always better to eat broccoli that's been exposed to pesticide than to not eat broccoli at all (the same applies to any other anticancer vegetable).

4. Spice it up: Add turmeric (with black pepper) when cooking (delicious in salad dressings!). This yellow spice is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent. Remember to add Mediterranean herbs to your food: thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, mint, etc. They don't just add flavor, they can also help reduce the growth of cancer cells.

5. Skip the potato: Potatoes raise blood sugar, which can feed inflammation and cancer growth. They also contain high levels of pesticide residue (to the point that most potato farmers I know don't eat their own grown potatoes).

6. Go fish: Eat fish two or three times a week - sardines, mackerel, and anchovies have less mercury and PCBs than bigger fish like tuna. Avoid swordfish and shark, which the FDA says pregnant women should not eat because they contain a high concentration of contaminants.

7. Remember not all eggs are created equal: Choose only omega-3 eggs, or don't eat the yolks. Hens are now fed on mostly corn and soybeans, and their eggs contain 20 times more pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than cell-growth regulating omega-3s.

8. Change your oil: Use only olive and canola oil in cooking and salad dressings. Go through your kitchen cabinets and throw out your soybean, corn and sunflower oils. (And no, you can't give them to your neighbors or your relatives... They're much too rich in omega-6 fatty acids!)

9. Say "Brown is beautiful": Eat your grains whole and mixed (wheat with oats, barley, spelt, flax, etc.) and favor organic whole grains when possible since pesticides tend to accumulate on whole grains. Avoid refined, white flour (used in bagels, muffins, sandwich bread, buns, etc.) whenever possible, and eat white pasta only al dente.

10. Keep sweets down to fruits: Cut down on sugar by avoiding sweetened sodas and fruit juices, and skipping dessert or replacing it with fruit (especially stone fruits and berries) after most meals. Read the labels carefully, and steer clear of products that list any type of sugar (including brown sugar, corn syrup, etc.) in the first three ingredients. If you have an incorrigible sweet tooth, try a few squares of dark chocolate containing more than 70% cocoa.

11. Go green: Instead of coffee or black tea, drink three cups of green tea per day. Use decaffeinated green tea if it gets you too wired. Regular consumption of green tea has been linked to a significant reduction in the risk for developing cancer.

12. Make room for exceptions. What matters is what you do on a daily basis, not the occasional treat.

NON-FOOD RULES

1. Get physical: Make time to exercise, be it walking, dancing or running. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week. This can be as easy as just walking part of the way to the office, or the grocery store. A dog is often a better walking partner than an exercise buddy. Choose an activity you enjoy; if you're having fun, you're more likely to stick with it.

2. Let the sun shine in: Try to get at least 20 minutes of daily sun exposure (torso, arms and legs) without sunscreen, preferably at noon in the summer (but take care to avoid sunburns!). This will boost your body's natural production of Vitamin D. As an alternative: discuss the option of taking a Vitamin D3 supplement with your doctor.

3. Banish bad chemicals: Avoid exposure to common household contaminants. You should air our your dry-cleaning for two hours before storing or wearing it; use organic cleaning products (or wear gloves); don't heat liquids or food in hard plastics; avoid cosmetics with parabens and phthalates; don't use chemical pesticides in your house or garden; replace your scratched Teflon pans; filter your tap water (or used bottled water) if you live in a contaminated area; don't keep your cell phone close to you when it is turned on.

4. Reach out (and touch someone!): Reach out to at least two friends for support (logistical and emotional) during times of stress, even if it's through the internet. But if they're within arms reach, go ahead and hug them, often!

5. Remember to breathe: Learn a basic breathing relaxation technique to let out some steam whenever you start to feel stressed.

6. Get involved: Find out how you can best give something back to your local community, then give it.

7. Cultivate happiness like a garden: Make sure you do one thing you love for yourself on most days (it doesn't have to take long!).

They gave him 6 months and he lived 20 years - I"m guessing "anti-cancer" does work....

Thank you for his rules, Mouse. I am going to post them on a couple of my favorite threads if that is OK.

This news took my breath away when I first heard it.  He gave us all a sense of control and hope.  He always claimed that he had not found 'a cure' but a way to even the odds to some degree.  If I can get 20 years following his protocol, then I will consider it very successful.

I hope that his discoveries will be taken seriously by researchers and that his death will not be seen as proof that his theories were wrong.  Twenty years...amazing! 

He worked very closely with Dr. Richard Beliveau at McGill University in Montreal in establishing his anti-cancer diet.  Dr. Beliveau continues his research into anti-cancer foods and diet.  So much still to discover, but Dr. SS made the anti-cancer diet a household word through his wonderful book, and influenced the eating habits of so many, many people.  He left his mark in this world and I am so sad to see him leave it.

ruthbru...yes...please share...it would be a nice way to honour his life's work.

PS - that 's where my name came from - Mouse #6 was a super cancer-resistant mouse in one of the studies that he talks about in his book. There's even a photo of mouse #6. Thought it was kind of empowering to name myself that!

I am just so sad. He was one amazing guy. Rest in peace, Dear Doctor. You have helped so many people...