When your diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer and the Oncologist doctor makes the statement, "Unfortunately she is not curable at this time, " thoughts run rampant about what you did to cause this. In most cases, it's what you don't do.

After Charlyn Bernal heard those fatal words, she started thinking about the previous year and the signs her body was projecting, but none of the doctors associated these implications. She wasn't feeling good and now had high blood pressure along with experiencing panic attacks for the very first time. Always feeling tired and exhausted, feeling as if a heart attack were about to happen, going to Urgent Care. Also experiencing inflammation and bleeding. At the end of those 12 months, she felt a lump in her breast. On May 23, 2006 test results showed a 3 cm abnormality in right breast and on July 20, doctor recommends options for surgical management. She was over expressing HER2-neu, estrogen/proestrogen positive and had a growth rate of 51% (dangerously high) The mastectomy was scheduled for Sept 21.

Char had been researching what causes cancer and it became obvious that her body's cells lacked protein and oxygen and she needed to feed them the Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes and Essential Fatty Acids that her body desperately needed. She had to eliminate anything that was adding fuel to the fire. That meant no sugar, no red meat, no bad fats, no alcohol, no coffee, no additives or preservatives have passed through her mouth since that day.

Adding whey protein shakes and lean organic turkey, chicken and wild salmon added amino acids to her body. Also added flax seed oil, fish oil, avocados, raw walnuts and almonds with skins on, sunflower and sesame seeds. Juicing 2 times a day with organic fruits and veggies was infusing her body with the nutrients she needed.

Her juicing recipe for life:

Apples 2 - 3 (cut out stems and seeds)

Oranges 2 ( don't use peel)

Pears 2 (cut out stem and seeds)

Parsley 1/2 bunch

Kale 1 -2 leafs

Beet 1 med - lg (don't use peel)

Carrots 5

Ginger Root 1/2 inch

If you don't have organic available, it's important to peel the skins.

She cut out all bad fats such as margarine, vegetable oil and shortenings, partially hydrogenated oils and trans fats because they interfere with the body's ability to utilize important Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and clogs your arteries.

Digestion is the process of metabolism where our body converts food, chemically and mechanically adapting the substances for our body's growth and immune system to use. Enzymes are crucial to this process. Many drugs and poisons (pesticides) are enzyme inhibitors. We're all exposed to many toxins and chemicals on a daily basis, at work and at home. The air we breathe, our food - bad fats, toxins, preservatives, sugar, water supply and pharmaceutical drugs. We're eating more sugar and processed foods than ever before in human history and we regularly abuse our bodies with various stimulants and sedatives.

Our body's metabolic process needs Essential Fatty Acids, which help break down the food for your cells and gets more oxygen into the cells. Exercise gets oxygen into your blood.

Char started exercising every day, walking and biking for at least 1 hour and drinking 48 oz of H2O everyday to keep the body hydrated and getting sound sleep in a dark, quite room.

Testing your pH lets you know if your system is acidic or alkaline. Char's was bright yellow on the pH strip when she started this journey which indicates an acidic environment, where cancer likes to live. Needing to get more alkaline she kept adjusting her eating habits, eliminating anything toxic that her body would use against her - especially sugar, coffee and alcohol. The color of the pH strip shows purple when you're too alkaline and shades of green in between is where your body is balanced. You can buy pH strips at your local drug store and test the saliva under your tongue, in the morning before you swallow anything or test your urine, which is considered more accurate.

The digestive system includes the colon, stomach, large and small intestines, all of which are responsible for Vitamin and Mineral absorption into the blood. What isn't used is extracted. In Char's case, there was a buildup of too much estrogen that she needed to eliminate from her body. Without enough fiber, an Enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, found in the gastro-intestinal tract can inhibit estrogen from combining with glucuronic acid in the liver. Char needed this to be excreted from her body, instead of going back into her blood. For this reason she was taking calcium D-glucaret and phyllium husk daily. Cleansing your colon, which could be clogged with parasites, preservatives and undigested food, opens up the "disposal" system. Are you pooping at least once a day? You can get natural colon cleanse tablets (includes phyllium husk) at any health store.

On Sept 11, 2006 Char's blood test was CA 27.29 and her tumor marker was at 180 (extremely high) The doctor prescribed Abraxane for Chemo and anti-body Herceptin for her treatment.

The good news came in stages. First the mastectomy was canceled. On Oct 10th, 2006 before her 2nd chemo treatment, the tumor marker had dropped from 180 to 76! The doctor couldn't believe it. Char's says, "I can't say that I would have survived without the traditional treatments, however I do believe it's everything including diet, exercise, H20 and sleep. What a concept!"

On Nov 21, 2006 the tumor marker was normal at 37! Her last chemo treatment was Jan 25, 2007. In all, she had 7 treatments of Abraxane and Herceptin every three weeks.

On Feb 12, 2007 the PET/CT scan was CLEAR, NORMAL and the 3 follow-ups remain CLEAR, NORMAL. Char's amazing turnaround from "there is no cure at this time" to "Normal / Clear" happened in 7 months.

This life-changing experience has brought insight and wisdom. She offers, "Pay attention when your body is telling you something's wrong and don't disregard the signs. You know your body better than anyone else and there's only one you, who's not like anyone else. Don't make excuses why you don't feel good, like I'm over 40 now." This extraordinary story of one person's determination is an example of how we're in control of our bodies when we accept responsibility and don't let advertising justify buying the wrong foods.

Dr. Samuel Epstein has written a few books on why cancer is unnecessary and his most recent is "Cancer Gate, How to win the Losing Cancer War." He states, "that 30 - 40% of all cancers are directly linked to empty calorie foods, lack of physical activity and excess body weight. Your nutritional food intake is the best preventive cure for cancer.

Your diet can strengthen the body's immune defenses against cancer and toxic substances. Eating nutritionally would cure 30 - 40% of all cancers. Eliminate cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco, another 30% of cancers are gone. Environmental pollution, which includes water, air and soil are where the remaining 30% of cancers come from in our society, " states Dr. Epstein. We have so much contradictory information bombarding us today that sometimes the obvious gets lost in the chaos of controversy between drug and food companies.

Instead, eat nutritionally rich foods so your body's immune system is working to protect you and help yourself by eliminating as many toxins as possible. We can learn a lot from someone else's near-death experience that nutrition, exercise, hydrating and sound sleep are daily priorities we all need to do.