Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the late former governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has revealed the foods she eliminated from her diet that helped her survive breast cancer.
Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu explained that she defeated breast cancer 27 years ago and, sadly, she lost her husband to prostrate cancer in December 2023.
She explained that she believes eliminating starchy foods from her diet helped her beat cancer because the growth of the disease is fueled by starchy foods and sugar.
She stated that her decision to stop eating bread, eba, amala, akpu, and pounded yam was driven by her determination to stay alive and raise her young children.
In a social media post marking World Cancer Day, she wrote: “My experience with cancer is a mixed grill, of triumph and lately of grief, having defeated breast cancer 27 years ago and just over a year, on December 26, 2023, I lost my husband, Aketi, to prostate cancer.
“For this conversation, I will tell my story to inform, inspire and empower the public to take action against cancer as an individual or as a community.
“To begin with, the major thing that saved me from untimely de@th at the age of 44 was my mindset or belief. I didn’t believe that my cancer was caused by anybody let alone by spiritual attack. So I didn’t go to church or spiritualist, I went to University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.
“My educational status also enabled me to figure out that cancer is medical issue, nothing more. I was right! Doctors at UCH handled my case and if I may add, I presented early at stage 1 of the disease. No lymph node was affected, I got to know the implication as I began to read voraciously some medical publications on breast cancer such as Cochrane publications etc.
“As I read more and attended international conferences, I understood that my longevity after cancer diagnosis depended on my lifestyle.
“Looking at my children then and how young they were, I was determined to do everything in my power to live inorder to raise them. If stopping drinking coke and other minerals, swallowing eba, pounded yam, amala and akpu would prolong my life knowing that starchy foods and sugar fuel the growth of cancer, so be it.
“That was exactly what I did. I stopped drinking minerals, no “swallow” and no bread since 2000! My food includes the following: veggies, smoothies, green tea, lemon and ginger tea, beans, moimoi, fish, chicken, snail, occasional rice and zobo drink.”
She further stated that she added exercise, specifically jogging, to her routine.
“Today, I’m proudly a 27 year breast cancer survivor, thriving and still counting!” she concluded her post.
