History and How it Started
No one can prepare you for that doctor’s visit when you are told you have cancer, especially when the diagnosis comes as a complete surprise, from a routine visit.
The thoughts, feelings, memories, and worry that all race through your mind are overwhelming and devastating. Some of my very first thoughts were “What would happen to my family, my kids?” and “There are so many things still to do!”
To make matters worse, there are no treatments for desmoplastic melanoma. The only option is to remove a large portion of skin and hope for the best.
After a couple of weeks of major depression, I first realized that depression itself is a killer because it compromises the immune system; and for that reason I needed to get a handle on my emotions and cheer up. That sort of mindset shift proved to be a monumental task.
However, once I did get my mind back in gear, I started realizing that simply getting back to the status quo wasn’t going to be sufficient; I needed to get excited, and know, not just hope, that my cancer would never come back. There’s a lot of research that shows a direct correlation between the strength of positive mental attitude and survival rates.
As my thoughts of refusing to give in and vowing to never have a recurrence took shape, I remembered all the other aspects of good healthy living that I was always a fan of, but now needed to supercharge – exercise, good food, and better quality sleep.
I had always been very active throughout childhood, into college and for a decade or so after school. But between work, family and many other mounting daily obligations, exercise had become almost nonexistent. This needed to change.
There are a multitude of studies that show that even a 30 minute walk every day can reduce the risks of many cancers. Exercise is now an important part of my weekly routine. There are improvements to be made, but I strive to be more consistent all the time.
Then there’s food. I’ve always been a fairly healthy eater, but then there were always the fast food stops, desserts, fried foods, and so many foods that have high saturated fats, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, stabilizers that all seem to make their way into what we consume on a daily basis.
My Mom and Dad both strived to eat healthy and they instilled those habits in me, but when I really started researching what foods are not only good at promoting general health but specifically fighting and preventing cancer, it was complicated; so many things to avoid, so many more to include, and tons of conflicting research on what’s best.
Making the most out of eating right wasn’t going to be nearly as easy as making sure I got my heart rate up for 30 minutes a day.
After researching and reading and speaking with my oncology dietician I began to realize that eating in the best way possible was going to be difficult for many reasons. There are over 30 foods, vegetables, fruits, spices, and fish that are important in providing a good balanced diet that fully supports a strong healthy immune system.
First, to have all these ingredients on hand or on a rotating basis, finding recipes, preparing meals was going to be difficult enough, but then considering the higher cost of those items and then making sure that all were consumed on a timely basis so as to not have all that expensive food expire – the task was going to be daunting.
Then I thought, “What about everyone else?” How are most people going to do this? A lot of people don’t have the time to research all this. Most people don’t have time to do all the shopping for these foods, find the recipes, it’s just not reasonable.
At that point my mission became clear, I needed to make it easy for people to have access to the most nourishing meals, without all the research and time and expense. And specifically for those who can’t afford it, I felt compelled to start an organization that could provide these meals, for free.
Be grateful. Be hopeful. Change is coming.
Keith Westphal
Keith Westphal, Founder
At Blue World Foods, our mission is two-fold:
- to work with top oncology dietitians and epidemiologists to bring the most nutritious foods to our team of renowned chefs so we can provide great tasting and highly nutrient dense meals to those in need of the strongest immune system possible.
- to provide motivational, nutritional and exercise coaching support to those need a little push through a personalized coaching program
