Travelling as a Gerson Person: Two days in Byron Bay
I have just completed 21 months of Gerson Therapy. That means I have three more to go. Three more!! I am so freaking excited. Even my fingers are happily skipping across the computer keys as I type. To celebrate this amazing milestone, my boyfriend and I drove a couple hours south from where we live to spend two days in Byron Bay.
You may be wondering how it is possible to travel when you’re on Gerson Therapy. I have to say that planning and packing for it was a bit of a pain in the ass, but once we were away it was all worth it. Even though I still had to stick to each of the Gerson elements, the change in scenery did wonders for my head space.
Here are some tips if you’re considering travelling as a Gerson Person (or just want to get away without breaking your healthy habits) …
#1 Book somewhere with a kitchen
The place we stayed in had a communal kitchen (which we practically had to ourselves), so I was able to set up my juicer, store food in the fridge, and prepare all of my meals. However, I still took a large esky to store my juicing produce because I didn’t want the other guests getting cranky at me for hogging fridge space.
We recently found a Norwalk juicer for sale on Gumtree for a fraction of the price to buy them new (also no shipping or customs costs), so we snapped it up to have for when I move out of home. It also came in handy on the weekend so that neither Mum nor I would have to go without Norwalk juices.
#2 Book somewhere with a big bathroom
I took my enema bucket, flasks full of coffee, and yoga mat and towels (for padding) so that I would be able to stick to my enema schedule while I was away. When we made the booking, we made sure the bathroom was big enough for me to be able to lie down comfortably.
#3 Take your own water
I didn’t worry too much about showering in the water at our little cottage, but I did take my own purified water for brushing my teeth, filling up my enema bucket, making cups of tea, making my rolled oats, and washing my produce.
#4 Pack food
I knew it would be pretty easy to buy organic food in Byron Bay, so I bought my salad and veggies when we arrived there. However, I did take my rolled oats, honey, sultanas, quinoa (which I’m now allowed!), tea bags, and all of the produce I would need for juicing. I also took enough Hippocrates soup to get me through the two days.
#5 Travel with someone who understands your schedule and needs
Going away for the weekend wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have Tallon to help me out. He made breakfast, helped me with juices, was patient with me while I made sure I didn’t stray from my Gerson regime, and made it possible to fit everything in plus get out and about without ripping my hair out. I’m not sure I would be comfortable asking anyone else to do the same.
Now that I’m past the 18-month mark and my Therapy has been reduced to nine daily juices and three daily enemas (plus I’m now allowed a few different foods like berries and quinoa!), it made it easier to get away. However, this could totally have been done on the full therapy. I just would have had less time for sight seeing. While we were away we went out for lunch to an organic café, wandered through the street markets, walked down to the beach, and took a drive up through the countryside to Crystal Castle. Here are some pics from our adventures:
WE STAYED AT Atlantic Byron Bay
WE ATE AT The Conscious Café
WE PLAYED AT Crystal Castle
Do you have any tips for sticking to your health regime while travelling? Pop them, and any other insights, in the comments section below.
You may also want to check out this post: 7 Travel Tips For Cancer Patients
Positive affirmation for the day: Living in the present moment gives me the power to control the direction of my life.
MY GIFT TO GERSON …
I am donating 50% of all sales of my Healing Through The Holidays recipe e-book to the Gerson Institute. Gerson Therapy has saved my life, and so many others like me, and I want to do this as a gift to them. These people work so hard to get the Gerson message out, and help so many people with cancer and other chronic illnesses, and they rely on donations to make it all happen. Click here to buy your copy of Healing Through The Holidays.
Have you bought your copy of The Wellness Warrior Live Well Starter Kit + 10-Day Cleanse? Click here to find out why it’s the best $12 you’ll ever spend.
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POSTED IN: Atlantic Byron Bay, Byron Bay, cancer, coffee enema, Conscious Cafe, Crystal Castle, Gerson Therapy, juicing, Norwalk juicer, organic food, travel
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Love all your photos Jessica! I would love to make it out that way sometime in my life and that is so great that you are able to get away and still be able to do Gerson.
Gorgeous pics Jess thanks for sharing xx
I am so happy for you that you got to enjoy getting out, I am sure it did wonders for your mind and wellbeing. Rose Quartz Labyrinth has a beautiful sound to it. Loving your pictures xo
The food looks YUM Jess! And how cool is that Conscious Cafe? Definitely on my list for the next time I’m in Byron.
Great Post! I have found planning is key. Researching grocery stores, health food stores, local markets, etc. Packing the essentials and filling in the gaps once at our travel destination. I have found myself ordering appetizers, smaller portions or sharing a meal when dining out. Sometimes we just go to the local market and picnic it too. Thanks for sharing!
Well done Jess. I am thinking of doing Gerson for my multiple sclerosis. Reading about your journey on Gerson is really helping me… so glad you exist girlie x
Hi Rachel,
There’s a great video on youtube about healing MS. Search for ‘Dr Terry Wahls Minding your mitochondria’. She is a Doctor who cured her MS with diet. Good luck.
Regards,
Debbie
You are a superstar Jess! It’s difficult enough to follow the Gerson at home.. let alone on the road. You look beautiful as always.. 3 more months eh? Fantastic!
xo
What type of water do you drink? How do you get non-fluoride water? Which bottle water do you use? How do you travel with it? Do you have a water filter, if so what kind? Sorry, I’m really interested in water lately because I live in Florida (where the water supply is full of fluoride) and I realized a lot of my health issues are linked to that. So i’m trying to figure out how to be healthy, drink lot’s of good water, and still not go broke.
Hi Shelby, we have a Grander water purifying system on our house. But when I travel I buy Pureau pure water. It comes in a cask and is free of all nasties including fluroide and chlorine. I’m not sure if you have the same brand or something similar in the states? xx
hi jess, you really are so lucky that you have a supportive and understanding boyfriend. my boyfriend ran off with another women 9 months ago because he couldn’t handle that i was sick and he didn’t want to cope with my chemical free environment requirements and my strict diet regime. and i never requested help from him (actually i looked after him and myself and i have my own money so didn’t burden him in that way either). i’ve been so heartbroken and crying every day for 8 months straight (the last month the crying has eased a bit). i’ve felt not worthy of love etc because of my illness. but what keeps me not feeling completely depressed is when i see how supportive tallon is with you and how well he seems to deal with the situation. so i guess over time, from seeing how he’s good with your illness, i’ve begun to think that maybe it wasn’t entirely that i was unlovable. it was that perhaps i just chose somebody who didn’t want to love me unconditionally and couldn’t see the bigger picture – that i’m like you – determined and dedicated and confident of recovery. and tallon actually helps you. as far as i can see, tallon doesn’t seem to complain about how your needs are cramping his style or causing him to feel like he can’t live his own life comfortably. you really are blessed.
Leesa, I know your pain. The guy who supposedly loved me “more than anything in the world” and had been in my life for many years dropped me like a hot rock soon after I got sick. That was over 6 months ago and I have nightmares about it to this day.
Jess, You are very blessed.
hi jess. i hope you don’t mind if i give kayla this advice based upon my experience. hi kayla, i understand the nightmares, lack of sleep, devistation. in the last month, i’ve found two things which have helped me with the emotional devistation. firstly, i’ve started doing alot of self massage, in particular … into the diaphram and intestines and all around the abdominal area. i use the end of a wooden spoon with a hand towel over it (to soften it) and dig into my diaphram and around my stomach and liver under my ribs. and i use the end of a rolling pin (with the handles chopped off) to dig into my intestines etc. this seems to ease the emotional tension. but i think the self massage over the rest of my body (with various types of balls, a rolling pin etc) has eased the emotional tension as well – since the stress can build up in the muscles etc. the second thing is that i found a website which is by a dating coach … he doesn’t tell me everything i want to hear but i have benifited from reading his website about crap guys and their behaviour. and now i try to be grateful every day that the guy whom left me did actually leave. the website i’m referring to is: evanmarckatz.com. he has written many useful blogs in the blog section. i hope this helps.
Leesa, Thanks for letting me know what has helped you! I really appreciate that. There is truth in the idea that we are better off without those guys (wish I would have figured that out earlier). I’m going to trust that God has a better plan for me.
Hi Leesa, Gosh I am so sorry to hear that! Times like this really cause people to show their true selves. It takes a strong person to be able to support us through our healing journey, but it takes an even stronger person to actually go through it. This makes you more lovable, and certainly not unlovable!! The right person will be able to see this in you, and will love you unconditionally. Sending you so much love and admiration. x
hi jess, thank you so much for your kind words.
Yes, Jess, the first thing that came to my mind too was how lucky you are having a supportive significant man in your life. I too was in a relationship when I got sick. I started the Gerson therapy and he started to pull away. We had been together for two years! He had asked me to marry him! But I remind myself of the F-A-C-T (researched) that when sickness enters a relationship men leave women 7x more than women leaving men. I don’t know why — women are better nurturers and when the sickness hits men can’t play that role? OR maybe men are just big kids and don’t like it when the ‘fun’ leaves the relationship? In my case I never asked my man for Gerson help either. I was in constant motion with all the juices and enemas. He’s a neat nick so he was grossed out by some of the stains in my bathroom from the coffee enemas (oh well…I will paint in 2 years!). But the real breaking point for me was when I was juicing a bunch of carrots/apple in a thermos so he/I could get away for a couple hours. I was suppose to be at his house at 1 pm. When I called him to tell him I was going to be 20 minutes late he immediately started yelling at me (he typically does NOT yell) and said “I gave you 24 hours notice! You have no excuse for being late!” Again, this is not his typical behavior. But it proved to me he was not handling my Gerson life very well. Anyone on Gerson knows that if you are even within 20 minutes of being “on schedule” that is a miracle. Sooooo, many things can trip you up… Anyway, the second he said those words “you have no excuse” I doubled over in pain with what felt like knives into my intestines thinking “no excuse? Disease and potential death is not a good enough excuse?” Like the book’s title (great book btw) “When the Body Says No”, my body was telling me how I was being super stressed out trying to meet his expectations and keep him happy — I wasn’t good enough. So, what is my point to Leesa other than the fact that the “abandonment stress” or “not good enough stress” she is experiencing is potentially undoing all the good we are trying to do with Gerson. Stress is super immune suppressive. I would also recommend that Leesa “go within” during meditation and ask herself what his leaving has “triggered” from her childhood. Cuz to have such a massive long-term response she is having sounds like she is re-living MORE than the loss of a boyfriend. I say this from experience when I learned my ex-husband was a porn/sex addict — it triggered my abandonment as a child. And so, what did I do with my boyfriend? To tell the truth, I could see the writing on the wall: that my boyfriend was very unhappy in our relationship with how tied I am to the juicer, lack of fun long long distance travels etc. I could see it was only a matter of time before he bolted. And I knew my personal history with abandonment — it triggers an old abandonment I had as a child and I end up on the floor in a crying fetal position 24/7. I couldn’t risk this. My life is more important than any man. I actually boiled it down to “stay in a relationship, marry and die” vs “be alone, single, somehow learn to love singledom and live.” When I gave myself that choice, it was clear I needed to end the relationship. But don’t get me wrong, I think of him daily, wonder if I did the right thing etc. But every time those negative thoughts come into my head I just ask myself “would he want to be with me right now?” And every time I ask myself that question my answer is always “no” — the kitchen is too messy for him to see, he bores watching me juice, I can’t go on his 5x/year extended vacations etc. I don’t like being alone. But I love the idea of increasing my odds of living via having the stress of making him happy gone. And how did he take it? Without a problem, blimp or concern. Which tells me he WAS moving in the direction of abandoning me as I thought. Anyway, Leesa, please “go within” and ask your inner child what she is really feeling — abandoned? no good enough? scared of being alone? Once you deal with that core, not only will you feel better but should another guy abandon you again in the future you will weather it better than you are this abandonment. Hugs to you fellow abandonment sister! I know your pain all too well. And jess, again, you are one lucky girl. Not to mention he’s quite a cutey too! 
Thanks for sharing Jess, you look amazing! It’s great to get this info to show the reality of living on Gerson
hi jess, sorry i hope you don’t mind. i’ve had some personal experience with water myself and wish to interject some of this experience to shelby. 6 months ago, i found that although i follow the half gerson therapy, i cook in glass saucepans, use wooden spoons etc (to reduce my consumption of leached heavy metals from stainless steel – yes that does happen), i was still getting migraines. and particularly on teh days i went to town. and i wondered why for a long time. then i realised … teh days i went to town, i’d drink more of my bottled water (which i bought in plastic bottles). on the days i was at home, i relied more on the water i was getting from my fresh juices. then around the same time, i saw an article in a magazine about this chick who had similar symptoms to me and she discovered that it was coming from plastics which she was unknowingly consuming. in particular, she mentioned that when she drank milk from a plastic bottle, the symptoms would be worse. and then i realised – that means that the plastic is leaching into the milk. for sensitive people, this is obviously not good. then i thought … well i’ve been drinking plastic bottled water for years. so i started buying bottled water in glass (yes it is expensive), but after a week, the migraines disappeared and now i don’t get them anywhere near as much even when i go into town for a few hours. then i though … oh no, how am i going to find a clean water source … since even tank water from a metal tank leaches heavy metals (and you can buy marine grade sainless steel tanks but the problem is still there to a lesser degree), water from plastic rainwater tanks leach plastics (griffith university showed this in one study). so i went to a stream coming off a mountain about 75km from here and filled my glass bottles with water. that was ok. then i found a friend who has a 20 year old tile roof and 20 year old concrete rainwater tank (so rainwater falls onto the tile roof into the old concrete tank). i find that i can also drink that water without getting the headaches. i’ve heard that even reverse osmosis systems leach plastics (since the whole thing is made of plastic in general). plastics are everywhere. and the general water supplies (town water from dams or creeks) are poisoned not only with chlorine and fluoride, but also all the other crap they add to the water (lime etc), not to mention residues from agricultural chemicals (i’m a civil engineer by profession). it’s only when you are actively looking for a clean water source that you realise how hard it is to find these days. i’m actually looking to move to a place where there are many uncontaminated natural streams which i go to and fill my glass bottles with. here is a review about many studies which have been done on leaching of plastics into bottled water: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0901253. i hope this helps.
Hi Leesa…
I understand what you are going through with the water. Since I could not find any water filter that would remove the flouride, and reverse osmosis systems do not always get all the fluoride, I resigned myself to use only distilled water. Now I have 5 gallon jugs of distilled delivered and use about 6 gallons a day…. that includes showers too. For a while I was distilling the water myself but I could not keep up, and the cost of the electricity need was quite a bit too.
Best,
Ron
I just started the “Non-Malignant Patient” Gerson Therapy. I’ve struggled with severe digestive issues that leave me throwing up 2-3 a week…sometimes every day when it’s at it’s worst. After endless tests and blank stares from many MD’s, my husband stumbled up this blog…which let to me starting the program. It’s grueling, that’s for sure. I’m currently in school so I’m slingin juice and driving back and forth from class to home like crazy…but making it work. AND it seems that I’m improving..even in just a couple days, I feel clear headed and different. This post gave me lots of hope and lots of great tips that I can totally relate to and will certainly follow next time vacation comes around.
I’ve been reading lots of Gerson literature…but does anyone have any tips on WHEN you should quit the intense program if you are not a cancer patient or suffering from a severe disease? Just when…you feel good again? Not to worry, comments will be taken with a grain of salt, I know ultimately me and my naturopath need to make that decisions but I’m curious the thoughts….
awesome! great photos… I follow you because I am trying to learn as much as I can about the therapy. You answer a lot of questions that my mom has for me. She has cancer and is not doing too much about it. The Gerson therapy seems like too much to her… great to see that you are living life, enjoying it, and healing yourself. She feels like she has to give up life, FOR life. thank you.
Yes! I have the same questions about water…. would be great to see a post about this! =) We have been drinking distilled water, but buying it in bottles (YIKES). But otherwise, I am not too sure how to do it without spending a fortune. Help!! 
Hi Suzy,
Jess has two great solutions for clean purified water, and I have another system that removes all contaminants, (chlorine, aluminum sulphide, heavy metals etc) bacteria (cryptosporidium) and viruses. The reason why i am replying to you, is that you should not drink distilled water – it is absolutely no good as the cells in your body uses electrolysis to transport nutrients into the cells, and if you use pure H two O, which has no electrolytes in it, then you will starve your cells of food.
Hi Jess! Your pics are so beautiful and I am so happy for you that you got to go away and enjoy a change of scenery! I am very excited about the fact that you only have 3 months left? What comes next? Are you going to get a scan to see how things are going? Is that h
How you know it’s ok to drop down at 18 months is that everything is going in the rig direction? Sorry for the questions.
Leesa, thank you so much for the water info!! I have well water and have been meaning to have it tested. I only use filtered water from the fridge to drink but wonder if it’s worth getting one of those Britta systems to run that water through another filter? Thanks!!
Hi Marie, I’m not too sure I will have scans when I finish. The scans I was having prior to my diagnosis weren’t showing up my tumours anyway, so I don’t see the point in having scans. I don’t want to subject my body to unnecessary radiation or the sugar solution they inject into you when you have a scan. I will think more about this as the time comes. My Gerson doctor gave me permission to reduce my therapy at the 18 month mark based on my blood test results. He has been monitoring me from the start and lets me know when I can make changes. This is probably the best part about starting the therapy at the Gerson clinic. I will definitely keep everyone updated as my Therapy comes to a close and let you know where I will be going from there! xx
Oh that’s right, how could I forget about blood counts!! So happy that the numbers are going in e right direction!!!
Love the pictures! And the food looks delicious!
I recently went on a health holiday to Byron Bay too, it must be the thing to do! Cardamon Pod is another good restaurant for vegetarians and vegans. I have photos from my trip at http://www.livehealthysimply.com/2011/12/byron-bay-in-picture
congrats on getting to the last 3 months, it’s been a long haul I’m sure. So good that you can go to such a great spot like Byron too – love that place, you’ve inspired me to think of another holiday up there.
Wow Jess you’re awesome acheiving this so beautifully. And then sharing it!!!!!
Hi Jess,
Thanks for the photos and the wonderful job you do educating us all. I hope you don’t mind but I have a question. With your healthy lifestyle and juices, why do you need to still have so many enemas each day? What kind of toxins are still in your system after so long?
I really enjoy the education you are giving me.
Cheers
x
Lisa » Hi Lisa, Of course I don’t mind! The enemas are needed because detoxification is an ongoing process. Even though I lead the cleanest life possible, we live in a pretty toxic world and the enemas are needed to help the liver process any toxins it may be exposed to. Also, I still have a lot of tumour tissue and scar tissue breaking down in my body, so enemas are needed to help eliminate that. In order to prevent cancer from manifesting again, I am going to continue to do enemas for the rest of my life. xx
I agree with the others — your posting is so full of joy and inspiration (as always), Jess. Thank you!
I’m not a cancer patient, but use Gerson to help my migraines; however I try to do it as faithfully as I can. I’m still trying to get my source of pure domestic water sorted out, and I’d promised myself i’d get an inbuilt distiller system this year. But then i read the posting above saying that distilled water is not good after all. I thought that Gerson recommended this?
Can anyone give any further info on this?
Warm wishes
What you have committed to for health is truly inspiring. I just love hearing about your adventures! Wait until you can hop on a plane – I but we’ll be seeing you in the United States before you know it!
Hi Jess,
congrats forn all your good work, love your pix and You look great. Are you planning longer trips from Austraia???
I am still on the Gerson T it will be my 33 month, I would like to go out… travel….is it posible??? we have a timeshare in Hawaii and we did not used it at all in the past 4 years. I have a dream to … in Canada is -20C …. How will I be with organic food and my juices???
Is anybody out there from the Island ???? ….and can give me some suggestions. Thanks!
Jess if you can send me your oppinion I will take it, thanks
All the best to your mother.
Happy for you Jess
Jess, you are seriously gorgeous. RADIANT. That is all xxx
Looks like you had a blast! I seriously was drooling over the KEEN-WA. It looks like a beautiful place! I’m glad you had fun and glad you shared your story. Thanks!
Hi Jess, I’m in Byron Bay for a few weeks for yoga. I went to The Conscious Cafe this morning for breakfast after seeing it on your site. Loved it, so amazingly natural and healthy. Thanks so much for the recommendation.
Richard » Hi Richard, that’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
Hey Jess… So glad to hear you are starting to be able to live a more normal life. I have been following your blog for the last 18 months and I endeavour to read all your posts, no matter how much of a back log of emails I have. I even have a ‘Wellness Warrior’ folder in my email so I can go back and read your posts that I haven’t had time to read.
My partner and I have just baught a new cold pressing juicer form Juicers Australia called an ‘Angelica’. It was about $1600 which was comparatively cheaper to the Norfolk juicers at several $1000s. We are very happy with the nutrient concentration quality of the juice and we really notice this difference BIG TIME compared to our old Samson cold pressed juicer which we have had for 7 years.
So glad you and Tallon had some ‘change in space time’ … Lots of love and super healing light to you … Sally
Sally » Thank you so much Sally! That’s so cool you have a Wellness Warrior folder ha ha. I feel so honoured! xxx
Hi Jess,
My Mum thought she read there is a Gerson retreat in Maleny somewhere. Can anyone confirm this for me.
Where do u get your potassium from?
I was diagonised with lung cancer 2 weeks before Christmas, have been juicing ever since, although haven’t got to 13 a day yet. And doing the enemas, again not 5 a day but will start.
I fly between Australia & Kuala Lumpur ( where we are currently living at the moment), & renting a unit near the beach in Burleigh Heads to see my natropath Dr Brian Bateman in Brisbane.
I felt a bit down the other day & came upon your website, read it over & over, and all the other people, & immediately felt better as I am not alone in my journey to heal naturally.
You are all such an inspiration to me.
Do you sell any of your cook books in paperback? I know very 1900 but I like the feel of a book to refer back to.
Loving all the reads, Dianne
Dianne » Hi Dianne, Thanks for your comment! Congratulations on starting to empower yourself to get well – you should be so proud. I am so happy that my site has been a comfort to you. No, there is no Gerson retreat in Maleny. There is a Gerson practitioner there though called Kathryn Alexander http://www.kathrynalexander.com.au/ It is best to start the Therapy at a clinic though, and they are based in Mexico and Hungary. No, my e-books are only digital versions at the moment – sorry! Maybe in the future they will be paperback. xx