EP# 275: Enhancing Cancer Care with Complementary Approaches | Debbie Caramagno's Inspirational Journey with the Annieappleseed Project

What makes Debbie Caramagno with Annieappleseed Project a good neighbor?

What if you could enhance your cancer treatment with methods that complement traditional care? Join us on the Good Neighbor Podcast as we chat with Debbie Caramagno from the Annieappleseed Project, a nonprofit committed to providing evidence-based complementary cancer care. Debbie, a licensed acupuncturist with over two decades of experience, shares her inspiring journey from owning a natural food store to becoming a strong advocate for holistic health. Hear her story of resilience through her personal battles with cancer and caring for a husband with Alzheimer's, and how these experiences have fueled her passion for supporting others.

In this episode, Debbie uncovers the science-backed approaches that the Annieappleseed Project recommends for cancer care, including diet, supplements, exercise, and mind-body practices. She also addresses common myths and misconceptions surrounding alternative cancer care. Discover more about their impactful work and their annual conference in West Palm Beach, where experts from around the world gather to share their insights. Whether you're looking for additional cancer care options or seeking inspiration, this conversation with Debbie Caramagno offers valuable information and heartfelt stories that you won't want to miss.

To learn more about Debbie Caramagno go to:
https://www.annieappleseedproject.org/

Annieappleseed Project
561-301-5398

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, GarfieldBowen.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Are you looking for some complimentary or
alternative cancer care?
Well, we may have somethingcloser than you think.
They have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
debbie Caramango, with AppleSeed Project.
Debbie, how are you doing today?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'm doing good.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Listen, debbie.
We're excited to learn allabout you and your organization
here.
Tell us about your company.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Okay, Well, first my history is.
I'm a licensed acupuncturist.
I had a 23-year practice inJupiter, Florida.
I'm now retired and today I'mhere speaking as an ambassador
for the Any Appleseed Project,which is a nonprofit,
all-volunteer organization thatoffers educational, informative,

(01:02):
evidence-based information oncomplementary cancer care for
those who are interested.
We're not advocating to replacedoctors and the traditional
care.
We're just advocating forcomplementary things that can be
done in addition to standardcare.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
How did you get into this?

Speaker 3 (01:23):
business.
Well, I've always had aninterest in the holistic health
field, and then I originallyowned a natural food store for
years in Tequesta.
And then I went to school, wentto college, became an
acupuncturist.
So it went in line with mybasic thought patterns of what I
believed in, and thisorganization was started by a

(01:44):
woman who had cancer in the 90s,anne Fonfa, and she was looking
for groups where she could findmore information about
alternative cancer care, andthis organization thus formed.
We have about 90,000 visitorsthat visit our website per month
to try to get additionalinformation on what they can do
to strengthen their immunesystem for cancer care.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
What are some of the myths and misconceptions?

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I think the misconceptions is that this is
all non-evidence-based it's justa bunch of fluff information
out there, but that's not true.
We try to base ourrecommendations on
evidence-based cancer andthere's a lot that can be done
to strengthen one's immunesystem and fight the battle of
cancer using alternative methods.

(02:32):
We would include things likediet we strongly suggest organic
fruits and vegetablessupplements, exercise, mind-body
issues and looking atenvironment issues also and all
of this is on our website too,with more information.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
So, debbie, when you're not busy with this
organization, what do you liketo do for fun?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Oh well, I love nature.
I like going outside.
I raise flowers.
I also like going for hikes andspending time at the beach and
with my friends.
I meditate also and I do Qigongbit.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Life often throws us curveballs.
Let's talk about one hardship,one life challenge, something
that you rose above and can nowsay you're better and stronger
because of it.
What comes to mind?

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Well, I probably have two things.
I was diagnosed with cancer in2010.
My last treatment was 2014.
I used traditional methods plusalternative methods, and now
I've been cancer free and inremission since 2014, which I'm
very happy about, of course.
And I think the second thingthat happened to me in my life

(03:52):
is my husband was diagnosed withAlzheimer's.
Second thing that happened tome in my life is my husband was
diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
I took care of him, usedtraditional methods.
He's since passed.
But going through anybody who'sbeen a caretaker for someone
with Alzheimer's knows howdifficult it is and when you get
to the other side, you thinkyou've been through a lot and
you're pretty strong.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, I'm actually a cancer survivor as well, so I
understand the whole processwith the chemo and everything
else in there.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
It's very overwhelming when people are
first diagnosed with cancer.
They don't know where to turnand on our site we try to offer
options that you can use inaddition to whatever your doctor
is recommending.
And so many people just by thefact that we have that many
people come to our site arelooking for science-based
evidence that they can use intheir fight against cancer.

(04:42):
And the one thing I wanted tomention is our organization has
a wonderful yearly conference inWest Palm Beach in February
every year and we have doctorsand practitioners from all over
the world come and speak.
And these aren't just flufffluff doctors, they're
intelligent, smart Harvard grads, yale, whatever to talk about
studies and so forth that havebeen done using alternative

(05:03):
methods in cancer care.
And at this convention all thefood served lunch is included
every day.
It's a three-day event.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
All food is organic, that's really a priority in the
anti-leseed world to recommendorganic produce and vegetables?
No-transcript.
To really just tell us onething that you want our
listeners to take away from thisinterview today.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
I think I'd like people to know that there's a
lot that they can do to helpthemselves, and they just need
to research and look for sitesthat offer quality information
and go to our site, see some ofthe things we're recommending
and we have what we call acircle of balance, where we have
a big circle with all thethings that we think would be
helpful to fight this battleagainst cancer.

(05:53):
So many people are diagnosedwith cancer every year and it's
so overwhelming.
So over two million people werediagnosed in 2024 with cancer.
So we'd like to see that nothappen.
First be proactive and reactive, but there's many challenges to
that.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
That leads me to the last question, which is how?
How can my listeners learn moreabout Annie's apple seed
project?

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Gotcha.
We have our site.
It's Annie apple seedprojectorg.
That's on the web.
There's lots of informationthere.
We'll even talk about ourconference.
We don't have the registrationopen yet.
Lots of information there.
We'll even talk about ourconference.
We don't have the registrationopen yet, but there's also
information on YouTube and wehave an email address at
AnnieAppleseedProject at AOLcom.

(06:40):
And we encourage people tocontact us to find information
out.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Listen, debbie.
It's been a pleasure having youon the show.
We wish you and yourorganization the very best
moving forward.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast Port St Lucie.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpportsaintluciecom.
That's gnpportsaintluciecom, orcall 772-362-3840.