Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of late governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, has disclosed that having cancer made her stop eating certain foods like pounded yam, eba, amala, and akpu.
The former Ondo first lady disclosed this in a social media post to mark this year’s World Cancer Day. World Cancer Day is celebrated annually on February 4 to raise awareness and ignite action in the fight against cancer.
Akeredolu said eliminating starchy foods from her diet helped her survive breast cancer after she was diagnosed 27 years ago.
She wrote:“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”.
Betty Akeredolu who is the founder of BRECAN (Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria) disclosed that her positive mindset played a major role in her surviving cancer. She said her decision to seek medical care at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, instead of relying on spiritual healers, was crucial.
She wrote: To begin with, the major thing that saved me from untimely death at the age of 44 was my mindset or belief. I didn’t believe that my cancer was caused by anybody, let alone by a 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 a medical issue, nothing more. I was right!
She lost her husband, Rotimi Akeredolu, to prostate cancer on December 23, 2023.