Widow of former Ondo State governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has disclosed that avoiding carbohydrates rich foods like fufu or akpu, eba, amala and pounded yam kept alive after being diagnosed with breast cancer 27 years ago.
Speaking her mind in a social media post Wednesday to mark World Cancer Day, she disclosed that she had to make a decision to live and see her children grow or eat those foods and die prematurely. But sadly, she lost her husband to prostate cancer in 2023.
“My experience with cancer is a mixed grill of triumph and, lately, of grief, having defeated breast cancer 27 years ago, only to lose my husband, Aketi, to prostate cancer on 26 December 2023. For this conversation, I will tell my story to inform, inspire, and empower the public to take action against cancer, whether as individuals or as a community.
“To begin with, the major thing that saved me from untimely death at the age of 44 was my mindset and belief. I did not believe that my cancer was caused by anyone, let alone by a spiritual attack. So I did not go to a church or spiritualist—I went to the 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!
“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 came to understand the implications as I began to read extensively, including medical publications on breast cancer such as Cochrane reports.
“As I read more and attended international conferences, I realised that my longevity after diagnosis depended on my lifestyle. Looking at my young children at the time, I was determined to do everything in my power to live and raise them. If giving up soft drinks, ‘swallow’ (eba, pounded yam, amala, akpu), and bread would prolong my life—knowing that starchy foods and sugar fuel cancer growth—so be it.
“That was exactly what I did. I stopped drinking soft drinks. No ‘swallow’ and no bread since 2000! My diet includes vegetables, smoothies, green tea, lemon and ginger tea, beans, moi moi, fish, chicken, snails, occasional rice, and zobo drink.
“Exercise, especially jogging — one of the flagship activities of BRECAN during Pink October — also became part of my healthy lifestyle.”
