Seven years ago my father-in-law, Dave Somerville, was diagnosed with stage 5 prostate cancer. The lead singer of the 1950s group The Diamonds, “Diamond Dave”,  as he is known by his fans, was still performing his hits, such as “Little Darlin” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” all over the country. A truly inspirational man, he immediately took action and began to research his options. He was determined to find the best possible solution and get back on the road.

Four different doctors presented treatment options such as surgery and radiation, but Dave decided to go with a different approach. He’d always been interested in nutrition and alternative health, and when a friend recommended a naturopathic doctor in San Diego, he found what he was looking for: a doctor who “laughs at cancer.” I was nervous; in fact, I honestly thought at first that it was a mistake. Yet this is where I first learned how dramatically nutrition can impact the skin.

Dave’s treatment regimen focused on organic foods, a range of immunity-boosting supplements, and drinking nothing but purified water—lots of it. Most important, he maintained an alkaline environment in his body, the basis of his naturopathic doctor’s protocol. Dave ate foods that alkalized his body and minimized those that acidified it, helping maintain his body in a healthy pH range and reducing disease-causing acid waste in his system. The theory (one not supported by the traditional medical community) is that cancer cells don’t grow in an alkaline environment.

My father-in-law was completely committed to this program, and in less than a year’s time, his cancer disappeared. Total recovery. I know this sounds unbelievable, but the strategy miraculously worked for him. I’m telling you this story because of the other changes I saw—changes in his skin. I couldn’t believe it, but I actually saw brown spots and sun damage disappear from Dave’s face, in the same way the cancer vanished. From a clinician’s perspective, I thought, This is impossible. I’d never seen anything like it in my life. Generally, when people in my line of work see sun spots and pigment issues, we treat them with topical peels, usually aggressively, and topical products. I was blown away, because Dave’s skin glowed. I mean, it literally glowed. To this day, he stays very close to the parameters of the diet, and looks a decade younger than his actual years.

To be sure, the choices my father-in-law made were fairly extreme, and he was absolutely dedicated to the strategy. However, I cannot deny the impact that this diet had on his health and his appearance. Since his recovery, I’ve made my own commitment to eating a healthier diet, whenever I can. Like I said, food is my weak point, but I’m more aware than ever before of the power, both positive and negative, that my food choices make on my skin. And what’s even more powerful is that I get to share this story with my clients, and it’s become part of my professional tool kit. I know that if certain clients are experiencing extremely challenging skin issues, lifestyle changes have to be made to get the result we desire.