Awakening Program The four cornerstones or educational elements of the Agape Ranch Awakening Program are nutrition, exercise, faith, and stress management. True to our mission, every day is structured to incorporate each element. For a more detailed view of these elements in action, see a sample day at the Ranch. Nutritional Workshops Individualized Exercise Plans Faith Stress Management/Leisure Activities Nutritional Workshops Nutritional education is the foundation of the Agape Ranch Program. We will design diets for specific types of cancer and those foods will be provided for patients while they’re at the Ranch. Our chefs will work with visitors on meal preparation and explain which natural whole foods have anticancer properties. Since participants will come to the Ranch in groups according to their type of cancer, the meals, nutrition counseling, and specific diets will be very similar for a given group. For instance, the month of January will be for breast cancer patients. So the nutritional counseling will focus on foods that help block estrogen receptors, diets for pre- and postmenopausal women, dietary guidelines for breast cancer prevention, and proper nutrition after breast cancer treatment. Women will learn about the Asian and Mediterranean Diets, the role of soy, flaxseed, fiber, antioxidants, alcohol, omega-9, omega-6, and omega-3 fats. Over the course of the year, Agape Ranch will host people with prostate, lung, leukemia, lymphoma, brain, colorectal, and many other types of cancer. For each group, the dietary menus, counseling, and workshops will focus on cancer-fighting foods for their specific condition. Back to Top Individualized Exercise Plans We know that exercise can not only prevent disease, it can also heal. If you are undergoing treatment for cancer, exercise can help you withstand the treatment program better. Even moderate levels of exercise will speed your recovery from the disease itself and from chemotherapy and radiation. Each patient will receive one-on-one personal training at the Ranch’s 2,000 square-foot fitness facility. With the emphasis on individual capabilities, this is not about running a marathon or competing in a bodybuilding contest. It is about gaining strength, stamina, and energy so you can resume daily activities like climbing stairs, going grocery shopping, participating in church, or visiting friends. The Program will be structured in phases that include simple exercises patients can do in their homes as well as more advanced techniques to be completed in a gym or fitness center. Initially, a patient’s aerobic fitness level may enable only a walk around the house. That’s a fine starting place, and it is a point of reference from which we can begin building different levels of fitness. The Programs are modified to meet the needs of each patient’s specific type of cancer. For example, prostate cancer patients may be restricted on lower body exercises for eight to 12 weeks after surgery, but then slowly introduced to stretching and flexibility movements. Or breast cancer patients, after a lumpectomy or mastectomy, will be restricted on exercise that requires raising their arms overhead. Incorporating flexible tubing and bands for upper-body exercises in the first 12 weeks following a mastectomy is critical as well as utilizing two-arm movements. Meditation, yoga, positive visualization, and massage will help patients with stress relief. Deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques taught in our yoga classes will show visitors how to better cope with the rigors of their treatments once they are back home. Back to Top Faith Cancer has affected both Dan and Jennifer’s (Agape Ranch Founders) families. In both cases, their aunts and uncles described their faith as a driving force in their survival. In fact, when surveyed cancer patients list prayer in the top three things you can do to help someone battling the disease. Patients of all denominations and types of spiritual beliefs are invited to Agape Ranch. All are welcomed and encouraged to hear the message of Jesus Christ, but it is not mandatory and will be forced on no one. Opportunities like the evening song and inspiration, the sunset and sunrise services, group Bible studies, and pastoral counseling are there to help patients cope with their disease. Stress management is a major factor in dealing with cancer, so daily Bible studies, devotionals, prayer time, and fellowship can help keep a positive frame of mind, improve mood, and change lives. "Agape" as described in the Bible is God’s perfect and unconditional love. That’s exactly what people will feel and get when they visit the Ranch. It’s a message of love, hope, and eternal life. Back to Top Stress Management/Leisure Activities We believe strongly in the power of animals to heal—heal hearts, break down walls, and open up windows of opportunity. That’s why Agape Ranch will be a real working ranch. The plan calls for horses, sheep, chickens, llamas, pigs, ponies, dogs, and exotic birds. If a patient so desires, he or she can be matched with an animal of their choice. Over the course of their stay, it will be the patient’s responsibility to learn how to care for the animal, and this experience will give them the special unconditional love that only animals can provide. Other activities provided on the Ranch will range from horseback riding, hiking, sightseeing tours, surfing, snorkeling, swimming, Luau night, and kayaking. Of course the activities for each patient will be determined by ability and desire. Sitting on the porch, watching the sun set over the ocean will be a daily event as will allowing each patient and their family personal time. Simply resting in a hammock, reading a book, or praying by a waterfall are just a few of the options available to those visiting the Ranch. Mental health can be enhanced greatly if patients can forget about their problems, even if only for a little while. And it’s our desire that these activities coupled with the splendor of Hawaii will provide joy, peace, and serenity. Back to Top Agape Ranch, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization. home   |   about us   |   contribute   |   partners   |   contact us   |   the ranch   |   research & resources privacy policy   |   refund policy   |   © 2008 Agape Ranch, Inc.