‘I avoided eba, amala, akpu to beat breast cancer’ – Akeredolu’s widow
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the former governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has revealed that eliminating starchy foods played a crucial role in her survival after being diagnosed with breast cancer 27 years ago.
She said that her decision to stop consuming eba, amala, akpu and pounded yam was driven by her determination to stay alive and raise her young children.
In a social media post on Wednesday marking World Cancer Day, she described her cancer journey as a “mixed grill of triumph and lately of grief,” emphasising how lifestyle changes, research and medical intervention contributed to her survival.
“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!” She wrote.
Since 2000, Anyanwu-Akeredolu said she has avoided sugary and starchy foods, opting instead for a diet rich in vegetables, smoothies, green tea, lemon and ginger tea, beans, moimoi, fish, chicken, snail, occasional rice and zobo drink.
The former Ondo First Lady, whose husband passed away from prostate cancer on December 23, 2023, emphasised that maintaining a positive mindset was key to her survival. She credited her decision to seek medical care at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, rather than relying on spiritual healers, as a crucial step in her recovery.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu also noted that detecting the cancer early at stage 1 significantly improved her chances of survival.
As the founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), she highlighted the importance of Team Survivors Nigeria (TSN), a support group for breast cancer survivors.
