nutrition & cancer

Today I purchased a book that I have heard about for years. It just might be the most important book I have ever read about nutrition. It is The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. I am not finished with it but it is having that wow effect on me. I knew some of these things but not in the context in which the book describes them. Mostly what I love about it is that it is empowering knowledge. I have a degree in English Literature not biochemistry or nutrition but I have taught myself a lot in these two fields over the course of 2 years. I am not an overachiever. I am a wife determined to save her husband's life from stage IV, metastic, inoperable pancreatic cancer. Guess what...with help from 2 fabulous openminded doctors I am doing it. How? Food...nutrition. There is a lot of information out there and some of it is junk. It takes a knowledgable mind and a lot of dedication and determination to unearth the real information available. It does exist. The way we eat means everything. In our schools it should be a core class from grade school through college. It effects every aspect of our lives. Even Hippocrates knew this but it seems to be a subject disregarded in most medical schools. Most conventional doctors are totally ignorant on the topic. That is a crime in my opinion. Money can't be made on teaching people how to eat well or how to eat to reverse illness but it can be made on pills,surgeries,etc. It makes me so angry. When I asked our allopathic (conventional) oncologist if he wouldn't at least consider that the dietary changes we have made had made a difference in my husband's current state instead of the diagnosis being wrong he said he was not a dummy and could not deny what was right in front of him. Now we know that as an allopathic oncologist he can't say that he does believe that our dietary changes have made a significant difference but he as much as he could he acknowledged that they had. I have seen the suffering caused by cancer first hand with my oldest sister who passed from lung cancer. It is aweful to me now to think of it because it was so preventable and unnecessary and easy but we just did not know anything about cancer & nutrition at the time in my family. Her experience filled me with dread when we found out that my husband had cancer and I was determined that he/we would not go through that and that I was not going to lose him to this damned disease. I understand how it works now and the many factors that help it to progresss and stop it in its' tracks. We are still fighting it but we are winning and I know we will be victorious. I just want others to know they can do it too. The diet changes may seem to overwhelming or too big but in comparison to what? Chemo & radiation are pretty overwhelming and big! My husband did chemo for 14 months. He faired better than most do while on it and we agree along with one of our docs that our diet & some supplements made that possible. Basically what has happened in the course of 2 years is a stabilization of the tumors. They are still there but they have not grown or progressed since initial diagnosis. This is highly unusual for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas as it is considered an aggressive cancer. "Eating the right way not only prevents disease but also generates health and a sense of well -being, both physically and mentally."T. Colin Campbell

My views on food

Over the holidays I had a fun coversation about food. It has had me thinking about my views on food in our society. So here are my thoughts.
We have lost respect for food...all food. We are no longer greatful for the apple we are eating we just expect that there will always be apples available and so what..we would rather have a candy bar. That piece of meat on our plates so...I can go to the store and pick from a wide variety. An animal suffered and died for it,for me...whatever. Our ancestors grew & raised thier food. They didn't force feed the cow to produce more meat or add hormones and antibiotics to its's feed. Nor did it eat corn instead of grass. The fruits,veggies and grains were grown with hopes of sustaining the family through the year, summer & winter. Weeds were picked not sprayed. Large applications of pesticides and herbicides weren't sprayed directly onto the food to be baked in by the sun or ruin the soil below. Nowadays we take it for granted that food will always be in our stores so big deal.
Why do we eat? Food is fuel for our bodies. It contains the natural nutrients that we need to survive and thrive. It gives the little doctors inside of us the tools they need to keep us healthy. Real live food does this. Processed, dead, nutrient deficient foods ladden with chemicals do not do this. In fact they do the opposite. We took some nutrition classes from a clinical dietician last year and she said that if we invite time traveller over for dinner he should be able to recognize everything on the plate and if he can't we should not be eating it. I like this. Would time traveller recognize Doritos, coke, or peperoni pizza? How about McDonald's or Taco Bell?
We must respect ourselves by respecting our food! Be grateful for that apple in your hand (hopefully it is organic) and that food in the kitchen. It is here to nourish you not comfort you or fill a void in your life! I will paraphrase Hippocrates when he said your food shall be your medicine and your medicine shall be your food. so look at the next thing you have on your plate,fork,or in your hand and ask yourself Will this help me or hurt me? Is it real? would time traveller recognize it?
eat with respect and in good health!

So I have been thinking about what to leave in 2009 as we enter a wonderful new year full of possibilities. I will leave anger and negative feeling that I can't seem to shake against some family members and so called "friends". This is a beautiful time. It ushers in newness. That makes me happy. This is the year I intend for us to conquer stage IV metastic pancreatic cancer once & for all. This will happen. I intend to have a year of positive changes, experiences & knowledge. All of the craziness of 2009 stays in 2009. I visualize it like standing at the water's eadge on a beach with the waves rolling in, seagulls chattering & salt air wisping around me. This to me is paradise it is also how I choose to see this brand new year! It is the end of a decade. The beginning of everything..a turning point. How do youchoose to visualize this new year? Remember that the universe listens so manifest something positive! Happy Healthy new Year!

vegan sweet potato salad

I made up a yummy recipe. It was influenced by a wonderful sweet potato salad I had last week while eating out at our favorite organic vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurant. It was Sweet potato salad and I just couldn't get enough of it so I tried to replicate it.

2 cups small purple/blue potatoes boiled and sliced
2 medium sweet potatoes boiled and sliced
2 stalks celery chopped
3 tbs. veganaise
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
walnuts to taste..I used about 1/3 cup

Boil all of the potatoes for about 30 minutes or until you can poke them easily with a knife. The tiny purple/blue potatoes boil faster. No need to peel the purple/blue potatoes but do peel the sweet potatoes and slice them all. Chop the celery and combine it with the potatoes in a bowl. Add the veganaise, mustard & walnuts and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and continue mixing. Enjoy. I love veganaise and walnuts and think I probably could have used a bit more of both but it like the nutmeg is to your personal preference. This is a healthy tasty alternative to the regular potato salad offerings and it has a great flavor. Good for the holidays. It is pretty too!

Walnut tacos/tortillas

The idea and walnut mixture recipe came from the raw foods book Rawvolution.

Walnut Mixture

1 1/2 cups walnuts- finely ground in a food processor
1 1/2 tsp. cumin & chilli pepper
3/4 tsp. ground corriander
2 tbs. Nama Shoyu

Mix all together or put it all in a food processor together.

Salsa

2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced or chopped
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. ground corriander
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
yellow onion to taste

Put all ingredients in food processor and process into a salsa

lettuce leaves shredded or torn (I like butter or red lettuces)
black olives
1 avocado sliced
sprouted corn torillas (I like Food for Life brand)

Arrange lettuce ,black olives & avocado slices on the tortilla and top with walnut mixture & salsa.
If you want it 100% raw omit the tortilla and serve on a whole lettuce leaf or cabbage leaf. Serve! This should make 4-5 servings

Easy dinner of Zucchini Hummus

Zucchini Hummus recipe from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 people by Jennifer Cornbleet

1 zucchini chopped & peeled (I do not peel it)
2 tbs. raw tahini
2tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic (1 clove) (I use 2)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt

I add a dash of chili pepper flakes and extra lemon juice

Put it all in a food processor with the S blade and process until smooth. The mini food processors work well for this but if you are needed to make enough for more than 2 people don't use a mini and remember that this recipe makes 2 servings. The mini food processors or mini choppers as my sisters call them can be found at Target for around $10.
I serve this with Whole Wheat Pita bread for dipping, a butter lettuce leaf, tomato slices, black olives and 1/2 of an avocado split between my husband and myself. It is a filling yummy lunch or dinner. Now Garbanzo bean hummus instead with whole wheat pita would make a complete protein but also a cooked meal. If you want a completely raw meal from this omit the pita and use the lettuce leaf or a cabbage leaf to dip & eat this hummus. Yum!

Power of Intention

I have been bad about posting. We are simply busy right now. Lots of new and wonderful stuff going on in our lives. I am constantly amazed by the fact that we always seem to have what we need and things just kinda fall right into place for us. Now, we are big believers in the power of intention and manifestation. Lately so many things that we set our intentions on are coming into our lives. A big example is this...We have taken different forms of meditation in the past but my work schedule changed which meant I couldn't go to class any more. My husband still goes and I know enough to practice on my own but it never felt the same on my own. I was longing for a group to sit in silence with. I missed that shared feeling and positive energy. We also have been exploring spiritual paths. In order to properly heal, I believe that a spiritual path is necessary. So a few weeks ago we found it all in one group. It is amazing. I am growing my practice of mindful meditation and living. I am getting the shared community feeling and unbelievable positivity that I was longing for as well as a new spiritual pathway that seems to fit our new lifestyle. One of the members of this group is hosting a New Year's Eve party and the group is invited. I don't know this person but I am looking very forward to meeting him b/c he studied with Gabrielle Cousens I am told. We are starting out on a new dietary path of raw foods and here this man studied with one of the gurus of this diet. What are the odds? We needed a place to go on New Year's eve too. One great manifestation leads right into another. It is amazing. Ask,Believe, Receive..wiser words have never been spoken. We learned this by watching The Secret. Some people might think it is woo woo crap but an open mind knows better. Are we blessed...yes! Do we bless ourselves....yes!
"courage-specifically the courage to be, just as we are, right here, right now, with all our doubts and uncertainties. Facing experience directly opens us to the possibility of recognizing that whatever we experience-love, loneliness, hate, jealousy, joy, greed, grief and so on-is, in essence, an expression of the fundamentally unlimited potential of our buddha nature." Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche from Joyful Wisdom.
Have a positive day!