Survivors who had chemo etc and are into Complementary medicine
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Apple.....you need to sneak in a few things you love to eat too. As chief cook, you should wield that power, woman!!!
I just bake sweet potatoes until squishy. I have learned to do this in a pan so they don't ooze all over the oven. Sometimes, I peel, slice both ways and make fries. One fave is "Patriotic Fries".....sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and blue ones. Make as regular oven fries.
Someone in WA State recently lived on potatoes for 40 days to demonstrate that they have received a bad rap and are actually healthy to eat. He was fine at the end of the 40 days (unlike the "supersized" guy who wasn't).
I like pork chops all sorts of ways. One fave for the summer is to marinate in cider, ginger, and garlic and then grill. Super yum and super easy.
Happy (healthy?) eating. - Claire
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Interesting post except--as others have said--for the part about eggs and potatoes. The egg part may apply to your average supermarket eggs but thats not the only option.
I buy all my eggs at local farmer's markets. My eggs are laid by chickens who do NOT subsist largely on corn or soy feed. They also actually live in sunshine (well such as we have had in the PNW this summer).
Read about the same potatoe guy that Claire did. I heard he was pretty bored with potatoes by the end but healthy. What kills you on potatoes is what you add. We get the most amazing potatoes at the market these days---cute little new potatoes in all colors--purple, white, yellow, pink, red--and so tasty, if you just boil them in salted water, you can just eat them with nothing else. Makes for an amazing meal.
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You can also make an omelette Parmentier.....or omelet with a sauteed potato filling (start with chopped onions, and add tarragon for flavor). I usually add dried chanterelles too if I have them.
That, with a salad, is a meal fit for kings.
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I really like almost all foods.. just wary of sweet vegetables... mostly beets and sweet potatoes. I was sad to learn that they are so healthy and an important part of a healthy natural diet.. so I do include them in our meals. Fresh beets are so welcome at my table, I take one or two and then just kind of sneak leave them on my plate..
but hardy har har... .. the kids know to check and see if I've eaten them, I do like rutabagas tho,,, oh my they are good boiled, smashed and served with a bit of real butter.
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apple what do rutabagas taste like? I've never had them.
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Hi Ladies,
I've been lurking and enjoying this thread for a few days and I feel guilty not introducing myself. I'm 42, married and we have one daughter who's about to turn 8 (entering 3rd grade). I was originally dx'd w/BC in '01 at the age of 32, stage 1 IDC in the left breast. Her2/ER/PR+, grade 3. Had 3 lumpectomies, chemo + radiation and lived happily with NED 'til June of '11 when I was dx'd with DCIS in my right breast - a whole new primary. I'm scheduled for a double mastectomy with "one step" reconstruction via implants & Alloderm on 9/19.
After my initial diagnosis, I completely revamped the way we live and eat - although I don't think I went nutty, either. I stopped drinking alcohol almost completely, gave up coffee for green tea (found one w/lots of caffeine
), stopped eating most all processed foods, etc. I still have a cocktail once in a while (but most often, I'd rather have a brownie than a glass of wine), eat out, eat non-organic produce etc. when organic's not available. I actually started a blog a few years ago to chronicle my healthy habits and easy, whole foods recipes - if you like you can check it out at http://www.semisweetonline.com - haven't been blogging lately there b/c I've been busy getting ducks in a row w/new diagnosis. But I do have a cancer blog called Be The Weeble - http://betheweeble.blogspot.com if you're interested in that.I did acupuncture after my chemo ended in '02 and then continued on for years - haven't been in a couple of months b/c I feel like I'm spending all my time at the doctor lately, but have found it to be incredibly helpful for curing aches, boosting my immune system generally, relaxation, etc.
I also learned to meditate during Cancer Round I, and it's coming in handy during Round II - a great way to relieve anxiety, whether you're dealing w/your cancer right now or just dealing w/regular everyday life stressors!
My last fail-safe tool is exercise - not so alternative, but not utilized so often either. Keeps my mind clear and my body healthy. I work out every single day, in some way, for at least 30 minutes. At 42 it's become more important to be consistent for weight-management reasons, but there are so many other health benefits - b/c as you all know, we're not immune to all the other stuff (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc. etc.) just b/c we've dealt w/cancer.
Anyway - gone on too long here. Looking forward to getting to know you all as I make my way through this next Cancer chapter.
Sarah
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Sarah, welcome, and I'm sorry you have to go thru this again. BUT, you've been blessed, to catch it at DCIS, a new primary - and I'm sure your plan of action will work perfecly for you. BUT, WHAT A SCARE.
I will be thinking of you, and hoping everything goes well for you in the future. I too love acupuncture, and drink lots of green tea - BUT, I never knew it has caffeine in it???? Really? I get it loose, in a tin can at the INternational Store ( it's from China) - I wonder if it does have caffeine in it?
All best wishes - Sunfllowers
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Just an aside re: potatoes and sweet potatoes (sometimes incorrectly called yams here in the States; the true yam is of African origin and a comp,completely different root crop) for anyone interested.
Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are Central and Sputh American origin. People often don't know that all potatoes were from Peru/Andes cultures, where many varieties existed. It was the Spanish invaders who took the potato back to Europe, where the Irish discovered their rocky soil and climate was similar enough to the Andes that potatoes flourished.
Which led to monoculture, which led to the infamous Irish potato plague and famine, which led to thousands of Irish immigrants to the US.
These immigrants arrived in two ways - legally with visas, half of which were not renewed and thus made them illegal, or via Canada, which had no border controls at that time incoming from Europe or at the US border, making those immigrants illegal when they entered the US. Same goes for Polish, Italian, and Germans immigrants of the time, but those weren't pushed here by potatoes.
Interesting - and tragic - to follow a food's course thru history to my dinner tonight.0 -
I looked up the various teas when I decided to give up coffee while on chemo, and most seem to have 1/4 or less the caffeine, including black and green teas.
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Hi Sunflowers - thanks for the welcome! I am SO thankful that we got it while still DCIS - that's thanks to routine MRIs that I pushed for years ago. So it's the best case-scenario for a cruddy case-scenario, I guess we can say . . . . just wish we knew why my breasts love to grow cancer (no BRCA and no family history of any cancer whatsoever).
Yes, green tea has caffeine, but as jackifp says, less than coffee . . . some green teas have more caffeine than others - my usual is an organic Chinese Gunpowder green tea that's much more heavily caffeinated than some of the Japanese (or even other Chinese) green teas. Caffeine is a personal preference - being that we adopted our daughter when I was about a year out of treatment, I felt (and actually, still do and she's almost 8) that I needed my jolts. Tea and water are pretty much all I drink now. Used to have a wicked Diet Coke habit but that went out after Cancer Round I! I actually buy cases of Teas Tea (bottled, unsweetened Japanese green tea) to bring on our annual beach vacation b/c I won't drink soda (now if they'd just start bottling that stuff in GLASS, I'd be over the moon. But that's another topic).
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You might like Kambucha tea which is naturally carbonated. Comes in yummy flavors. It is available in the cold section of the health food stores.
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Wow, Merilee, I am buying some today!
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It is the one marked SYNERGY that is carbonated, I think they sell a flat one too.
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i think the kombucha 'tea' is delish.. out of my budget tho.. have to pay those cancer bills.
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kira.... I've written food articles and usually am very articulate when describing tastes.. but rutabagas stand alone. they seem a combination of a sweetish turnip.. (a very young and fresh one) and other healthy vegetables. it is a largish root vegetable - difficult to peel but worth it.. I think it is best cooked, but it is really delish raw.. just kind of 'hard'.. I've served them very thinly sliced and cut into strips on raw veggie trays.. they are always gone by the end of the night.. I really like them boiled, mashed and then served with a bit of butter but, as in the recipe below, olive oil might be more healthy.
I had a dream once that said 'eat more butter'. so I obey .. especially when appetite challenged.
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There really truly are things that REQUIRE a dab of butter!!!
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ruthbru.....I agree:)
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I got my new cast iron skillet! Says it's already seasoned but I will wash and put in some oil and put in the oven.
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I agree some things do need butter. I will give them a try, I love experimenting with new foods.
Omaz good luck with the cast iron skillet. I took mine out of moth balls this week, and have been using them all week. I forgot just how nicely the food cooks in them.
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I ordered 2 sizes from Amazon. Can't wait. I also got a stainless steel percolator (ridding myself of plastic) and I LOVE it. It is made by Presto.
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Barbara That's too funny. I have one of those old things laying around. I lent it to number 1 son when his coffee pot quit working, he said it made great coffee.. Maybe I should just pull the old thing out and use it agin.
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Can anyone recommend a really good, really sturdy blender? I know VitaMix is the best, but at $800+tax here, I'm looking for something a little cheaper. I ran through my Cuisinart in less than 2 years because I make a smoothie every morning for breakfast, using frozen fruit. What about KitchenAid? Do any of you have one? Or another recommendation?
And I agree -- some things absolutely DO need butter --butter has no substitute!
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I have a Montel Williams jiucer/blender that rocks. It is around 175.00 US.
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lindasa I have a friend who swears by the bullets. She makes lots of frozen margaritas and she says it stands up really well.
Had to clean out another shelf to make room for more Okra that I put up yesterday. Got rid of some more plastic containers. Tryer to switch over to glass little by little.
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Well I got a bullet for christmas and must say I enjoy it so far. We make a breakfast drink with it daily of fruit and other things. I don't think it can handle vegetables it's not stong enough.
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Sherry, sorry, okra is on my 'do not eat list'. The texture grosses me out as does eggplant. Yuck. More power to you.
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Barbara I used to not like it either because my mother always sliced and boiled it with tomatoes an onions. hated the slimmy feel. DH loves it and I found I like it boiled whole and with butter and I like pickled Okra which is what I did yesterday. I have been supprised that all my grandkids love pickled okra as well.
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Barbara I used to not like it either because my mother always sliced and boiled it with tomatoes an onions. hated the slimmy feel. DH loves it and I found I like it boiled whole and with butter and I like pickled Okra which is what I did yesterday. I have been supprised that all my grandkids love pickled okra as well.
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hillck that is a cute story. My grandkids always want to take jars home with them when they come to visit. So I make plenty every year. If I could just get my kids to give me back my jars I would have it made.
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