A New Name for This Blog!

Dear Friends of the Cancer Caretaker,

I can't tell you how thankful I am to have you as early followers/email recipients of this blog. I really am appreciative of your support!

I am moving the blog over to a new name: The Cancer Companion.  A few important people were not crazy about the old title, so here we go! Can I ask you all a huge favor? Would you mind signing up again, at the new site, as either/both members and email recipients? Thank you so much. Your comments and feedback and support mean SO much to me as I explore this journey of nutrition/food/care for those with cancer.

Thank you, thank you. I am so grateful for you all!

love,
Christy

Good Snacks

Let me open this blog by saying that a lot of these nutrition ideas really work well across the board...meaning, they will build the strength of and help combat tumors for someone who is fighting disease, but they also are good for general health and for preventing disease.  I mention this now because EVERYONE likes to snack.  So what better time than to say: This blog is for YOU!

I can't resist posting another image of avocado, with 

celtic sea salt and olive oil. Goodness, goodness, goodness.

Avocados are amazing.  They are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as potassium, vitamin E, B, and fiber.  They can reduce cholesterol levels because of their oleic acid and linoleic acid content.

I just love crackers and cheese.  Why not take this favorite and make it just a little bit healthier?  This recipe for Almond Curry Biscuits is adapted from Hannah Marcotti over at Hannah's Harvest and from Nourishing Days. They are SO easy and tasty and delicious. Spread them with Boursin cheese and a dab of fig chutney.  Or hummus.  Or raspberry jam at tea time.  What a treat!

Almond Curry Biscuits

2 cups almond meal

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3/4 tsp. curry powder

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 egg

1 TBSP olive oil

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Mix the meal, salt and spices together.

-Make a hole in center and add garlic, egg and oil.

-Scramble egg and mix all together until even.

-Roll tablespoon sized balls in your hand and press down.

-Place on baking sheet lined with oiled parchment paper, and press down until crackers/biscuits are quite flat (thin edges are ok.)

-Bake for 13-15 minutes or golden.

Almonds are packed full of nutrition!  They are an excellent source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, protein, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin E.  They are considered an "anti-cancer" food because they are high in an antioxidant flavonoid called laetrile.

Now onto COCONUTS!  One of my family's favorite foods at the moment.  Coconuts have so many components and adaptations, all which you can eat....coconut milk, coconut flakes, coconut water, coconut oil, coconut crystals, coconut flour.  Try them all out and you will be amazed.  

You can consider this a dessert or, well, a snack. Why not?!

Cardamom Maple Mini Macaroons
from "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen," by Rebecca Katz

2 organic egg whites
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 TBSP brown rice syrup (or honey)
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 TBSP brown rice flour, or spelt flour, or all-purpose white flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
handful of dark chocolate

-preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
-combine egg whites, maple syrup, brown rice syrup and salt in saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until just warm, about 1 minute.
-Add the coconut, flour, vanilla, and cardamom and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture just begins to sizzle and is slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
-using a teaspoon and your fingers, form the dough into 24 small mounds on the prepared pan.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely.
-Serve as is, or else prepare the chocolate. Simmer hot water in a pan. In a heat-proof bowl, set over the water, melt chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
-Dip macaroons in melted chocolate and place on plate lined with wax or parchment paper.
-Chill in fridge until chocolate hardens, and enjoy!
-Store in airtight container for 5-7 days.

Coconuts are a great source of manganese, molybdenum, copper, zinc, and selenium.  It is a healthy saturated fat called lauric acid, which is health-promoting and only found as abundantly in human breast milk!  In the body, lauric acid becomes a compound (called monolaurin), which is anti-viral, antibacterial, and destroys a wide variety of disease-causing organisms!

Protein: Gathering Energy

I think many of us in our everyday lives long for more energy.  This is especially true, however, when you are undergoing chemo.  Don't we all really long to feel like we have the energy and lightness of a bird, as if we can fly? It certainly is a good goal!

"Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs

Whisper’d it to the woods, and from their wings

Flung rose..."

-John Milton

Having energy is complicated as it comes from so many sources: sleep, exercise, hydration, mental health, connections with others, physical health, nutrition.  Getting a good dose of protein every meal of the day is a good start.

Americans tend to have a bit of an obsession with protein, though, and it's important to know that there are many vegetables (kale, leafy greens) and grains (quinoa) and excellent supplements for smoothies and such (spirulina) that have sufficient protein to keep us at our best.  It's also critical to not bog our systems down with too many energy-draining foods, such as dairy, red meat, and processed foods.

Nuts make great snacks.  And did you know that a handful of cashews has the same effect on your mental health as taking a Prozac?  Eating real, good food is just great for you in every way.

Tilapia with pistachio "breading," over greens with vinaigrette, 

and roasted butternut squash crescents.

Tilapia with Pistachio "Breading"
(serves two)

Handful of pistachio nuts, shelled
1 Tbs. almond meal (or corn meal will do, too)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Half a lemon
2 Tilapia filet*
1 tsp. coconut oil

*On Tilapia: The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch considers U.S. farmed tilapia to be a "best choice" fish. It is a good candidate for farming because it provides more protein than it takes to raise it (in contrast to farmed fish such as tuna and salmon.) Tilapia can also invade many natural habitats so is a good candidate for farming.

-In a Cuisinart, chop up the shelled pistachios until they are finely ground (about a minute). Add the almond meal and sea salt and pulse a few more times.
-Press the "breading" mixture into the Tilapia filets, on both sides. Cover well.
-Heat a large cast iron pan and add the tsp. of coconut oil.
-Saute the Tilapia in the pan, about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  About halfway through cooking on each side, squeeze a little lemon on each piece of fish.
-Put a bed of mixed greens with a splash of vinaigrette on 2 plates. Lay fish on top and serve!

My Favorite Vinaigrette

In a small jar place:
1 part balsamic vinegar
a squeeze of yellow mustard
a big squeeze of honey
a pinch of sea salt
-Put the lid on and SHAKE until combined.
-Then add:
2 parts good olive oil
-SHAKE again until well combined

Raw Foods

Many nutritionists and food researchers believe that going on a raw foods diet can decrease the size of and even eliminate cancer tumors. This requires a radical shift to your diet, and even way of life.

I am looking forward to participating in a 7-day raw foods workshop in January. At that point, I will weigh in on my thoughts on the topic. In the meantime, however, it is hard for me to imagine that it cannot help to be eating an abundance of raw foods. If raw foods consist of 80% of your diet, it will make a huge difference in both fighting and preventing cancer, not to mention making you feel fresh, energetic, and healthy.

Vegetables in their raw form are rich in antioxidants and other nutrients. Live food also contains enzymes, which both help your body absorb nutrients (instead of turning to your body's enzyme reserve), and are catalysts for detoxification.  Cooking food decreases the nutritional value of most foods, and also has a more depleting effect on the body as it uses the body's existing (and finite) enzyme reserve.

Here are some raw foods that you probably already eat, and can increase in your diet!

-Salads: greens, an abundance of cut vegetables and fruits on top

-Pesto, with basil and raw nuts and olive oil

-Crudité: a platter of cut carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, or peppers with a vinaigrette

-Massaged Kale Salad: Remove kale from stems and chop, massage for a few minutes with olive oil and salt.
-Smoothies!
-Bowl of raw nuts, covered in spices
-Sprouts!
-Add raw veggies as a side to an already healthy dinner

Sliced avocado, garden cherry tomatoes, and basil & almond pesto are tasty raw additions 

to a home-cooked dinner of pasta and roasted acorn squash.

Many dishes and meals can be enhanced by adding raw ingredients, and there are also thousands of recipes out there for preparing purely raw foods. A few great links include Raw Guru and Gone Raw.  Both have recipes, sources for ingredients, and helpful information.

(Almost) Raw Pad Thai
Adapted from "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
There is no cooking with this! Simply roast the peanuts in your toaster oven. Otherwise, it just involves chopping and your food processor.

First, prepare the easy dressing:

Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp. chopped shallot
-Pulse in food processor until well chopped

Then add the following, and pulse until smooth (4 minutes; scrape down sides a few times)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. Agave nectar
2 Tbsp. Tamari (soy sauce)
1 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno or Sriracha pepper

-Add 2 Tbsp more peanuts and pulse until chopped, not finely blended

(dressing can last 5 days in fridge in sealed glass container, if you don't use it for the pad thai.)

Pad Thai Salad
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 cups bean sprouts
1 small red onion, or a green onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
half a bag of Rice Sticks (found in the Asian section of Whole Foods)--Optional
1 recipe Peanut-lime Dragon Dressing
-Soak the Rice Sticks in hot water for 10 minutes (if you choose to use them)
-Combine above ingredients

Serve with:
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Water!

Our bodies are made up of 75% water. Our brains are 85% water. Too often health symptoms we have are a result of not having enough water in our bodies. Headaches, nausea, low energy....before you panic, drink a tall glass of water.

For your cancer patient, I can not emphasize this enough. Many of the symptoms from chemotherapy can be aided by drinking more water. Choosing water as your form of hydration is one of the best choices you can make. Most fruit juices contain more sugar than anything else, and coffee and tea dehydrate you.

Water replenishes your body, and it cleanses you.

We start every morning in our house with a glass of lemon water.

This is an Ayurvedic practice, which emphasizes cleansing the body first thing in the morning, before you have put any food into your body. If you can, drink your lemon water an hour before eating. This gives your liver a little "squeeze" and gives your body the ability to absorb nutrients, and combat the effects of chemo, all day.  I squeeze one whole lemon into filtered water. Your water can be lukewarm, or slightly heated.

Another cleansing way to drink your water is to add a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice. I am talking 100% pure cranberry, no sugar. This is not tasty on its own, my friends, it is bitter. But if you put literally a splash in your water, it adds interest, and also vitamin C, fiber, manganese and copper.  Cranberry is also one of the richest sources of anthocyanidins, which is an antioxidant that prevents infections and has been shown to inhibit the development of cancer, among other degenerative diseases. In fact, it is the fruit that demonstrates the highest level of this compound.

Finally, when your patient is longing for that glass of wine, but just feeling like that probably won't be best right now, it's amazing what a slice of lime and a strawberry can do with water in a wine glass...it just FEELS special.

Reducing Dairy

I love good cheese. And, I admit, I love a tall glass of milk every now and again. But I must say, my love for these things diminish the more I learn about the harms of dairy, especially in relation to cancer. I have delved deeper into the world of vegan cooking the more I cook for my mom and even for my own children.  Some dairy in moderation is ok, but the ideal is to move towards reducing or removing it from your patient's diet.

I have a new vegan cookbook that I absolutely LOVE. It is glorious, inspiring, delicious. I am cooking each and every recipe, page by page. I highly recommend it for anyone fighting cancer, wanting to prevent cancer, or simply searching for healthy, enticing recipes. I find it so very exciting!

Why do we need to reduce dairy? I have been delving into this topic lately, and even studying the report "Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective," researched and published by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research. Their studies show that diets rich in dairy increase the risk of prostate cancer, and possibly other cancers as well.

One of the lecturers in my nutrition program, Dr. Walter Willett, MD, who is Chairman of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, addresses the fact that most of the world is lactose intolerant. Westerners are the only people drinking milk. Hormone levels are very high in dairy, even in organic milk (because the cows are often pregnant, and even if not, they are lactating!) and increased hormone intake in a healthy body can cause free-radicals in the body, which can cause cancer cells to grow.

Specifically, these studies show that the hormone IGF-1 has been found to increase your risk of cancer, and accelerate cancer growth. Animal protein is the most significant factor in increasing IGF-1. In your bloodstream, it doubles your risk of breast, cancer, and promotes prostate and colon cancer.  Dairy intake also causes inflammation, which prevents the body from fighting free radicals and unhealthy cancer-promoting cells.  Reducing, or eliminating, dairy decreases the hormones in your blood dramatically, and also keeps your body in optimum shape to fight disease.

So! Let's talk about some fantastic dairy-free meals then!

This creamy quinoa and chickpea recipe will really fool you. 

The creaminess comes from pureed cashews!

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad, with Balsamic Vinaigrette

In a large mixing bowl, combine all these ingredients:

2 cups cooked, cooled quinoa

1 small red onion, diced, or several diced green onions as a milder alternative

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 recipe balsamic vinaigrette (follows), tossed to coat

-keeps in an airtight container for up to 3 days

Balsamic Vinaigrette

If you have the time, before making this recipe, soak the cashews in water for an hour. Then drain and use as directed. It makes blending smoother and easier.

-In a food processesor add:

1/4 cup cashew pieces

-Puree until chopped up. Then add the rest of the ingredients:

2 Tbsp. chopped shallots

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. agave nectar

3/4 tsp. seal salt

a few pinches of freshly ground black pepper

-Blend for at LEAST 5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides often, until completely smooth. Make sure you blend the full time, to prevent grainy dressing!

-Store in glass jar with lid, or use for recipe above.

-Dressing will thicken as it chills in the fridge.

Next time...pistachio encrusted tilapia!  Oooh so tasty...

The Glory of Dark Leafy Greens!

I spent my weekend in New York at a nutrition conference, listening to renowned doctors and researchers talking about health, food, and wellness, and the resounding message was simple: we should all be eating vastly more dark leafy greens.

Dark leafy greens are the most missing ingredient in the western diet, and they are the food with the highest nutritional value. Unveiling a recent in-depth study on the nutrient value of foods per calorie, Dr. Joel Fuhrman revealed that greens such as kale and swiss chard rate 100 on a nutrient-to-calorie scale, while fruits are at 45, and refined grains, such as pasta, are a 2.

Our bodies are designed to combat disease, not permit disease. Eating green vegetables repairs DNA and lowers the risk of cancer. In fact, studies have shown that if you eat dark green leafy vegetables, mushrooms (any variety, including white button) and green tea EVERY day, you reduce your risk of breast cancer by 89%. Add in onions, berries, beans, and seeds, and you have achieved the most across the board cancer-fighting diet. 

If they are cancer-fighting, that means they are also cancer COMBATTING for your cancer patient. From the cabbage family, leafy greens increase antioxidant defense mechanisms in the body, and improve the body's ability to detoxify and eliminate harmful chemicals and hormones. Good for fighting cancer, and for fighting your chemo, too!

Today, a few simple ideas, and a recipe, for how to add more dark green leafy vegetables to your diet every day.

-Here's a great way to eat kale raw. Cut it into a chiffonade or thin slices, pour over a little olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, and massage for a minute. It turns the kale soft and delicate, and makes it much more delicious raw!

Add a few sprouts and dressing, and, voila! Delicious health on a plate!

-Take your massaged kale, sprinkle with a little dressing, and serve it under a bed of eggs for breakfast.

-Add your massaged kale to a salad with mixed greens, spinach, romaine.

-Throw your massaged kale into a bean salad, or a frittata.

-Another idea, for the un-massaged version: green smoothies galore! See the green smoothie recipe from the first blog (August 2011)

A delicious, green & musroomy recipe, from "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra-Moscowitz.

Garlicky Mushrooms & Kale

1 tsp. olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. sea salt

8 ounces ANY mushroom (crimini & button are both good)

1 pound kale, course stems removed, leaves sliced or torn

a few pinches of pepper

-Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.

-Sauté garlic in olive oil, 2 min.

-Add mushrooms and sprinkle on salt, cook 5-7 min, stirring often.

-Add kale and pepper, sauté for 10 more min. Add splashed of water if pan is too dry.

-Enjoy immediately!

Alternatives

I am posting this blog for and sending heaps of love out to my friends Krista and Bill.

There are so many cancer treatment alternatives out there....sometimes chemo and/or surgery are the right choice. But that doesn't mean it is the only choice. In my years of research about this topic, I've found a few people that I think are very interesting. I've not worked with all of them. But I know that in certain instances, they work.  I am posting about a very small number of them here. This is no endorsement of their services, just another avenue that can be explored.

Firstly, though, I want to mention 3 books that were recommended to me by numerous alternative health professionals. They are:

-"Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer" by Michael Lerner, who is the founder of Commonweal, a health and environmental research institute, and also the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, which produced a landmark study on unconventional cancer treatments. This book is incredible. It offers so many suggestions and links you to many other health professionals dealing with any given cancer.

-"The Macrobiotic Approach to Cancer" by Michio Kushi, famous for bringing the Macrobiotic Diet to the United States. Their family still runs the Kushi Institute, where you can go to learn how to adapt a Macrobiotic lifestyle.

-"Knockout" by Suzanne Somers, who interviews 4 doctors who are knocking out cancer successfully with alternative treatments, and 7 other doctors who have effective methods for preventing recurrences or cancer in the first place. It is a real eye-opener, and very worth the read.

These books will give you many ideas. Some of the specific practices I mention below come out of these books, others from health professionals.

Doctors:
Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski at the Burzynski Clinic They have had consistent success dealing with brain, breast, prostate, colon, lung, ovarian, and Hodgkin's lymphoma cancers.  His technique is to supply the body with antineoplastons (peptides), which fortifies genes to eradicate cancer.

Dr. Nicholas Gonzales, in New York City, who fortifies the body with enzymes that keep cancer at bay for up to decades. Individualized nutrition plans are also a major component of his work.

Paul Beals, MD, from National Integrative Health Associates in Washington, DC, who combines traditional therapies with alternative ones, and advocates for toxic-free cures.


Nutritionists/Diet:
The Raw Foods Institute, in Washington, D.C. teaches cancer patients how to radically change their diets with foods that have proven in countless cases to eliminate cancer, without any toxins whatsoever.

The Kushi Institute in Becket, MA, is a remarkable haven with even more remarkable outcomes. Go to their website to hear the testimonials from patient who thought chemo wouldn't work and believed that was their last chance, but are now fully recovered after adapting the Macrobiotic lifestyle. Incredible.

 Just a few ideas. To delve into completely, or to use in conjunction with "traditional" chemotherapy practices. It takes a long time to navigate these waters, so these are just a few of the pearls I have uncovered over time...

Family and Friends

Family and friends make every single thing better when you are dealing with cancer. They are a life-force, a bright light, hope, joy, support.

Friends and family can provide so much, and this is a topic I will touch on many times in this blog. They are like the ingredients in a soup. Each is completely different, but each contributes something fully unique.

There are a few obvious things family and friends can do to help when your loved one is dealing with cancer. Meals are a top priority.  It is especially great to have someone organizing the meals (this will likely fall you to, Caretaker.) Scheduling people for every-other night after surgery, for example, is better than every night--leftovers can get overwhelming.

Giving people suggestions as to what to make is also key.  Important things to note are:

-Your patient's current likes and dislikes. Sometimes chemo turns you off from certain foods.
-Is their mouth sensitive? Should the cook hold off on spices or even pepper?
-What does your patient already have in the freezer? If there are already 3 soups in there, ask people to do something else.
-What are you working on in terms of diet? If you are restricting meat and dairy, let them know.
-Remind them that small portions can sometimes be best.

There is a great website now that helps organize meals for those going through a difficult period. It is called Meal Train and it sends out a message to those on your list with date options, food suggestions, and more.

Driving to appointments or accompanying them to chemo is also critical, but this can be a personal experience, and your patient may want to reserve this one for family only.

My dear friends Rebecca and Liza once came to town for the weekend for what they called "The Sally Cook-a-thon," and they spent the weekend making about 5-6 meals for my mom that could be frozen for future enjoyment. My mom's sister comes to do Biography sessions, where the two of them read their childhood journals and work on personal biographies, bringing heaps of joy.  My friend Devon has mailed fresh coffee cake, when my mom was having coffee cake cravings, from Zingerman's, a great resource to know about when you just can't be close-by and deliver homemade food.  My friend Monisha has mailed teas galore, green teas, ginger teas, white teas.  Cousins and friends drop of delicious soups, again and again. People have been so wonderful. Their love and efforts not only make us feel rooted and loved, but their actions are so helpful during a difficult time, too.

I earlier compared the people in our lives to ingredients in a delicious soup, so I will include a recipe today for Green Soup with Sweet Potato and Sage, from a lovely cookbook which will inspire you, "Love Soup" (which also has dozens of non-soup recipes), by Anna Thomas. This is a nourishing, delicious, but gentle recipe that I really think almost any cancer patient would love. And, like almost all of the recipes I will post here, it is organic, vegan, and sugar-free. As one of our IIN teachers, raw-foodist David Wolfe says, "the highest quality, best ingredients, in your body, ALL the time!"

Green Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Sage

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2-3 TBSP fresh sage, chopped
1 bunch kale
1 bunch swiss chard
8 cloves garlic
water
3 cups vegetable broth
2 onions
2 TBSP olive oil, plus more for serving

-Combine diced sweet potatoes with 3 1/2 cups water in a large stock pot. Add salt and sage, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
-Wash kale & chard, trim away tough stems, and chop coarsely. Add to soup, along with chopped garlic and vegetable broth. Simmer for 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, chop onions and sauté with olive oil until soft & golden brown (about 20 min.) When they are ready, add them to soup. Let the soup cool slightly.
-Puree soup in blender in batches and return to a clean pot.
-To serve, drizzle a thread of fruity green olive oil on top of each steaming bowl. It wakes up the flavors of the soup and makes them sing!

Reducing (or Eliminating) Sugar

As if it weren't difficult enough to find out that your loved-one has cancer, then you have to break the news to them that they have to change their diet. As I mentioned in my opening blog ("I am not a cancer expert..."), adapting to a new food-lifestyle can take a lot of time, encouragement, and a lot of experimentation. It requires a lot of bravery, too (a recurring theme with cancer, clearly.)

I have tried and tried again to make cookies without sugar. They are terrible. I'm convinced there is a recipe out there for me, but I haven't discovered it yet. My biggest success yet was the Magic Muffins recipe I shared with you last.

The point, however, is key: one of the first things a nutritionist should tell you if you've been diagnosed with cancer, is that you should be eliminating sugar from your diet.

To get into the science behind it, sugar is as "bad" as high fructose corn syrup. HFCS is about 45% glucose and 55% fructose. White refined sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Cancer cells thrive on glucose. In addition, sugar and HFCS have a high glycemic index and therefore cause the secretion of insulin and insulin growth factor, both which are hormones promoting the growth of cancer.  Gary Taubes explains in the April 17, 2011 issue of the New York Times Magazine, "Is Sugar Toxic?" "Many pre-cancerous cells would never acquire the mutations that turn them into malignant tumors if they weren't being driven by insulin to take more and more blood sugar and metabolize it."

Enough said. There is abundant evidence that cancer cells love sugar, so let's work to eliminate it from your cancer patient's diet! There are fantastic alternatives to sugar, many of which I have happily discovered recently:

-Agave Nectar
-Raw Honey
-Maple Syrup
-Brown Rice Syrup
-Stevia

My mom now happily puts raw honey in her tea (and so do I!) And we have come up with quite a few treats that have more-than-satisfied her sweet tooth.  I am going to give you TWO of them today. These recipes really could not be easier. For both of them you just pop the ingredients into a blender/Cuisinart and...voila! Delicious! For both I use the this raw cacao, but you can use any cocoa powder...of course raw and organic is best, and make sure it includes no sugar or additives.

This first recipe is from Tory Marsh, who runs an incredible chocolate company in New York called http://www.torymarshchocolate.com/. Check them out! And then check out this recipe. It will delight you in its deliciousness and healthfulness.

Crystal Chocolate Smoothie

1.5 cups fresh almond milk
2 frozen bananas
1 heaping Tbsp. raw almond butter
1 heaping Tbsp. raw cacao powder
1 heaping Tbsp. raw coconut crystals
1 heaping tsp.  raw mesquite powder (optional)
a pinch of sea salt

Blend in a high powered blender. Enjoy!


This next recipe is from my wonderful aunt Susanne, who passed it along from a friend, because she knows how much my mom loves chocolate. It could not be tastier or healthier! (My mom never in a million years guessed that there was avocado or dates in there...)

"Healthy Chocolate Yum Yum"

In a cuisinart, combine:
1/2 an avocado
6 majool dates, chopped into small pieces
4 Tbsp. organic raw cacao
a splash of water

This can be eaten by the spoonful, on apple slices, or crackers.....fabulous treat.

Packing Nutrition into Tiny Parcels

This blog continues on my last posting, "Small Portions...", which really is an endless topic for people battling cancer.  In the last blog, I focused on ideas for small portions, and how to have good, healthy food right at your loved one's fingertips.

Today, I would like to talk about how to pack nutrition into tiny things. A lot of food is so perfect and whole on its own. Apple slices. Nuts. An avocado. These foods often don't need much tinkering, and that is one of the beauties of raw foods.

However, that doesn't mean that baking and cooking is a bad idea. On the contrary, sometimes my mom just simply craves baked goods. I am toiling with all sorts of recipes that have no sugar and no dairy that I hope to share with you someday soon. In the meantime, I would like to give you a recipe that has delighted both my mom and my kids more times than I can possibly say. I created this when my kids were little, and they and their friends called them "Magic Muffins" because I didn't want them (my kids, not my mom) to know that there was pumpkin inside!

Pumpkin is a "Super Food" and is packed with folate and calcium. It has disease-fighting nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, pantothenic acid and vitamins C and E. Because it is rich in cartenoids (both alpha and beta-carotenes) it has been shown to reduce the risk of various cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast, and skin. Women in the landmark Nurses' Health Study who had a high intake of carotenes in their diets had the lowest risk of breast cancer.

I am very proud of this recipe! I have modified it over the years to reduce the refined sugar, and I'm pleased to say that it now only contains organic brown sugar and other natural sweeteners. And it is as tasty as it ever was. Tastier, in fact.

My son Si just said, when these came out of the oven, 

"Mommy, Magic Muffins really are magical."

Magic Muffins

This makes a double batch, because my family devours them so fast.
It makes about 30 mini muffins, and 24 regular muffins. They freeze well!

Prepare tins: use muffin paper or else use olive oil spray on muffin tins.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together in a large bowl:
2 1/2 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sea salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves

In another bowl, combine:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl or stand-up mixer (Kitchen Aid) cream:
1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
-After it is smooth, add:
2/3 cup organic brown sugar
1 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup maple syrup
-Add, one at a time:
4 eggs
2 cups (1 can) pumpkin puree

Add to the creamed pumpkin mixture, alternating:
-the flour mixture in 3 parts
-the milk mixture in 2 parts

Pour into muffin tins about 3/4 full.
Bake in batches in the oven. Mini muffins bake for 20 minutes, and regular muffins for 25 minutes.

Small Portions, (and chemo. Ick.)

Small portions are, I think, the key to "fighting chemo" and fighting cancer. I learned this from my mom, who, when I used to put heaping portions of food in front her, would react by eating NONE. The smaller the portion, the more she would eat. You can always have seconds!

I also learned this idea from my absolutely most favorite cancer cookbook author, Rebecca Katz, whom I so highly recommend to you. She has a number of cookbooks out, and I would run out and buy at least one for yourself so that you can cook for your cancer fighter. They are: "One Bite at a Time" (aptly named), and "The Cancer Fighting Cookbook."

Do you see all the tabs on top? I hope that is an indication 

of how loved/used this cookbook is to us!

Undergoing chemo often makes you lose your appetite. You can experience nausea or an upset stomach. There are hundreds of different combinations of chemo cocktails, frequency, and, of course, the individual's body that is undergoing chemo. So there is no way to predict how your patient will react and whether he or she will experience a loss of appetite or a disinterest in food. But it is likely that she will encounter it at some point.

My recommendation? That you put tiny, nutritious bowls of food in front of your patient whenever think of it.

-A tiny bowl of blueberries
-A handful of spiced pecans (recipe to follow)
-A homemade mini-muffin. (Take any muffin recipe and cook them in mini muffin tins/paper)
-A mug of Rebecca Katz' Magical Mineral Broth (which contains so many nutrients and minerals, and replenishes your patient, but is just the most soothing-barely-there-drink.)
-Slices of avocado, sprinkled with sea salt and drizzled with olive oil
-A smoothie in a teensy little cup
-Little containers of apple sauce (the kinds kids take to school for lunch)

Sliced avocado with sea salt and drizzled with organic olive oil. 

Full of healthy Omega-3 fats!

If you can tempt their taste buds, they may just ask for more. The other day my mom was so out of energy that she hadn't even made breakfast, and had been sitting in "her chair" since waking.  I arrived, and made her a little bowl of nourishing, warm brown rice (that I had waiting in the fridge, and just heated up.) She devoured it in seconds, and said "I had no idea that I was hungry! May I have another bowl? And then lets go out!" It turned her day around.

This recipe is from my delightful friend Devon.  These are so easy to make, and completely addictive. I adapted it slightly to remove the refined sugar. Don't worry about the fact that there is butter in here.  A little bit every now and then is ok. Everything in moderation.

Spiced Pecans

4 Tbsp. Agave nectar (or, alternatively, 1/3 cup sugar, if you must)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 lb. pecan halves

-Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
-Heat all ingredients (except pecans) in a large saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved
-Add nuts and toss until coated
-Pour onto baking sheet (with sides)
-Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
-Stir nuts occasionally as they cool, so they don't clump together
-When cool they will be crunchy, delicious, healthy snacks!
-Store in airtight container

Fresh Air

We breathe more than we do anything else. Breathing air is more important, and more vital moment to moment, than food or water. Fresh air, of course, is the best.

You may be with your cancer patient at the hospital. Or at home with a garden, or in an apartment building. If your loved one is recovering from surgery, getting outdoors may be hard.

But if you can, get outdoors, every day, even if just for a moment. The fresh air will feel good, the sun will give your loved one needed vitamin D.

A silk screen print of mine...to remind us that birds and flowers will improve your mood and attitude!

If you cannot get outdoors, open a window. Hang a bird feeder outside your patient's window. Or bring in some flowers or plants. 

This is not just about the air that we breathe because we need air to survive. It is also about holistic health. It is about body, spirit, mind. The change of scenery, the feeling of the air, the sounds of the birds, the smells outdoors. They have more value to the spirit than you know. And that makes the body stronger.

The following recipe for me is like fresh, tropical air in your body. It is from Mark Bittman, the New York Times food writer, whom I love.

Jicama Salad with Pineapple and Mint

1 medium jicama, peeled and chopped (or 16 radishes, chopped, or 1 diakon, peeled & chopped)

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp. minced fresh chile (if you have it)

sea salt

1 cup small fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup chopped scallion or white onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

-In a bowl, combine jicama, lime juice, chile, salt, and pineapple. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

-Toss in half the scallion and mint, then garnish with the remainder and serve.

A few quick notes about what these ingredients do for you:

-Jicama: High in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, vitamins A & B-complex, and vitamin C.

-Onions: May increase protective enzyme that helps inactivate and eliminate cancer-causing agents.

-Mint: An array of vitamins & minerals, folate, and vitamin C.

-Pineapple: High in vitamin C and calcium!

Endurance, and Brown Rice

Fighting cancer requires a ton of endurance. Maybe I shouldn't be measuring in tons...it requires cells & cells, days and days, hope upon hope of endurance. It requires endurance from your beloved patient, and of you.

I ask you today to come up with 3 things that can give you, the cancer caretaker, more endurance.  You are conditioned to think about everyone else, but I want you to think about YOU! What will it be that might give you a bit more strength to get you through your week?

- A brisk walk before your family awakes?
- A green smoothie?
- A hug from your patient or a friend?
- Yoga?
- Meditation?
- Journaling?
- Brown rice for breakfast?

Come up with 3 things that you think will make you stronger, and try to fit them into your week. Even if you fit each one in only once, that's a start.

This is a recipe for what I call Brown Rice Goodness. It is my breakfast every day, and it gives me endurance to do all the things that are asked of me: being a mother, a daughter, a wife, a cancer caretaker, an employee, a homeowner, a cook, a friend. This is both a for-me thing, AND a for-your-patient thing. Take care of you both.

Brown Rice Goodness

Start off by making a batch (or a double batch!) of brown rice in the evening. You can use it all week! I love short-grain brown rice. Always use organic!

One trick with brown rice is to soak it overnight, if possible. This neutralizes the phytic acid in the grain, and makes it easier to digest. (And therefore increases your body's absorption of minerals, iron, and calcium, among other things.)

In a bowl place:
scoop of cooked brown rice
chopped cashews
raisins
blueberries (or a handful of whatever delicious fruit is in season, peaches, strawberries)
a sprinkle of cinnamon
a sprinkle of powdered ginger
pour (unsweetened) almond milk over

This is pure heaven. It is better than oatmeal, or cereal, and gives me strength all morning long. It is delicious, and has no sugar in it whatsoever.

I have my dear friend (since I was six-months old friend) Liza to thank for the next recipe. She told me that fresh, homemade almond milk was the best, and she is absolutely right. It is SO easy to make and so worth the rewards. All you have to do to make it really easy is order a nut bag (hold off on the jokes, ladies) from Amazon.  Here is the link.  You can also use cheesecloth in a strainer, but it can be a little frustrating. Try that first and if you like the taste, spend the $7 on the nut bag. You'll use it again and again!

Fresh Almond Milk
1 cup raw organic almonds
1tsp raw honey
2 cups water

-Soak your almonds in water (do not use plastic!) overnight
-In the morning, drain the almonds, rinse them, and put them in a blender
-Add 2 cups fresh water, and 1 tsp raw honey
-Blend. Walk away from the blender. It will take awhile.
-When it is as smooth as possible, get out a large bowl (preferably with a pouring lip) and put your nut bag in it. Pour the almond milk through the nut bag. And squeeze the heck out of it until you have a lot of liquid.
-Store your almond milk in the fridge in a large mason jar. It is fresh for about 4 days.
-You can save the almond pulp to use for cookies or other such delights....let me know if you have good ideas!

A future blog will cover why these recipes avoid sugar and dairy, and will explain why this great breakfast is a perfect alternative to cereal with milk.

I am not a cancer expert....

...but I have been helping someone I love fight it for the last five years. And I have become increasingly interested in nutrition and the role it plays in making your patient feel better, and even help them cure their disease.

I decided to start this blog, not for the cancer patient (although some of you reading this may be cancer patients, and I do welcome you here, believe me!), but for the cancer caretaker. You, the caretaker, are devoting your time, energy, and love to someone fighting cancer. I know how it is. You are desperate for ideas that will work. Food they might eat. And probably a little nourishment yourself.

There are hundreds of amazing books out there, and experts in the field, and I hope to direct you to some of them who have helped my family. Sharing knowledge is a wonderful thing.

Food is incredible. Food is healing, it is medicine, it is comfort. I grew up with my mom's delicious homemade yogurt, fresh fruit, and whole wheat bread. But even with such healthy foods, you may have to change your diet to be eating the best foods to fight cancer.  My mom likes to say, "Christy, I have been eating this way my whole life. I can't change my diet overnight," and there is great wisdom in that. Some people can cut all animal products, sugar, and processed foods from their diets and go on a raw foods diet, but that isn't always easy to do.

With my mom, we take it slowly. We try a healthy snack or two one day, a healthy breakfast the next. We try to cut refined sugar out of her diet as much as possible. I like to drop her off smoothies on my way to work in the morning. Years ago I brought her smoothies with whey protein powder, flaxseed oil, tons of fruit, yogurt for protein. But there was often an ingredient that didn't sit right. Now I do smoothies with fewer ingredients, but powerful ones.

Today's recipe (and many day's): Green Smoothie.

Kale is a wonder food. Dark leafy greens are the most missing ingredient from our diet. They are rich in iron, calcium, fiber, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C and E.  If you can get 2 pieces of kale in a smoothie, you are golden. They even give you protein, and enhance your mood! If your patient (or you!) is hungry, instead of grabbing for a bag of chips, try this instead--you will truly feel better.

In a blender, combine:
2 leaves of kale
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
1 frozen banana
1 tsp. almond butter
(optional: for a sweeter smoothie) sliced peach, or handful of frozen mango

After blending for a long time, add a couple pieces of ice to keep it nice & cool, and puree for a moment more. Enjoy!