Art Therapy - Part of Cancer Treatment

Creating art is a terrific part of complementary therapy when undergoing cancer treatment --- or any type of treatment for that matter. UCI offers art therapy to its patients, but you don't have to be part of a group to enjoy creating art.

Kirsten is one of the patients I visit with at UCI Medical Center and is an artist. She likes to paint on different types of mediums. She prefers to stay at home and paint. This is a sample of her work:

You don't have to paint, you can write poetry, cook, collage or whatever. I even have a patient who brings a coloring book and crayons to pass the time while she receives chemotherapy.
If you prefer spending time and creating with a group, ask your doctor if there is an art program at your hospital or medical center.


xo   Inge

 

I started buying coconut water and organic soy milk from my neighborhood 99 cent store ( I am sooo happy they exist and sell these, regular markets charge sometimes 3 times as much for same brand) And by the way I buy WestSoy soy milk bec...ause it does not contain carageen...if you don't know whats bad about carageen, Google it. Anyway, to save more money I freeze the coconut water and soymilk (in seperate) freezer trays and use the cubes in smoothies. I usually add 3 cubes coconut water and 4 cubes soy milk. I throw them in after I add everything else and let them melt -- then I blend them together. Yum!


I make a smoothie everyday...here's the recipe for the one I'm drinking right now.

3 cubes frozen coconut water

4 cubes frozen soy milk (organic)

1/2 cup parsley

1/2 banana

2 large carrots (juiced)

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup spring water

teaspoon ground flax seed ( I use Bob's Red Mill) I don't have a grinder right now.

 

 

Throw these into a blender

Allow the frozen cubes to melt; it takes about 15 minutes and then blend mixture

Enjoy!

 

 

xo   Inge

The Many Uses of Salt Water

I threw out all commercial cleaning products when I was diagnosed and only use homemade products now. I want to know exactly what's in products I am using in my environment. You can find a list of household and personal health uses for salt water here.


xo  Inge

Its Cold and that Means Chili!

Its cold outside and that means its time for chili. Here's my recipe for my famous vegan chili.



First of all I soak 1/2 cup of raw black beans. Its ususally takes a few hours and then they are ready to be cooked. I sometimes soak them overnight...whatever is easiest for you. The beans are ready to use in chili when you can easily smash it with a fork. 1/2  cup dry beans will turn into a little over a cup of cooked beans.


Now take out a large soup pot and pour olive oil on the bottom...enough to sautee a chopped onion. When the onions are carmelized, add a 16 oz can of tomatoes. I use organic diced from Trader Joes. Then I add 1/3 bag organic corn from (you guessed it...Trader Joes). Sometimes I throw in an organic chopped potato or green pepper.


Sooooo, where's the chili seasoning? I used to buy ready made but after reading what is in processed foods these days, I want to know whats in my food and that includes seasonings. McCormicks, which is the chili seasoning I used to use only lists a couple of ingredients and the rest are "natural". The word "natural" is not regulated and since they spent a great deal of money fighting Prop 37...I no longer give them my money.


I found a terrific recipe from this blogger and you can find her over here...http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/homemade-chili-and-taco-seasoning/


For this recipe I use 2 tablespoons of chili seasoning. You can always use more or less.


Here's how to make your own:


4 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons black pepper


I keep it stored in a ziplock baggie.



xo      Inge

I was in Mother' Market the other day and I was hungry so I bought myself a smoothie. I decided on their breakfast smoothie, even though it was late afternoon because I never had one with granola in it. It was really good but expensive....$8 for 16 ounces. I figured in the future I can make my own at home.



Here's my recipe: 1/2 cup mixed berry organic juice, 1/2 cup organic soymilk, 1 banana, 1/2 cup Nature's Path Hemp Granola Cereal. Blend in blender and you got breakfast or snack you can take with you.


xo Inge

 

 

 

 

 

Do you live near a Dollar Store or 99 cent store that sells food? Check the shelves and even the frresh produce section because they are selling more and more organic and healthy choices. I found organic plain soymilk from WestSoy and Parro...t coconut water. The other day they had orangic lettuce and arugala in a package. I made myself a green smoothie with 1/3 rd of the can of coconut water and I poured the rest in an ice tray to use later.

In case you are wondering what else I added to smoothie:

1 banana, 1/2 cup kale, 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup spring water and 1/3 can coconut water. Yum!

 

 

xo     Inge

 

 

 

 

Parsley isn't just a pretty garnish. Do you know it has anti-oxident properties like luteolin, a flavonoid that searches out and kills free radicals in the body? It contains an organic compound called myristicin that can stop the formation o...f tumors (like in the lungs) and helps fight against colon and prostrate cancer. Two tablespoons of parsley contains 153% of the RDA of vitamin K, which is necessary for the synthesis of osteocalcin, a protein that strengthens the composition of our bones. It also prevents calcium build-up in our tissue that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Parsley contains vitamin C an effective anti-inflammatory agent within the body... inflammation is bad news for our bodies. Oh, I almost forgot....it alkaline! Anyone who knows me -- knows alkaline is my favorite food group.

 

 

Parsley doesn't taste so great to me so I add it to my daily green smoothie. I am drinking one right now.... I threw in 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 cup kale, one banana, 1/5 cup spring water, 1/4 organic soymilk, and splash orange juice.

My day started off with a phone call from one of the patients I have been visiting at the Infusion Center at UCI. He is CANCER FREE. No more Hodgkins Lymphoma!  Many of the patients I spend time with leave the Infusion Center and I never know how they are doing, so too get this news is wonderful! i am soooo happy for him and his family. I know this Christmas or whatever they celebrate will be sweeter!


Then I was in my bank waiting to speak to a bank officer when another customer sat next to me. She asked me about why I use a walker....by the way do you know I use a walker?.....I need it to get around because the chemo attacked my nervous system. I walk like I'm either on a rocky boat or drunk, so instead of taking the chance of falling I use the walker for support. Anyway, she told me she does a Master Cleanse twice a year to stay healthy. She told me she hasn't had the flu in over 20 years either, sooooo I looked it up.


To be honest, I am not sure about doing something like that instead of Western Medicine if you are diagnosed with cancer. I chose the Western Medicine route and then I used alternative medicine...but the cleanse is made up with food and spices and I am all for that.  So here is the link to check it out for yourself...

http://themastercleanse.org/



xo   Inge

I have been so busy these past few weeks that I have neglected my blogs, but I am back! As you know we lost Prop 37...the right to know what is in our food BUT we may have lost this battle but we will win the war! And I say war because it is. Monsanto fought a dirty campaign and we will not take it it lying down. So I will post those companies who were on the Monsanto wagon and refuse to be transparent about whats in their food products. I will also include alternatice companies who do care about they put in their food and have integrity.
So here goes the first group that sell food products for Thanksgiving.

Arrowhead Mills makes a good stuffing mix and is GMO free. Buy it in your local healthfood market.

Do you know whats in your turkey?????

Here  is a link written by Marlene's Market and Deli that expresses my beliefs about serving anything GMO to my friends and family:
http://www.marlenesmarket-deli.com/?page_id=7352

Here is link to NON-GMO project where you will find all kinds of GMO Free foods:
http://www.nongmoproject.org/

They also have an app for your phone, so you know what you are buying at the store.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/non-gmo-project-shopping-guide/id359782606?mt=8&ls=1

This website also lists foods that probably contain GMOs and alternative choices:
http://gmoinside.org/launch-thanksgiving/

I will continue to post companies that probably use GMOs in their foods in the future. I have called many of these companies and they are willing to tell me over the phone their stance on GMOs but will not send me anything in writing. Hmmmm.

xo Inge
 

John and I went to Olive Garden for dinner. We used our gift certificate and I feel sick, bloated. I can really tell the differnce between fresh and processed food now, since I have been eating healthy for over a year. Their dinner rolls tasted like flour water and yeast, zero flavor. I'm happy we didn't pay for that meal. John's happy I chose not to interrogate our server about GMOs.

I helped out at the Ostomy booth at the UCI healthfair last weekend and met this terrific woman who runs Home Care Assistance. Its for people (mostly seniors) who need extra help with daily things like cooking, groooming, running errands and plain old companionship. There lots of these type of agencies in Orange County but what makes this one different is that client care manager, Sandy Rasque, focuses on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating. Her staff provides healthy meals that includes fresh vegetables, fruits and even smoothies.


Have you ever stayed in the hospital and been offered Ensure to  either gain weight or keep the weight on? I have when I was getting chemo/radiation treatment. Anyone who has been through this knows that eating is a real problem. Everything tastes awful, so doctors suggest Ensure. Now don't get me wrong they mean well. Ensure has protein and calories but mostly from sugar, and studies show that cancer loves sugar. Why give it what it wants? And in my case, the Ensure was way too sweet.

 So when I was in the hospital my family brought me smoothies from Jamba Juice. Yes, they have sugar too but at least it is somewhat healthier than Ensure.

When I got home we bought a juicer and a blender so we could make our own fresh green smoothies. Before long I was throwing everything in but the kitchen sink. My smoothies must have contained at least 600 calories, all from fresh fruits and veggies, along with soy milk andd yogurt.

Well, Sandy figured this out and wanted her seniors to have a healtheir alternative. Her motto is "Changing the way the world ages". She teaches her staff how to cook healthy meals, including how to make delicious, healthy smoothies (with real fruit and veggies) and serve them to their clients. They also will shop for the food that they will be serving.

This is one of the books sitting on her table at the health fair.

I was so impressed with Sandy's fresh approach to caregiving that I wanted to tell others about her and her agency. I briefly worked for another home care agency a few years ago and what a disappointment that was. It was clear to me that they were all about their 'bottom line', not the clients or their employees for that matter. They paid low wages, expected their employees to drive sometimes 30 + miles to an assignment and only stay 3 hours. Seniors ate (in my opinion) substandard meals. The food was usually processed, fast food, purchased by the senior or family member and prepared by the caregiver. There was no suggestion to eat healthier by anyone. The caregivers I met didn't look too healthy themselves either.


I know of group homes that run the same way, maybe even worse when it comes to healthy meals. I used to work in an adult day program and my clients used to tell me what they ate at home. I also saw the junk food they brought to the program. Nothing healthy in those lunch boxes. How can one expect to have a healthy mind when its fed junk?


Recent studies show that the majority of people with autism have intestinal problems and the correlation is processed food containing GMOs. (You didn't think I was going to talk about health without bringing up the health problems caused by GMOs, did you?)


I think feeding seniors, the mentally ill andd even us, healthy fresh foods will give us a better chance of living a longer healthy life. What fun is it to live longer but to do so being sick? I know thats not for me.

I am hopeful that Sandy's approach to senior care will catch on with other agencies and hospitals for that matter. Everyday more and more health care providers are understanding the connection between good health and eating healthy food. I see new patients all the time in the cancer center who tell me their doctor tells them "no sugar" and thats a step in the right direction.


Sandy was making and giving out samples of one her smoothie recipes at the fair and I thought I would share it with you:


Blueberry Banana Smoothie:


1 ripe banana
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup lowfat milk or almond milk
1/2 cup crushed ice


Throw in blender, puree and serve!




xo     Inge

 

A Natural Way to Boost Your Immune System

I am sure you have seen commercials telling us its time to get that flu shot. I don't get them. I always thought it was a huge money maker for the pharmaceutical company and a false sense of security for the masses. I know lots of people who got a flu shot and still got the flu. There is no way to figure out what flu one will get. This article from Natural News confirms my suspicions.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037471_vaccines_mythology_fairy_tale.html


I think a better way to protect ourselves from getting sick is to wash our hands frequently; good old soap and hot water will do just fine.  Eating healthy food, drink lots of water, drink fresh green smoothies or juices, and wear a mask if you plan to be around kids (germ carriers).

Immune boosting smoothie recipe:

1 banana
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup kale
1/2 cup spinach
1/4 cup soy probiotic yogurt (make sure its live cultures)
2 tblsp ground flax seed
1 tsp bee pollen
1 cup spring water



If you are getting treatment like chemo or radiation, stay away from people. Its a good time to stay in with a good book or watch movies. 

Its Non-GMO Month!

This is just a partial list of companies who are now officially Non-GMO verified. There are a few who state they are GMO free, so I added them as well. At least they  are trying to do the right thing. Hopefully the big boys at Kelloggs, Post, Smuckers, Hershey, Nestle, Pepsico, CocaCola and their groupies will get on board, especially when they are losing sales.

Find out more about NON-GMO Verfified Project here  http://www.nongmoproject.org/

 

 

 

 

 

I will add more products throughout this month. I am completely convinced that processed foods, especially those containing GMOs is the  major reason we have a health crisis in America.

xo  Inge

I swiped this chart off Food Babe's blog    http://foodbabe.com/2012/09/28/do-your-favorite-snack-brands-contain-gmos/


I suggest fresh fruits and vegetables BUT I know we all like something to snack on occasionally, so why not be sure its good for us! And we are showing our support for those companies who are doing the right thing! Earning a living, while selling a product that is good for the environnment and good for us!

I made the abosulte BEST smoothie just now. I bought fresh figs at the store. They were on sale, so I figured I would try them. Eating them au naturale was pretty bland, so I decided to experiment. I peeled 7 figs and added them to 1/2 cup coconut milk, a banana and threw them in a blender. WOW! Who needs milkshakes? Make mine a fig smoothie! Figs are full of phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidents. They spoil fast so I suggest peeling and freezing them.

 

xo  Inge

I went to Costco today and found some unrefined, organic coconut oil. They had a huge container of it for $17. That does sound like alot but it was 54 oz., compared to Sprouts brand 16 oz for $8. I stir fried some veggies in my wok, using 2 tblsps of the oil. Yum! I sprinkled my special anti-oxident (tumeric, garlic powder, black pepper) spice blend over them as well.

I scooped some out and put them in one of my empty skin care bottles. I will use that coconut oil for my face moisturizer. Oh and you don't have to keep it in the refrigerator.  You can learn more about the benefits of virgin coconut oil here: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/coconut_oil.htm

How to Make a Fabulous Green Smoothie without Really Trying

What Gentetically Modified Organisms Might You be eating?

What do Monsanto, GMO's, Corn, Round Up Have in Common?

How much processed food do you and your family eat? Do you believe that if its for sale in your local grocery store it good for you? Do you believe that our goverment agencies like the FDA have your best interest at heart? Think again! Buyer beware! The reason these foods can sit in your pantry for years is because they contain additives that may make food stay fresh longer, but they do nothing for your body. Meaning, there is little to zero nutrition. You are better off eating the box it comes in.

This is nothing new. I remember hearing Suzanne Sommers telling people to only shop the perimeter of grocery stores and stay away from the processed food section. That was back in the early 90s.

"Global diets are increasingly facing the dual challenge of undernourishment and obesity. UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, has released a new report calling for a reassessment of unhealthy food systems in both rich and poor countries. Both are increasingly characterized by an abundance of low nutrition, high calorie, processed foods."
http://michaelprager.com/content/globesity-malnutrition-and-other-joys-processed-food


If you want to stay as healthy as possible you have to eat healthy. No ifs ands or buts! We live in a toxic environment and our immune systems work overtime to keep us healthy. The very least we can do is to feed it good food.

I talk with so many people everyday who are fighting cancer or have just completed treatment, eating food that is total crap! And don't get me started with the nurses! They should know better. I believe that alot of the diseases today are caused by mal-nutrition. All the good nutrients have been removed and replaced with chemicals made in a laboratory. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, put it back on the shelf.


My cancer diagnosis was a major wake up call for me. I considered myself mostly vegetarian although I did eat chicken about once a week. When I tried going strictly vegetarian my hair statred falling out after a few months. I was told at the time I needed protein. But I have been vegan for over a year and I haven't lost anymore hair. I believe its because I eat better. I was eating way too much processed food loaded with gmos, antibiotics and growth hormones; combine that with stress and bamm! I am the perfect for environment for cancer!


If you have been diagnosed or are in remmission, I strongly suggest you change your diet. For example, dieting. Most people regain all the weight they lost while dieting because when they lost the weight they wanted, they started eating the same foods that made them fat in the first place. They have to change their eating habits for life to keep the weight off.  Its the same with cancer patients. If they want to have the best chance of success (no more cancer) they have to change their lifestyle and eating habits for life.


Yes, serious illnesses can be pre-determined, but thats a small percentage. Studies show that most cancers are from the environment. Our environment isn't changing anytime soon but you can strengthen your immune system by eating healthy foods, getting plenty of rest and exercising. http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/cancer070104.cfm


Have you heard about Meatless Monday lately? Thats a good way to begin to eat more healthy.

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/why-meatless/

 I changed my diet immediately but you can start slowly. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, its all about keeping our bodies alkaline. Protein is acid, so are medications. Fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes are all alkaline. Change your diet, change your life for the better.

xo   Inge