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

If you are going through cancer treatment right now, remember that its YOUR body that is sick. Ask as many questions that you want to your doctor to make sure you understand all your options. I meet so many people who don't ask their doctor or healthcare professional questions. You are going through one of the hardest things you will have to do in your life and not knowing what is happening is scary and unnecessary. No two people are alike when it comes to cancer treatment, even though they may have the same type of cancer. Don't hang around the internet to try to find answers there. Your doctor is here for you and wants to help you. He/she is your doctor not a mind reader. Yes, they see way too many patients, but forget that. Its all about you now and if you are unsure about anything ask questions. Getting straight forward answers will make you feel better. The unknown is always worse. Our minds love to create scenarios that do not exist. Having the facts will help you get through it. Knowledge is power.


So many people are walking around today that are surviving cancer and you will make it too, but that doesn't make it any less scarey. There are many support sysytems available for you. Take advantage of all resources. Most hospitals have social workers that specialize in cancer patients. They are there to help you. Ask your doctor to meet with one. The American cancer Society is another good resource.  Here is their link   http://www.cancer.org/index


That being said, I want to also say that keeping a positive attitude is critical. Its more than ok to feel mad, sad or scared but don't stay there for long. I had definitely had bad days and to help me get through it I wrote in a journal. I decided that I would not let cancer get the best of me and I pictured myself healthy. I also had a great support system.  I really found out who my friends were. Anyone that beat the drum of negativity I got rid of myself, not without prior warning though. The key to success is getting your mind right and preparing for battle. Having people around that complain or want to throw a constant "pity party" for you is not healthy. Tell them to take it somewhere else.


Cancer was the worst thing to happen to me and the best. Life is sweeter now and I listen to my body.
I am grateful everyday and I work hard to no longer " sweat the small stuff" because most of the things I focused my attention on in the past was small stuff. I learned I am much stronger than I ever thought and I am thankful for that. I can face anything now. You can too!


xo   Inge

Have you heard of the website Purpose Fairy? They have a facebook page as well. I think thats where I found them. Anyway they have lots of good advice how to live a happy life. Actually lots of this stuff, in my opinion is stuff we already know, but I think its easily forgotten. Lets face it, the world is crazy these days. I think its always been that way - depending on who you ask,  but now more of us seem to be feeling the crazy vibes. Its easy to get depressed and fall into 'victim' mode.

Cancer made me realize that I am tougher than I ever thought I was. I refuse to call myself a victim, no matter what. I am a warrior. It also made me re-examine who I am. My core is the same, but I was hiding it alot of the time. These days I speak my mind, stand my ground, love openly and do the things I want to do now, instead of waiting for 'someday'  to do them.  None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. None of us! I want to live my life with no regrets the best I can, and thats the topic of todays Purpose Fairy.


This is their website   http://www.purposefairy.com/5867/13-things-you-should-do-to-live-life-without-regrets/


don't forget to eat your fruits and veggies!    xo  Inge

A patient told me about a delicious protein drink that she drinks daily. She is still getting chemo and has the same taste issues most people do who are in treatment. Meaning - everything tastes awful, except this drink. You can buy it online or at Mothers Market. If you don't live near a Mothers, ask the manager at your healthfood store and see if he can special order it. I will buy some for myself  as a fast meal when I am on the run. Oh and it was created by a doctor who is also a cancer survivor.

http://www.drinkorgain.com/

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

Cancer taught me:
To stop focusing on petty shit
be grateful
don't take things for granted
be a warrior not a victim
help those who can't speak for themselves
encourage others
listen to my body
eat healthy food
rest
love myself warts and all

I made myself a delicious smoothie today.  I threw together one banana, can of coconut water (I found coconut juice in the 99cents store...forget about paying 2.99 anymore), a handful of organic frozen raspberries, and 1/2 cup broccoli stems chopped. Yum!.

This looks like a refreshing healthy summer treat!

I found this on Facebook....

6 Healthy Foods To Replace Your Naughtier Preferences Without Sacrificing Flavor

Just because you’re trying to eat more healthily doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your favorite food preparations! There are a number of nutritious ingredie...nts that can replace your naughtier preferences without forgoing flavor. Try the following examples and see if your palate isn’t as pleased as your waistline!

1. Quinoa instead of rice or pasta

White rice and pasta are “bad” or simple carbs--you know, the ones that don’t provide much in the way of nutrition. But quinoa! This amazing ancient grain not only acts as a perfect platform for soaking up sauces, just like pasta and rice, but also it’s a complete protein, which means it delivers all nine of the essential amino acids.

2. Shaved zucchini instead of pasta

Another magical swap, shaved zucchini (created by shaving zucchini into strands with a vegetable peeler) can carry sauces from the plate to your palate--and add a serving of veggies to your dish to boot. Bonus: You don’t even have to cook it and it’s a refreshing way to serve saucy dishes during summer’s heat!


3. Coconut water instead of Gatorade

Unless you’re a serious athlete, you don’t need the kind of potassium and electrolytes found in Gatorade anyway; gulping down a good amount of water will more than do the trick for the average gym goer. But coconut water, or the water harvested from inside young coconuts, does provide additional nutritional value over water--without the additives found in sports drinks. Expect great, refreshing, even sweet taste plus about as much potassium as you’d find in a banana.

4. Spinach and tomato sauce instead of spaghetti with sauce

Let’s be honest. Pasta’s main purpose is to be a vehicle for sauce. So why not drive your favorite pasta sauce into your mouth via a more healthy vehicle? Cooked spinach can be a perfect partner for tomato sauces--not to mention a valuable source of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, which are known to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer.


5. Kale chips instead of potato chips

We don’t need to tell you how unhealthy potato chips are. But you might like to know you can enjoy similarly crisp, greasy flavor and eat healthily if you reach for kale chips. There is a catch--you’ll need to make them yourself. But on the upside, all you need to do is de-stem kale leaves, spray them with a tiny bit of oil, sprinkle them with salt, and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes at an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you ate an entire bunch, you’d have satisfied your greens requirement for the day and only ingested about 200 calories!


6. Cauliflower instead of potatoes

Taste aside, there’s not much good that comes from mashed potatoes. But substitute even half of your spuds with cooked and mashed cauliflower and you’ll cut calories and add protein to your favorite rib-gripping side dish. After all, pound for pound, potatoes have nearly four times as many calories as cauliflower.

Source: Prevent DiseaseSee More

https://www.facebook.com/wellnessuncovered

I helped get the Label GMOs on the ballot in California. I know that the corporations who make their living selling gm foods will spend millions of dollars in the next few months to scare people from voting yes to have their foods labeled. I plan to post any articles I can get my hands on to educate those people who don't know what genetically modified foods are. Please copy and share to help spread the word. We are up against a ruthless group, with Monsanto leading the pack. Vermont  legislators recently changed their mind to mandate labeling products that contain gmos, when Monsanto threatened to sue the state. If gmos were safe then why not label them?

I am a firm believer that I got cancer from the foods I ate and that's why I am such an advocate for healthy food. If I can't get organic, I try my best to not eat gm foods, which are harder to determine because they are not labeled. I just read that tomatoes are no longer gm...
http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/fruit_vegetables/15.genetically_modified_tomatoes.html

Another article confirms that in order to stay healthy, we should stay way from gm foods

 http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/dramatic-health-recoveries-reported/

Here is a link that confirms scientifically that gmos are bad for us
http://www.nationofchange.org/genetic-engineers-explain-why-ge-food-dangerous-1340544600

eat your fruits and veggies!    xo  Inge

I was at an event last night and my blowhole aka ostomy decided to sound off while the host was speaking. Anyone within earshot definitely heard so I told the woman sitting next to me "sorry that was my blowhole going off" she almost fell off her chair laughing. Oops!

I used to be a worry wart but I am doing better with that, however I still find myself battling negative thoughts at times. I am practising more meditation which definitely helps. Cancer taught me to stop worrying about things I cannot cont...rol which is alot. I learned after lots of research that negative thinking like worrying causes stress and stress lowers the immune system. When the immune system is out of whack it sets the stage for disease to take over. I changed my eating habits and I am working hard to change my mental habits as well.

 

http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2010/02/23/negative-thinking/

Found a good article about cancer fighting foods

http://naturalsociety.com/cancer-fighting-foods-4-anti-cancer-edibles/

eat your fruits & veggies!    xo  Inge

Sometimes my legs and feet drive me up a wall! They are not painful (thank goodness) They just feel like I put my big toe in a live wall socket. I was snooping around the web to see if other people had these type of issues caused from chemotherapy and I found a site on the American Cancer Society page. My chemo 5fu and Myocitin is not on the list but my symptoms are similar.
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002908-pdf.pdf

eat your fruits & veggies!
xo   Inge

I read that people name their ostomies...I really never thought about doing that before. Its just my ostomy but then I heard some guy talking about whales and their blow holes and I thought "that's it!" I shall call it my blow hole and anyone who has spent any length of time around me will completely understand why!


eat your fruits & veggies!     xo  Inge

I follow a woman's blog and facebook page who has a permanent ostomy just like me. She recently posted about an article she found that discussed banning people with ostomies from public swimming pools. Here is a snippet from that article:

Question: We have a person who wants to go swimming and has a colostomy bag. Has anyone ever dealt with this or do you have a policy in your facility about this issue?

RAC Background: We thought long and hard about this. The public parks and recreation agency that is asking the question is in Illinois and this question was asked by Terri Smith of Water Designs in Salt Lake City. Obviously, pool maintenance and patron safety are factors to be weighed. But the ADA makes it clear a pool operator cannot make a decision based on a fear or suspicion, but only on objective fact. With that in mind, here is the answer we sent to Terri.

RAC answer: Here are some thoughts. We suggest this is a good discussion between staff, the participant, and the swimmer’s doctor or physician’s assistant. Simply explain that the agency has never adopted a policy one way or the other and ask to sit down and talk about the issue. Start by asking questions about colostomy and focus on bag and seal integrity. In our opinion that’s really what this is about.

We did some research and some successful tactics used included:

First, limit swim time to 30 to 40 minutes. Water changes the wax seal around the ostomy and it loses its effectiveness. The swimmer must bring a second bag and be able to install it after swimming.

Second, swimmers should wear baggy suits and cover both the ostomy (the opening) and the bag.

Finally, someone smarter than us about aquatics ought to talk about cheek wash and compare daily cheek wash loads to the typical amount of fecal matter that leaks when the integrity of a colostomy bag or seal is breached. That’s above our pay grade, but we would love to hear the discussion.

My response is.... First of all I refuse to ask permission to swim in a public pool wearing my ostomy bag and if someone decides to make a federal case out of it, I will gladly remove the bag and swim without it. The stupidity of people who make decisions by talking out of their ass is amazing to me!

I made a smoothie today using a juiced apple, a couple carrots, some celery that was getting rubbery and threw them in a blender with frozen mango, a splash of soy milk, some orange juice, and spring water. It was delicious and reminds me of a creamsicle.

Eat your fruits & veggies!   xo  Inge

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I just got the call from my oncology doctor...PetScan results are in...no sign of disease anywhere in my body!   10 months cancer free!!!


eat your fruits & veggies!    xo   Inge

I was looking for a non-dairy beverage to add to my smoothie today and I found Silk among the almond drinks on the shelf. Their label claimed to be part of the non-gmo project, so when I got home I looked it up. Sure enough Silk is on the list as certified by the non-gmo project to be in fact gmo free. Well slap my face and call me happy! I can buy Silk again!

http://www.nongmoproject.org/take-action/search-participating-products/search/?brandId=389