FIRST Check-up

We’re ready.

This is part of the deal…. part of life after a cancer diagnosis.

We’re ready to patiently sit in the exam room, post scans, and to wait for my doc to appear.

I am confident she will enter the room with a smile, followed by great news. 

My Mama, Tommy and I will let out a sigh of relief, hug, and head out to celebrate.

This is truly what I feel in my heart will happen.

But those butterflies… that freaking touch of nervousness… admittedly it’s here now just thinking about it. 

I’ve been surprised before. I’m not sure if that feeling ever completely goes away.

But to be entirely honest, I am finding that I have such deep gratitude for those damn butterflies… I’ve recognized those occasional flutters are my friend.

They are keeping me grounded, keeping me focused… helping me to live in the moment, to be deeply grateful for all the little things, ALL the incredible people in my life…

Helping me to greet each day as a BONUS… forcing me stay TRUE to who I am.

Tommy told me just what I needed to hear.  When I told him I was starting to feel a little trepidation about the check-up, he said something that immediately made me feel free as a bird. 

I explained to him that within my journey toward WELLNESS, that there is still so much to learn…. and the more I learn, the more I realize there is still much to learn… so much I WANT to learn, so much that I would LOVE to share with others that could impact their lives… and I hope that what we are doing is enough to keep the bastard away. 

I told him how important it is for him to know I am doing ALL I can, all that is within my influence, to BE here for him, and for Joanna.

He created a powerful vision in my mind, my new go-to vision whenever those butterflies try to make a presence. 

He started with a football analogy…. (what else would one expect from a coach?)

He started to tell me how easy it is for players to get their nerves up toward the end of a close game. He said a little nervousness is good because it can make us do better… but we won’t let it get to us because WE HAVEN’T LOST… we are still winning.

Thankfully, he turned it into a running analogy and spoke my language:

I’m running through the woods on a winding trail… tall green trees all around, and the sunlight thrusting through.  All the trees and curves ahead symbolize all I have left to learn about being “well”, and all that I am moving towards, one tree at a time. 

And somewhere behind, somewhere lurking in the dark forest FAR behind me, is the cancer.  It hasn’t caught me.  I haven’t lost.  Actually, I am winning.

We are AHEAD of the cancer. 

It hasn’t caught up with me, and it’s not going to.  With what we have learned, with what we have put into action, with all we feel in our hearts... that cancer is WAY back there, and continually getting further and further behind...

I truly feel this.  And when I merge this visualization into my reality, a sense of warmth and ease blankets my whole body.  

First check-up and results:  Wed. Nov 30^th, 3 PM.

Deepest of gratitude for YOU… and for your love, support, positive energy and prayers. 

Love,

Angela

*Butterfly photo by Jessica Stenklyft
*Jo and I photo by Corrine Smith 

PREVENTABLE

With hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic, here is one that had to be shared:

The author, Dr. Aggarwal, is an oncologist and biochemist at MD Anderson whom I had the opportunity to meet this past summer.  The man is intelligent and progressive. He is seeking to work with the body’s innate intelligence to improve the methods we currently use to address cancer.
    
Dr. Aggarwal was conducting an Indian cooking seminar and spoke in detail about Indian food’s anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer qualities.   He revealed his compelling experience using large doses of the spice Turmeric (Curcumin) to shrink and destroy cancer cells both alone and in conjuction with chemotherapy.  

Check out this link for more info: (http://www.curcuminresearch.org/)

I also love this article because I find it very empowering.  If we know the root cause, than we know the cure!!!I

Here are a few of the Highlights:

·         90-95% of cancer’s are caused by environment and lifestyle

·         Only 5-10% of cancer’s can be attributed to genetic defects

·         Of the 5-10% caused by genetic defects, the gene still has to be triggered by environmental and lifestyle influences

Here is the Abstract:

My Conclusions:

·         We KNOW cancer requires certain inadequacies in our immune system

·         We KNOW cancer requires certain triggers in our environment

·         We all have thousands of cancer cells floating around in our bodies RIGHT NOW

·         Whose immune system is complete enought to stamp out these cancer cells before they become an invasive tumor??

·         Which environmental triggers will we continue to be exposed to which will allow the cells to proliferate??

Here is the article in its entirety:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515569/

AMPING up IMMUNITY

So, you ask… what kind of things am I doing to make sure cancer freaking HATES me???

Whether your goals are to evade the winter flu, keep cancer cells at bay, or just to seek out the gift of nourishing vitality, here are my top 10 FAVORITE things we can all do to Amp-Up our Immune Systems:

1)      Don’t eat crap.

For real, what we put in our bodies is more intimate than putting on our unders.  Our food literally BECOMES  a part of us.  This time of year, there is so much crap food, EVERYwhere… and I for one, am removing myself from the bodily injury.  We know refined sugar is a poison… and among other things it drastically reduces immune function for at least six hours after consumption.  And processed foods?  The nutrients get processed right OUT.  Just empty calories, with a few harmful additives and preservatives processed right IN.  I have found from my challenging experience, and in learning to deeply love myself, that NOTHING tastes as good as feeling good feels.  And after a lot of transition, I am grateful for taste buds that no longer lead me astray. 

2)      Do your D’s.

For years I have been that chick outside in the middle of the day… running the dog, soaking up the D.  Knowing that there are no significant dietary sources of Vitamin D in food, I’ve always loved getting at least a few hours a week via my daytime runs.  But what I didn’t realize is just how much Vit D we really need to support healthy immune function.  Afterall, for eons the human race has been OUTSIDE, not stuck in houses, cars and offices.  Even though I had been supplementing with Cod Liver Oil-D for several weeks, I got tested.  Between 50 and 100 ng/ml is healthy and optimal.  I was a 32!!!  Definitely deficient. 

You can bet I have amped that up a few notches.  I now take 20,000 IU’s of a quality D3 daily, far from any threshold of toxicity.  Once I reach the desired range, I will likely cut back to maintenance mode of 5-10,0000 IU’s daily.  If you are adverse to supplementing, at least get tested!!!  You, too, may shocked at what you find out.

3)      Hook up with a good Chiro.

Strong immunity begins at our foundation.  Like many, I used to be ultra-skeptical of “back-crackers.” But thankfully, I have since allowed for my heart and mind to open… and to understand how pivotal the nerve supply is in our overall health.  Truth is, it is not natural for human beings to be kinked over on cell phones, hunched at computers, squeezed into cars and airplanes… with sports injuries and life trauma that has altered our basic skeletal foundation.   When we hit the reset button on our nerve supply, allowing for our innate intelligence to flow, we send a flood of immune responses to all our tissues and organs.  You can’t argue the research, and you certainly can’t argue the life-changing results. 

4)      Love the Sleep.

I used to think I was “fine” running on 5 hours or so each night, as long as I caught up on the weekend.  That obviously caught up with me.  There is zero shame in getting a restful night sleep, and in allowing the body to fully repair itself.  I now make sleep a priority, shooting for 7 peaceful hours every night, and an occasional 20 minute cat-nap with my sweet Jo.   

5)      Wake-up and Drink-up.

One of my favorite new habits when I first pop out of bed: a huge glass of filtered water with lemon.  Our bodies worked hard all night to repair and remove toxins, so let’s do our body a favor and flush ‘em out.  Not only is the added lemon super refreshing, it starts the day right by creating an alkaline ash in our blood, contributing to an alkaline environment that cancer (and disease processes in general) totally despise.  

6)      Break the Sweat.

Seek out the endorphins… keep the immune system firing.  Enough said.

7)      Chill the Freak OUT.

In my search for inner Zen, I have fallen deeply in LOVE with deep breathing and yoga.  I have found it is also super important to do things we enjoy EVERY day, whatever that may be.  Life is short afterall, and if you don’t like it… change it!!!  Doing what we love helps relieve tension, and boosts physical and mental resilience.   

8)      Get the Greens.

Bokus of nutrients. Phytochemicals galore.  I look forward to my daily kale or collards via a dark chocolate or fruit smoothie… or deep-green spinach incorporated into my all-time favorite meal: a 20 ingredient salad.  A monthly tray of juiced wheatgrass keeps the chlorophyll reserves on high, and the toxins outa my blood.  Best part, I love the greens.  I crave the greens.  Our body knows what’s best if we allow it to tell us!

9)      Create a Rainbow.

Seek out gorgeous fruit and veg in every color of the rainbow.  Pile em high in baskets and bowls right on your kitchen counter.  I have found the easy access and top-of-mind placement makes fruit and veg my EZ go-to foods...  and they never go bad when we know exactly how ripe and ready-to-eat they are. 

10)   Go Juice.

Drop the energy drinks and hi-caf bevs, pick up a juicer, and discover the raw energy that comes straight from nature.  Come up with juice combinations that rock your world… like my favorite juiced combo: fresh organic carrots juiced with a touch of orange (soooo good!!) 

Whole Lotta Living and GREAT HEALTH to you!!!

Love,

Angela

MIRACLE Grass

If you are looking for a miracle, this stuff may just save your life.

Take it from someone who has been there... someone who has watched their blood counts fall... someone who got slapped by the same heinous cytotoxic drugs week after week for six full months... someone whose docs said there was nothing that could be done.

Guess what.

Something can be done.

Something POWERFUL can be done.

And it's easy.

Wheatgrass.  FRESH. JUICED. WHEATGRASS.

Simply put, freshly juiced organic wheatgrass strips toxic heavy metals and poisons from the blood, allowing blood counts to quickly regenerate, and the body to properly heal... putting you back ahead of each and every chemotherapy treatment. 

Wheatgrass allows your own cells to recover while the chemo works to whither away the cancerous ones.

This is of dire importance as a delay in the chemo schedule (almost always because of low blood counts) could mean undue advantage for the cancer cells.

You have nothing to lose by giving it a try. 

Here is an excerpt from my online journal, written a week after my last chemo treatment. 

"More than any other single food, I HIGHLY recommend freshly juiced wheatgrass to ANYone traveling the gauntlet of chemo, and really to any person looking to disinfect, detoxify and heal the body from the many toxins we encounter in a given day.

I first had wheatgrass shots back in High School, and then later at airport juice bars when traveling for work week-in and week-out. 

I swore by the benefits…made me feel better than a shot of espresso..... and for a much longer period of time. 

Once chemo started, and my blood counts began to fall, I began digging for ways to feel better.

I knew I had to get some wheatgrass. 

I had trouble finding it freshly grown here in Galveston, so I decided to order the supplies and grow my own! 

It has proven to be one of the best decisions I have made in my fight to stay ahead of the damage…

Based on scientific studies, here are just ten of the innumerable benefits of wheatgrass:

1)      A one ounce shot of wheatgrass has the same nutritional value as 2.5 pounds of green garden veggies!!

2)      Wheatgrass juice is the best source of living chlorophyll available

3)      Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins

4)      Chlorophyll purifies the liver

5)      Chlorophyll improves blood sugar

6)      Chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body

7)      Chlorophyll rebuilds the bloodstream

8)      Studies show red cell count was returned to normal within 5 days after the administration of chlorophyll, even in those subjects who were extremely anemic (low in red count)

9)      Wheatgrass reduces high blood pressure

10)   Wheatgrass improves digestion

And the list goes on…

And if this is not convincing enough to buy or cultivate your own whether going through chemo or not, take it from my blood panel report:

Before my final chemo treatment... after 15 consecutive poisonings... and when my blood counts were expected to be the lowest, the concentration of hemoglobin in my blood (the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen) was ABOVE the range of a normal, healthy, NON-chemo person…a 31.7 on a 27.0-31.0 scale!! 

This is with zero blood cell booster injections from the doc, which often have a slew of side effects like bone and muscle aches, headaches, allergic reactions, etc.

If this is not an objective testament to the power of wheatgrass, nutrition, exercise and LOVE, than I don’t know what is!

Furthermore, my platelet count was a 45.8 on a 35.1- 46.3 scale. 

My white count was a 4.9, nine tenths above the 4.0 minimum.  

My chemo was never delayed… 

I never contracted illness… 

For supplies on growing, juicing and enjoying your own wheatgrass, check out this link, www.wheatgrasskits.com...  Scroll down for 40 of the benefits, growing tips and medical references.

More of my best wishes to you for GREAT health and PROactive cancer ass-kicking!!"

No surprise Mother Nature can create the PERFECT recipe...

I am currently 8 months out of chemo.  I continue to cultivate and juice my own wheatgrass.  I probably will the rest of my life. 

In my journey toward wellness, juiced wheatgrass is the easiest, most economical, and most effective at-home detox method I have found. 

If you are located in Mobile, Virginia's Health Foods on Airport will provide fresh-juiced wheatgrass shots at the restaurant located at the back of the store. 

You can also pick up sprouted wheatgrass from the produce section of Virginia's and Fresh Market, but you will need to juice it yourself.

I recommend a manual juicer as an electric juicer will cause the wheatgrass to oxidize, diminishing the nutritional value of the wheatgrass. 

Also be sure your manual juicer is stainless steel rather than plastic or aluminum, to avoid leaching chemicals into your wheatgrass shot.

Should you choose to cultivate your own, this is the kit I recommend: http://www.wheatgrasskits.com/wheatgrasskit.htm

Please reach out to me if you have questions or need ANY help at ALL in getting started.

Whole Lotta Love and LIVING to YOU,

-Angela

Food Framework #3: EZ Veg Wrap-Up

(continued from Recipe tab)

This is definitely one of my go-to hubby/ toddler approved mid-day or evening meals when I haven’t made time to plan.

First and foremost, if you haven't already, look-up and hit-up your local International Food Store!!! 

You will be blown AWAY at the variety of individual and bulk options, lack of preservatives, and GREAT prices... seriously a fraction of what Whole Foods or Fresh Market get away with charging.

And no doubt if I can find one here in Mobile, you will have options in the city/town where you live.

Once you find your local international market, pick up some Lavash bread.  It was an inexpensive, easy find in the freezer section of our international food store (only $2.95 for three 20" flatbreads.) 

My favorite brand is called Turlock Lavash, imported from Isreal, and is made of 100% stone ground whole wheat, water, yeast and salt.

All you gotta do is spread out the beautiful lavash and pile the inside with loads of whatever you prefer.






Stuffed and ready-to-wrap Mediterranean adaptation:  hummus, tabouli, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, squeeze of lemon and drizzle of balsamic vinegar; one stuffed, rolled, and cut-up 20" lavash will easily satisfy at least two people

   

This is another recipe that is open to interpretation and can be catered to your liking, hence the word “framework”.

Here are a few of our favorite things to stuff inside, in all sorts of combinations:

• fresh homemade hummus (or check your international market, ours makes a hummus that is unbelievable!)
• tabouli, eggplant dip, coleslaw, any favorite salad 
• any warm sauteed veg combo
• fresh veg of any kind: mixed greens, sprouts, avocado, sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, etc.
• sliced cucumber soaked in vinegar and fresh dill
• garbanzos, black beans, black eyed peas, green baby sweet peas etc.
• an organic egg (fried in ghee or coconut oil) on top is fantastic
• Daiya brand non-dairy cheese is my new favorite, and a great melty add
• nuts and seeds such as pumpkin, sesame and sunflower
• apple-cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil lemon and/or lime for dressing

Then just wrap it up and enjoy!

Other than the Mediterranean version (pictured above), here are a few other adaptations we love:

• Baja Mex: black beans with cumin, daiya non-dairy cheese, tomato, onion, cilantro, avocado, lime, chili peppers, fresh salsa

• Italian: tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh sweet yellow, red and orange peppers, sprouts, pesto, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil

• Greek: kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mixed greens, whole-grain couscous with lentils, oregeno, olive oil, vinegar

• Indian: sauteed cauliflower, potato, tomato, onion and spices including fenugreek, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chili powder

I love this go-to plan as its also a great way to utilize odds and ends from the fridge.  You will love experimenting with amazing combinations.

Let me know you and your family's favorite whole-food plant-based combo, or what new one's you come up with!

Whole Lotta Living and LOVE to You and Yours,

Angela