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The Nutrition Link: Real Food Changes Everything

Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen

A Girlfriend’s Cookbook and Guide to Using Real Food to Fight Cancer

By Annette Ramke and Kendall Scott

ON OUR JOURNEY through Cancer World we were both fortunate enough to become acquainted with the power of real food. While we both would have said, pre-cancer, that our diets were pretty good—we rarely ate fast food, didn’t slurp sodas and tried to eat our vegetables—once we began studying the connection between food and disease, we learned that our assessment of what we were putting into our mouths and bodies was—umm—a bit off base. Delving into the nitty-gritty of nutrition, as well as training with whole-foods chefs and spending gobs of time in the kitchen, we both came to experience firsthand just how much real food can completely

change everything.

We went from takeout pizza and meat and potatoes to leafy green veggies and whole grains in baby steps, and as we did, we felt the improvement. Our energy drastically increased, digestive issues subsided, our skin acquired a glow and our moods evened out. Oh right, and this was all while we were undergoing intense chemotherapy and recovering from major surgery. From our own experience we can assure you that eating real, plant-based food can help you feel better physically and be stronger psychologically—with or without cancer.

In a society in which time is money and food is merely fuel to keep your body up and running (or an emotional crutch to soothe and satisfy), we typically fail to make the connection between what we put into our body and how we feel. We also neglect to place any importance on taking the time and making the effort to learn about healthy eating and preparing and consuming nutrient-rich, disease-fighting meals.

The secret to health can be found in the saying we’ve heard so often that we fail to recognize its wisdom: “You are what you eat.” Food is a key factor in determining if we stay healthy or develop disease, feel energized or worn out, embrace hope or drown in depression. All of these areas in our life and more are fueled by our food - and we often thoughtlessly throw something down our throat to quiet the hunger.

Interestingly enough, cancer as well as almost any disease, is highly linked to the food we eat, our surroundings and stress, and can be simplified even more when we break it down into two components: deficiency and toxicity. When you eat poorly, your body is not getting the nutrients it needs, so deficiencies arise and the body is not able to effectively disarm toxins. This, in turn, creates an environment in which our bodies cannot function properly, fight off disease or heal as they should. By cleaning up our diets and creating a healthier lifestyle, we are able to alleviate deficiencies and remove toxins so the body can carry on its intrinsic healing process.

When we are suddenly faced with a cancer diagnosis, or want to do all we can to prevent the disease in the first place, realizing that what we put in our mouths impacts the quality and, very likely, quantity of our life is empowering. Suddenly there is something more we can do. You aren’t just cooking dinner anymore: You are caring for your body. Overnight the kitchen ceases to be a dreaded place but rather is transformed into a sacred space. And real food is not something we are scared of but becomes our best friend.

Taking the leap out of the familiar grocery-store aisles lined with cans and boxes and instead filling our shopping carts and our plates with fresh whole food is the way to create strength, health and well-being, whether you’re living with cancer or not.

Because of the amazing changes we have witnessed in ourselves and our clients, we are convinced of the power of real food to change everything and can’t wait to share our knowledge and experience with you throughout this book. Whether you are cooking for yourself, or having others do it for you, we’ll show you exactly what we did and how we did it. (You can jump ahead to Chapter 3 and beyond if you can’t wait.)

So, dear girlfriend, we are here to share a hug, to let you know you can make it, and to join you, step by step, as you transition to a healthier diet and a happier, more amazing life.

***

Cashew Kale

Cashews give this quick-and-easy greens dish a sweet and nutty flavor and ups the protein, mineral and antioxidant content! These nuts are a particularly great source of magnesium, important for healthy bones and for muscle relaxation. You can easily substitute collards, Swiss chard or your favorite green for the kale in this recipe.

Yield: makes 2 ½ cups

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large carrot, thinly sliced into rounds (about 1⁄2 cup)

2 bunches kale, thick stems removed, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 to 3 tablespoons tamari

1⁄2 cup raw cashews

1⁄4 cup raisins

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the carrot for five minutes. Add the kale, garlic, tamari, cashews and raisins and sauté a few minutes until cashews begin to soften.

Annette’s Tasty Tip: Double this recipe and serve on the side at breakfast to start your day with those important cancer-kicking greens!

Mexican Bean Skillet

This is a protein- and veggie-packed dish that everybody loves—even reluctant carnivore husbands! It’s easy to throw everything into one pan and let those flavors mingle. And if you’re daring, throw in the optional cayenne, and adjust to your preferred level of heat!

Yield: makes 4 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 small bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cups cooked beans (try one cup each of black and pinto)

1⁄2 cup each of veggie add-ins, for example diced zucchini and chopped spinach

11⁄2 cups diced tomatoes

1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a skillet, sauté the onion, pepper and garlic and salt in the olive oil over medium heat for five minutes, stirring. Then add the spices and sauté another two minutes. Next add the beans, veggie add-ins and tomatoes. Simmer for fifteen minutes, then add the cilantro and simmer for an additional two minutes.

Annette’s Tasty Tip: You can also serve this dish in a sprouted whole-grain wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, nutritional yeast and guacamole.

Key-Lime Custard Pie

comfort food | fatigue fighting and adrenal support | vegan | vegetarian

Kendall: One of my favorite desserts growing up was Key lime pie, and I am psyched to say that this healthier, dairy-free and less-refined version is freakin’ fantastic! The nuts in the custard and crust are full of protein and make it rather filling, so you really only need a small slice to satisfy your sweet-and-sour craving. And yeah, you should probably avoid this tangy dessert if you are dealing with mouth sores.

Yield: makes 8 pie slices

Crust:

1⁄2 cup raw almonds

1⁄2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon real maple syrup

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Pie Filling:

11⁄2 cups raw cashews

3⁄4 cup coconut milk

1⁄3 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted

3⁄4 cup lime juice

3⁄4 cup real maple syrup

1⁄2 teaspoon lime zest

1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest

Mix the crust ingredients in a food processor for one minute or until they are ground into crust dough. Use your fingers to firmly press the dough into a pie plate. To make the pie filling, first add the cashews to the food processor and process for one minute until finely ground. Add the coconut milk, coconut oil, lime juice, maple syrup, lime and lemon zest and process one to two minutes or until smooth. Scoop the pie filling into the crust; use a spoon to spread evenly. Refrigerate for two hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and let the pie sit at room temperature for five to ten minutes to soften slightly before serving.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.05.2013

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